Service Encounter Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Service Encounter Journal - Assignment Example The service is easily accessible and the customer chooses on the basis of his requirements but the stock is limited at times and one has to choose from the products available. Moreover the shipping costs are high. My reaction was normal. I needed the bed and I got one but the bidding procedure irritated me. I was somewhat satisfied but was worried of the extra shipping cost I had to incur. However the exchange terms were good. I am undecided about my return decision as it depends upon the urgency of my requirement. If I felt to buy something without taking the trouble of going to a shop, I may search the product at ebay. However, my decision to buy may involve the cost at home and the cost at any retail shop. The more preferable would be the one that offers less cost with more attractive replacement package. My encounter with Adobe Inc. was an above average contact service. I had to go through some pdf files while my adobe reader got corrupted. I instantly typed the web site and searched for the required software. I got it instantly and free of cost. I felt glad and overwhelmed by the fact that if I encounter any problem with adobe I can have the solution instantly. The website offers superior customer service by segregating different types of customers and providing relevant software. My satisfaction resulted due to the fact the most commonly needed software like adobe reader are provided without any cost. It’s a fact that no operating system can operate fully without adobe softwares. Whether it is Photoshop, flash work or pdf files, we need the product but the most overwhelming feeling results due to the fact that all of them are so easily accessible and the most common are offered free of cost. So there is no question of not visiting the site when one needs any of its software. I think it’s the first choice and most probably the last too. My encounter to Valvoline was a below average contact service. Whenever

Psychology in Silence of the Lambs Essay Example for Free

Psychology in Silence of the Lambs Essay The Silence of the Lambs 1991 Director Jonathan Demme Writer Thomas Harris Cinematographer Tak Fujimoto Jodie Foster Clarice Starling Anthony Hopkins Dr. Hannibal Lecter AKA Hannibal the Cannibal Scott Glenn -Jack Crawford Ted Levine -Jame Gumb AKA Buffalo Bill Theme can be defined as a central insight. According to the authors of The Art of Watching Films, a theme in a literary work or film should be universal and should be one that challenges people (Boggs Petric, 2008). The Silence of the Lambs shows that peoples search for peace is universal. We see characters from all walks of life searching for peace. There is Clarice Starling, an FBI agent in training, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist incarcerated for murder and cannibalism, and Jame Gumb, AKA Buffalo Bill, a man driven to murder by his sexual identity crises. Each of these characters, in their own ways, search for peace throughout the film. (Demme, 1991) Clarice Starling, portrayed by Jodie Foster, is seen as the main character. She begins a sort of friendship with Dr. Hannibal Lecter, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, hen she is assigned to question him on the Buffalo Bill murder case. The two have much in common because they are both ostracized by society and both are searching for peace. Dr. Lecter is imprisoned and shunned by society for committing acts of cannibalism. Clarice is shunned in her own society because she is a woman in the FBI. We see her strive for peace and acceptance in this predominantly male society. We also see her struggle to find peace with her past. There are two scenes in the film that best depict Clarices search for peace. Ebert, 2001) The first scene where we see Clarice struggle to find peace in the world she wishes to inhabit is the one where she and her male boss, Crawford, go to examine the body of one of Buffalo Bills victims. Crawford suggests to a male officer that they shouldnt discuss the crime in front of a woman, Clarice. A close up of Crawford and the officer whispering and staring at Clarice is seen from her pe rspective. We as viewers see what she sees. We are brought into the film and we feel awkward Just as she does. This is an example of suture. Suture is the way a film maker draws us in. We, the viewers, become stitched into the fabric of the story (University of Wisconsin, 2013). Director Jonathan Demmes camera techniques compel us to adopt Clarices point of view above all others. We are accustomed to seeing things as she would see them. So when the direct angle changes and we are forced to look at Clarice head on in this scene, it us unnerving. As Crawtord and the officer look at ner wit n the eyes ot the audience, we feel the same anxiety she feels while being examined by the men around her. The next scene where we see Clarice search for peace, is the one in hich she discusses the films titular line. She is questioning Dr. Lecter, trying to gain some knowledge that can help her locate Buffalo Bills next victim, Catherine Martin. Hannibal agrees to answer the questions, but only if she reveals information about her childhood. Clarice recounts the story of living on a farm and being awakened by awful screaming. When she goes to investigate the noise, she sees lambs being led to slaughter. Her instinct is to free them, but they wont move. In vain, she tries to carry one away but it is too heavy for her. She cant save it. Dr. Lecter says to her; mfou still wake up sometimes, dont you? You wake up in the dark and hear the screaming of the lambs. Clarice admits this is true. He then continues; And you think if you save poor Catherine, you could make them stop, dont you? You think if Catherine lives, you wont wake up in the dark ever again to that awful screaming of the lambs(Demme, 1991). Clarice claims she doesnt know and it is possible she truly doesnt, but we can see in her face that wants it to be true. We see the pain in her ace and her desire to be released from the screaming and find peace. Director Jonathan Demme lets us connect with the characters by shattering the fourth wall. He positions the camera so Clarice is essentially talking to the audience in extreme close up shots. This technique instills her anguish into the audience. Clarice then becomes more demanding, asking for the killers name but before Hannibal can answer Dr. Frederick Chilton informs her its time to go. She is nearly dragged out of the room, but breaks free to run back to Hannibals cage and retrieve her case files. The visual style up to this point in the scene has been dark, but when Clarice rushes to the cage, there is light illuminating Hannibal. Clarice running towards this light represents her search for peace. She is hoping the clues left by Dr. Lecter in the case files will enable her to catch the killer, save the kidnapped girl, and stop the lambs from screaming. The Silence of the Lambs is traditionally considered a horror film. However, it is more than that. It is a great reference to sociology because it touches on so many topics important to people (Kim, 2010). Throughout the movie we see motifs of transformation and gender roles, but it is the theme of searching for peace that really speaks to us. This type of film serves the purpose of making us look inward. It forces us to identify our fears and what we are willing to do in order to find our own peace in the end. The theme is evident in the writing, but it is the vision, the use of dark and light, and camera techniques of director Jonathan Demme that truly bring it to focus. Reterences (2013). What is Suture? University of Wisconsin.

Introduction Why Use OPNET Modeler Computer Science Essay

Introduction Why Use OPNET Modeler Computer Science Essay OPNET Modeler is a very good tool for network designing and simulation. OPNET Modeler was selected because most of the wired and wireless network components are available in the OPNET 15.0 Modeler. In this version a number of different models can be created to simulate, analyze and compare their results. This chapter explains how the different wired and wireless network has been designed and simulated in OPNET Modeler. In this project different scenario for Ethernet, DSL, Wi-Fi, and WiMAX in two different projects has been created in OPNET Modeler 15.0 . There is also a comparison between the wired and wireless networks. The Ethernet network is compared with the Wi-Fi network and the DSL network is compared with the WiMAX network. Overview of OPNET Modeler OPNET stands for Optimized Network Engineering Tool. The OPNET Modeler is a very powerful tool for the network modeling and simulation. The purpose of the OPNET Modeler is to optimize cost, efficiency, performance, viability and scalability characteristics of the network. In addition OPNET Modeler has a huge library of nodes(fixed, mobile or satellite), links(simplex, duplex, wired or wireless), and subnets, which are used to design and simulate network configuration, protocols, traffic and end user applications. OPNET Modeler has three hierarchical levels or editors. These are Project Editor Project editor is also known as network editor. The project editor is the key staging area for modeling a network simulation. In the project editor a network can be created by using the nodes, link, and subnets from the standard library, then select statistics, run the simulation and view the results of the network. FIGURE: Node Editor To built models of nodes the node editor is used. Node editor specifies the internal structure of the network node. The node includes workstations, satellite terminals, switches, and remote sensors. The OPNET node has a modular structure. The packets and status information are exchanged between modules which are connected via packet streams or statistic wires. Every module performs specific function, such as generating packets, processing packets, transmitting and receiving packets or queuing packets. FIGURE Process Editor The process editor is used to design process models, which controls the basic functionality of node models generated in the node editor. The process models are represented by Finite State Machines (FSMs). The FSMs are generated with icons, which show states and lines which shows transitions between states. The process models are expressed in C or C++ language. Figure In this chapter four different scenarios are discussed. These are Scenario1: Ethernet Network Model In this scenario a new wired network for Ethernet is created in OPNET Modeler as shown in figure. This scenario is created for campus network. In this scenario seven workstations are connected to the switch. With the help of a router the switch is connected to the server. The switch is connected to the router which is connected to the server. Ethernet links are used to connect all these nodes with each other. The server provides different applications used for the workstations. For this network model we also need to define the applications and profiles by adding a node for the application and profile. The workstations are associated with the profiles in order to use different applications. H:snapshots 1ETHERNET.bmp Figure Ethernet Network Model The nodes used in this scenario is Node Name Description Applications Profiles Server Router Switch Workstation How to configure Nodes The configuration of each node is as follow Application Configuration The application configuration is the most important node in the network design. By default the application configuration has a maximum of sixteen services, which are supported by the OPNET Modeler. These are http, ftp, e-mail, print etc. In this scenario the default services are selected as shown in the figure To configure the application node right click on it, select Edit Attributes a dialogue box will open. Change the name field value to application. Expand the Application Definitions row, select the default option while left other setting at default as shown in the figure. H:SNAPSHOT22)ETHERNET APPLICATIN CONFIG.bmp Figure: Ethernet Application Configuration Profile Configuration The profile configuration allows us to define a user or a group of user to the application services supported by the network. For this scenario one profile is defined namely shahid. The profile node can be configured by expanding the profile configuration row. Define the profile namely shahid also define the applications and change the operation mode to simultaneous while left the other setting at default as shown in figure To configure the profile configuration right click on it, select Edit Attributes a dialogue box will appear. Change the name field value to profiles. Expand the profile configuration row, select edit. Then define the profile namely shahid also define the applications and change the operation mode to simultaneous while left the other setting at default as shown in figure. H:SNAPSHOT22)ETHERNET PROFILE CONFIG2.bmp Figure: Ethernet Profile Configuration Server Configuration The server can generate the applications traffic such as http, ftp, e-mail, print etc. This traffic can be sent to the workstations with the help of router and switch which are connected through Ethernet links. In the server configuration, three applications supported services were defined namely http, ftp, and e-mail while all other settings are left at default as shown in figure. H:SNAPSHOT22)ETHERNET SERVER.bmp Figure Ethernet Server Configuration Workstation Configuration The workstation can also generate the applications traffic, which can be sent to the server through the network to the server. The workstation can be configured by selecting the Application Supported Profiles namely shahid while left all the other parameters at default as shown in the figure. H:SNAPSHOT22)ETHERNET WKSTN CONFIG.bmp Figure: Ethernet Workstation Configuration Router and Switch The functions of both the router and switch are almost the same. Both are forwarding the traffic to the end nodes. The router and switch are connected to each other through Ethernet link. Scenario2: WLAN Network Model In scenario 2 a wireless network model for WLAN is created in OPNET Modeler as shown in figure. This scenario is also created for the campus network. This scenario is similar to scenario1 with slight changes. In scenario2 the switch of scenario 1 is replaced with the wireless access point (AP) and also the workstations are replaced with the wireless LAN workstations. The main function of the wireless access point is to transmit and receive the wireless signals. The access point is connected to the router which is then connected to the server through Ethernet link as shown in figure. C:Usersshahid aliDesktopUntitlrgregreeddfgdfg.png Figure: WLAN Network Model The nodes used in scenario2 is Node Name Description Applications Profiles Server Router Wireless Access Point Wireless LAN Workstations The configuration of all the nodes except the wireless access point (AP) and wireless workstations are the same which are discussed in scenario1. The configuration of the wireless access point (AP) and the wireless workstations are as follow. Wireless access point (AP) configuration The wireless access point (AP) transmits and receives the wireless signals. The wireless access point can be configured by expanding the wireless LAN parameters. The access point functionality should be enabled so that this node can transmit the wireless signals. The BSS Identifier value is set to 0. If there is another wireless access point (AP) in the network then its BSS Identifier value must be different. The other setting is left at default as shown in figure. H:SNAPSHOT22)WLAN AP CONFIG.bmp Figure: WLAN Wireless Access Point (AP) Configuration Workstation configuration The workstation configuration is the same as the workstation configuration in scenario1. But in this scenario the BSS identifier value for the workstations is also defined. The BSS Identifier value is set to 0. This value must be the same as the wireless access point BSS Identifier value. The access point functionality is disabled for the workstations. The remaining settings are left at default as shown in figure. H:SNAPSHOT22)WLAN WKSTN APLICATION AND WIRELASS CONFIG.bmp Figure: WLAN Workstations Configuration Scenario3: DSL Network Model In this scenario a wired network model is created for the DSL using the OPNET Modeler. In this scenario four workstations are connected to the switch through the Ethernet links. The switch is connected to DSL modem. The DSL modem is connected to the DSLAM via the DSL links. The type of DSL used for this scenario is Asymmetric DSL (ADSL). The ADSL has a high downstream data rate than the upstream data rate. The function of the DSLAM is to linked several users to the high speed backbone network. The DSL modem is used to send and receive signals. The DSL modem has internal signal splitter that carries voice signal on the low frequencies and carries data signal above that frequencies. With the help of IP cloud the DSLAM is connected to the server via the PPP link. The figure shows the DSL network model. C:Usersshahid aliDesktopSHANPSHOT33DSL.bmp Figure: DSL Network Model The nodes and links used in scenario3 are Node/Link Name Description Applications Profiles Server Router Switch Workstation IP Cloud DSLAM DSL modem PPP Link DSL Link Ethernet Link The configuration of each node and applications taken for this scenario is the same as discussed in scenario1 and scenario2. For scenario3 the profile name is different, here the profile name is SHAH. Scenario4: WiMAX Network Model In scenario4 a wireless network model for the WiMAX is created using OPNET Modeler. This scenario is the same to scenario3 but there is a slight changes. A new node is added for the WiMAX configuration. Without this node the WiMAX network will not work. In this scenario the DSL modem is replaced with the WiMAX basestation, the switch is replaced with the subscriber station and the workstations are replaced with the wireless workstations. The WiMAX basestation will transmits the wireless signal over a long distance. The subscriber station which is found at the costumer site receives this signal, which is then sent to the wireless workstations. The subscriber station and the WiMAX basestation communicate through air interface-. The WiMAX basestation is communicating to the server through the ip cloud and router via PPP link. The figure shows WiMAX network model. C:Usersshahid aliDesktopSHANPSHOT33WIMAX.bmp Figure: WiMAX Network Model The nodes and links used for scenario4 are Node/Link Name Description Applications Profiles Wimax config Server Router Ip cloud WiMAX basestation Subscriber station Workstation Link

Freedom of Thought in Solzhenitsyns One Day in the Life of Ivan Deniso

There are many definitions of the term "freedom." Some will say that to be free one must be allowed to do as one pleases in terms of one's physical body, while others will say that one must only be able to think to be truly free. Yet another group will argue that both aspects must be present for true freedom to exist. In many of his books, but specifically One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn deals with the idea that the mind is not truly free. He believed that since there is an inherent desire for approval within the human race, any thoughts that agree with the values of society cannot be deemed free thinking since the thinker could simply be searching for approval. Some critics believe that "this implies a double standard on freedom of thought," and that "freedom is inherent in the very process of thought" (Fink 1). Solzhenitsyn believed that it was nearly impossible to have truly free thoughts under the prison camp conditions described in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, or in any situation where there is an authoritarian ruler. In a pris... Freedom of Thought in Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Deniso There are many definitions of the term "freedom." Some will say that to be free one must be allowed to do as one pleases in terms of one's physical body, while others will say that one must only be able to think to be truly free. Yet another group will argue that both aspects must be present for true freedom to exist. In many of his books, but specifically One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn deals with the idea that the mind is not truly free. He believed that since there is an inherent desire for approval within the human race, any thoughts that agree with the values of society cannot be deemed free thinking since the thinker could simply be searching for approval. Some critics believe that "this implies a double standard on freedom of thought," and that "freedom is inherent in the very process of thought" (Fink 1). Solzhenitsyn believed that it was nearly impossible to have truly free thoughts under the prison camp conditions described in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, or in any situation where there is an authoritarian ruler. In a pris...

Customer Service Essay

You are provided to answer the following questions either orally or written as agreed with your lecturer. Please write your answers very clearly. If you do not understand any of the questions please ask your lecturer for defined explanation Why is it necessary to clearly identify, before designing product and service offerings, customer needs, and what are some of the less obvious service aspects that might inform purchasing decisions? What are the questions that all customers ask themselves (consciously or subconsciously) before they commit to a purchase and how is the presented product/ service bundle likely to affect a customer’s purchasing decision? Being able to provide good customer service is not an innate skill. It requires that employees receive appropriate training and learn to understand their role/s with regard to customer service. This applies to those employees who are in direct contact with customers and those who have no direct contact with customers. Employees who have good customer service skills will generally encounter fewer complaints. Describe the ways in which employees can learn the skills needed to provide good customer service. In any organisation there are both internal and external customers. These  are all part of the customer–supplier chain. For the customer/ end-user to receive quality products/ services it is necessary that all aspects of the customer–supply chain meet specific quality objectives. Who actually sets these quality standards and how are they set? How can an organisation encourage suppliers—both internal and external—to participate in actively ensuring quality standards are maintained so that fewer customer complaints are likely? How can you collect customer feedback about customer service levels, their satisfaction with products and services and any complaints they might have? Identify and explain the stages that should be followed when dealing with a customer complaint. Identify and explain the steps in the problem-solving process.

To what extent and in what ways is Fitzgerald purely critical of Gatsby?

Dreams are a large part of â€Å"The Great Gatsby†, both in the wider sense and in terms of individuals, and Gatsby is the character whose dream is focussed on the most. It is difficult to tell what Fitzgerald truly thinks, due to the fact that he uses Nick as the narrator – meaning the reader finds it hard to separate their feelings. However, by looking at how he presents the characters in the novel, and the society as a whole, we can perhaps see what Fitzgerald thinks about Gatsby's dreams in the novel. Fitzgerald's views are presented ambiguously in the novel, with the comparison to the rest of society being the main point against the title views, and the presentation of Daisy and materialism perhaps being the main arguments to support the statement in the title. One way in which Fitzgerald shows his views to the reader is in his presentation of Gatsby's dream itself, otherwise known as Daisy. From the beginning of the novel, she is presented by Fitzgerald as a rather annoying, simple character who seems to have very few redeeming qualities about her other than her looks. From her simple and repeated dialogue â€Å"Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it†, the reader is made to feel that Daisy has very little substance to her character, with the exception of her â€Å"low, thrilling† voice. Despite the reader having a screen in front of Fitzgerald's viewpoint in terms of Nick as the narrator, who clearly Fitzgerald intends to show as somewhat drawn to Daisy, we are still able to see that the only characteristics of Daisy's that are praised seem to be superficial. Therefore, when we are told that this woman has been Gatsby's dream and who he has built his life around for the past five years, it perhaps makes us question whether Fitzgerald is trying to portray Daisy as worthwhile of this dedication. This doubt arises I feel that if Fitzgerald was applauding Gatsby's dream of Daisy, he perhaps may have presented her as a more likeable, intelligent character with qualities that could easily be admired universally. As a result of this portrayal of Daisy, I believe it shows Fitzgerald to be mainly critical of Gatsby and his dream. However, this could depend on the era that the individual is based in – readers today could find Daisy as more of an annoyance due to the change in women's roles, in that today women are far more independent and take far more responsibility than they did in the 1920's. Daisy's apparent simple nature may therefore annoy modern readers more than in the past as we are less able to understand that this was how women were expected to be in the 1920's. Nevertheless, even taking these time changes into account I believe that Fitzgerald still intended Daisy to appear perhaps lacking in typical good qualities to highlight a potential point about Gatsby's dream. However, Daisy's apparent lack of appeal as a character could be used by Fitzgerald to portray Gatsby's dream in a better light, if we look from the angle of his loyalty to Daisy. The way that Gatsby has stayed so faithful and loyal to his dream to be with Daisy, despite (in our eyes) the fact that she is not worth it, could show that Fitzgerald is praising his dream as a cause of this admirable quality in Gatsby's character. This would go against the statement that Fitzgerald is purely critical of his dreams, as it would imply that they bring out the best in people. However, the other interpretation of Gatsby's loyalty could support the title statement, as Fitzgerald at times implies that Gatsby is foolish for holding on to the memory of Daisy, and building her up to such a high status in his mind. An example of this is when Fitzgerald writes â€Å"and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath†. Although it is implied that it is Gatsby who says the words, I still believe it shows Fitzgerald's dislike of Gatsby's attitude towards Daisy by making the phrase so exaggerated – it implies that he is blinded by his past perceptions of her, in addition to the actual phrase that seems to imply Gatsby is foolish for putting all his hopes into someone who could leave him. I believe that in this way Fitzgerald is criticising Gatsby's dream because of how he holds it in his mind and how it affects him. Another aspect that could show that Fitzgerald is critical is how he links Gatsby's dream of Daisy to material objects and status. Throughout the novel, he creates the impression that these two things are intertwined in Gatsby's mind with his dream of being with Daisy. He describes her voice as â€Å"full of money†, and shows off his house to her, lingering on his wardrobe with the â€Å"pile of shirts [†¦ ] in many coloured disarray†. The first quote shows how Gatsby links Daisy with money in his mind, and as a result of this Fitzgerald makes the reader question whether it is really Daisy he wants or if it is the social status that she represents to him. The close link to materialism in his dream can also be seen in the section where Gatsby shows Daisy his shirts, where he is literally trying to prove himself to her using what he owns. They are even described as a â€Å"rich heap†, which I believe could be a play on words by Fitzgerald – obviously â€Å"rich† in terms of the colours of the shirts, but also literally â€Å"rich† as perhaps this is what the shirts mean to the characters. The description is also given as a list – the frequent repetition of the word â€Å"and† in the paragraph also implies that Gatsby is showing off as much of his material worth as he can. I think both of these things are a criticism of Gatsby's dream by Fitzgerald, as it seems as if he is trying to say that this love he has had for Daisy all these years is really fuelled by status and money – a criticism because it therefore becomes even less of a worthwhile dream. It also appears to be critical as these links would imply that Gatsby has spent all this time chasing after a somewhat empty dream, as he has money and a certain amount of status in his community. It could also give the impression that Fitzgerald feels that Gatsby may never feel that his dream has been completely fulfilled if it is status that he wishes to have. This point could be linked to Fitzgerald's overall views about dreams in America at that point, as he could be trying to say that these people who think that material objects and status will make them happy (perhaps those people who were or are enticed by a vision of the American Dream) will never be truly happy as there will always be somebody richer, more popular or at a higher status than themselves. If the reader links this point to Fitzgerald's feelings about Gatsby's dream, it would indicate that he is critical of it for the most part. A second quote that could show that Fitzgerald is critical of this intense build-up of dreams is on page 93; â€Å"No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man can store up in his ghostly heart†. I believe that this quote is Fitzgerald telling the reader that what is there in reality can never match our dreams – in Gatsby's case, that the real life Daisy can never live up to the image he has stored of her in his heart and mind, the realistic approach being represented by the â€Å"fire† and â€Å"freshness†. Again, I believe that this is also referring to dreams in general, and how it is so often the case that dreams are not always so amazing in reality, and can often disappoint – and could perhaps be a specific reference to the â€Å"American Dream† and how, for many people, this is not as amazing as it is built up to be when achieved. This seems critical from Fitzgerald, both of Gatsby's dream and of dreams universally as he appears to be making the point that dreams are often built up and aimed too high – perhaps giving false hope. Although there are many aspects throughout the book that indicate Fitzgerald is solely critical of Gatsby's dream, by giving us the comparison to the rest of the East Coast society, parts of the novel seem to be suggesting that this is not the case. Throughout the novel, the residents of the East and West Eggs have been presented by Fitzgerald as very materialistic – living for objects, and trivial gossip, rather than people or feelings. Mrs Wilson describes how she knew Mr Wilson wasn't right for her when she discovered he had â€Å"borrowed somebody's best suit† to get married in – showing the focus on objects rather than feelings in the society. Therefore, amongst the gossiping and whispering (for example at Gatsby's parties), to have Gatsby focused on someone and loyal to someone for an extended period of time makes for a very refreshing comparison. Fitzgerald is therefore showing to the reader how having dreams can make you a better person, and almost more real in comparison to the rest of the society, which has been portrayed as somewhat fake by Fitzgerald. In this sense, it would go against the statement that Fitzgerald is purely critical of Gatsby's dream, as this seem to be a positive side to his dreams. Another element of the novel that could be seen to contradict the title statement is also a comparison between Gatsby and the rest of the East Coast society. We are shown throughout the novel how many of the residents do not seem to care about anything, anyone or consequences of their actions. An example of this is Jordan, who confesses to Nick that she feels she can avoid being careful whilst driving because â€Å"other people will keep out of† her way. This shows a disregard for the consequences of her actions and of other people and can be seen to be representative of many of the upper class people on the East Coast – expecting everyone else to comply with the rules and regulations but disregarding them themselves. Again, in this way Gatsby is definitely a contrast – he obviously cares about something, which is the first main difference that I believe Fitzgerald wants us to see. In addition to this, Gatsby has been shown to think very carefully about the consequences of his actions – for example when he re-enters Nick's house after Daisy arrives to make it appear as if he has not been waiting. Whilst this could be seen as somewhat calculating, I believe Fitzgerald intended it as another comparison to the rest of society, as it again uplifting for the reader to see that at least one character is concerned about the effect his actions might have on others. This once more shows that the effect of Gatsby having a bigger dream and ambition in his life has led to him seemingly being portrayed as a better person. This aspect of the comparison would also contradict the title statement, as to me it seems that Fitzgerald wished for this positive difference to be shown – meaning that he would not be purely critical of Gatsby's dreams. A view that Fitzgerald seems to put across to contradict the belief that he is purely critical is when he links dreaming and dreams to vitality and life. More than once in the novel he describes Gatsby in terms of the life Daisy seems to give him – describing the â€Å"colossal vitality† of his dream and the two of them as â€Å"possessed by intense life†. Both of these quotes seem to imply that Fitzgerald dreaming is natural, and is almost what makes you human. More specifically, the way that Fitzgerald implies that reaching his dream has given Gatsby life makes it seem as if we are completed by our dreams and that finally having Daisy in his life has completed Gatsby. Considering that Gatsby has already what many people might dream of – a lot of money and a mansion, the fact that it has taken his sentimental dream based on feelings and love to give him life seems a very positive view from Fitzgerald. It also links to the earlier comparison between Gatsby and the rest of the East Coast society that we view, as this clearly shows that Gatsby puts more emphasis on emotions and feelings than many of the other people. These quotes from the book could possibly be taken as negative, as it could perhaps be seen as somewhat pathetic that Gatsby relies on somebody else (and, as mentioned earlier, particularly Daisy) to complete his happiness, meaning that Fitzgerald would perhaps view Gatsby as foolish. However, I believe that the way Fitzgerald has tried to make Gatsby's dreams and feelings seem more natural are a direct pointer to how dreaming is a part of human nature, and as such, he is not criticising Gatsby's dream at this point. Due to Fitzgerald's seeming disregard for Daisy in the novel, I believe that he is critical of Gatsby's dream to be with her. However, I believe the other aspects of his presentation linking to dreams in a wider context prevent this view from seeming as if he is purely critical of it – the way that he suggests dreams are important to human nature and separate Gatsby from the crowd imply that Fitzgerald finds dreaming admirable, to an extent. For him to be purely critical I believe that he would have to feel purely critical of dreaming in general, which I believe not to be the case. Therefore, I believe the conclusion that Fitzgerald is critical to an extent is far more feasible and takes into account the more positive aspects of dreaming that he seems to incorporate and believe in.

How Do the Authors Develop Atmosphere and Mood in the Stories The Red Room, The Signalman, The Club-Footed Grocer Essay Example

How Do the Authors Develop Atmosphere and Mood in the Stories The Red Room, The Signalman, The Club How Do the Authors Develop Atmosphere and Mood in the Stories The Red Room, The Signalman, The Club-Footed Grocer Paper How Do the Authors Develop Atmosphere and Mood in the Stories The Red Room, The Signalman, The Club-Footed Grocer Paper Essay Topic: Literature The Hound of the Baskervilles All of the authors of these stories use heavy atmosphere and mood, however they have developed it using different methods, ways and styles to develop variable psychological effects from using devices like fear, shock, surprise or an unexpected twist in the plot from unsuspected occurrences. Each of these nineteenth stories common similarity is that pathetic fallacy is used to accentuate the weather, scenarios and environments and that they are all of the same Victorian era, particularly at this time ghostly mysterious tales were very popular. The Red Room was written by H. G. Wells in the late Victorian era of the eighteenth century and was published from his Completed Stories by Saint Martins Press. It is clearly written in first person narrative shown by the opening sentence; I can assure you, said I, that it will take a very tangible ghost to frighten me This instantly shows the man to be very strong willed, this therefore helping to set an unnerving mood later on in the story, when he becomes afraid of a mysterious presence, although he is certain nothing supernatural can happen, which is hubris. In this story Wells plays upon the basic human fear of the unknown. The storys main character reasons with himself constantly, continually trying to assert and re-assert that nothing of the supernatural can happen, in a very rational way. Eventually, through the course of the story this rational behaviour gradually becomes quite erratic. My mind, however, was perfectly clear. This demonstrates that he was calm and is the base of the emotional build up to his questioning of the possibility: I postulated quite unreservedly that that nothing supernatural could happen The character states this near the start of the story showing the contrast between his gradual descent into a mentally tortured condition where he is compelled to repeatedly reassert himself; with my hand in the pocket that held my revolver with the hand is a quote that I find quite strange. He says he has a gun, feeling in his pocket to reassure himself once again, but how could he shoot at something with no physical bod y, like a spectre, for instance? Wells develops the mood in this story by a very rationalised if somewhat facetious beginning, progressing the emotionally traumatic stages of the character; calmness to query, query to worry, worry to stress, stress to fright, and fright to an unconscious amnesia like state of the man who assures us; it will take a very tangible ghost to frighten me The Signalman The Signalman was written by Charles Dickens in 1860 for the Christmas edition of the magazine All the year round. This particular issue was a ghost story special, and subsequently sold very well. The Signalman is a partially gothic tale dealing with strange apparitions. The narrator of the tale tells of his visit to a strange signal-box where he meets the eponymous character, who explains these hauntings to him. The narrator describes it as; the mental torture of a conscientious man Dickens sets a rather strange mood and atmosphere by the situation he has given to the story. It is in an isolated valley where a lot of fog, mist and dampness gathers, obscuring the view, where spooky echoes ring through the tunnel. The cutting was extremely deep, and unusually precipitous. It was made through a clammy stone, that became oozier and wetter as I went down. These weather conditions that Dickens has chosen to use as a method of setting a very uneasy atmosphere, which he manages to do quite successfully at the very beginning of the story, help to create a fearful and strange scenario. The author also makes use of pathetic fallacy to accentuate the atmospheric conditions; steeped in t he glow of an angry sunset This is a very good example of the authors use of pathetic fallacy, due the fact that a sunset cannot be angry, as it does not have any ability to be emotional because it is simply a sunset. Dickens also uses mysterious phrases repetitively. For instance; Halloa, bellow there! whilst waving an arm in the air slowly is used throughout the story triggering a mystical fear in the signalman. This sets another mysterious element in the plot. The signalman is not under stress because of lack of intelligence to understand; I had proved the man to be intelligent, vigilant, painstaking and exact; but how long might he remain so, in his state of mind? which the traveller observes and realises, then ponders the potential consequences of what might happen if the mans stress continues to build, and therefore feels concern for the signalman. This consistent worry for the Signalmans welfare is another method of how Dickens builds up tension in the story, making the reader constantly feel concerne d for him, worried in case this mental strain leads to a nervous breakdown. We know from when the traveller observes the book collection that the Signalman has in his hut that he is intelligent. He has studied mathematics and literature in his spare time as shown in the text; He had taught himself a little language showing that he knows something of English literature, or possibly a foreign language, and seems to possess a quite overall well-rounded intellect because; He had also worked at fractions and decimals, this making the reader wonder why he is a signalman and not something more prestigious. This also adds to the stories strange and mysterious ambience. Dickens also uses irony in his tale to help create a sense of tension. The most important example of this is when then the visitor, and narrator of the story, offers to stay the night with the Signalman. However his offer is refused. The reader at this point knows that because the Signalman is on his own, something is bound to happen to him. The narrator has the ability to create a potential scenario that is not actually there due to the events in the story and how he speculates. The author also uses dashes in between statements to add speed and a sense of gripping tension from inside the The Hound of the Baskervilles The Hound of the Baskervilles was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in (year). He was born in Edinburgh in 1859 and died in 1930. He was a very popular author of the time writing stories for magazines, such as (example). The Hound of the Baskervilles is a much longer and more complexed tale with a far more delicately intricate plot in comparison to the other stories. This is due to the fact that is a novel of over a hundred pages contrasting with the other stories of approximately twenty pages, therefore the novel has more room to be detailed and feature lots of characters. The stories main theme is about a curse in which a giant hound kills of a member of the Baskerville family each generation and haunts the moors around the family Hall. The story is similarly written compared with The Club-Footed Grocer due to the fact that they are both written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Conan Doyle conveys the mood and atmosphere through using exceptionally detailed descriptions of the surroundings, and much usage of different weather patterns to set a certain ambience, all giving out a fairly tense and mysterious effect. The author also makes use of strange characters to make suspicion arise from within the mind of the reader. When Sherlock Holmes is having the night of Sir Charles Baskervilles death explained to him, the weather is said to be damp and raw giving an image that is quite unnerving. This is using imagery with the word raw, relating it to the dead body. Holmes is portrayed as extremely observant and intelligent. This makes the reader, even in scenes that are frightening and mysterious, feel reassured because they are sure, even though they do not know what is happening, that Sherlock does, which presents a strange kept on your toes atmosphere. (unfinished) The Club-Footed Grocer The Club-Footed Grocer is a complicated story that is quite difficult to grasp. The story is mostly told through colloquialised regional dialect, which the author uses to add a mysterious mood to the slowly unfolding scenario. The eponymous character of the tale is a strange man who has a curious problem with his foot and lower leg, and is also the uncle of one of the main characters. His accent, that is difficult to place, and his strange foot help to convey a sense of mystery and uncertainty to the reader, leaving them with probing questions in the back of their mind as to the reasons why. The atmosphere of the play begins its steady crescendo when the nephew meets his uncle. The lad is very nervous and has an element of scared uncertainty about him, as he has not met his uncle before. This must make him feel very daunted at the prospect of the introduction. Unlike the nephew who is shown as quite on edge to meet his uncle, quite contrarily the uncle is shown as very comfortable to meet his nephew, however has a sense of urgency about talking to the lad as made clear by what he says; So, nephew, said he, holding out his hand to make the first introductory move come in, come in man, quick, and dont leave the door open. This gives the reader the impression that the uncle is on the run from someone, who happen to be a gang of sailors later on as the plot thickens. The fact that Conan Doyle uses diamonds in his tale is due to the fact that in this storys contemporary era, then, as like now, diamonds were considered as very precious valuable objects, making the motives for the mans crime obvious. This is what the impression of the uncle not letting something on is, and is also given away by the uncles paranoia about security; He insists upon all of the doors and windows being securely fastened, despite the fact that he lives in out a long way into the countryside. The boy would also feel quite out of place.

The Tragedies That Ended the Life of the Star-Crossd Lovers

The Tragedies That Ended the Life of the Star-Crossd Lovers Free Online Research Papers The play Romeo and Juliet was written by William Shakespeare was filled with horrible mistakes caused my different characters. Is Romeo and Juliet a play that was filled by characters who did the wrong decision? Or was it fate? Where Romeo and Juliet really meant for each other? Or Just a coincidence? I believe it was just one wrong mistake after another that made this play such a tragedy. Many terrible mistakes made by certain people happened in the play that caused a tragic end. Some of these terrible mistakes where Friar Lawrence marrying Romeo and Juliet, his plan of faking Juliet’s death; Romeo slaying Tybalt; and the most crucial mistake of all: timing. Friar Lawrence made many mistakes in the play which lead to a tragic end. One of the terrible mistakes was marrying Romeo and Juliet. The idea of marrying Romeo and Juliet was the root of this tragic end. If Romeo and Juliet were not married by Friar Lawrence, none of these tragedies would have happened. Friar Lawrence made a bad choice marrying the couple because it was without the consent of their parents, and caused the death of both Romeo and Juliet. â€Å"A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life† (Prologue, Line 6) Capulets and Montagues where enemies that disliked each other; their parents would not have approved the marriage anyway. Friar Lawrence thought the marriage would help the families get a long. â€Å"For this alliance may so happy prove to turn your households rancor to pure love† (Act II Scene IV Line 91-92). It only caused the death of many people. Another tragic mistake that Friar Lawrence made was his whole plan. Friar Lawrence’s p lan was terribly thought out; it gave people the wrong message thinking Juliet was really dead. Romeo had sent a messenger to Verona to check on Juliet, but she was already â€Å"dead†. Romeo got the wrong message thinking Juliet was dead, and decided to kill himself. As a result of Friar Lawrence’s terrible decisions, Romeo and Juliet had to pay the ultimate price; their lives. Romeo made many terrible mistakes. Romeo killing Tybalt made it hard on him, his family, and Juliet. Romeo was banished from Verona because of the act of killing Tybalt. â€Å"Let Romeo hence in haste, else, when he is found, that hour is his last.† (Act III, Scene I, Line 190-191). Romeo was banished from Verona and went to Mantua, which made it hard for him to communicate with Juliet and Friar Lawrence to figure out the problem he was in at that time. Being banished from Verona made the letter that described the plan and how Romeo would come back arrived late. Romeo did not get mother died of grief from not being able to see her son. â€Å"Alas, my liege, my wife is dead tonight; grief of my son’s exile hath stopp’d her breath.† (Act VI, Scene III, Line 210-211). Many people suffered from Romeo’s actions and his banishment. Another serious mistake in the story was timing. Timing played a critical role in the story. Timing changed the plot of the play completely. If Romeo had waited a couple more seconds before drinking the poison, Juliet would have woken up. Romeo even thinks Juliet is alive because of the redness in her cheeks and the warmth in her lips. â€Å"Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks† (Act VI Scene III Line 95). If the letter that Friar Lawrence sent to Romeo arrived in time, Romeo would have known of the plan and not have killed himself. Instead he would have waited in Capulet’s tomb for Juliet to awake. â€Å"The letter was not nice but full of charge, of dear import, and the neglecting it may do much danger.† (Act VI Scene III Line 17-20). Another instance when timing was a huge factor of the play was when Friar Lawrence did not come in time to Capulet’s tomb after he had known that his letter did not arrive to Romeo. If Friar Lawrence had arrived and mad e it in time, he would have stopped Romeo from drinking the poison, and told him to wait for Juliet to wake. â€Å"Within this three hours will fair Juliet wake. She will beshrew me much that Romeo hath had no notice of these accidents† (Act VI Scene III Line 25-28). Timing played a critical role in the play, only seconds mattered for the life and death of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet were filled with terrible choices made by many characters that ended the life of the â€Å"star cross’d lovers† (Prologue, Line 6). Friar Lawrence marrying Romeo and Juliet, his terrible thought out plan, Romeo murdering Tybalt, and the most important mistake of all; timing. These are the major mistakes made by several characters in the play that produced the end result of a tragic end to the play. Romeo and Juliet was a play filled with many wrong decisions made by many characters in the play. Were Romeo and Juliet really meant for each other? Or was it really just a coincidence? Research Papers on The Tragedies That Ended the Life of the Star-Cross’d LoversHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionCapital PunishmentThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)The Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenWhere Wild and West MeetHip-Hop is Art

Paper 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paper 4 - Essay Example Regarded as one of the best rock climbers in the world, as of 2007 Chris Sharma had devoted the last nine years of his life to seeking the most challenging rock climb ever. Chris Sharma hails from Santacruz, California but spends less than a month there every year. You would most likely see this unassuming character poring over maps finding out about exotic locations in the most beautiful or remote parts of the world, where an almost impossible and near vertical rock surface awaits his assault. He is especially enthralled by rock formations overlooking the sea or even emerging out of them. Life is an unending journey of spontaneity where Chris feels at home in any part of the world, and the only thing that he lives for is the next best climb. Chris looks like he practices yoga and other eastern beliefs like transcendental meditation-because climbing begins from the inside, from the belief that you can do it. It takes a lot of training, practice and dedication. It is winning the battle from within and refusing to give up. As Chris Sharma says, sometimes a really challenging surface can take years to conquer. It took Chris the better part of four years t o develop and hone his skills and techniques before he realized that he could climb most surfaces with skill. Chris loves both bouldering- which is defined as climbing a short but difficult rock surface without ropes, and deep water soloing-which is defined as climbing a longer surface between 60 and 100 feet that has no safety net but water to cushion the fall. Chris maintains that climbing is an artistic pursuit that demands a lot of training and perfection. It helps you to be one with nature. Sport climbing on the other hand can be done in the safety of an indoor studio, with all the protection you need. Chris labels his challenges as projects. He looks carefully at the kind of surface he plans to climb, from the nature of the rock to the formation,

Critically discuss the importance of corporate sponsorship in the Essay - 1

Critically discuss the importance of corporate sponsorship in the events industry - Essay Example A general analysis of the importance of corporate sponsorship in events to the audience reveals that the audience is often in a position to gain, but these gains can be both positive and negative for the parties involved. On the positive perspective, there is issuance of presents and gifts that corporate sponsors often bring with them to woo and reward the audience into and for attending the sponsored event. This is a crucial aspect in that the audience gets to interact with what the corporates have to offer in terms of services and goods through their attendance and sponsorship. Moreover, it offers the corporate an opportunity to market and promote their products, services to the society thereby tapping into potential markets. However, some of these corporates take advantage of the audience to run entertainment events or, in some cases, competitions. These competitions, which are held as raffles only indulge members of the audience, and they serve to entertain the audience and provi de a sense of reality in their interactions. However, this is not fully beneficial for the audience in that some institutions bring out their goods or services in the form of prototypes that they would like to test for the first time. The application of this strategy is usually to the disadvantage of the audience in that any side effects that come to be, only affect the audience, who are usually not informed. However, in some noble cases, the audience is notified of new products by the institution in question, which serves to their benefit in that they engage in a rare feat. Engaging in an event or getting to be part of the unveiling of a new product or service, although as a test product, is a crucial aspect for an audience as it serves as first-hand experience to cherish. Moreover, the service or product is usually free of charge, which means it works for all parties involved in terms of creating an image, as shall be seen later. Altogether, there remains discord towards the benef its and damages of sponsorship towards audiences and their wellbeing. The importance of corporate sponsorship can also be analysed from the perspective of the

Methodology and appendix for How to successfully Market Sport Research Paper

Methodology and appendix for How to successfully Market Sport Nuitrition for Females in London - Research Paper Example In order to maintain good health status of children and adolescent youths in school based programs, strategies such as integration of school food services and nutrition education, regular training of the staff, family and community on matters related to importance of nutrition need to be followed to the later. The school based programs in most occasions contributes a lot in promoting lifelong healthy eating internationally. A recommended nutritional strategy contributes to prevention of pre-mature deaths in United States of America. The national health promotion and disease prevention objective in U.S.A encourages schools to provide nutrition learning from preschool to higher level. Various methods have been used to promote nutrition for females in U.S.A to improve the health status of the children and the adolescent youths (Levine & Zahradnik 2012, p.30) The purpose is to examine food advertising and marketing stations used to target U.S.A children and adolescent youths. Generally, the fundamental movement skills such as jumping, striking, catching among others forms the basis for future sports services growth and for life long enjoyment of physical activities among the females and the adolescents youths (Marcelo & Pihdo 2006). FMS identifies various stages of improvement of the fundamental movement skills. On the other hand, FMS provides safe games among the youths where they learn various important skills that help in improvement of the physical system nature of the youths in order to promote the nutritional nature. Ethical decisions within the communities varies with the varying in ethical believes. The community involved need to contribute to the nutritional status of their young ones. MED also involves in determining the challenges of the moral situations. US in the past decade have used most of the public schools as the venues of advertising and

Hispanic Last Names Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hispanic Last Names - Essay Example Hispanic surnames are always two. Balbastro Ajuntas is the womans’ real name referred to as ‘nombre.’ Ajuntas is part of her first name, not her middle name.Berrera is her fathers’ name or Apellido paterno. It is what we call her last name. Maria is her mothers’ name or Apellido materno and it is used with her fathers’ name. It is not only her last name but it completes her last name. If Balbastro was to marry Ramon Gonzalez Gomez, she would take Ramons’ last names in that pattern. Most Hispanic countries however, have the additional conjunction ‘de’ to show that the added name is a married one. It is worth noting that women in todays world do not change their names on personal or professional reasons. Women in Hispanic culture never changes her first sir name in marriage. This is different from other cultures like US, where a woman assumes the husbands’ name after marriage. It is therefore important to note that, the naming system of Spain has the traditional personal surname of the farther followed by that of the mother and that a woman does not have to change her surnames in favor of her husband’s name because Spanish naming system does not entail the maiden name

A serial-killer investigation in a Korean rural setting in Memories of Essay

A serial-killer investigation in a Korean rural setting in Memories of Murder - Essay Example The story follows a linear structure that is typical of detective films. It starts with the first body found, and then revelations of the bodies of other victims. Detectives Park and Seo work with other cops to examine the evidence and crime scenes. Slowly, they learn more about the killing methods of the killer (i.e. using the things of the victims to kill them, such as panty hose for strangling their necks, putting their panties on their faces, and tying hands with the same knot) and his preferences in his victims (i.e. almost all are sexy, beautiful, and wearing red dresses walking at rainy nights). The investigation, in addition, slowly reveals more information about the personality of the detectives and their society. Inspector Park is shown as the contrast of Seo. Park is biased and unsystematic, almost apathetic to the victims, while Seo is scientific in his approach and committed to his job. The film also shows the setting’s socioeconomic and political issues. For inst ance, the rice fields show that the main livelihood of the people is agriculture. The surroundings also show rural poverty and political chaos. The mise-en-scene captures wide rice fields and old buildings. The police station and other interiors of buildings are shabby. The people’s costumes also demonstrate their poverty with faded clothing. The sharp contrast is seen between the first parts of the parade, where high school students wear traditional Korean dresses, but it rains, so they go for cover, and the next scene, which shows a riot against the president.

E-commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

E-commerce - Essay Example Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the technology company as well as models which it follows also provides different associations with the company and the way in which it is now linking to a booming market. Business Issues The main business that Loving Outdoors has created is based on moving to the outdoors with different supplies that are required for clothing, footwear, camping, fishing and nutrition. They also supply outdoor kits that are readily available for those who expect to spend more time in the outdoors. Each of these are divided by product on the main website and have developed into a large variety of brand models and high quality items known for those interested in the outdoors. Loving Outdoors has combined this with reviews, interaction, blogs and information through polls and newsletters to help with the needs of customers and to make the information easier to find. This allows consumers to have easier connections to the different information that is available while providing more opportunities to highlight the best items that are a part of the outdoor company (Loving Outdoors, 2011). The first business concept which is looked at with the company is the information technology which is used for e-commerce and how this defines the roles that are required with the online business. ... This is also inclusive of information which is found easily and applications which are used for managing customers through both automated and customer support systems (Chaffey, 2007: 81). For Loving Outdoors, the strength in this comes from the blog, newsletter and polls that are on the website, which immediately offers information and interaction. This is combined with the straightforward navigation for different items available and the customer support that is known by the company. However, some difficulties in basic navigation and the large amount of products available cause the IT infrastructure to be limited without newer and high end components that are a part of e-commerce. Another relation that is created with Loving Outdoors and the business issues comes from the supply and value chain that is a part of the online store. When examining this, one can see a limited number of items that are available. However, these are noted to have a diversity of brands and a large diversity of types of equipment. For example, if looking at fishing rods, one is able to access almost 50 different items that are available. This is more than a regular store and offers more convenience of shopping. Even though there are a large number of supplies by value, the supply number is not as high as expected with the shipping from a main warehouse being the main objective with the Loving Outdoors items. Since everything is done through e-commerce, it requires continuous additions with the supply and demand while continuing to add to the value of the company. The concept of the supply and value chain that is a part of Loving Outdoors relates to the gaps that are in the main concepts for supply chain management. This includes the three phases of procurement of materials, processing

Hispanic Last Names Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hispanic Last Names - Essay Example Hispanic surnames are always two. Balbastro Ajuntas is the womans’ real name referred to as ‘nombre.’ Ajuntas is part of her first name, not her middle name.Berrera is her fathers’ name or Apellido paterno. It is what we call her last name. Maria is her mothers’ name or Apellido materno and it is used with her fathers’ name. It is not only her last name but it completes her last name. If Balbastro was to marry Ramon Gonzalez Gomez, she would take Ramons’ last names in that pattern. Most Hispanic countries however, have the additional conjunction ‘de’ to show that the added name is a married one. It is worth noting that women in todays world do not change their names on personal or professional reasons. Women in Hispanic culture never changes her first sir name in marriage. This is different from other cultures like US, where a woman assumes the husbands’ name after marriage. It is therefore important to note that, the naming system of Spain has the traditional personal surname of the farther followed by that of the mother and that a woman does not have to change her surnames in favor of her husband’s name because Spanish naming system does not entail the maiden name

E-commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

E-commerce - Essay Example Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the technology company as well as models which it follows also provides different associations with the company and the way in which it is now linking to a booming market. Business Issues The main business that Loving Outdoors has created is based on moving to the outdoors with different supplies that are required for clothing, footwear, camping, fishing and nutrition. They also supply outdoor kits that are readily available for those who expect to spend more time in the outdoors. Each of these are divided by product on the main website and have developed into a large variety of brand models and high quality items known for those interested in the outdoors. Loving Outdoors has combined this with reviews, interaction, blogs and information through polls and newsletters to help with the needs of customers and to make the information easier to find. This allows consumers to have easier connections to the different information that is available while providing more opportunities to highlight the best items that are a part of the outdoor company (Loving Outdoors, 2011). The first business concept which is looked at with the company is the information technology which is used for e-commerce and how this defines the roles that are required with the online business. ... This is also inclusive of information which is found easily and applications which are used for managing customers through both automated and customer support systems (Chaffey, 2007: 81). For Loving Outdoors, the strength in this comes from the blog, newsletter and polls that are on the website, which immediately offers information and interaction. This is combined with the straightforward navigation for different items available and the customer support that is known by the company. However, some difficulties in basic navigation and the large amount of products available cause the IT infrastructure to be limited without newer and high end components that are a part of e-commerce. Another relation that is created with Loving Outdoors and the business issues comes from the supply and value chain that is a part of the online store. When examining this, one can see a limited number of items that are available. However, these are noted to have a diversity of brands and a large diversity of types of equipment. For example, if looking at fishing rods, one is able to access almost 50 different items that are available. This is more than a regular store and offers more convenience of shopping. Even though there are a large number of supplies by value, the supply number is not as high as expected with the shipping from a main warehouse being the main objective with the Loving Outdoors items. Since everything is done through e-commerce, it requires continuous additions with the supply and demand while continuing to add to the value of the company. The concept of the supply and value chain that is a part of Loving Outdoors relates to the gaps that are in the main concepts for supply chain management. This includes the three phases of procurement of materials, processing

Signs and Symptoms Essay Example for Free

Signs and Symptoms Essay ~Cough, Unintentional weight loss, Fatigue, Fever, Night Sweats, Chills, Lost of Appetite. â€Å"Treatment† With tuberculosis, you must take antibiotics for at least six to nine months. The exact drugs and length of treatment depend on your age, overall health, possible drug resistance, the form of TB (latent or active) and the infections location in the body. â€Å"Signs of Symptom† Fever, Loss of appetite, Headache, Tiredness and a general feeling of being unwell (malaise), Once the chickenpox rash appears, it goes through three phases, Raised pink or red bumps (papules), which break out over several days, Fluid-filled blisters (vesicles), forming from the raised bumps over about one day before breaking and leaking, Crusts and scabs, which cover the broken blisters and take several more days to heal. â€Å"Treatment† In otherwise healthy children, chickenpox typically requires no medical treatment. Your doctor may prescribe an antihistamine to relieve itching. But for the most part, the disease is allowed to run its course. If youre at high risk of complications For people who have a high risk of complications from chickenpox, doctors sometimes prescribe medications to shorten the duration of the infection and to help reduce the risk of complications. â€Å"SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS† Sudden high fever, Severe headache that isnt easily confused with other types of headache, Stiff neck, Vomiting or nausea with headache, Confusion or difficulty concentrating, Seizures, Sleepiness or difficulty waking up, Sensitivity to light, Lack of interest in drinking and eating, Skin rash in some cases, such as in meningococcal meningitis. â€Å"Treatment† Bed rest Plenty of fluids Over-the-counter pain medications to help reduce fever and relieve body aches â€Å"Signs and Symptoms† Fever, Sore throat, Headache, Vomiting, Fatigue, Back pain or stiffness, Neck pain or stiffness, Pain or stiffness in the arms or legs, Muscle spasms or tenderness, Meningitis â€Å"Treatment† Bed rest, Antibiotics for secondary infections (none for poliovirus), Analgesics for pain, Portable ventilators to assist breathing, moderate exercise (physical therapy) to prevent deformity and loss of muscle function, A nutritious diet. â€Å"Signs and Symptoms† Moderate to severe shaking chills, High fever, Profuse sweating as body temperature falls, Headache, Vomiting, and Diarrhea. â€Å"Treatment† Chloroquine (Aralen) Quinine sulfate (Qualaquin) Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) Mefloquine Combination of atovaquone and proguanil (Malarone) â€Å"Signs and Symptoms† Spasms and stiffness in your jaw muscles, Stiffness of your neck muscles, Difficulty swallowing Stiffness of your abdominal muscles, Painful body spasms lasting for several minutes, typically triggered by minor occurrences, such as a draft, loud noise, physical touch or light, Fever, Sweating, Elevated blood pressure, Rapid heart rate. â€Å"Treatment† Antitoxin. Antibiotics. Vaccine. Sedatives.

Mergers and Acquisitions: Indian Banking Consolidation

Mergers and Acquisitions: Indian Banking Consolidation Globally it has been found that the mergers and acquisition have become one of the major ways to corporate restructuring which has also struck the financial services industry which has experienced merger waves leading to the emergence of huge banks and financial institutions. The main reason for mergers is intense competition among the companies in the same industry which put focus on economies of scale, efficiency in cost and profitability. Some other factors leading to the mergers is the too big to fail principle followed by the authorities. In few countries like Germany, weak banks were forcefully merged to avoid the problem financial distress arising out of bad loans and erosion of capital funds. Several academic studies have analyzed merger related gains in banking and these studies have adopted two approaches. The first approach deals with evaluating the long term performance of the merger by analyzing the accounting information such as return on assets, operating costs and eff iciency ratios. A mergers is considered to have led to improved performance if the the change in the accounting based performance is superior to the changes in the performance of the comparable banks that were not involved in the merger activity during that period. Another approach is to analyze the gains in stock price of the bidder and the target company around the announcement of the merger. In this approach the merger is assumed to create value if the combined value of the bidder and target banks increase on the announcement of the merger and the consequent and the stock prices reflect the potential value of the acquiring banks. The objective of this paper is to present a panoramic view of merger trends in India and to ascertain two important perceptions of stake-holders, shareholders and managers and to discuss dilemmas and other issues of this topic of Indian banking. Review of Literature for impact of mergers The two important issues which are examined by various academic studies relating to bank mergers are: impact of mergers on the operating performance and efficiency of the banks Impact of mergers on the market value of the equity of both bidder and the target banks. Cornett and Tehranian (1992) and Spindit and Tarhan (1992) provided evidence for increase in post-merger operating performance. However the studies of Berger and Humphrey (1992), Piloff (1996) and Berger (1997) did not find any evidence in increase in post-merger operating performance. Berger and Humphrey (1994) also reported that most of the studies that examined pre-merger and post-merger financial ratios found no impact on operating cost and profit ratios. The reasons for mixed evidence are: lag between completion of merger process and the realization of benefits of mergers, sample selection and the methods adopted in the financing of mergers. Further, the financial ratios may be misleading indicators of performance because they do not take into account for product mix or input prices. On the other hand researches may also could have confused scale and scope efficiency gains with what is known as X-efficiency gains. Recent studies have explicitly employed frontier X-efficiency met hods to identify the X-efficiency benefits of bank mergers. Few studies have also analyzed the potential benefits and scale economies of mergers. Landerman (2000) explored diversification benefits to be had from banks merging with non banking financial service firms. Simulated mergers of US banks and non-bank financial service firms demonstrated that diversification of banks into insurance business and securities brokerage is optimal for reducing the probability of bankruptcy for bank holding companies. Wheelock and Wilson (2004) found that expected merger activity in US banking industry is positively related to management rating, size of the bank, competitive position and geographical location of banks and is negatively related to market concentration. The second issue determined was the analysis of merger gains in terms of the gains in stock price performance of the bidder and the target banks on announcement of merger. In this case a merger is expected to create value only if the combined value of the bidder and target companies increases after the declaration of the merger. However a lot of studies have failed to find any direct relationship between the merger and the gains in performance or in shareholder wealth. But there are reasons for mixed evidence as a merger announcement also takes in to account the way the deal is financed .If equity offerings are used it may be interpreted as overvaluation by the issuer. Therefore the negative announcements returns to the firms that are bidding can be attributed to the negative signalling which is completely unrelated to the value which is created by the merger. Returns to the bidders companies shareholders is greater when the merger is totally financed with cash than in mergers in whi ch financing is done through equity offering. There is one more problem with this event study analysis as if there is a consolidation wave going on; mergers are anticipated by stockholders and analyst. Potential candidates for the mergers are highlighted and made popular by the financial press and the stock market analysts. In these cases the event study analysis may fail. Therefore an analysis of mergers across the world and a literature review does not provide strong evidence on the benefits gained by banks in the mergers in the banking industry. Also the findings of the literature also contrast with the findings of the consultants who find a considerable cost savings and operational efficiency achieved through mergers. The reasons why academic study do not find cost benefits and the consultants highlight this fact are Consulates may study a potential cost savings which may not materialize They tend to highlight potential cost saving activities and the economist study all the activities. They tend to be biased towards successful cases and ignore the unsuccessful ones. They tend blow up the benefits achieved while the benefits may be miniscule if accounted on a relative terms. The academic studies provide motivation for the examination and evaluation of two important issues pertaining to the mergers and acquisition to the Indian banking. Do mergers help in improving the operational performance and result in cost savings However in India most of the mergers are forced by the central bank in order to protect the interest of the depositors and avoid financial distress therefore the above mentioned reason is rarely found in the mergers activities. Do merger provide abnormal gains and returns to the acquirer and the target banks upon the declaration Consolidation Trends Observed in India Improving the operational performance and cost efficiency has always been a priority in Indian banking sector and has been a major issue of discussions in the policy formulation by the government of India in the consultation and with the central bank (Reserve Bank of India). Several committees have also been formed in order to suggest structural changes to achieve this objective. Some of the major committees formed are Banking Commission, 1972 Chairman R.G Saraiya, 1976 chairman : Manubhai Shah Committee for the functioning of public sector banks, 1978 chairman : James S Raj These committees have suggested the restructuring of the Indian banking system with an objective to improve the process of credit delivery and also suggested the idea of having around 3 to 4 large banks which have a pan India presence and the rest of the bank should be present at the regional level. The major thrust on consolidation started with the Narasimham committee in 1991. It emphasised and embarked upon consolidation and merger in order to make the Indian banks huge in size and also comparable to the global banks. A second Narasimham committe was also formed in 1998 which suggested mergers and consolidation among the strong banks in public as well as private sector and also with other financial institutions, NBFC (Non Banking Financial Companies). Now we will have a look at some of the recent trends in consolidation in Indian banking. Restructuring of weak Indian Banks Amongst other routes government of India has adopted mergers as a means to achieve restructuring of the Indian banking system. Many banks which are small in size and are weak are merged with other banks which are stronger and are larger to protect the interest of the depositors and also to avoid financial distress. These types of mergers can be termed as forced mergers. Hence when a banks shows symptoms of sickness like increasing size of NPAs, reduction in the net worth and substantial decline in capital adequacy ratio, RBI forces moratorium under the section 45(1) of the Banking Regulation act 1949 for a specified period on the activities and the operations of the working of the sick bank. In this period a strong bank is identified and asked to prepare and present a scheme of merger with the weak bank. In this case the acquirer banks takes hold of all the assets of the weak bank and ensures the depositors of their money in case they want to withdraw. The mergers which took place in the pre-reform period fall into this category. In the post reform period 21 mergers have taken place out of which 13 are forced mergers where RBI has intervened. The main reason for these mergers was the protection of the depositors interest and avoids the financial distress. Mergers which took place voluntarily Apart from forced mergers there have been few mergers in which expansion, diversification and growth were the major motives and in which RBI did not intervene or force. The first merger of this kind took place in 1993 when the Times Bank was acquired by HDFC bank which was followed by acquisition of Bank of Madura by the ICICI Bank. The latest of these is merger of Lord Krishnan Bank with Centurion Bank of Punjab. Although in all these deals the target bank suffered with low profitability, Increase in NPA and lack of alternate revenues in order to provide cushion for capital adequacy but these mergers were not forced. There was no regulatory intervention in these mergers however the motives behind these mergers may not necessarily be scale of economies and achieving market power. For instance ICICI bank acquired bank of Russia with a motive of entry in to Russia although it just had one branch. SBI acquired 51% stake in Mauritian Bank through Indian Ocean International Bank which wil l be integrated with the State Bank of Indias International business as a subsidiary. Integration of Financial Services and Achieving Universal Banking Model Several developmental financial institutions have been formed over a period of time in India in order to improve the efficiency of allocation of resources to different segments of the economy. However because of the flexibility given by the RBI to the banks in the credit delivery process the banks have increased and diversified their loan portfolio to various areas such as project finance, long-term loans, and other specialised sector lending. This is the reason why DFIs have become redundant. A working capital group (1998) was appointed by RBI which has recommended the universal model of banking by exploring the possibility of mergers between various sets of financial entities based on economical considerations. Similarly in the private sector ICICI merger with its subsidiary bank and IDBI (industrial Development Bank of India) was incorporates as a public sector bank which acquired private sector bank IDBI bank in 2004. In order to provide integrated financial services and achieve operation efficiencies many public sector banks have acquired their subsidiaries, for instance Andhra Bank acquired its housing finance subsidiary Andhra Bank Housing Finance LTD, Bank of India acquired BOI finance Ltd and BOI Asset Management Company Ltd. Acquisition of similar types took place in the private sector as well. Alignment of Operations of Foreign Banks with Global Trends As the Parent banks went under reconstruction process their parts operating in India also started restructuring. For example, Standard Charted Grindlay bank was formed due to acquisition of ANZ Grindlay by the Standard Charted Bank. Similarly due to acquisition of two Japanese banks like Sakura Bank and Sumitomo Bank Ltd the Indian operations of Sakura Bank were merged with Sumitomo Bank in 2001.Forign banks were permitted to enter into merger and acquisition transaction with any of the private sector bank in India with a condition that the overall investment limit limit will be 74 per cent after the second phase of WTO commitments which commenced in April 2009. This may lead to further consolidation in the Indian banking sector. Merger and Consolidation of Cooperatives, RRBs and UCBs Small banks present in India apart from other banks are co-operative banks, Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs). These are formed for fulfilling the credit requirements of agriculture, small traders and SSI and other rural economic activities. All of these institutions are suffering from bad loans, operational inefficiencies, and Poor recovery of loans. This proved to be a barrier for further lending and financial intermediation. A committee formed under Jugdish Capoor suggested voluntary amalgamations or merger of these co-operatives based on various criterias like economies of scale, especially in areas where the operations of these banks have become unviable and there are no more in a position to supply credit to agriculture sector. 28 RRBs were consolidated into 9 new RRBs in September 2005.A high powered committee on Urban Co-operative Banks (1999) recommended that UCBs which are sick should be liquidated in a time bound manner as the operation of lar ge number of financially sick banks is devastating for UCBs and also for the interest of depositors. Due to this more mergers are expected in the future and RBI also has taken a lot of new initiatives for restructuring of banks including the issuance of guidelines in May 2005. Shareholders Perception of Merger As stated above the Indian banking sector has experienced two types of mergers – focussed and voluntary mergers. Forced mergers were initiated by RBI and their main objective was to protect the interest of the depositors and prevent financial distress of the banks. Whenever a bank showed symptoms of sickness like huge NPA levels, erosion of net worth etc, RBI intervened and merged the weak bank with a stronger one by force. Thus we can form a hypothesis that in case of forced mergers the target banks shareholders will gain abnormally with the declaration. The second type of merger is voluntary type where the motivation behind the merger is to achieve cost reduction, increase in size, diversification, strategic entry into a market. In these cases the acquired banks reaped the benefit of branch network and customer clientele of the banks acquired. In these cases both the acquirer bank and the target bank must have had benefit out of the merger. In this paper the mergers between 1993 to 2006 are considered. There were 21 mergers out of which only five were voluntary. These are mainly mergers of private sector banks with other private sector banks. Two cases are conversion of financial institution to commercial bank where the objective was to form a universal bank model which offers a wide range of financial services. Ina study conducted which is presented in this paper six cases of forced mergers were selected for the purpose of analysis as in other cases the target banks were not listed and the size of the banks were much lower than the acquirer banks therefore these cases are of less merit for further analysis. In this study the wealth effects of almost all the banking mergers during the period 1999-2006 is analyzed. The event study analysis used in this analysis is very straight forward and conventional. The merger period consist of four days prior and four days after the event. The reason for taking such window is to analyze the change in wealth of the shareholder around the day of the declaration on the merger. Daily adjusted closing prices of stocks and the market index is taken for the analysis. The abnormal returns are calculated as follows. ARit= Rit – [a + BRm] Here Rit: daily return on firm ‘i on day ‘t Rmt is the return on the bench mark index a and B are the regression parameters. The abnormal return is calculated for both the acquirer and the target firm and the significance of these values are tested by finding standard error and the t-value : Analysis of Research Results In forced mergers case the stockholders of target banks have not achieved any significant returns on the declaration of the merger. However in the case of Nedungadi Bank, the stockholder did gain significant on the 2nd day of the announcement but after that no abnormal returns were found. In the case of GTB the stockholders had deeply discounted the merger. As it was a case of serious case of bank failure the merger did give a confidence to the depositors but the merger declaration did not provide any abnormal returns. United bank did gain marginally on the announcement but it was not significant statistically. Thus the hypothesis that target banks shareholders welcome merger announcement as a safety net can be rejected. The shareholders of the acquirer bank lost their market value of equity. In case of ICICI bank, it was signalled as an emergence of a large private sector bank and hence due to which the banks shareholders expectations go up with significant increase in the returns. In other cases of acquisition the acquirer bank lost on merging with the weak banks. Hence in all the forced mergers neither the acquirer bank nor the target bank gained on declaration of the merger and the stockholders of the acquirer bank lost wealth as the announcement of the merger was taken as a negative signal. It is argued that merger of weak banks with strong ones is essential for restructuring of banking system and also a step in the consolidation of the banking sector. But in almost all the mergers it was found that the target banks for the merger were determined at the time when they were at the verge of getting collapse. The acquirer bank which was forced by RBI was left with no option but to accept the proposed merger. It is recommended that RBI should pursue Prompt corrective action system and should determine the weak banks on the basis of some defined criterias so that the acquirer bank can choose the target banks on the strategic issues which benefit all the parties . Abnormal Returns of Target Banks Abnormal returns of Bidder banks In case of voluntary mergers it can be seen that the target banks have obtained higher returns that the acquirer banks. Both the acquirer and the target banks stockholders benefitted on declaration of the merger. Therefore the stock market welcomed the merger which will lead to growth and efficiency aspects of the merged entity and benefitted the shareholders of both the banks. For instance in the case of acquisition of times banks by HDFC bank it was viewed as a positive signal by the shareholders of both the bank. At the time of the merger the Times Bank was crippled with increasing NPAs and low profitability, the acquisition by the HDFC bank gave relief to the depositors of the Times Bank. On the other hand HDFC bank emerged as the largest private sector bank by gaining from the retail portfolio of the Times Bank. In case of BOM acquisition by the ICIC bank the BOM gained the advantage of being able to provide services like Treasury management, cash management services to its cust omers and ICICI bank increased its size by acquiring BOM and reached the position of large private sector banks in 1999. At the announcement of the merger there was a steep rise in the gains which was reaped by the BOM shareholders however the stockholders of ICIC bank did not get any significant returns. In all the even study analysis revealed that neither the acquirer bank nor the target bank stock holders have perceived any potential gain on the declaration of the mergers. Hence the share holders who are important stakeholders of the banking companies did not consider the mergers as a signal of improving health, economies of scale and the market power of banks. Managers take on the Mergers Managers provide highest priority to the merger of the two public sector banks which provides a signals the banking sectors view on the need for consolidation of public sector banks. Managers do not prefer the merger of bank and NBFCs or financial services entities There are some issues which are needed to be taken care of while proposing a merger of banks according to the managers Valuation of the Loan portfolio of the target bank This is one of the main factor which is needed to be considered at the time of the merger. As in the management of the credit portfolio the accounting and the exposure norms suggested by the RBI are the same which helps in figuring out the book value of loans easily. However Indian banks have adopted divergent practices in rating the borrowers, loan pricing and maintenance of collateral securities therefore a detailed audit of the loan portfolio, cash flow generation and collaterals is very essential in order to get an opinion on the value of the loan portfolio of the target bank. Valuation of Intangible assets The valuation of the assets of the banks is a very critical factor for the success of any merger or consolidation. The tangible assets of the bank are loans, investment part apart from other fixed assets like buildings, ATMs and the IT infrastructure the bank owns. A commercial bank also holds a lot of intangible assets like clientele based on core deposits, safety value contracts, computer softwares, human resources, brands and goodwill. Determining the inherent strength of the bank based on the valuation of the intangible assets is also very important. Determination of the value of equity Determining the value of the target banks assets, liabilities and valuation of its equity value is the major aspect of a merger process. Various approaches can be used like dividend discount model, cash flow to equity model and excess return model. However banks have totally different operations than a normal manufacturing firm as they are highly leveraged because they have more than 90% of the resources as borrowed or as debt and banks are highly regulated institutions and regulatory instruction have vast implication in asset and income recognition. Interest rates volatility, regulatory capital adequacy ratios and restriction on dividend pay put ratios also have influence on the earnings of the banks. Human Resource Issues It is the most complicated issue in the merger process.HR issues like the service condition, strategy for rewarding people, employee relation, benefit plans and compensation, provision of pension, law suits and the trade union actions are very critical for the viability of the merger and the deal to go through. Cultural Issues This is also a critical issue in the pre-merger and post merger period. It is central to an organizational environment and recognizing cultural friction is very difficult as it results in various problems such as poor productivity, riff in the top management, increase in the turnover rates, delays in the integration process and failures in realizing the projected synergies. Information Technology platform integration In todays banking banks are highly dependent on the information technology. It has become a key strategic issue due to the impact it has on the operation of the bank. A significant portion of the synergy depends on the information technology integration. Divergent IT platforms and software systems have proven to be major constraints in the consolidation. Customer Retention Customers also major stakeholders of banks and are needed to be communicated properly about the merger and the customers of the target bank should be attended with utmost care. Various studies have shown that firms borrowing from target banks are very likely to lose their relationship with the bank on its merger.

Dalai Lama Essay -- essays research papers

The Dalai Lama: Leader in Exile Among world leaders, there is no one like His Holiness the Dalai Lama, religious and political leader of Tibet and winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize. Brought up from an unusual childhood, he became head of the state of Tibet at age 16, and was later forced into exile by the Chinese government. Despite all the hardship he had to endure he does not give up his fight for freedom and treats all sentiment beings with love and compassion. Through his fight for freedom, he has proven himself to be the spiritual and political leader whom the people of Tibet love. Thought by many a living Buddha, a God king, The XIV Dalai Lama was born in Taskter in 1937. Dalai Lama means ocean of wisdom, though Tibetans normally refer to His Holiness as Kundun, the presence. In 1950, at the age of 16, His Holiness assumed full political power when China invaded Tibet. At this young age he was faced with many hardships such as the Chinese invading Tibet, shutting down monasteries and openly beating Monks and Nuns on the street. He wrote many letters to other countries such as America and Britain asking for support and recognition of Tibet as an individual country, but was many times responded with diplomatic letters and often direct rejection. He stood up to the authorities who were oppressing his people and at the young age that he was, held his ground and asserted his people against a country that is much stronger than his own. Many feared for his life but His...

The Entrepreneur :: small business self employed

In the United States, approximately one in eight adults are self-employed. In their minds exists a one common dream. This is the entrepreneurial dream of self-employment. It is the freedom to start, grow, and cash in a new business. Most of the extravagant millionaires of today build up their wealth in this way. An entrepreneur is someone who has the ability to build and develop his own business. In today's fast paced world of business, many people chose to work for themselves. A career as an entrepreneur is a risky, yet personally rewarding endeavor. Entrepreneurs start from ground zero with probably only a dollar in their pocket. "Entrepreneurship is the ability to create and build something from practically nothing" (Timmons 1). Entrepreneurs should be admired more than anything for their hard work and determination. "It is initiating, doing, achieving, and building an enterprise or organization, rather than just watching, analyzing or describing one. It is the knack for sensing an opportunity where others see chaos, contradiction and confusion. It is the ability to build a "founding team" to complement your own skills and talents. It is the know-how to find, marshal and control resources (often owned by others) and to make sure you don't run out of money when you need it most. " (Timmons 1). To be an entrepreneur, it takes the willingness to prosper with calculated risks; both personal and financial-and then do everything possible to get the odds in your favor. Driven by an intense commitment and determined perseverance, entrepreneurs work very hard at what they do. They excel and want to win. Entrepreneurs are amazing people with a high respect of character. They use their mistakes as something to learn from rather than a failure. No matter the outcome, they believe in themselves and have an extreme confidence not only in themselves, but also in what they do. "Entrepreneurs who start and build new businesses are more celebrated than studied. They embody, in the popular imagination and in the eyes of some scholars, the virtues of "boldness, ingenuity, leadership, persistence and determination." Policymakers see them as a crucial source of employment and productivity growth. Yet our systematic knowledge of how entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses is limited. The activity does not occupy a prominent place in the study of business and economics.