Facebook - The Question of Privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Facebook - The Question of Privacy - Essay Example Users of the Facebook website vary from individuals who post profiles with photographs and videos freely to the other end of the spectrum, those who post, but secure their profiles out of fear that their personal information is at risk (Sutherland). A contradiction exists in regards to perspectives on privacy. People want to feel safe on the Internet, going to great lengths to minimize their â€Å"cyber footprint† (Changing Ways), from removing their contact information from directories to complaining about â€Å"their houses being visible on Google Earth† (Grayling). Yet, millions of other people cannot spend a single day without Internet-access, informing the world of their every action via Twitter and updating their Facebook status with their every thought, a plethora of photographs and personal details. Perhaps the attraction is in the projection of an ideal or image rather than conveying truth (Grayling). That said, Grayling implies websites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, chat rooms, and other blog sites, may not be extinguishing users’ privacy as much as people think.... For example, users are now prompted to accept the Facebook terms and conditions when opening an application for the first time, granting the application developer access to personal contact information from the user’s personal profile. This change is geared toward one of Facebook’s largest company initiatives for 2011—e-commerce (Townsend). Although users are prompted to accept or decline the granting of access to personal information when the permission box pops up, it is unlikely that users will read the new terms. Townsend suggests most Internet users have been trained to bypass the fine print and get to the bottom line, clicking anything necessary to get them to what they were initially trying to do. Facebook cannot be blamed for users failing to read the fine print, can they? Based on Townsend’s research on the subject of privacy and recent changes made by the company, it seems Facebook is focusing on profiting from the personal information of its use rs. The value of contact information and personal details that are provided on the website so freely serves as one of the company’s â€Å"greatest potential revenue streams for the future† (Townsend). While Facebook is protecting itself by adding new terms to the permission box that pops up when users access developer applications, it may not only be Facebook benefiting from the personal details being transmitted. Townsend describes rogue applications that are intended to farm user information by pretending to be something they are not. Facebook claims to carefully monitor scams (â€Å"Facebook†) such as faux applications that gain access to users information in this manner, but it could take several days before the application is caught and eliminated; meaning countless users at the hands

Leadership Essay Example for Free

Leadership Essay 1.Leadership as a process, is the use of no coercive influence to shape the group’s or organization’s goals, motivate behavior toward the achievement of those goals, and help define group or organizational culture; as a property, the set of characteristics attributed to individuals who are perceived to be leaders. 2.General Mandible is not a leader because he does not motivate the ants to achieve the colony’s goal, unless the goal was for all the ants to drown and die. He leaves all the ants to drown at the end of the movie. Leaders stick with the team all the way and do not try to kill their own team. 3.Zee is a leader because in a crises moment he does not get scared. At the end of the movie when all the ants are about to drown, he motivates all of them to build a ladder to the top, and his plan ends up saving all the ants. He is able to use nonaggressive force to motivate the ants. 4.The quote â€Å"Individualism makes us vulnerable† applies to ants where one ant alone is weak and small and can’t do much, but all the ants together can do anything. Like it takes all the ants to make the ladder at the end of the movie saving them from drowning, it is crucial to their survival that they stick together. This mostly applies everywhere, being in a team is better than being alone. 5.The Power Position is the physical position in the room for a business meeting, which supposedly has the most power. The leader in this position where he can see all entrances to the room and no activity is going on behind him. Three types of position power are: Legitimate Power- Power granted through the organizational hierarchy; it is the power defined by the organization that is to be accorded people occupying particular positions. Reward Power- The power to give or withhold rewards, such as salary increases, bonuses, promotions, praise, recognition, and interesting job assignments. Coercive Power- The power to force compliance by means of psychological, emotional, or physical threat. 6.A scene from the movie that illustrates the use of position power is when General Mandible is discussing about the colony with the Queen and the Queen tell him he can do whatever he likes because she trusts him that he will do everything for the good of the colony. She has legitimate power granted through the hierarchy, but then the General abuses his power and the works start to work hard because they don’t want to deal with the General because he uses Coercive Power. 7.Personal power is the power that comes from within to influence other it has nothing to do with the persons position. Two types of personal power are: Referent Power- The personal power that accrues to someone based on identification, imitation, loyalty or charisma. Expert Power- The person

Grand Slam Record! :: essays research papers

Grand slam record falls again Click here for more on this story Posted: Sunday May 21, 2000 07:35 PM Jason Giambi crushed a 3-1 pitch over the right-center field wall for his 17th homer of the season and fifth career grand slam. AP NEW YORK (AP) -- Baseball had its grandest day ever. Less than one year after the first five grand-slam day in major league history, there were six hit Sunday. Anaheim's Garrett Anderson hit the record-breaker with two outs in the third inning off Kansas City's Chris Fussell. J.T. Snow of San Francisco, Brian Hunter of Philadelphia, Jason Giambi of Oakland, and Los Angeles' Adrian Beltre and Shawn Green connected with the bases loaded earlier in the day, bettering the record set last Aug. 9. It was the first time the Dodgers had two grand slams in a game since Aug. 23, 1985, when Pedro Guerrero and Mariano Duncan did it against Montreal. The Brooklyn Dodgers also had two slams in a game in 1901 in Cincinnati. "It is exciting to be a part of history," Green said. "Especially with the Dodgers and their illustrious past." Beltre hit his first career slam in the fifth inning off Jesus Sanchez in Los Angeles' 12-3 win over the Florida Marlins. Green capped the Dodgers' grand day with a bases-loaded shot in a seven-run ninth inning off Antonio Alfonseca. Slams were part of an even bigger inning in Milwaukee, when Snow capped an 11-run sixth inning with his shot off Valerio De Los Santos. The Giants beat the Brewers 16-10. Hunter, who entered the game in a 3-for-24 slump, hit his third career grand slam in the third inning off Colorado's Masato Yoshii, accounting for all of Philadelphia's runs in a 4-3 victory. "I've been struggling so any hit was going to be a big one for me," he said. "But a grand slam, that's pretty big at any time.

China’s IT Industry in 1997

A series of strange symptoms of poisoning appeared on a girl Zhu Lin unexpectedly: hair lost, muscles on the face paralyzed, limbs weakened, and words slurred. No one can tell what is the cause. Life is in danger! One of her classmates emailed for help on Internet. Fortunately, the first reply arrived in less than three hours. Afterwards, over 1,500 emails reached her. Most of the replies analysed that Zhu Lin had been thallium poisoned. It is the Internet that has saved her young life! In 1994, there were merely a few universities and institutions on Internet. Now there are over 620 thousand end users in China. The number increased four-fold in 1997 compared with the year before, still booming on an exponential curve, and is sure to go through the limit of one million. Information Technology (IT) industry has become one of the industries developing most quickly in China. Sum (billion) Increase (compared to 1996) Anticipation in 1998 Gross output value RMB 380 25%(3.6 times 1992) RMB 460 Total sales profits RMB 250 15% RMB 300 The Tel exchange capacity of China National Public Tel Net has become the second largest one in the world. Last year, the sales volume of PC broke through three million, which indicated that it had increased by sixty percent than 1996. All the above data depict an exciting success for China — a developing country. She is laboring at curtailing the gap between developed countries and herself. As the modern information technology (IT) develops rapidly with the increase of social demand, the core status of IT in the development of modern business has become more and more stable. IT can provide the information a business needs for efficient operations, effective management and competitive advantage. If information systems do not properly support the strategic objective, they can seriously damage its prospect for survival and success. For a company, out-of-date information of demand leads to an excess or insufficient output; inpromptly-attained information results in the loss of capital for the timeliness of currency, and then emerged an inefficient assignment of the resource of the whole society. At present, this kind of waste engendered by the undeveloped IT industry widely exists in all walks of life in China. It is urgent to prompt the informationalization grade of the nation. The world economy has been turning from industrial economy to information economy. P.R.C. Chairman Jiang Zeming once said, IT is the accelerator and amplifier of the national economy. Therefore, a country's information industry embodies its power. Developing IT industry becomes a world trend , and a strategic task in many countries. The informationalization degree of the developed country has reached a considerable level. In 1993, US declared â€Å"National Information Infrastructure† (NII). It is expected that by 2000 information super-highway will have connected all the schools, hospitals, libraries. Although there are over 620 thousand end users in China, but compared with the 1.2 billion population, the popularization of Internet in China is much lower than that in US. The rate between cash flow and currency gross is an important index of informationization degree of a country. The lower the proportion, the higher the informationization degree. In American, the proportion is eight percent. But in China, it has reached twenty-five percent. Eighty percent of world information resource is possessed by developed countries which have only fifteen percent of world population. Meanwhile, with eight-five percent of world population, the developing countries occupy only twenty percent of information in the world. In the developed countries such as U.S.A., it is prevalent to operate the enterprise with information flow. Intranet is being considered an effective way of dealing with information. But in many Chinese enterprises, manpower is required to transmit messages. A lot of waste and troubles follow: a considerable loss of time, insufficient or less accurate information and etc. The low degree of informationalization results from the insubstantial basis of China. In China, economic basis is weak, financial capacity is limited, and IT is far behind the developed countries. Because of the great population, there is great divergence among various areas in China. Every country desires to develop IT industry. Especially, developing countries need information innovation to promote the development of economy. But, because of the weakness of economic basis and insufficiency of financial capacity, developing countries often feel its ability is not equal to its ambition. What should be done? We have several ideas as the following: There*s an old Chinese saying â€Å"know your rival and yourself clearly, you*ll triumph every time!† So let us take a look at the pioneer of IT–US first. For about 50 years, the Americans have laid a solid foundation in the field of electronics, computer and communication. The existing network has become an embryo of information superhighways. Both had prompted President Clinton to put forward NII. In contrary to US, China now calls for the infrastructure of information products. The developing country needs the step-by-step measure. As a result, the principle of China National Information Infrastructure was born. This comprehensive and step-by-step image of Information superhighway make it possible that China will be quickly informationalized. The most beautiful picture can be drawn on pure white paper — â€Å"Skip† on technology Science is the common wealth of human being, the developing countries don*t have to build up from nothing. We can step into the first class directly by taking the existing technology. Take Japan for example. After World War ` , she stands up from ruins and almost in no time, it becomes a shining star. Which way did she take? The best in the world. China now has a good chance to learn the lessons of pioneers, she can do the simplest, the most expedient and the most flexible. For instance, China has just started to set up her own network construction. she can take the opportunity to establish the first-class frame and utilize the most advanced hardware and software. As we can see, â€Å"skip† on technology is suitable for the developing countries, A high-rise building is built from the ground An essential characteristic of IT industry is high investment and high production of additional value. However, since financial capacity is far too limited, high investment requires developing countries to select a right way leading to success. Through the course of the development of IT, we can find that, in general, IT is in the stage of growing and application from the 1980s to a long time in the future. Although Japan had great achievement on IT, from 1980s it began to develop some high-tech instead of promoting deeper application, trying to obtain monopoly profit. However, Japan ran counter to the situation of today's IT and lost its market. The failure of Japan alarms the developing countries: application should be the foundation of the strategy of IT development in developing countries. To promote the innovation, manufacture and application of basic information products, reasonable economic scale should be considered. And it is essential to develop a series of products such as PC, network servers, parallel processing computer system and etc. Cooperation by national and local government –Both central and local initiative should be brought into full play. Now China is building its national information infrastructure through â€Å"Golden Project†(1) and has completed many consequential informationization constructions such as Golden Bridge(2), Golden Card(3), Golden Customs(4), Golden Tax(5) and etc. In the meantime, local informationization projects have quickened their pace. Shanghai information harbor has consummated five information works including information exchange net, science and technology net, community net and etc. Inland provinces and districts such as Henan Province augmented 120 thousand telephone users. The IT industry has been regarded as a pillar industry in more than 20 provinces in China. Competition should be introduced in IT industry to cut down the price . The construction of long-distance trunk line is up to the central government, while local governments manage the branches. Not only big state enterprises but also small town factories should be encouraged to participate in the booming IT industry. To be scientific and strict, there must be a series of laws and regulations. Shanghai Information Harbor grows with laws which the new-born information industries are longing for â€Å"Regulations governing advertisement on the network†, â€Å"Regulations governing EDI† and â€Å"Regulations governing Internet caf*† were formulated. Effective working mode will protect the proper development of the IT industry. Unless troublesome Bill Gates turns into well-behavior or his corporation couldn*t stand firmly on the land of China. If China acts on these ideas, it*s sure to have a splendid future. The business and even the whole society will take on a new look. The telephone lines will reach each home, while the fiber optics will enter the buildings in most cities and towns. Since â€Å"Golden Project† have established the network of all kinds such as business, education, medical care and economy, most things can be done through virtual banks, virtual enterprises, virtual library and so on, even if people stay at home all the time. The advantages the business takes will be conspicuous. The administrative structure will be simplified, the staff will be reduced, the risks of cash will be diminished by EDI, an inexhaustible database will be shared by everyone and will be a strong support of decision-making. The relationships between enterprise and clientele will be as close as fish to water. IT will take the place of some jobs and at the same time, create much more occupations, which brings about that the information industry becomes the biggest industry of the country. A country can benefit a lot from its success in IT industry. Even though the developing countries lack the most advanced technology and sufficient financial support, they can also achieve the goal by attaching importance to the building of IT industry and taking on an appropriate strategy — a step-by-step Omnibus Bill and a skipping tactic of technology.

Poverty Reduction Strategy

Introduction With one-fifth of the world's population not owning land or possessions at all. Very little land. They may have no legal rights to the land they farm, or they may work as hired labor on large farms. Low incomes and rural poverty are often the result. Taking into consideration by the world's standard the average person in the world lives on less than a dollar a day. In recent years, poverty reduction continues to be a challenge in Nigeria. 69 million people, or 54% of the population, lived below the poverty line In 2004. He Nigerian government has promoted agricultural growth wrought several policies noting that agriculture â€Å"outperforms all other sectors In reducing poverty† as it is the sector responsible for the most employment, especially among the poor. These policies including; the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies (NEEDS) and II, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAD), the National Food Security Program (NSF ), and initiatives for crops including cassava and rice. Partly as a result of these programs, agricultural growth rates Jumped from 3. % annually In 1990-1999 to 5. 9% annually In If several agricultural subsection reach official growth targets, Nigeria will experience 9. 5% annual agricultural growth and 8. 0% annual GAP growth. Moreover, the poverty rate will be halved by 2017 Recommendation 1 Land Reforms Redistributing land to small-scale farmers can do much to reduce their poverty. When rural families have land, and secure control over that land, they are likely to grow more food and see their Incomes rise. Land security can mean food security. Land reform can increase both employment and Income.Small farms employ more people per hectare than the larger units, often to the benefit of the landless and unemployed. And owning land means that family farmers often secure the bank credit that was previously denied them. Nonetheless, land reform is achieving much, especially when it is community-driven and tailored to local conditions and when it puts the poor at the forefront of the process. The Rural Poverty Report 2001 stresses the particular Importance of Glenn women more control over land as this would give them more power in the community and reduce their vulnerability within the household.Dividing large farms into smaller units often means that more food is produced per hectare. This is happening in a number of countries and Nigeria is no exception. Gender disparity in legal rights: exacerbating women's vulnerability In both the indigenous customary law, women are considered minors. This means that women?in law, and often In practice?do not control or own major assets, particularly land. This fundamental Imbalance In the property rights of men and women leads to gender differences in the pattern of poverty. De facto female headed households (I. E. Here a male co-head is nonresident for large parts of the year) have the highest core poverty levels of any household type. Labor-intensive Labor-intensive agriculture has significant growth and poverty-reduction potential: The small plots under present yields and methods of cultivation cannot provide earnings from farming, households may find it advantageous to switch to higher valued crops, such as market vegetables or perennial products, instead of cultivating predominantly maize, as at present. Those who stay in maize can also achieve higher yields than at present.Research elsewhere in Africa has produced evidence that the growth potential from smallholder centralization and exploitation of comparative advantage can also generate considerable multiplier effects on local incomes. As more small farmers commercialism they create demand for small farming implements, hired labor (backward linkages) and trading services, small transport, local consumer goods, and so on (forward linkages) which stimulate local labor demand. Both the initial and subsequent rounds of growth through demand link ages are labor-intensive and can be accessible to poorer households. Improved equity and efficiency in public education spending Country-wide, over 50 percent of the people who live in households headed by people with no education live in poverty. In contrast, the poverty ratio is halved for people in households whose heads have obtained some secondary education. This suggests that higher incomes are related to more education and that ensuring affordability of primary and secondary education for the poor is thus an investment with high returns for society and the household.Improved equity and efficiency in public education spending will lead to better outcomes?at a lower cost?for both poor households and the Government. 4 Enabling the Growth of Smallholder Agriculture: Smallholder agricultural centralization will need to be a central element of the poverty reduction and growth strategy of Nigeria. This emphasis is consistent with Insignia's comparative advantage in labor-intensive s ectors and location near a major port.There is scope for expansion, diversification and intensification to access export markets, through centralization of agriculture into high value crops such as vegetables, perennials, etc. And through the related multiplier effects and demand linkages. The capacity of rural areas to boost incomes is expected to increase, educing pressures on urban labor markets and services. Focusing public efforts on removing impediments to agricultural growth is thus a priority for reducing poverty in all of Nigeria.This bottom-up development approach is critically contingent, however, on cataloging and protecting investments for small farmers on Sways Nation Land. This requires: Rural land tenure reform to assure more secure property rights to small farmers. Promoting more sustainable cattle grazing management. Promoting small-scale financial savings and credit mechanisms in rural areas. Implementation of Policies l. Outlining a Poverty Reduction Strategy A n ew, equitable and dynamic pattern of growth and human development is required for a serious poverty reduction agenda in Nigeria.Unless public action is undertaken to remove major structural constraints to labor-intensive development, however, livelihoods are expected to continue stagnation and poverty to worsen further. The analysis of poverty can be used to identify priority areas for action. This agenda for reform will require courage, vision and sensitivity on the part of the country's leaders. Basic themes of a poverty reduction strategy for Swaziland are reposed below: 2 Ensuring Effective Human Development Investments: productive assets in which a country can invest.To facilitate higher productivity of labor, lower fertility and greater mobility of labor in these changing labor markets, the quality, relevance and affordability of basic education and health levels of service most accessed by the poor needs to be improved. A structural shift in the public spending pattern is nee ded to focus on primary and secondary education levels rather than academic tertiary levels, and on preventive, core health services rather than curative services.Priorities should focus on: Parameterization of education spending towards quality and efficiency at primary and secondary levels. Improving skills matching to labor market needs. Expanding early childhood development programs for poor communities. Emphasizing a primary and preventive health service. 3 Insuring the Poor against Major Risks: Nigerian poor continue to be highly vulnerable to major shocks and to be locked in poverty traps because of excessive uninsured risk.Public action needs to be selective, preventive and targeted where possible to reduce the economic limitability of the poor to the major risks. A public social protection program with the following priorities could have the most cost-effective impact in reducing the vulnerability of the poorest of the poor in Nigeria: Cross-sectarian, multi-level response to AIDS; Drought preparedness; Legal reform to provide equal rights to women; and Safety nets which are primarily work-based and self-targeted. Accountability, Information and the Poor A more coordinated approach to local development efforts?based on accountability of local government structures to the community and better monitoring of poverty information?is essential for improving economic management and poverty reduction efforts.Poverty information is very limited The Government, Nags, donors, and others have identified the lack of data on poverty trends and their determinants as a major constraint to establishing greater poverty focus in policy formulation. There is also no clear institutional framework for coordinating data generated by different institutions. Such data and an institutional structure to channel information to policy-makers and community organizations could facilitate social debate and prepare the groundwork for enacting reform.Strengthening Institutions to Incr ease the Poverty Impact of Policies: Finally, the speed and effectiveness with which the public policy framework can orchestrate this transformation can be improved by governance structures which are accountable to communities and with ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the ways in which growth dynamics are affecting the poor?both positively and negatively. Priority should be attached to: Institutional mechanisms which ensure poverty planning at central level; Local level coordination and community participation; and Establishment and use of a poverty monitoring and analysis system.

The Meaning of Citizenship in A Democratic Nation †History Essay

The Meaning of Citizenship in A Democratic Nation – History Essay Free Online Research Papers The Meaning of Citizenship in A Democratic Nation History Essay The meaning of citizenship depends of course, on what context that it is used in most democratic countries it is associated with civil and not religious or moral rights that advocate the rights of freedom of exchange, belief and choice. It is generally accepted that contemporary citizenship theory started in Britain with TH Marshall in post-WWII. Were Marshall divided citizenship into three sets of citizen rights. Civil rights, which developed in the eighteenth-century which included free speech, access to the legal system, rights to a fair trail, and rights of contract and property. Political rights which included the extension of the vote, the right to hold office were developed in the nineteenth-century, (but only for men). Social rights that were formed in the twentieth-century and are entitlements to social security when faced with unemployment, sickness, and other forms of hardship this is when the welfare state made its appearance (TH Marshall, Citizenship and social class. 1950: 46). It is the role of the welfare state and the social rights of people that we will be more concerned with here. So what was the thinking behind the development of the welfare state, the most obvious answer is that it was intended to provide for a greater level of equality among classes, and a protection for those who were worst hit by the excesses of capitalism. This is however a debatable point. Brian Abel Smith argued that the welfare states â€Å"were never intended as great institutions of equality† and that they â€Å"did not intend to try to create a more equal society, but to establish a floor of protection at the bottom† (Brian Abel Smith, The major problems of the welfare state. 1985: 32). In many ways, the concept of a welfare state is the peak of a social democracy, seemingly balancing the benefits of capitalism and socialism without the extremes of either. The theory seems to be almost perfect, with the state playing a large role in the area of social policy, working to alleviate the problems and inequalities created by the capitalist market economy. This seems to be supported by the fact that all the earliest reforms related to social insurance were set up for those who were injured in the workplace. It would appear that the rationale behind the welfare states varies depending on which political ideology that one subscribes to. For conservatives, the welfare state was a way of avoiding unrest among the poorer classes and a means of maintaining political stability. Liberals believed that it was simply a means of solving the problems of an unequal and illiberal society, and of the victims of that society. While socialists believed that it was merely a step in the right direction towards the ultimate goal of a classless society (David Held, Models of democracy. 1996: 235-236). Apart from the political ideologies the welfare state can be seen as a result of the merging of the new capitalist system and the new mass democracies in which citizens were politically active. In essence it was an attempt to compromise the beliefs of the ca pitalist ruling class with the rest of society (Flora Heidenheimer, The historical core and changing boundaries of the welfare state. 1981: 22). This was the reality of the welfare state, an institution which tried to resolve the conflicts within the class-based society. The first stage came in the 1920s, which was a period of social experimentation (Hecio, Towards a new welfare state. 1981: 386-387). It was during this period that the institutions of the welfare state were created. Social insurance was instituted, and advances in the fields of health and education provisions were made. The second stage was one of consolidation between the 1930s and 1940s. This stage was the inevitable follow-on from the period of experimentation. Many of the ideas which had been put forward in the first period were revolutionary and challenged the relationship between the state and its citizenry. While the second period allowed for a consolidation of the achievements that had been made, it was also a time in which the seeds were sown for the huge expansion in social rights that were to come. In the immediate post-WWII period, Britain was in the process of constructing its social welfare system. Marshall was attempting to justify the national provision of social benefits. He focused on the major contradiction between formal political equality and individual freedom, on the one hand, and the significant social and economic inequality on the other (Bryan Turner, Outline of a theory of citizenship. 1992: 48-51). This paved the way for the future expansion of the welfare state. This expansion came in the years between the 1950s and the mid-1970s. After World War II, the amount government spending that was spent on social policy soared. There were a number of reasons for this firstly, there was an increase in the number of dependants within society, a rise in the number of the elderly, which increased the cost of maintaining health care and pensions. The other major reason was that this period was one of unprecedented economic growth and thus finding the funds to pay for thes e services was possible. However by the late 1970s the welfare state had come under severe pressure and its very existence was in question. How did this come about only a few years after its halcyon days? Basically, the expansion of the welfare state was too much too soon. Were the expansion of social rights that existed during a period of economic prosperity simply could not be maintained in a time of recession. With a fall in economic growth and a rise in unemployment increased pressure was put on the welfare state. The funds that were there during the good times dried up and states started to question the costs involved. There was a genuine feeling that the investment in the future security of society, on which the welfare state was founded, was seriously threatening its economic security (Hecio, 1981: 400). As the level of government indebtedness rose, people began to resent paying out for services that were formally their entitlements and the sense of solidarity and consensus of the post-war period bega n to wither. Indeed there are now some grave concerns over the future of the welfare state. Dismayed at the very high levels of persistent unemployment, and constrained by the monetary policies of the EU, many policymakers are thinking that a developed, welfare state is no longer possible within a global economy (David Held, 1996: 251). Hecio lists three main reasons for the decline in the welfare state and its impact on the social rights of citizens: pointing to high costs, ineffective spending and the over-regulation of the welfare system (Hecio, 1981: 399-400). The social rights that most people enjoyed and have come to depend on in times of prosperity do not hold up in times of hardship. It goes without saying that it is the most vulnerable of people in society that are worst affected when the social safety net is removed. Given the growth of social exclusion it is not surprising that many writers on social citizenship are concerned about the deindustrialisation, and the spreading of inequalities. Increasingly, conservatives as well as moderates are emphasising the obligations of people, and not their rights or entitlements. Dahrendrof, believed that citizenship is a body of rights and duties a status that defines full membership of a society; that by very its definition is removed from the whims of the market. Although there are obligations that all citizen should and must obey such as the law, taxes, etc, but these obligations have be limited so as not to infringe on either personal or civil rights. Dahrendorf argued that the most tangible evidence concerning the loss of citizen entitlements can be seen in the development of an underclass in the wealthy OECD states (Ralf Dahrendorf, The changing quality of citizenship 1994: 10-19). These groups are the long-term unemployed, the persistent poor, disa dvantaged and ethnic groups and refugees that have fallen through the safety net. Another failing of the state is that the welfare state has done little to make Europe a classless society. Indeed, instead of abolishing inequalities it has perpetuated them: the extension of many benefits and payments to large sectors of the middle class during the expansionary period did little to improve the relative life chances of the working class. On the charge that the welfare state is over-regulated, we need only look at the size of the bureaucracies established to run the system for its verification. These organisations have become detached from the people whose needs they are supposed to represent. A â€Å"them and us† mentality has developed with the welfare state being seen as faceless, and the recipients being seen as charity cases. As Turner noted, citizenship, despite the claim of universality excludes as well as incorporates. Social citizenship requires equality but is incompatible with individualism since equality requires a bureaucracy and in turn that bureaucracy destroys individualism (Bryan Turner, Citizenship and social theory. 1994: 24-29). Taken together, the failings of the system represent near fatal flaws and explain the decline of the welfare state and its effect on the rights of citizenship. A number of theorists have focused on a more expansive definition of citizenship. In part, its emphasis is due to the various developments of capitalism. Prior theories assumed that developing capitalism necessarily corresponded with modernisation, which argue that economic rights are part of the larger struggle for citizenship. This assumption can no longer be considered to be completely true, as capitalism can flourish under traditional societies and settings (Turner, 1992: 24). Furthermore, in post-industrial societies, there is deindustrialisation, deskilling, and continued inequality and poverty. Finally, there are some counter-trends of growing nationalism and ethnic conflict, on the one hand, and globalisation on the other. In response to these mixed trends, writers on citizenship take different ideological viewpoints, ranging from basic human rights, as in what people have rights to, because of what they share in common as human beings. To human identities that are deeply imbedded in community, to common agency, rights, understandings and shared purposes (Martin Bulmer, Anthony Rees, Citizenship Today. 1996: 79-83). Turner defines citizenship in a sociological context as a set of practices: juridical, political, economic and cultural that define a person as a competent member of a society and which as a consequence shape the flow of resources to people and social groups. The emphasis here is very much on practices. Indeed, citizenship changes historically as a consequence of political struggles for better access to life’s chances. Thus defined, citizenship is centrally concerned with inequality, power, and social class; it is inevitably bound up with the problem of the unequal distribution of resources. Therefore, citizenship is essentially concerned about the nature of social membership within modern political collectives, in short, social movements. Turner focuses on the spaces within capitalist economies for the growth of social movements seeking citizenship rights. There is considerable variation in contemporary capitalism, thus, the real changes in capitalism will come through the democratic process. Gradual changes in consumption, welfare, will come more as a consequence of collective resistance and pressure to improve conditions and expand the civil rights of minorities (Turner, 1992: 44). He argues that welfare rights are more than merely a pacifier for class differences rather they have fundamentally transformed the nature of the class struggle itself. The condition of the working class has improved immensely over the last century, despite the persistent of inequalities. There is the emergence of new classes and the ambiguous location of the middle classes, the changing nature of class consciousness and class imagery. Turner sees multiple social movements, minorities, feminists, and the aged. Although Turner believed that class was important, he believed that it was not the complete story (Turner, Citizenship and capitalism. 1986: 105). Conclusion Hugh Hecio believed that a transformation is taking place with the idea of social inclusiveness. Despite gaps and inconsistencies, the prevailing ideology during the twentieth-century was to expand the circle of people who were considered to be equal in terms of life goals and aspirations. Marshalls concept of social citizenship was not only to reduce poverty but to make society more equal and just. It was an expression of solidarity a sense of citizenship. The concept of social solidarity, the recognition of individual dignity, expressed a defining aspiration a presumption of inclusion that was a remarkable and unique development. In contrast to earlier generations that routinely accepted and defended exclusionary practices, in the post-WWII, the moral sense had changed. To be sure, there were gaps and inconsistencies in the ideal, but they were not endorsed. The overall goal of the post-WWII social welfare state was the economic security of the family. The nation state was the appropriate political organization to achieve these goals. Those assumptions are now being questioned, as a normal working life is no longer assured, especially for the most vulnerable in society. Nations are no longer in control of their economies. Global economic forces and cross border migrations are threatening state welfare programs. Instead of the protection and reconciliation of individual diversity in the common community, there is the reassertion of local political and economic interests, and ethnic and racial identities. The concept of inclusion is increasingly contested. As the economies of both the US and Western Europe continue to produce growing inequalities, increased social divisions, and continues to threatening universal citizen rights. Bibliography Abel Smith, Brian (1985) The major problems of the welfare state: defining the issues. In Eisenstadt Ahimer [eds] The welfare state and its aftermath. London: Croom Helm. Bulmer, Martin Anthony Rees (1996) Citizenship Today: The Contemporary Relevance of TH Marshall. London: UCL Press. Dahrendorf, Ralf (1994) The changing quality of citizenship. In van Steenbergen, Bart [ed] (1994) The condition of citizenship. London: Sage. Flora, P AJ Heidenheimer (1981) The historical core and changing boundaries of the welfare state. In P Flora AJ Heidenheimer [eds] The development of the welfare state in Europe. London: McCroom Helm. Hecio, H (1981) Towards a new welfare state. In Flora Heidenheimer [ed] The development of the welfare state in Europe. London: McCroom Helm. Held, David (1996) Models of democracy. Cambridge, Polity Press. Marshall, Thomas (1950) Citizenship and social class. Cambridge: Pluto Press. Turner, Bryan (1986) Citizenship and capitalism: the debate over reformism. London: Allen and Unwin. Turner, Bryan (1992) Outline of a theory of citizenship. In Mouffe, Chantal [ed] (1992) Dimensions of radical democracy: pluralism, citizenship, community. London: Verso. Turner, Bryan [ed] (1994) Citizenship and social theory. London: Sage. Research Papers on The Meaning of Citizenship in A Democratic Nation - History EssayBringing Democracy to AfricaPETSTEL analysis of India19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeQuebec and CanadaRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andTwilight of the UAWBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

buy custom Thematic Functions of Myths essay

buy custom Thematic Functions of Myths essay A myth can be defined as a story that provides some explanations about our history and beliefs. Myths often contain some significance to some culture and they address the essential and most challenging questions a reader might ask concerning the story. They often used to describe the origin of the universe, tell stories about great men, forces of the good and evil, gods and other supernatural beings. However, it is important to note that myths are always considered true by the culture of rather people from which the myth has originated since some spiritual or religious significance is always attached to it,according to Wood, and this is probably the reason as to why different writers have decided to incorporate the use of mythology in their works. This essay will consider the use of myths in the writing of novels, and will explore the thematic function of myths in the novel written by Garcia Marquez. The use of myths in the novels In the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, Garcia Marquez, writes of a story about the history of the documentation, development and the demise of a human settlement during a particular time. The Buendia family lived in a town known as Macondo, which was prone to various kinds of calamities. To begin with, we find that the author has used myth to provide meaning to the unexplainable. Macondo is a town that is frequented by calamities and misfortunes that affect the Buendia family. It is obvious that questions directed at knowing more about these calamities, for instance, the reason as to why they were taking place, and probably the source of such events could be asked. To evade the need to provide explanations to such questions, the author has applied the use of myths. It basically provides explanations about the mysteries this population was facing. In addition, myths try to provide some understanding regarding the natural world, for instance, they can always offer thereason as to why a calamity such as famine has occurred. Looking at Garcia Marquezs novel, the author has used myths to provide explanations about such issues. Although he does not have a clear understanding regarding these events, he applies the use of myths to explain such events to the generations that have preceded the Buendia family, which gives the readers of a picture of how at some time, there existed a human civilization that was faced with calamities. In addition, the author has used myths to depict the origin of this population. For instance, from the story we learn that it is from the marriage between Jose Buendia and Ursula that this family was formed. We also learn that it is from Joses dream about the city of mirrors that the town of Macondo was found at the river side. It is from this myth that we are able to know the origin of this population and how it was formed. Myths have also been usedto make the story fascinating. They are often applied in the writing of novels to give the readers that urge to continue reading the story as they make the story more entertaining and humorous. The reader is left with the feeling of wanting to know more regarding the explained unusual calamities. For instance, in this novel, the author gives us a picture of what the world was like during those times. It is from the dream that the town was formed and after some time the town starts experiencing calamities. The reader is then left to wonder how such events took place. They have actually made the story more fascinating. Garcia Marquez has also used myths to depict the culture of that specificpopulation. Myths have the ability of establishing a cultures rituals, social structures, customs and religious tenets, territorial claims and power hierarchies. It is from the use of myths that we are able to know about the culture of the Buendia family so that we can validate them in order to transmit them tto the preceding generations. For instance, the end of destruction that would befall the Buendia family and the town of Macondo provides an overview of how the ideological and cultural heritage of Spain in the modern world would end. In addition, the author has used myths to provide stability and continuity to some culture. The novel outlines the existence a human population who had their own culture at some point in time. However, the novel outlines that Garcia could have been probably the only surviving generation of the time. However, we are able to read about the cultures of this population, some of whi ch have been validated and applied by the contemporary societies. It is apparent that ancient myths still exist in the present cultures and the references are found in the contemporary expressions and words. Mythology has also been applied in the novel to depict the authors creativity. We cannot tell if such a population was existent or not. However, the author has presented it in a way that makes it so real and convincing that whatever has been written is actually true. It therefore becomes challenging to question about this writing since we are not certain if whatever the novel claims is true or not. We can therefore ascertain that myths can be applied in displaying the authors creativity. It is therefore apparent that the author has applied the use of mythology in this novel to illustrate his creativity. In conclusion, myths play significant roles in the writing of novels as noted in the work of Garcia Marquez. As noted, the author has applied the use of myths to provide explanations for the unexplainable, create some humor and fascination, and show the origin of this population as well as providing explanations about the culture of the named population. We can therefore conclude that myths play a major role in the world of writing due to the functions that have been identified above. Buy custom Thematic Functions of Myths essay

7 Signs You Nailed Your Interview Even if It Doesnt Feel Like It

7 Signs You Nailed Your Interview Even if It Doesnt Feel Like It If you walk out of your interview and aren’t 100% sure you nailed it (or bombed it), you might spend the next few days stewing about how it went. But you don’t have to agonize in the dark. It is possible to tell more or less how you’ll fare- even between the extremes of horrible and perfectly. Here are some telltale signs that it went well- so well that you might even get the job! 1. Your interviewer  had a good time.You genuinely got the impression that your interviewer was having a good time during the conversation. You ran over your allotted time. And beyond that, their body language suggested as much, as well. They were smiling, nodding, leaning in, and making eye contact. And the smile was genuine- with engagement of the eyes and everything.2. You got a tour.Did your interviewer, after your conversation, show you around the office before showing you out? This is a good indicator that they’re seriously considering you. Bonus points if they introduced you to any members of your would-be team.3. You felt like they were selling you.Your interviewer made a point of trying to sell you on the company- they didn’t just watch you do backflips to try  to prove your worth. For example,  if they spend a lot of time talking about company policies, benefits, and perks and pay, you’re probably golden.4. They asked for references.Typically, hiring managers don’t bother asking for references they aren’t going to bother calling. If you’re asked for yours, that’s a good sign and usually means they plan on contacting your recommenders. Bonus points if they also mention they’ll be running a background check; these are expensive and they don’t run them willy nilly.5. There was a lingering goodbye.Did it seem like your interviewer, when walking you out, didn’t quite want you to leave? Did she stick around loitering in the lobby with you making idle conversation? These are signs of ho w comfortable she feels with you- as if you’re already a colleague, not a candidate.6. Follow-up is made explicit.Instead of a vague not to â€Å"being in touch,† the follow-up process is discussed with particulars. They ask about your timeline and interview status. They make references to the next steps, and not just in a generic way. Maybe they let you know exactly when to expect to hear from them†¦ and ask how best you can be reached.7. You get called back in for another round.Only finalists make the second round of interviews. Congrats, you’re on your way! Now you just have to do the whole thing over again. Show up, dress nicely, sparkle, and be engaging and confident without being arrogant or smug. Remember to send a handwritten thank you note for that interview, as well. Repeat all the good things you did for round one, and hopefully you’ll have that same good gut feeling after. That’s usually another good sign that you just might land t he job.

The impact of port privatization on economic development in Nigeria Essay

The impact of port privatization on economic development in Nigeria - Essay Example This however does not necessarily mean that the government stays away from the entity (Obed & Emeghara, 2012). It sticks to its role as a regulator of laws regarding the activities of the body. Port, privatisation in relation to ports, has two degrees of variation (Ogwezzy & Bello, 2013). One is comprehensive privatisation where the successor company becomes the sole owner of the entire ports and all the land and water areas including assets within the port. This is the same as selling the whole port to a private company (Ogwezzy & Bello, 2013). Partial privatisation is a scheme where only part of the assets and activities of a public port are transferred to the private sector. An example of this is where the government sells its existing berths to a private company or where the government concedes with a private company to build and operate a specialised port facility (Ogwezzy & Bello, 2013). Privatisation, therefore, expands the role of the private sector in the ownership and development of existing port facilities, together with developing new services. Economic development is the progress in the economy which usually involves the change of policies, adoption of new technologies and improvement of living standards. It is measured by the level of economic productiv ity. Economic productivity is the ratio of outputs to a volume measured by inputs to a volume measured by inputs. The growth of productivity of ports means that they can produce more output from the same level of input given before (Ogwezzy & Bello, 2013). Development and operation of ports in Nigeria started in the middle of the 19th century. Efforts to provide facilities for vessels using the ocean began with the opening of Lagos Lagoon in the early 1990 (Nwanosike, Tipi & Warnock-Smith, 2012). Development of the Apapa Port, which is the South West of Nigeria was allotted in 1913 and started in 1921. In 1913, the

The Side Effects of Cancer Treatment Drugs Assignment

The Side Effects of Cancer Treatment Drugs - Assignment Example If the child is worried about her appearance, the parents can advise her to try different styles of hair and makeup. She can wear wigs, use scarves or even come up with a cool bald-shaven look. Additionally, to maintain the quality of the remaining hair, she should use gentle hair products and use gentle brushes when combing. Dyes and hair-straighteners should be avoided as they only lead to more hair loss. She should also desist from constantly massaging her head as this can aid in hair loss. When sleeping, she should wear a soft night cap to prevent waking up with hair all over the bed which can lead to further emotional distress. Above all, the child should be informed that the situation will get better with time as she adapts to the treatment. Antineoplastic drugs or chemotherapy agents have several side effects on patients some of which are severe and life-threatening. If a patient is quiet and listless, it may be due to general fatigue or anemia caused by the drugs as they inhibit the growth of new white and red blood cells. Additionally, this may be due to a condition is known as peripheral neuropathy which makes it difficult to walk/balance and pick things up. The patient can be encouraged to engage in fun activities and also take some energy drinks to improve his/her mood. The most common adverse side effects of Antineoplastic drugs include; Anemia and Fatigue Nerve problems Reproductive side effects such as irregular periods, hot flashes and decrease in sexual interests. Peripheral edema Hair Loss

See below Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

See below - Research Paper Example This piece of research paper addresses human resource development in relation to the human resource perspectives and theories and analyzes how this is different in two major companies with different environment and core technologies. This paper identifies Hewlett Packard and Nestle as the two major companies with quite different environments and attempts to find how these two companies modeled and structured its human resource development practices and strategies. Human Resource Development According to Blanchard and Thacker (2007, p. 29), Human Resource Development plays vital role in improving the effectiveness of an organization by providing employees with knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA) that in turn can enhance their current as well as future job performance. Human resource development is thus a broad term that includes training, development and coaching to the employees of an organization in order them to learn, grow and adjust with various workplace related issues. As men tioned earlier, due to a number of ever-changing business contexts like technology, workplace changes etc, workers are to cope with all such changes and related issues. This is one of the main reasons why people in an organization need training and development. Training, development and any other program that is essentially a part of Human Resource Development help people in the organization become high performing workers, highly productive and thus to help the organization become highly profitable as well as highly competitive in the market as well. Blanchard and Thacker (2007, p. 29) explained what happen if knowledge, skills and abilities are not considered as important and employees are trained or developed to improve these areas. If new KSAs are not seen relevant, they won’t get converted to employees’ jobs and this will cause nothing more than wastage of the available resources. Effective training and developmental programs can meet needs of both employees and or ganization. Werner and DeSimone (2008, p. 4) defined Human Resource Development as â€Å"a set of systematic and planned activities designed by an organization to provide its members with the opportunities to learn necessary skills to meet current and future job demands†. Gaining new knowledge, learning new methods of performing the jobs, understanding easier ways to do the current or future jobs, developing these knowledge and skills to perform them are at the core of human resource development. Workplace learning and performance has recently become an extremely important human resource concern. As human resource management focuses on workplace learning and its integral part, namely knowledge management, the Human Resource Development program aims to develop the knowledge, skills, expertise, abilities, productivity and satisfaction of the people in the organization. Human Resource Development has recently evolved to be a management strategy that, with the title HRM, makes in dividuals sound almost like the nuts and bolts of an organization that can be interchanged and dispensed with at will (Wilson, 2005, p.

Contemporary issue in financial reporting Case Study

Contemporary issue in financial reporting - Case Study Example Due to the afore-mentioned factor, Microsoft can find the combination of balance sheets more useful in acquiring Yahoo, as it is an online Company. One more aspect that is useful for Microsoft in Pooling of interest method, it does not result in creation of goodwill. This leads to report higher earnings. (Answers.com, 2008) Thanks for giving us a chance to advise you on adoption of 'pooling interest' method. So that we can let you know, why it is beneficial for a company trying to acquire another, while you are contemplating to acquire Yahoo Corporation. While acquiring a company a firm follows one of the two methods. The first one is pooling of interest and the other is purchase method. The later involves the goodwill, which is a premium for buying a business. The goodwill is a result of subtracting purchase price from its book value. However, this is not advisable as Microsoft is trying to acquire Yahoo for more than the book value and this may result in negative goodwill according to purchase method. Hence, pooling of interest method is advisable for acquisition of Yahoo, for reporting higher earnings and a probable resultant higher share price. (About.com , 2008) When we consider the situation of Microsoft taking over Yahoo.com, let us take into consideration the earnings of both the companies at the end of 2007. The earnings of Microsoft at the end of 2007 is $11,030 and that of Yahoo is $1,403. Let us suppose that the book value of Yahoo's share is $10. Microsoft is contemplating to pay $32.5 per share. If it happens, the company has to pay $ 227987.5 million. However, the book value of Yahoo shares is $ 70150 million only. The difference is $ 157837.5 million. This will be termed as good will if Microsoft follows the purchase method and needs to be amortised in 40 years by amortising 1/40th part of the earnings every year. (Microsoft, 2008) If the company follows pooling interest method, there is no need of showing good will and the resultant company's balance sheet is the combination of balance sheets of two companies before acquisition. If the Book value of Yahoo share is $10 then the total book value of 7015 million Yahoo shares equal to $7.0150 billion. However, Microsoft has to pay $ 22. 8billion. The difference is $ 15.785 billion. (Ad vision, 2008) This has to be amortised in the resultant entity within 40 years according to purchase method. In Pooling of Interest method, there is no way to consider the goodwill as the company pays the amount to the investors and the balance sheets are combined from word to word and value to value. This reports the higher earnings and in the future years and allows higher earnings per share resulting in a higher share price in the market, which is not possible with purchase method as every year 1/40th part of the earnings cannot be included in reporting the earnings. A company like Microsoft, which have enough reserves of cash do not need the amortisation and can concentrate on For example, when we consider, the earnings of Microsoft and Yahoo in the year of 2007, the number of shares in Microsoft is 9848 million and the number of sha

Oppotunities for Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Oppotunities for Innovation - Essay Example require lightweight suitcase(s) of excellent quality that they can use to carry important documents, valuables such as cash, laptops, cell phones, books, cameras etc and other personal belongings. After conducting an extensive research (by our marketers and research and development staff) and â€Å"listening to consumers† (Flores, 1993, 95) we reached a conclusion that customers require a lightweight and multi-purpose suitcase that can facilitate them and make their traveling experience pleasant and hassle-free. The unavailability of this kind of product in market provides us an opportunity to develop and market â€Å"Ecase† that can best suit individual consumer needs and fulfill their want/desire/demand of a quality lightweight suitcase which can also be used as a handbag. Marketers have observed changes in customers’ perceptions because of globalization and more exposure to media and new advertising strategies. The fast and speedy lives of people have compelled them to demand products that suit them in this fast and changing environment. In this scenario, marketers at Albert are required to gain â€Å"new knowledge† and information so that they could develop and market new products that ease the consumers. In this case, the marketers have developed a new â€Å"Ecase† to facilitate customers and make their journey more comfortable. The marketers will focus on individualized items rather than generic products because each situations and lifestyles. Changes in designs of â€Å"Ecase† will be made by taking into considerations the above mentioned things. The first attribute is that Ecase will be made of a very light material â€Å"Carbon† to ensure a lightweight suitcase to store and keep different things. This will drastically reduce the

Film Review Tootsie compared to course readingsconcepts Essay

Film Review Tootsie compared to course readingsconcepts - Essay Example During his work in the soap drama, he is attracted to his co-actress, Julie Nichols (Jessica Lange). Julie is in a complicated relationship with chauvinistic director, Ron Carlisle (Dabney Coleman) with whom she has a baby girl, borned out of the wedlock. Julie has told him once that she is receptive to men who approach her with a drink. Thus, when Micheal meets Julie at a party, he approaches her with a drink. To his surprise, she pours the drink on him. On an occasion after Julie decides to end the relationship with Ron, Micheal (as Dorothy) makes advances to console her by kissing her. Julie is shocked and misunderstands Dorothy to be a lesbian. She explains to "her" that she likes "her", but not the romantic way. To make things complicated, Dorothy has her admirers. They are John Van Horn (George Gaynes), Dorothy's co-actor in the soap drama and Julie's father Leslie 'Les' Nichols (Charles Durning). After Micheal knows about the existence of these admirers, he talks to his best friend who is also his roommate, Jeff and George Fields (Sydney Pollack) about his problems of being misunderstood. Soon, Micheal decides to resolve this situation by finding solutions to leave the cast. However, George is against her to leave the cast since there is an increase in her salary for her popularity. When the cast has to perform live one day, he reveals that he is the character's twin brother who replaces her to avenge her. This is kind of the best way for him to reveal himself in a graceful and responsible way. However, Julie is so shocked and angry that she punches him. After weeks of cooling period, Micheal looks for Julie outside the studio and confesses to Julie "I was a better man with you as a woman than I ever was with a woman as a man". She then forgives him. The reason why I want to analyze this film is that Tootsie reveals how the same person can actually display different personality and identity as a man and a woman. This person can therefore, be able to understand the different expectations set by the society for different genders at a work place and gives critical thoughts regarding gender identities. Specifically is Dustin Huffman's role, Michael Dorsey who is also acting as Dorothy Michaels. In the film, he also described that he became a better man after some experience as a woman. As a result, "Tootsie" is a strong film, which can help to understand the gendered identities from the same person, be it a man or a woman. Therefore, in this paper, we look at how women are frequently defined by appearance or by relationships with others, but men are more typically defined by activities, accomplishments, or positions. In addition is how communication plays a primary role in shaping our gendered identities, and how society defines masc ulinity and femininity. 2. How women are frequently defined by appearance or by relationships with others, but men are more typically defined by activities, accomplishments, or positions 2.1 Women are frequently defined by appearance or by relationships with others Women are frequently defined by appearance. This line can be evidenced from two scenes of the film. This first scene is when Micheal was trying clothes for

Oppotunities for Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Oppotunities for Innovation - Essay Example require lightweight suitcase(s) of excellent quality that they can use to carry important documents, valuables such as cash, laptops, cell phones, books, cameras etc and other personal belongings. After conducting an extensive research (by our marketers and research and development staff) and â€Å"listening to consumers† (Flores, 1993, 95) we reached a conclusion that customers require a lightweight and multi-purpose suitcase that can facilitate them and make their traveling experience pleasant and hassle-free. The unavailability of this kind of product in market provides us an opportunity to develop and market â€Å"Ecase† that can best suit individual consumer needs and fulfill their want/desire/demand of a quality lightweight suitcase which can also be used as a handbag. Marketers have observed changes in customers’ perceptions because of globalization and more exposure to media and new advertising strategies. The fast and speedy lives of people have compelled them to demand products that suit them in this fast and changing environment. In this scenario, marketers at Albert are required to gain â€Å"new knowledge† and information so that they could develop and market new products that ease the consumers. In this case, the marketers have developed a new â€Å"Ecase† to facilitate customers and make their journey more comfortable. The marketers will focus on individualized items rather than generic products because each situations and lifestyles. Changes in designs of â€Å"Ecase† will be made by taking into considerations the above mentioned things. The first attribute is that Ecase will be made of a very light material â€Å"Carbon† to ensure a lightweight suitcase to store and keep different things. This will drastically reduce the

Personal Training Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Training - Essay Example Here is the menu: The Biggest Loser’s Diet: It is a 12-week program, containing menu that is loaded with fiber and protein, and so, one stays energized while lowering calorie intake. Total calorie intake will be around 1,200. This is based on four servings of fruits and veggies; three of lean protein; two of whole grains; and one serving of choice. This diet suggests exercise (Zelman, 2003b), which is good for intense training. This plan focuses on healthy eating habits, and thus, the results can prove to be long lasting. Since physical activity is involved in combination with consumption of fruits, veggies, and lean meat, this diet plan is very favorable for intense training. The Caveman (Paleo) Diet: This is a very healthy diet plan. It is â€Å"based on eating plants and wild animals† (Zelman, 2013c). It has many benefits, like reducing blood pressure and cardiac diseases, while maintaining healthy body weight. This diet plan includes consumption of meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, tree nuts, vegetables, roots, fruits, and berries. No dairy, grains, sugar, and oil is involved. Drinks must include only water and organic drinks. Since this diet suggests eating like cavemen did before agricultural revolution, there is increased chance of long lasting and natural results. It also suggests physical activity, so it can be recommended in intense training. There is no fixed number of days, so, it can be used randomly to maintain a healthy weight. Comparison: A comparison of the three diet plans shows that the 3-day diet plan is the worse, since it is the lowest in nutritional value; cannot be taken for intense training; and, the weight comes back soon. The biggest loser diet is better since it suggests physical exercise, and offers a variety of food to be eaten. The caveman diet is the best since it is based on natural standards of eating habits and physical exercise, and does not focus only on burning calories. It also recommends

Downfall of Macbeth Essay Example for Free

Downfall of Macbeth Essay The tragedy of â€Å"Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, follows the fall of Macbeth from a man in a position of power with a contented life, to a man with nothing but â€Å"mouth honor† and a corrupted soul. In this essay, I wish to show to what extent Macbeth’s tragedy was his own fault. The downfall of Macbeth begins early on in the play when he and Banquo (a fellow Scottish noble) meet the witches. The witches waylay Macbeth and Banquo whilst they were on their way to meet Duncan, King of Scotland. They decide to listen to the witches, out of sheer curiosity. The three witches greet Macbeth as â€Å"Thane of Glamis†, the title he already holds, and begin to tell the two nobles of things to come, and prophesies that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor, and the King of Scotland. Macbeth asks how they know of his current title, and laughs at the following two prophesies. The witches ignore his questions, and tell Banquo of how he will not be king, but his sons will be kings. Instead of just ignoring the witches, the statement of his current title intrigues Macbeth and he follows the witches to try and get them to tell him more. Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more† says Macbeth, showing that he is indeed interested in what the witches have to say. The witches disappear, and Macbeth dismisses them, and he and Banquo ride off. The witches appearance, and Macbeth becoming intrigued may amount to his downfall, but I believe that they were merely the ‘helping hand’ for Macbeth who’s own weak will and other events where the catalyst for his eventual death. At this point, Macbeth is still a highly respected man, and is about to get more respect from Duncan, for defending Scotland from the invading forces of Norway. The messengers who tell Duncan of Macbeth’s deeds portray him as a man of great courage, who showed no fear in the battles. Duncan sends a messenger to tell Macbeth of his reward for his great deeds. Two messengers to greet Macbeth with the news of Duncan’s reward: he is to be made Thane of Cawdor. â€Å"Why do you dress me in borrowed robes? † asks the startled Macbeth, as the messengers begin to explain how the last Thane of Cawdor was helping the Norwegians invade. Aside, he says, â€Å"Two truths are told, as happy prologues to the swelling act†¦Ã¢â‚¬  obviously relating to the first two prophecies the witches made. He now asks Banquo, aside, whether or not he believes the witches now that Macbeth’s second prophecy has come true. Banquo says he is wary and that he really doesn’t want anything to do with these witches, but he will merely sit back and let the prophecies run their course. Macbeth seemingly decides to follow Banquo’s idea, and makes an agreement with himself â€Å"If chance will have me king, why, chances may crown me, without my stir†. Macbeth decides to write to his wife and tell her of his new title, a fatal mistake in my opinion, since his wife reacts to the letter in a totally unexpected way. All of a sudden, Lady Macbeth decides to make a push to get her husband to make the effort to fulfil the third prophecy. Meanwhile, Duncan names his son as the next king, and Macbeth becomes bitter, and looks towards the prophecies for his next move; â€Å"That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Clearly Macbeth has decided that he will now ‘stir’, and make some move to become king. Back with Lady Macbeth at Macbeth’s castle, she is reading Macbeth’s letter. She reads about his new title, and the mentions of the witches’ prophecies. Lady Macbeth first starts off by thinking about how she can get her husband to become a king, and concludes that she’ll have to make some effort to get her husband to do whatever it takes to get him to be king. A messenger, who brings news that Duncan wishes to stay at Macbeth’s castle, interrupts her thoughts. Lady Macbeth decides, almost instantly, that she will persuade her husband to kill Duncan so he can become king. Whilst in the middle of her thoughts, Macbeth returns home. They talk, and Lady Macbeth brings up the subject of getting rid of Duncan so he can be king. Macbeth appears shocked although was secretly thinking the same thing, and tries to dismiss the idea. Underneath, however, he wants to go along with the idea so he can become king. His underlying motives become clear when he decides that he will do the evil thing, and is going to kill Duncan. â€Å"We will speak further,† he says, making his intentions apparent to the audience. Although unsure, he will not totally dismiss the idea, and is even considering it. Lady Macbeth now knows that she has him within her grasp, nd she will now make sure that she wins him completely over. In my opinion, not making his mind up creates a chance for Lady Macbeth. She sees this uncertainty and later exploits his unwillingness to make decisions. A short while later, Duncan arrives, accompanied by all of his Thanes. They all feast, and drink to the success of the battle against Norway. As the night wears on, Macbeth has to time to contemplate the consequences of killing Duncan. Macbeth makes the moral decision not to proceed saying; â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business. He (Duncan) hath honoured me of late, and I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people, which would be worn now in the newest gloss, not cast aside so soon†. Macbeth attempts to give excuse for not proceeding, but fails to give any proper reasons for it. The only advantage he sees for not killing Duncan is that he respects him, and by killing him it would be disrespecting him. I believe that this is not a valid reason for committing murder, and shows Macbeth’s underlying ambition to become king. By putting forward pithy excuses Macbeth makes his ambition very clear to the reader. Lady Macbeth is not swayed by his pathetic excuses, and she knows that secretly, Macbeth wants the same things she does. In an attempt to convince Macbeth to continue with the plan, she first insults his manhood â€Å"When you durst do it, you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man†¦Ã¢â‚¬ and accuses him of being cowardly for not sticking to the plan. She then attacks his ego further by saying â€Å"From this time such I account thy love† and accuses him of not loving her. For Macbeth, this is the final straw, and he gives in. Lady Macbeth plans the murder. When Macbeth goes to murder Duncan, he still doubts himself, and even starts seeing things as he approaches Duncan’s room. Upon committing the murder, Macbeth finds himself in a state. Lady Macbeth attempts to clean him up, and make him appear well, but now Macbeth has lost all control. This murder of Duncan leads to the destruction of Macbeth. Aware of any possible opposition, Macbeth begins spying and murdering people. There are also psychological problems that Macbeth has which lead to his destruction. This is shown by his brief madness after Banquo’s murder when he sees Banquo’s ghost. The tragedy ends when Macbeth is slain by Macduff who, with many others, find out about what horrific things Macbeth has done. Macbeth begins to get paranoid about Banquo, and feels that he should be killed so as to stop him from being exposed. â€Å"So is he mine; and in such bloody distance that every moment of his being thrusts against my nearest life;† Macbeth says, aware that the only way to truly silence Banquo is to have him killed. At the banquet scene, Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost, showing that he has indeed gone mad. Even in insanity, he feels guilty. â€Å"Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! † he says, his conscience acting on him and showing his remorse. Macbeth has finally gone mad, and it was all due to his ambition and want to be king. He goes on to become entirely evil, as he visits the witches again and again, seeking solace for his crimes, and answers to his impending doom. He begins to stop feeling remorse and guilt for his actions, and eventually becomes a cruel, twisted man. His wife falls ill, and he shows no compassion towards her, instead saying everything would be better once she is dead. This is near the end of the play and where Macbeth slowly returns from his evil side, feeling remorse for his actions finally. When the English army and Macduff advance on his castle he becomes the courageous Macbeth once again, and when he finally comes to fight Macduff, he is back to the brave and bold Macbeth at the start of the play. With his wife dead, he feels more able to do what he wants. The main people to blame for Macbeth’s tragedy were his wife, and Macbeth himself, and this is shown all the way through the play (Lady Macbeth willing him to murder, Macbeth being easily convinced etc) there some unfortunate circumstances that contributed to Macbeth’s downfall, such as Duncan making his son king instead of Macbeth, and Duncan putting his trust in Macbeth by coming to his castle, but none were as major a cause as Macbeth’s personality fault and his manipulative wife. To conclude, the blame for Macbeth’s tragedy should be placed on his head and his wife’s, due to his personality defect (ambition and a weak will) and her persuasiveness (pushing him to fulfil his ambition). The combination of these two defects and Duncan staying at Macbeth’s castle caused the entire play and tragedy to unfold.

Marketing Essay -- essays research papers

All companies compete with one another; they strive for excellence and to be the best. They have to compete with each other to win over markets and to be the one who ends up on top. Most businesses are guided by the maxim "nothing ventured, nothing gained" (Spulber 7). Winning a market requires a company to have an aggressive investment and growth. Although many companies try to keep costs down for the consumer, low costs are not always the solution for every situation. It is generally the Chief Executive officer (CEO) who formulated strategies to connect markets. The CEO has to have the ability to for see the future of the company in order to make intelligent decisions. Wal-Mart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton, who wanted to make a discount department store, and ended up being extremely successful in his doings. The earnings in one year for Wal-Mart are approximately $4,430,000,000. Commonly, the winning firm is identified as the firm with the highest sales revenue. There are many winning firms including Wal-Mart for their retailing ability. Wal-Mart stores are the leading retailer with $100 billion in retail sales and is also the leader in profits with $3billion which is much higher then the company with $3 billion which is much higher then the trailing company Sears. The market value of Wal-Mart is more then three times higher then their competitors. Wal-Mart has not only been able to take over the retail market, but they continue to grow substantially. Winning markets, like Wal-Mart result from an effective strategy, a continuous innovations, and efficient organization. Companies that try to have larger firms may not be successful just because they are bigger, a successful firm, such as Wal-Mart is successful because of its marketing ability which draws customers in and in turn the customers spend money. A secret success of Wal-Mart is its indirect strategies and ways to win markets without running into high costs. Companies like Wal-Mart like to win a market by attacking the other firms weak points. When Wal-Mart is trying to find another company to engage in direct competition, they need to make sure they have a strong playing field on their part so it is an effective challenge. The primary boundary of a firm is its s... ...hod of exchange can allow an incumbent to remain a marker maker or permit an innovative entrant to bypass the incumbent to remain a market maker or permit an innovative entrant to bypass the incumbent. Intermediary competition offers the possibility of far more effective use of information. A retailer such as Wal-Mart gains a competitive advantage over the other retailer intermediaries through its well developed electronic data interchange system that allows it to pass on information about customer purchasing patterns to its suppliers. This gives Wal-Mart an edge in terms of supplier relationships and allows it to obtain favorable terms compared to competing retailers. Wal-Mart's marketing strategies have made them one of the largest companies in the world. The way they are able to compete with others gives them a competitive edge since most other companies cannot keep up with them. Wal-Mart is a very recognizable name. Seeing how they employ over four million people shop they’re for values. Since Wal-Mart is able to provide discount prices, lower then other stores, gives them the ability to pull shoppers into Wal-Mart for a large variety of items.

My Life according to me :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My Life According to Me   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My name is Biff Loman. I had a very confusing life, now that I look back upon it. My mother, Linda was a very loving and caring person. And I have a brother, Happy also; he is a very entertaining guy. But then we have my father, Willy. Willy always had these preconceived notions about how I was going to live my life, and how I was going to be one day. I used to try and try to work at different organizations, but Willy had already poisoned my mind, by basically telling me that I was too good for that. He in essence thought that I should have skipped the small stuff and gone right to the top. But as I’m more aware of now, that’s not how life is. But because of him every job I went to I thought I was â€Å"too good† for, when really all I had to do was give it my all and work my way up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is also how I felt about woman for a while too. I thought that I was too good for her and I would eventually move on and be even unhappy than I was before because I really just wanted a good relationship, with someone but because of my father I had a hard time giving of myself, because he kind of taught me to be more so self involved. But then I found my wife, Elizabeth. She was the one who taught me finally that life was not always about what you want, but you have to learn to love to love. And that was a very useful lesson for me to finally learn at this time. Elizabeth and I have two amazing children, Nadia and Ethan. What I have tried to do with my children is teach them that on one hand you have to have big aspirations to have big things happen in your life, and to never short change yourself, and this is something that I got from my father, Willy and I tell them that. But what I also try to instill in them is that you have to start off small to have big things happen you can’t expect big things happen right away, because I feel that this is something that I learned the hard way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Now I work at an agency in Boston, I’m not the top executive yet, but I know with a little more hard work and time that in time I will come to the top.

Amazing Grace Review

In the 18th century millions of men, women and children were taken from their homes in Africa and sold into slavery. Few survived the slave ships, and even fewer lived through their slave labors. Some people thought the slave trade was wrong, but to find someone who had the courage to stand-up to make a stop was hard. â€Å"Amazing Grace†, is a movie based on a true story. Written by Steven Knight and directed by Michael Apted, it is about William Wilberforce and his quest to abolish the slave trade in the United Kingdom, and his battle against the British parliament of the 18th century. The film narrates William Wilberforce’s journey through time with many flashbacks. William, the son of a rich merchant, studied at Cambridge; this is where he met his close friend and future priminister, William Pitt. Pitt encourages Wilberforce to outlaw the slavetrade and fight against parliament. With his support and advice on how to conquer the government, they get over 3,000 signatures wanting to abolish the slave trade. Without his connections it would have taken Wilberforce much longer to achieve these goals and to see progress. Wilberforce committed many years, so many that he neglects his health, and becomes very ill. Wilberforce then meets Barbara Spooner, who pushes him to keep on going and fight for what he believes and gets him back on his feet. â€Å"Amazing Grace† is a portrait of faith and persistence. These themes are very evident as Wilberforce’s devotion to abolish the slave trade is number one priority- even over his own health. Wilberforce and Pitt also must have faith and believe that they will win the battle. This also leads into another theme, fighting for what you believe, and the theme of racism The theme that occurs continuously and ties all the above themes together is monstrosity. This theme is also shown throughout the novels of To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) and Frankenstein (Mary Shelley), when racist acts are made in To Kill A Mockingbird, and the real monster is revealed today’s society in Frankenstein. Throughout the movie, William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd) shows the characteristics of a hero, and people around the world look up at him for his effort. Since the beginning of the movie, William Wilberforce shows signs of sympathy and care. When passing by a suffering horse, he stops and makes sure the abusing stops. Small details like this already give the viewer an instant idea of what sort character he is. As well as the amazing in-role acting the sound and lighting are the finishing touch. The lighting increases many aspects of the movie. When Wilberforce had flashbacks and was thinking of the slavery and the slave ships, the lighting became darker and the music also adjusted. To the viewer it isn’t that obvious until you specifically look for lighting and other technical edits. But without these things the movie the impact the movie gives wouldn’t be as great. As well as lighting, the camera angles where also very specific. There would always be close up shots when difference of facial expressions were shown, this emphases more emotion in the movie and also attracting the viewer. Amazing Grace, is a extremely intense and an instructive movie, as well as interesting and exciting. The viewers really feel pulled into the story and really get motivated to stand up for what they believe. William Wilberforce really was a role model sending out positive messages and leaving the audience with a winning smile on their face.

Digging to America Book written by Anne Tyler

Pulitzer Prize winner, Anne Tyler has brought a fictional group of characters to real life in her 17th novel, Digging to America. Bonding two vastly different families on a chance meeting at an airport, ones all-American the other Iranian immigrants, she assimilates present US culture with a strong emphasis on friendship, parenting, traditions and accents it with a tender romance. I would consider Maryam Yaszdan to be Tyler’s, central character, who after being in America for almost 40 years, still feels like a foreigner.During the six-year span that these families’ lives intertwine, Maryam’s view of this plight resonates throughout inflicting bits of conflict and resentment. Friday, August 15, l997, a Balitmore airport, two separate groups anxiously gathered, unknowingly, for the same plane to arrive, for the same reason; to pick up their baby girls adopted from the same country, Korea.. Observing their ethnic differences, we see an American family entourage equ ipped with buttons that read â€Å"MOM,† â€Å"DAD. â€Å" â€Å"GANDMA,â€Å" and â€Å"GRANDPA† (â€Å"twice over†); silvery balloons printed with â€Å" IT’S A GIRL!†; half a dozen video cameras, car seat, skirted bassinet and enough bubbling enthusiasm to be on the borderline of obnoxiousness.The other family, in a single line of three; a young couple, â€Å" foreign-looking, olive-skinned,† (7) and an older woman, quietly awaited, no adoption flair, focused solely on the arrival of their new baby. First to depart from the plan an Asian woman calling for the Donaldsons. She introduces the family to Jin-Ho; flashbulbs, cameras, a crowd of people to welcome the newborn.. Another Asian woman steps off, calling for the Yazdan’s; â€Å"Congratulations, this is Sooki,† she said.(7) As the women were completing the transfers, someone asked â€Å"Is yours from Korea too? † (8) That answer started a lasting friendship and an improbable journey for two mismatched families. Bitsy and Brad Donaldson were a typical American family. I know these sounds like a 50’s sitcom, but that was my impression. They lived in white clapboard Colonial on a narrow street in Mount Washington. Bitsy was plain, extroverted and very opinionated, especially when it came to child rearing. She was adamant about her way being the right way.Brad was a good provider, his mild temperament made him the perfect peacekeeper, smoothing out impending disagreements when their large family visited. Having a baby would complete the picture, and Jin Ho did just that along with mixing up the way an all-American family looks. It was curious to me that this â€Å"typical American,† family insisted on not changing the baby’s name, keeping her squared off haircut and dressing her in Korean costumes. I can understand them wanting her to know about her birth country and its culture, but I felt it was to an extreme.My conclus ion was relevant, Jin Ho did resent not feeling as American as her friends when she got older. Maybe, Bitsy’s way was not always the right way, after all. Ziba and Sami Yazdan was Iranian-American. They met in college where Sami studied to be a teacher like his father, who died when he was 14 years old. After they were married, Sami started to work for a real estate developer, in spite of his mother, Maryam’s silent disapproval, and made it his career. The couple moved into his company’s newest development , a large, beautiful home in a Hunt Valley.Ziba was glamorous, bordering on more of a flashy appearance, she enjoyed her job as an interior decorator. Sami was a serious type and had indifference toward Iran and America. He would go into a litany of â€Å"these Americans†¦. ,† (80) when his relatives would visit. The list covered such issues as American’s obsession with logic and that it’s the reason â€Å"they’re always suing each other,† (81) America’s belief that they’re an interest to the whole world, they’re immediate directness to open up to people, and my personal favorite, they’re â€Å"do-your-own-thing kind of culture.†(82)Even with this attitude, Sami refused to speak Farsi, as his relatives did frequently, and conversed only in English. During these tirades , Maryam, would be outraged, at Sami, reminding him sternly â€Å"American born, American raised, never been anywhere else: how can you say these things? You’re American yourself! † (82) She would continue with the constraints of living in Iran having to be cautious of every word you spoke, having to keep every opinion to yourself and the need to always be aware of who may be listening. Maryam would end with the always-useful adage, â€Å"You take it for granted, is the problem.† (83)In complete contrast to Sami’s anti-American comments, he and Ziba were determined to hav e the American dream realized for Sooki. , and unlike the Donaldson’s, they immediately changed her name to Susan. The Yazdan-Donaldson’s relationship began with Bitsy and one of many family gatherings. She phoned the only â€Å"Yazdan’s† in the phone book, to invite them to a â€Å"leaf raking party. † Bitsy told Maryam, who was babysitting Susan, that she wanted the girls to know each other, she felt it was important for them to maintain their cultural heritage.They accepted the invitation, which included Maryam, since both sets of Jin Ho’s grandparents, would also be there. Ziba was a little insecure, besides the babies ,she didn’t have much in common since the Donaldson’s were much older, Maryam going would lighten the event, and give her support. Leaf raking party was just that, everyone raked leaves. The usual â€Å"my baby this and my baby that† banter commenced and at times made Ziba questioned her mothering capa bilities. Was she doing everything wrong?Jin Ho was already eating food, Susan was still on the bottle. Should she be wearing more black and white clothes like Bitsy, because babies didn’t see in color? Moreover, the biggest controversy should she be a stay at home mom. Maryam interrupted, seeing Ziba’s frustration, saying how much she looked forward to her couple of days watching Susan, but Bitsy’s disapproval still showed.. Bitsy and Brad’s parents arrived and then the â€Å"grandparent baby banter† began.After the raking, supper was served. Bitsy said â€Å"We certainly love your cuisine,†Ã‚  this opened a conversation about Iran. Pat, Brad’s mother asked if they had any trouble during the Iranian hostage crisis, Ziba said she was already in America then everyone glanced at Maryam, â€Å"Oh, perhaps a little,† (29) she reluctantly said, steering the talk back to a safe subject, â€Å"the girls. † After that night, the two families got together often, although Maryam politely declined, when invited. Ziba and Sami celebrated the Iranian New Year with her parents, so Maryam stopped having a formal celebration, except for this spring.Ziba wanted the Donaldson’s to be a part of they’re tradition so she persuaded Maryam to have the celebration at her house Normally Maryam would be willing, but her thoughts were rattling with â€Å"Why should they have to put on these ethnic demonstrations? Let the Donaldson’s go to the Smithsonian for that! † â€Å" Let them read the National Geographic! † Just thoughts, she never would say them aloud, and agreed to the party. A few weeks before the party, Sami took Maryam to Rockville for exotic ingredients to make the traditional Iranian dishes.She told him â€Å"When I first came to this country, your grandmother had to mail most of my spices from Iran. †(37) Maryam was 19 years old going to America for an arranged marriage to Kiyan. She had met him in Iran, but he went to America earlier to start his job as a teacher, they married via telephone and grew to love each other very much. In those days, all their couple friends were Iranian, in the same situation. She wondered where all those people were now, moved to other cities, political differences separated them, â€Å"Who supported the Shah? Who did not?† (37) and since Kiyan’s death she felt she didn’t belong â€Å"in that two-by-two circle. †(37)Maryam, perhaps because she was widowed for so long, became more critical, having to pay close attention to her mannerisms around people. She tended to come of as refined and unapproachable, when she was really kind and loving. Working in an office at a the day care center, Susan would eventually attend, she had many single friends, both Iranian and American, She had an active social life, but she built the toughest invisible wall around her heart, never letting any man go beyon d it. At least not until, Bitsy’s father, Dave.On the one-year anniversary of the day the girls arrived, Bitsy wanted to have an â€Å"Arrival Party,â€Å"(56) she named it to celebrate the event. Similar to a birthday party, with a Korean desert, cake and candles, and the showing of the video taken at the airport. Brad was concerned it would be too much for Bitsy, since her mother had a set back with her cancer but this was just the diversion she needed. The day quickly came and the first to arrive were Ziba’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hakimi, very exotic, they entered in a very respectful manner. Next to arrive Bitsy and Brad’s family, then the Yardans.Susan was in a pretty party dress and Jin Ho in a full Korean costume. The girls played together unaware of any differences between them or their families. Childhood simplicity, if we all could remain in that frame of mind, how pleasant the world would be. Bitsy had a specific line up starting with a theme song, S he’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain , sung by the guests, as the girls blew out the candles, on their Stars and Stripes cake, then the video Bitsy apologized that it was just of Jin Ho and if they had known Susan would be coming they would have taped her too. †Oh, that’s okay,† Ziba said. â€Å"I have the memory  my head. † (67)As the video went on and on and on†¦Bitsy suddenly cried â€Å"We did get her in! We did! † (73) Susan was there. The Arrival Party would be an annual event, alternating houses. This celebration would be the foundation of the Zardan and Donaldson’s relationship and the development of Jin Ho and Susan’s friendship. It would also bring two lonely people, both mourning the loss of they’re true loves, Maryam and Dave, together. The following year the Yazdan’s threw the bash, with a few extra people, Ziba had relatives visiting from Iran and Bitsy’s two brothers and they’re fam ilies attended.The only missing people were Brad’s parents, who went on a cruise and Connie, Bitsy’s mom who passed away. Maryam gave Dave some advice on coping with his loss and fears that accompany the sadness. Arrival Party number two was underway; song, cake and video to mark another year. Brad and Bitsy also announced they would be adopting another baby girl from China . It was the Donaldson’s turn the 3rd year and it was starting to be a competition, at least for Bitsy, who felt the Yazdan’s had â€Å"changed the rules,† (111) by serving a full dinner instead of just deserts. In full project mode, she planned her diner, canapà ©s and all.The Arrival Party came fast and went smoothly, Maryam and Dave’s small talk was lighter, most of the time, and a bit flirty. Dave did talk about how hard it was watching Connie die, he felt guilty at times that he didn’t have more patience with her towards the end. Maryam understood, as no one could, she watched her husband die the same way. Their friendship deepened. Song time came, cake and video. Sami and Ziba bought a larger home, just three blocks from the Donaldsons. Maryam was watching Susan when Dave called and asked if he could bring Jin Ho over to play. She agreed.He wanted to stay, instead of just dropping her off. He had a cup of coffee and Maryam continued her cooking, suddenly insisting he didn’t have to stay, she would bring Jin Ho home. He left bewildered. Maryam felt him getting through her invisible wall and sealed it quickly. She went to Vermont to visit a friend, avoiding Dave or probably avoiding having feelings for him. When she returned home she visited Bitsy to thank her for taking care of Susan while she was away. Bitsy chose this time to champion on her fathers behalf, â€Å" My father thinks you’re wonderful, she said.Would you go out to dinner with him? † (151) Maryam subconsciously knew he felt this way but, she kept telli ng herself her he was just a widower needing company. She diverted the subject, which she has a knack of doing. Arrival Party time again, Yazdan’s turn and there thinking of serving â€Å"a whole roast lamb. †(153) The celebration was starting to be more like â€Å"I can do better than you,† than about the girls. Maryam was helping with the arrangements and Ziba babbled about Dave, this time Maryam spoke up, â€Å"I’m Iranian; he’s American . . .†(154) â€Å"What difference does that make? †(154) Ziba asked.Maryam talked about her friend Farah and what a point her American husband makes about her foreignness. â€Å"It seems she’s not really Farah at all; she’s Madame Iran. †(154) Ziba insisted Dave wasn’t like that, but Maryam still felt like a foreigner after over 40 years and to be with an American would make her feel it even stronger. The Arrival Party came, same chitchat, festivities and a farewell for Bitsy and Brad heading off to China. Dave took every opportunity, while watching Jin Ho to visit Maryam.And by the time the Donaldson’s came home with Xiu Mei, Dave had sneaked inside Maryam’s protective shield and they were dating. The Yazdan’s threw the next Arrival Party because Xiu Mei had been sickly, in and out of hospitals. The event was slightly different; the girls joined in the singing and the video went basically unobserved. The next event was more energetic, the annual leaf-raking party. Dave had Maryam sit in a chair and instructed the girls to sprinkle sugar on her head, â€Å"Maryam, Dave said. â€Å"Will you marry me? â€Å"(208) Instead of answering, she looked at the girls to see what they put on her head.It should have been cone-shaped to go with the Iranian custom and it should have been grown women holding the sugar to symbolize their happy marriages. He probably thought he was doing something good, but she felt it should of been done exa ctly as it’s suppose to be done, or not at all. As these thoughts filled her head she said, â€Å"Yes. † (208) Everyone cheered. The next day Maryam went to Sami and Ziba’s and told them she only said yes because she was embarrassed not too. â€Å"He is so American,† (213) â€Å"I don’t have my own separate self.†(213)She felt bad and hoped it wouldn’t affect they’re friendship with the Donaldson’s. A year went by before she bumped into Dave again, he was picking up Jin Ho the same time she was picking up Susan at dancing school. They did they’re little small talk dance, except he told her Bitsy had cancer. She felt his pain and knew all the memories of Connie must have come rushing back. When she returned home, she wrote Bitsy a note and offered asked if she could be of any help. Maryam was now noticing how lonely she was the past year. How alive she felt with Dave, doing couple things.Maybe the feelings she had were stronger than she realized and the ones about feeling like a foreigner were not as important. One morning, Bitsy called to thank her for the note, they got caught up and both said how much they missed each other. Bitsy asked if she would attend the Arrival Party coming up. Maryam said she would think about it, but didn’t want anyone to feel awkward. Pondering to go or not, Maryam something Kiyan once said came to mind, â€Å"I don’t know why truly good people always make me sad. † (263) She decided she would go and helped Ziba with the details. The party started and everyone was there, except for Maryam.When Ziba looked in the dinning room all the Donaldson’s had left, she was devastated so Sami called his mother. She answered, not understanding Sami’s tone, but said she fully intended on going she just overslept. He told her the Donaldson’s left and it was safe for her to go over. She insisted she had all intentions of being there. Mar yam then heard Bitsy outside her window, people kept yelling and knocking, she didn’t answer. Finally, she looked out the window and saw all the Donaldson’s walking toward their cars. Maryam called, â€Å"Wait for me! † (277) The two families would celebrate, yet another Arrival Party!The imprint of these families, meeting by chance; growing in love and friendship by choice, depicts that no matter what culture or mixture of cultures, come together; what really constitutes a bond is the right choice. In making that choice taking into consideration the respect of others beliefs, opinions, insecurities and strengthens. The Donaldson’s and Yardan’s, American and Iranian families brought two other cultures into their circle; two little girls from Korea and one from China. When you put all these pieces together, what would they’re families culture be? I say they’re culture is acceptance.