Difficulties and Barriers When Applying E-Commerce in Vietnam Essay

There are many difficulties when applying e-commerce into Vietnam. The first one is that there are only few end users in Vietnam have used credit card in their lives. It is because of the tradition of using cash. In addition, Vietnamese people used to do merchant in face-to-face fashion and most of the transactions are paid directly by cash. The second one is the Internet usage is still not widespread and not popular in general. It is because the Internet and telecom charge are still very high, especially in comparison with the salary of common labor. Moreover, the living standard is still low, GDP per capita of Vietnam is about US $1411 (data of World Bank 2011). Last but not least, the financial system needs to be changed to support Internet buying and selling with or without traditional invoices (traditionally, business invoices are issued and controlled centrally by the government, with unified forms). While Vietnam is still a developing country, startups, especially for small and medium enterprises, have to face with many difficulties to set up e-commerce in business as well as barriers when running on it. Below are some main barriers to e-commerce adoption by SMEs: †¢High costs of e-commerce implementation †¢E-commerce is too complex to implement †¢Organizational resistance to change †¢Lack of technical skills and IT knowledge among employees †¢Lack of time to implement e-commerce †¢Lack of suitability of electronic campus for products/services offered by small businesses †¢Lack of awareness of e-commerce benefits †¢Security concerns/lack of trust †¢Lack of financial resources †¢Lack of senior management support/enthusiasm Vietnamese is still inexperienced in Internet dealing with foreign companies. It is showed up by the growth rate and the problems which have occurred in reality which Nhommua. com is an example. The following parts will describe more about this issue. Case study of Nhommua. com Brief introduction about Nhommua. com Nhommua. com, which was established in 2010 under M. J Group in cooperation between IDG Ventures, Rebate Networks and Ru-net Global with a total investment of $60 million, is a business on group sales discount. This company was a pioneer with its first running e-commerce in Vietnam at that time. According to the company’s survey, after one year of operations, the business took 60% of market share. The monthly visitors of the web page are 4 million. There are thousands of customers and millions of vouchers sold. Nowadays, Nhommua has to share the marlet with many other competitors but it still keeps the first rank in the market with the market share of 35. 37%. At the third quarter of 2011, Nhommua. com achieved good results in sales, but made little profit. That’s the reason why investors have worried a lot and are attempting to get back their investment. There was a scandal inside of the management team leaders which caused the business to close in a short time and damaged their reputation. Products and services: Diversified products and service are traded on Nhommua. com. Most of the products and services are in the food industry, functional foods, cafe, spa, dentist clinic, travel, clothes, fashion stuffs, home linen, interior, etc. Due to this diversity, the quality and original of products and services sometimes are not accredited. Some customers had complained in some forums that they were not satisfied with the quality of products they bought. It was not mentioned clearly on the web of Nhommua about the original and information of products then it caused confusing and unpleasant to customers after use. Even some information is not reliable. For example, a voucher of a dentist service did not mention clearly about service charge or additional fee but when customers came to use this service, they had to pay more fees which they did not aware in advanced. Nhommua has created very good deals for both producers and customers. Firstly, in the producer’s side, Nhommua helps to bring back more customers than usual or it is a good chance for producer to have more new customers database. With a good price, it creates demand of customers. It is also a good chance to build up branding by promoting. Secondly, in the customer’s side, Nhommua offers chance to use a cheaper price of product or service. It arouses the potential need of customer. Customers have many chances to buy at a cheaper price for a product that they want to have. Discount may be up to 90% if there is a big group agreeing to buy this product. It is a very attractive price for customers. In contrast, producers have to agree on reducing price much. It sometimes means that to have more new customers, producers have to reduce the price and get less profit in the mean time even get non-profit. Procedure of trading on Nhommua. com Those customers who buy vouchers to get discounts may find a lot of choices. It is easy for customer to buy vouchers online by signing up for an account, choosing the product or service which is available at open selling time, clicking on the buy icon and filling in the necessary information to make sure Nhommua can reach the customer. The deal will be done within 72 hours. There are three method of paying for the deal. One is the customers pay at home when using home delivery. For this way, customer may sometimes have to pay a shipping fee if it is not in the free shipping area. Customer can also purchase a voucher directly at the Nhommua office. The last method is paying by online banking. Below are the figures of signing up an account on Nhommua. com and ordering for a product or service: It looks simple to sign up and order on Nhommua. com but still lacks of reliable information. First, it is difficult for Nhommua to make sure that all orders are reliable. Because to get the good price of a product, that the amount of customers agreeing on this price is high. It may cause some fake orders to increase of this amount of agreed customers on good price. There is no commitment between customers and Nhommua or producers. During the time of the scandal inside the company which caused to close the company in a few months, without any commitment, there were some arguments about the most important thing in business which is Trust. This caused a bad image on e-commerce business and Nhommua after this scandal lost a lot of customers.

Hasbro Inc

Hasbro Inc. is currently the second largest toy maker in the United States, ranked only behind Mattel. The company designs and manufactures a diverse line of toy products and related items throughout the world, including traditional board games, electronic and interactive CD_ROM games, puzzles, action toys, plush products and infant products. Hasbro also licenses a number of trade names and property rights for use in connection with the sale by others of noncompeting toys and non-toy products. Novel guide, 2010) The purpose of this paper is to interpret internal and external financial reports and statements. While using the financial reports and statements for decision-making, I will assess the financial activities and their effects on organizational performance. This information will assist in making the decision of whether or not I would become a shareholder and buy the company’s stock. Lastly, the information would assist me with the decision if I would work with the compan y if they had a position that fit my job description. Company Overview Hasbro Inc is one of the leading toys making company in the world.Hasbro Inc is engaged in designing, manufacturing and marketing of games and toys. It offers various different types of games including hand-held electronic, role-playing, DVD games as well as traditional board, learning aids and puzzles. (Gracking, 2007) The company markets its products and services to various customers including wholesalers, retailers, chain stores, discounts stores, mail orders houses, and catalogue stores and so on. The company also license some of its trademark, characters and other property rights to third parties for use in connections with consumer for promotions and sale of its non-competing toys and games.The company operates in the, South America, Asia Pacific, North America and European regions. Hasbro’s headquarter is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and employs about 5,900 people. Hasbro has a long-standing loyalty in conducting business in a mood, which abides by highest ethical and legal standards. Ethical behavior and Compliance are core values of the Company, and are built by regular communications from the other senior officials and Chief Executive Officer. Hasbro is Guide to Corporate Conduct, which implements to all employees globally as well as to Board of Directors, furnishes specific guidance to the Company’s outlook.The Guide is strengthened by a fully built training program, and a well-demonstrated processes by which employees in all locations and positions can report suspected ethical and legal issues, and do so anonymously if they so prefer. Violations in any of the provisions in the Guide will allow and subject employees to potentially upon discipline and including termination of employment. In the areas of environment safety and health at both the industry and corporate levels, Hasbro has a strong commitment to sustainability.Hasbro has rich plan for many years a nd continues to incorporate sustainability objectives into Company’s activities and operations, including a well-established Health and safety management system. The company will seek options to reduce waste, increase efficiency of water, and promote recycling and so on. Affects of external and internal factors The internal analysis of an organization deals with an investigation into its strength and weaknesses by focusing on the factors that are specific to it. The size of the organization affects the quality of appraisal.The external factors in the outside environment include competitors and opportunities. The external environment is dynamic in nature so the slight change in the level of competition and opportunities arising has an important impact on the functioning of the company. (Casey, 2009) SWOT Analysis A Swot Analysis was completed based on information from datamonitor (2009) 1) Strengths – a) Solid brand loyalty b) Long standing commitments c) Proud traditio n in supporting children worldwide through a variety of philanthropic programs. D) Product safety being the top priority 2) Weakness- ) Alike Hasbro, Mattel also commercialises toys in Girls' and Boys' segment, including its renowned  Barbie  dolls and accessories for girls as well.b) Like Hasbro's royalty relationships with the  Marvel,  Star Wars, and  Transformers  franchises to market toys , Mattel has alliances with several profitable franchises, including  Disney Classics,  High School Musical,  Batman,  Kung Fu Panda, and  Dora the Explorer. c) Less innovations and product range as compared to its compititors. 3) Opportunities a) Hasbro Inc. is betting that iPod and iPhone users want 3-D viewing on the go. b) The Hub, the multi-platform joint venture between Hasbro, Inc. nd Discovery Communications will come up with new programmes which intends to entertain, enlighten, educate children and empower their families. c) Partnerships with the U. S. government to develop climate change and waste reduction strategies by our Charter membership in the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Leaders and U. S. EPA WasteWise programmes . 4) Threats:- a) Competing directly with Hasbro's  Playskool  core products, Mattel's  Fisher-Price  and  Sesame Street  brands focus on developmental and educational toys targeted toward parents of infant and preschool-aged children.Hasbro has managed to beat out earnings prospects and expectations despite a 15% fall in earnings to$0. 89 per share. Financial Analysis and Evaluation |Financial diagnostic categories |  Hasbro Inc. |  Mattel Inc. | |   |   |   | |1. )  Ã‚   Liquidity of short-term assets |-Current ratio-2. 4x |-Current ratio-2. 5x | | |-Cash ratio-. 0. 4 |-Cash ratio-0. 25x | | |-Quick ratio-1. 9x |-Quick ratio-1. 9x | |   |   |   | |2. )  Ã‚   Long-term debt-paying ability |-Debt ratio-1. 01 |-Debt ratio-0. 43 | | |-Debt-equity ratio- 40 |-Debt-equity ratio-41. | |   |   |   | |3. )  Ã‚   Profitability |   |   | |   |-Net income/sales (profit margin)-8. 0(5 |-Net income/sales (profit margin)-12. 10 | | |years) |-Net income/assets (ROA)-12. % | | |-Net income/assets (ROA)-10. 5% |-Net income/shareholder equity   | | |-Net income/shareholder equity   |(ROE)-25. 9% | | |(ROE)-28. 5% | | |   |   |   | |4.   Ã‚   Asset utilization/ management |-Total asset turnover-1. 0x |-Total asset turnover-1. 1 x | |efficiency |-Inventory turnover  Ã‚   measures-4. 0x |-Inventory turnover  Ã‚   measures-4. 1x | | |-Accounts receivable turnover-3. 5x |-Accounts receivable turnover-3. 8x | |   |   |   | |5. )  Ã‚   Market measures |-Price/earnings ratio-16. |-Price/earnings ratio-22. 3 | | |-Earnings per common share-1. 57 |-Earnings per common share-1. 50 | Results of Evaluation Hasbro Inc. is a growing company in the consumer non-durables sector and is expected to significantly surpass the market over the next six months with less risk may be less than average. According to (Chen, 2004) the statement of financial such as balance sheet, statement of income and loss and cash flow statement, the following interpretations are : ) As the results and results of financial statements, the gross profit in dollars showed an increase from last five years from 2005 to 2010 at the rate of 1. 6%. The gross profit in terms of net revenue went up to 70 basis point to 21. 0 in the three months ended September 2010.2) The amount of revenue generated from the net income for five years increased to an annual average exhibiting 32. 60. 3) The revenue increased at an average of 13% yearly in the year 2007-2009. In the same year, earnings grew by an average of 18% annually. 4) Earnings mounted up 11% at Hasbro, to $0. 9 a share, as analysts were expecting the toy maker's bottom line to fall from last year's $0. 26 a share. 5) The company has a present dividend yield of about 1. 25% with 15% yearly dividend gro wth over past couple of years. 6) From the period 2007-09, Hasbro has generated the operating cash flow at an average of approximately 12% yearly. 7) Hasbro has a very nice balance sheet with total debt ratio of only 1. 01 8) The ratio of Hasbro's price-to-earnings ratio in multiple to its five-year growth rate is slightly above the average of all stocks. ) The ratio of Mattel’s price-to-earnings ratio in multiple to its five-year growth rate is slightly above the average of all stocks. Result of ratio analysis 1) Long-term debt paying ability is to determine the proportion of debt in total financing. The debt ratio of Hasbro is 1. 01, which means that the lenders have financed 40% of Hasbro’s net assets i. e. capital employed. The total debt equity ratio shows firms total debt in relation to the total dollar amount owners have invested in the firms. 2) The current ration shows the firm’s ability to meet the liabilities or the claims.The liquidity ratios which i ncluding the current ratio, quick ratio and the cash ratio of Hasbro is in a better position to meet the current claims. As the current ratio is showing more than one, which indicates that, the firm has more current assets than current liabilities. However, the liquidity ratio of Mattel is slightly higher than Hasbro. 3) Profitability ratio indicates the firm’s ability to generate returns on its sales , assets and net profit margin. The net profit margin ratio is measured by dividing profit after tax by sales. Operating profit after tax to sales ratio is 8. . Net profit margin ratio establishes a relationship between net profit and sales and management’s efficiency in manufacturing, administering and selling the products. The return on asset for Hasbro is 10. 5% and for Mattel 12. 8%, which implies on the operating performance and ignores that how the firm is financed and taxed. The ROE for Hasbro and Mattel 28. 5% and 25. 9% respectively 4) The asset turnover ratio in dicates how efficiently the firm is utilizing its assets to produce revenue and sales. Hasbro has a asset turnover of 1. 0 times where Mattel has 1. 1 times.Inventory turnover measure indicates whether the inventory is out of line in relation to the volume of sales when compare against industry norms. The Hasbro has 4. 0 times and Mattel has 4. 1 times which shows that Hasbro has more inventories in respect to the volume of sales. 5) The price earnings ratio is the market price of the firm’s common stock divided by the annual earnings per share. Comparing the P/E relative to that of the stock market as a whole or the firm’s competitors indicates the market’s perception of the true value of the company. The P/E for Hasbro and Mattel is 16. and 22. 3 respectively. Assessment of Financial activities and their effects on organizational performance Hasbro Inc has promised to offer three -dimensional content, which will offer a 360-degree experience in virtual travel experience, gaming and entertainment content. Hasbro is confident as it will and says it has teamed up with DreamWorks Animation, whose movie â€Å"Mega mind† hit theatres last weekend, to develop material. Hasbro has diluted its U. S. operations' greenhouse gas emissions by 43. 4%. Moreover, 88% of currently generated waste at the operation sites is being recycled.In work place, Hasbro is one of the first toy manufacturing company to develop and implement a code of conduct for their third party vendors. Today the company regularly checks the vendors to make surety that they are meeting the code so that they understand the company’s products are made in factories with legal, safe and fair conditions. Eventually, in the segment of community relations, in the year 2007 the Company voluntarily donated the amount which is close to $15 million dollars which in turn that helped more than six million children across the globe.These in turn is just another example of the compa ny’s corporate social responsibility and sustainability. The satellite and cable television network will broadcast original programmers as well as content from Discovery’s library of award-winning children’s educational programmers from Hasbro’s elite portfolio of entertainment and educational properties built during the past 90 years and from leading third-party producers worldwide. The Hub will include live- animated action and series, specials and game shows and, and the network will extend its content through a rich and engaging online presence. Final decision and ConclusionHasbro inc is 2nd largest toy makers in United States which has a multi-billion industry showing it has a huge market and demands for its products and services. Their commitments to make and introduce new more exiting products will bring more attention to its stock. Hasbro stock deals with debt and has less than prima 2009. (Data monitor, 2009) I would definitely make an investment in the company, as the industry where it operates is recession resistant. Celebration for the children’s will be going in spite of the downfall in the economy and the great festivals will always be celebrated throughout the year.The demand of the company will never go to nil. Moreover, Hasbro has most suitable and steady dividends in the market. Hasbro currently has a dividend yield of 2. 65 percent . This may not seem to be making any huge difference . but 2. 65 percent compounding quarterly for life will make the portfolio rich. Hasbro has one of the best stocks to in the market so I can take the step to invest as far as growth is pertained. In other words, if you make bigger deal in Hasbro hoping for real growth, the worst outcome that can shape up is that you will have one of the world's best dividend stocks.Moreover, Hasbro may be equilibrated for growth as well. Hasbro is starting to gain revenue by signing profitable deals with Marvel and other entertainment companies . Marvel is yet another bigger company as well, and the deal, which took place between Marvel and Hasbro, will lead to greater rewards for both companies. Standard and Poor's, currently rates Hasbro stock with four stars pointing that and considers it is a good stock to purchase at this time. As far as the Question to work at Hasbro is concerned, I would like to join to the position fitting to my profile.The Reason is as follows: 1. Hasbro has healthy and safety working environments with good facilities and amenities. 2. The working hours and compensation are best in the industry. 3. Hasbro maintains a commitment in sound environmental programmers and various practices. However , the company shall make strict rules for discrimination and subject to abuse, cruel or unusual disciplinary practices. It shall respect its employees and treat with dignity . The various employee’s benefits programmed should be introduced to make a better and cultured working environment with best cod es of conducts.A good working environment with lucrative stock prices always attracts shareholders and people to render their best services.REFERENCES Casey, B. (2009)’. Gaming off the board. License! Global, 12(5), 104-105. Retrieved from: Business Source Complete database. Chen, A. (2004)’. Hasbro plays to win with BPM. eWeek, 21(31), 46-47. Retrieved from: Business Source Complete database. Datamonitor. (2009)’. Hasbro, Inc. Hasbro, Inc. SWOT Analysis, 1-9. Retrieved from: Business Source Complete database. Gracking, A. (2007)’. Hasbro. World Trade, 20(5), 34. Retrieved from: Business Source Complete database. Hughes, L. , ; Petrecca, L. (2000)’. Hasbro consolidates toy account. Advertising Age, 71(49), 64. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database. Jensen, B. (2000)’. Layoffs, losses at Hasbro. Playthings, 98(11), 6. Retrieved from: Business Source Complete database. McGrath, J. (2006)’. Toy company Bandai launches first on line shop to rival Hasbro. New Media Age, 3. Retrieved from: Business Source Complete database Novel guide (2010). Hasbro Inc. Retrieved from: http://www. novelguide. com/a/discover/cps_01/cps_01_00134. html [pic]

La Llorona: Prologue

The story of La Llorona has a lot of different variations.   There are some common elements found in each variation though.   Each story would have a ghost of a woman crying for her children.   The variations rest with how her children died and the name of the woman and her place of origin.   Some say she’s from Mexico and some say she’s from New Mexico or even Texas. Her name also varies, from Maria to Hilda.   Whatever the case, she always ends up looking for her dead children. La Llorona: Part 1 Once there was a beautiful woman called Maria Magdalena.   She hails from the southern town of Sta. Rosa where tradition runs deep in the veins of all that live within its boundaries, and farther beyond. Maria Magdalena comes from a poor farming family who has worked for generations with the land baron of Sta. Rosa, named Don Manuel Esquivel.   Maria Magdalena’s family has been indebted to Don Manuel’s family for generations and her generation was no different.   The land that Maria Magdalena tills belonged to Don Manuel’s family for as long as everybody can remember. Don Manuel has one child by the name of Jeremiah.   He is a few years older than Maria but he was more kind hearted than his father.   He was a good friend to Maria Magdalena’s older brother Juancho, and played with them when they were growing up.   It was no surprise then when one day, Jeremiah and Maria Magdalena found themselves in love with each other.   Despite warnings from her parents and her brother Juancho, Maria went on with her secret tryst with Jeremiah, and unknown to Don Manuel, Maria Magdalena soon got pregnant and bore twins – a girl and a boy. Immediately after giving birth to the twins, Jeremiah had to travel to a far-away city to finish his studies.   Maria Magdalena begged for him not to go but Jeremiah promised to be back for her and their children as soon as he gets his diploma, and he could provide them a good income and source of living, even without the help of his father, Don Manuel.   Maria Magdalena believed him and all his promises.   She faced the anger of her parents and shame of being an unwed mother.   Besides her own family, nobody knows who was the father of her children.   They were much too afraid that they would be banished from the land, if Don Manuel knows of their secret. After four long years of waiting, Maria Magdalena heard the news that Jeremiah was coming back to Sta. Rosa, and that a big feast would be held for his homecoming and graduation.   The whole town was invited and Maria wore the best dress she could afford, and dressed the twins so they could meet their father. At long last, the day of the feast came and the whole town of Sta. Rosa was bedecked with bougainvilleas and other decorations much like that of a fiesta.   Everybody was there.   It was clear though that there is a distinct difference in the rows of table in front of the presidential table and the tables in the back.   Rich families and politicos (politicians) were all seated in the tables bedecked with specially adorned table cloths while the ones at the back were made of ordinary bamboo, for the people belonging to poorer side of the town. A specially set stage was also provided in front of the presidential table facing the crowd for entertainments and announcements from the family of Don Manuel.   Finally, the long awaited arrival of Jeremiah’s car came.   The Mercedes Benz was given way and Maria Magdalena’s kids were all excited.   Even her parents and brother was there to share her excitement.   All they want was for Maria Magdalena and Jeremiah to finally get married so the kids could finally be legitimated.   To their shock and horror though, Jeremiah got out of the car with a beautiful woman in tow. Juancho steadied Maria Magdalena who was almost faint with despair.   She cautioned her not to make a scene because there might still be a good explanation for what they just saw.   However, after Jeremiah hugged his parents, he introduced his lady companion and whispered something to Don Manuel’s ears.   Don Manuel was beaming with pride.   He went onstage and got everybody’s attention for a special announcement.   He went on to say that his son not only brought home a diploma but a fiancà ©e as well. He announced the betrothal and forthcoming wedding of the engaged couple a month from the day of the homecoming celebration and invited everybody to come again and celebrate his family’s twin blessings.   Not long after, while everybody was celebrating and enjoying themselves with the free flowing good food and wine, Maria Magdalena’s family silently went on their way without saying a word to the family of the celebrant. Maria Magdalena almost went insane with grief.   She waited four long years for Jeremiah to fulfill his promises and bore the insults that came her and her family’s way when she bore the twins.   For three weeks, Maria Magdalena could hardly get up or eat.   Then one day, she just stopped crying. There was something different in her demeanor.   She looks so calm and there was a kind of peace and resolve as she went to meet with the town’s witch doctor.   She didn’t tell her brother or her parents where she went. This was something she has to do on her own.   Her parents were so surprised when she said she and the children will be attending the wedding celebration for Jeremiah and his new bride.   She said she had accepted her fate and just wants the children to see their father one last time and they would go on their way to another town far from Sta. Rosa to begin a new life without Jeremiah.   Despite their objections, Maria Magdalena was too determined to do what she had planned, so they could do nothing but stay behind.   Maria Magdalena also borrowed her brother’s horse and carriage.   She wanted to go alone with the children. On the appointed day of the wedding, Maria Magdalena looked so serene in a long white gown – it almost looked like a wedding gown – only simpler but nevertheless there was something ethereal about her.   Her children were also dressed in white as a flower girl and a ring bearer.   They were both holding a small woven basket.   The wedding celebrant’s table was positioned just so everybody could come round and greet the newlyweds.   It was then that Maria Magdalena brought her twin children around and Jeremiah couldn’t look at her straight in the eye.   He did say that she was as beautiful and the kids are wonderful. She just looked at him and she kissed the bride on the cheek.   Before she turned to go, she told Jeremiah to look at the twins closely for this is the last time he would be seeing them.   Jeremiah followed Maria Magdalena and begged for her to meet with him later.   Maria Magdalena relented and they agreed to meet on their secret trysting place 30 minutes later.   Maria Magdalena then proceeded to go with a mysterious smile on her face. At the appointed time, Jeremiah sneaked out of the celebration and went on to their secret place by the hill.   Maria Magdalena was there and the kids were in the carriage seemingly asleep.   Jeremiah approached and he tried holding Maria Magdalena but she stopped him and said, â€Å"I was truthful when I said to look closely at your children, for it will be the last time you will see them†. Jeremiah replied â€Å"Can’t we talk this out? I know I have wronged you, but they are my kids too.   I can provide support to them and still be a good father.†Ã‚   Maria shook her head slowly, tears falling in her cheeks.   She boarded the carriage and said, â€Å"It’s too late Jeremiah.   When you failed to fulfill your promise, I vowed I will always make true what I tell you. And I was truthful when I said that it would be the last time you will see your kids.   Do you see them?   They lay down so peacefully. They will never come to know you or the other half of the blood that runs through their veins come from you and your deceitful race!   You see Jeremiah, that small basket they were holding on to contained the most potent potion one could ever have.   I gave it to them after they met their father for the first and last time.   They shouldn’t suffer anymore waiting for you to come and get us.   They are at last at peace! And you, you shall not come to know our twin angels.   You do not deserve to know them. Goodbye Jeremiah! May you come to know the grief I had suffered through while waiting for you!†Ã‚   Maria Magdalena then struck the horse and went on with her two dead children.  Ã‚   Jeremiah stood there, shaken by what had just transpired and went down on his knees upon realizing that his children died by the hands of their own mother.   He cried and shook violently.   As the sun sets and darkness surrounded the hill that was once a witness to their promise of an undying love. La Llorona Part 2: A Brief Analysis of the La Llorona version In re-writing the version of La Llorona, I closely followed the character of an almost similar story of love and betrayal in the character of Medea (Bates, p 192). I have encountered the story of Medea a lot earlier than Llorona but as I was going through the various versions accredited to the southern legend La Llorona, the similarities struck me.   Hence, I applied some similar character traits of Medea by Euripedes (Coleridge) by also naming the character of the legend La Llorona (Hayes), to a name common to all the legend’s version, Maria, and adding a namesake after Medea, Magdalena. One of the similarities of Maria Magdalena and Medea is that of their passionate and almost obsessive devotion to their lovers, no matter what the cost.   Medea betrayed her own father and caused Pelias’ death by his own daughter’s hands (Bates and Coleridge).   Meanwhile, Maria Magdalena has shamed herself and her own family by being an unwed mother in a conservative and religious town (Sta. Rosa). Another similarity in the thematic flow of both stories is that Maria Magdalena was promised by Jeremiah that they will get married when he got back, so did Jason pledged his love to Medea.   Both Medea. and Maria Magdalena bore their lovers two children; both have done so without the benefit or blessing of a solemnified marriage. Similarly, both Jason and Jeremiah betrayed their promises of marriage. Like Medea, Maria Magdalena killed her children in retribution to her lovers’ betrayal.   They also both carried their dead children away in a horse carriage without giving their lover the benefit of burying their own children. The emphasis I stated in their similarities was done so to evoke not just for thematic purposes or display but more so to point out some possibilities that these actions are not limited to legends alone.   Both women were betrayed and deeply hurt by their lovers despite all sacrifices for the man of the life.   Both have shunned tradition just so they could prove their love for their man.   This is a universal theme common in most tragic love stories, and not limited to Medea by Euripedes or to La Llorona. What was uncommon though, that adds an almost perverted dignity to their characters is the murder of their children by their own hands.   It is a well known fact that mothers would give their lives for their children, and Medea and Maria Magdalena murdering their children has a two-pronged purpose. One is to cause extreme grief to their lovers in an act of revenge and the other is extreme sacrifice of their own love for their children just so they would be safe from further external harm.   Both the mother in Medea and Maria Magdalena would rather that their children die by their own hands than have strangers touch their babies. The impact of the actions of both Medea and Maria Magdalena reaches the core of one’s being.   It is painful to think or to even fathom of such possibilities.  Ã‚   Then again, sometimes, truth and its possibilities can be a lot more bizarre and stranger than fiction. Works Cited: Archer, Carol. Living with Strangers in the U.S.A.: Communicating Beyond Culture. Englewoods Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1991. Bates, Alfred. â€Å"Medea: An Analysis of the play by Euripedes†. The Drama: Its History, Literature and Influence on Civilization, vol. 1. London: Historical Publishing   Company, 1906.   192-196. Coleridge, E.P. (trans.). Euripedes. Medea. [email  protected], 2004. Cordeiro, Paula, Timothy Reagan, and Linda Martinez. Multiculturalism and TQE. Thousand Oaks: Corwin, 1994. Hayes, Joe. The Weeping Woman (La Llorona). Teaching from a Hispanic Perspective. A Handbook for non-Hispanic Adult Educators.   June 4, 2007.                  

Slavery through Kara Walker Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Slavery through Kara Walker - Research Paper Example She is well known for her graphic use of silhouette figures to depict mirages American African slaves. A close look at her work reveals vividly the impact of slavery especially through eliminating depth in all visual perspectives of the art work. She further emphasizes the depth of the images through use of the overlapping techniques on the silhouettes hence creating scenes on the several aspects through which slaves were exploited. For instance, the images portray the slaves used as sexual objects. This essay uses the three of her works that is â€Å"Slavery! Slavery,† â€Å"Gone† and â€Å"The End of Uncle Tom† to explore slavery in the United States with emphasis on South America. In the 1830’s, slavery was concentrated in the south of the United States of America concentrated in small farms and large organizations, cities and towns and any other place extra man power was necessary. The slaves were property to their owner and all blacks were slaves as primarily, the slaves in the south of America performed tasks mostly in the plantations and homesteads of their masters. They took part in clearing new lands, digging ditches and other household chores for their masters; the black women cared for the young ones and prepared meals and other functions like spinning, sewing and weaving. As outlined in Blassingame (25), slavery in the antebellum period in the South America was focused on the plantation farms, and the homestead within the firms; this was primarily the period before the First World War. Carson (164) notes that the labor market was divided between blacks and whites in the community. The probability of both skilled and unskilled laborers was evident and comparable by race. The whites had higher chances in white color jobs compared to the blacks whose major area of work was in the unskilled domains. Other than plantations labor, slavery also involved debauchery activities. This primarily comprised of the slaves being forced into immoral

Human Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Resources - Essay Example Human resource and internal organizational variables Internal organizational variables include, size, strategy, technology and the business environment within the organisation, these variables have been identified in several studies as determinants of human resource practises (Jackson, Schuler & Werner, 2011, p124) Human resource management can be defined as the process of attracting, motivating and retaining a gifted pool of employees who work to support the realisation of the organisation’s goal and objectives (Lussier & Hendon, 2013, p 154). Effective human resource practises are becoming a necessity in the current organizational environment as the economies become ‘knowledge based’ and the challenge of finding and retaining highly qualified employees increases due to shortage of skilled labour. Determinants of internal human resource management practises in internal organisational environment The way organisations are run, either formally or informally will al so determine the how human resource activities are conducted. For instance in small businesses, human resource activities are more likely to be carried out in an informal and more flexible manner, while in large organisations, human resource activities will be more formal and rigid (Mathis & Jackson, 2011, p123). The size of the organisation will determine the level of sophistication in human resource with large organizations being more sophisticated than the smaller firms are. In small firms, executives are more likely not to get proper education; in addition, they are also less likely to have performance appraisals and bonuses that are present in large companies. The competitiveness of an organisation depends on the resources that help it to differentiate the company’s products from those of its rivals in the long run. Of great importance is the human resources, which are constrained by shortage of labour, which reduces a company’s potential for growth (Chen & Mohame d, 2008, p73). While some authors argue that long run, competitive advantage can be realised through human resources themselves and not the processes that were used to get the human resource (Guest, 2011, p12). Other authors argue that the human resources themselves can be seen as contributing to a firm’s competitive advantage; such practices include the potential to motivate employees, how organisations handle internal conflicts among other practises. Technology, which is the process for transforming the inputs in the organisations in to finished products usable by the consumers vary in many perspectives, which have an effect on human resource perspectives. For instance, the level of continuity in the manufacturing procedure, the level of knowledge that is required in using the technology, the predictability of tasks and the level of interdependence of various tasks within the course of manufacturing (CHUANG & Liao, 2010, p177). Using human capital theory to show the relatio nship between human resource and technology, firms that use modern and up to date technology are more likely to engage in selective hiring, inclusive training, performance appraisal and fair remuneration evaluation. Understanding the technology usage in organisations has the implication of helping human resource experts to determine the

Remembering Event Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Remembering Event - Essay Example During this time, I decided to go for a trip that could connect me to Qatar, Italy, and finally bring me back to the United States. To do this, I chose to leave the country for South Africa, where my family planned to visit that year. After successful planning, the trip was one of the best I have had in years. After some good vacation time with family, it was time to head back home. Personally, I decided not to accompany my family and take a different route that would fulfill my desire to set foot in Qatar and Italy. To achieve my interest at the time, my family had no choice other than leaving me alone to take my preferred route home. When my family took their flight and left, I went back to the drawing board in a bid to determine how to make my flight back home longer, through some places that I wanted to see. I contacted a travel agent and asked for any available flights that would go through Qatar and Italy before heading to the United States. I was not surprised to learn that these flights were available, but each stop would require me to connect to a different airline after waiting for at least eight hours. This to me was thrilling. After an hour-long phone call, I finally had my itinerary. I would leave South Africa for Qatar, the n leave Qatar for Italy before heading back home. Even though this sounded interesting, there was a surprise to the story. I can get impatient at times, and the long wait between flights was not going to be easy for me. However, I convinced myself that this was the right thing to do because I wanted to do it in the first place. Bidding South Africa goodbye and looking forward to a great long way home was all my mind clicked. Eight hours after takeoff, we landed at Qatar’s Doha Airport. The airport was beautiful and well maintained. It was easy to navigate around because airports are more or less the same. They have signs, directions, and persons who are ready to assist you at

Policy Memo - Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Policy Memo - Human Rights - Essay Example In addition, there is the reality of todays global terrorism where time sensitive information may be able to save thousands of lives. Torture falls under the umbrella of human rights that have had staunch philosophical support from the US government since its inception. The problem that faces the US is being able to stay true to the principles and ideals that the US stands for, while confronting an enemy that does not have the same level of respect for life, dignity, and human rights that the US does. Only by eliminating the use of torture and maintaining our credibility on the world stage, will the US be able to further its agenda of spreading democracy and protecting human rights around the world. Torture dates back to the days of antiquity and has been used regularly in wars to gain information from the enemy. Torture was used in ancient Mesopotamia, the Romans tortured Christ, and Aristotle advocated it as an effective means to extract information (Masci). Since the earliest recorded times torture has been used by churches, militaries, and law enforcement in an effort to get a confession. By the 18th century, enlightened thinking began to question the ethics of torture and humanitarian advocates called for the elimination of torture as a means to get a confession (Masci). Modern views on torture are generally the result of the foundations laid by the American Red Cross and the Geneva Conferences in 1863 and 1864 (Masci). While there has been a movement to reduce torture in the recent centuries, and its practice made more palatable, it still proliferates in many of the civilized countries around the world. Today, law enforcement, intelligence organizations, militaries, and governments in over 100 countries including the United States use torture (Masci). Its use has been banned by international common law, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the Geneva Convention

3M COMPANY Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

3M COMPANY - Coursework Example A unique accounting standard is used across the world to deliver a unique and global standard high quality accounting and reporting of financial statements. The main purpose is to convey the economic condition of an organisation in the most fair and unbiased manner. The shareholders would make use of such information to make decision whether to invest in a company or not. Evaluation of the purpose and context of International Financial Reporting Standards The International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation (IFRS) is an autonomous, non –profit organisation that works for the interest of the public. It is devised as a universal global language that is used for business dealings so that the accounts of a company are comprehendible and comparable across boundaries of nations and continents. The main purpose of this accounting standard is to overcome the cross country barriers in today’s time when many companies have their operations overseas and hence have to account for their businesses in different business languages (Bragg, 2010, p.172). The European Union was the first to abide by the IFRS. However, it was later adopted by the other countries across the globe considering the benefits it provided. Prior to the implementation of the IFRS, the International Accounting Standards was used which operated between the years 1973 and 2001 and was controlled by International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC). The prime objectives of the IFRS include: Development of a distinct set of premium, comprehendible, imposable and internationally accepted IFRS through its regulatory and supervisory body. Promotion of such standards and ensuring that it is properly implemented. Providing with assistance to the developing countries in their financial reporting needs. Promotion and adoption of an improved IFRS through the union of IFRS and the National Accounting standards. The IFRS is used across the world by the different companies. Regulatory bodies, analy sts and accounting professionals with an aim to reduce costs for comparing financial statements that otherwise would have arisen due to use of various accounting standards. Most of the MNC’s have cross country operations and they would benefit most from this IFRS as it is a unique standard of accounting. However it had been argued by several experts that the IFRS may not provide with a fair valuation of the companies residing in different countries because the local laws of countries may vary and thus losses or profit may not be accounted for in a proper manner (Kirk, 2006. p.306). The foundation ensures accountability to the public through the pathway of keeping their work transparent and consulting with any party who is interested in this process of setting a standard. They also link to the public in a formal way. There is a monitoring board that is linked to the public for all their accounting questions. The trusties review the constitution once in every five years. The pu blic can also access their proposals through their website and provide recommendations. All their meetings are open to the public and the notes are also disclosed to the public. 3M communicates with its shareholders and sends out the detailed financial performance in the Annual General Meeting through the Publication of the annual report (Needles, 2013, p.714). The main objective of 3M is to impart an unbiased awareness among the investors of the company and encouraging them to hold on with such investments. The company is accountable to the shareholders because they are the ultimate owners of the company. There is a problem with disclosing all the information in

Project 4.1 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project 4.1 - Research Paper Example The result was that people had to be evacuated from their homes, live elsewhere, and had major health problems that were far-reaching and sometimes incurable. Though permission was sought from the Marshall Islands government, the fact remains that the people had to suffer in innumerable ways for a test study, a study that did not seek proper informed consent, nor did it attempt to cure anyone (Skoog, 2003). Because of Bravo and Project 4.1, numerous conspiracy theories abounded, none of which has been proven with concrete evidence. The United States was accused of doing the Bravo launch on purpose by the Marshallese government, who insisted that it was a tactic to be able to study a population exposed to nuclear fallout without risking their own people. Regardless if such a thing is true, reforms followed Project 4.1, though not right away. Over $350 million dollars was awarded to Marshallese people due to the fallout and subsequent sickness (Skoog, 2003). The United States also paid for health care, site cleanup, and other costs associated with the nuclear mess that had become the Marshall Islands, specifically Bikini atoll (Skoog, 2003). However, not all the reforms were monetary. In 1994, President Clinton announced the formation of the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments (Meslin 1996). This committee is tasked with, among other things, examining the known experiments that took place on human fallout exposure between 1944 and 1974 and to evaluate the ethics of said experiments (Meslin 1996). Other reforms that have occurred since 1994 were that on September 10, 1996, the United Nations overwhelmingly approved the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which will, in effect, end all nuclear testing anywhere in the world (Skoog, 2003). Even though people were exposed to nuclear fallout in an unethical manner, research is now being done to see that such an incident does not occur

Marcet Conversations in Political Economy Essay

Marcet Conversations in Political Economy - Essay Example The format that this paper will utilize is to first give a precise definition of what is identified above followed by a brief discussion of what the government might try to do in order to solve said problem including a personal evaluation of the effectiveness of the proposed policy measures. Thirdly this paper will discuss some alternative means by which this problem might be solved with a particular emphasis on informal social arrangements drawing on some real life examples of said arrangement. The above passage illustrates some fundamental issues of economics and political science. In one respect one could refer to this issue is illustrating the importance of scarcity in its regard to the laws of supply and demand, secondly there is the issue of ownership insofar as it may be the case that who would protect what is free and available to everybody. As one can boil down the entire issue it is arguably the case from an anthropological and sociological perspective that without the feeling of ownership people are not often compelled to take care of any particular resource. A great case is presented by Diamond (2005) in which it is postulated that the Greenland Norse faced their collapse as a result of over grazing of pastureland, a reluctance to trade with their neighbors and a reluctance to adapt in the wake of a potential societal collapse. What this illustrates is that when resources are relatively free for the taking the wake of poor crop yields it is invariably in the hum an spirit to over consume other resources which could theoretically bring with it the risks of a total collapse in society. When one examines the case as illustrated above one could draw the conclusion that if everything were free people would not take a sense of ownership and as such there would be a case of over consumption. From an economics standpoint one could bring

Thesis statement Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Thesis statement - Coursework Example Subsequently, it is implied that the issue can be regarded from different perspectives since both negative and positive effects of games were detected. However, all available researches and conclusions of authors remain contradictory and mutually exclusive. From one side, video games are said to promote violence and aggressive behavior and a hindrance to academic achievements. From another, video games can be used to promote versatile development. While developing an argument, I can support my thesis resorting to the recent scientific articles that uncover the list of positive effects of playing video games. Today, there is a sufficient number of credible research articles that can be used to scientifically back up the given thesis statement. Among the relevant points that should be included can be named promoting cognitive skills, training memory, sensory perception, attention, and spatial resolution. (Granic, Lobel & Engels, 2014) Apart from that, games often demand a high level of logical thinking, and problem-solving as well as can teach one to be goal oriented and persistent. An important argument in this context is explaining that the most important is to use technologies moderately and block negative messages they can

Borderline Personality Disorder Essay Example for Free

Borderline Personality Disorder Essay In 1938, the term â€Å"borderline† was first used by A. Stern to describe individuals â€Å"on the border† of psychosis (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). Individuals afflicted by Borderline Personality Disorder, BPD, have unstable sense of relationship, mood, and identity. They exhibit low confidence on professional, sexual, and family relations and frequently experience depression, disappointments, and anxiety. In connection to these, BPD patients are inclined to substance abuse, antisocial acts, erratic lifestyles, suicidal attempts, and self-mutilation. Specifically, BPD patients of ages below than 18 years are commonly diagnosed with identity confusion. The BPD cases have a prevalence of about 0. 2-4 percent in the general public and approximately 15-25 percent among the hospitalized psychiatric cases with co-occurrence of eating disorder and substance abuse (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). Different hypotheses offer a possible etiology for BPD. Some of which ascribed it to the brains constitutional defects in different neurotransmitter systems like in the serotonergic, andrenergic, dopaminergic, and cholinergic systems while other hypotheses associated it to the history of learning disabilities, encephalitis, head trauma, severe hyperactivity, and epilepsy (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). On the other hand, in terms of developmental perspective, the excessive frustrations during childhood, physical-sexual abuse, constitutional predisposition, early parental loss, arrest in normal development, traumatic separation from parental figure and post-traumatic stress disorder are considered as contributing factors in the BPD development (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). Meanwhile, a long term psychotherapy involving reality-oriented or analytic techniques along with drug medications which include mood stabilizers, antipsychotic, and antidepressants is the therapeutic mainstay. Borderline Personality Disorder and Marital Relations Borderline Personality Disorder is a mental illness which causes unstable behavior, self-image, moods, and interpersonal relationships to the affected individuals. Eventually, these instabilities will result to disruption of self-identity, family life, long-term planning, and work performance (Sholevar and Schwoeri, 2003). As well, a BPD patient may experience anxiety, violent bouts of anger, and depression for several hours or even a day leading to substance abuse, aggression, and self-injury. About two percent of adults, mostly women, affected by BPD suffer from instability of emotion regulation which often leads to self-injury and suicidal attempts (Sholevar and Schwoeri, 2003). Consequently, the disruptions of self-identity and cognition of the affected individual cause distortion on his or her gender identity, long-term goals, jobs, values, jobs, and career plans and in the long run may result to unworthy or bad perception about his or her self. As such, the afflicted individuals, more often than not, feel low self-esteem, empty, mistreated, bored, and misunderstood. In severe cases, BPD patients tend to feel lack of social support and isolated which may lead to impulsive avoidance of perceived abandonment. In relation to these, individuals with BPD are susceptible to turbulent social relationships (Sholevar and Schwoeri, 2003). They are prone to frequently agitated relationships and tend to abrupt shifting of attitude from love and admiration to anger and hate towards their family and friends. Hence, they easily idealize and develop attachment to other person; however, in the occurrence of conflict, their attitudes suddenly shift to anger and hate the person they are formerly attached to. In addition, even to their family circles, BPD patients are sensitive to rejection and separation issues. They tend to exhibit other behavioral problems such as risky sex, excessive eating, and extraneous spending (Sholevar and Schwoeri, 2003). The American Psychiatric Association (2000) postulated that a BPD patient most probably may have a chaotic and unstable marital relation which is attributed to the distortions in his or her affects, thoughts, and behaviors. Since, children in this kind of marriage are negatively affected by the behavioral exchanges between the couple, BPD treatment in terms of its cost and mandated implementation became a significant issue. Moreover, the study of Daley, Burge, and Hammen (2000) suggested that the presence and the degree of a personality disorder largely predict the impairment of an intimate relationship. As such, the results of their study fundamentally supported the significance of BPD perspective as not merely just a categorical diagnosis but as a continuum of severity. Whereas every woman in their study was diagnosed with BPD potential, women with more subclinical BPD characteristics tended to practice maladaptive romantic lives (Daley, Burge, and Hammen, 2000). This observation generally implied that the utilization of categorical approach in BPD assessment through systematic diagnostic threshold in inadequate in the detection of variations in the relationship behavior among individuals. Nonetheless, at subclinical levels, the BPD symptoms were not directly linked with dysfunctional marital relationships (Daley, Burge, and Hammen, 2000). Even though every personality disorder has an association with romantic dysfunction, the BPD symptoms failed to generate significant contributions beyond the other Axis II pathology (Daley, Burge, and Hammen, 2000). This signified the crucial role of a factor which underlies every personality disorder under the Axis II pathology for the determination of relationship adjustment. Borderline Personality Disorder and Dysfunctional Marriage In 1938, the relationship between personality disorder and dysfunctional marriage was first noted by Terman, Wilson, Johnson, Buttenweiser, and Ferguson (South, Turkheimer, and Oltmanns, 2008). They hypothesized that the unique attributes of every individual impart them the possibility for relationship dissatisfaction. In 1995, the vulnerability-stress-adaptation model for marital relations was proposed by Karney and Bradburry (South, Turkheimer, and Oltmanns, 2008). This model illustrates the role of individual differences along with interpersonal processes in the achievement of marital satisfaction. The model postulated that personality traits and couples vulnerability directly determine the couples endurance and their behavioral exchanges with respect to the stressful circumstances in their marriage. In relation to these, the symptoms of personality disorder have been tied up with serious couples conflict and marriage violence. Specifically, the partner-violence studies through behavioral analogue and factor-analytic techniques found that borderline personality and antisocial traits of individuals are predictors of the occurrence of violence in married life. Nevertheless, through developmental research, the relationship of personality traits during childhood and adolescent years with temperament and abusive behaviors in an intimate relationship has been reported (South, Turkheimer, and Oltmanns, 2008). For someone married to a partner with BPD, the frequent turmoil in their relationship can either make their bond stronger or at worst, result to hatred and divorce. More often than not, dealing with the love-hate nature of marital relations is exasperating for every couple. In particular, an individual can hardly understand a partner who at one time offers love and adorations then all of a sudden will just lose temperament and fall into horrific rages. This scenario would make the spouse of the BPD patient dumbfounded for the hastily anger may seem came from nowhere at all. The relatives of a BPD patient may experience stress and feel helpless as they witness their loved one suffering from self-destructive BPD symptoms (Sholevar and Schwoeri, 2003). The immediate caregivers, the parents or the spouse are more susceptible to chronic stress due to the pitiful condition of the patient which at worst may even lead to psychological trauma especially for the patients children. For instance, as the patient engages into self-destructive behaviors like self-injury, burning, or suicidal attempts, the immediate caregivers are vulnerable to post-traumatic stress disorder because they directly observe the patients high-risks behaviors as they respond for help. In line with this, the spouse of the patient may experience guilt as he or she tries to figure out the cause or his or her liability in the BPD development of the patient. Meanwhile, close relatives may want to support the patient but are afraid to do so because of the harm they may possibly beget from the self-harm behaviors of the patient. As well, family members may become impatient due to the patients disruptive behaviors. Nonetheless, family members, friends, and relatives may have inadequate knowledge about BPD; thus, they can hardly understand and give empathy to the patient. In the long run, the relationship turmoil between the couple along with the stress and guilt of the patients spouse cause impatience, hatred and may even lead to divorce. Still, the atmosphere at home has a great impact on the personalities of the couples children. For example, the eldest among the siblings are often tasked to look after the needs of the patient while the youngsters are instructed to keep away from the patient to avoid emotional trauma or the possible physical harm they may beget. Moreover, the extended family like uncles, grandparents, and close friends can also be affected as they relay aegis to the patients family. Couples Therapy An individual with a spouse afflicted with BPD can adapt to the behavioral problems of his wife or her husband by understanding the nature of BPD. Along with drug medications, therapeutic counseling is widely used to save marital relations from the consequences of BPD behaviors. Both Lachkar and McCormack in 1998 and 2000 respectively, suggested the creation of â€Å"holding environment† for couples with one partner having BPD (Oliver, Perry, and Cade, 2008). In this approach, each partner, rather than withdrawing or projecting, is conditioned for the recognition of his or her subjective experiences. In particular, Lachkar proposed three fundamental functions: containment, empathy versus containment, and self-object (Oliver, Perry, and Cade, 2008). In containment, the counselor mirror and defuse the negative affects and projections in order to provide new means of images and experiences to the couple. On the other hand, the empathy or mirroring versus containment is necessary for the containment balance. The couple also needs to experience empathy and mirror-back their statements and behavior to them. Thus, the counselor must know how to employ either one or the other so as to facilitate the effective relationship functioning and the healing process of traumatic experiences. Lastly, the self-object functions are designed for the structural repair of the self. In 2003, Fruzzetti and Fruzzetti identified the five functions for a complete dialectical behavioral therapy (Oliver, Perry, and Cade, 2008). Skill acquisition or enhancement is the first function in which specific skills are taught to individuals in every session. Next in line is the skill generalization wherein the learned skills are applied to real life setting through planning and telephone advising. The client motivation or behavior change is the third function which requires the collaborative effort of the client and the counselor in identifying and changing the dysfunctional patterns. Then, the crucial skills and high level of motivation are the required functions in the development of enhancement and motivation capabilities of the counselor. Finally, the environment structuring is a required function to ensure the desired outcomes. Gottmans Approach In 1999, Gottman proposed the different levels for a sound relational house which include: marital friendship foundation which consists of admiration and fondness, cognitive space for ones spouse, and turning toward versus turning away; override of positive sentiment versus the override of negative sentiments; conflict regulation which involves dialogue establishment and physiological soothing; and the creation of shared system of meaning such as meshing narratives, dreams, metaphors, and rituals (Oliver, Perry, and Cade, 2008). Furthermore, Gottman argued that resistance can hardly be avoided in the therapy because it resulted from the disruptions in the various level components of a sound relational house of the relationships internal working model (Oliver, Perry, and Cade, 2008). Hence, BPD patients suffer from the distortions of internal working models with respect to relationships and the self. Gottman further believed that the resistance due to the psychopathology of the individual is brought by his or her stable steady state, characterized by high negativity, and by the disruptions in the individuals means of influencing and influence acceptance (Oliver, Perry, and Cade, 2008). Dialectic Behavioral Therapy In 1980s, at the University of Washington, Marsha Linehan developed the Dialectic Behavioral Therapy or DBT after the failure of the standard behavioral therapies she has employed in treating women with chronic suicidal attempts (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). The DBT is an intensive and multimodal approach in the treatment of BPD. This form of therapy incorporated the cognitive-behavioral techniques with the time-tested Western contemplative and Eastern meditative medication approaches. These approaches with opposing notions, acceptance, and change were all integrated by means of a dialectical framework which can serve as a guide in the formulation and implementation of medication strategies. Since then, DBT has been utilized in the treatment of parasuicidal behavior among BPD cases and in other psychotic disorders. On the basis of biosocial maintenance and etiology of BPD, the DBT was developed in order to provide a plausible explanation for the BPD attributes with consistency on behavioral theory and empirical research findings (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). As posited by the biosocial theory, the BPD development is triggered by a dysfunction in the emotion regulation system during childhood brought by the interaction of the emotionally susceptible child to the invalidating environment. The immediate individuals in the childs environment, either unknowingly or intentionally, invalidate the childs emotional experiences which in turn result to the elevation of the childs emotional responses which aggravate the environmental invalidating responses. Further, the biosocial theory argued that the child and the environment have biodirectional relationship; thus, both influence the continuous elevation and deescalation of the borderline behaviors. The DBT treats BPD behaviors as spontaneous products of dysregulated and maladaptive attempts of emotions regulations (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). This model illustrated the characteristics of both individual and environment wherein the latter inhibits the development of the capabilities and potentials of the former. As such, BPD patients have low distress tolerance, interpersonal, and self-regulation skills. Hence, for any treatment approach, the development and enhancement of skills, capabilities, and motivation of every patient must be given prime importance. On the other hand, the therapeutic relationship between the BPD patient and the therapist poses a dialectic tension in which they can find themselves at the opposite sites of a particular issue. The therapeutic process then attempts to synthesize these opposing views resulting to a new dialectical tension. For instance, the therapist may perceive that the suicidal tendency of the patient is the root cause of the problem while the patient may take this behavior as the solution. The possible synthesis of these positions may result to the notion that committing suicide is a maladaptive solution to the problem at hand. Then, this new position may necessitate the learning of new skills so as to smoothly adapt the patient into the present state of life. DBT Treatment Stages Since DBT is a multimodal approach, the treatment is categorized into several stages, each of which has its own goals (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). In Stage I, the behavior is out of control as the individual possesses debilitating and pervasive problems. The first stage aims to facilitate the achievement of action control and stability as well as the natural life expectancy by preventing suicidal behavior, the development of the capability of helping individuals in reducing severe impediments, and the achievement of necessary skills for such tasks. In the following stage, the individuals have attained reasonable action control. The Stage II then intends to gain understanding and at the same time to reduce the impact of early traumatic experiences, and to strengthen the individual’s endurance in emotional experiences in the absence of psychological trauma. In the third stage, the focus of treatment is on the resolution of residual problem behavior which hinders the attainment of personal goals. The BPD patient, with self-trust and respect, takes a pivotal role. Finally, Stage IV aims for the sustenance of personal freedom and goals. This last treatment stage facilitates the patient’s achievement of spiritual fulfillment, vast awareness, and connection to the universe. Empirical Findings The randomized controlled DBT trials proved its efficacy on BPD behaviors such as suicidal tendency, substance abuse, depression, binge eating, anxiety, and other personality disorders across various populations (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). In addition, a substantial number of nonrandomized controlled DBT trials have shown efficacy similar to the randomized controlled. Thus, in general, the results of DBT studies indicated its superiority against non-DBT controlled trials in the prevention and reduction of problem behaviors like substance abuse and suicidal behavior as well as treatment dropout and hospitalization, and the improvement of the general and social functioning of the BPD patients. References American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. Arlington, VA: APA. Daley, S. E. , Burge, D. , and Hammen, C. (2000). Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms as Predictors of 4-Year Romantic Relationship Dysfunction in Young Women Addressing Issues of Specificity. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109 (3), 451-460. Koerner, K. and Linehan, M. M. (2000). Research on Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 23 (1), 151–167.

Participant Analysis of Charity Walk

Participant Analysis of Charity Walk Service Learning Project: 2014 Dalton Walk to End Alzheimer’s Experience Carrie Hatcher I decided to work with the Alzheimer’s Association for my service learning project because it is an organization that has made a huge difference in the local community where I live and also my family has been touched by Alzheimer’s in the past. I wanted to work with an organization that strives to make not only a difference in the lives of people who suffer from Alzheimer’s but also in the lives of the caregivers of the patients. I really like the moto that is used for the walk â€Å"everyone has a reason to walk† and that to me is true. Everyone knows of someone that is affected in some way by Alzheimer’s disease. Even if you have not been personally affected by Alzheimer’s you know someone who has or someone who is a caregiver to a patient with Alzheimer’s. My goal with this project was to show how far people are willing to travel, from where they live, to participate in the 2014 Dalton Walk to End Alzheimer’s. After talking with the director of the Alzheimer’s office I found out that they were also interested in finding out some other demographics about their walkers so I also have included within the project factors to look at such as the male to female ratio of the walk participants as well as the ages of the walk participant’s. To complete this project I worked as a volunteer for the walk and administered a survey as the walkers signed in that collected demographics such as the home zip code, age of the walker and if the walker was male or female. The three mile walk took place on September 27th and the starting point for the 2014 Dalton Walk to End Alzheimer’s was the parking lot of the historic Dalton Depot. The streets of downtown Dalton were blocked for the walk and the walk was escorted by the local Dalton city police department through the streets in town. My work as a volunteer started hours before the walk actually started. I arrived early to work with the other volunteers to help set up various tables and help with other set up duties before the walkers started to arrive. When the walkers started arriving I started collecting my data for my project through the use of the survey at the sign in table. I am glad that I decided to go with using a survey to collect data instead of walking around with a clip board like I had thought about doing because I soon realized that the walk becomes very hectic and chaotic once the walkers start arriving. If I had not used a survey to collect the data from each walker as they signed in then I feel confident that I would have missed a lot of the walkers and would not have been able to collect accurate and complete data. After the registration and sign in was complete and the demographic data had been collected I continued to work as a volun teer at the silent auction table. Working the silent auction table was a new experience for me. Trying to help keep track of the walker’s bids was challenging but fun at the same time. The silent auction was a very successful part of the walk this year. The Silent auction alone brought in over $800 for the Alzheimer’s Association. The walk was more like a block party than a walk to raise money and awareness of Alzheimer’s disease. There was live entertainment, a bake sale, silent auction and a BBQ lunch was sold by the Dalton Depot restaurant with the proceeds going to the Alzheimer’s Association. There was also a special appearance by the 2009 Miss Tennessee, Stefanie Wittler. Different vendors were also on hand to help raise awareness of the resources available to the caregivers of the patients with Alzheimer’s. There was one accident at the walk and after talking with the director of the walk I found out that the accident was the first one to ha ppen at a walk for as long as she had been the director. After the walk I also helped with the clean-up of the area and the breakdown of the tables and decorations. I also helped to deliver the walk materials back to the local office in Dalton and continued to work in the office helping the staff count and sort the money that was collected and verifying donations that were received. In all on the day of the walk I volunteered 8 hours and then spent an additional 5 hours going through the survey’s and analyzing the data collected and creating a map showing the cities that people traveled from to participate in the Dalton Walk to End Alzheimer’s and then creating a report to give to the Alzheimer’s office. I discovered some interesting facts and observations from the data that I collected and the Alzheimer’s office was interested as well. The total number of the walkers at the 2014 Dalton Walk to End Alzheimer’s was 227 and out of that number 32 were volunteers that devoted their day to help make the walk a success. The walk was dominated by females as the total number of walkers that were male numbered 52 whereas the total numbers of females were 175. So the male to female ratio of the walkers was 1:3 or three female walkers for every one male walker registered in the walk. I found this fact interesting that the majority of the walkers were female and that more males were not interested in participating in the walk. Out of the 227 walk participants 179 were adults and 48 were children. The average age of the walkers was 38 years old with the oldest walker being 83 years old and the youngest walker being 2 years old. I enjoyed seeing the youngest and smallest walker that even though was unregistered brought a lot of joy and excitement to the walk. She was 2 months old and came with her mom in her very own tiny walk tee shirt. I found out from the surveys that the person that traveled the farthest to participate in the walk came from Cumming, Georgia which is 86.44 miles from Dalton, Georgia. Also, the average miles that people traveled from their home zip code to participate in the walk was 39 miles. At the end of this report I have included three tables from the survey data that show walk participants zip codes and mileage traveled, the number of male and female walkers and the ages of the walk participants. I have also included the map that shows the cities that people traveled from to participate in the walk. I enjoyed this volunteer experience and I feel that it taught me a lot about the demographics and hard work of hosting fund raising walks. I already knew what services the Alzheimer’s Association provided but I did not realize how much work went into each fundraiser that they do. You would think that when you hear of a fund raising walk that it would not take a lot of work to coordinate and host the walk to be able collect the donations. I was wrong! To hold one of these walks there is an amazing effort put forth not only by the staff of the Alzheimer’s Association but also by the board of trustees and the numerous volunteers that devote their day and sacrifice their time to help make this walk a success. When you think of volunteers for an event you think of someone who is just giving of their time and not personally connected to the event. However, the majority of the volunteers that I encountered at the 2014 Dalton Walk to End Alzheimer’s devote not only their time but also have a personal connection to the Alzheimer’s Association as well. They truly believe in the Alzheimer’s Association and want to be a part of making a difference in the lives of the patients with Alzheimer’s as well as helping the caregivers of the patients to cope with the day to day struggles that they encounter as the Alzheimer’s disease progresses within their loved ones. This service learning project was a wonderful and enjoyable experience for me and it helped to open my eyes and helped me to realize how much work, dedication, sacrifice and love goes into coordinating, participating and hosting a fund raising walk that is truly successful in more ways that just monetary. Acworth, Georgia (58.25miles) 7 Adairsville, Georgia (32.21 miles) 3 Ball Ground, Georgia (55.24 miles) 4 Calhoun, Georgia (21.47 miles) 11 Canton, Georgia (63.82 miles) 8 Chatsworth, Georgia (12.72 miles) 17 Chattanooga, Tennessee (32.55 miles) 4 Chickamauga, Georgia (27.56 miles) 6 Cohutta, Georgia (15.10 miles) 7 Collegedale, Tennessee (36.08 miles) 1 Cumming, Georgia (86.44 miles) 1 Dalton, Georgia (0 miles) 94 Ellijay, Georgia (36.88 miles) 4 Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia (24.49 miles) 14 Jasper, Georgia (48.86 miles) 8 LaFayette, Georgia (27.06 miles) 2 Marietta, Georgia (71.88 miles) 1 Mineral Bluff, Georgia (59.08 miles) 2 Oolewah, Tennessee (26.96 miles) 1 Ringgold, Georgia (15.66 miles) 10 Rock Springs, Georgia (20.99 miles) 2 Rome, Georgia (48.05 miles) 4 Rossville, Georgia (26.89 miles) 5 Sugar Valley, Georgia (20.68 miles) 1 Summerville, Georgia (39.94 miles) 2 Talking Rock, Georgia (42.96 miles) 5 Woodstock, Georgia (71.73 miles) 3 Table 1: Walk participants zip codes and distances in parenthesis from each city to Dalton, Georgia Female 175 Male 52 Table 2: Gender of walk participants 0-10 years of age 19 11-20 years of age 29 21-30 years of age 49 31-40 years of age 38 41-50 years of age 43 51-60 years of age 25 61-70 years of age 21 71-80 years of age 2 81-90 years of age 1 Table 3: Age of walk participants 1

Blue Ocean Strategy Simulation

Blue Ocean Strategy Simulation The visual exploration at the start of Blue round 1 involved three different paths. Below is a summary of the findings of each of the path: Path 3: Looking Across the Chain of Buyers and Users It had the possibility of reaching upto 30% of market share. The main focus in this case would be on parents who dont want to intrude in their childrens personal lives by entering their room again and again but at the same time would like to control the time spent on gaming. The parents felt like they had lost control over what their children were doing. Many parents were also concerned with the easily snapping ability of discs because of which they had to buy their favourite discs twice or more. Most of the parents were also concerned about the cost and the environmental impact of batteries which were not rechargeable. There was also the issue of the cost of the games and maybe the answer lies in extending the length of the game to make it look like value for money. Finally, some people wanted the TV to store messages for their family members and wanted interconnectivity amongst the TVs for uninterrupted game play from anywhere inside the house. Two people also termed the game console as ugly. Possible Areas to work on: Control, Disc Protection, Rechargeable Batteries, Length and Complexity of the Games, Messages, Inter Connected Screens, Console Design. Path 1: Looking Across Alternatives The kids interviewed here mostly couldnt afford a video game and if given a choice, preferred another pair of shoes or a ball and wanted to move around the whole day with other kids after a whole day being still at school. The cost of the video games was a major issue with them. Also, many of them were ok with the quality of sound and graphics, which shows lack of interest in sophisticated devices. The exploration also led to an idea of mobile phones strapped to kids while they are playing so that the phones dont break after falling. For some of the kids who spent hundreds of dollars on sports goods, it was more a question of choice rather than affordability. Being with friends, and being active, not necessarily moving around was in. Possible Areas to work on: Cost, Sporty Mobile Phones, Fun Toys Path 5:   Looking Across the Functional and Emotional Appeal for Buyers The inherent thinking of these people about the video game industry was neutral to negative. They thought that video games are all about making people isolated, about technology and complexity. They also thought that games were about getting people together to socialize and have fun. These people were also quite intimidated by technology. This set of people also wanted the graphics, controller to be simpler. People also talked about the ugliness of the goods Possible Areas to work on: Simpler graphics, controls, easier games, proper training on using technology, creating games as a platform for socializing After discussing the various options available to us, we decided to launch blue box with the following specifications, the focus being on path 3 as it represented a major chunk- 30% of the target groups: We added controller sophistication and integrated screen and console design. We also reduced the audio sophistication as well as multimedia add-ons as there was less requirement of these features by the target group We also added rechargeable batteries, ability to control gaming habits as these were the major concerns of the people in path 3. Also, we included the additional feature with the ability to leave messages for others in the house. As a result of our decisions, we were able to attain a market share of 3.3% for the blue box. Thus, when coming up with a new product offering in an attempt to differentiate from our competitors, and in the process launching a blue ocean product, we decided to look across the chain of buyers and users and identified target groups, who when given special features suited to their requirements, will buy our product and it will be an offering distinct from industry standards. Application of Lessons Learnt to Quasar Media (Digital Media Agency) Blue Ocean Strategy Simulation taught us primarily to create a blue ocean for ourselves in order to differentiate from the competitors. The blue ocean involves offering something/ doing something/ making changes in the product which has not been done before and which makes your product stand out amongst all the products in the industry. The trick then also lies in sustaining that unique offering and continuously offering something extra. Quasar Media, a digital media agency, offers different services, a few of them being: Full service digital media solutions End-to-end services on Online Media, Search and Mobile marketing creative digital media search marketing and optimization E-CRM E-commerce Website development, back-end and optimization Interactive tools Mobile marketing Marketing Campaigns AoR Conceptualizing, developing, creating , hosting and managing digital assets. Social Media Optimization (SMO) Graphics Design Apps and Content Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Now, Quasar Media offers almost all of the services which are offered by a typical digital media agency in India. The time is right for the company to go that extra mile and differentiate from the competitors and create a blue ocean for themselves. Keeping into consideration the functional and emotional appeal of technology users in India, iPad is the next big thing. There is going to be an avalanche of sorts when the iPad comes into the market. Thus the high value differentiated product proposed is inclusion of iPad into the social media strategy. Inclusion of iPad into the Social Media Strategy: Including iPad into the social media strategy would primarily involve coming up with fresh Applications specific to iPad. IPad also supports multi tasking, in which many applications run simultaneously. Hence, living in the background is very important as you can be visible to the user, even when your application is in the background. Thus, this will become a competing factor beyond those on which the industry currently competes. Assignment No. 2 Let us start by looking at the nature of demand for bottled water in urban India. Unlike in the US, the water in the Indian home is not considered safe to be drunk directly. Almost all urban families use either an RO system, a candle filter or a big can of mineral water. Public places such as railway stations do not sound convincing even if they have water taps and in a way force people to purchase mineral water from there. In restaurants, since customers have no visible quality standard to know if their normal will be clean, they get ripped off paying double for mineral water. So, bottled water in India isnt catering to demand but is merely filling in for the lack of safe, clean water in our kitchen taps. Thats why bottled water in India is a Rs1, 000 crore industry growing at 40-50% annually. Parle was the first company in India to come up with bottled water and was in a way responsible for shaping up the bottled water industry in India. People today associate water with Bisleri and have in fact stopped calling it water and instead call it Bisleri only. But these days, there is increasing competition from international players like Coke, Pepsi, Nestle etc and national players like Mount Everest, Manikchand, and Kingfisher. The retail packaged water industry is growing at . Following are the factors which are fuelling this industry growth: Higher disposable income Increased on the go behaviour Importance of hygiene Increased Availability Affordable Price points In a scenario where there is no Genie in the bottle, the companies need to differentiate from the rest of the pack and need to create an uncontested space for themselves. The need of the hour is to create a high value, differentiated Blue Ocean Strategy product offering, which includes competing factors beyond those currently offered by the industry. Blue Ocean product Offering: Fruit Flavoured Water, Value added flavoured water like natural ayurvedic additive The rationale behind this Blue Ocean strategy is catering to the functional appeal and requirements of buyers. Essentially the customers are going to remain the same, but the modified product offering will cater to those who are tired of plain water or sweetened carbonated drinks. We all know that todays consumer is very health conscious. Hence, this health conscious consumer will be attracted towards water with fruit in it which gives it a healthier feel. The health conscious consumer will also be attracted towards the water with ayurvedic ingredient which is considered natural and is known to cure diseases. The factors of the industry that have been  eliminated  as they no longer have value Increasing awareness among people about consuming safe water which in turn increases demand Advertising only to the premium and elite class ( Today everyone consumes bottled water) The factors that have been  reduced  as they over serve customers Flashy packaging ( As it doesnt serve any purpose) Different bottle sizes (Based on the fact that if someone wants to buy a mineral water bottle, they go ahead and do it. They are not really particular about the size of the bottle) The factors that have been  raised  as they remove compromises that buyers are currently making Tamper proof packaging in the form of seals (Most of the consumers are scared of open or broken seals as many local water bottles are tampered) Sturdy and leak proof bottles Minerals and purification of the water The factors that have been  created  as they present new sources of customer value Fruit flavoured water ( For those who are tired of plain water or sweetened carbonated drinks) C:UsersManasDesktopWickyFruitEnergyKleinst.jpg Value added flavoured water with natural Ayurvedic additive (For those who are health conscious) C:UsersManasDesktopstock-photo-mineral-water-bottle-and-glass-with-mint-and-ice-rocks-10313494.jpg

The Depths of Fear: Peter Benchley Essays -- Authors

The world’s oceans, they cover a great majority of our planet. According to scientists, we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about what’s in the waters of our own planet. Even with advancing science we still don’t know very much about them. So imagine what it was like back around the 1970’s, it was already a time of great fear, and to some extent, paranoia in the United States with the threat of nuclear war and multiple other new threats emerging. Surprisingly, although it was known that there were dangerous things in the sea, nobody seemed to pay that much mind to it. All that changed when a man named Peter Benchley wrote a book called Jaws. This book, the resulting movie, and his literary works to follow opened up a new aspect that no one had ever thought of. It was a new breed of terror that came from the last place anyone ever had expected, the ocean itself. It is because of this book that Peter Benchley really became a household name. Born May 8th, 1940 in New York, NY he was raised in a family of writers. His father Nathaniel Benchley was a known writer of children’s books and his grandfather was a well-known humorist named Robert Benchley. He spent his childhood writing and even got paid in his teens to write during his vacations. He got a very formal writer’s education studying at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and attaining his major in English from Harvard. He wrote a sort of autobiography of himself as his very first published book entitled Time and a Ticket in 1964. Before he even got to the ideas for the books he’s now famous for, he spent time in several other writing positions including some for the Washington Post, Newsweek, and he even served as a speech writer for President Lyndon B. ... ... over the course of his life, Peter Benchley passed away in February 2006, the legacy ending of the man who made generations afraid to get in the water. Works Cited Swann, Christopher. "Peter Benchley: Overview." Contemporary Popular Writers. Ed. Dave Mote. Detroit: St. James Press, 1997. Literature Resource Center. Web. 29 Mar. 2012 The Wilson Quarterly. 30.2 (Spring 2006) p120. Word Count: 155. From Literature Resource Center. "Peter Benchley." (2007): n. page. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2007-A-Co/Benchley-Peter.html Benchley, Peter. The Beast. Random House, 1991. Print. Benchley, Peter. Shark Trouble. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2003. Print. Benchley, Peter. White Shark. Random House, 1994. Print. "Biography for Peter Benchley." n.pag. Web. 5 Apr 2012. . The Depths of Fear: Peter Benchley Essays -- Authors The world’s oceans, they cover a great majority of our planet. According to scientists, we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about what’s in the waters of our own planet. Even with advancing science we still don’t know very much about them. So imagine what it was like back around the 1970’s, it was already a time of great fear, and to some extent, paranoia in the United States with the threat of nuclear war and multiple other new threats emerging. Surprisingly, although it was known that there were dangerous things in the sea, nobody seemed to pay that much mind to it. All that changed when a man named Peter Benchley wrote a book called Jaws. This book, the resulting movie, and his literary works to follow opened up a new aspect that no one had ever thought of. It was a new breed of terror that came from the last place anyone ever had expected, the ocean itself. It is because of this book that Peter Benchley really became a household name. Born May 8th, 1940 in New York, NY he was raised in a family of writers. His father Nathaniel Benchley was a known writer of children’s books and his grandfather was a well-known humorist named Robert Benchley. He spent his childhood writing and even got paid in his teens to write during his vacations. He got a very formal writer’s education studying at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and attaining his major in English from Harvard. He wrote a sort of autobiography of himself as his very first published book entitled Time and a Ticket in 1964. Before he even got to the ideas for the books he’s now famous for, he spent time in several other writing positions including some for the Washington Post, Newsweek, and he even served as a speech writer for President Lyndon B. ... ... over the course of his life, Peter Benchley passed away in February 2006, the legacy ending of the man who made generations afraid to get in the water. Works Cited Swann, Christopher. "Peter Benchley: Overview." Contemporary Popular Writers. Ed. Dave Mote. Detroit: St. James Press, 1997. Literature Resource Center. Web. 29 Mar. 2012 The Wilson Quarterly. 30.2 (Spring 2006) p120. Word Count: 155. From Literature Resource Center. "Peter Benchley." (2007): n. page. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2007-A-Co/Benchley-Peter.html Benchley, Peter. The Beast. Random House, 1991. Print. Benchley, Peter. Shark Trouble. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2003. Print. Benchley, Peter. White Shark. Random House, 1994. Print. "Biography for Peter Benchley." n.pag. Web. 5 Apr 2012. .

The Aztecs :: essays research papers

The Aztecs The Aztec people ruled from the Gulf of Mexico to present day Guatemala. There capital city was Tenochititlan. The greatest controlling force was religion. It was shown in their architecture and sculpture.   They also had writing, numbers and a calendar. They had recorded dates for religious holidays. The children were taught respect, courtesy, truthfulness and self control. Aztec boys learned practical tasks from their fathers at home. Then when they reached 15 they went to a youth house. There elders taught the boys religion, citizenship, history, traditions and art. They also learned war. Girls could also learn to be priestesses in temple schools. The Aztecs were divided into tribes   that were dived into clans. Each clan had its own officials that represented them at tribal meetings. The land was dived up by the tribes. They controlled the land but the peasants farmed it having to give some of it to the chiefs and priests. The Aztecs worshipped a host of gods that represented nature. To win the gods aid they performed rituals and offered penance. Human sacrifice played an important role. Since life was a mans most valued possession it was the best thing to offer up to the gods. As the Aztec empire grew so did the human sacrifice. Sometimes the Aztecs performed cannibalism, believing they absorb the virtues of the slain. The sacrificed people were thought to be given a high place in heaven. The average Aztec was a farmer. He lived outside the city and grew crops for his tribe. Farming was the most important means of survival due to the warm, humid climate. They lived in small huts. The male was the head of the family. He would often arrange marriages for their children. The language they spoke was the Nahuan language that originated from the west coast of the united states. They wore elaborate colorful clothing made from animal skins that were traded from