Wednesday, October 30, 2019

E-commerce sales in the United States Assignment

E-commerce sales in the United States - Assignment Example The U.S. hit an all time high in 2011 with e-commerce sales of $161.5 billion. The trend in digital sales is extremely positive. It seems as if U.S. customers have become more accustomed to using the internet for their shopping needs. Shopping online has many benefits including flexibility, zero commuting costs, and lower prices. One of the factors that the author of the article identified as being critical to the rise of e-commerce sales is the uncertainty of the economy. During harsh times consumers are looking for low prices and convenience. The proliferation of websites that offer goods for sale in many categories provides internet shoppers with the ability to compare prices in order to find the best bargains. Another benefit of online shopping is that it saves people valuable time. During 2011 some of the top online product categories were digital content & subscriptions, jewelry & watches, consumer electronics, toys & hobbies, and computer software (DeMarco). Each of these cate gories grew by over 18% in comparison with the previous year. During the calendar year ten days surpassed the $1 billion sales mark. The table below illustrates the top selling days during 2011. Date Sales Total November 28 – Cyber Monday $1.25 billion December 5 $1.17 billion December 12 – Green Monday $1.13 billion A hot trend among online vendors is to offer free shipping with the purchase of products. In 2011 52% of e-commerce transactions included free shipping. This figure breaks the all time record of 49% set in 2010. Other product categories that have benefited from the internet boom are smartphones and tablets. Not only are these products selling well, but their internet capability is contributing to the growing number of e-commerce transactions. â€Å"We can expect to see more channel-shifting to online in 2012 and perhaps even acceleration in the current growth trend† (DeMarco). E-commerce has become one of the hottest trends in the retail industry. M any online vendors are using similar marketing strategies as traditional commerce. The use of branding is very important for online vendors because this marketing strategy can be used to grow the firm’s sales. Brand loyalty can help increase the customer retention rate of a website. The use of online marketing is critical to the success of a website that sells goods or services. One of the most important rules of online selling is to attract traffic to the website. Higher traffic typically leads to more sales. The supply chain management of online merchants is very important because these websites need to make alliances with freight companies such as UPS, DHL, or the USPS. Due to the new tendency of customers expecting free shipping online vendors have to negotiate terms with the shipping companies that provide the lowest price. Websites that have higher brand equity are able to outperform the competition. Examples of websites that have very strong brand equity are EBay, Amaz on, and Facebook. Facebook has over 840 million users. This company makes money from advertising revenues. Integrating marketing channels is a great way to save money in marketing expenses while at the same time optimizing exposure of a website. The tendency towards more people shopping online is a trend that should continue to proliferate itself in the future. Currently there are over 2 billion internet users worldwide (Plunkett Research). Once these internet penetration numbers continue to rise

Monday, October 28, 2019

Happy Days Essay Example for Free

Happy Days Essay Remember that old television show Happy Days?† Well, when I was in the fifth grade I remember thinking, My family is like ‘Happy Days’. We were happy and there was plenty of laughter and love to go around. Furthermore, like the television show, there were plenty of struggles and some kind of dilemma to solve before the night was over. No matter the problems the day may have brought, I always went to bed feeling happy, safe, and loved. Unlike the majority of kids in my fifth-grade class with broken homes, I just knew that my parents would be together forever. After reading Bradshaw on: The Family by John Bradshaw, I can see now that I may not have had a perfect family. My mom and dad got married in 1962 when she was just 16 and my dad was 23. She was in high school and he was in the Marines when they met, fell in love, and got married. My dad got out of the Marines just before the Vietnam War and went to work for Union Pacific Railroad. They were married two years before they decided to start having kids. My brother Shawn was born first, then me, and last but definitely not least, my little brother Bobby. We were all two years apart. We grew up in a small house on five acres out in the country. There, my mom had plenty of room for her horses and my dad had plenty of room to groom my brothers into great athletes and dirt bike racers. We were like the average all-American family. We were taught to be proud of our country, to respect our elders and to do as we were told. We enjoyed sports, picnics, the drive-in movies, walks on the beach and trips to Disneyland. We would get together with family friends to barbeque every Fourth of July and set off fireworks. We went camping every summer. We flew kites in March when the wind would start to blow and waited up for Santa to come every Christmas Eve. We watched the ball drop with Dick Clark on television every New Years Eve. Sometimes on the weekends my parents spent time with friends playing cards and dancing while us kids played board games and watched movies in another room. As far as we knew or were concerned, we were the perfect family. In his younger days, my dad looked just like Buddy Holly. He was passionate, loving and hot tempered but would do anything for anyone. He never met a stranger and went out of his way to make a friend wherever he went. He was that guy whom the neighbors would seek out if they needed help with something. My mom was beautiful. She looked like a cross between Sophia Lauren and Jackie Onassis. She had a great sense of humor, was easy going, mild-mannered and could be very stubborn at times. She was nice but unlike my dad, she enjoyed keeping to herself and didnt go out of her way to talk to people. My mom and dad did argue sometimes. Dad would usually yell, but they always worked it out. They both worked hard to provide the best of everything for my brothers and myself. My parents taught us that it was important to work hard and to put pride into whatever job you may be doing, whether it be cleaning toilets or flying a plane. Do your job as if you were doing it for Jesus, is what my dad u sed to say. My dad was the kind of dad who wanted his kids to be the best at everything, especially my oldest brother Shawn. He was always one of the coaches on Shawns baseball and football teams. And of course, Shawn was a great athlete. He was a pitcher in baseball and a quarterback in football and a national champion in flat track motorcycle racing. Bobby was really the more talented of the two, but for some reason, my dad put way more time and energy into my oldest brother Shawn. Bobby was kind of over looked. He always used to tell Shawn that he had to set a good example for his brother and sister. And he did. Shawn got straight As all through school, excelled in sports, and became quite successful in his business career as a project manager in an electrical engineering firm. I can see now that my brother Shawn was encouraged to play the rigid role of â€Å"Hero.† â€Å"Another child will take the role of Saint and Hero, becoming a straight-A student, president of his class and winn ing honors. This person gives the family a sense of dignity† (Bradshaw 33). In a healthy family there may be roles being played but they are flexible and changing. It is dysfunctional for one person to play a rigid role such as â€Å"Hero† and that is what was going on with Shawn. I dont think my family was drastically dysfunctional, or that we really needed to have a hero, but for some reason, my dad felt we needed one. By putting so many demands on my brother to be perfect, he took away his freedom to think, feel, to take risks, and to be his true self. This was a form of the Poisonous Pedagogy (Bradshaw 7) that Bradshaw talks about. â€Å"Children are considered ‘good when they think and behave the way they are taught to think and behave† (Bradshaw 7). This was exactly my dad’s way of thinking. He drilled that into us as children. I think my dad really meant well and wanted us to succeed in life. Even though he drilled this success talk into us, he was still kind and did always encourage us and tell us good things about ourselves. One way he demonstrated this was every morning he would wake me up and sing these words to me â€Å"Hey did you happen to see the most beautiful girl in the world (Charlie Rich)†. It’s funny, I find myself singing to my boys in the morning, and sometimes they get so irritated, just like I used to. I bet someday they will sing to their children in the morning. My mom was really a great mom. She went on all the field trips during my elementary school days. I was always so proud because she was really pretty, and all the boys wanted to sit next to her on the bus during the field trips. She was a hard worker. She worked at the walnut factory during walnut season, often working 10-hour days, and seven days a week. All the while, she would get up early to make us breakfast, and to be sure we had everything we needed for school that day. She was not perfect though. When things would get crazy, and we would argue and fight as most kids do, she would often threaten to leave town and run away. Sometimes she would tell us to go ahead and kill each other or ask us how we would like it if we lived in an orphanage. She would then leave to her room to escape and go lay down. It worked when we were little, but after a few years, we knew that was mom’s way of saying enough. She would often say â€Å"you guys are driving me crazy; you are going to put me in the nuthouse!† I do not think Bradshaw would say that these were effective ways of communicating he would refer to these as â€Å"cause and effect distortions† (Bradshaw 56). This simply means that her statement about driving her crazy is wrong, it is impossible to â€Å"drive† someone crazy. It was, however, better than beating us. One of my favorite memories of my mom is how she would tuck us in every night at bedtime, kiss us softly on the forehead and say our prayers with us; this made me feel so loved and safe. Growing up I could tell my mom anything, and she would not lecture me, she usually just quietly listened. Even though my mother had an ineffective way of communicating, we did end up having a wonderful relationship and became the best of friends. I moved a few hours away from my parents and my mom, and I still would talk on the phone every other day or so. Until she passed away, my mom never missed any of my boys first days of school or any of their sporting events. My younger brother Bobby was the cutest little boy ever created. He actually looked like a little cherub, with blond loose curly hair, big blue eyes, long eyelashes and dimples. My little brother was cute for a reason. That guy could find trouble like no one else and get out of it because of his charming cuteness. We used to joke that he must be like a cat and have nine lives, he was always getting hurt. I spent a lot of time bandaging him up. Now that I look back, I think he was always trying to keep up or compete with his older brother, going full force, not thinking about the consequences of his actions. Bobby was magnetic, and everyone loved him. Bobby did grow up feeling like second best and used to confide in me that he felt like the black sheep of the family. I can see how my dads dysfunctional obsessed relationship with my older brother made him feel that way, for I used to feel the same way too. I do believe that Bradshaw would probably say that Bobby was acting out the scapegoat role (Bradshaw 33), trying to get attention any way he could. Bobby went through some rough patches in his lifetime but with therapy and a lot of hard work, he was able to get straightened out and found his true identity. He still enjoyed living life on edge but this time it wasnt because he wanted my fathers approval or disapproval. He lived life with joy and for himself. Sadly, my brother passed away two years ago while on a mission trip for an orphanage in Mexico. He was struck while riding his motorcycle head-on by a watermelon truck. I can definitely say that in his last few years, he loved life and lived it well and to its fullest. I was the classic middle child. I spent a lot of my time trying to make everyone happy and keeping the peace. I was the middle child just as Bradshaw described, â€Å"Second children naturally relate to the emotional maintenance needs of the system† (Bradshaw 35). I could always sense what people in my family needed, and it made me feel good to help. When my brother would get in trouble with my dad he would call me to help patch things over. I could always tell when my mom needed a shopping or lunch date to vent about her frustrations with dad. I could usually cheer my family up or make things better. I was and still am an eternal optimist. I was tall, thin and tomboyish growing up. I was often told that someday, when I grew up and into those long legs, I would be beautiful. Heck, I wanted to be beautiful now! Oh well, I was good at sports and enjoyed playing whatever was in season with my brothers. All of us enjoyed trying to out run, jump and play the others. There was always some sort of friendly competition going on. I played softball on a team one year and really enjoyed it. My moms friend signed me up and took me to all the practices and games. We won first place that year. My mom worked a lot during softball season, but she still was able to make it to most of my games. Sadly; my dad never came to any of them. I have no idea why I didnt play after that one year, I really liked playing softball. I think because by that time most of my parent’s free time was consumed with my dad and older brothers new interest in dirt bikes and racing. They traveled to different towns to race on the weekends. I enjoyed it sometimes but most of the time I stayed with my grandma. The time I spent with her was a blessing. She would read to me every night. She taught me my time tables, how to make yummy pies and most importantly she told me that I was special. My grandma taught me that God loves everyone the same, no matter who you are or what you d o. She took me to church on Sundays, where I learned other valuable lessons. I learned to be forgiving and how to treat others. I truly believe that everyone should grow up with that kind of love. The kind that you know you can do or be anything, and if you fail you are still special, loved and welcome. I know Bradshaw would have given my grandma an A for helping me to create solid self-esteem in myself. She allowed me the freedom to be me, the freedom to choose, feel, and take chances. No matter what, she would love me for being me. Bradshaw lists the five freedoms and says, â€Å"These freedoms amount to full self-esteem and self-integration† (Bradshaw and Satir 53). This means that when a person is free to be themselves without fear of persecution or rejection they will feel good about themselves and be able to relate to others and the world in a better way. Instead of attending the small farm town elementary school down the road from where I grew up, my parents chose for my brothers and I to be bused to a brand new cultural arts school in the middle of a predominantly African-American neighborhood. At first, it was kind of strange being one of the only few little white girls in class, but it didn’t take long before I fit right in. During that period in time, in the early 70s, integration in schools was being encouraged and my parents thought that we would get a well-rounded education at this new school. My parents sincerely did a considerable job in instilling the importance of a good education in us kids. I got a great education there and learned about many different cultures, which was truly interesting. I also became close friends with a diverse group of people. I graduated high school in 1985 and moved with some friends to Lompoc, California. We held many odd jobs like babysitting and working in clothing stores. The most interesting was our job at a celery packing plant. We were the only two English-speaking people in the plant besides the boss. I learned a lot from those women there, especially about good Mexican food. I ended up moving back home and my parents were pretty happy about that. A week or so later my dad introduced me to my younger brothers best friend, he said, â€Å"Hey Chris, I would like you to meet your future husband.† Oh, my gosh, Yea right! I wanted to kill my dad, how embarrassing. There was no way I was ever going to date a guy younger than me, not cool. He was kind of cute, and after a few months of this guy hanging around staring at me, I decided to ask him out on a date. A year later we were married. My dad may be kind of corny, but he is pretty cool in my eyes for knowing that Lee was the guy for me. My husband Lee is a very patient, kind and loving man. He understands me and allows me to be my true self. We bring out the best in each other. I grew up into a confident, positive, mature person with solid self-esteem. â€Å"The mature person is emotionally free and can choose to move near without anger or absorption, and move away without guilt† (Bradshaw 44). I do feel that I am bonded to my family, yet free to be myself and have my own identity. It did take some work to get over some of the resentment that I had toward my father and older brother. I have a great relationship with both now. And my mom was my best friend up until she passed away twelve years ago from brain cancer. My mom and dad set an amazing example of how to love each other and how to work through problems and not ever give up or never go to bed mad. I do believe that no family is perfect. All people are flawed. Therefore, all families are flawed. I do agree with Bradshaw in that love is a decision, and it takes work and good communication to make a functional marriage. â€Å"A good relationship is based on committed love. It’s not some maudlin feeling-it’s a decision† (Bradshaw 51). I married my best friend, Lee, when I was 21. We have three loving, talented, and well-adjusted sons. After reading Bradshaw on: the Family, I see now that my family growing up was a bit dysfunctional. My parents never elaborated on how they were raised. They never spoke ill words about their parents so I am not sure of the dysfunction they may have experienced in growing up. I am pleased with the way I turned out and still have fond memories of my â€Å"Happy Days† family. Works Cited Bradshaw, John. Bradshaw on the Family: A New Way of Creating Solid Self-esteem. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, 1996. Print. Rich, Charlie. The Most Beautiful Girl. Charlie Rich. Rec. Dec. 1973. Sun Records, 1973. Vinyl recording. Satir, Virginia. Conjoint Family Therapy. 3rd ed. Palo Alto: Science and Behavior, 1983. Print.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

J.S. MIlls Essay -- essays research papers

Individual Civilization   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the final two chapters of the essay â€Å"On Liberty†, J.S. Mill discusses a few different subjects concerning individual civilization. The one example I believe is important begins on page 92. Here he discusses how he feels about society trying to help or change a way that someone has decided to live their life. The decisions they make and the actions that they do are completely up to the individual themselves. I will try to further examine the role society plays in a person’s civilization and what arguments Mill made to explain the situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first three chapters, Mill discussed when and why someone’s personal Liberties should, if at all, be taken away. He felt that only if someone was about to harm themselves or others, their liberty should be interrupted or abolished. The situation discussed in chapter four that I was mostly concerned with was when he began to talk about a person’s living conditions being influenced by an outside person, government, or distant society. He was not aware that any that any community has the right to force a person to become civilized (92). He felt that it is not right for someone who lives miles away or who are completely blind of the situation to be able to step in and direct a problem into the direction they feel is right. The society does not have the right to persuade a person to live a certain way or conduct their lives as others do. Other commun...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Race and Crime in America Essay

How do people from different entities in the United States perceive race as it relates to the criminal justice system? This was the question asked to ten different people in different locations of the United States. In additional to this question a different group of participants were asked if they believe that the criminal justice system is racist? In this paper I propose that most people in the United States have a very negative perception about the criminal justice and its promises. I concluded this based on face to face interviews I did with participants and through electronic responses. Regardless of their race, values, beliefs, social class, gender and age all the participants of my research paper agree on that there is a connection between race and crime in America. To some the criminal justice system is not as blind as it is perceived to be. Some of the participants have little understanding of the law system and its different components. Some not fully competent to be subject matter experts to determine if crime and race connect however, they all have the same generalization about the law, law enforcement and law discrimination. The public receives much of their impressions and knowledge of the criminal justice system through the mass media. Top-rated television programs, such as Cable News Network (CNN) are delivering news on crime on an everyday basis. What people actually know, or think they know, about the criminal justice system can sometimes be interpreted as a form of ignorance of what is known to be mandatory knowledge in order to be law-abiding citizens in any society. As nonchalant some things may sound the public relies on the media to feed them the lasted and most accurate news, but this is not always true. In today’s American society, race and crime go hand in hand. Day after day there is news reports about people of various racial backgrounds involved in criminal activities ranging in different p arts of the country. In the world today we face many different problems. Issues that throughout  the years have been improved but never resolved. Throughout the United States crime continues to be one of our increasing problems within the minorities. Many people believe that crime it’s a problem on its own that is now being related to race. In today’s American society, race and crime go hand in hand. Day after day there is news reports about people of various racial backgrounds involved in criminal activities ranging in different parts of the country. As I did my research I chose a specific case that happened in Queens, New York on November 25, 2006. A young man by the name of Sean Bell was out in a strip club with a couple of his friends celebrating that he was getting married. Later that evening Sean Bell and his friends were being shot at by a couple of police detectives who believed they were armed causing the death of Mr. Bell. A similar case had occurred a couple of years back in 1999 with a young man by the name of Amadou Diallo who was fired 41 shots by police. The relevance of these two stories is that both of these men were black and according to the reports were both unarmed. Which leads to the question that many people have why these two young men are no longer here? This is where race plays a role. Looking into statistics there are a higher percent of black, Latino, and Asian crimes as there is whites. I believed these statistics are like this because they way authority figures are handling some situations especially against minorities. According to an article in the New York Times by Heather Mac Donald called â€Å"Distorting the Truth about Crime and Race†. She states that Black and Latinos are nine times more likely to be stopped by a police officer than whites. Attitudes like these are a major part of the unresolved problems we have today. Situations like Mr. Bell and Mr. Diallo are the results to the police aggression and even though authorities may deny that it has nothing to do with race. It has been a major controversy throughout the United States on why these situations still have a one thing in common race. We as a society need to gain a clearer understanding of the vast relationship between law and society. Why is there such a large connection? Why is it that is always one race that is always the target? What changes need to occur so we can change the perception of the law? Are we still a segregated country? Are we trying to change or are we just turning the other cheek? These were some of the additional questions I ask my responders. I conducted the survey through an online blogs and face to face  questionnaires. I based my questions on the location of participants and on the prior knowledge I knew they have with the criminal justice system; own encounters or experiences family members of theirs have had. The group that I targeted was mainly individuals with a higher education level of a High school diploma. I felt this was a better group to target instead of a younger crowd that I think regardless of their faults, mishap in life always look at someone or something else to blame for their current situation. I wanted a group of individuals that would look at crime and race in a three dimensional perspective and not from a tunnel vision view. Not every member in society beliefs that a person is responsible for their own destiny and that is something I am a strong believer in. It was difficult to get more inputs with individuals on the blog rather than it was getting information from individuals face to face. I am not sure why this was such a critical topic but it brought out some significant emotional event that an individual has or had experience or even a family member of theirs. * Andre Ceballos an undergraduate student at Cornell University, Hispanic male 26 years old, born and raised in New York City said â€Å"The population of prisons around the country definitely answers that question, it’s a damn shame†. * Amir Vasquez undergraduate student at Virginia State university, Hispanic male, 30 years old, born in the Dominican Republic raised in New York City Currently living in Colonial Heights, Virginia said â€Å"just take a look at Colonial White, sorry I meant Colonial Heights, where I live schools are great, free after school programs the whole nine yards, then look across the river in the city of Petersburg their high schools are not even certified and some schools missing windows and things†. My point is minorities usually don’t get a fair shake in education which leads to crime† Mr. Vasquez seems to be speaking from a functionalist perspective, he is blaming society for not offering a better education system that whe n is not provided there is not much to look forward to besides doing criminal activity . * Keisha Brown an undergraduate student at South Carolina University, African America female 25 years old, born and raised in Brooklyn, New Yorkbeaten and killed by a group of white men for alledgedly whistling at a white woman†¦ at that time, the color of his skin caused him to be a target for such a violent crime by the ‘white man’ who at those times did anything they could to make sure african americans did not survive  in their â€Å"white-only† society†¦there’s martin luther king, and even abraham lincoln who were all killed because of something to do with racism. even though lincoln was a white republican, he was the one who abolished slavery. his decision set him aside from the rest of his counterparts. yes, if you dig deeper into his history there are claims that he had slaves as servants etc, but the point im trying to make is that he actually put forth the effort to end slavery. Martin luther king was killed bc of the color of his skin and the rights that he fought for†¦ im stating facts from the past but it can be used as an introduction for your paper. oh yeah and to sum up my argument, even though those events were of the past, it has still followed the african american race even to the present day†¦ black and hispanic children in inner city communities have it even worse than any other child in america. Their race is what keeps them oppressed and from recieving the oppropriate education and solid cultural security that a white child gets living in a blue collar upper class suburban area. Therefore, when that black of hispanic child attempts to leave behind that inner city image, they cannot shake it b/c for so long theyve been treated like crimals and the scum of the earth, most of them have no choice but to turn to crime and violence just to get by in america. sry if i talked ur head off mami but i love talkin ab this type of stuff lol said â€Å" To help answer your question there is definitely a connection with race and crime in America. It has been an issue since the days of slavery, civil rights, and segregation. you can even go as far as to mention Emmitt Till who was brutally beaten and killed by a group of white men for allegedly whistling at a white woman at that time, the color of his skin caused him to be a target for such a violent crime by the ‘white man’ who at those times did anything they could to make sure African Americans did not survive in their â€Å"white-only† society, there’s Martin Luther King, and even Abraham Lincoln who were all killed because of something to do with racism. Even though Lincoln was a white republican, he was the one who abolished slavery. His decision set him aside from the rest of his counterparts. Yes, if we dig deeper into his history there are claims that he had slaves as servants etc., but the point I am trying to make is that he actually put forth the effort to end slavery. Martin Luther king was killed because of the color of his skin and the rights that he fought for. I am stating facts from the past and to sum up my  argument, even though those events were of the past, it has still followed the African American race even to the present day. Black and Hispanic children in inner city communities have it even worse than any other child in America. Their race is what keeps them oppressed and from receiving the appropriate education and solid cultural security that a white child gets living in a blue collar upper class suburban area. Therefore, when that black of Hispanic child attempts to leave behind that inner city image, they c annot shake it because for so long they’ve been treated like criminals and the scum of the earth, most of them have no choice but to turn to crime and violence just to get by in America†. * Terry Powell an African America male, 34 years old born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana currently in college said â€Å"There is not a connection between crime and race because any race can commit a crime and this is clearly seen with white-collar crimes. Crime is seen in different locations high class communities as well as low class communities†. * Christina Bailey an African American female 23 years old, born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana currently in college said â€Å"Yes, there is a connection because we as a society are not focusing on helping one another; we are focus only on helping self. With a mind frame like this the less fortunate will continue to commit crimes just so they can survive in America and needless to say the less fortunate race groups are the African Americans†. * Jacob Weber a white male 26 years old, currently living in Hawaii, in his second year in college said â€Å"Depending on the area that one lives, does crime and race have a connection. There is just a double standard in the system, and not until people that are neutral working in those positions will the system see any changes. The socialization agents play a major role, but regardless whites are more privilege than any other race†. * Miguel Perez a Hispanic male 32 years old, from Texas said â€Å" It depends on the area but minorities are seem to always be the target and because of the racism that is not seen through the naked eye minorities get the least support from the system† * Claudia Perez a Hispanic female 31 years old, from Texas said â€Å"Racism is a significant factor that dictates how America act on a situation for instance our president because of him being biracial, the public wanted him to show proof of his birth certificate, no other president has b een asked to show this document to prove his race or birth location†. * John Pates an  African American male 40 years old, currently living in Hawaii said â€Å"Yes, through history it has been noted that the ratio between black men and white men in prison is not even although blacks and whites are committing the same crimes. * Carrie Williams a white female 30 years old born and raised in Richmond, Virginia currently in college said â€Å"Race and crime have a major connection especially southern states. In southern states you will always find a police officer patrolling neighborhoods of minorities more often than that of a white community. I have asked police officers why are they constantly patrolling my neighborhood and they said â€Å"You never know what these people are planning to do next† to me that was not an answer that a law enforcement should give a citizen. Police officers in the south need more education instead of just being told what benefits they will receive from being a police officer†. Resources that oppose my thesis were not easily accessible and were not of very much accreditation. These sources were more opinionated on the topic rather than stating facts. There are many articles that supported my thesis. It is very clear to me that race and crime is a complex issue to discuss and is very hard to be honest on this topic because of our country’s history and our current statistics. In an article in the Huffington Post the author is aware of the controversy of racism in our legal system but he is also aware of how can it be a debate when the facts are proving other wise and he states 14 examples on how the system is not fair â€Å"Saying the US criminal system is racist may be politically controversial in some circles. But the facts are overwhelming. No real debate about that†. (Quigley, 2010) Race and crime connectivity will be an issue for years to come. As a society we have to understand that not everyone will on a high social class because of many other reasons beside race. A fairness of the legal system is much needed and we need to stop looking at race when punishments are delivered we need to look at the concrete facts of a case. Bibliography Parker, R. (2008 , June 02). ParaPundit. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from ParaPundit.com: http://www.parapundit.com/archives/005242.html#precomments Quigley, B. (2010, July 26). The Huffigton Post . Retrieved November 1, 2010, from

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Apple’s Supply Chain Management Essay

Abstract The paper explores Apple and its past, background, brand loyalty, problems, decline of product, and suggested solutions. Apple was started on April 1, 1976. It was established by three men; Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. On January 10, 2006, Apple released the MacBook Pro and iMac which was the first Apple computer to use Intel’s Core Duo CPU. Apple’s customers fly in from all over the world to see the opening of products and stores. They even propose outside the stores. Their fan base is because they have a good product. Not so much the price because you can basically get the same product at a lower price form one of Apple’s competitors. The problems that Apple is having is getting their product to the customer on time. Which many say is the result of bad supply chain management. The paper goes over how they got to the problems that they are having and some solutions to those problems. Keywords: Monopsony, Brand Loyalty Apple’s Supply Chain Management Background Apple is a very big company, and is a company that everyone knows. Apple was started on April 1, 1976. It was established by three men; Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. On January 3, 1977, Apple was incorporated without Wayne; he sold his shares back to Jobs and Wozniak for $800. A multimillionaire delivered the essential business knowledge and funding for the incorporation of Apple. By the end of the 1970’s Apple have a good sized staff of bother computer designers and a production line. The Macintosh was made well-known by the 1.5 million dollar commercial â€Å"1984† released on the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984. The Macintosh at first sold well, but it soon withered off because of the high prices and limited choice of software titles. The Macintosh Portable was presented in 1989 and was designed like a desktop and weighed 17 pounds. In 1998, Apple’s iMac was introduced by a design team that was led by Jonathan Ive and he was also the man who designed the iPod and the iPhone. Apple’s sales improved from that moment. On January 10, 2006, Apple released the MacBook Pro and iMac which was the first Apple computer to use Intel’s Core Duo CPU (Lashinsky, 2011.) On January 17, 2011 Jobs announced in a memo that he would take a medical leave for an indefinite period. It has been said that because of Apple’s effective supply chain the company operates as a monopsony, which where one buyer has many sellers. Brand Loyalty Apple’s brand loyalty from customers runs deep in its consumers. It is very unusual for any product to have the kind of brand loyalty that Apple does. Apple Store opening can draw crowds of thousands with people waiting in line as much as a day before the event. People also fly in from all over the world to see the opening of products and stores. Some people say that it is the marketing and advertising is the reason that draws the kind of loyalty that Apple has. The loyalty of the customers goes as far as when people are waiting in line some of the fans use the opportunity to propose marriage. Problems After Jobs announced his medical leave, he appointed Tim Cook to his job. Tim Cook was the chief operating officer. He was the person who over saw the supply chain. When he assumed Jobs position he took on more work than he was used to. Therefore his work started to decline, he stopped focusing on the supply chain and started working on the advances of technology (Spence, 2012.) Decline of Product After the death of Steve Jobs, the company stock declined because of the products. There was problems with the shipping of the iPhone 5 because there was not enough made. When the iPad Minies reached the customers, they sold out in time for the press released. But when more orders came in for the iPad Minis the customers experienced longer wait time. This might have been due to the supply chain not working properly. Also the iPad Minis release date has been pushed pack. When Apple made the promises of an October event and missed the date. The other things that has been un-Apple-like was Siri, it was not the way that Steve Jobs would have liked it to be. He wanted it to be consistently amazing and it is not it had to be concern with an update. The Maps app in iOS6 lead to the discharge of two Apple employees and a public apology from Cook (Maisto, 2012.) Conclusion The conclusion to most of the Apple consumers would be to work more on their supply chain. Working closer with their suppliers will help with the overall product. It might be a faster shipping or faster assembly. But one thing is certain about working closer with their suppliers, it can never be a bad thing. The better relationships that you have with the people supplying you the product the better the product will be (Maisto, 2012.) Suggested Solutions Apple needs to fix a few things to get back on the money making wagon, so to say. They have a good product but it needs to be texted more. If Apple feels the need to release an iPhone every three months the customers will think why I should buy this one when it will be obsolete in about another three months. Another thing that Apple needs to work on is their supply chain. Since Tim Cook moved up in the in the corporation he has not been looking over the supply chain as well as he should be. I believe that he should be hiring more people to manage the supply chain and less people to engineer Apple’s products. They might come to realize that they will save money in the long run if they have better relationship with their suppliers and treat their workers better (Spence, 2012.) Future The future of Apple is not clear. Cook wants to bring more jobs to the United States. He says that more parts of the Mac will be brought over to the United States so that it will bring more jobs to the United States, an estimate of 600,000 jobs. Cook also wants to get in to the television market. He says that, â€Å"it is an area of intense interest to us (Maisto, 2012.)† References Spence, E. (2012, November 18). Apple’s supply chain issues reflected in stock pricing. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2012/11/18/apples-supply-chain-issues-reflected-in-stock-pricing/ Maisto, M. (2012, December 7). Ceo tim cook on apple’s future: Don’t bet against us. Retrieved from http://www.eweek.com/mobile/ceo-tim-cook-on-apples-future-dont-bet-against-us/ Lashinsky, A. (2011, August 25). How apple works: Inside the world’s biggest startup. Retrieved from http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/08/25/how-apple-works-inside-the-worlds-biggest-startup/

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Malaysias National Snack essays

Malaysias National Snack essays " Malaysia's National Snack" I went to a Malaysian restaurant with my family last weekend to try some new Asian dishes we never tasted before. The name of the restaurant is Yazmin Malaysian Restaurant. That restaurant is located on Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel. We ordered the curry noodles, the spicy chicken wings, the curry squids, and the satay. Among the foods we ordered, I would like to describe a dish that is called "Satay." It is so delicious, and it is a new Asian dish that I never tasted before. There are many interesting Malaysian traditional things in that Malaysia restaurant. The restaurant was decorated by hanging the Malaysian traditional kites and posters with Malaysia famous places. Besides the kites and the posters, there also has some traditional clothes on the walls. The boss called that is the "Batik" clothes. Thus, I felt that I was like that I was eating in Malaysia in that time. We ordered some Malaysia traditional foods, and one of those dishes that I like it very much. That is "Satay." Satay is a barbecued meat on a skewer. There are five skewers on a plate accompany with some bite-size cubes of cold, cook rice and the cool slices of cucumber, and uncook red onion. Along with it, there is a smaller plate filled with spicy peanut gravy. By using the same skewer, I dipped the meat into the spicy peanut gravy before I tasted it. Then, I speared a cube of cold, cook rice, and dipped into the gravy. Besides the bite-size of rice, I also speared a slice of cucumber and a slice of red onion, and dipped them into the gravy. It is so delicious until I had eaten up all the satay. Satay's meat is marinated and threaded through thin bamboo skewers before grilled. When it is grilled, it is basted with margarine by using a lemon grass as brush. I believe this made the smell better. However, the satay gravy has more complicated ingredients. It contains of peanuts, onion, garlic, chilie...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Foreshadowing in Narratives

Foreshadowing in Narratives Foreshadowing (for-SHA-doe-ing) is the presentation of details, characters, or incidents in a narrative in such a way that later events are prepared for (or shadowed forth). Foreshadowing, says Paula LaRocque, can be a highly effective means of preparing the reader for what is to come. This storytelling device can create interest, build suspense, and provoke curiosity (​The Book on Writing, 2003). In nonfiction, says author William Noble, foreshadowing works well, so long as we stay with the facts and not impute motivation or circumstance that never happened (The Portable Writers Conference, 2007). Examples and Observations In the opening of The Wizard of Oz, set in Kansas, the transformation of Miss Gulch into a witch on a broomstick foreshadows her reappearance as Dorothys enemy in Oz.The witches in the opening scene of Shakespeares Macbeth foreshadow the evil events that will follow.[In My Journey to Lhasa, Alexandra] David-Neel . . . creates suspense with present tense, we look as if we are starting for a mere tour of a week or two, and foreshadowing, these spoons became, later on, the occasion of a short drama in which I nearly killed a man.(Lynda G. Adamson,  Thematic Guide to Popular Nonfiction. Greenwood, 2006) Foreshadowing as a Form of "Backwriting" Foreshadowing can be, in fact, a form of back writing. The writer goes back through the copy and adds foreshadowing to prepare the reader for later events... This does not mean that you are going to give away the ending. Think of foreshadowing as setup. The best foreshadowing is subtle and is woven into the storyoften in multiple ways. In this fashion, foreshadowing helps build tension and gives resonance and power to the story. (Lynn Franklin, Literary Theft: Taking Techniques From the Classics. The Journalists Craft: A Guide to Writing Better Stories, ed. by Dennis Jackson and John Sweeney. Allworth, 2002) Foreshadowing in Nonfiction With nonfiction, foreshadowing works well, so long as we stay with the facts and not impute motivation or circumstance that never happened. . . . No he should have thought... or she might have expected... unless we back it up factually.(William Noble, Writing NonfictionUsing Fiction. The Portable Writers Conference, ed. by Stephen Blake Mettee. Quill Driver Books, 2007) [Alexandra] David-Neels seven chapters [in My Journey to Lhasa: The Classic Story of the Only Western Woman Who Succeeded in Entering the Forbidden City] describe harrowing travel to Thibet* and Lhasa. She creates suspense with present tense, we look as if we are starting for a mere tour of a week or two, and foreshadowing, these spoons became, later on, the occasion of a short drama in which I nearly killed a man.(Lynda G. Adamson, Thematic Guide to Popular Nonfiction. Greenwood Press, 2006) * variant spelling of Tibet Chekhov's Gun In dramatic literature, [foreshadowing] inherits the name Chekhovs Gun. In a letter, he penned in 1889, Russian playwright Anton Chekhov wrote: One must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it. Foreshadowing can work not only in narrative forms but also in persuasive writing. A good column or essay has a point, often revealed at the end. Which details can you place early to foreshadow your conclusion? (Roy Peter Clark, Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer. Little, Brown, 2006)

Sunday, October 20, 2019

5 Ways to Reduce Use of Prepositions

5 Ways to Reduce Use of Prepositions 5 Ways to Reduce Use of Prepositions 5 Ways to Reduce Use of Prepositions By Mark Nichol Prepositions, words that indicate relations between nouns, pronouns, and verbs (mostly small ones like for, in, of, on, to, and with but sometimes more substantial, as in the case of beneath or between), are often integral to a sentence, but writers can clutter sentences by being overly dependent on them. Here are five strategies for minimizing the number of prepositions you use: 1. Eliminate Prepositions by Using Active Voice Shifting from passive voice to active voice, as in the revision of â€Å"The watch was obviously designed by a master craftsman† to â€Å"A master craftsman had obviously designed the watch† takes a preposition out of action. (But take care that the inversion of the sentence structure doesn’t incorrectly shift emphasis or diminish dramatic effect.) 2. Substitute an Adverb for a Prepositional Phrase In the writer’s toolbox, adverbs are stronger tools than prepositional phrases. Revision of the sentence â€Å"The politician responded to the allegations with vehemence† to â€Å"The politician responded vehemently to the allegations† strengthens the thought and deletes the weak preposition with. 3. Use a Genitive in Place of a Prepositional Phrase An easy test to help reduce the number of prepositions is to search for the genitive case, or a possessive form: If a sentence could use the genitive case but doesn’t, revise the sentence. For example, â€Å"She was disturbed by the violent images in the movie† gains more impact (and loses a preposition) by reversing the sentence’s subject and object: â€Å"She was disturbed by the movie’s violent images.† (Combine this strategy with a shift from passive voice to active voice, and you jettison two prepositions and further strengthen the statement: â€Å"The movie’s violent images disturbed her.†) Another use of this technique is to revise a phrase including a reference to a location within a location, as in â€Å"the Museum of Modern Art in New York City,† which can be more actively and efficiently rendered as â€Å"New York City’s Museum of Modern Art.† 4. Omit Prepositions by Eliminating Nominalizations Writers and editors aid clarity and conciseness by uncovering nominalizations, otherwise known as buried, or smothered, verbs. In doing so, they also negate the need for a preposition. For example, the sentence â€Å"Their attempt to provide a justification of the expense was unsuccessful,† simplified to â€Å"Their attempt to justify the expense was unsuccessful,† not only transforms the verb+article+nominalization clump â€Å"provide a justification† into the streamlined verb justify but also makes of unnecessary. (I originally wrote â€Å"but also makes the use of of unnecessary,† but then deleted the superfluous phrase â€Å"the use of† and thereby deleted a preposition.) 5. Delete Prepositional Phrases Prepositional phrases (preposition+article+noun) provide context, but they’re not always necessary. In a sentence like â€Å"The best outcome for this scenario would be an incremental withdrawal,† note whether the meaning is clear without the phrase, and if so, strike it out: â€Å"The best outcome would be an incremental withdrawal.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†Dawned vs. DonnedEach vs. Both

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Is a University Degree Necessary to success Essay

Is a University Degree Necessary to success - Essay Example Recent years have seen significantly many cases of success that are not directly linked to university education such as degrees. For example, some of the most successful people in the world such as Marc Zuckerburg and Bill Gates dropped out of college and only sought a degree later while already successful. This implies that a success is not dependent on a university degree. There are significantly high numbers of people in the world who are successful yet their success is not based on a university degree. In fact, the most successful people in the world today are not dependent on degrees. In the modern world, there is arguably more to life in relation to success than a university degree. Business oriented practices form the basics of success and effective business practices are not necessarily tied to degrees. The basic education offered up to the high school level is enough to offer knowledge on some of the most important dynamics of a successful business. Post high school education mainly lays emphasis and advances already known facts in relation to business. Additionally, a significantly high number of people in the modern day do not engage in careers that are directly linked to their majors in the university. For example, there are people who majored, say, in history yet their career is based on something different like a social media coordinator. There are many more people with a similar situation yet they are faring exceptionally well. In such situations little of the knowledge and education acquired in the university is applied yet in most cases performance is brilliant. This implies that degrees are not essential for good performance that consequently constitutes to success but rather determination and effort are crucial. The amount of resources spent acquiring university degrees are too high and can be used in an

Friday, October 18, 2019

Strategic Position of Starbucks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Position of Starbucks - Essay Example It also includes the effect of the external market drivers on the organization and how the company has designed it the marketing strategy to ensure its long-term sustainability. Starbucks’ core competency is based on the premium positioning of its product line. The company focuses on delivering high-quality coffee beverages and snacks which includes cakes and other bakery products. Thus the company not only focuses on providing a good quality product but it also focuses on providing a unique experience to the customers. Offering a unique experience ensure the customers’ return. Starbuck’s competencies also include establishing a strong and close relationship with its suppliers. This, as a result, has helped the company to make overseas expansion and make certain strategic acquisitions. The Porters generic strategy shows how the company has devised its marketing strategy in order to stay ahead of its competition. The parent brand Starbucks is positioned in the ‘Differentiation Strategy’ because it offers high-quality speciality coffee products along with a unique experience of the store’s ambience (Pretorius, 2008). This differentiating factor distinguishes the company from its rivals. The newly introduced brand by Starbuck called VIA offers instant coffee to the customers. Thus VIA is categorized under the Cost leadership and Differentiation category (Lee, 2012). Even though VIA acts as a low-cost alternative to premium Starbucks coffee, it still differentiates itself from its rivals owing to the brand valuation of the company. The company also offers gifts and brewing items, which falls under the focused differentiation category, because these products are aimed towards the genuine coffee lovers (Lee, 2012). The likelihood of success of a firm can be assessed by the Bowman’s strategy clock. According to Faulkner and Bowman (1995), this model assesses a company’s current position and direction of progress based on eight categories.  

William Rainey Harpers Influence on the University of Chicago Research Paper

William Rainey Harpers Influence on the University of Chicago - Research Paper Example He was considered an academic prodigy, since he was only fourteen when he enrolled at Yale and it took him only three years to earn a Ph.D. Image 1.- William Rainey Harper Image 2.- Logo of the University of Chicago William Rainey Harper became a full professor of divinity in 1880, after accepting an instructorship in Hebrew Theology at the original University of Chicago, and soon after, in 1886, which was also the university’s final year, he was named president. When the university closed, he went back to Yale, started teaching Semitic languages (Hebrew, Assyrian, Arabic, Aramaic, and Syrian) to graduates, and became an instructor in the divinity school. Harper was the first one to recruit a woman, Alice Palmer Freeman for a dean at the University of Chicago. â€Å"Chicago in its early years was renowned for the opportunities it offered to women as students, faculty and staff. This commitment, however, was exceptional.† (Thelin, 2004. p.143) As a genius when it comes t o organization and an innovative leader, Harper brought American higher education to a higher level, in cooperation with civic leaders and donors in Chicago. William Rainey Harper- An Introduction Harper was born on July 26, 1865 and he died on January 10, 1906. He lived a short life, only 41 year, but he accomplished more that many people do in a much longer life. Always ahead of other people, even in his early life, he was considered a prodigy. He was so advanced that he began with his college preparations at the age of eight. When he was ten, he enrolled in Muskingum College, in New Concord, Ohio. There he studied languages and music. Four years later, after graduating from this college, Harper enrolled in Yale University and completed his postgraduate studies in 1876; it took him only three years to earn his Ph.D. in philology. He worked at various positions at Yale University and Denison University. He became the first president of the University of Chicago and a great contribu tor to the development of the modern university in the United States. A most interesting and inspiring personality, Harper wrote various textbooks and advocated lifelong learning. According to Thelin (2004. p.120), â€Å"Understanding his biography is essential for understanding the modern American university.† William Rainey Harper married Ella Paul Harper in 1875, and soon became a parent of four, three sons and one daughter. The president of the University of Chicago Shortly after being selected to help with the organization in the University of Chicago, at the age of thirty-five (in 1891), Harper was selected as the university’s first president. He took this job very seriously and set standards quite high. Elevating the salaries of the faculty members and, Harper attracted the best scholars to the university. As he was an expert in every area of education, he expected high level of education of his employees. â€Å"Chicago’s William Rainey Harper stands out even in an era of heroic leaders. He became a local hero of sorts, dubbed Chicago’s â€Å"young man in a hurry†Ã¢â‚¬  (Thelin, 2004. p.120) Harper was so well known, locally and nationally, and his influence was so great that the University of Chicago became known as â€Å"Harper’s Bazaar†. William Rainey Harper and the University of Chicago William Rainey Harper was also giving public courses on the Bible, besides lecturing and overseeing journals, a corresponding school, and the printing office. His reputation as a prodigy attracted the attention of John D. Rockefeller who wanted to found a university and was ready to donate generous amounts of money for the cause. Rockefeller, whose aim was to create and endow a

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Control of Flux in the Glycolytic Pathway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Control of Flux in the Glycolytic Pathway - Essay Example In glycolysis, all the reactions that are catalyzed by phosphofructokinase, hexokinase, and pyruvate kinase are considered being virtually irreversible. These enyzymes would easily be expected to have both the regulatory, and the catalyzing roles. The enzymes will serve as a controlling site. All their functions are controlled by some reversible allosteric effectors binding or through the covalent modification. More so, the quantities of these vital enzymes are variable by the control of the transcription of meeting the shifting and altering metabolic needs. The amount of time that would be needed for the control of the reversible allosteric and the regulation by transcriptional and phosphorylation, is considered to be in seconds, milliseconds, and hours. In the mammalian glycolytic pathway, for example, phosphofructokinase is one of the most vital elements of control. Increased ATP levels allosterically inhibit the enzymes within the liver, thus reducing affinity for the fructose 6- phosphate. When the concentration of ATP is high, the hyperbolic curve binding of the fructose 6-phosphate will be converted to the signoidal one. This effect is elicited by ATP though the binding towards a specific regulatory site that would be distinct from the catalyzing site. The inhibition role of ATP, is reversed by AMP implying that the rate of activity for the enzyme will increase after the ratio of ATP/AMP is lowered. In this case, glycolisis will be stimulated once the charges of the energy are reduced. A reduction in the pH value will also stop the activity of phosphofructokinase. Once Phosphofructosekinase is inhibited by the hydrogen ions, excess formation of lactic acid will be prevented leading to a precipitous drop in the pH of blood. Thi s process is referred to as acidosis. In this case, some of the ATP will be salvaged from the initial ADP.

APPLIED ETHICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE MANAGEMENT Essay

APPLIED ETHICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE MANAGEMENT - Essay Example The problems solved revolve around the practical moral issues, specifically those related to professions such as law or medicine or accounting. There are at least six ethical theories as described by some scholars (Champion, 2007). Plato describes the absolutism theory. This theory relates to the personal character of the individual. It helps answer the question regarding the kind of life one is entitled to live. It is based on the principle; conform to forms, that is, basis on ideals that make the reality. The source of value according to this theory is the form of goodness. The method applied here is reasoning the nature of analogies and unchanging ideals. An example of such an ethical principle is lying, which does not conform to the truth form. The principle is exceptionless in that the form of goodness advocated for is not known (Champion, 2007). Aristotle describes eudaimonism which helps answer the question relating to the kind of person one should be. It also relates to the personal character. The principle is to maintain and develop activities in line and obedience to the rationale principle. The value source is the human nature which determines the well being of humans. The method for determining this is through examining and analysing the commonly used moral language and other moral ideas. St Thomas Aquinas describes ethics based on the natural law. It relates to personal character just like the two discussed above. The question asked relates to the kind of person one should be (Champion, 2007). The principle here is to promote whatever is termed and defined as good and discard the evil commitments. The good behaviours are advocated for by the society, family, self preservation and knowledge. The value source for this ethical behaviour is human and universe nature as referenced by God. The human inclinations are examined and reasoning the nature of law. Cultural differences among the ordering society are a major control issue (Champion,

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Control of Flux in the Glycolytic Pathway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Control of Flux in the Glycolytic Pathway - Essay Example In glycolysis, all the reactions that are catalyzed by phosphofructokinase, hexokinase, and pyruvate kinase are considered being virtually irreversible. These enyzymes would easily be expected to have both the regulatory, and the catalyzing roles. The enzymes will serve as a controlling site. All their functions are controlled by some reversible allosteric effectors binding or through the covalent modification. More so, the quantities of these vital enzymes are variable by the control of the transcription of meeting the shifting and altering metabolic needs. The amount of time that would be needed for the control of the reversible allosteric and the regulation by transcriptional and phosphorylation, is considered to be in seconds, milliseconds, and hours. In the mammalian glycolytic pathway, for example, phosphofructokinase is one of the most vital elements of control. Increased ATP levels allosterically inhibit the enzymes within the liver, thus reducing affinity for the fructose 6- phosphate. When the concentration of ATP is high, the hyperbolic curve binding of the fructose 6-phosphate will be converted to the signoidal one. This effect is elicited by ATP though the binding towards a specific regulatory site that would be distinct from the catalyzing site. The inhibition role of ATP, is reversed by AMP implying that the rate of activity for the enzyme will increase after the ratio of ATP/AMP is lowered. In this case, glycolisis will be stimulated once the charges of the energy are reduced. A reduction in the pH value will also stop the activity of phosphofructokinase. Once Phosphofructosekinase is inhibited by the hydrogen ions, excess formation of lactic acid will be prevented leading to a precipitous drop in the pH of blood. Thi s process is referred to as acidosis. In this case, some of the ATP will be salvaged from the initial ADP.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

SWOT analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SWOT analysis - Case Study Example It offers 24/7 services to the customers and its services are designed to satisfy the needs and interests of the targeted customers. The company is also comprised of skilled and experienced leaders who can successfully steer it towards growth and development. The company capitalises on entrepreneurial leadership styles of its leaders who are capable of anticipating changes that may take place in the environment in which it is operating. The other strength of the company is that it has a flat organisational structure that helps it to promote efficient communication among the stakeholders. This helps it to remain flexible and reliable in the services it offers to different customers. A close analysis of the case study of Zipcar shows that it has more strengths and opportunities compared to threats and weaknesses. This gives the company a competitive advantage since it has more chances for growth and

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Essay Example for Free

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Essay The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 is a federal law to provide employees time off of work for due to medical and family reasons. Reasons include: the birth or adoption of a child, an employee’s grave medical condition which prevents the employee from doing his/her job, or attending to the serious medical condition of a child, parent, or spouse. This leave is unpaid and requires employees to have been employed with the employer for at least one year. The employee is permitted to maintain health insurance during the duration of the leave. In the first scenario, the employee, who had worked for the company for two years, took family medical leave because his wife gave birth to premature twins. The employee returned to work a week early, per request. He was permitted to return to his position with his same rate of pay. The employee does not think is fair that he did not receive pay during the time he was on family medical leave. Lastly, the scenario includes that there is a new department manager. The employee rightfully received the leave time because he was employed with the company for at least one year and had a legitimate excuse. He was rightfully given back his job position and rate of pay as specified in FMLA regulations. The company was right in this case not to pay the employee for the eleven week leave. The only way for him to receive any sort of pay was if he had any sick or vacation time that could be cashed out. The new manager has nothing to do with this scenario since all FMLA regulations were followed. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) places very strict regulations on business regarding the employees and hiring practices for individuals age forty and over. Businesses are not allowed to discriminate due to age during the hiring process or withhold raises and promotions of existing employees. Scenario two explains that a 68 year-old employee was passed up on a promotion even though his work was above average. The promotion was given to an employee who was younger and who performed average work. This scenario violates the ADEA regulation regarding promotions. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (1967) clearly explains that businesses cannot â€Å"limit, segregate, or classify his employees in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee, because of such individuals age†. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 also regulates businesses’ hiring and employment practices regarding individuals with disabilities. No discrimination can occur as a result of a disability unless it places other individuals in an immediate safety threat. Reasonable accommodations must also be met to ensure that the employee will be able to perform the job given. The last scenario describes an applicant in a wheelchair. The applicant was not hired because the business would have to adjust the height of half of their elevator controls. The business said that this was beyond reasonable accommodations. The applicant’s rights were violated in this scenario. Lowering the elevator controls is not unreasonable. The U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (2008) explains that reasonable accommodation includes â€Å"making existing facilities used by employees readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities†. References The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Pub. L. No. 90-202 The U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission. (2008). Facts about the Americans with Disabilities Act. Retrieved February 18, 2013, from http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-ada.html

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Culture Sources Of Conflict Than Of Synergy Cultural Studies Essay

Culture Sources Of Conflict Than Of Synergy Cultural Studies Essay Cultures can be high context or low context depending on the ways of communication. Low context culture is the one which is more explicit, communication is direct and things are fully but concisely spelled out. People dont think about what other people are going to think of them if they behaved in a particular way. A high context culture is the one in which the communicators assume a great deal of commonality of knowledge and views, so that its less explicit. People act according to the situations in this culture, there is more emphasis on gestures. One has to read between the lines. Cultures can also be monochronic or polychoronic, monochronic is when the managers like to do one thing at a time, they value orderliness and sense of there being an appropriate time and place for everything on the other hand polychronic culture encourages multitasking and doing multiple things at a time. Then there is future, present and past oriented cultures. Past oriented societies are more bound by the traditional values and ways of doing things. These cultures tend to be more conservative in management and less adaptive. Present oriented societys focuses on the present, they prefer short term benefits over the long term goals. Future oriented societies have a great deal of optimism about the future. They focus on long term benefits, expansion and growth. Discussion: Communication can be greatly affected by the difference in cultures and the languages spoken, or unspoken? Well yes, we are talking about the silent language here which can impact international business. There are different languages which are non-verbal and are not communicated directly but communicate up to ninety percent of the meaning in the high context cultures, like the language of time, space, friendship, business patterns, etc. There are different unspoken languages just like there are different spoken languages. The unspoken languages are informal yet they can have a great impact. There is language of time which is different for people belonging to different cultures. For example, In the U.S. a delay in answering a communication could be because of the backlog of work, and a large volume of business causing the request to be postponed, but on the other hand, the person awaiting response might think that the matter has low priority on the part of the other person -lack of interest. A similar kind of delay in another foreign country may mean something altogether different. Like time, language of space has a different meaning everywhere too. Americans measure their importance or position in the organization according to the size of their offices. The president or the chairman has the biggest office, and so on down the line. French on the other hand are more likely to layout space as a network and often find a supervisor in the middle of his subordinates. Also body distance is very important factor of language of space, in countries like middle east, people get to o close ,crowd the physical being whereas in, UK people prefer being a little cold and distant. But at the same time it is important to know the extent to which people are acceptable about the distance. Though Saudi-Arabia is a high touch culture inappropriate use of touch in advertising messages may cause problems. For example, Drakkar noir perfume advert in Europe is a mans hand clutching the perfume bottle and a womans hand seizing his bare forearm, whereas in the Saudi-Arabian version a mans arm is clothed in a dark jacket sleeve, and woman is touching the mans hand only with her fingertip. The sensuality is toned down and made less explicit in the Saudi-Arabian version (Hollensen, 2007). So though these countries are high touch cultures, we should also remember that these cultures are also high-context cultures. Then there is also language of agreements between people in various countries wherein rules are legally bound and the executives are expected to have a basic awareness of the rules. These rules can be laws and regulations of a country or maybe a moral practice that is followed in that country as a tradition or the informal customs to which everyone confirms without being able to state the exact rules. (Hall, 1960). Culture influences various attitudes towards food, health, media, consumption, country of origin, lifestyle, values, sex and love related attitudes, etc The factors are very closely related and in turn affect the marketing strategies a company adopts like pricing of a product, advertising and promotions, choosing a target market, product adaptation (Hollensen, 2007). For example, In India, The Hindu religion doesnt permit to eat beef. Therefore McDonalds in India doesnt serve the big Mac, instead the product has been adapted to suit the Indian consumers renamed as the maharaja Mac consisting of lamb (Harding, 2000). These aspects influence the consumer behaviour. In many countries, colors represent various holidays; they are also used to express feelings. The language of colour can influence international business, if its not promoted properly. One example of this can be Pepsi, Pepsi cola lost its dominant market share to coke in south-east Asia when Pepsi changed the colour of its v ending machines and coolers from deep regal blue to light ice blue as light blue is associated with mourning and death in south east Asia. There also a need to be careful with the brand designs, product and package design, colour, brand name and symbols because the attitudes of people towards these symbols or names could be different in different countries. Some conventional brand names that communicate positive messages in one country might have a totally different meaning in another which may substantially damage the corporate image and marketing effectiveness. When Pepsi was expanding in china a few years ago, the slogan Pepsi brings you back to life was literally translated in Chinese which meant brings your ancestors back from the grave. The above mentioned parts of a culture are the most fundamental ones, yet other parts also have a large impact on the culture. Things such as tradition, customs, humour, and education are all components of a culture that, if studied and understood, will reduce potential misunderstandings. It is important for companies to engage in business abroad in order to stay competitive. Even though the decision to start trading with foreign countries may seem rational and unavoidable, for many companies there are obstacles that could and will affect the business Outcome. It is important to have a thorough understanding of all impacts the international Trade will have on the business and its performances and there are several ways to overcome these obstacles. One way is to educate and inform the workers about the cultural differences and the specific business procedures in the countries. Managers should also try to make use of the local employees that possess valuable knowledge about the market that is adopting a regiocentric approach. Also the managers should be less ethnocentric and more polycentric towards the foreign culture. A deeper economic integration through EU and ASEAN and other such trade agreements will eliminate tariffs among the member countries and harmonize business procedures and regulations. With this free trade liberalization, non-tariff barriers to trade will also be reduced as countries and cultures become more unified (Kogut Singh, 1988). For companies doing business overseas it is crucial to not only know your own companys Customs, but in addition compare these with the honouring countrys customs of behaviour. This applies, in particular, to companies which operate in countries where the home culture is that of a complete different nature. In order to understand different peoples behaviours it is imperative to look at the different levels of culture and how these affect the individuals in different scenarios. The different levels are national cultu re, business culture, organizational Culture and individual behaviour. The countrys national culture is directly impacting the business culture in the country. In turn, the business culture will have an apparent influence over each and every company within that country. All of these levels will ultimately affect the individuals behaviour. In countries where religion has a major impact on the business procedures, managers should prepare themselves and their personnel by collecting information about the religion and the typical behaviours and manners that are incorporated. By increasing the knowledge and familiarity with the specific religion, it will become easier to accept and understand why certain procedures are taking place, especially when doing business. The culture of a host country is sometimes completely different to culture in the home country. Thus, when striving to recruit the right people companies need to focus on internal training and trying to shape the person in respect to the corporate culture instead of finding the perfect match in an interview process. It is absolutely crucial that the companies start looking beyond the persons abilities at the early stage and instead try to sell the corporate culture as an alternative to changing the personality. Since the national culture and as well the business culture are directly correlated to how the individuals act, it is crucial to understand the individual behaviours in the specific country that the company is operating in. Cultures are embedded in every conflict because conflicts arise in human relationships. Though conflicts cannot be completely eliminated in an organization it can definitely be minimized. Forcing 100% cultural assimilation of those who fall outside the cultural norm is one path as well, but it breeds resentment and ultimate conflict. Sometimes the cultural diversity in an organization is seen as having no impact at all and the diversity is ignored also known as the parochial philosophy, but this results in the marginalization of people who fall outside the cultural norm (Mooij, 2003). Therefore, it is important to implement useful strategies that would reduce the conflicts rather than instigating them. Managers must be skilled at resolving and understanding cross cultural conflicts so that if at all conflicts arise managers are able to resolve the conflict without affecting the productivity. Employ people from the host country so that they have adequate knowledge about the culture and the language of the host country, these regional managers can thus provide further training to the employees from home country. When a company relocates to a new site abroad, relocation services offered by organization should go beyond moving and new community information as employees require orientation to the realities and opportunities of the new cultural environment. When an organization moves to a new place, quickening of the work pace can result in resentment and burnout, therefore involving employees in co-operative efforts to regulate and monitor change in the work environment would be a good idea. There are various cross cultural approaches which can be used by the managers. Cultural dominance, when one organization is in a more powerful position than the other, the more powerful one dominates, insisting on doing things as they are done in the home culture. Cultural accommodation approach, this is opposite of cultural dominance, this is when managers tend to imitate the culture of the host country, attempting to blend in. Cultural compromise approach, this approach is a combination of the two approaches mentioned above, with both the sides conceding something to work together more successfully. This approach can be used by the managers to minimise cultural conflicts and function efficiently. Cultural avoidance, this approach emphasizes on working and managing as if no cultural conflict exists, most often used by managers when the unresolved issue is less important than the final outcome of the situation or the negotiation. Cultural synergy approach, this approach develops new solutions that respect all cultures involved and often increases the chances fo r working effectively in a transcultural environment. For example, if a French firm insists that negotiations with a German to be done in French it is an example of cultural dominance approach, if Germans agree immediately then it is an example of cultural accommodation. If both parties decide to get an interpreter, it is an example of cultural compromise. However, if both German and French agree to negotiate in a third language, it is the cultural synergy approach. This third language can be a language known to both the parties so that none of the parties have a language advantage over the other But we can end the topic saying, what comprises of conflict in one culture is daily difference of opinion in another. A serious insult in one setting -crossing ones leg -is a matter of comfort in another. An arrogant challenge in one culture -putting ones hands on hips -is a sign of openness in another. Human boundaries are cultural creations; social boundaries, legal boundaries and emotional boundaries are all drawn according to each cultures value (Mooij, 2003). So culture can act as a catalyst in bringing people together if used appropriately and to the organizations benefit, but if disrespected and ignored can also create major conflicts eventually leading to failure of the business.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Detrimental Effects of Deforestation Essay -- Environment Environm

The Detrimental Effects of Deforestation Deforestation has been around for many years. Before America was discovered, fuelwood was the main source of energy, so many trees were being cut down all over Europe to provide energy for the inhabitants. Even still today, 2000 million people in low income countries still rely on wood for cooking and heating (Causes, 1). The rate at which we are loosing our world’s forests is steadily increasing. During the 1980’s, worldwide deforestation rates were at 15 million hectares per year for tropical forests alone (WRM, 1). This compares with 11.3 million hectares that were lost annually during the 70’s- a 50 percent increase (The Problems, 1). And as one might expect, this trend is being continued into the 90’s, as in most parts of the world, the rate of deforestation accelerated during this decade (WRM, 1). There are billions of people living on this earth and we all use paper and wood. So why do we need to concern ourselves with deforestation? I would like to point out several reasons why I feel that deforestation is a problem that we need to work towards correcting. First of all, the effects of deforestation are felt in the atmosphere. Trees soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere so that we can breath clean, healthy air. If trees help us breathe, then why are we cutting so many of them down? Besides, forests help stabilize the climate. Cutting down forests releases carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, causing 25% of the net warming effect on this planet (Durning, 21). Forests provide us with beauty as well. Deforestation takes away some of the beauty of our great country and world. There is nothing I enjoy more than driving through a forest and feeling pride to liv... ...Guide To Working with the Public. Timber Press: Forest Grove, Oregon 1977. Paper Recycling. http://www.org.gov.tw/english.now/hpr.htm. The Challenge of Sustainable Forest Management. Food and Agriculture Organizationof the United Nations: Rome 1993. The Committee for National Arbor Day. http://www.nationalarborday.org/426a.htm. The Problems of Forest Loss. http://www.wri.org/biodiv/intl-ll.html. World Resources Institute, 1998. Thomson, M. and Warburton, M. "Uncertainty on a Himalayan Scale." Deforestation: Social Dynamics in Watersheds and Mountain Ecosystems. Routledge: London 1988:1-13. WRM. World Rainforest Movement. http://www.wrm.org.uv.english/u.causes/. Wadsworth, Frank H. Forest Production for Tropical America. U.S. Department of Agriculture Handbook. December, 1997. Why Recycle? http://www.wvwc.net/recycle/why.html. Wesleyan Recycling Program. Â  

Friday, October 11, 2019

Reaction Paper on Vampires Essay

Vampire movies always have lots of fans, and of course, I’m a vampire film fan, too. In the past, vampires looked so scary: they were old, extremely ugly, knows nothing but killing†¦ Nowadays, however, people start to make vampires more â€Å"human†(and sometimes they are made even better than human beings): They are so good-looking they have breath-taking faces, they have sexy figures; they are immortal  they won’t die because they are too â€Å"old†, in other words, they are undead. They still looked young even thought they are hundreds years old; they have so many superpowers they read minds, they move as fast as wind, they are unbelievably strong. Now people even made vampires know more than just hunting like animals they know romance as well, they will fall in love with like human do†¦ I think this might be one of the reasons why people love vampire movies that much: because we find that our dreams (which can never come true in real life) come true in these movies. Reverse Psychology† is often used on children, through which parents let their children to do something by telling them †don’t do this. † This is because children are more likely to respond orders with reactance. In the movie â€Å"let the right one in†, when Eli and Oskar first met, Eli told Oskar â€Å"I can’t be your friend†. But obviously, Oskar didn’t have a clear desire to make friends with Eli. Eli started stating a negative in order to achieve her positive goal. And this is the use of reverse psychology. Based on the film notes, Eli’s intentions regard the function of Oskar is a replacement of Hakan. But even after reading the film notes, I still feel that Eli’s ultimate goal with Oskar is not just for finding someone to kill people and get blood for her. For me, Eli is just trying to have a friend who can keep her company. It’s easy to tell that Eli’s attitude towards Oskar is totally different from that to Hakan, she cares about Oskar (at least for me it is). At the beginning I thought Hakan is the father of Eli, but later on I found he’s more likely to be someone who helps Eli finding â€Å"food†. He might used to be Eli’s lover, but that’s just a guess, because there might be other reasons why he chose to take care of Eli. For example, he might be the one who cause Eli’s changing into a vampire, he feel guilty so that he chose to stay with her. According to the notes, at first Eli tried to sense Oskar as a potential serial killer, then she took control of Oskar’s self-image†¦Assume that Eli is a pedophile, she might keep Oskar, a young boy with her and replace Hakan, who’s no longer useful to her. In this film, the uncanny ability is shown to audiences over and over again, and it presents that love is just an excuse, which is used to disguise the subliminal reality of objectification and exploitation. By looking at the way Oskar dresses and behavior, we can tell that Oskar is an effeminate personality in this movie. I think that’s why the boys enjoy making fun of him. I thought that the reason why Oskar didn’t ever fight back is because he is so cowardice that he’s afraid that they might hit him harder if he fights back. But the note assumes that Oskar is actually sublimating his unconscious sexual attraction by allowing himself to be victimized. I think that because the group of bad boys always attacked Oskar and he couldn’t get any help from someone else, so he was mentally ill already. He had a strong desire of revenging but he didn’t have the â€Å"courage† to do so. He wants to kill people if it is allowed. Just because he knows that he cannot do it, he transferred his inner desire of killing to collecting the newspaper clippings on murder. I think his too cowardice. When I first watched this movie and saw Eli asked Oskar to teach her how to play the Rubrik’s cube, I didn’t think too much about this. But after reading the notes, it shows me that Rubrik’s cube might be one of the tools Eli use to achieve her subterfuge (which is to get close to Oskar). I think because Eli is a vampire who cannot live without drinking human’s blood, so it’s better for her to live in a lower class apartment so that she won’t catch people’s attention, otherwise she will get into trouble so easily. In a telling scene, we saw Eli’s naked groin with a horizontal suture, which means Eli was a boy but castrated by someone.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Fiji Red Cross Society Essay

Nearly 9,000 individuals have been forced from their homes by heavy rains and flooding in the western and central divisions of Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu. According to weather officials, more major storms are set to impact the Pacific Islands. Five people have already lost their lives, with two additional unconfirmed fatalities, and thousands more have sought safety in more than 100 evacuation centres on Viti Levu. The Fiji Red Cross Society has played a vital role in planning for and meeting the humanitarian needs of many of those displaced during this emergency. â€Å"The Fiji Red Cross Society has taken a proactive role in monitoring this dangerous situation and providing the necessary assistance to affected populations,† says the society’s disaster coordinator Vuli Gauna. â€Å"Assessments are underway, and we’ve already sent our emergency response teams into impacted communities with essential relief supplies for families most affected by the floods. If more assistance is needed, we stand ready to help.† Emergency teams In the coming days, distributions of relief supplies will likely include clothing, cooking items, eating utensils, water collection containers, and tools for temporary shelter such as tarpaulins. The Fiji Red Cross Society has 19 pre-positioned containers ready for distributions of emergency items. â€Å"We work as an important part of a mandated coordinated disaster response network in Fiji,† says Fiji Red Cross Society director general Alison Cupit. â€Å"We are based in communities throughout the islands and our volunteers work with the government and other partners on both preparedness and response to significant disasters. This collaboration is an essential component of our ability to serve those who need our help.† In a demonstration of their focus on preparedness, Fiji Red Cross Society volunteers began encouraging families to heed evacuation warnings as early as 8 January, two days before the flooding began, and disaster relief experts have been supporting emergency response activities for the past five days. Relief programme Fiji Red Cross emergency response teams are conducting damage assessments which will inform specific elements of their ongoing relief programme. The society’s branch office in Ba has been serving as a temporary evacuation centre and Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers have provided support to families forced them to leave their homes in other communities as well. Warning Fiji residents about the impact of additional storms, Gauna stresses: â€Å"We have seen this past weekend what bad flooding can do, so let’s learn from this and prepare ourselves for what’s coming. Prepare for yourself an emergency pack that contains canned food, dry clothes, warm blankets, a first aid kit, and water to last you two days. These things can save your life. 0 0 0 6A Fiji Red Cross four wheel drive ambulance makes its way along muddy roads to the village of Wainibuka. (p18856) (Fiji Red Cross Society) Jason Smith, IFRC, Asia Pacific zone Nearly 9,000 individuals have been forced from their homes by heavy rains and flooding in the western and central divisions of Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu. According to weather officials, more major storms are set to impact the Pacific Islands. Five people have already lost their lives, with two additional unconfirmed fatalities, and thousands more have sought safety in more than 100 evacuation centres on Viti Levu. The Fiji Red Cross Society has played a vital role in planning for and meeting the humanitarian needs of many of those displaced during this emergency. â€Å"The Fiji Red Cross Society has taken a proactive role in monitoring this dangerous situation and providing the necessary assistance to affected populations,† says the society’s disaster coordinator Vuli Gauna. â€Å"Assessments are underway, and we’ve already sent our emergency response teams into impacted communities with essential relief supplies for families most affected by the floods. If more assistance is needed, we stand ready to help.† Emergency teams In the coming days, distributions of relief supplies will likely include clothing, cooking items, eating utensils, water collection containers, and tools for temporary shelter such as tarpaulins etc.The Fiji Red Cross Society has 19 pre-positioned containers ready for distributions of emergency items. â€Å"We work as an important part of a mandated coordinated disaster response network in Fiji,† says Fiji Red Cross Society director general Alison Cupit. â€Å"We are based in communities throughout the islands and our volunteers work with the government and other partners on both preparedness and response to significant disasters. This collaboration is an essential component of our ability to serve those who need our help.† Especially the families in the western division of Fiji â€Å"Viti Levu†. women’s crisis centre society. Our next subject or topic we’ll be talkin about is on â€Å"womens crisis centre†. womens crisis centre is a society which is there to help you womens only with anything that makes you feel offended or makes you feel that it is a crisis.Even if it is a lilttle thing? and it makes you feel offended they will try their best to make you feel safe,secured and supported . what makes you feel unsafe in this world? what makes you scared and unsecured? is it the looks of men? sound of their voice? movement of their body? the way they touch you? even if it is a small thing and it makes you feel unsafe â€Å"Fiji’s Women’s Crisis Centre† fiji red cross society Beauty queen of only eighteen She had some trouble with herself He was always there to help her She always belonged to someone else I drove for miles and miles And wound up at your door I’ve had you so many times but somehow I want more I don’t mind spending everyday Out on your corner in the pouring rain Look for the girl with the broken smile Ask her if she wants to stay awhile And she will be loved She will be loved Tap on my window knock on my door I want to make you feel beautiful I know I tend to get so insecure It doesn’t matter anymore It’s not always rainbows and butterflies It’s compromise that moves us along, yeah My heart is full and my door’s always open You can come anytime you want I don’t mind spending everyday Out on your corner in the pouring rain Look for the girl with the broken smile Ask her if she wants to stay awhile And she will be loved And she will be loved And she will be loved And she will be loved I know where you hide Alone in your car Know all of the things that make you who you are I know that goodbye means nothing at all Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls Tap on my window knock on my door I want to make you feel beautiful I don’t mind spending everyday Out on your corner in the pouring rain Look for the girl with the broken smile Ask her if she wants to stay awhile And she will be loved And she will be loved And she will be loved And she will be loved [in the background] Please don’t try so hard to say goodbye Please don’t try so hard to say goodbye Yeah [softly] I don’t mind spending everyday Out on your corner in the pouring rain Try so hard to say goodbyeTop of Form Bottom of Form ————————————————- Top of Form Enter artist/album/so Shorty get down, good Lord Baby got them open up all over town Strictly biz she don’t play around Cover much ground, got game by the pound Getting paid is a forte Each and every day true player way I can’t get her outta my mind I think about the girl all the time I like the way you work it No diggity, I got to bag it up Baby I like the way you work it, No diggity, I got to bag it up Baby, I like the way you work it No diggity, I got to bag it up Baby I like the way you work it No diggity, I got to bag it up I like the way you work it No diggity, I got to bag it up Babe I like the way you work it No diggity, I got to bag it up My Worst Nightmare By Dream Healer Weeouw alk again, how to cope with day-to-day life while carrying around a gaping hole and the ridiculously heavy weight of a broken heart. Never had my faith brought up so many questions, yet at the same time become all I had. Learning to walk again seemed an impossible task. What do you do when the bottom falls out of your life? When you’re left alone and your heart has been smashed to pieces? â€Å"Guard your heart† we’re warned for good reason – when your heart is in complete brokenness, life is beyond difficult. But this wasn’t anything I could have guarded against. My husband, my best friend, gone. Everything changed for the worse. I wanted to run away but I had nowhere to run to where my grief would not follow. I didn’t believe I could ever feel any better. I knew hope that I would one day be in heaven, but had little hope of any day until then being any easier than the complete desperation I knew. God’s promise to be â€Å"close to the broken-hearted’ got me through the day, but His promise to â€Å"heal the broken-hearted† was something I’d have to wait for heaven for – wasn’t it? Every morning I’d wake again to the reality that he wasn’t there. It wasn’t just a bad dream. â€Å"God, you’re going to have to help me through today,† I’d whisper through the tears. Every night when I fell into bed at a ridiculous hour, I would soak my pillow with more tears. The day may have been agony, but God had been there. â€Å"You don’t deserve this,† said a friend. The words hit me. Just as I hadn’t done anything to deserve the beauty of my relationship with Ems, neither was this about what I did or didn’t deserve. From the start I knew that, horrendous as it was, this must be about something much bigger than us. Asking â€Å"why?† was a futile waste of energy but knowing that there was an answer, even if I didn’t know it, gave me peace and purpose. The strength that would be mine as time went on wasn’t through any training of my own but through the tear-stained surrender each morning. Living one day at a time, I would slowly see glimmers of purpose as God allowed my brokenness to reach out to others. Though a world away from life before, once that purpose became more important than my comfort, I would learn to live again. Not even the grave could conquer my experience of knowing what it is to love and be loved. And now I know that, like in the back of that campervan on that beautiful day, my eyes can again well up with the anticipation of a brighter day and the adventure ahead. Watch this video of Ruthie sharing her story at our event at Momentum 2012: We found God in a hopeless place. In April this year I moved from London to Cornwall which has been a dream of mine for years. I can’t emphasise enough how huge this was for me. I was happier than I ever thought possible. I kept pinching myself because I couldn’t believe it had happened. I had handed in my notice at work and was longing for the day when I didn’t have to manage stressful IT projects which I was finding more and more soul destroying. Finally I was to have the life of my dreams, living in Cornwall with a fulfilling job and a little dog to take for walks on the beach – bliss. I had to move with my 81 year old Dad as I had been living with him for 5 years since Mum died, but he was all for it, looking forward to seeing out his life by the sea and the house we bought had a lovely sea view. My only child, my son Toby who was 23 had been living with us for the past year, and we gave him the option to come with us but all his friends were in Cambridge where he had attended University so he went to lodge with a friend and I said I would pay his rent for 6 months until he found a job and could stand on his own two feet. I felt this was a chance for him to finally be independent and make a life of his own. But then it all came crashing down and I still can’t quite take it in. On Sunday July 10th a young policeman knocked on my door at precisely 10 p.m. I know the time as a movie ‘Marley and Me’ had just finished and I was watching the highlights of the British Grand Prix. It was just like a scene from a TV programme where they tell you to sit down and in that moment you know your life will never be the same again. He told me that my beautiful 23 year old son was dead, and in the next sentence he added that he had taken his own life. I didn’t fall to the floor in hysterics as I would have thought. I just immediately went into shock and had to go and tell my Dad upstairs who thought I was so upset because of the end of Marley and Me, where the dog dies. I was pacing up and down muttering and putting the kettle on just in shock. But not once did I scream or cry or break down and I kept commenting on the fact. I kept asking this young policeman why I wasn’t on the floor sobbing. The next 3 weeks I just got on with seeing my son’s body, meeting his friends, arranging his funeral, having an endoscopy, going to the dentist, having the chimney swept, driving from Cornwall to Cambridge and back again twice. How did I do that?. I bought a puppy as I was so scared that if I didn’t have anything to live for when I got back that I would just walk out into the sea and end it all. It is the ultimate irony that suicide can cause suicidal thoughts for the loved ones left behind, where there never had been any before. Then on August 2nd I took my Dad for a routine check up and was told in the hospital waiting room that he had a tumour in his bladder and that it was cancerous. This can’t be happening I thought but it was. So now it is December 7th and Dad is gone too and I am all alone. Dad died on November 19th, I had to go to my son’s inquest on November 25th and hear how he had been found in a field with a bag over his head, then arrange my Dad’s funeral. So that is all behind me but what does it mean for me now. How do I process all this and get on with my life. Some days it is all just too huge and I feel scared. Other days I just get up, take the dog out, have lunch and go about my day and feel numb, devoid of any emotion. I am scared that if I let the emotion in it will devour me and there will be nothing left. Everyone keeps telling me how brave I am, how amazing I am, how strong I am? Am I? I just think I get up every day and breath in and out until it is time to go to bed. What other option do I have? So this blog will chart my journey into the unknown. How does a 55 year old woman, alone with no parents, no children, no partner rebuild her life and find meaning and purpose out of loss and tragedy. Watch this space.