Prejudice and Discrimination in Philadelphia Essay

Philadelphia is a movie which demonstrates not only the cold-blooded and hypocritical members of corporate society, but the indignities and prejudices that people living with AIDS have to go through. This movie was set in an era when homosexuality was not socially accepted and not many people were educated on the disease AIDS. Andrew Beckett, a Philadelphia lawyer who has been keeping his homosexuality, and his AIDS, hidden from his conservative bosses. He is a good worker and is respected in the workplace until one day he’s suddenly and inexplicably fired. Andrew suspects AIDS is the reason, and is determined to fight in court, even as he is losing his other battle, against the disease. Beckett hires attorney Joe Miller to represent him. Joe Miller is a homophobe and has to first overcome these fears of gays. Andrew Beckett’s ex Boss, Charles Wheeler, a sickening, prejudice man who resembles the most disgusting corporate boss there is: The corporate boss, who pretends to be friends with his coworkers or clients, only to stab them in the back later. He will do only anything to benefit himself and get to the top of the business. At the beginning, Wheeler pretends to be Andy’s friend, heck he even asks him for legal advice on a special antitrust case called †Highlight vs. Sander Systems†. Andy Beckett’s becomes fired, from the job, once they find out he has aids, but try to make it look he was fired for other reasons. The movie also greatly shows the prejudices, and misconception people have about aids. Another scene that shows people ignorance and prejudice towards AIDS and homosexuals is the library scene in which Andrew Beckett is conducting research for his AIDS case against the law firm that illegally fired him. The librarian first asks Andy Beckett, if he would be more comfortable in a study room, but then it becomes evident that the ignorant librarian is telling not asking Andy Beckett to go to another room because she is uneducated on the disease and fears she might catch it. Andrew being, a very proud man, refuses showing his true dignity even while having AIDS. At the time Andrew Beckett’s lawyer Joe Miller was there and saw this happening, although he was hiding behind a pile of books. He realised Andrew needed him to help protect his rights. The lawyer took the book Andy was holding out of his hand to show the librarian he was not afraid getting the disease by touching something Andrew had touched. During the court case, Joe Miller brings up the point of homosexuality against Andrew’s old company in defence, he brings up the points of how society don’t accept AIDS and homosexuals. In the end Andrew and Joe win the case and get money in damages, although Andrew is dying, he is happy to see that they won the case and raised awareness of AIDS.

Blood Promise Chapter Twelve

Being with Lissa left me with more questions than answers, and so without a course of action, I simply continued to stay with the Belikovs for the next few days. I fell into their normal routine, again surprised by how easy it was. I tried hard to make myself useful, doing any chores they'd let me do and even going so far as watching the baby (something I wasn't entirely comfortable with, seeing as guardian training hadn't left much time for after school jobs like babysitting). Yeva eyed me the whole time, never saying anything but always looking like she disapproved. I wasn't sure if she wanted me to go or if that was simply the way she always looked. The others, however, didn't question me at all. They were delighted to have me around and made it obvious in every action. Viktoria was especially happy. â€Å"I wish you could come back to school with us,† Viktoria said wistfully one evening. She and I had been spending a lot of time together. â€Å"When do you go back?† â€Å"Monday, right after Easter.† I felt a little sadness stir in me. Whether I was still here or not, I would miss her. â€Å"Oh, man. I didn't realize it was so soon.† A small silence fell between us; then she gave me a sidelong look. â€Å"Have you thought†¦ well, have you maybe thought about coming back to St. Basil's with us?† I stared. â€Å"St. Basil's? Your school is named after a saint too?† Not all of them were. Adrian had attended an East Coast school called Alder. â€Å"Ours is a human saint,† she said with a grin. â€Å"You could enroll there. You could finish your last year-I'm sure they'd take you.† Of all the crazy options I'd considered on this trip-and believe me, I'd considered a lot of crazy things-that was one that had never crossed my mind. I'd written school off. I was pretty sure there was nothing else I could learn-well, after meeting Sydney and Mark, it had become obvious there were still a few more things. Considering what I wanted to do with my life, however, I didn't think another semester of math and science would do much for me. And as far as guardian training went, mostly all I had left to do w s prepare for the end-of-year trials. I somehow doubted those tests and challenges would even come remotely close to what I'd experienced with Strigoi already. I shook my head. â€Å"I don't think so. I think I'm pretty much done with school. Besides, it'd all be in Russian.† â€Å"They'd translate for you.† A mischievous grin lit her face. â€Å"Besides, kicking and punching transcend language.† Her smile faded to a more thoughtful expression. â€Å"But seriously. If you aren't going to finish school, and you aren't going to be a guardian†¦ well, why don't you stay here? I mean, just in Baia. You could live with us.† â€Å"I'm not going to be a blood whore,† I said immediately. An odd look crossed her face. â€Å"That's not what I meant.† â€Å"I shouldn't have said that. Sorry.† I felt bad about the comment. While I kept hearing rumors about blood whores in town, I'd only seen one or two, and certainly the Belikov women weren't among them. Sonya's pregnancy was something of a mystery, but working in a drugstore didn't seem that sordid. I'd learned a little bit more about Karolina's situation. The father of her children was a Moroi she apparently had a genuine connection with. She hadn't cheapened herself to be with him, and he hadn't used her. After the baby was born, the two of them had decided to part ways, but it had been friendly. Karolina was now apparently dating a guardian who visited whenever he had leave. The few blood whores I had seen around town very much fit my stereotype. Their clothing and makeup screamed easy sex. The bruises on their necks clearly showed that they had no problem with letting their partners drink blood during sex, which was pretty much the sleaziest thing a dhampir could do. Only humans gave blood to Moroi. My race didn't. To allow it-particularly during sexual activities-well, like I said, it was sleazy. The dirtiest of the dirty. â€Å"Mother would love it if you stayed. You could get a job too. Just be part of our family.† â€Å"I can't take Dimitri's place, Viktoria,† I said softly. She reached out and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. â€Å"I know. No one expects you to. We like you for you, Rose. You being here just feels right-there's a reason Dimka chose to be with you. You fit in here.† I tried to imagine the life she described. It sounded†¦ easy. Comfortable. No worries. Just living with a loving family, laughing and hanging out together each night. I could go about my own life, not having to trail someone else all day. I would have sisters. There'd be no fighting-unless it was to defend. I could give up this plan to kill Dimitri-which I knew would kill me too, either physically or spiritually. I could choose the rational path, let him go and accept him as dead. And, yet†¦ if I did that, why not just go back to Montana? Back to Lissa and the Academy? â€Å"I don't know,† I told Viktoria at last. â€Å"I don't know what I'm going to do.† It was just after dinner, and she glanced hesitantly at the clock. â€Å"I don't want to leave you since we don't have much time together, but†¦ I was supposed to meet someone soon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Nikolai?† I teased. She shook her head, and I tried to hide my disappointment. I'd seen him a few times, and he'd grown more and more likeable. It was too bad Viktoria couldn't kindle any feelings for him. Now, though, I wondered if there might be something holding her back-or rather, someone. â€Å"Oh, spill,† I said with a grin. â€Å"Who is he?† She kept her face blank in a fair imitation of Dimitri's. â€Å"A friend,† she said evasively. But I thought I saw a smile in her eyes. â€Å"Someone at school?† â€Å"No.† She sighed. â€Å"And that's the problem. I'm going to miss him so much.† My smile faded. â€Å"I can imagine.† â€Å"Oh.† She looked embarrassed. â€Å"That's stupid of me. My problems†¦ well, they're nothing compared to yours. I mean, I may not see him for a while†¦ but I will see him. But Dimitri's gone. You won't see him ever again.† Well, that might not be entirely true. I didn't tell her that, though. Instead, I just said, â€Å"Yeah.† To my surprise, she gave me a hug. â€Å"I know what love's like. To lose that†¦ I don't know. I don't know what to say. All I can tell you is that we're here for you. All of us, okay? You can't replace Dimitri, but you do feel like a sister.† Her calling me a sister both stunned and warmed me at the same time. She had to go get ready for her date after that. She hurriedly changed clothes and put on makeup-definitely more than a friend, I decided-and headed out the door. I was kind of glad because I didn't want her to see the tears that her words had brought to my eyes. I'd spent my life as an only child. Lissa had been the closest I had to a sister. I'd always thought of Lissa as one; one I'd now lost. To hear Viktoria call me a sister now†¦ well, it stirred something in me. Something that told me I really did have friends and wasn't alone. I headed down to the kitchen after that, and Olena soon joined me. I was rummaging for food. â€Å"Was that Viktoria I heard leave?† she asked. â€Å"Yeah, she went off to see a friend.† To my credit, I kept my expression neutral. No way would I sell Viktoria out. Olena sighed. â€Å"I'd wanted her to run an errand for me in town.† â€Å"I'll do it,† I said eagerly. â€Å"After I grab something to eat.† She gave me a kind smile and patted my cheek. â€Å"You have a good heart, Rose. I can see why Dimka loved you.† It was so amazing, I thought, how accepted my relationship with Dimitri was around here. No one brought up age or teacher-student relationships. As I'd told Sydney, it was like I was his widow or something, and Viktoria's words about me staying replayed in my head. The way Olena looked at me made me feel like I really was her daughter, and once more, I experienced those traitorous feelings about my own mom. She probably would have scoffed at me and Dimitri. She would have called it inappropriate and said I was too young. Or would she have? Maybe I was being too harsh. Seeing me in front of the open cupboard, Olena shook her head reproachfully. â€Å"But you need to eat first.† â€Å"Just a snack,† I assured her. â€Å"Don't go to any trouble.† She ended up slicing me off big pieces of black bread she'd baked earlier that day and put out a tub of butter because she knew I loved to slather up my slices. Karolina had teased me that Americans might be shocked to know what was in this bread, so I never asked any questions. It was somehow sweet and tangy at the same time, and I loved it. Olena sat down across from me and watched me eat. â€Å"This was his favorite when he was little.† â€Å"Dimitri's?† She nodded. â€Å"Whenever he was on break from school, the first thing he'd do is ask for that bread. I practically had to make him his own loaf each time with the way he ate. The girls never ate that much.† â€Å"Guys always seem to eat more.† Admittedly, I could keep up with most of them. â€Å"And he's bigger and taller than most.† â€Å"True,† she mused. â€Å"But I eventually reached a point where I made him start making it himself. I told him if he was going to eat all my food, he'd best know how much work went into it.† I laughed. â€Å"I can't imagine Dimitri baking bread.† And yet, as soon as the words came out, I reconsidered. My immediate associations with Dimitri were always intense and fierce; it was his sexy, battle-god persona that came to mind. Yet, it had been Dimitri's gentleness and thoughtfulness mixed with that deadliness that made him so wonderful. The same hands that wielded stakes with such precision would carefully brush the hair out of my face. The eyes that could astutely spot any danger in the area would regard me wonderingly and worshipfully, like I was the most beautiful and amazing woman in the world. I sighed, consumed by that bittersweet ache in my chest that had become so familiar now. What a stupid thing, getting worked up over a loaf of bread of all things. But that was how it was. I got emotional whenever I thought about Dimitri. Olena's eyes were on me, sweet and compassionate. â€Å"I know,† she said, guessing my thoughts. â€Å"I know exactly how you feel.† â€Å"Does it get easier?† I asked. Unlike Sydney, Olena had an answer. â€Å"Yes. But you'll never be the same.† I didn't know whether to take comfort from those words or not. After I finished eating, she gave me a brief grocery list, and I set off toward downtown, happy to be outside and moving. Inactivity didn't suit me. While in the grocery store, I was surprised to run into Mark. I'd gotten the impression he and Oksana didn't come to town that often. I wouldn't have put it past them to grow their own food and live off the land. He gave me a warm smile. â€Å"I wondered if you were still around.† â€Å"Yeah.† I held up my basket. â€Å"Just doing some shopping for Olena.† â€Å"I'm glad you're still here,† he said. â€Å"You seem more†¦ at peace.† â€Å"Your ring is helping, I think. At least with the peace. It hasn't done much as far as any decision making goes.† He frowned, shifting the milk he held in one arm to the other. â€Å"What decisions?† â€Å"What to do now. Where to go.† â€Å"Why not stay here?† It was eerie, so similar to the conversation I'd had with Viktoria. And my response was equally similar. â€Å"I don't know what I'd do if I stayed here.† â€Å"Get a job. Live with the Belikovs. They love you, you know. You fit right in with their family.† That warm, loved feeling came back, and I again tried to imagine myself just settling down with them, working in a store like this or waiting tables. â€Å"I don't know,† I said. I was a broken record. â€Å"I just don't know if that's right for me.† â€Å"Better than the alternative,† he warned. â€Å"Better than running off with no real purpose, throwing yourself in the face of danger. That's no choice at all.† And yet, it was the reason I'd come to Siberia in the first place. My inner voice scolded me. Dimitri, Rose. Have you forgotten Dimitri? Have you forgotten how you came here to free him, like he would have wanted? Or was that really what he would have wanted? Maybe he would have wanted me to stay safe. I just didn't know, and with no more help from Mason, my choices were even more muddled. Thinking of Mason suddenly reminded me of something I'd totally forgotten. â€Å"When we talked before†¦ well, we talked about what Lissa and Oksana could do. But what about you?† Mark narrowed his eyes. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Have you ever†¦ have you ever run into, um, ghosts?† Several moments passed, and then he exhaled. â€Å"I'd hoped that wouldn't happen to you.† It astonished me then how much relief I felt to know I wasn't alone in my ghostly experiences. Even though I now understood that having died and been to the world of the dead made me a target for spirits, it was still one of the freakiest things about being shadow-kissed. â€Å"Did it happen without you wanting it?† I asked. â€Å"At first. Then I learned to control it.† â€Å"Me too.† I suddenly recalled the barn. â€Å"Actually, that's not entirely true.† Lowering my voice further, I hastily recapped what had happened on my trip here with Sydney. I'd never spoken of it to anyone. â€Å"You must never, ever do that again,† he said sternly. â€Å"But I didn't mean to! It just happened.† â€Å"You panicked. You needed help, and some part of you called out to the spirits around you. Don't do it. It's not right, and it's easy to lose control.† â€Å"I don't even know how I did it.† â€Å"Like I said, lapse of control. Don't ever let your panic get the best of you.† An older woman passed us, a scarf over her head and a basket of vegetables in her arms. I waited until she was gone before asking Mark, â€Å"Why did they fight for me?† â€Å"Because the dead hate Strigoi. The Strigoi are unnatural, neither living nor dead-just existing in some state in between. Just as we sense that evil, so do the ghosts.† â€Å"Seems like they could be a good weapon.† That face, normally easy and open, frowned. â€Å"It's dangerous. People like you and me already walk the edge of darkness and insanity. Openly calling upon the dead only brings us closer to falling over that edge and losing our minds.† He glanced at his watch and sighed. â€Å"Look, I have to go, but I'm serious, Rose. Stay here. Stay out of trouble. Fight Strigoi if they come to you, but don't go seeking them blindly. And definitely leave the ghosts alone.† It was a lot of advice to get in a grocery store, a lot of advice I wasn't sure I could follow. But I thanked him and sent my regards to Oksana before paying and leaving as well. I was heading back toward Olena's neighborhood when I rounded a corner and nearly walked right into Abe. He was dressed in his usual flashy way, wearing that expensive coat and a yellow-gold scarf that matched the gold in his jewelry. His guardians hovered nearby, and he leaned casually against a building's brick wall. â€Å"So this is why you came to Russia. To go to the market like some peasant.† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Of course not.† â€Å"Just sightseeing then?† â€Å"No. I'm just being helpful. Stop trying to get information out of me. You're not as smart as you think you are.† â€Å"That's not true,† he said. â€Å"Look, I told you already. I came here to tell the Belikovs the news. So go back and tell whoever you're working for that that's that.† â€Å"And I told you before not to lie to me,† he said. Again, I saw that odd mix of danger and humor. â€Å"You have no idea how patient I've been with you. From anyone else, I would have gotten the information I needed that first night.† â€Å"Lucky me,† I snapped back. â€Å"What now? Are you going to take me down an alley and beat me up until I tell you why I'm here? I'm losing interest in this whole scary-mob-boss routine, you know.† â€Å"And I'm losing patience with you,† he said. There went the humor, and as he stood over me, I couldn't help but uneasily note that he was better built than most Moroi. A lot of Moroi avoided fights, but I wouldn't have been surprised if Abe had roughed up as many people as his bodyguards had. â€Å"And honestly? I don't care why you're here anymore. You just need to leave. Now.† â€Å"Don't threaten me, old man. I'll leave whenever the hell I want.† It was funny, I'd just sworn to Mark that I didn't know if I could stay in Baia, but when pressured by Abe, I just wanted to dig my feet in. â€Å"I don't know what you're trying to keep me from, but I'm not scared of you.† That also wasn't entirely true. â€Å"You should be,† he returned pleasantly. â€Å"I can be a very good friend or a very bad enemy. I can make it worth your while if you leave. We can strike a bargain.† There was an almost excited gleam in his eyes as he spoke. I recalled Sydney describing him manipulating others, and I got the feeling this was what he lived for-negotiating, striking trades to get what he wanted. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"I'll leave when I'm ready. And there's nothing you or whoever you're working for can do about it.† Hoping I appeared bold, I turned around. He reached out and grabbed my shoulder, jerking me back, nearly causing me to lose the groceries. I started to lunge forward in attack mode, but his guardians were right there in a flash. I knew I wouldn't get far. â€Å"Your time is up here,† hissed Abe. â€Å"In Baia. In Russia. Go back to the U.S. I'll give you what you need-money, first-class tickets, whatever.† I stepped out of his reach, backing carefully away. â€Å"I don't need your help or your money-God only knows where it comes from.† A group of people turned the corner across the street, laughing and talking, and I stepped back further, certain Abe wouldn't start a scene with witnesses present. It made me feel braver, which was probably stupid on my part. â€Å"And I already told you: I'll go back whenever the hell I want.† Abe's eyes lifted to the other pedestrians, and he too retreated back with his guardians. That chilling smile was on his face. â€Å"And I told you. I can be a very good friend or a very bad enemy. Get out of Baia before you find out which.† He turned around and left, much to my relief. I didn't want him to see just how much fear his words had left on my face. I went to bed early that night, suddenly feeling antisocial. I lay there for a while, flipping through another magazine I couldn't read, and amazingly found myself growing more and more tired. I think the encounters with Mark and Abe had exhausted me. Mark's words about staying had hit too close to home after my earlier conversation with Viktoria. Abe's thinly veiled threats had raised all my defenses, putting me on guard against whoever was working with him to make me leave Russia. At what point, I wondered, would he truly lose patience and stop trying to bargain? I drifted off to sleep and the familiar sense of an Adrian-dream settled around me. It had been a long time since this had happened, and I'd actually thought he'd listened to me when I'd told him to stay away before. Of course, I always told him that. This had been the longest time span to go by without a visit, and as much as I hated to admit it, I'd kind of missed him. The setting he'd chosen this time was a piece of the Academy's property, a woodsy area near a pond. Everything was green and in bloom, and sunlight shone down on us. I suspected Adrian's creation didn't match what Montana's weather was really like right now, but then, he was in control. He could do whatever he wanted. â€Å"Little dhampir,† he said, smiling. â€Å"Long time no see.† â€Å"I thought you were done with me,† I said, sitting down on a large, smooth rock. â€Å"Never done with you,† he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and strolling over to me. â€Å"Although†¦ to tell the truth, I did intend to stay away this time. But, well, I had to make sure you were still alive.† â€Å"Alive and well.† He smiled down at me. The sun glinted off his brown hair, giving it golden-chestnut highlights. â€Å"Good. You seem very well, actually. Your aura's better than I've ever seen it.† His eyes drifted from my face down to where my hands lay in my lap. Frowning, he knelt down and picked up my right hand. â€Å"What's this?† Oksana's ring was on it. Despite the ring's lack of ornamentation, the metal gleamed brightly in the light. The dreams were so strange. Even though Adrian and I weren't together, exactly, the ring had followed me in and kept its power enough that he could sense it. â€Å"A charm. It's infused with spirit.† Like me, this was apparently something he'd never considered. His expression grew eager. â€Å"And it heals, right? It's what's keeping some of the darkness from your aura.† â€Å"Some,† I said, uneasy about his fixation on it. I took it off and slipped it into my pocket. â€Å"It's temporary. I met another spirit user-and a shadowkissed dhampir.† More surprise registered on his face. â€Å"What? Where?† I bit my lip and shook my head. â€Å"Damn it, Rose! This is big. You know how Lissa and I have been looking for other spirit users. Tell me where they are.† â€Å"No. Maybe later. I don't want you guys coming after me.† For all I knew, they were already after me, using Abe as their agent. His green eyes flashed angrily. â€Å"Look, pretend for a moment the world doesn't revolve around you, okay? This is about Lissa and me, about understanding this crazy magic inside of us. If you've got people who can help us, we need to know.† â€Å"Maybe later,† I repeated stonily. â€Å"I'm moving on soon-then I'll tell you.† â€Å"Why are you always so difficult?† â€Å"Because you like me that way.† â€Å"At the moment? Not so much.† It was the kind of joking comment Adrian usually made, but just then, something about it bothered me. For some reason, I got the tiniest, tiniest feeling that I suddenly wasn't as endearing to him as usual. â€Å"Just try being patient,† I told him. â€Å"I'm sure you guys have other stuff to work on. And Lissa seems pretty busy with Avery.† The words slipped out before I could help it, and some of the bitterness and envy I'd felt watching them the other night laced my tone. Adrian raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen, she admits it. You have been spying on Lissa-I knew it.† I looked away. â€Å"I just like to know she's alive too.† As if I could go anywhere in the world and not know that. â€Å"She is. Alive and well, like you. Er†¦ mostly well.† Adrian frowned. â€Å"Sometimes I get this strange vibe off of her. She doesn't seem quite right or her aura will flicker a little. Never lasts long, but I still worry.† Something in Adrian's voice softened. â€Å"Avery worries about her too, so Lissa's in good hands. Avery's pretty amazing.† I gave him a scathing look. â€Å"Amazing? Do you like her or something?† I hadn't forgotten Avery's comment about leaving the door unlocked for him. â€Å"Of course I like her. She's a great person.† â€Å"No, I mean like. Not like.† â€Å"Oh, I see,† he said, rolling his eyes. â€Å"We're dealing with elementary school definitions of ? ®like.'† â€Å"You're not answering the question.† â€Å"Well, like I said, she's a great person. Smart. Outgoing. Beautiful.† Something in the way he said â€Å"beautiful† bugged me. I averted my eyes again, playing with the blue nazar around my neck as I tried to parse my feelings. Adrian figured things out first. â€Å"Are you jealous, little dhampir?† I looked back up at him. â€Å"No. If I was going to be jealous over you, I would have gone crazy a long time ago, considering all the girls you mess around with.† â€Å"Avery's not the kind of girl you mess around with.† Again, I heard that affection in his voice, that dreaminess. It shouldn't have bothered me. I should have been glad he was interested in another girl. After all, I'd been trying to convince him to leave me alone for a very long time. Part of the conditions of him giving me money for this trip had involved me promising to give him a fair shot at dating when-and if-I returned to Montana. If he got together with Avery, it would be one less thing for me to worry about. And honestly, if it had been any other girl except Avery, I probably wouldn't have minded. But somehow, the idea of her enchanting him was just too much. Wasn't it bad enough that I was losing Lissa to her? How was it possible that one girl could so easily take my place? She'd stolen my best friend, and now the guy who'd sworn up and down that I was the one he wanted was seriously considering replacing me. You're being a hypocrite, a stern voice inside of me said. Why should you feel so wronged about someone else coming into their lives? You abandoned them. Lissa and Adrian both. They have every right to move on. I stood up angrily. â€Å"Look, I'm done talking to you tonight. Will you let me out of this dream? I'm not telling you where I am. And I'm not interested in hearing about how wonderful Avery is and how much better than me she is.† â€Å"Avery would never act like a little brat,† he said. â€Å"She wouldn't get so offended that someone actually cares enough to check on her. She wouldn't deny me the chance to learn more about my magic because she was paranoid someone would ruin her crazy attempt to get over her boyfriend's death.† â€Å"Don't talk to me about being a brat,† I shot back. â€Å"You're as selfish and self-centered as usual. It's always about you-even this dream is. You hold me against my will, whether I want it or not, because it amuses you.† â€Å"Fine,† he said, voice cold. â€Å"I'll end this. And I'll end everything between us. I won't be coming back.† â€Å"Good. I hope you mean it this time.† His green eyes were the last thing I saw before I woke up in my own bed. I sat up, gasping. My heart felt like it was breaking, and I almost thought I might cry. Adrian was right-I had been a brat. I'd lashed out at him when it wasn't really deserved. And yet†¦ I hadn't been able to help it. I missed Lissa. I even kind of missed Adrian. And now someone else was taking my place, someone who wouldn't just walk away like I had. I won't be coming back. And for the first time ever, I had a feeling he really wouldn't be.

Different Cultures Coming Together in Tucson Essay

The Tucson Meet Yourself Festival is a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with different cultures, that live right in our city. You get to experience these great cultures that thrive in our community, by sampling the cultures food and watching and listening to their traditional dances and music. There is everything there from Vietnamese, Greek, Mexican, Native American, Chinese, and many more cultures featured at this event. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to both experience and dance for this festival. I dance for the most well known Hispanic dance company in Tucson, AZ; Viva Performing Arts Center. We have gotten the opportunity to dance at this wonderful festival for the past two years and the audience is always so appreciative to watch what we have to offer, and soak in the culture through our dances. We usually showcase our well known Mexican Folklore dances as wells as our Samba, Mambo, and Salsa. Just by watching the audiences reaction to our dances not only makes me feel like I’m getting my culture out there in a positive way, but proud to be part of the Hispanic culture. After dancing, as a group we go out together into the festival and explore what this event has to offer. We spent most of the day there. It was great to see how well all the cultures adapt together in one setting. Everyone seems to get along so well and it gives the environment such a friendly and happy feel. All the food booths pull you in with the amazing aromas, that make your mouth water. They are set up right next to each other and its like walking through different countries right in Tucson. My favorite foods were the Vietnamese boba slushies and the Greek gyros. I tried to make as much room for all the different foods I wanted to try, but there was just so many it was impossible! This is definitely what keeps me going back every year. The delicious food from the many different cultures.

Theory of International Politics by Kenneth N.WALTZ Essay

Theory of International Politics by Kenneth N.WALTZ - Essay Example make some claim to being theoretically important; to construct a theory of international politics that remedies the defects of present theories† (p.1). On this basis, in Chapter 1, Waltz addresses pre-existing theory pertaining to the correlation between laws and international behaviour. Whilst he acknowledges that legal compliance and laws may provide a correlation to state behaviour and international politics, Waltz feels that is theory that explains them and to this end attempts to reconstruct classic realism through a somewhat scientific approach. On this basis, Waltz’s book seeks to go beyond the classic realist position of politics in terms of state characteristics and state interaction with each other and he argues that â€Å"the idea that international politics can be thought of as a system with a precisely defined structure is neorealism’s fundamental departure from traditional realism.† Therefore Waltz’s central theory of neorealism in international politics is underpinned by Waltz’s proposition that the system of international politics is inherently dependent on a system of anarchy. This system of anarchy according to Waltz effectively creates the international order of hierarchy, which is further defined by states who are unitary rational actors on the one hand and rational actors on the other. To this end, Waltz’s discussion of the Cold War, highlights his propensity towards viewing the international political order from a systemic perspective as opposed to considering the intentions of individual states and human behaviour, which is arguably the inherent weakness of the book in context of contemporary international politics. For example, in focusing on the international politics as a whole state system as opposed to individual state level factors, Waltz avoids assumptions about human nature and morality and power in international politics. Waltz’s neo-realist paradigm proposes that the central factor in international politics is

The Country Overview of The Iceland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Country Overview of The Iceland - Essay Example Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 13,004 km paved: 4,331 km unpaved: 8,673 km (2004). Ports and harbors: Grundartangi, Hafnarfjordur, Reykjavik, Seydhisfjordhur. Airports: 98 (2004 est.) Vegetation: 23,805km (9,191mi) Lakes: 2,757km (1,065mi) Glaciers: 11,922km (4,603mi) Wasteland: 64,538km (24,918mi) Weather: Despite its name and latitude, warm Gulf Streams keep southern Iceland snugger than many central European countries. Summers are pleasant with average July temperatures around 12C (53F). Winters, however, are significantly blunted and while fresh enough to put some rose in the cheeks, it will not be freezing them solid. The higher altitudes and northern coast face early year Arctic winds so are naturally colder. Snow turns to rain around spring but is never too heavy. Climate is cool, temperate and oceanic, influenced by the country's location where the polar front separates air currents of polar and tropical origin. Fluctuations in average annual temperature are more pronounced in Iceland than most other places. In Reykjavik, the average temperature is 11C (52F) in July and -1C (30F) in January. For two to three months in summer there is continuous daylight in Iceland, and early spring and late autumn enjoy long twilights. The really dark period that is three to four hours of daylight lasts from about mid-November until the end of January. Iceland is located on both a geological hot spot caused by a mantle plume, and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This combined location means that the island is extremely geologically active, having many volcanoes, notably Hekla, Eldgja, and Eldfell. There are also geysers a word derived from the name of one in Iceland, Geysir. Glaciers: The most distinctive features of... Iceland is located on both a geological hot spot caused by a mantle plume and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This combined location means that the island is extremely geologically active, having many volcanoes, notably Hekla, Eldgja, and Eldfell. There are also geysers a word derived from the name of one in Iceland, Geysir. The most distinctive features of Iceland are its glaciers, which cover over 4,500 square miles (11,800 km ²) or 11.5% of the total area of the country. The largest of the glacier caps is Vatna glacier in southeast Iceland with an area of 3,240 square miles (8,400 km ²), equal in size to all the glaciers on the European mainland put together. Avalanches are common in the northwest, north and east, where the steep mountain slopes, covered with deep snow.Iceland is richer in hot springs and high-temperature activity than any other country in the world. Steam vents, mud pools and precipitation of sulfur characterize high-temperature activity. The main high-temperature ar eas are Torfa glacier east of Hekla and Grim's lakes in the Vatna glacier. Hengill near Reykjavik is utilized to provide hot water for space heating in the capital. The widespread availability of geothermal power because of the numerous rivers and waterfalls are harnessed for hydropower. The total power output of the Torfa glacier area is estimated to be equivalent to 1,500 megawatts. Hot springs are found all over Iceland. There are about 250 low-temperature geothermal areas with a total of about 800 hot springs.

Managing Finance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Managing Finance - Research Paper Example Ratio analysis is the significant tool for investigating the financial performance of the company. It helps in analyzing the financial statements and the accounting ratios assist in knowing the company’s financial position. The ratios are also essential for evaluating the efficiency of the company in relation to its management and operations. On the basis of the ratio analysis, companies formulate their future plans. By doing the analysis of different ratios, companies come to know how well they are performing as compared to previous years as well as to its competitors (Khan and Jain, 2007). The profitability ratios signify whether the business assets are being utilized effectively in order to generate reasonable revenue. The liquidity ratios assist in determining whether the organization is capable of fulfilling the financial requirements in short term. The efficiency ratios signify the level to which the assets have been capable of creating sales. Financial leverage ratios s crutinize the financial construction of the company. Investment ratios assist the investors to make their critical decisions. A numerical investigation is carried out by calculating different ratios such as profitability, liquidity, efficiency, investment, financial, and cash flow ratios as well as on the Z-Score to recognize the performance of both the companies for the year 2012 and 2013. The numerical investigation shows that Ooredoo Telecom is considered as the more liquid company while the profitability ratios of Zain Telecom are higher.

Buyer Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Buyer Behavior - Essay Example e a product is relatively expensive and possibly technologically complex, prospective purchasers often go through a complex search and evaluation process prior to making a purchase. Various models of consumer behaviour have been developed over the years. The models reflect the different buying situations in which consumers find themselves. Factors influencing consumer behaviour must be considered as well as similar factors influencing the buying decisions in business to business transactions. An understanding of these factors and how they influence the buying decision are extremely important when putting together a selling strategy. Market research also plays an important part in helping to identify relevant facts about buyer behaviour (consumer or organizational) and provides all kinds of information which forms the basis of strategy formulation. A motive to make a certain purchase is an internal state of the purchase. While consumer behavior is observable, motives are psychological constructs that can only be inferred. Buying motives for consumer products may be classified as economic, emotional, product, and retail patronage. Some of the motives may be rational while others are emotional. To illustrate, economic motives include product durability or economy in use. Emotional motives might include romance, pleasure, or prestige. Product purchase motives might involve ease for making repairs or ease of installation. Patronage motives relate to variety for selection or promptness in delivery. Motives relate to perception. Motives come from the consumers real self, self-image, ideal self, and looking-glass self. The way consumers envision the situation to themselves helps to shape their reactions or responses to marketers appeals (Sharon, Boyle, 2004: 343). Consumer goals and needs are constantly changing in response to environmental conditions, interaction with others, and physical conditions. As individuals realize their goals, new objectives may be

Summarize the main points Griffin, Khan and Ickowitz make in favor of Assignment

Summarize the main points Griffin, Khan and Ickowitz make in favor of redistributive land reforms - Assignment Example In addition, the authors argue the redistribution land reform of the twentieth century developed a broader vision of land reforms in 1920’s and 1970’s. Land Reform is considered to an effective effort to overcome the unequal distribution of the allocation of the land ownership and the use of rights. Land policies have historically played a significant role to shape experience of different countries (Griffin and Khan). Griffin and Khan (reviews the previous argument and compares it with the contemporary land reform policies. In addition, the author favor redistributive land reform on the bases of segmented factor market and labor control systems. Similarly, Ray elaborates economical benefits and significances of the land reforms in the contemporary times. In the article, he draws attention of the reader towards the unequal distribution of land that has a major obstacle in the development of economy. In addition, the author highlights economic efficiency in agriculture through political, environmental and economic perspectives (Ray). Analyzing the both article, it shall be noted that both authors have highlighted importance of the redistributive land reforms. Griffin and Khan highlights the significance to the issue through discussing the historical issues (Griffin and Khan). It further incorporates arguments throughout the time to develop a broader understanding towards the land reform (Griffin and Khan). I believe the statistical and historical data and information provides a brief understanding towards the issues. Ray illustrates the importance of equal distribution of land as a source of economic growth and prosperity. Ray focuses on the effective and maximizing output of the land, as a social, environment and economical prosperity (Ray). I believe the article develops importance and significance of the issue with the economical aspect. It associates unequal distribution of land market as an important element for the

WEEK 8 DISCUSSION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

WEEK 8 DISCUSSION - Essay Example From the onset, one can acknowledge the fact that the content in the seminar articles do have a strong correlation to the doctoral study it delves on international finance, the current market trends in a dynamic global world, the capital markets of various economies, and the financial dynamics of running international businesses (MacCarthy, & Atthirawong, 2003). As clearly stipulated in the journal articles, the doctoral study also follow a rather similar approach in that it identifies the need for continual change in business technology and marketing strategies in order to meet the demands of the diverse global market (MacCarthy, & Atthirawong, 2003). The journal articles identify stringent international policies and unwillingness by concerned government authorities to cooperate with international companies as major hindrances to international trade. This is particularly so in Asia where cultural and environmental restraints determine the nature of business in Asian countries especi ally India. This is commensurate with the doctoral study topic in that the two identify as far as aspects of international trade are concerned. Some of the research methods posed in the seminar articles such as quantitative methods are essential in the doctoral study in that the seminar articles add more information to the case study due to the proximity of the two cases of study (Sinkovics, Penz, & Ghauri, 2008). The Asian perspective will help in answering the research question concerning the socio-cultural and environmental factors that influence the business behavior of Indian corporates with respect to international companies (MacCarthy, & Atthirawong, 2003). It is evident from the peer-reviewed journals that both the quantitative and qualitative methods of research design are viable in conducting research on international business perspectives.

Ecological Theory and Beautification Essay Example for Free

Ecological Theory and Beautification Essay The ecological theory in criminology maintains that the physical environment where people are situated influences certain human behaviors. The theory has its scientific advantages and disadvantages when compared to the process of â€Å"beautification,† which is the process of visually improving a city or town specifically one that is situated in an urban area. For the most part, the assertions of the ecological theory are not significantly dependent on the dominant ethnic group living in a particular area, thereby suggesting that the findings of the theory do not depend on subjective human relations but rather on the physical environment where they are located. It has a scientific advantage in the sense that it avoids the problems brought about by the relative circumstances of exactly who are living within the area. On the other hand, its disadvantage is that its findings—high crime rates with respect to social disorganization—can fluctuate between being a cause or an effect. In a sense, high crime rates can result to social disorganization and, similarly, social disorganization can lead to high crime rates. Relying on the physical environment in interpreting human behaviors is also problematic because doing so does not explain why some people in such areas commit certain crimes while others in the same areas do not. Beautification, however, is a relatively more stable theory than the ecological theory because, for example, urban beautification schemes through evictions are meant to address high crime rates and not the other way around. The ecological theory puts great emphasis on the fact of living within certain zones in an area as a primary reason for certain rates of crime. An earlier study conducted by Shaw and McKay (2006) in 1942 suggests that the Zone 2 of an area contain more crime rates than any of the other zones primarily because this zone does not have a settled community to begin with which, in effect, prevents the institutionalization of clear moral guidelines. In effect, the study in particular and the theory in general indicate that, regardless of those who settled in any of these zones, the behavior of the settlers as well as the rate of crime will have to depend on the corresponding zones. This argument is particularly interesting because it leaves the interpretation of human behavior on the physical environment instead on the people under study. According to Lowman (1986), there is the tendency to make unjust selections in using â€Å"criminological theory in developing geographic perspectives on crime† (p. 81). If that is the case, ecological theory as applied to criminology faces the greatest disadvantage—the disadvantage of arriving at biased results. Worse, the distinction between the causes and the effects of criminal activities may become blurred due to the tendency to not become objective. High crime rate can become a flexible factor, becoming a cause on one hand with social disorganization as its effect and becoming an effect on one hand with social disorganization as its cause on another. In fact, a separate study finds that there is no necessary connection between social class and crime and that more is yet to be understood in these two distinct concepts (Tittle, 1983). From the perspective of ecological theory, areas are divided into zones and these zones are occupied by more or less the same people in terms of social class, hence social stratification in the physical environment. If there is no apparent connection between social class and the types of crimes committed by people in any of the prevailing social classes, there remains the difficulty of further asserting that there is an apparent link between the physical environment and the rate of crimes in the different zones. Thus, the main disadvantage of using ecological theory in interpreting human behavior within the confines of certain zones is that it uses a shaky foundation. More specifically, the theory does not address the inconsistencies between those who commit certain crimes within a specific zone from those who do not commit any crime at all. The main question is: why do some people in Zone 2 commit theft, for instance, while some others do not? It appears that the physical environment does not hold a firm solution to the task of explaining human behavior. Nevertheless, another study reaffirms the assertion of the ecological theory. In a study conducted by Tita, Cohen and Engberg (2005), it was found out that small gangs operate within select areas especially in urban slum locations, suggesting that in some cases the ecological theory may hold true. In order to address the problem, it may be argued that urban beautification be taken into consideration such as demolishing structures in slum areas and replacing them with visually pleasing structures. The advantage of adopting this measure is that it can literally remove the physical environment where these small gangs thrive. As a result, a portion of the area is altered and cleansed, in a manner of speaking, which is a faster solution than the possible solutions that can be taken from the ecological theory. A disadvantage of applying the ecological theory in providing a solution to the problem of small gangs is that it requires sufficient time and firm policies. For instance, the ecological theory may suggest that the income in these slum areas should be raised through specialized government programs and the law enforcement be made more stringent. While the solutions taken from the ecological theory are certainly needed, they call for serious implementation and consistent follow-up on their development. On the other hand, the disadvantage of adopting the beautification solution through eviction is that it raises ethical concerns. It is a quick fix that carries several moral consequences, chief of them humanitarian reasons. Both the ecological theory and the process of beautification have their corresponding advantages and disadvantages. The challenge is not to find which one is generally better than the other but to determine which one applies best to a particular instance. Certain objections may be raised against either approaches, but they nevertheless remain significant methods in understanding certain types of human behavior such as criminal activities. References Lowman, J. (1986). Conceptual Issues in the Geography of Crime: Toward a Geography of Social Control. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 76(1), 81-94. Shaw, C. R. , McKay, H. D. (2006). Juvenile Delinquency and Urban Areas: A Study of Rates of Delinquents in Relation to Differential Characteristics of Local Communities in American Cities. Oxfordshire: Taylor Francis. Tita, G. E. , Cohen, J. , Engberg, J. (2005). An Ecological Study of the Location of Gang â€Å"Set Space†. Social Problems, 52(2), 272-299. Tittle, C. R. (1983). Social Class and Criminal Behavior: A Critique of the Theoretical Foundation. Social Forces, 62(2), 334-358.

Strategic ability of Hong Leong Bank

Strategic ability of Hong Leong Bank Hong Leong Bank Berhad was found by Ji Chiew. The bank starts operations in 1905 in Kuching, Sarawak. In 1 January 1982, the Head Office relocated from Kuching to Kuala Lumpur. The consolidation of banking institution to meet the requirement of Bank Negara Malaysia marks another milestone for Hong Leong Bank Berhad. Hong Leong Bank Berhad was listed on Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange on 17 October 1994. The market capitalization as of recent days is RM 470 million, according to bank website. Hong Leong Bank has diversified the businesses into financial services, manufacturing, and property and infrastructure development. The services available are personal financial services such as credit cards, investment, loan, deposits, insurance, priority banking, personal banking and Hong Leong Club Rewards for customer loyalty (Hong Leong Bank, 2009). Industry Analysis 2.1 Why Porters 5 models Porters model determines the competitiveness of an organization using the five different forces and shows how the forces are related. To develop business strategies effectively, organizations must understand and act in response to those forces. (Porter, 1985) (Fornell and Wernerfelt, 1987) Rivalry Among Existing Competitors There are 37 banks, which are recognized and licensed to operate in Malaysia and more financial institution are opening soon. The trend of increment of the number of banks within the industry is fast and there are great challenges for HLB to create and maintain a good market share. Other banks are seems to be more aggressive to get and retain customers. This force is not in favor of Hong Leong Bank. (BNM, 2009) Threat of Substitute Products and Services Even though there are many financial institutions available, some unique facilities can only be obtained from the bank only. American Express facilities, co-branded products (e.g. MTV), higher interest rate, club rewards, junior/senior savings, overdraft are the few products which only available to this bank. Thus this force is in favor to the bank. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) (BNM, 2009) Bargaining Power of Buyers Having the whole range of financial players apart from the retail banks, it is evident that customers can move within the 40 operators and can also decide to switch to the other non-banking institutions. Their choice can even extend to the insurance companies, depending on the nature of the product. For instance if a customer is looking for a small amount of loan, he/she can even get the said product from organizations like AEON, etc. The close location of various banks is also giving customer a very high bargaining power too. For instance in a location of Puchong Jaya, along the street of Jalan Kenari it is easy to find at least 9 banks within 100 meters Maybank, Public Bank, Eon Bank, CIMB Bank, HSBC, Alliance Bank, Bank Simpanan Nasional, UOB. With this concentration the bargaining of customers always goes high before customers start looking on a differentiated service. For the said bank, this is absolutely a negative favor since the potential customers can shift easily to differ ent point. (BNM, 2009) Bargaining Power of Suppliers The core business of the Hong Leong Bank is product and services which mainly focuses on safety of monetary management. The suppliers provide some tangibles like checkbooks, lockers, private banking, priority banking. The impact of these in HLB is not much significant since they are not really like the raw material. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) Threat of New Entrants The Bank Negara Malaysia has set a minimum capital requirement of RM5 billion for a bank to be registered. The conditions set for registering a bank are not difficult to obtain, hence entry barriers become low. Thus more foreign owned financial firms are keen to open their business in Malaysia. Certainly these institutions will pose threat on existing banking business as theyll have unique products and services. This force is not in favor of Hong Leong Bank. . (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) From the above analysis of HLB 5 forces analysis, the diagram below will provide a summary of the banks overall industry analysis. Threat of New Entrants (-) Threat of Substitute Products and Services (+) Bargaining Power of Buyers (-) Rivalry among existing competitors (-) Bargaining Power of Buyers (+) 2.2 Limitations of the Porters Model Porters 5 force analysis talks about the external forces applicable to the outside of business. Todays business is much more vast and robust requiring dynamic approaches which should be an integration of different approaches rather than depends on a single analysis. Internal factor analysis requires much analysis as external. Designing, visioning and learning approaches should be considered when an industry analysis is done. Proters 5 forces are lack of these factors. (Porter, 1985) (Gronroos, 1997) Strategic Capability Analysis 3.1 Stakeholders Stakeholder Analysis identifies important groups of people or individuals that can have an influence on the Project. These Stakeholders can have their own objectives and views, which may differ and conflict with other Stakeholders. A Stakeholder Analysis is required to identify all the parties who are directly or indirectly affected by the enterprises operations. This includes not only the traditional shareholders, but also some new groups that the insights of sustainable development tell us must be consulted in decisions that affect them. (Roberts, Varki, and Brodie, 2003) (Fombrun and Shanley, 1990) In an organization, internal stakeholder is the employees or people who work inside the organization. External stakeholders exist outside the organization but have a direct interest in what it does (e.g. shareholders, governments, customers) etc. (Roberts, Varki, and Brodie, 2003) 3.2 SWOT Analysis 3.2.1 Why SWOT Analysis? SWOT analysis is a tool for auditing an organization and its environment. It is the first stage of planning and helps marketers to focus on key issues. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors. Opportunities and threats are external factors. (Spreng and Chiou, 2002) In SWOT, strengths and weaknesses are internal factors and opportunities and threats are external factors. 3.2.2 Hong Leong Bank SWOT Analysis Strength Hong Leong Bank Berhad (HLB) principal activity is providing consumer-banking services including credit cards, investment, mortgage, deposits, insurance and priority banking. Other activities include business banking, trade financing, working capital facilities, treasury, foreign exchange, money market operations, capital market securities trading, investment, and takaful business. It has been recognized as one of the most profitable bank in Malaysia. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) It has 186 branches, 17 business centers with talented and motivated employees throughout Malaysia making it one of the most widened banking sectors in Malaysia. Their first award year 2004, an acknowledgement for their active participation in spurring the growth of the SMEs in the country. This award certainly spur Hong Leongs strength to bring more value added financial services to customers and the SMI community and to help them face the extremely challenging and competitive business environment both locally and globally. Launched in October 2005; the Hong Leong Mobile Credit Card is the first of its kind, allowing customers who are provided with a six-digit personal identification number (PIN) to pay for goods and services using mobile phones via short messaging service (SMS). This offering is the result of Hong Leong Bank tie-up with technology provider Mobile Money International Sdn. Bhd. This unique method of payment, known as Mobile Money is speedy, convenient and cost effective. Using only the mobile phone for approval of transactions and payments, there is no longer a need for the physical plastic card, merchant terminals or Internet terminals. Payment requests are delivered via SMS. There is no need for card members to be present at the point of sales or at the merchant outlets. Payments can therefore be made from wherever card members are, at whichever place where there are mobile phone signals. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) In 2007, Hong Leong Bank bagged the Asian Bankers Best e-Banking Project 2007 with its Internet banking offering, Hong Leong Online. The award recognizes the best emerging technology practices and benchmarks in Asia Pacific banks. Apart from the Asian Banker award, Hong Leong has also been ranked as the third most popular Malaysian online banking site. Online banking transactions helped the bank save about RM24mil from March to October 2007 as each online transaction cost about 20% compared with about RM3.50 for every over-the-counter transaction. Weakness In line with its strong customer service culture, the HLB continues to maintain its superior delivery standards which have been behind against international ISO standards. HLB is yet attained bank-wide ISO 9001:2000 certifications for customer service at the front office of its branches and bank-wide loan delivery service. This is a major drawback for the HLB to have a better customer base. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) As to compete in the industry of banking, interest rate is a major challenge as customer will choose for a higher interest rate for savings account and for the lowest interest rate for the loans that the customers are seeking for their financial assistances and better service for the customer. Hong Leong Bank needs to change according to the environment as to compete and remain as the market leader. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) As Hong Leong Bank has moved ahead to the Electronic banking or transaction there is greater risk or security threats circulated to the users of online banking or transaction. There are non technical threats such as phising whereby it is the act of tricking someone into giving them confidential information or tricking them into doing something that they normally wouldnt do. The common applications of this approach is to send fake emails (email spoofing) to a victim purporting to come from a legitimate source and requesting information (such as the bank account number and the password) or directing the victim to a fake internet website where this information can be captured. Opportunities The bank may recruit young and talented staffs and provide them proper training to create a talent base as well as provide job to those who are in need. This may also reduces the unemployment rates in Malaysia. This talent base is able to adopt with internal formation and usually stay with the bank until the end. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) As the banking industry grows and provides opportunities for the local customers indirectly it also given an opportunity to the foreigners who stays in Malaysia. They tend to use banking services more frequently to have different types of account. This additional customer base will bring more money inside the bank and of course banks will gain profit from various types of transactions. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) Bringing the bank closer to the consumer could be the vital opportunity. Providing a payment gateway where ATM card could be used as like a credit card for everyday usages. Since these customers will use won money, bank may encourage them to save more to get more benefits. Establishing more ATM and branches and electronic features (e.g Western Union money transfer) will definitely bring more customers in. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) Threats Ease of distributing credit card could be a disturbing role the bank is playing. While credit card repayments are depends fully on customer payment, if it is not paid, bank has to go long way. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) The bank is not really in forefront position to introduce new products and service as market demand changes. It if often seen that the bank introduces the products in different name when the service is already available in the market by other bank. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) 3.2.3 Limitations of SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis usually very subjective. It simply looks at the negative factors first in order to turn them into positive factors. So it is advisable to use SWOT as guide and not as prescription. (Spreng and Chiou, 2002) Strategic Choices 4.1 Generic Strategy 4.1.1 Why Porters Generic Strategy Generic strategies are widely used today even though it was invented in 1980s. Three options are available for organizations to adopt to achieve sustainability which are cost leadership, differentiation and focus. Each of the three options are considered in two aspects of the competitive environment: (i) Competitive advantage talks about the prices (high or low) of the products, (ii) Competitive scope talks about the market size (narrow or broad). (Porter, 1985) (Chen, 1999) (Sanzo et al, 2003) Overall Cost Leadership The low cost products are the product leader in the market. It may also included the time required to built and delivery the products to customers. As it is mentioned earlier, using online banking, it would help the bank as well as customers to save more. Developing and maintaining online business is not low-priced itself. Yet it could provide vital thumbs-up to banks generic strategy. If more customers opt for online transactions, bank wouldnt have to spent time on serving customer physically thus itll requires less resources (e.g. less branch, less employees). These less resources will push ahead the bank with extra finance to improve other services. (Harris and Goode, 2004) (Sanzo et al, 2003) Differentiation Differentiated goods and services are designed to satisfy the customers with the lowest price/cost available for similar kind of products. HLB Flexi FD is a fixed deposit product which gives higher interest rate to the customer. Thus the bank will be in risk of loosing money. So it has to bring and retain much customer to cover the loss. The loss must be cover to be competitive. Since banking industry changes rapidly, HLB will have to customize the products and services over times to hold ensure customer satisfaction. (Dannenberg and Kellner, 1998) (Jones, Mothersbaugh, and Beatty, 2000) Focus In focus an organization can afford neither a wide scope cost leadership nor does a wide scope differentiation strategy, Here an organization focus effort and resources on a narrow segment of a market. Competitive advantage is generated specifically for the niche. A company has two options to choose: use either a cost focus or a differentiation focus. Taken example of HLB structured investments. Invested amounts are 3rd-party transactions and bank itself doesnt provide any guarantee of returns of money to the customer. In this segment, HLB is a low profile character. Even though bank is charging some commission on the investments, customers who are willing to invest are to do so at own risk. (Jarvelin and Lehtinen, 1996) (Evans and Beltramini, 1987) 4.2 Strategic Directions 4.2.1 Why Ansoff Matrix The Ansoff Growth matrix is a strategic direction tool that helps businesses decides their strategies for growth. Ansoffs product/market growth matrix discuss about the strategies on which the business deliver new or current products in new or current markets. Overall output of Ansoff product/market matrix is sets of strategies that set the direction for the business growth. (Auh et al, 2007) (Sanzo et al, 2003) These are described below: Market penetration Market penetration is a general name of selling current products into current markets. The bank continuously introduces loan and credit products to customers to leap ahead. Since the banks most incomes come from loan and credit facility, reshape of current products will ensure market growth and increase of usages by existing customers. Market penetration for HLB will be focused on the central markets that it is very familiar with, competitors are known, customer needs are defined and returns are potential. (Gustafsson, Johnson, and Roos, 2005) (Agrawal, 2001) http://strategyiseverywhere.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/ansoff_matrix.png Market development Market development tells about the distribution of current products in new market. With its existing banking facilities, the bank introduces private banking for the customers who loves personal banking. For everyday needs of banking, investment, loan, protection a dedicated personal banker is always there to serve the individual customer to fill their needs. These personal banking is nothing different than existing policies; focus goes to its loyal customers which puts big amount inside the bank. (Dannenberg and Kellner, 1998) (Filotto, Tanzi, and Saita, 1997) Product development Product development is the name given to a growth strategy where a business aims to introduce new products into existing markets. Saving multiplier plans is recently introduced by the bank. Hong Leong Savings Multiplier Plan is a unique investment tool that utilizes the powerful concept of Dollar-Cost-Averaging and offers a customized solution to tackle the distinct financial challenges throughout different life stages be it to secure a comfortable retirement or to ensure a steady flow of pension-like funds or for putting aside adequate funds even for childrens education. Islamic banking is another example of product development. (Metawa and Almossawi, 1998) (Haron, Ahmad and Planisek, 1994). Diversification Diversification is the growth strategy where new products are to be delivered in new market. This strategy is more risky for business growth as often business takes longer time to survive in a new market. HLB recently spread their business in Vietnam. Since Vietnamese culture differs from Malaysia, the bank has to adopt the culture as well as compete with well established Vietnamese banks. (Shankar, Smith, and Rangaswamy, 2003) (Evans and Beltramini, 1987) 4.3 Method for Pursuing Strategic Direction Forward Looking Policy Monetary policy management needs a forward-looking policy due to the time gap between policy actions and their intended effects on output and inflation. HLB built a macro model which would determine the impact of policy actions. Understanding the microeconomic factors are important too determine the inter-linkage of monetary policy mechanism. (Fornell and Wernerfelt, 1987) Deepening of Financial Markets New financial products are traded in the Money/Bonds market by the introduction of Hong Leong Banks Debt Capital Markets Structured Finance (DCM/Structured Finance) unit within Wholesale Banking provides innovative tailor-made solutions to financial institutions, corporate, agencies and high net-worth individuals through comprehensive offerings in the debt capital markets. (Dannenberg and Kellner, 1998) Strong Foreign Currency Reserve Foreign exchange reserves form part of the national assets and these needs to be deployed rationally keeping in mind the principles of safety, liquidity, and return. The reserves, which are currently deployed by the HLBs in-house reserve management treasury dealers, are in short-term high quality bank deposits. (Naser, Jamal, and Al-Khatib, 1999) Reliable and Secured Payment Systems To reduce the settlement time significantly and increase cost effectiveness the bank plans to establish an electronic clearinghouse to do almost every transactions online with tighten security and handy usability. Opening an account, apply for credit cards are already in place. The bank further steps in mobile banking for dedicated user. Recently the bank introduces e-broker services (HLeBroking). HLeBroking allows the flexibility of placing orders either through a phone call to our trading hub or via the internet. Professional dealers centralized in the hub are always on hand to execute transactions and monitor shares investment portfolio. (Shankar, Smith, and Rangaswamy, 2003) (Harris and Goode, 2004) 4.4 Implication and Evaluation of Analysis During this analysis it was assumed that strategies are reasonably orderly and knowable and, in turn, that evidence can help to evaluate theories that claim to explain these strategic positions. Data and information often founded confusing and imperfect. It seems almost certain that no single study can validate or invalidate a theory. Besides, there is a good chance that a large number of studies will not generate consistent results. (Agrawal, 2001) The methodology were used in analysis is not about developing a foolproof system; it is at least partly an art. There is no mechanical system that will escape judgment, sense, and intelligence. But this does not eliminate the need for techniques and standards. Product delivery approaches, geography, demography does plays role in strategic position which were missing in the analysis done. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) The strategic planning process adopted by HLB was participative, consultative and result oriented. But the takes time to achieve results. While some important factors the bank missed out during strategic choices, individual departments must do their respective environmental scans through a SWOT analysis whereby they identified their internal strengths and weaknesses as well as the external opportunities and threats. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) Business trends changes randomly. Todays product may not be available tomorrow. Thus no strategic plan could be exactly fit into business strategy. However, HLB could consider a more diversified strategy which would be more beneficial to determine strategic stand. Justification of a Strategy As the strategic position and strategic choices are different from the matrix analysis, a better strategic growth model is optimal solution. 5.1 McKinsey Growth Pyramid McKinsey growth pyramid is an upgraded version of Ansoff Matrix with broader discussing of important strategic factors. With every possible action there are certain alternatives (e.g. acquisition, joint ventures, alliances etc) with risk measurement from low to high. Existing products to existing customers This is considered lowest risk options go on businesses with current asset and current customer. But itll not be much beneficial for bank in long terms. Existing products to new customers Introduce existing products to new customer which may help them meet their daily financial needs so that they dont look for other financial choices. Consumers always look for much return while bank always looks for low give-away. New customers can be a turning point for any bank. Demographical (e.g. adult, children, senior) products would be vital products to attract new customers. (Harris and Goode, 2004) New products and services Over time, new products must be channeled into banking business. Broader distribution if Islamic banking could be a important factor. It is seen that many nom-Muslims adopted for Islamic banking. Since there is trend of Islamic banking growth, the bank should not take the risk to risk the potential customers due to lack of proper preparation. Some of the products may be delivered to existing customers. Risk may incur if the products doesnt appeal the customers. (El-Bdour and Erol, 1989) (Gerrad and Cunningham, 1997) New delivery approaches Todays consumer seek more convenient service provider. Banks are not exempted indeed. Many banks had adopted special facilities for different customers. Priority banking could be one solution. In priority banking everyone is unique and therefore has very specific financial needs. Thats why bank will offer a comprehensive range of privileges for convenience. Setting up special services only for young generation can be another important product delivery approaches. Dedicated services will invite more young generation to adopt the services. However, it could cost the bank some extra amount and if the products are not selling well, bank will face loss of resources. (Yoon, Guffey, and Kijewski, 1993) (Mols, 2001) http://www.filecluster.com/screenshots/61893.gif New geographies Geographical expansion is one of the most powerful options for growth but also one of the most difficult. The bank already went global opening branches in Singapore and Vietnam. This strategy is proven fine for well reputed bank (e.g. Citibank) but it has to be cautious in business. Geographical movement may bring new customers with solid financial needs but the bank has narrow down the scope of services due to high risk. (Sanzo et al, 2003) New industry structure The bank may re-assert the liquidity franchise and continue to address the yield challenge. While economics of the business have changed, unlike other countries, pricing and credit spreads did not adjust in tandem in the Malaysia. The quality of strategic asset-liability management, liquidity and capital management differentiates. Re-asserting core businesses with efficiency, unit cost management, operating leverage, dynamic pricing as well as customer value or returns on each customer relationship. Cross-selling and customer service are key success factors. (Agrawal, 2001) New competitive arenas Using competitive arena, business may transfer their resources and knowledge to new industry using vertical integration. This may pose immense risk to bank itself. Bank may loose it all investment. Despite the risk, this will help the bank grows rapidly and spread their products throw many distribution channels. (Gronroos, 1997) Conclusion The pre- and post-crisis strategic postures are a tale of worldwide economic fall down. The postures are characterized by the scaling up of the business, refining value propositions in each business, responding to competition and price war, building new capabilities and strengthening the risk and IT infrastructure as the bank sought to incrementally improve our market share and positioning. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) (Gustafsson, Johnson, and Roos, 2005) The era ahead is more opportunistic in nature, with a rapidly changing eco-system and higher regulatory and prudential requirements. The shadow of the state on the sector globally is more pronounced. (Auh et al, 2007) Overall, the banks competitive strategy has to pivot on a competitive delivery, consisting of quality people, knowledge base and result oriented capability, market intelligence and local community embedment, entrepreneurialism and how it organize itself to scale and build new names. As it emerges from the crisis, it needs to re-segment the customers to market changes and re-build a compelling proposition on how to scale sustainability while staying opportunistic tactically. (Auh et al, 2007) References Auh, S., Bell, S.J., McLeod, C.S., Shih, E. (2007), Co-production and customer loyalty in financial services, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 88 No.3, pp.359-70. Fombrun, C., Shanley, M. (1990), Whats in a name? Reputation building and corporate strategy, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 33 No.2, pp.233-48. Gustafsson, A., Johnson, M., Roos, I. (2005), The effects of consumer satisfaction, relationship commitment dimensions, and triggers on consumer retention, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 69 No.4, pp.210-18. Harris, L.C., Goode, M.M.H. (2004), The four levels of loyalty and the pivotal role of trust: a study of online services dynamics, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 80 pp.139-58 Roberts, K., Varki, S., Brodie, R. (2003), Measuring the quality of relationships in consumer services: an empirical study, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 37 No.1-2, pp.169-96. Sanzo, M.J., Santos, M.L., Và ¡zquez, R., à lvarez, L.I. (2003), The effect of market orientation on buyer-seller relationship satisfaction, Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 32 No.4, pp.327-45. Shankar, V., Smith, A., Rangaswamy, A. (2003), Customer satisfaction and loyalty in online and offline environments, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 20 pp.153-75. Spreng, R.A., Chiou, J. (2002), A cross-cultural assessment of the satisfaction formation process, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 36 No.7-8, pp.829-39. Yoon, E., Guffey, H.G., Kijewski, V. (1993), The effects of information and company reputation on intentions to buy a business service, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 27 pp.215-28. Porter, M E. (1985) Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, New York: The Free Press. Gronroos, C., (1997) Value-driven Relations Marketing: From Products to Resources and Competencies. Journal of Marketing Management, Volume 13, Number 5, p. 407-419. Agrawal, P. (2001), The relation between savings and growth: co-integration and causality evidence from Asia, Applied Economics, Vol. 33, pp. 499-513. Chen, T.Y. (1999), Critical success factors for various strategies in the banking industry, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 83-91. Dannenberg, M. and Kellner, D. (1998), The bank of tomorrow with todays technology, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 90-7. Filotto, U., Tanzi, P.M. and Saita, F. (1997), Consumer needs and front-office technology adoption, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 13-21. Mols, N.P. (2001), Organising for the effective introduction of new distribution channels in retail banking, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 35 No. 5/6, pp. 661-86. Fornell, C. and Wernerfelt, B. (1987), Defensive marketing strategy by customer complaint management: a theoretical analysis, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 24, November, pp. 337-46. Jones, M.A., Mothersbaugh, D.L. and Beatty, S.E. (2000), Switching barriers and repurchase intentions in services, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 76 No. 2, pp. 259-74. Evans, K.R. and Beltramini, R.F. (1987), A theoretical model of consumer negotiated pricing: an orientation perspective, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51, pp. 58-73. Jarvelin, A. and Lehtinen, U. (1996), Strategic integration in industrial distribution channels: managing the interfirm relationship as a strategic asset, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 4-18. Hong Leong Bank (2009), last accessed on 10th Dec 2009, Available at El-Bdour, R. and Erol, C. (1989), Attitudes, behaviour and patronage factors of bank customers towards Islamic banks, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 7 No. 6, pp. 31-7. Gerrad, P. and Cunningham, J.B. (1997), Islamic banking: a study in Singapore, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 15 No. 6, pp. 204-16. Haron, S., Ahmad, N. and Planisek, S. (1994), Bank patronage factors of Muslim and non-Muslim customers, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 12 No.1, pp. 32-40. Metawa, S.A. and Almossawi, M. (1998), Banking behaviour of Islamic bank customers: perspectives and implications, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 16 No. 7, pp. 299-313. Naser, K., Jamal, A. and Al-Khatib, K. (1999), Islamic banking: a study of customer satisfaction and preferences in Jordan, International Journal of Bank Mark

Net Privacy Essay -- social issues

Net Privacy The internet has brought mixed blessings to the people who use it. It is a fantastic information source but the relative lack of privacy has brought forth a major problem. Anyone with even little hacking knowledge can track every move that you make while using internet services and/or view private or confidential information. It is now possible for some internet sites can actually find information such as e-mail addresses or the name of the person/people viewing the site without authorisation. This problem can affect everyone who uses any internet services and ultimately can lead to very confidential information(such as credit card numbers) getting into the hands of criminals. Internet services and facilities are now used and provided by many companies and individuals worldwide. Each web site that is visited could have the capability of finding out your name and/or e-mail address and sending junk e-mail or cataloguing this information and then selling it to other companies. The ISP that you connect to the internet also has a record of every bit of information you upload or download, and must keep records for official purposes. Any sites that ask for your credit card number for "pay by use" or restricted services could, in fact, sell or use such information for illegal purposes such as fraud. The actual hardware requirements for using the internet are minimal, only an internet service provider(a company that allows a connection to the internet), modem(to send and receive data transmissions through a phone line), phone line(to dial up the I.S.P,) and a reasonably fast computer(to run the hardware and software) are needed to get onto the internet. This allows almost anyone with a computer to access the internet. Software is needed to browse or view the internet is a browser(such as Netscape Navigator, MS Internet Explorer) and for e-mail services, programs such as Eudora, Netscape Navigator or MS Internet Explorer are needed to send or receive e-mail. Nearly everyone will at some stage in their lives use the Internet. Very minimal skills are needed to use the Internet, and it allows people to access an immense amount of information at the touch of a button. All a person with a little hacking knowledge needs to do to get such information is to use a Trojan horse type program and he or she can follow you around and view the information ... ...er band of people would be willing to visit sites and enter confidential information without any fear of misuse. It must be the future of the Internet. Computer Privacy is a major issue and it does effect anyone who uses any internet service. Something must be done to stop the crimes committed against the privacy of people and people should be allowed to control their personal or confidential information, whether they want it freely available or not. Only through consumer pressure will the internet become more secure as has happened in America. Already people can join up to ISP's with totally secure services with total anonymity. This must be the future of the internet. BIBLIOGRAPHY World Wide Web Electronic Privacy Information Center Authors, Electronic Privacy Information Center, [Online] http://www.epic.org/, 22/4/97 unknown. Who Owns Personal Information?: Junk Mail and Privacy [Online] http://www.epic.org/privacy/junk_mail/ ,24/4/97 unknown. THE FACTS ABOUT COMPUTER PRIVACY, [Online] http://www.203.232.1.23/~org/~itop/priv.html MAILING LIST unknown. Computer Privacy Digest, [e-mail service] mailing list newsletter, unknown. ,20/3/97

Outside the Law: Women Criminals in Arizona History :: Essays Papers

Outside the Law: Women Criminals in Arizona History Throughout history, men and women have often been stereotyped into specific roles. Men have frequently been characterized as being more forceful and violent than their female counterparts. Men have also often been portrayed as adventurous pioneers while women were considered to be more frail and delicate. Nowhere has this stereotype been more prevalent than in Arizona history. In the years before statehood, Arizona's reputation as part of the "Wild West" was legendary. From stagecoach robberies and saloon fights to the shootout at Tombstone, the early days of the Arizona territory are filled with stories of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Of course, most of these stories involve the men of Arizona history. Men were typically cast both as the mysterious bad guys who robbed the stage, and as the noble sheriffs who struggled to uphold the law. Women, when they were remembered at all, were most frequently cast as virtuous pioneer women, struggling to retain femininity in the rough Arizona frontier, or as wanton saloon women with few redeeming characteristics. As can be expected, however, most of these stereotypes of women in Arizona history are sorely misguided. It is true that women in the nineteenth century were expected to abide by certain standards of 'womanhood'. According to Paul Knepper in his article, "The Women of Yuma: Gender, Ethnicity, and Imprisonment in Frontier Arizona, 1876-1909", these standards were "...the cardinal virtues of submissiveness, piety, purity, and domesticity" (241). Women in the Arizona territory had the doubly difficult duty of being expected to abide by these standards of womanhood while simultaneously fighting an undeveloped territory where any signs of weakness were shunned. There was a group of women in nineteenth century Arizona who did not fit this stereotype of female passivity and decorum. These were women who, for one reason or another, broke the law and were branded as criminals. Some of these women broke the law deliberately with shocking disregard to personal life or property. Others broke the law reluctantly, only trying to feed themselves or their families. Yet others were victims of an unfair morality bias against women. When they were punished for their crimes, some of them received leniency from the court based on their gender, while others were made to suffer horrible indignities because the system had no place for women criminals.

The Nursing Shortage Essays -- Nurse Medical Medicine Health 2014

Table of Contents The Problem 2 The Causes of the Nursing Shortage 2 The Impact of the Nursing Shortage 5 Current Federal Legislation 6 Alternatives 8 Recommendations 9 Works Cited 11 The Problem Current literature continues to reiterate the indicators of a major shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States. The total RN population has been increasing since 1980, which means that we have more RNs in this country than ever before (Nursing Shortage). Even though the RN population is increasing, it is growing at a much slower rate then when compared to the rate of growth of the U.S. population (Nursing Shortage). We are seeing less skilled nurses â€Å"at a time of an increasingly aging population with complex care needs and an increasingly complex technological care environment† (Mion). According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Department of Health and Human Services, it is estimated that â€Å"more than a million new and replacement nurses will be needed over the next decade† (Diagnosis: Critical). A chronic nursing shortage has been a reoccurring problem that impacts the future of our health care system and, even more so, the future quality of long-term care in this country. Currently, there are several federal and state initiatives, organizations, and agencies dedicated to solutions of the shortage. However, we continue to lack the necessary number of RNs needed to deliver quality care to a population with growing health care demands. The Causes of the Nursing Shortage There are several factors that are considered the causes of the nursing shortage. Literature suggests that the shortage is linked to factors related to current population trends and the nature of the health care e... ...rvey.htm>. Spetz, Joanne, and Sara Adams. "How Can Employment-Based Benefits Help the Nurse Shortage?" Health Affairs 25 (Jan.-Feb. 2006): 212-218. ProQuest . Ithaca Coll. Lib., Ithaca, NY. 10 Dec. 2012. . "State Legislative Initiatives to Address the Nursing Shortage." American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Oct. 2006. 11 Dec. 2012 . "Toward a Method for Identifying Facilities and Communities with Shortages of Nurses." Health Resourses and Services Administration. 2004. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 5 Dec. 2012 . "What Works: Healing the Healthcare Staffing Shortage." Modern Healthcare 37.29 (July 2007). ABI/INFORM. ProQuest. Ithaca Coll. Lib., Ithaca, NY. 2 Dec. 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .

My First Step Into College Essay

As I have started my college career I noticed that the writing is a lot harder than it ever has been before. More in depth, more to do and of course the deadlines and due dates are much shorter. Time and time again I’m reminded that my time management skills have really brought down my writing ability and that I need to apply myself to my writing more to avoid failing a paper or even a class. My experience in first taking English 1100 and having to retake it have pushed me to better manage my time and focus on writing well put together essays that are college level. I learned that the whole structure of this class is a little bit a new experience and some I have done before. Just like everyone, I’m not perfect, I have strengths, and many weaknesses in my writing that I could improve on but I would really like to improve my writing. Last semester was a hectic and not very good start to my college career because I failed to deal with the pressure from the expectations given by my teachers, and my parents. The teacher gives the due dates and the instructions to the students, me included, but the only thing I could seem to follow perfectly is the deadline aspect of the papers. That was an important yet easy expectation to follow because if you did not turn it in on time then you don’t get a grade for it basically, which is something I didn’t want to let happen, although my lack of time management skills did not help the content of that essay live up to the teachers expectations. I have learned from this that it is hard to finish a paper when you get home from work at 10:30 dead tired, and you stay up till one in the morning finishing it when you could have done it on your day off and not have had to worry about it the night before. That was after the two days of pre writing I did for the paper. It was another narrative but more personal. It was about either a place or person that is significant in your life. I chose my girlfriend, I love her to death and I don’t go out much so she was the only thing listed under the prompt that I could write a significant and relevant to the prompt narrative. It was going well I was asking my girlfriend for help as far as proofreading and editing. It was great to have her there because she is a much better writer than I am. That paper was going well until I had to stay up late the night before to finish it. Needless to say I didn’t feel good about how it was going to turn out and I was kind of right. I was given a C minus, mostly for a lot of spelling issues and run on sentences, which could have been fixed if I did not have to rush to finish the paper and if I would have hit the spell check button. I fell a little short of my parent’s expectations who expected C plus’s, B’s, and A’s out of me. It was a little hard telling them my grade and explaining why it was so low and how I should have taken more time on it and how I should not have slacked off. As hard and annoying as it was to hear it they were right, I couldn’t slack off and pass the class. Unfortunately I couldn’t buckle down in time enough to save my grade and I ended up failing the class with a C minus which for my major is not passing. Through out the rest of the semester I did improve my writing later on especially personal essays and comparison reflections the relate to me. I did also learn that by fixing my time management skills and taking more time in the whole writing process improved my last two papers which were a research essay and a reader reflection of a text I received a B and a B plus which was surprising to me but was the reward for my learning to apply myself and handle the pressure of the expectations given to me by my teacher and my parents. Throughout my first semester of college in English 1100 I have learned how important the expectations that my teachers and parents give me are. They are set in place so that I can grow as a better, more organized student, as well as growing as a writer and better understanding what makes a good essay, the experience taught me a lot and now I am ready to apply myself and redeem myself.

Kinship is better than friendship Essay

Nowadays, friendship usually appears to be good, but a kinship is always the best bond. A friendship can be a great connection in life, but it takes time to adapt to it and cultivate a good relationship. Kinship is more valuable than friendship because relatives give an unconditional support and accept their relative’s differences. First relationships between relatives are less superficial and more trustworthy than friend’s relationship. Relatives are in all rough times with their family. For example, my mother and I support each other in all aspects and hard situations. I help take care of my siblings at home when is necessary. Because my mother works long hours, I often help clean the house and I help prepare the food too. In times of economic crisis, I take responsibility to help my mom with expenses and other domestic tasks. Read more: Speech about friendship essay When other family members get ill or get depressed, my relatives and I try to help them physically and mentally. We help pay their medical expenses and we help them regenerate completely from their illness or depressive crisis. In addition, we always watch out for our relatives objectives. We often help them reach their goals and ambitions. Because we have an absolute support for our relatives, we always help encourage them and we teach them to be successful in life. In conclusion, a friend’s loyalty is not as trustworthy and supportive as a relative’s because relatives have known them since birth. Moreover, while friends expect their friends to have things in common, relatives accept their relatives as they are. Relatives respect their relative’s thoughts and feelings more than friends do. For instance, my parents make me feel comfortable because they never judge me for the way I am. They appreciate me even sometimes I act irresponsibly or immaturely.

Eulogy for Romeo & Juliet Essay

Citizens of fair Verona, today we gather here to remember the two star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet who sacrificed their lives for each other. We are here to say goodbye to our two lovers, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. These two young teenagers were deeply in love with each other, but sadly died at a very young age. Although fate has already accomplished its deed, we can still remember the legacy Romeo and Juliet have left at such a tender age. We are here today to celebrate the life of Romeo. Romeo was a kind, handsome, intelligent, and sensitive boy. He always tried to make things right. He is not at all interested in violence. Romeo was a very impulsive person. He was impulsive when he wanted to get married to Juliet very quickly, some may even say too quickly. His only interest is love. When he first laid eyes on Juliet, he had already fallen in love with her. This was a bit of a problem because both families were not the best of friends. Romeo had changed immensely and became a whole new person over the last few weeks of his life. We are also here to celebrate the life of Juliet. Juliet was a beautiful, young woman from the Capulet Family. She was born almost 14 short years ago into the house of Capulet. She has had her ups and downs with her families. Given the sacrifices of Juliet, we all hope that the hatred and violence between her house and the house of her lover, Romeo of the Montague family will end permanently. It is sad that she has been taken to heaven today. In the streets of Verona, let the families learn to keep the Peace. For look at what happened to dear Juliet. May you rest in peace, sweet Juliet. To all of my friends that have gathered here today, I would like to say thank you in helping us remember the lives of the wonderful star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet. I pray that we can live as a single family, and that the houses of Montague and Capulet will live happily for the remainder of days. Thanks you all for being here and staying strong. May peace be with you all.