Bend It Like Beckham Review

The title of the movie that was instructed to me to write a movie review is bind It Like Beckman,'I a genial ethnic sports comedy directed by Grinder Chad. â€Å"Bend It Like Beckman† is a British film co-funded with Germany. It was released in the UK in 2002 and in the United States in March 2003. It turned out to be one of the surprise hits of 2002, making over Ell million at the UK box office, while also proving popular with American and European audiences. Beckman is David Beckman, star of the Manchester United soccer am (and the husband of one of the Spice Girls).The observation â€Å"nobody bends it like Beckman,† from which the title derives, apparently refers to his ability to curve the ball past the opposing goalkeeper. The story centers around eighteen-year-old Jess, a hardworking Indian girl who loves British soccer star David Beckman and Jules, an English girl who befriends Jess after she observes her running circles around a group of strapping young men pla ying soccer in the park. Jess comes from a very strict Indian family where gender roles are clearly defined. Women are expected to learn to cook and are for their husbands, who are, of course, expected to be the sole breadwinners.This might be fine for Jess' older sister Pinky, however Jess has a dramatically different vision of her own future, and it doesn't entail settling down and cooking the perfect chapatti. More than anything, she wants to join her idol on the football pitch, but her parents will never accept a football player for a daughter. Jess sees herself as a female version of her hero, David Beckman, competing in soccer rather than cooking for an acceptable Indian man as tradition dictates. So Jess is forced to hide her passion from her loved nest, even her sister Pinky, who is about to be married to her long-term boyfriend Teeth.Jess is then secretly joins Jules' competitive women's soccer team which is the Winslow Harriers and is forced to lead a double life in order to not disappoint her parents and still play the sport for which she lives and breathes. Sneaking out to practice and traveling with the team to tournaments puts a strain on her home life. She has to lie to justify her absence from home. To complicate matters, she finds herself falling for her soccer coach. Jess is the main character in the film. She tries to be a good girl for her other and father but can't help sneaking Off to play football.While Jess has to lie and sneak around a lot, her rebellious streak is not aimed to hurt her parents. Jess' dream is to play football professionally, at the beginning of the movie it was just a dream, but when she was invited on a proper team and started to see herself as a proper player, her dream started to become her goal. Jess has always been very strong and determined in the movie, except over time she becomes more determined, and even stronger. We see Jess talking to Beckman at the beginning of the movie, and as she grows and tauter, she finds out she can have trust in other people.She finds Jules and Joe who she feels she can confide in and talk freely to. Jess also gains more confidence as she progresses through the movie, at fritterers would never dream of confronting her parents like she did at the end of the firm. Joe, Jules, Tony and her whole football team support her in her goals and she gathers up more and more courage and self-esteem. A great example of her self- esteem gain is when Jess at first does not want to show her scar to the world, she hides it away and will not go onto the field in her shorts because everyone will see it.Joe talks to Jess and they bond over their injuries, this makes Jess feel more comfortable with herself and realize that she may not be the only one and when she is on the field, no one will care. By the end of the movie, Jess is able to stand up for herself, share her Opinion and feel confident about herself. Bend it like Beckman is and overall a good firm and an excellent movie for everyone to watch although it is lacking in plot and dialogue. It has a warm feel good message of girl power and breaking traditional barriers but it is predictable in its storyline.One thing that was a great asset to the film was the colorful Punjabi culture and ceremonies. Some may say ‘it's just a movie' but I know from personal experience that millions of youth face difficulties in choosing cultures when living amongst two different ones. From this movie, the moral values that I've learn is firstly, respect. Jess was never disrespectful to her parents. On the other hand, it was her parents who were being disrespectful to her. They didn't look at her for who she was, instead they only saw who they wanted her to be. The second moral value that learned from this movie is caring.Jesses parents made mistake in their attempts to parent their children, but they also had real strength. The strength was their basic and strong love for Jess. The problem was that they didn't loo k at who Jess had become. They saw her as they wanted her to be. This caused Jess to deceive them but didn't do her any real damage because, before it was too late, they saw what was important to their daughter and changed their position. Had they not done this, Jess would have had to choose between her relationship with her parents and her dream to be a football player. That would have really damage their relationship.

Isabel Allende

A Tribute to Isabel Allende Honor should be given to Allende, whose works sometimes contain aspects of the â€Å"magic realistic† tradition, is one of the first successful women novelists in Latin America. She is largely famous for her contributions to Latin-American literature, novels such as The House of the Spirits (La casa de los espiritus (1982) and City of the Beasts (La ciudad de las bestias) (2002), which have been hugely successful. She has written novels based in part on her own experiences, often focusing on the experiences of women, weaving myth and realism together. She has lectured and done extensive book tours and has taught literature at ten US colleges. Having adopted American citizenship in 2003, she currently resides in California along with her husband. Professional Life Born in Lima, Peru, her Chilean diplomat father and her mother divorced and she lived with her mother and grandparents. She worked first as a secretary and then as a journalist in print, on television and in movie documentaries. After the overthrow and assassination in 1973 of her uncle, Salvador Allende, president of Chile, Isabel Allende and her husband and children left for safety in Venezuela. It was in her exile that she began to write The House of the Spirits, her first novel, which was based on her own family and the politics of Chile. She continued to produce novels based in part on her own experience, often focusing on the experience of women, weaving myth and realism together. She has lectured and done extensive book tours, and has taught literature at colleges in Virginia, New Jersey and California. Her 1995 work, Paula, is based on the extended coma and death of her daughter in 1992. She was divorced from her first husband, Miguel Frias, an engineer. In 1988, she married William Gordon, a lawyer. Personal Life Allende thinks is very strange to talk about her because her life it is not just a list of dates and events. In reality the most important things about her life happened in the secret chambers of her heart and have no place in a biography. According to her own words, her most significant achievements are not her books, but the love she shares with a few people, especially her family, and the ways in which she has tried to help others. When she was young, she often felt desperate: so much pain in the world and so little she could do to alleviate it. But now she looks back at her life and feels satisfied because few days went by without at least trying. A day at a time, a person at time; in the end it adds up! Here are a few things she considers important and you won't find in a list of her publications and accomplishments: ? It is important to be kind, be truthful, and take care of others and herself. Women her age, as elders of the village, have a duty to care for the young, especially girls. If the world is ever going to heal, it will be women who will make it so. Today's girls are tomorrow's women. We cannot leave them to fend for themselves. ?She has been empowered by education, reproductive rights and economic independence. Young women who are uneducated and have no skills, who are not in control of their own bodies and fertility, and who cannot support themselves, can become destitute and be victimized. Each of us must act without delay to empower girls to take control of their lives, even if they stumble and fall a hundred times. With our help, they can succeed. ?In every human being there is a core of shining dignity and courage. Conclusion In 1981, the world gained one of Latin America most remarkable writers with distinguished contributions as a literary artist and humanitarian. Works by the writer â€Å"The House of the Spirits†, (novel) Spain 1982 â€Å"Of Love and Shadows†, (novel) Spain 1984 â€Å"Eva Luna'†, (novel) Spain 1985 Stories of Eva Luna†, (short stories) Spain 1989 â€Å"The Infinite Plan†, (novel) Spain 1991 â€Å"Paula†, (novel) Spain 1994 â€Å"Aphrodite† (recipes, stories and other aphrodisiacs) Spain 1997 â€Å"Daughter of Fortune†, (novel) Spain 1999 â€Å"Portrait in Sepia†, (novel) Spain 2000 â€Å"The City of the Beasts† (young adult novel) Spain 2002 â€Å"My Invented Country†, ( novel) Spain 2003 â€Å"Kingdom of the Golden Dragon†, (young adult novel) Spain 2003 â€Å"Forest of the Pygmies†, (young adult novel) 2005 â€Å"Zorro†, (novel) Spain 2005 Ines of My Soul†, (novel) Spain 2006 â€Å"The Sum of Our Days†, (novel) Spain 2007 Works about the writer Isabel Allende, Award-Winning Latin American Author by Mary Main (2005) Bautista Gutierrez, Gloria and Corrales-Martin, Norma; Pinceledas Literarias Latinoamericanas, John Wiley and Sons, 2004 â€Å"Allende is all about storytelling. † Toronto Star (Canada) 23 Oct. 2002. www. epnet. com www. isabelallende. com www. ted. com. php/talks/isabel_allende_tells_tales_of_passion. html www. motherjones. com/arts/qa/1994/09/allende. html

A Critical Appraisal of Qualitative Research

The following is a critical evaluation of qualitative articles by Lisa Booth using Ryan, Coughlan, and Cronin 2007 to determine its reliability, robustness, reliability, and completeness (Ryan, Coughlan Cronin, 2007). Qualitative research is seen as a recursive process that attempts to produce insight into the subjective experiences, meanings, customs, and perspectives of the people involved in the natural environment (Craig Smyth, 2007). The aim here is to investigate the factors that influence the way radiologists use communication to better understand patient-centered care in diagnostic radiography. The author of this task critically assesses the qualitative research report on standard treatment entitled Care of Alzheimer's Disease Patients in an Acute Hospital Environment. (Fiona Cowell, 2009) (Appendix 1). He will use the framework of Polit and Beck (2010) and Roe (1998) to help criticize this article. As a third grader student nurse, the authors talk about how behavior of hea lthcare workers differ for people with dementia and how they need to receive education to improve healthcare workers I have seen. Skills of dementia patients Also, according to the Alzheimer's Association (2010), there are about 750,000 people with dementia in the UK. The author of this task will critically assess qualitative research. Qualitative research is a more comprehensive approach focusing on subject's attitude, belief, experience, behavior. We focus on understanding and interpretation of behaviors in the natural environment such as home and usual environment. Greenhaugh Taylor (2007). The study used was Fraser et al. (2006) - Life with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: perspective of insider. Advanced care magazine. Vol 55 (5), pp 550-558 MMR talk and vaccination of choices: ethnographic research in Brighton study critical evaluation of is a qualitative research aimed southern England, to consider in detail the determination of the parent of the MMR vaccination in Bri ghton. Its impact The choice of qualitative method is a successful methodology because the purpose of researchers is to investigate ethnographic background. - ... Many parents are dissatisfied, and preschool children have not been immunized with measles (Huether McCance, 2012, p.178). With this, the number of cases of measles and the number of deceased persons increased unprecedentedly. Given the possibility that the vaccine can not be used, there will be more cases. With more diseases there will be serious long-term sequelae and further mortality A Critical Appraisal of Qualitative Research The following is a critical evaluation of qualitative articles by Lisa Booth using Ryan, Coughlan, and Cronin 2007 to determine its reliability, robustness, reliability, and completeness (Ryan, Coughlan Cronin, 2007). Qualitative research is seen as a recursive process that attempts to produce insight into the subjective experiences, meanings, customs, and perspectives of the people involved in the natural environment (Craig Smyth, 2007). The aim here is to investigate the factors that influence the way radiologists use communication to better understand patient-centered care in diagnostic radiography. The author of this task critically assesses the qualitative research report on standard treatment entitled Care of Alzheimer's Disease Patients in an Acute Hospital Environment. (Fiona Cowell, 2009) (Appendix 1). He will use the framework of Polit and Beck (2010) and Roe (1998) to help criticize this article. As a third grader student nurse, the authors talk about how behavior of hea lthcare workers differ for people with dementia and how they need to receive education to improve healthcare workers I have seen. Skills of dementia patients Also, according to the Alzheimer's Association (2010), there are about 750,000 people with dementia in the UK. The author of this task will critically assess qualitative research. Qualitative research is a more comprehensive approach focusing on subject's attitude, belief, experience, behavior. We focus on understanding and interpretation of behaviors in the natural environment such as home and usual environment. Greenhaugh Taylor (2007). The study used was Fraser et al. (2006) - Life with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: perspective of insider. Advanced care magazine. Vol 55 (5), pp 550-558 MMR talk and vaccination of choices: ethnographic research in Brighton study critical evaluation of is a qualitative research aimed southern England, to consider in detail the determination of the parent of the MMR vaccination in Bri ghton. Its impact The choice of qualitative method is a successful methodology because the purpose of researchers is to investigate ethnographic background. - ... Many parents are dissatisfied, and preschool children have not been immunized with measles (Huether McCance, 2012, p.178). With this, the number of cases of measles and the number of deceased persons increased unprecedentedly. Given the possibility that the vaccine can not be used, there will be more cases. With more diseases there will be serious long-term sequelae and further mortality

Secure Computer Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Secure Computer Systems - Essay Example The press release from OCABR made it amply clear that the new amendments are to be applicable to all the big and small businesses that possess or have licensed personal information of any resident of Massachusetts (Mondaq Business Briefing, 2009). The primary purpose of these amendments is to upgrade the existing data security standards, while taking into cognizance the emerging risks to data, to bring them in consonance with the Federal Trade Commission's Safeguard Rule (Mondaq Business Briefing, 2009). This risk-based approach to data security takes into consideration the overall size and potential of a business, resources accessible to a business, the nature and the magnitude of data collected by or in the possession of a business and an appraisal of the requisite security needs to implement a worthy information security program (Mondaq Business Review, 2009). As per the OCABR, the compliance to security standards to any business is not to be standardized, but is to be accessed on the basis of the data risks inherent in a business (Mondaq Business Review, 2009). The hallmark of these statutory regulations is that they do acknowledge that the choice or application of any data security and privacy program cannot be standardized for each business (Kairab, 2004). Hence, the lawmakers are aware of the glaring reality that every business is unique so far as its needs for consumer information and data is concerned and thus the businesses should be left free to decide as to what kind of data security program and guidelines they need to put in place. Even if the governments do not interfere into the arena of data security, the consumers today are more then concerned about the sanctity of their personal data. Thus, the purpose of any statutory arrangements should be more in the nature of the guidelines and awareness drives, whose purpose should be to sensitize the individuals and businesses as to the possible threats to data and the consequences and repercussions of any instance of data theft or loss (Matsura, 2001). The thrust of any government activism ought to be on the corporate and consumer education and not regulation. Aware corporations will certainly take the appropriate steps to retain competitiveness, while well-informed consumers will naturally gravitate towards businesses that they can trust with their personal information and data. A state policing of the corporate compliance to data security is not only pragmatically impossible, but also oblivious of the essential principles governing free markets. Total Words: 525Works Cited Kairab, Sudhanshu (2004). A Practical Guide to Security Assessments. NewYork: Auerbach Publications. "Privacy and Security Alert: Analysis of Amendments to Massachusetts DataSecurity Regulations". Mondaq Business Briefing. Mondaq Ltd. 2009.Retrieved Sept. 20, 2009, from HighBeam Research: http://www .highbeam.com Matsura (2001). Security, Rights, and Liabilities in E-Commerce. Toronto: Artech House Publishers.

TB Skin Testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

TB Skin Testing - Essay Example Potential high risk employees include emergency department personnel, respiratory therapists, microbiology laboratory workers, and pathologists, specialists in pulmonary medicine and nurses in some settings (McGowan, 1983; CDCP 1995). It is imperative to control TB and for this every health-care setting should have a TB infection-control plan. It is crucial because it depends on whether patients with assumed or established TB disease might come across in the setting or whether patients with suspected or confirmed TB disease will be transferred to another health-care setting. The TB infection-control program must encompass administrative controls, environmental controls, and a respiratory-protection program. These are the important control parameters as every location in which services are offered to individuals who have suspected or confirmed infectious TB disease, counting the hospital settings, should have a TB infection-control plan. The following methods must be adopted for TB infection-control program in HCWs settings: 1. ... These are the important control parameters as every location in which services are offered to individuals who have suspected or confirmed infectious TB disease, counting the hospital settings, should have a TB infection-control plan. The following methods must be adopted for TB infection-control program in HCWs settings: 1. Supervisory responsibility is essential for the TB infection-control program and this should be given to the authorized person deputed for the same. The supervisor must be supported to carry out the risk assessment for tuberculosis. HCWs must be educated to take the required training and ensure their actions in the direction of disease control. 2. Proper training is required to perform and enforce the TB infection-control program. 3. Atleast one person be designated to whom the problems must be addressed. 4. A protocol must be developed to get a TB infection-control plan and must be updated annually. 5. The problem must be evaluated and prompt recognition be made. 6. A contact investigation must be made in co-ordination with the local or state health department. 7. Implement and maintain environmental controls, including airborne infection isolation (AII) room(s) (see Supplement, "Environmental Controls" in the original guideline document). 8. Respiratory-protection program must be applied. 9. Constant training programme must be done to keep the HCWs updated and well-informed. (NGC Recommendations) Significance: It is very imperative to understand the implications of TB and therefore considering the repercussions of the infection, PPD skin test is arranged on a routine basis. It is the prime responsibility to the HCWs to keep a check of their records when to undergo PPD skin test. The best method to remember this is through the

Discussion question Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion question - Coursework Example TNT does not absorb or dissolve in water making it suitable for use in humid environments. It is also more stable than other high explosives. The first property is that polymeric materials are stiff because they are constituted of very high mechanical features to their density. They are also exceptional thermal insulators. Polymeric compounds or materials are inflammable. This is because they are organic materials and further, cellular materials constructed of flammable matrix such as polymeric foams, are more susceptible to fire than their equivalent concrete materials as a result of the insulating effect of their cellular structure, which amplifies the temperature at the heating exterior. Consequently, this leads to pyrolysis of materials worsening fire behavior than would have been with solid materials. The gas used in the cells may also stimulate combustion when it is combustible. Lastly, halogenated organic compounds may build up in the environment and establish in food chains thus, causing health problems and adverse ecological impacts. When polymeric materials are retarded by fire, the EH & s or a FS professional a nd the entire living population become more exposed health hazards connected with these

Misuse of DNA in Homicide Cases Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Misuse of DNA in Homicide Cases - Dissertation Example Law enforcers and the justice system had a breakthrough when DNA profiling was discovered and applied in law enforcement. This method was deemed more effective than other methods in terms of accuracy and efficiency. This is because it was difficult to disprove DNA, evidence since it places an individual in the scene of the crime. Fingerprints were equally effective, but they are easier to be corrupted and offenders have become knowledgeable with time, for example, they do not leave fingerprints behind in crime scenes. DNA, however, is hard to be corrupted, and it is difficult for and individual to conceal it, since DNA is present in tissues and fluids in the body of a person. Krude (2004) shows how DNA has changed the society and science since mitochondria DNA can be obtained from bones and teeth of an individual. Hypothesis Like any other breakthrough, there have been controversies, which have been raised regarding the misuse of DNA especially in homicide case, despite the fact that DNA of an individual is unique and could not match with others; individuals and law enforcement have misused the technology. Data Source and Method of Collection The data collected through holding surveys, which involved doing personal interviews on DNA specialist. Data was also collected through extensive research on existing literature discussing the subject. Variables We had two defendant variables, defensive and retaliatory violence. Defensive violence was measured through identifying two scenarios that involved Method of Analysis In the analysis process, statistical information including graphs and figures were employed and were cross referenced with the information in the literature on DNA in law enforcement. Major findings DNA Sequencing The data collected by Culliford (1994), DNA refers to the genetic instructions vital for the function and development of all living organisms. DNA is unique in each personage with the exclusion of monozygotic twins. DNA profiling, however, i s the practice commonly employed by forensic scientists to make out the identity of individuals using their DNA profiles. I believe that these profiles are number sets that are encrypted to reflect an individual’s genetic makeup. This identification method is commonly employed in criminal investigations and paternity tests. This is effective since 99.9% of sequences in human DNA are dissimilar with the exception of monozygotic twins. It is crucial for one to understand the concept of DNA technologies in order to have a better insight on the use of DNA in criminology. History of DNA Profiling According to The technique of DNA, profiling was initially reported in 1984 at the University of Leister. This was through sir Alec Jefferys, a British geneticist who developed a method of DNA fingerprinting and profiling. It is evident that the scientist made this crucial discovery while observing the image of a DNA in an x-ray film. This image showed evidence of some similarities and di stinctions in DNA. He used samples of DNA from the different family members of his staff. This enabled him to determine a scope through which DNA fingerprinting could be used to identify individuals using this method. Despite the method being discovered in 1984, it was made commercially available three years later. In the article,

Contemporary issues in accounting and finance Essay

Contemporary issues in accounting and finance - Essay Example A recent FEE (Federation of European Accountants) publication states that â€Å"an individual’s objectivity must be beyond question when conducting and reporting on a statutory audit† (FEE). This paper will critically evaluate this statement with particular reference given to some fundamental financial/accounting/auditing concepts and external studies. Objectivity of statutory auditors There are many situations where a statutory auditor’s objectivity would be questioned when auditing financial statements of a firm. To illustrate, an auditor faces this challenge while dealing with the valuation of assets. In order to understand this situation clearly, it is necessary to discuss the difference between fair value and historical cost. Under historical cost accounting, assets and liabilities are valued at original acquisition price and any increase or decrease in their market value over the years is not taken into account (Shome 1995, p.135). In contrast, assets and l iabilities are valued at the market price in the current date under the fair value accounting method (Wood 2009, p.344). Traditionally, books of accounts were kept at historical costs. However, fair value accounting replaced this conventional accounting practice nearly two decades ago and since then the assets and liabilities are measured at their current value estimates (Ramanna 2013). Today, most of the firms value assets and liabilities at the estimates of their current market value in order to give the stakeholders a detailed view of the financial status of the business. Since dubious assets/liabilities valuation practices have led to many corporate failures over the last decade, it is a challengeable task for auditors to certify the reliability of fair value accounting. Under such circumstances, a statutory auditor’s objectivity is likely to be questioned if he has any specific interest in the firm. Fair value accounting represents the social construction of reality wher eby legitimacy, power, and illusions are created. As experts point out, new epistemic criteria have to be created to address the socially constructed reality of fair value accounting. Fair value accounting clearly represents socially constructed reality, and auditors are expected to maintain professional ethics and legitimate practices (Jeppesen & Liempd 2011). In order to verify this socially constructed reality, auditor’s independence has to be specifically promoted. The auditor’s independence can significantly affect the credibility of financial statements (Olagunju 2011). Hence, there is a positive relationship between independence of an auditor and credibility of the financial statement (Ibid). In addition, an auditor’s independence can justify his objectivity to a great extent. The auditor’s independence has two distinct aspects including real independence and perceived independence (Sucher & MacLullich n.d.). Accomplishment of both these aspects is essential to achieve the ultimate goals of auditor’s independence. Real independence can be simply defined as the independence of the auditor or independence of the mind (Palmrose & Saul 2001). More precisely, real independence is related to the state of mind the auditor maintains and how he manages a particular situation. A really independent auditor would make independent decisions even though he is forced to handle a compromising condition by the company’

State sovereignty and globalization Research Paper

State sovereignty and globalization - Research Paper Example This is also possible because of the concept of globalization. Globalization has made it possible to disseminate and distribute information thousands of miles away. Globalization has also led to the emergence of other actors at the international arena, such as International Governmental Institutions. Examples of Inter-Governmental Institutions include the United Nations, NATO, European Union and the African Union. States have to cede some of the sovereign rights in order to be members of these organizations.2. Inter-Governmental Institutions as agents of Globalization: Inter-governmental organization is an institution that is composed of sovereign states, and they join it for the purposes of benefiting politically, socially or economically. The representatives of various governments sign treaties, which then pass through the process of ratification, to give the agreement a legal recognition. The inter-governmental institutions must not be confused with various treaty organizations. F or instance the North American Free Trade Agreement and the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade are not examples of inter-governmental institutions, but they are examples of treaty organizations. Because inter-governmental organizations involve associations between governments at the international arena, it can be termed as an agent of globalization. ... Some Inter-Governmental organizations are formed for the main purpose of restoring and preserving peace. An example of such an institution is the Formation of the League of Nation, after the end of the First World War. The institution was formed to prevent an emergence of another war, similar to the magnitude of the First World War. However, the institution failed to prevent the emergence of the Second World War. Because of this failure, the International community resolved to form the United Nations. One of the failures of the League of Nations is to attract United States of America as a member. United States refused to join the League of Nations, for purposes of protecting its sovereignty. The government of United States of America realized that joining the institution would amount to ceding some of its sovereign rights. Some inter-governmental organizations are formed to promote inter-governmental cooperation in relation to environmental conservation, human rights protection and s ocial development. Examples include UN Habitat, United Nations Economic and Social Council, and Economic Community of West African States. Globalization in this context is seen through the interaction of States, to benefit from those associations either through trade, or advancement of their socio-political ideologies. This is the case of International Monetary Fund and the promotion of Liberalization of a State’s economy. This was the main ideology of United States and the Western parts of Europe3. They were the main financiers of IMF and World Bank. These institutions played a great role in opening up the economies of third world countries, and therefore eroding some elements of their

There is no Safety Without Risk and What You Risk Reveals What You Value Essay Example for Free

There is no Safety Without Risk and What You Risk Reveals What You Value Essay Everyone at one time or another are faced with challenges that goes against what they know is the right thing to do.   Sacrifices are a necessary part of life. We all have to make decisions as to what sacrifices and values we will give up in exchange to be accepted by a certain social class, age group, the community, the church, promotions, jobs and so on. Very emotionally sound people are capable of giving up popularity and acceptance, and choosing isolation to keep their values. These people almost never are persuaded to choose the wrong path, be one of the crowd, giving in to peer pressure.  Ã‚   Some people have their fears and personal conflicts that make their lives difficult because they act against their beliefs and do what others expect of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No one can influence my personal beliefs or opinions. I am not impressed with money or status, do not wear or purchase clothes-or on the other hand avoid wearing clothes-because everyone else wears certain fashions, or disapproves of what I am wearing. I am willing to risk hatred, enmity, a certain status, social approval to keep my values. I determine peoples character by their behavior, not their age, neighborhood, race, monetary status, or any external features. Of course, what they are on the inside shows up on the outside. Substance abuse still affects people’s mental and physical health, whether it is a licensed nurse or drug dealer misusing and distributing drugs. People will always show you who they are, especially when put under pressure or a third party becomes involved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1964, a woman named Catherine Genovese was stabbed to death in New York City one night walking home from work. Thirty eight people were reported witnessing the attack. No one did anything to stop the attack. Certainly, someone witnessing an attack involving someone getting murdered is going to hear some distinctive screaming. Many people hearing the attack decided this dispute was none of their business. So what if they would have intervened in an incident that was â€Å"none of their business,† called the police anonymously and it turned out to be nothing. People did not want to risk their image of being one of these old nosey neighbors who peeks in the blind wanting to see trouble.   Should I ever hear someone getting stabbed, I would risk being identified as a nosey person who got involved in something that was none of her business. I could not live with knowing I could have saved a life, anyone’s life and did not act on it that instant moment. I would risk having the entire city gossip about me, calling me paranoid if it involved potentially saving someone’s life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I remember of an incident when I was about 12 years old. This took place at the dance studio I was going to. We were talking about our costumes for an upcoming performance in a huge theatre. I was eager to go to my dance instructor’s car and get the costume catalogs.   She parked her car on the side, towards the back. She did not want to be in the way of parents and other dancers coming into the dance studio. It was about 9:30 P.M. When I went out there, I saw a group of boys talking, but their tone of voice sounded very threatening and demanding to each other. I do remember seeing a very shiny knife in the dark. I wanted to see if one of my friends from dancing was out there. I walked up to the crowd, and asked them what where they doing. The boys or men outside   quickly they all got into their very nice, expensive   sports cars and drove away. Not a one of them seemed to have known I was there or acknowledged me. I did not understand why they reacted when I walked up to them, but all acted like I was invisible. I thought I was going to save someone, anyone from getting hurt. I told many people, and got severely fussed at. For the next week or so, I had lots of trouble, from teachers, other kids, even the school principle kept calling me in the office. The secretaries were very ugly to me.   I am sure the incident at the dance studio had something to do with this. I thought to myself, I did not care if the whole school or my parents turned against me. I stopped a fight. Of course today, I understand why my parents would have been concerned. A twelve year old female going to ask a group of boys or young men in their twenties or so could be very dangerous. Also, a twelve year old who never knew that people actually do get in fist fights is incapable of stopping gang violence or obvious drug deal. I did not realize a drug deal was going on, or that drugs even caused such incidences. I guess I thought this was older brothers of the girls I was dancing with. I was following the values my parents taught me the last 12 years. But they never taught me about situations like this.   I did not know people actually held knives or guns or even got into physical violence with each other. At twelve years old, I had no concept of that, except maybe on television. Of course this is a very unusual situation. Today, I would still risk disapproval from everyone to save someone else’s life. Today, the only reason I could think of the school treating me like I did something wrong was those boys were a bunch of judges and politician’s sons. Today, of course I would be smarter about it saving someone’s life if I thought they were in jeopardy. Knowledge and human compassion should be part of our every day lives so we can help others who at the same time can help us to continue to develop our great society.

Negative Impact of Uneducated Women in Third World Countries

Negative Impact of Uneducated Women in Third World Countries Armed and Educated: Negative Impacts of Uneducated Women in Third World Countries as seen in Malala Yousafzais Memoir, I Am Malala As the Western society continues to progress, it is becoming increasingly evident that the barriers that once restricted and defied millions of women around the world, are slowly being deconstructed and reconstructed as society begins to change its views on gender parity and feminism. This is not only reflected in womens new roles and jobs within the Western society, but also in politics as women are now able to run and vote. On the other hand, despite the progress, millions of girls in non-Western developing areas such as South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, still continue to suffer severe disadvantages as they are often subjugated by men and stripped of their basic human rights. One of these basic rights includes the right to an education, yet, most girls in non-Western societies are excluded from the education systems throughout their lives. This is a huge problem as the lack of education is what is creating the barrier that prevents women from obtaining equality in society. Recent research and evidence has shown that education is one of the most critical areas of empowerment for a girl, overall leading to a healthier and more productive life. However, since their rights are taken away from birth, they lose the right to learn, grow, and succeed in life. In her memoir I Am Malala, Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest-ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, accurately depicts the struggles and negative impact of uneducated women in third world countries. There are many factors that contribute to a developing nations extremely low female literacy rate. One of the primary reasons for this is the lack of proper schooling facilities, qualified teachers, and/or teaching aids such as textbooks. This is especially true for girls living in more remote areas of the country. Additionally, in many parts of the developing world, the nearest school to a community might be a four to five-hour long walk. Apart from it being exhausting and time consuming, girls also face the threat of violence or sexual assault on the way to school. Thus, many parents opt to keep their daughters at home. According to UNESCOs regional overview on sub-Saharan Africa in 2013, more than 68% of the girls that do make the long journey to school everyday end up dropping out before they complete primary school (Stepp). Malala further supports this as she witnesses most of the children in refugee settlements were not going to school. Sometimes there was no school. Sometimes it was unsafe to walk to school. And sometimes children were working instead of being educated (Yousafzai XIX). Furthermore, another main reason why many families in developing countries choose not to educate their daughters is because they cannot afford it as there are a lot of costs associated with it. The cost of uniforms, textbooks, and schooling facilities can be too much to bear for a family living in poverty. For the families that can afford it however, boys are often favored to receive an education over girls. This is especially evident during Malalas trip to Nigeria when she discovers that many girls were [her] age and all had dreams of being doctors or teachers or scientistsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but only 4 percent of girls in Northern Nigeria finish school (Yousafzai XVIII). Lastly, another reason for the lack of female education in developing countries is the cultural beliefs and gender norms of the society. In the male-dominated society, women are typically viewed as nothing m ore than the property of the men. Most cultures believe that a womens sole purpose is to serve the men of the house, do household chores, reproduce and care for the children while the man goes out to provide for the family. Due to these misguided gender norms, many girls do not have the opportunity to attend school because their contributions to the household are valued more than their personal education. These gender norms are extremely prevalent when Malala states that [she] was a girl born in a land where rifles are fired in celebration of a son, while daughters are hidden away behind a curtain, their role in life simply to prepare food and give birth to children (Yousafzai 13). In any case, millions of women in developing nations are unable to receive an education and this has several negative impacts on different aspects of womens lives. The negative effects that uneducated women have on their society include both personal and social factors. For starters, many women that are uneducated are more susceptible to early marriages usually against their will (in some cases girls as young as eight or ten). This results in millions of illiterate young girls without the appropriate tools to build healthy, educated families. The Voices of Youth organization stated that for every year a girl stays in school past fifth grade, her marriage is delayed a year (Madu). Similarly, Malala emphasizes this point when she states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦[parents] are just waiting for their daughters to be married off while the sons went to school (Yousafzai 29). This in turn, leads to most girls giving birth at an extremely young age, resulting in a higher mortality rate among young girls during child birth or simply because the child is unhealthy. Studies have shown that an extra year of schooling for girls also reduces fertility rates by 17% (Joshi). Secondly, uneducated women also have a lot of difficulty communicating and expressing themselves at home or in public. Doing simple tasks like reading signs or paying at the grocery store proves to be quite difficult for many young women as they have not had the opportunity to learn how to read. Malala relates a story of a young girl she saw selling oranges. She was scratching marks on a piece of paper with a pencil to account for the oranges she sold, as she could not read or write (Yousafzai 217). Lastly, the lack of educated people in developing countries is what allows educated people to exploit their ignorance. This is especially true of the government or religious leaders that use fear and ignorance to bring themselves to power or to have a huge portion of the population under their control. For example, several times throughout her memoir, Malala states that the lack of education is the root of all of Pakistans problems, and that ignorance allowed politicians to foo l people and bad administrators to be re-elected (Yousafzai 41). The government makes promises and manipulates people to the point where people are convinced that the corrupt authorities are fit to be in power. After elections, however, all the promises that are made are forgotten and the nation suffers for years before another election takes place and the same thing happens all over again. What is worse is using a natural disaster that devastated a nation to preach religious extremes. This is portrayed several times throughout Malalas memoir- after an earthquake struck Pakistan, religious leaders called Mullahs preached the earthquake was a warning from God. They said it was caused by womens freedom and obscenity. If we did not mend our ways and introduce Sharia or Islamic lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ more severe punishments would come (Yousafzai 107). Preaching misinterpreted verses from the Quran and exploiting the ignorance of people who did not understand Arabic worked well to their adva ntage as fear made it particularly easy to manipulate them. As can be seen, the lack of education has severe negative impacts which can easily be prevented if women are educated. Education has so many benefits, but lack thereof blinds people to the fact that knowledge is power and it is one of the most powerful weapons against mass manipulation and exploitation. Education, especially in developing countries, is extremely valuable as it can solve many of the countrys problems. Educating women of the country comes with its own list of benefits, most of which people are ignorant towards. Firstly, it is no secret that poverty and illiteracy go hand in hand. Research has shown that most illiterate women live in countries with increasing economic difficulties and enormous debt burdens (Madu). What citizens of developing countries refuse to acknowledge is that the solution lies in educating their women. When women are educated, it enables them to contribute to their countrys income as more women begin to join the labor force. According to UNICEF, when ten percent more women attend school, GDP increases by three percent on average (UNICEF.org). This may potentially abolish poverty and many of the other problems developing countries are faced with. Secondly, women who are well educated and receive an independent income will naturally find their voice not just in the family, but also within their society. In other words, women gain the self-confidence and courage they need to speak out and resist the injustice they see around them, or are facing themselves. This is directly reflected in Malala herself as she found her own voice growing up in [her] fathers school (Yousafzai 118). Knowledge is addicting and having the luxury of education from an early age left her craving for more, despite the threats of Mullahs and the Taliban. Thus, she continues to advocate for womens right to education. Furthermore, the role that educated mothers play in reducing infant and child mortality is profound. Results in Africa indicate a 40% in child survival for mothers with five years of primary education (Wade). This is because educated women tend to have fewer and healthier children. In addition to this, when women are educated, they are more likely to ensure that their children are also educated leading to a future generation that is well equipp ed to contribute to society. It is rightly said that investing in a girls education is investing in a nation. In fact, there is an African proverb that says, If we educate a boy, we educate one person. If we educate a girl, we educate a family- and a whole nation (Stepp). To conclude, education not only removes ignorance, but allows for women to unleash their full potential by becoming conscious, skilled and productive citizens. All in all, it is proven that educating women in developing countries is the solution to reducing the issue of gender parity as well as enabling womens full potential, while simultaneously boosting their developing nations economy. The proof lies not only in Malala Yousafzais memoir, I Am Malala, which accurately represents the struggles of uneducated women in developing countries, but also in the statistics that show the negative impacts of uneducated women as well as the benefits of education.   Educated women obtain the knowledge, skills, and self-confidence that they need to lead healthier, more productive lives while raising the standards of living for their families and communities. It is hard to believe that the solution lies in half the worlds population, yet so many leaders are oblivious to it or are refusing to change their methods. Works Cited Girls education and gender equality. Girls education and gender equality. UNICEF, 23 July 2015. Web. 23 Nov. 2016. https://www.unicef.org/education/bege_70640.html. Girls education: A lifeline to development. Girls education: A lifeline to development. UNICEF, 22 Mar. 2011. Web. 2 Nov. 2016. https://www.unicef.org/sowc96/ngirls.htm. Joshi, Mohit, Essay on Importance of Women Education. Essay on Importance of Women Education~. WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, 1970. Web. 13 Oct. 2016. http://hamroessay.blogspot.ca/2015/06/essay-important-of-women-education.html. Madu, Chima F. Education for Aspiring Young Women. Voices of Youth. 2013. Web. 12 Dec. 2016. http://www.voicesofyouth.org/en/posts/why-we-should-support-girls-4. Stepp, Lauren. Top 10 Reasons Why Female Education is Important-TBP. The Borgen Project. UNESCO, 2016. Web. 20 Dec. 2016. http://borgenproject.org/top-10-reasons-female-education-important/. Wade, Sarah. 5 Reasons You Should Care About Girls Education. United Nations Foundation.United Nations Foundation, 8 July 2013. Web. 17 Dec. 2016. http://www.unfoundation.org/blog/5-reasons.html. Yousafzai, Malala. I am Malala: the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban. New York, NY: Little, Brown, Company, 2013. Print. MLA formatting by http://bibme.org/ Bibliography Girls education and gender equality. Girls education and gender equality. UNICEF, 23 July 2015. Web. 23 Nov. 2016. https://www.unicef.org/education/bege_70640.html. Girls Education and Gender Equality. Global Partnership for Education. N.p., Sept. 2015. Web.20 Oct. 2016. http://www.globalpartnership.org/focus-areas/girls-education. Girls education: A lifeline to development. Girls education: A lifeline to development. UNICEF, 22 Mar. 2011. Web. 2 Nov. 2016. https://www.unicef.org/sowc96/ngirls.htm. Girls Education. Girls Education. The World Bank. n.d. Wev. 16 Dec. 2016. http://www.worldbank.org/en/tropic/girlseducation. Joshi, Mohit, Essay on Importance of Women Education. Essay on Importance of Women Education~. WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, 1970. Web. 13 Oct. 2016. http://hamroessay.blogspot.ca/2015/06/essay-important-of-women-education.html. Madu, Chima F. Education for Aspiring Young Women. Voices of Youth. 2013. Web. 12 Dec. 2016. http://www.voicesofyouth.org/en/posts/why-we-should-support-girls-4. Oneil, Micheal . Top 10 Facts You Dont Know About Girls Education. ABC News. ABC News Network, 7 Oct. 2013. Web. 7 Dec. 2016. http://abcnews.go.com/International/10-facts-girls-education/story?id=20474260. Roudi-Fahimi, Farzaneh, and Valentine M. Moghadam. Empowering Women, Developing Society: Female Education in the Middle East and North Africa. Empowering Women, Developing Society: Female Education in the Middle East and North Africa.   N.p., 2009. Web. 20 Dec. 2016. http://www.prb.org/Publications/Reports/2003/EmpoweringWomenDevelopingSocietyFemaleEducationintheMiddleEastandNorthAfrica.aspx Stepp, Lauren. Top 10 Reasons Why Female Education is Important-TBP. The Borgen Project. UNESCO, 2016. Web. 20 Dec. 2016. http://borgenproject.org/top-10-reasons-female-education-important/. The Worlds Women 2010: Trends and Statistics. United Nations Statistics Division Demographic and Social Statistics. United Nations, 12 Feb. 2011. Web. 4 Nov. 2016. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/Worldswomen/Executive%20summary.htm. Wade, Sarah. 5 Reasons You Should Care About Girls Education. United Nations Foundation.United Nations Foundation, 8 July 2013. Web. 17 Dec. 2016. http://www.unfoundation.org/blog/5-reasons.html. Yousafzai, Malala, and Christina Lamb. Free, safe, quality education is the right of every girl. The Malala Fund. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Dec. 2016. https://www.malala.org/girls-education. Yousafzai, Malala. I am Malala: the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban. New York, NY: Little, Brown, Company, 2013. Print.

Psychology Essay examples -- science

Psychology Males and females have many different opinions in term of choosing their mates and long-term partners. But I strongly agree with Buss on the idea that women give more importance to kindness and generosity in term of choosing their long-term partner. Because I noticed that a man who is kind and generous will spend more time on her and then show love and take good care of the family. But one thing that I do not really agree with Buss is the idea of resource, I do believe that women give importance to resources but to me it is not just for their children but also most for themselves. Because I have the example of a two kids mom who divorce with her husband after he won three million dollar last summer. By divorcing, she did not care about the kids but the money. Also we have more and women who do not want to have kids and still choose their mates base on financial views. One more thing is that I noticed that women like to show off. For example they like to wear expensive clothes with brand name such as Kenneth Cole, they like diamonds and gold. Also women like to enjoy life especially by going to vacation in the Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago). So women are more likely to refer on financial view in term of choosing their mates beca use they want to acquire that stuff. Men in the other hand do give too much importance to money because they think that they are the ones who have to provide for the family. The primary difference between Hetherington and Wallerstei...

Humanity :: Environemtn Humans Humanity Essays

Humanity I was sitting in my laundry room the other day sorting through piles of dirty laundry, courtesy of my seven year old son (who seems to change his clothes every five minutes) and I found myself thinking, "If he only knew the complexities of the Watershed, the Everglades, the South Florida Water Management District, and the Biscayne & Floridian Aquifers maybe he wouldn't change his clothes so often." But then again maybe if he knew these things he would, like so many people in South Florida, not care. We all sit here, on the very edge of an entirely unique eco-system that does not exist anywhere else on the face of the Earth. Yet, the majority of the South Florida community is concerned not with the health of this eco-system but rather with the availability of "credit". Credit which they can use to buy the right clothes, the right SUV, the right set of fake boobs and the perfect pre-fab, cookie cutter house in the right Kendall subdivision. Hence, they can appear to be successful members of this consumer driven society. Now I realize that this is a blatant generalization and that it is a rather cynical view of humanity. But, let us not forget that in this society appearance is everything. And if that is really the case, what does humanity mean in this place, in this time and in this society?" You are probably asking yourself, "What does a contemporary conceptualization of humanity have to do with the Everglades?" Well, to me, the key to humanity can be found in the Everglades a nd the rest of the natural world beyond it. In the biological sciences there exists the concept of "niche." I have always understood a niche to be a place or a condition in which the abilities of an organism are best utilized and best suited. Essentially, a niche is a place where an organism can belong and be successful; it is a place where it fits. All organisms on the face of the earth have found a niche somewhere and barring human intervention they have flourished in those niches. They have adapted to the world around them. It is only human beings who seem incapable of adaptation and thus expect the world around them to adapt to their presence. Is that then the characteristic and the nature of mankind which distinguishes us from other beings?

Euthanasia And Self Determination :: Free Euthanasia Essay

When speaking in terms of legalized euthanasia, and self-determination, Callahan feels that people should make decisions for themselves according to their own beliefs as to what comprises the good life. (pg. 226) He also states that we will, one way or another, die of some disease and that death will have dominian over all of us. (pg. 227) The meaning of this is no matter what we are all destined to die. In the case of death he first looks at suicide. This is when a person takes his or her own life, without the assistance of another. Euthansia, is a decision made between 2 people, the one being killed and the one doing the killing. He takes the stand that the very idea someone would waive their right to life, and then give another the power to take that life, requires a justification yet to be provided to him or by anyone. ( pg. 226) Should anyone want to end their life for any reason it can definitely be achieved. Callahan feels that doctors of medicine should not be given the right to end lives of people who no longer feel life is worth living and that euthanasia should only be utilized only to releive the pain of an incurable disease. (pg. 228) It is not medicines, place to lift from us the burden of suffering, which turns on the meaning we assign the decay (or natural aging process) of the body and its eventual death. It is not it’s place to determine when lives are not worth living or when the burden of life has become to great to be borne. (pg. 229) Hence he is saying that physicians should not be allowed to be the sole person making judgements about who should be allowed to live or die, in any situation. The person who knows that he or she is infected and chooses to forego treatment has decided to commit suicide. The flipside of this is the person who infected the individual initally, knowing that they were infectious decided to end the other persons life for them. This by our standards ehis would be murder. However, should both parties know about the infectious process then a form of euthanasia between two consenting individuals has be obtained, whether during the act of sex, or sharing needles in drug addiction. Bayer and Callahan both agree that a person or group of people having their own beliefs and cultural habits need to be addressed with that in mind.

Boston Beer Company Case Essay

_Background Information_: The Boston Beer Company, which was founded in 1984, had a very diversified thriving product line which entailed about twenty different kinds of beers. Their product was available in over nineteen various countries and used a network of around four hundred distributors. Revenues grew from 21 million dollars to 210 million dollars from inception to 1997. _Problem and Opportunity Identification_: As a result of the company’s product line and its variety, the company encountered issues sustaining and upholding of their products such as Lightship – which has been withering in recent years and which doesn’t have the volume like other products to sustain distribution. Since the light beer business that Lightship belonged to was one that was rapidly growing, the Boston Beer Company felt the need to investigate its products disappointment. The research to do so took place in different forms such as competition, market, and financial analyses, customer surveys, and finally deep emotional analysis using the ZMET technique. _Alternatives_: One option the research team is considering is introducing a new light beer into their product line. It is understandable that since the high-priced light beer industry is one of the biggest and rapidly growing field in the beer industry, the Boston Beer Company wants to occupy and take advantage of this field to further enhance its name and maintain its market share and its standing. However, there are issues in terms of positioning and marketing of this product. The product needs to be communicated as a light, rich, fun beer and targeted at a different audience that entails women. In addition to the fact that this option might cause conflict in terms of the brand image being a macho rough beer brewer, using it doesn’t solve the problem for Lightship if Lightship is going to be kept in the market offerings. Another option the research team considered was repositioning Lightship and throwing in more effort and investment into the marketing of the product. It  was obvious that, compared to one of their biggest competitors Heineken, the Boston Beer Company has had trouble and sort-of failed to build a unique brand identity for this product. The product was not successfully differentiated and positioned in the market in order for it to build market share and improve standings. This failure could make it difficult for the company to reposition itself and change consumer perceptions to gain their interests and so it might be a waste of time and efforts. Finally, the last option is the dreaded one of not competing in this realm of the industry. This is a very extreme option since this realm is a huge and growing segment of the market and they would be missing out on a lot if they decide to pull out it. The failure to fit into this field, however, might have proved that the Boston Beer Company is not competent enough and ready to compete in this segment. _Critical Issues_: There are two main critical issues that the company should consider when making the decision about their situation in the light beer industry. One critical issue concerns the brand image – the company has an umbrella brand image of being a premium masculine macho craft beer brewer and shaking that could be seen to influence consumer perceptions. The second critical issue relates to the field study and the results it yielded – do they answer our questions about how to position the light beer product or on whether we should even introduce/keep products in this segment of the market. _Conclusion and Recommendation_: After reviewing the results of the various research techniques, the recommended option would be to introduce a new high-end light beer into the market (while probably retiring Lightship). Making use of the ZMET research results, this new product should be positioned in a manner that represents an active, refreshing, and healthy lifestyle. Having a new product instead of improving Lightship is best in order to avoid the difficult efforts of having to change stubborn consumer perceptions. Also, in terms of the umbrella brand image of BBC being a macho tough image, having a separate offering targeted at other audiences will probably add to the image of having two instead of eroding the existing image.

Succubus Shadows Chapter 3

I worked until closing that night and didn't get home until around ten. To my surprise, I found Roman on the couch eating a bowl of cereal while the cats competed for who could take up the most attention on his lap. Honestly, they seemed to love him more than me lately. It was a betrayal of Caesarean proportions. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked, sitting on the armchair opposite him. I noticed then that the last of the party untidiness had been cleaned. Somehow, I suspected mentioning that would result in him never cleaning again. â€Å"I figured you'd be out chasing Jerome's succubus.† Roman stifled a yawn and set the empty bowl on the coffee table. Immediately, both cats sprang off his lap to get to the residual milk. â€Å"I'm on break. Been following her all day, though.† â€Å"And?† My natural curiosity aside, I was uneasy about the idea of Jerome's authority being called into question. The arch-demon might annoy me sometimes, but I had no desire for a new boss. We'd come dangerously close to a leadership change when he'd been summoned, and I hadn't been impressed with any of the candidates. â€Å"And it was incredibly boring. You're much more fun to stalk. She went shopping for most of the day. I didn't even know stores would let you take that much shit into dressing rooms. Then, she picked up a guy at a bar, and, well, you can figure out the rest.† I rather liked the idea of Roman suffering while Simone had sex. â€Å"Figured your voyeuristic tendencies would be into that kind of pornographic display.† He made a face. â€Å"It wasn't good porn. It was like the nasty, kinky porn they keep in the back of the store. The kind of stuff that only really sick people go after.† â€Å"So no clandestine meetings to report to Jerome?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Makes sense, I guess.† I stretched out and put my feet out on the table. With Doug incapacitated, I'd spent a rare day on registers, standing more than I usually did anymore. Unless I was mistaken, Roman's eyes lingered on my legs before returning to my face. â€Å"If she didn't see any immortal action today, she'd have nothing to tell on.† â€Å"Not until tonight, at least.† â€Å"Tonight?† â€Å"How scattered are you? Peter and Cody are having one of their things tonight.† â€Å"Oh, man. I forgot.† Peter loved to throw dinners and get-togethers and seemed unconcerned that I'd just had a major party of my own. As a nocturnal creature, his soirees always took place late at night. â€Å"And Simone's going?† â€Å"Yup. Mei's with her now, and I'll relieve her at Peter's.† â€Å"So you'll be there in spirit, if not in person.† â€Å"Something like that.† He smiled at my joke, and for the first time since he'd returned to town, I saw a genuinely amused sparkle in those teal eyes. It reminded me a bit of the witty, gallant guy I used to date. It also occurred to me that this was a rare non-antagonistic conversation for us. It was almost†¦normal. Misunderstanding my silence, he gave me a wary look. â€Å"You aren't thinking of wussing out, are you? Your day couldn't have been that hard.† I actually had been thinking of wussing out. After yesterday's drama and now my regret over yielding to Maddie, I wasn't sure I was up for my immortal friends' zany hijinks. â€Å"Come on,† Roman said. â€Å"Simone is so boring. And I don't even mean her activities. She's just bland. If you're not there to entertain me, I don't know what I'll do.† â€Å"Are you saying the rest of my friends aren't entertaining?† â€Å"They pale in comparison.† I finally agreed to go. Although, it wouldn't have surprised me if his interest in me making an appearance was just to bum a ride. Nonetheless, I was in a good mood as I headed over to Capitol Hill. It was a little weird having Roman with me and not with me. To continue his spying, he'd gone invisible and without signature. It was like having a ghost in my car. As usual, I was one of the last to arrive. The Three Amigos – Peter, Cody, and Hugh – were there, dressed in their usual attire now, rather than historically accurate costumes. That meant a perfectly coordinated sweater vest and slacks for Peter, jeans and a T-shirt for Cody, and business casual for Hugh. I held the door open a little longer than usual, to facilitate Roman sweeping in after me. From there, I took it on faith that he was hanging out. As soon as he let us in, Peter scurried back to his kitchen without a word. Simone was there too. She sat on the loveseat, long legs perfectly crossed and hands resting on her knees. Her body was slim with respectably sized breasts, clad in a black skirt and silvery silk blouse. Her hair was – unsurprisingly – long and blond. Most succubi seemed to think blond was a sure-fire way to get guys in bed. I considered that attitude a sign of inexperience. I'd been a brunette – albeit one with gold highlights – for a while and never had trouble scoring action. Hugh sat next to her, wearing the flirtatious face that was standard for him when it came to wooing women into bed. Simone regarded him with a polite smile, one she turned on me when I entered. She stood up and held out her hand. Her immortal signature smelled like violets and put me in mind of moonlight and cello music. â€Å"You must be Georgina,† she said. â€Å"Nice to meet you.† She kept that same polite expression, and I could tell it wasn't faked. It also wasn't mischievous or overly charming. Likewise, she bore none of the open hostility succubi had around each other, or even the sugar-coated passive aggressiveness that was also common among us. She was just averagely nice. She was†¦bland. â€Å"You too,† I said. I turned to Cody as I tried to identify the scents coming from the kitchen. â€Å"What's for dinner?† â€Å"Shepherd's pie.† I waited for the joke, but none came. â€Å"That's not Peter's usual style.† He was a great cook but tended to stray toward filet mignon or scallops. Cody nodded. â€Å"He was watching a documentary on the British Isles earlier, and it inspired him.† â€Å"Well, I've got nothing against it,† I said, sitting on the arm of the couch. â€Å"I guess we should just be grateful he didn't decide to make blood pudding.† â€Å"In Australia, they have a variant of shepherd's pie that has potatoes on the top and the bottom,† Simone said out of nowhere. â€Å"They call it potato pie.† Several seconds of silence followed. Her comment wasn't entirely off-topic, but it was just odd – particularly since she didn't deliver it in a smug, know-it-all voice that you found among people who always won at Trivial Pursuit. It was just a statement of fact. It also wasn't very interesting. â€Å"Huh,† I said at last, voice deadpan. â€Å"Good to know the name's accurate. It'll avoid any embarrassing confusion that might occur at dinner. God only knows how many wacky mishaps have happened when people ordered sweetmeats.† Cody choked a little on his beer, but Hugh gave Simone a high-beam smile. â€Å"That's fascinating. Are you a cook?† â€Å"No,† she said. Nothing more. Peter popped back in just then with a vodka gimlet for me. After last night's showdown with Doug, I'd vowed to lay off for a while – like, a few days. I suddenly decided I might need a drink after all. Peter glanced around with a small frown. â€Å"This is it? I'd kind of hoped Jerome might come.† Our boss used to hang out with us quite a bit but had been avoiding social events since his summoning. â€Å"I think he's got some business to take care of,† I said. I honestly had no clue, but I kind of hoped my vague allusion would trigger a reaction in Simone. It didn't. Peter put on a good spread as always, his kitchen table immaculately set, along with cabernet sauvignon to complement the shepherd's pie. I noted that Guinness might be a better pairing, but he ignored me. â€Å"Where are you from?† I asked Simone. â€Å"You're here on vacation, right?† She nodded, delicately lifting her fork. She'd cut her pie into perfect one-inch-sized cubes. It was enough to rival Peter's obsessive compulsion. â€Å"I'm from Charleston,† she said. â€Å"I'll probably stay for a week. Maybe two if my archdemon will let me. Seattle's nice.† â€Å"I've heard Charleston's nice too,† said Hugh. He apparently hadn't given up on getting laid tonight. â€Å"It was founded in 1670,† she said by way of answer. That weird silence followed again. â€Å"Were you there at the time?† I asked. â€Å"No.† We ate without further conversation. At least, we did until dessert arrived and Cody turned his attention to me. â€Å"So, are you going to help me or not?† I'd been pondering how Simone ever managed to score guys and if her use of adjectives expanded beyond â€Å"nice.† Cody's question blindsided me. â€Å"What?† â€Å"With Gabrielle. Remember? Last night?† Right. Bookstore Gabrielle who was only into Goth and vampire guys. â€Å"I didn't promise you I would, did I?† I asked uneasily. There were too many memory gaps from that party. â€Å"No, but if you were a friend, you would. Besides, aren't you some kind of love expert?† â€Å"For myself.† â€Å"And if memory serves,† said Hugh, â€Å"she's not even really good at that.† I shot him a glare. â€Å"You have to give me something,† said Cody. â€Å"I need to see her again†¦need something to talk to her about†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I'd thought his infatuation with Gabrielle had been alcohol induced last night – seriously, was there anything alcohol couldn't be blamed for? – but that look of puppy dog love was still in his eyes. I'd known Cody a few years and had never seen this kind of reaction from him. I'd never seen it from Peter either, but my friends and I had secretly decided long ago that he was just asexual. If vampires had been capable of reproduction, he would have done it amoeba-style. I racked my brain. â€Å"I saw her reading The Seattle Sinner the other day on her break.† â€Å"What's that?† Cody asked. â€Å"It's our local industrial-Goth-fetish-horror-S-angst underground newspaper,† said Peter. We all turned and stared at him. â€Å"So I've heard,† he added hastily. I glanced back at Cody with a shrug. â€Å"It's a start. We've got it in the store.† â€Å"Are you guys done with the boring love stuff?† a voice suddenly asked. â€Å"It's time to get onto the real action.† The new voice made me jump, and then I felt the familiar crystalline aura signaling an angel's presence. Carter materialized in the one empty chair at the table – Peter had set for six, hoping Jerome would show. Seattle's worst dressed angel sat back in the chair, arms crossed over his chest and expression typically sardonic. His jeans and flannel shirt looked like they'd gone through a wood chipper, but the cashmere knit hat resting on his shoulder-length blond hair was pristine. It had been a gift from me, and I couldn't help a smile. Carter's gray eyes glinted with amusement when he noticed me. Hanging out with an angel might be weird in some hellish circles, but it had become pretty standard in our group. We were used to Carter's comings and goings, as well as his cryptic – and often infuriating – remarks. He was the closest Jerome had to a best friend and always had a particular interest in me and my love life. He'd let up a little since the recent debacle with Seth. Carter might be commonplace to us – but not to Simone. Her blue eyes went wide when he appeared, her face completely transforming. She leaned over the table, and unless I was mistaken, her neckline had gotten a little lower since my arrival. She shook Carter's hand. â€Å"I don't think we've met,† she said. â€Å"I'm Simone.† â€Å"Carter,† he replied, eyes still amused. â€Å"Simone's visiting from Charleston,† I said. â€Å"It was founded in 1670.† Carter's smile twitched a little. â€Å"So I've heard.† â€Å"You should visit,† she said. â€Å"I'd love to show you around. It's very nice.† I exchanged astonished looks with Peter, Cody, and Hugh. Simone's bland demeanor hadn't lit up exactly, but she'd suddenly become 2 percent more interesting. She wasn't infatuated with Carter the way Cody was with Gabrielle. She was just trying to bag an angel. Good luck with that, I thought. That was ballsy for any succubus. Certainly angels fell because of love and sex – Jerome was living proof – and I'd even witnessed it once. But Carter? If ever there was a staunchly resistant being, it was him. Except when it came to chain-smoking and hard liquor, of course. Yes, things with Simone had definitely gotten more interesting. â€Å"Sure,† said Carter. â€Å"I bet you could show me all sorts of places off the beaten path.† â€Å"Absolutely,† she replied. â€Å"You know, there's an inn there that George Washington had dinner at once.† I rolled my eyes. I doubted there was any part of Charleston she could show Carter that he didn't know about. Carter had been around to watch cities like Babylon and Troy rise and fall. For all I knew, he'd personally helped take down Sodom and Gomorrah. â€Å"So what kind of action did you have in mind?† I asked Carter. As entertaining as Simone's pathetic flirtation might be, I wasn't sure I was up to American History 101 tonight. â€Å"I am not playing ‘Have You Ever' again.† â€Å"Better,† he said. Out of nowhere, Carter produced Pictionary. And when I say out of nowhere, I meant it. â€Å"No,† said Hugh. â€Å"I spent years perfecting my illegible doctor's signature. I've totally lost any artistic aptitude whatsoever.† â€Å"I love Pictionary,† said Simone. â€Å"I think I have some things to do,† I added. I felt a shove on my shoulder and glanced around in surprise, seeing nothing. Then, I knew. Roman apparently still wanted me to entertain him. I sighed. â€Å"But I can stay for a little while.† â€Å"Great. That settles it,† said Carter. He turned to Peter. â€Å"You got an easel?† Of course Peter did. Why, I had no clue, but after he'd bought a Roomba and a Betamax player, I'd learned not to ask questions. We split into teams: me, Cody, and Hugh against the others. I went first. The card I drew was â€Å"Watergate.† â€Å"Oh, come on,† I said. â€Å"This is ridiculous.† â€Å"Don't whine,† said Carter, his grin annoyingly smug. â€Å"We all take a random chance here.† They started the timer. I drew some remedial waves that immediately got a â€Å"Water!† from Cody. That was promising. Then, I drew what I hoped looked like a wall with a door in it. Apparently, I did too good a job. â€Å"Wall,† said Hugh. â€Å"Door,† said Cody. I added some vertical lines to the door to emphasize the gate aspect. After a moment's thought, I drew a plus sign between the water and wall to show their connection. â€Å"Aqueduct,† said Cody. â€Å"A bridge over troubled water,† guessed Hugh. â€Å"Oh my God,† I groaned. Unsurprisingly, my time ran out before my teammates could figure it out, though not before they guessed â€Å"Hoover Dam† and â€Å"Hans Brinker.† With a groan, I flounced onto the couch. The other team then got a shot at it. â€Å"Watergate,† said Carter right away. Hugh turned on me, face incredulous. â€Å"Why didn't you just draw a gate?† Simone went after me, and I hoped she'd get â€Å"Cuban Missile Crisis† or â€Å"Bohr's Law.† The timer started, and she drew a circle with lines radiating out from it. â€Å"Sun,† said Peter immediately. â€Å"Right!† she said. I glared at Carter. â€Å"You. Are. Cheating.† â€Å"And you're a bad loser,† he replied. We played for another hour, but after my team got â€Å"Oncology,† â€Å"The Devil and Daniel Webster,† and â€Å"War of 1812,† and theirs got â€Å"Heart,† â€Å"Flower,† and â€Å"Smile,† I decided to go home. At the door, I heard a wistful sigh in my ear. â€Å"You're on your own,† I growled to Roman in an undertone. I left amid protests about being a bad sport and considered myself lucky when Carter said they were going to play Jenga next. The drive back to West Seattle was quiet this time of night, and after parking underneath my building, I was happy to see that today's unseasonable heat still hung in the air. Being so close to the water had cooled it slightly, bringing it to a perfect nighttime temperature. On impulse, I walked across the street to the beach, which was actually more like a park: grassy with only a few feet of sand. In Seattle, there were few places that offered much more. Still, I loved the water and the soft sounds of waves against the shore. A light breeze stirred my hair, and those costly glittering lights shone in the distance. I'd moved here partially to get away from Queen Anne and its regular proximity to Seth, but also because the ocean always brought back memories of my mortal youth. Puget Sound was a far cry from the warm Mediterranean waters I'd grown up near, but it soothed something within me nonetheless. That comfort was bittersweet, of course, but it was an unfortunate tendency of mortals and immortals alike to gravitate toward things we knew would cause us pain. The water was enchanting, glittering in both moonlight and street light. I stared off at a lit ferry moving toward Bain-bridge Island, then returned my gaze to the lapping waves before me. They seemed to be choreographed into a dance, an alluring pattern that urged me to join in. I might not be able to draw, but dancing was an art I'd carried from my mortal days. The water beckoned, and I could almost hear the music it danced to. It was intoxicating, filled with warmth and love that promised to ease that constant dull ache in my chest, the ache I'd carried since losing Seth†¦. It wasn't until I was calf-deep in water that I realized what I had done. My high heels were sinking into the sand, and warm day or no, the water was still at a low temperature, its icy touch seeping into my skin. The world, which had before seemed dreamy and hazy, now snapped into sharp relief, no longer an inviting dance that promised comfort and pleasure. Fear sent my heart racing, and I hastily backed up, something that wasn't easy as the sand wrapped around my heels. I finally stepped out of them and reached down, pulling them up from the water and walking back to the shore barefoot. I stared out at the sound a few moments more, startled at how much it now scared me. How far would I have walked in? I didn't know and didn't want to think about it too hard. I turned and hastily headed toward my condo, oblivious to the rough asphalt against my feet. It wasn't until I was safely back in my living room – having locked the door behind me – that I felt some measure of safety. Aubrey walked up to me, sniffing my ankles and then licking the salty water that still clung to them. I'd had one drink almost two hours ago, a drink that had long metabolized out of my system. This had been no buzzed delusion – neither had last night's sleepwalking or near-balcony jump. I sat on my couch, arms wrapped around me. Everything around me seemed a threat. â€Å"Roman?† I asked aloud. â€Å"Are you here?† My only answer was silence. He was still out with Simone and probably wouldn't be back the rest of the night. I was astonished at how suddenly and desperately I wished he were here. My condo seemed lonely and ominous. Water had splashed against my dress, and I changed out of it, swapping it for the soft comfort of pajamas. I decided then that I wouldn't sleep. I'd wait in the living room for Roman. I needed to tell him what had happened. I needed him to guard my sleep. Yet, somewhere around four, my own fatigue overcame me. I stretched out along the couch, both cats curled against me, and gradually lost track of the infomercial on TV. When I woke, it was late morning, and sunlight warmed my skin. Roman was still gone. I hadn't been able to wait him out, but I was still on the couch. For now, that was the best I could hope for.

Swot Target Corporation

SWOT Analysis Strengths †¢ Target Corporation is the second larges retailer after Wal-Mart in US. †¢ Huge market share in US. †¢ Large number of retail networks around 1500 stores. †¢ Increase sales after each year. †¢ Target stores have variety of products which includes clothing, shoes, jewelry, health and beauty products, electronics, compact discs, DVDs, bedding, kitchen supplies, sporting goods, toys, pet supplies, automotive supplies, and hardware supplies. †¢ It provides very good shopping environment for the customers †¢ Strong distribution channels. †¢ The most recognized corporate logos in United Stated, ahead of the Nike. Target Stores are more attractive then Wal-Mart. †¢ The top seller of Gift Cards in US. †¢ Target is committed to having their location accessible to many of their current and potential guests Weaknesses †¢ Target products are more expensive as compared to competitors. †¢ Limited visibility in In ternational Market. †¢ Target Corporation brand awareness is low as compared to Wal-Mart. Opportunities †¢ Increase market share †¢ To take on competitions plans (i. e. , Wal-Mart) and focus on opening stores in international markets †¢ New locations give Target the opportunity to be diverse in the market.More and more Targets are attaching to trendy malls in different market segments. Threats †¢ Fierce competition from Wal-mart and Costco. †¢ The current recession possibly divert the customer from high price products to low price products. †¢ In some markets, Target's prices are higher than competitors †¢ Terrorism is increasing; security is the main concern of the customers. ? Translate ke Indonesia kekuatan †¢ Target Corporation adalah pengecer kedua terbesar setelah Wal-Mart di AS. †¢ pangsa pasar yang besar di Amerika Serikat. †¢ Jaringan ritel yang besar sekitar 1500 toko. †¢ Penjualan terus meningkat dalam 5 tahun te rakhir. Target memiliki berbagai produk yang meliputi pakaian, sepatu, perhiasan, produk kesehatan dan kecantikan, elektronik, CD, DVD, tempat tidur, perlengkapan dapur, barang olahraga, mainan, persediaan hewan peliharaan, perlengkapan otomotif, dan perlengkapan perangkat keras. †¢ Menyediakan lingkungan belanja yang sangat baik untuk pelanggan †¢ Logo perusahaan yang paling diakui di Amerika Lain dalam perusahaan Retailer. †¢ Toko target adalah lebih menarik maka Wal-Mart. kelemahan †¢ Produk Target lebih mahal dibandingkan dengan pesaing. †¢ Brand awareness Target Corporation rendah dibandingkan dengan Wal-Mart. eluang †¢ Meningkatkan pangsa pasar †¢ Untuk mengambil rencana kompetisi (misalnya, Wal-Mart) dan fokus pada membuka toko di pasar internasional †¢ Lokasi Baru memberikan kesempatan untuk menjadi sesuatu yang berbeda di pasar. Target Semakin banyak melampirkan ke mal trendi dalam segmen pasar yang berbeda. ancaman †¢ Persaingan sengit dari Wal-mart dan Costco. †¢ Resesi saat ini mungkin mengalihkan pelanggan dari produk harga tinggi untuk produk harga `murah. †¢ Di beberapa pasar, harga Target lebih tinggi dari pesaing †¢ Terorisme meningkat, keamanan adalah perhatian utama dari pelanggan. Swot Target Corporation SWOT Analysis Strengths †¢ Target Corporation is the second larges retailer after Wal-Mart in US. †¢ Huge market share in US. †¢ Large number of retail networks around 1500 stores. †¢ Increase sales after each year. †¢ Target stores have variety of products which includes clothing, shoes, jewelry, health and beauty products, electronics, compact discs, DVDs, bedding, kitchen supplies, sporting goods, toys, pet supplies, automotive supplies, and hardware supplies. †¢ It provides very good shopping environment for the customers †¢ Strong distribution channels. †¢ The most recognized corporate logos in United Stated, ahead of the Nike. Target Stores are more attractive then Wal-Mart. †¢ The top seller of Gift Cards in US. †¢ Target is committed to having their location accessible to many of their current and potential guests Weaknesses †¢ Target products are more expensive as compared to competitors. †¢ Limited visibility in In ternational Market. †¢ Target Corporation brand awareness is low as compared to Wal-Mart. Opportunities †¢ Increase market share †¢ To take on competitions plans (i. e. , Wal-Mart) and focus on opening stores in international markets †¢ New locations give Target the opportunity to be diverse in the market.More and more Targets are attaching to trendy malls in different market segments. Threats †¢ Fierce competition from Wal-mart and Costco. †¢ The current recession possibly divert the customer from high price products to low price products. †¢ In some markets, Target's prices are higher than competitors †¢ Terrorism is increasing; security is the main concern of the customers. ? Translate ke Indonesia kekuatan †¢ Target Corporation adalah pengecer kedua terbesar setelah Wal-Mart di AS. †¢ pangsa pasar yang besar di Amerika Serikat. †¢ Jaringan ritel yang besar sekitar 1500 toko. †¢ Penjualan terus meningkat dalam 5 tahun te rakhir. Target memiliki berbagai produk yang meliputi pakaian, sepatu, perhiasan, produk kesehatan dan kecantikan, elektronik, CD, DVD, tempat tidur, perlengkapan dapur, barang olahraga, mainan, persediaan hewan peliharaan, perlengkapan otomotif, dan perlengkapan perangkat keras. †¢ Menyediakan lingkungan belanja yang sangat baik untuk pelanggan †¢ Logo perusahaan yang paling diakui di Amerika Lain dalam perusahaan Retailer. †¢ Toko target adalah lebih menarik maka Wal-Mart. kelemahan †¢ Produk Target lebih mahal dibandingkan dengan pesaing. †¢ Brand awareness Target Corporation rendah dibandingkan dengan Wal-Mart. eluang †¢ Meningkatkan pangsa pasar †¢ Untuk mengambil rencana kompetisi (misalnya, Wal-Mart) dan fokus pada membuka toko di pasar internasional †¢ Lokasi Baru memberikan kesempatan untuk menjadi sesuatu yang berbeda di pasar. Target Semakin banyak melampirkan ke mal trendi dalam segmen pasar yang berbeda. ancaman †¢ Persaingan sengit dari Wal-mart dan Costco. †¢ Resesi saat ini mungkin mengalihkan pelanggan dari produk harga tinggi untuk produk harga `murah. †¢ Di beberapa pasar, harga Target lebih tinggi dari pesaing †¢ Terorisme meningkat, keamanan adalah perhatian utama dari pelanggan.

Li & Fung Case Study

Li & Fung is an export trading company from Southern China that was founded back in 1906 by Fung Pak-Liu and his partner Li To-Ming. Li & Fung grew from a traditional export trading company to global supply chain management company it is today. After the passing of Liu, To-Ming decided to sell his shares. After both graduating from Harvard, Fung’s sons, Victor and William took over the company in 1974 and moved it to Hong Kong. The Fung brothers were both highly intelligent individuals. They used new ideas and innovation to turn the company into a more professionally managed firm that went public in 1992 (MacFarlan, 2005). Li & Fung manages the global supply chain for high volume and time sensitive consumer goods for large companies such as Bed, Bath & Beyond, Avon, The Limited and Warner Brothers (MacFarlan, 2005). The company operates in 40 economies and employs over 20,000 people worldwide (MacFarlan, 2005). I think part of the success of the company was that the brothers worked so well together. They each had their own strengths. While Victor was more of the strategic thinker and thought long-term, William focused on the operations and making money. As the CEO of the Group’s e-commerce stated a combination of both thought leadership and execution, with the unique relationship between Victor and William cementing the entire organization Although the company was spread out with different offices around the world they provided a centralized IT, financial and administrative support out of their Hong Kong office. However they had a decentralized corporate structure so that they were easily able to keep up with the up and coming fashions because as we know the styles are constantly changing. Li & Fung also had a very competitive compensation package and had bonuses that were based on profits which was different than other companies that had more restrictions. Along with the internet revolution, Victor and William were fast to understand and adapt to the changes brought on by new technology. By 2000 the company wanted to extend its supply chain via the Internet. Prior to this the only thing that was done was through an internal Intranet. This did expedite the orders but only with the manufacturing plants since they were able to track their orders. It also helped increase the speed of the orders because they did not need to send someone a sample to inspect via regular mail. They were now able to view the item online and approve it. Two years later they launched extranet sites so they were linked to their key customers and were personalized to meet the customer’s needs. This helped streamline all communications since their customers were able to track the progress of their orders. The only issue was all of the software development was outsourced and was not handled by Li & Fung’s employees. Management was aware of the success the extranets were having and finally started to consider looking at their online options. When looking at their options they wanted to make sure that they were doing it from within the company and not outsourcing. Michael Hsieh, president of LF International Inc. had met with John Suh, CEO of Castling Group which was an Internet start-up company. Suh was someone that Li & Fung needed in order to successfully start up their online side of the business. The confusing part with this is it was going against what Li & Fung had said about not outsourcing and keeping it within the company. They wound up working with the Castling Group and bringing them on board as part of their management team. John Suh stepped down as CEO of Castling and became CEO of lifung. com (MacFarlan, 2005). All in all they hired about 20% of Castling Group employees so it was not as bad as it first seemed. The good thing with hiring this outside company is the experience that they bring to the table. Since it was a new team they focused on team building to build the trust within the team especially with how fast they needed this project to move. This helped the employees work well together to get this project done. I feel that what helped them move along was the trust they had with the companies they were already dealing with because they had proved to them that they were more than capable and also focused on value and loyalty. The company put their customers first. They still believed in the old-economy know how. Another thing that made them stand above some of the others is when Li & Fung started to focus on the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This was decided after they did some market research. These smaller companies want the same options as the larger companies when ordering their products. Lifung. com allowed the smaller companies to at least get some options for customization unlike other online companies. Usually the smaller companies are not able to compete because they do not have the options to customize their product as much. By lifung. com being flexible and innovative it allowed them to reach even more businesses. In addition to focusing on SMEs, Li & Fung should focus on acquiring or merging with competing firms. The company should try to get into markets in developing countries such as India. It would also be beneficial for the company to try to break through into new products that are complementary to clothing such as footwear. Overall, the company been successful with its online company. They made the customization options easy for the customers. The customers were able to complete their orders twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. We all know how important it is for customers to have the flexibility and easy access to the internet as well as the ability to have access to orders at their convenience. Throughout its growth, the company stayed focused on the understanding of information systems and technology which enabled them to stay ahead of their competition.

Newly Industrialised Countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Newly Industrialised Countries - Essay Example The Asian countries of India, China Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia are notable examples NICs and their dramatic successes in economic growth have often been referred to as the East Asian Miracle. Other Asian countries like China and India have also achieved successes in economic growth. The 'economic miracle' of these East Asian countries is however not exclusive to Asia as countries in the Americas like Chile, Brazil and Mexico have also achieved appreciably high growth rates in their economies and could thus be referred to as NICs as well. It must be said though the growth rates vary amongst all the NICs and as such some growths may be relatively higher compared to others in other NICs. Countries like China, India Singapore and Hong Kong however standout of the rest due to the rapid nature of their growth within a space of about 30 years. Also, the use of NICs is a matter of definition and as such a country like South Africa that was largely secluded f rom the international economy due to its apartheid policies may now be categorised as an NIC by some, while others may classify it as a developed country. This essay will first conduct a generalised or panoramic view of the features that underlie the development experiences of NICs before undertaking a closer look at the experiences of selected NICs. It must be said that though the development experiences may be very varied, some common cardinal features can be seen in the experiences of all NICs. Most NICs were able to achieve high growth rates by instituting market reforms that favoured exports. (Hamilton 1987) There was also a strong emphasis on value added manufacturing that changed their economies from predominantly agrarian economies into industrial and manufacturing based economies. Increased capital investments from foreign and domestic sources played a key role in the development experiences of NICs and so did the development of domestic corporations that could compete with other foreign corporations both on the domestic market and on the regional or international markets as well. (Bhagwati, 1996) Typical examples are the automotive, steel and ship building companies of Korea. Political leadership also contributed significantly to the high growths in the economies of NICs. As stated earlier, though the 'authoritarian' thesis is a disputed one, the fact that relative political stability pertained in the countries that recorded significant growths in their economies goe s to show that political leadership played a crucial role in the development experience of NICs (Combie, 2000). The next segment of this essay will undertake a closer look at selected country experiences of NICs. China has been undergoing a dramatic transformation to a market economy. As a result, it currently is the world leader in terms of economic growth, industrial expansion, and exports. It contains an array of potential consumers that far exceeds the markets in Europe or the Western Hemisphere, and it is rapidly emerging as a new epicentre for industry, commerce, and finance. In addition, the so-called "greater China" has substantial amounts of technology and manufacturing capability, outstanding entrepreneurial, marketing, and services acumen in Hong