The First Day In Australia

Would like to talk about my first day in Australia in this essay. I arrived in Sydney on the 3rd of April 201 3 and it was raining heavily. However, everything looked interesting to me. Was planning to visit Commonwealth Bank at Martin Place as soon as I stepped out of the airplane. When got there, was surprised because the architectural style of the building was luxurious and antique, and it felt very Western. Then I met a teller who greeted me kindly. He made jokes to me. They were funny jokes, but at that time, I did not answer.I was regretful I could not say anything to him in English. After that, I left for a backpacker hostel that is known as a popular place for foreigners. Unfortunately, there were a lot Of people waiting to Stay in there. Thus, I had to move another one. Finally I found a different backpacker hostel. As I opened the door of my room, its melancholic atmosphere overwhelmed me. Eventually, I decided to stay only 3 days because of the uncomfortable, unfamiliar ai r and because the accommodation fee was unfair.In the first night, I was not able to sleep deeply. Lying in the bed, really worried about my life in Australia. Being unsure about my future made me afraid. Time has slipped along. Compared with the past, many things have changed recently. Nowadays I am trying to improve my life in Australia constantly in order to step forward by studying English and making friends. If I have an opportunity, I would like to settle in Australia.

Advertising Radio Fm Brand Essay

‘Advertising Radio FM Brand’ is famous case in Business Communication for MBA. In this article, I’ve written the answers of this case. Hope it will be beneficial for the students who seeking the answers to these questions: 1. What is non – verbal communication? Why do you suppose that this commercial relies primarily on non-verbal communication between a young man and a gorgeous woman? What types of non – verbal communication are being used in this case? 2. Would any of the non-verbal communications in this spot (ad) not work well in another culture? 3. What role does music play in this spot? Who is the target market? Here are the answers: 1. What is non – verbal communication? Why do you suppose that this commercial relies primarily on non-verbal communication between a young man and a gorgeous woman? What types of non – verbal communication are being used in this case? Ans.: Non-verbal communication means exchanging few words with other people without any speech and sound. The various ways of non-verbal communication are posture or body language, gesture, facial expressions such as eye contact or laughing or crying etc, symbolizing, drawings or symbols, emotions, etc. In this commercial ad, there is a non-verbal communication found in between a young man and gorgeous woman; that the man couldn’t understand due to loud sound of music she danced with and her expression what she wants to say. In this case of commercial ad, eye contact, smiling and waving are the non-verbal communication are being used. 2. Would any of the non-verbal communications in this spot (ad) not work well in another culture? Ans.: The thumbs-up sign has different meanings in different countries. In Japan, it means to money and in Iran it means something wrong or indecent. In Canada, excessive gesturing is generally avoided. 3. What role does music play in this spot? Who is the target market? Ans.: In this ad, music plays an important role; played loudly to promote a music channel i‘five’. The target market or audience on this spot is youths. Youths or youngsters who usually like to attend parties and loves music as one of their common leisure pursuit.

Refutation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Refutation - Essay Example The author is gravely mistaken by asserting that his daughters have no mother for the reason that they were born through a surrogate. As such, Mutchnick (2009) also alleged that since the conception process used an egg donor, who he never had the chance to meet, he naturally concluded that the daughters have no mother. One strongly believes that all people were borne from biological mothers. And, even if the children is subsequently given up for adoption, or have been conceived through the surrogate method, a mother still has existed. Concurrently, it was erroneous for the author to presume that the oven is a term that is analogous to a mother. These are two anti-thetical terms: an inanimate object versus a living human being. Thus, Mutchnick (2009) could have used the term to inject humor to his literary discourse, but still, he could not validly assert that his daughters have no mother since the donor, who have contributed the eggs; and the surrogate are female human beings who have the capabilities to bear a child. As such, they could or could not be a mother, at the time of contracting an agreement with them, but as soon as the child was born, the surrogate mother is identified as the biological mother. Finally, the author could indeed assert that motherhood needs to be perfected only when the role and responsibilities of a mother has been duly accorded. Since the daughters were apparently borne from the efforts and purpose prescribed by Mutchnick, they apparently have assumed the role and responsibilities that mothers usually undertake. As such, he affirms that his daughters do not have a mother. One’s response to this argument is that: the daughters could in fact not have a biological or legally recognized mother – but still, by the fact that they were borne from a female human being, they still have a biological; yet not recognized or known mother. From an article written by Rogers (2012) which qualifies the definition of a mother, in cases

News Analysis Assignment-Gay Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

News Analysis Assignment-Gay Marriage - Essay Example -sex couples, while the causes of the problem are the risks of supporting a controversial position during the campaign period and the responsibility of reducing prejudice against gay people through supporting their right to marriage. This news story assigned responsibility by underlining that Obama’s views on same-sex marriage evolved and became more open because of his interactions with same-sex couples. Obama said: â€Å"When I think about those soldiers or airmen or Marines or sailors ... [and other gay couples, I decided to change my views on gay marriage]† (Gast, 2012, par.38). His statement shows that because of his interactions with gay couples, he realized that they can be as dedicated to marriage and families as heterosexuals. Obama took responsibility for supporting gay marriage that is central to the gay community. The causes of the problem are the risks of supporting a controversial position during the campaign period and the duty of reducing prejudice against gay people in general through supporting their marriages. Tony Perkins thought that the president â€Å"...handed to Mitt Romney the one missing piece in his campaign† (Gast, 2012, par.19). Indeed, Obama is campaigning for a second term, and this opinion can risk him the support of conservative voters. Nevertheless, Obama is prepared to take the risk if it means taking the responsibility of reducing prejudice against gay people in general through supporting their marriages. He said: â€Å"...for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married† (Gast, 2012, par.38). His opinion underscores that gay couples are equal to heterosexual couples, so they should have the same legal marriage rights. With the context of the election, Obama’s support for gay marriage cuts both ways. On the one hand, he gains the votes of the LGTB community. On the other hand, he might lose the votes of conservative voters. Still, the article shows

Alegent Health intervention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Alegent Health intervention - Essay Example The assessment was however subjective and this could limit ability to verify information. The subjective scope could also facilitate bias (Cummings and Worley, 2009). One of the ways fo improving the assessment is implementing an experimental design instead of a survey design. This would involve identification of two groups and subjecting one group to the intervention while leaving the other group. The two groups would then the evaluated on their ability to develop and implement innovative strategies and the approach would offer a clear basis for evaluating effectiveness of the decision accelerators. Increasing the level of objectivity through pre-developed scales is another way in which the assessment could be improved and this would ensure validity and reliability (Cummings and Worley, 2009). Even though the subjective approach undermines validity and reliability of generated data and conclusions of the assessment, the in-depth scope of the developed information and the ability of the researchers to verify offered information establish a high level of confidence on the developed lessons for the organization (Cummings and Worley,

Plato Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Plato Paper - Essay Example The writings also get used to teach various subjects like mathematics, religion, ethics, logic and philosophy. His exact place and time of birth is not known but it is certain that it came from an influential and aristocratic family. In his writing about Phaedo, Myth of Theseus, he writes about Socrates’s last days. He narrates that Socrates got condemned for polluting the youth of Athens and assisting in the introduction of the worship of strange gods. In the city they wanted him to die through consuming hemlock. However his death was postponed because there was a religious festival that had just started during the trial and according to the Athenian law executions were prohibited during the festivals so that the city could be kept pure. The festival was about commemoration of the event where Theseus traveled with fourteen people to King Minos and they wanted to defeat Minotaur. Plato highlights that the dialogue was ongoing against his knowledge of it and also the fact that the dialogue involved Phaedo and thirteen people, he expects the readers to identify the parallel and expect an outcome similar to the one in his tale (Plato 52). As Theseus moved with the fourteen Athenians who were threatened through Minos to challenge and slay Minotaur known to be monstrous. Also Socrates traveled with thirteen philosophers in the call for argumentation to challenge and eliminate what threatened him and his companions, known as the fear of death. So as Theseus could triumph against Minotour and free Athenians Socrates could also triumph over death. According to Plato, philosophy as a practice is for dying because like philosophy death separates the body from the soul. He argues that philosophers always distance themselves from the body as long as they disdain honors and wealth. He says the body acts as an obstacle in the process of acquiring knowledge, which is the core pursuit and intention of philosophers. According to Plato senses do deceive in some cases but philosophers seek knowledge and truth (Plato 112). He also says that sensuous pleasures and senses distract people from reasoning. According to Plato philosophy is a form of purification which frees the soul off contact from the body. He argued that Socrates had a reason to hope he would be better off if he drunk the hemlock as he would probably find out the truth upon his death and he would also find better friends and masters. He argues that the soul is immortal and it does not die. According to him all generation is cyclical and life equates the opposite of death and the souls of those who are living originate from the souls of the dead. He says that the body dies and decomposes and it cannot be revived but the soul leaves for ever because it is immortal. When a person passes always it is his body that dies but his soul will live on and it come in another person who will be born after the death. Plato also strongly suggested that learning is Recollection. He narrated that Heracli tus maintained that all things are in a form or state of flux where everything is constantly changing and he is remembered for saying that an individual cannot step twice in the same river. Plato supported the Heracliteans who said that every occurrence in the world of time and space was in a continuous flowing motion. Change occurred throughout and nothing could resist change and as a result, nothing was appeared the same in

Lifelet assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lifelet assignment - Essay Example I am currently working in the physics lab at Stanford University as part of my graduate school studies. I am so very pleased that I was able to land this position as it took ten days (at ten letters per day) worth of e-mailing just to get the professor’s attention regarding my desire to participate in Stanford lab activities. The university staff was very helpful in writing the necessary recommendation letters so that I could succeed in America and I will be forever grateful for their assistance. I came to the United States on May 22, 2005, arriving in San Francisco. At first, I have to admit that I was quite overwhelmed by the architecture and the vast variety of food available on market shelves. People always seemed to be rushing around which was quite different than the culture in Korea who are more laid back in terms of managing personal and business-related priorities. I have to admit that I, at first, expected that America would have similar cultural values and beliefs, however this personal misconception gave me somewhat of a rude awakening. For instance, Koreans are generally more open about expressing their personal feelings because of the collectivist culture which exists overseas. Most everyone in Korea shares similar beliefs and values, making it easy for most everyone to relate to one another. Americans are very individualistic and are more reserved when it comes to self-expression and generally work on their own, unique life agendas. When I first began working in the Stanford lab environment, I was taken aback by Americans’ reservations about discussing personal issues and did not find the highly collaborative environment I was expecting. In Korea, people who work together generally become very close and share their life stories, such as birthdays, family issues, and their areas of personal interest. During the first portion of my lab work at the university, I really did

Business Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Intelligence - Essay Example In this case, the Marshfield Clinic and the Exclusive Resorts, LLC case studies will be explored based on various elements of business intelligence. From these case studies, it is evident that there must be a drive or an instigating factor to pursue BI solutions, it is important to choose the right BI software, there are barriers to the adoption of business intelligence solutions, and the system must be able to integrate all the applications in the company. However, some of the BI solutions are complex and costly. Therefore, it is important for the business to perform enough research before settling on a final BI solution. The Marshfield Clinic Case Study The Marshfield Clinic has more than 50 regional locations with over 800 physicians and 6,500 healthcare and administrative workers. The clinic efficiently manages more than 375,000 patients each year. For example, the management team made an investment in electronic patient records. To facilitate it, the clinic offered its staff wit h electronic tablets for purposes of history taking which would be automatically populated in a centralized patient data warehouse. All the clinical care and financial information of each patient is safely kept, constantly updated, and ready for reporting and analysis. The clinic constantly innovates to be in line with the industry change (Cummens and Konitzer, 2011). Recently, the clinic utilized SAP Business Objects solutions to observe the quality metrics as it implemented enhancement initiatives. The clinic has an efficient system for collecting patient care information but it requires the appropriate analytics tool to improve patient care metrics and also provide user-friendly reporting for the physicians’ desktops in order to give support to real-time decision making. Initially, the clinic used sophisticated ad hoc query tools before acquiring SAP BusinessObjects for analytics and reporting, however, this method required the users to undergo extensive training. The clin ic utilized train-the-trainer approach to train the end-user. The SAP BusinessObjects was the best fit for the clinic. This is because the management team required software that non-IT individuals (particularly the doctors) could use without any problems (Cummens and Konitzer, 2011). The rolling out and adoption process was quick and smooth. However, there were challenges such as converting the 60 Cognos catalogs of the clinic into novel semantic layers that functioned with SAP BusinessObjects software. The whole process tool close to nine months and the software has enabled the clinic to meet its goals from the perspective of reporting and analytics (Cummens and Konitzer, 2011). There are a number of lessons to be learned from this case study. First, there must be a drive or an instigating factor to pursue business intelligence solutions. Though the clinic had an efficient system, it still needed software that will keep then up to date with the ongoing healthcare industry changes. Electrosmart Ltd (2011), states that drivers of BI include rapid change, governance, stakeholder demands, expanding on ERP (enterprise resource planning) and data availability. In the case of Marshfield Clinic, data was readily available and there was need to be in line with the health care industry. Second, it is important to choose the right BI

Conceptual Theoretical paper-Nursing theory Term Paper

Conceptual Theoretical -Nursing theory - Term Paper Example 2). By being an art, nurses are substantially encouraged to be practically creative and resourceful in delivering services that are efficient and effective. At the same time, it is a science for nursing practice should be anchored on theoretical and conceptual bodies of clinical knowledge in ensuring that every action promotes safety and enhancement of patients’ health. The patients’ overall well-being should be at the central of nursing. In line with this, nurses need to relate professional knowledge into clinical practice, through theoretical and conceptual frameworks bridges, dynamically linking care between health personnel and care recipients, in consideration with environmental factors. The body of knowledge in nursing had been divided into several categories to distinguish bulks of nursing concepts constructed. Fawcett (1995 as cited in Timmins, 2005) identified hierarchical structure in nursing knowledge, where different levels are interconnected in clinical fie lds: â€Å"(1) metaparadigm (2) philosophy (3) theory (4) conceptual models.† Metaparadigms are quite broad in context, which translate clinical values indicated in constructed philosophies, while theories are more specific in experiential nursing fields. Fawcett (1994 as cited in Masters, 2005) added that conceptual models, being the last, pertain to sets of nursing abstracts and propositions that are meaningfully integrated for valid reference in nursing disciplines. One of the fundamental bases in modern nursing profession is the theory created by Florence Nightingale. Her philosophical concepts are simple in construct, though, it primarily stabilized how nurses act in deference to patient interaction. In her environmental model for nurses, Nightingale proposed that elements observed in environment can have a significant impact on patients’ health conditions (Butts & Rich, 2010). The model substantially linked three important entities together: the patient, nurses, and their environment. Her meta paradigm in Figure 1 (please see Appendix A), showed these three factors that may influence outcomes in health, where emphasis can be made on the nature present in the environment that can be manipulated, such as conditions in light and temperature, nutritional intake, hygienic provisions, and emotional support as essential in providing dynamic nursing services (Masters, 2005). At this point, health promotion and disease prevention seemed at the heart of Nightingale’s environmental model, as largely observed in current priorities in modern day nursing practice. On the basis of Nightingale’s philosophical proposition, her conceptions on how to deliver nursing services may be too broad in specific nursing fields, but clinical areas can benefit from environmental modification emphasis in her mode. As affirmed by Alligood and Marriner-Tomey (2006), nursing models bridge the gap between professional knowledge and practices, as its communicati ve quality translates knowledge base into clinical actions. In application, the said metaparadigm can be generated in preventing hospital-acquired bacterial transmission in urinary tract infection (UTI). According to several reports, hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections compose almost 40% of cases, where majority (80%) had been contracted during â€Å"indwelling urethral catheter use† (Nicolle, 2007, p. 251). The alarming rate of infection transmission from health care providers to care recipients

Theme of Tennessee Williams plays Essay Example for Free

Theme of Tennessee Williams plays Essay A Streetcar Named Desire conforms to the expectation that a major theme of Williams plays is that of human sexuality. Various aspects of human sexuality are explored through the diversity and complexity of the characters. Whilst Stanley Kowalski epitomises masculinity through his primal strength and power, and the increasingly fragile Blanche DuBois attempts to cling to the feminine role of the Southern Belle, these are only aspects of their characters. The fact that their relationship is one of conflict, is representative of their worldviews. However, to reduce A Streetcar Named Desire to the level of mere battle of the sexes would be too simplistic and does the play an injustice by choosing to ignore its complexities. Superficially, at least, Blanche DuBois conforms to prevailing concepts of gender wherein she adopts characteristics that are seen to epitomise femininity. Such traits are conceived as constituting feminine behaviour, and include characteristics such as passivity, acquiescence and emotionality. Whilst these traits are certainly evident in Blanche DuBois, she is, of course, a far more complex character than such simplification would first suggest and, therefore, cannot be so easily labeled. It would be perhaps more accurate to consider Blanche in light of Judith Butlers suggestion that gender is something that we do (Selden, 116). This concept more accurately encapsulates the sense that Blanche chooses to adopt a role of femininity, effectively playing a part by conforming to a stereotypical role, in this case, that of the Southern Belle. The adoption of this role provides Blanche with a relatively stable sense of identity, or at least an aspect of identity, necessary for her own self-preservation. As with Amanda Wingfield, in The Glass Menagerie, Blanche DuBois seems to struggle in a changing world and by adopting an aspect of identity that is associated with the past, she is able to find at least temporary comfort. From our earliest encounter with Blanche, we are made quickly aware of her preoccupation with appearance. Initially this focuses on the appearance of Stellas home, this horrible place (120), which compares so negatively when contrasted with the ancestral home of Belle Reve. However, Blanches real preoccupation soon becomes evident as she chides Stella for failing to  say a word about her appearance (122): You see I still have that awful vanity about my looks even now that my looks are slipping! (123). The fact that she laughs nervously whilst looking to Stella for reassurance indicates Blanches insecurity. All that has been familiar in Blanches world has changed, and now that age is changing her personal appearance, her insecurities are heightened. However, the dialogue between the sisters evokes a sense of ritual wherein Blanche seeks approval and Stella responds dutifully (123) suggesting that Blanches insecurities are deep rooted and precede the advent of age. As Stella instructs Stanley: admire her dress and tell her shes looking wonderful. Thats important with Blanche. Her little weakness! (132). This is a constant motif throughout the play and Blanches little weakness reflects the fact that her sense of self-identity needs constant bolstering, especially now that her youth has passed by. It also reinforces the notion of Blanche as adopting a role and the necessity, as with any act, for an audience, preferably a sympathetic one. For Blanche an audience is necessary to enable her to perpetuate her constructed self-image. Compliments and constant reassurance are required to maintain the role she has adopted; it is therefore necessary for her audience to constantly appreciate her performance. When considering Blanches behaviour with others, we find that she is most desperate to impress her male audience, and it is at such times that she feels the need to rely heavily on her female sexuality. Indeed, the persona that she has adopted is aimed at attracting male attention rather than female sympathy. This becomes apparent through a conversation with Stella wherein Blanche describes her discussion with Stanley regarding the fate of Belle Reve: I feel a bit shaky, but I think I handled it nicely. I laughed and treated it  all as a joke, called him a little boy and laughed and flirted! Yes I was flirting with your husband Stella! (141). Blanche seems unable, or at least unwilling, to disregard this persona when dealing with men. Such behaviour has become habitual, a fact that becomes increasingly obvious in her relationship with Mitch. After a date together, and despite the fact that Blanche did not enjoy the evening, she still behaves in a manner in which she believes she is obliged to do. As she explains: I was just obeying the law of nature The one that says the lady must entertain the gentleman or no dice! (175). Blanche certainly understands how to use her sexuality, but she is not driven by her sexuality in the sense of passion and desire. Blanche wants her relationship with Mitch to work, not because she wants him per se, but because of what such an outcome would represent. The prospect of such a relationship is viewed as an escape from her present circumstances where she considers herself to be a burden. A successful relationship will give Blanche the opportunity to rest and to breathe quietly again!(171). Such choice of language clearly indicates the strain involved in continuing her charade, and goes some way to explain her reliance on alcohol for a temporary sense of escape. Of course, in order to adopt the role of Southern Belle convincingly, illusion becomes a necessary factor. Blanche is content in the illusory world that she creates where she can attempt to regain her passing youth, becoming someone that she feels she should be. Illusion is also necessary in that it offers an escape from her sexually promiscuous past, whilst masking the truth of the past from her family and Mitch. However, Blanche seems to accept her past behaviour as inevitable considering the expectations of men: People dont see you men dont dont even admit your existence unless they are making love to you. And youve got to have your existence admitted by someone, if youre going to have someones protection (169). The fact that Blanche equates people with men highlights the fact that she feels very much a part of a patriarchal society, where men obviously hold the power and make the judgments. Ironically, but not unexpectedly, such a society is hypocritical in its view of Blanche as it privately condones, indeed enables, Blanches sexually promiscuous behaviour whilst publicly condemning it. Blanches decisions appear to have been primarily driven by her desire for protection, whilst her upbringing and her position as a woman in a patriarchal society, nurtures a reliance on men. In this case, the expectation is that a man will rescue her. Of course, she experiences only varying degrees of failure in attempting to escape from the situations she finds herself in. Yet, despite this, it is still male approval that Blanche seeks. Blanche retains the hope that by becoming part of the illusion, by emulating old-fashioned values, that she will attract Mitch and therefore the protected life of gentility and kindness that she so longs for. I have suggested that an illusory world is a space for Blanche to relive her passing youth, and we find that in order to do so she uses darkness to reinvent herself as young and innocent. Blanche lies to Mitch about her age, telling him that Stella is somewhat older (150) than herself, when Blanche is in fact at least five years older than Stella. Blanche adorns the naked lightbulbs in the apartment with Chinese lanterns (150) to deflect the harsh light of truth, as it were, from the possibility of being discovered as older than she has suggested. We learn from Mitch that Blanche refuses to meet him until after six and then its always some place thats not lighted much(203). Blanche finds the dark comforting (203), as she prefers to reject realism in search of magic (204). The persona she feels is necessary to attract Mitch is also necessary for her own sake as she allows herself to feel young and unscarred again. Her habit of taking baths is symbolic in this regard. The long baths are attempts to wash away the past, whilst they also represent an attempt at some kind of spiritual cleansing wherein Blanche always announces after a bath that she feels like a brand-new human being!(135). Yet, the fact that she keeps returning to the  bath leads to the conclusion that this illusion does not last very long. Whereas Blanche adopts a sexual persona, Stanley, and to some extent Stella, are driven by their sexuality. Their relationship is frequently portrayed as primal and animalistic, their baby is proof of Stanleys virility and Stellas fertility; an affirmation of an intensely passionate relationship. This is at odds with the genteel expectations of the Old South, the world that Blanche represents. Of course, Blanche has also strayed from the values expected, however, her sexual relationships are a means to an end, she is not sexually driven and does not experience the sense of passion and desire apparent in Stella who finds it unbearable to be apart from Stanley: I can hardly stand it when he is away for a night When hes away for a week I nearly go wild! (125). Stella has chosen a life built on a powerful sexual relationship which makes everything else seem unimportant(162). With this belief she deems unimportant the fact that Stanley beats her, she forgives him and to restate the physical bond between the two, they seem to have no need for words, instead they come together with low animal moans(154). Their relationship seems to epitomise life through the regenerative powers of desire and procreation, in contrast to Blanches sexual relationships with men as disempowering and ultimately destructive. Stanley plays the role of the Alpha male, evident in his need to dominate. This is apparent from the first poker game where Stanley seeks to dominate the group of both men and women. When he is disobeyed, he reacts violently, the violence escalating as events progress. During the poker game, Blanche defies Stanley by turning on the radio; his reaction evokes images of animalistic behaviour as he is described as stalking: fiercely through the portieres into the bedroom. He crosses to the small white radio and snatches it off the table. With a shouted oath, he tosses the instrument out of the window (151). When Stella admonishes him for his behaviour he physically attacks her, a forewarning of the treatment that Blanche will ultimately receive from Stanley. There is certainly a sense of inevitability in the final violence that Blanche experiences at the hands of Stanley, as he tells her, weve had this date with each other from the beginning!(215). Blanche has been a consistent threat to Stanleys authority, especially in regard to Stella. Stanley is the self-appointed King, (195) evidence of his sense of male dominance, a secure position that has been undermined by Blanche who is seen as adversely influencing Stellas opinion about her husband. Stella appears to have become influenced by Blanches perception of Stanley as uncouth and animalistic, and this becomes apparent in the language she uses to admonish Stanley. He responds: Dont ever talk that way to me! Pig Polack disgusting vulgar greasy! Them kind of words have been on your tongue and on your sisters tongue too much around here!(194). But Stella is ultimately complicit in Blanches destruction as she chooses Stanley over her sister, despite the fact that she is aware of the violence that Stanley is capable of. Stella chooses to believe Stanley, using illusion just as Blanche has done, because she couldnt believe her story and go on living with Stanley(217). Another aspect of sexuality that plays a significant role, is the sexuality of Blanches young, dead husband. It is clear that Blanche is haunted by the discovery of his homosexuality and the resulting guilt that she feels regarding his suicide. Beyond this however, it is clear that the discovery of her husbands sexuality caused irreparable to Blanches sense of identity. Stella describes Blanches attitude toward Allan: I think Blanche didnt just love him but worshipped the ground he walked on! Adored him and thought him almost too fine to be human! (190). It is clear that Blanche was left lost and isolated by Allans death, and she admits that she searched for comfort by sleeping with men: intimacies with strangers was all I seemed able to fill my empty heart withI think it was panic, just panic, that drove me from one to another, hunting for some protection(205). However, the purely sexual relationship does not offer the kindness, comfort and protection that Blanche is so anxious to find. Her pattern of behaviour becomes a vicious cycle; as Blanche becomes more and more desperate to exorcise memories of Allan, she adopts increasingly inappropriate ways of behaving thus adding to the memories that she is attempting to exorcise. Although Blanches intimacies with strangers do not provide emotional fulfillment, they do provide the male attention that she craves in order bolster her sense of identity as an attractive woman. It is ironic that Blanche views the old love letters and poems that Allan wrote for her as her most precious possessions: Everyone has something her wont let others touch because of their intimate nature (139). The poems and the emotional relationship that they represent are far more intimate than the physical relationships Blanche has had with other men. The fact that Blanche has a preference for young men, conforms to her use of illusion where she seeks to recreate, to re-experience, the idealised relationship which she has so desperately longed for. Her inappropriate relationship with a seventeen year old student, the relationships with young soldiers at Belle Reve, and even in New Orleans we gain a fleeting glance of this behaviour with the young man from the Evening Star (172), whom she kisses and reluctantly dismisses: Run along now! It would be nice to keep you, but Ive got to be good and keep my hands off children (174). Guilt haunts Blanche as does the rapid, feverish polka tune, the  Varsouviana (200), which only fades after the final gunshot has been heard. Just as Blanches expression of disgust destroyed Allan, it is Stanleys disgust at the charade that Blanche has been playing, that ultimately destroys her. The events of scene ten, where Stanley rapes Blanche, are accompanied by the sound of inhuman jungle noises which rise up (215) like cries in a jungle(213). This parallels the primal, animalistic image that has been built of Stanley, and the expectation that he will react violently to anyone that he feels is a threat. It has been said of Williams that his plays seek to capture the truth of human experience(Bigsby, 36). Indeed, A Streetcar Named Desire conforms to this view in as much as the characters are far more than stereotypes but rather complex characters that are influenced by, driven by and destroyed by aspects of human sexuality. BIBLIOGRAPHY Williams, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire, in A Streetcar Named Desire and Other Plays, ed. E.Martin Browne, St. Ives, 1987. Bigsby, C W E. Modern American Drama 1945-1990, Cambridge, 1992. Selden, R. Contemporary Literary Theory, Prentice Hall, 1997.

Doctrine of Ultra Vires Effect on Malaysian Company Law

Doctrine of Ultra Vires Effect on Malaysian Company Law Discuss the doctrine of ultra vires and its effect in Malaysian Company Law. According to s18 Contract Act 1965, every company formed should have a memorandum printed and divided into paragraph and with the date stated. In s18 (b) Contract Act 1965, it shows that the requirement of the Memorandum of Association (M/A) required a statement of object clause. The object clause can be used to describe the nature of the business such as manufacturing business, merchandising business or service business. Besides, it also show the company power, its purpose and the legal capacity of the company.[1] Furthermore, the purpose of the object of M/A should be lawful as stated in s14 (1) Company Act 1965. The consequence of unlawful purpose and incompatible to peace, welfare, security, public order, good order or morality in Malaysia will be Registrar of Company will refuse for the registration of the company as followed to s16(8)(a) Company Act 1965. As it has been stated that object of M/A function as recognize the legal capacity of the company, in the same time, it has limited the company which it require the company to act based on the statement. If the operation of the company is different with the object of M/A, ultra vires will be recognized. Ultra means â€Å"beyond† whereas vires means â€Å"power† where ultra vires happened when an act is against the object clause. Although the company want to ratify the act, the act is void at initio. This can be further explained by the common law and statue. However, if the company wants to prevent ultra vires, the company must alter the object clause. There are certain requirement as stated s28 Company Act 1965. In s28 (1) Company Act 1965, it stated that alteration can be made based on a special resolution. Besides, by holding this special resolution, members and debentures holder of the company should be given 21days of notification to the special resolution as according to s28 (2) Company Act 1965. Common Law The doctrine of ultra vires under common law refers to the rules that company must act within their objects clause that is stated in the memorandum of association. Any activity that is outside from the company capacity is void. Neither the company nor the third party could enforce this. In other words, ultra vires act is void and the contract cannot be ratified even if the company wishes to. Under common law, the company’s contract is void due to internal or external context. Externally, when a third party contracting with a company, if the contract was not fulfill the objects of company that stated in memorandum of association, then the contract was ultra vires and void. Internally, if the company and the director enter into an ultra vires contract, the company may immediately stop the act of the director and claim damages from the director who breach his fiduciary duties by entering into the contract which is outside from the company’s capacity. If the company could n ot fulfill the main object in their memorandum, then they would have to be wound up. According to Ashbury Railway Carriage Iron Company v Riche (1875) LR 7HL 653, the case stated that the company’s objects in their memorandum was to make, sell and hire railway carriages. The company entered into contract with Riche and the contract was approved by the shareholders at general meeting, then the company agreed to give Riche and his brother a loan to build a railway in Belgium. After that, the company changed their mind and refused the agreement. Riche sued the company. The court held that the construction of a railway was ultra vires, because construct a railway was not stated in their company’s memorandum of association. Thus, the contract is void because the construction of a railway is outside from the company capacity. Furthermore, since it is outside from the company capacity, so the company could not ratify the contract. Therefore, ultra vires exist and the contract is void even if all of the shareholders approved the contract. From Ashbury Railway Carriage case, we can see that the company could not sue or be sued by the third party for not performing the contract. This is because the contract is null and void. Thus, the company could avoid for not performing the contract and could not be sued by the third party because it is outside form the company’s capacity. Although it seems unfair for the other party but the object clause of a company is available at public for inspection. The other party should have checked whether the company has the capacity to enter into contract with them or not. Need to say if company itself can sue the director and SH? Shareholders pay less concerned on the corporation on how the director corporate as long as the business generates dividend to them. However this will put the creditor in high risk. This is because if the creditors credit sales the goods and services to the particular company, and the company has insolvent in later dates, the creditor could not claim any debts. Common law stated that an ultra vires act is null and void to protect the member or the creditors of the company who has invested the money into the company and expect the investment is only used for the company’s business. According to Cotman v Brougham (1918) A.C. 514, the objects clause of company contained 30 sub clauses, however, the first sub clause stated the company to develop rubber plantations. In the fourth clause, it empowered the company to deal in any shares of any company. Besides, the memorandum also stated that each sub clauses acts as the independent objects for the company. The company underwrote and had allotted to it shares in an oil company. After that, the oil company wound up and their company was on the list of contributories. The question arose is that whether this is intra vires the company’s objects. The court held that the 30 independent object clause in the rubber company’s memorandum was an independent. Hence, the power to deal with the share in an oil company was within the legal power. Therefore, the company is liable for the underwriting. From the Cotman case, the company did not clearly specify the main object where constitution of Memorandum are not limited by using plain business language. Companies could no longer avoid a contract based on the grounds that it was beyond the company objects which they have been done in the traditional ultra vires doctrine. This has increased a wider range of object clauses in the Memorandum as a result of each sub clause is independent which are not interrelated with the main clause. Hence, the object are not restricted to review on the main clause. This has rendered the companies to introduce a standard type of object clause to render almost all potential commercial objectives intra vires. Position under Companies Act 1965 According to s20 (1) of Companies Act 1965, any act or transfer of property that made by the company shall not be invalid with the reason that company dont have the power or capacity to do act. The effect for this section is transaction will become irrelevant with the fact that the company did not have the capacity to enter into it, even though a certain transaction is otherwise valid. Besides, the company can sued or be sued as acts against its object clause. In order to protect the interest of the shareholders and creditors, s20 (2) Companies Act 1965 has provided the remedies to restrain the ultra vires act. According to s20 (2) (a) Companies Act 1965, company is liable if a member of the company or the company itself has issued the debentures are available with a floating charge. The shareholders and debenture holders can sue the company for the taking any action outside the company and they can claimed the compensation from it. Besides, it also stated that the relief of s20 Companies Act 1965, the ultra vires only apply to specific person and not an outsider as refer to Pamaron Holdings Sdn Bhd v Ganda Holdings Bhd [1988] 3 MLJ 346. According to Pamaron Holdings Sdn Bhd v Ganda Holdings Bhd case, the Plaintiff and the Defendant entered into an agreement for sale and purchase of shares in a private limited company. The Defendant defaulted in the payment of the purchase price and the plaintiff applied for summary judgment against it. In opposing the application, the defendant proclaim that among the transaction was ultra vires the plaintiff company. Allowing the application, the court held that under s.20 a person other than a debenture holder or the minister may not raise ultra vires. The defendant being an outsider and not a debenture holder or the minister had no right under the section. The Defendant was liable for not being able to settle the payment of the purchase price. The Defendant also didnt purcha se any shares or debentures from the Plaintiff Company, thus it cannot raise ultra vires. Defendant should purchase the shares or debenture from the plaintiff in order for the defendant have the right to raise ultra vires. From this case, only the person that are sufficient proximate to the company can apply ultra vires. Ultra vires is an action This act will only available to the contract that has been entered, yet to be completed as refer to the Hawkesbury Development Co Ltd v Landmark Finance Pty Ltd ( 1969 ) 2 NSWR 786. According to Hawkesbury Development Co. Ltd v Ladmark Finance Pty Ltd case, Plaintiff holds all of the shares in the Landmark Finance Pty Ltd. Landmark Finance has issued two debentures to United Dominion Corp (UDC). A request has been sent to court by Plaintiff about declaring both debentures to be invalid due that it is a company object ultra vires. Plaintiff also request that the court to prohibit the enforcement of UDC of the debentures. However, application that request by the plaintiff is rejected and the approval of court to void the declaration of the UDC had failed to be obtained. Due that the plaintiffs are the shareholders of the Landmark Finance, the application should make to Landmark Finance instead of UDC is a third party. If the company is make the act of ultra vires by issuing the debentures to the outsiders, the shareholders or debenture holders have the right to sue the company. However, s20 (2) (a) Companies Act 1965 does not given its protection to debentures holders that secured by float charge and creditors who did not have any charge. According to s20 (2) (b) Companies Act 1965, officers are personally liable for any action taken by member of the company or the company itself. The shareholders or the company itself can sue the officers either former or current that who committed any Ultra Vires transactions which must be completed and realized. However, if any law suit against the officer will not affect the validity as stated in s20 (1) CA 1965, the act will be valid to the ground. According to s20 (2) (c) Companies Act 1965, any petition that may conducted by the Minister to the court to wind up the company that had committed ultra vires actions. The court will conducted its discretion when the company has changed the business totally from its original business. According to s20 (3) Companies Act, if any party has suffered any damage or loss due to the unauthorized act or transfer is yet to be performed and to be restrained under s20 (2) Companies Act 1965, the parties who have sustained the damage can be compensated. By comparing the common law and Companies Act 1965, under the doctrine of ultra vires, it is prefer to go for common law. This is because, under common law, the act of ultra vires is null and void, so the company could avoid for not performing the contract which is outside from their capacity. Besides, the company could not sue or be sued by others party just because they did not perform the contract. However, under the Companies Act 1965, it provides completed transactions remain valid as between the company and the third party and both of the party may sue each other. Let’s compare the case of Ashbury Railway Carriage Iron Company v Riche under common law and the case of Hawkesbury Development Co Ltd v Landmark Finance Pty Ltd under Companies Act 1965, we can see that under Ashbury case, the ultra vires are meant to protect the company by voiding the contract because it is outside the company’s capacity. The other party could not sue the company although they had ent ered into the contract because ultra vires exist. Whereas, under the Hawkesbury case, the plaintiff failed to declare the debentures to the third party although it is a company object ultra vires because the plantiff are the shareholders of the Landmark Finance and it should make declaration to Landmark Finance instead of the third party. Conclusion For under the common law, the contract entered by the director of the company or the company itself is ultra vires, the contract is considered void due that it is beyond the companys capacity to perform it. If the contract made by the company with the third party is not fulfill the objects of the company that stated in memorandum of association also considered as ultra vires thus become void. When the contract has become void, the company could not sue or be sued by the third party for not performing the contract. For under the Companies Act 1965, any act that made by the company cannot be declared as invalid by using incapable to perform the act as an excuse. The transactions still remain valid between both the company and the third party that they may able to sue or be sued by each other. Thus, both companies and the third party should consider the capabilities of the company to perform the any act from the contract in order to avoid any ultra vires that may happen and cause the loss to the creditors, shareholders, debenture holders or any related parties. [1] Pg 205 principle of business law and corporation

Theories of Motivation Essay -- Management Employee Motivation

Theories of Motivation According to Greenberg (1999) motivation is defined "as a process of arousing, directing and maintaining behaviour towards a goal." Where ‘directing' refers to the selection of a particular behaviour; and ‘maintenance' refers to the inclination to behave with consistency in that manner until the desired outcome is met. Motivation is therefore the force that transforms and uplifts people to be productive and perform in their jobs. Maximising an employee's motivation is necessary and vital to successfully accomplish the organisation's objectives and targets. However this is a considerable challenge to any organisation's managers, due to the complexity of motivation and the fact that there is no ready made solution or an answer to what motivates people to work well (Mullins, 2002). It is my intention in this essay to explore some issues around motivation and cite work based experiences to illustrate and substantiate any arguments or points of view. Main Body Mullins (2002) classifies motivation into Intrinsic and Extrinsic types. Intrinsic motivation involves psychological rewards to enhance job satisfaction, such as the opportunity to use one's ability, a sense of achievement, receiving appreciation and positive recognition or being treated in a considerate manner (Mullins, 2002:P490). Such methods ensure employees are constantly motivated while being engaged in activities that are enjoyable and rewarding. I was formerly employed by a supplier of automobile parts where in addition to using compensation as a means of motivation; they too were dedicated in ensuring their employees had maximum job satisfaction. This was achieved by giving autonomy in their job functions and assigning significa... ...its employees. In today's complex business environment; traditional approaches like monetary incentives are not the only prime motivators. In addition to expecting financial incentives for their performance, employee's expectations are much more. Appreciation, recognition and opportunities for personal growth; must be catered for to harness maximum productivity. Furthermore in an era where change is imperative for the organisation's survival, highly motivated employees, represent flexibility and show willing to change; a vital component for the success of any organisation. References Greenberg, J. (1999) Managing behaviour in organisations, Prentice Hall. Mullins, L (2002) Management and organisational behaviour, Prentice Hall FT Benabou, R. & Tirole, J. (2003) ‘Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation', The Review of Economic Studies, vol.70, pg.489-520.

Can God Love a Good Gay Guy? Essay example -- Homosexuality Religion E

Can God Love a Good Gay Guy? To begin my project, I’ll give you some of my background, so you can understand why the topic of Christianity and homosexuality is so relevant to me. I have been fortunate to be raised Christian with many family members who are regularly active within the church. We are members of the Fairland Brethren in Christ Church in Cleona. I have always felt very welcomed and loved by that Christian body, even during my younger years when I was dorky and rejected by many of my peers. I found comfort in the fact that God loved me and the congregation offered their care and support. Since then I have also realized that our congregation is one of the more open, outgoing, thoughtful, creative, and helpful in the area. Because our church is so ambitious and outgoing, I was given many opportunities to aid in events. God has given me great artistic and design talent. I have used this gift for years to give back to the church and across the community, through doing sets for church plays, decorations for banquets, signs for festivals, creating holiday displays, and designing and constructing scenery /decorations for main events, such as Vacation Bible School. I am extremely grateful to have been blessed with this wonderful background in religious beliefs. I will always continue to use them as guidance in my life and towards my path of spiritual growth. It was in sixth grade, with the onset of puberty and fluctuating hormones that I first realized I was attracted to the same sex, even then, I wasn't aware that it was an option. It simply wasn't discussed, beyond the yearly "it's-wrong/ gays go to Hell" speech given in church. I didn't choose to be gay, as a thief chooses to steal, I simply am gay, and have no ... ...Oct. 2004. <http://www.inthefaith.com/archives/00084.php> Johns, Loren L. Homosexuality and the Bible. 19 Oct. 2004. <http://hem.passagen.se/nicb/christ.htm> Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13. Gentle Shepherd Metropolitan Community Church. 21 Oct. 2004. http://www.gentleshepherdmcc.com/bible/index.php Sklar, Bill. â€Å"1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Timothy 1:10.† Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Catholic Handbook. 21 Oct. 2004. <http://www.otkenyer.hu/halsall/lgbh-cortim.html> The Random House Dictionary of the English Lanquage. New York: Random House, Inc. 1966. Robinson, B.A. What the Bible Says About Homosexuality. 19 Oct. 2004. <http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_bibh.htm> Wink, Rev. Dr. Walter. The Bible Should Not Be Used to Condemn Homosexuality. 19 Oct. 2004. <http://hem.passagen.se/nicb/christ.htm>

Treating Eczema Essay -- Diseases, Disorders

Have you ever had or witnessed someone with Eczema? Well it is not fun having or experiencing this skin disease. Eczema is a chronic skin disorder that cannot be cured and causes the skin to become itchy, red, and dry, but it can be treated by dieting, home remedies, medications, and therapies. People coping with this disease try many forms of these treatments and even try to come up with some of their own treatments. Dealing with eczema can be a lifelong process for people who have it. Having Eczema, many things can cause flare ups including foods. Foods such as eggs can cause flares in younger children. â€Å"Avoiding eggs, fish, peanuts, and soy may help some people reduce flares†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ehrlich 1). Dairy products, wheat, corn tomatoes, and citrus such as lemons and oranges can cause allergic reactions in the skin. â€Å"Eat less saturated fats (meats, especially poultry, and dairy, refined foods, and sugar. These foods contributed to inflammation in the body.† (Ehrlich 2). Beneficial foods to help with Eczema would be your fatty acids that can be essential. â€Å"In one study, people taking fish oil equal to 1.8 g of EPA (one of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil) had significant reduction in symptoms of eczema after 12 weeks.’ (Ehrlich 2). Other fatty acids containing oils that can help are evening primrose oil, which helps in reducing the itch of eczema, and borage oil, which helps as an anti-inflammatory; both have gamma linoleic acid containing omega-6 fatty acid. Eating salubrious can help reduce the effects of eczema on the body.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ so eating a healthy diet may help reduce inflammation and allergic reaction.† (Ehrlich 2). Having more fresh vegetables and whole grains are better for you than preserved foods. Adding he... ...f home remedies and some people even come up with their own. Medications and therapies are available for people with eczema just asked a doctor about them or to provide information about them. Eczema is a chronic skin and causes the skin to become itchy, red, and dry, but it can be treated by dieting, home remedies, medications, and therapies. Works Cited â€Å"Eczema: What You Should Know." 01 05 2007 . Ehrlich, Steven D." Eczema." 20 09 2009 . Health, National Institutes of. "Eczema and Atopic Dermatitis". 01 02 2011 . M., B. "Eczema" Brooke Brockman. 01 2012. Vorvick, Linda J. "Atopic Eczema." 10 10 2010 .

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 1

Demons are scary. No matter what religion or walk of life you come from, this remains pretty constant. Oh sure, they have their absurd moments – especially in the circles I run with – but all in all, people have good reason to fear and avoid hell's diabolical servants. They're cruel and merciless, delight in pain and suffering, and torture souls in their free time. They lie. They steal. They cheat on their taxes. Yet, in spite of all that, I couldn't help but think I was about to witness the most terrifying demonic act yet. An awards ceremony. For me. Horatio, vice demon of such-and-such division of Infernal Affairs, stood before me, trying to impart an air of solemnity to the moment and failing miserably. I suspected his sky blue polyester suit and matching paisley bow tie were largely to blame. The sideburns didn't help either. He probably hadn't left the inner circles of hell in about six centuries, back around the last time sky blue polyester was in style. With a too-long clearing of his throat, he glanced back and forth between those gathered, verifying we were all paying attention. My supervisor Jerome stood nearby, looking utterly bored, occasionally glancing at his watch. Beside him, Horatio's impish assistant Kasper grinned from ear to ear. A briefcase sat on the floor near him, and he clutched an assortment of papers. The eager, suck-up, lapdog look on his face indicated a burning desire for promotion. As for me†¦well, I was fighting a hard battle to look excited too – and failing. Which was unacceptable, of course. I'm a succubus. My entire existence relies on making people – men in particular – believe and see what they want to in me. I can switch from simpering virgin to sultry dominatrix in a heartbeat. All it takes is a bit of shape-shifting and a dash of playacting. I'd picked up the former ability when I traded away my human soul; I'd acquired the latter over time. After all, you can't spend centuries telling every guy, â€Å"Yeah baby, you were the best I've ever had† and not learn a little something about schmoozing. Myths may paint us as ethereal, demonic creatures of pleasure, but honestly, being a succubus just comes down to a convincing poker face and a good sales pitch. So, really, this awards thing shouldn't have been a problem for me. But Horatio wasn't making it easy to keep a straight face. â€Å"Verily, it gives me great honor to be here today,† he intoned in a nasal, baritone voice. Verily? â€Å"Hard work is what makes us great, and we gather here now to recognize one who has. shown dedication and given her all to the Greater Evil. Such individuals are what make us strong, what will allow us to win in this immense battle when all tallies are counted at the end of time. Such individuals are worthy of our esteem, and we strive to reward their commitment, letting all know just how important it is to push hard against the odds and fight for our objectives in these difficult times. â€Å" He then added: â€Å"Whereas those who do not work hard are cast into the fiery pits of despair, to burn for all eternity and be ripped asunder by the hounds of hell.† I opened my mouth, on the verge of noting how that would be more cost effective than severance pay, but Jerome caught my eye and shook his head. Meanwhile, Horatio had nudged Kasper, and the imp hastily handed over a gold embossed certificate. â€Å"It is therefore with great pleasure that I present unto you this Award of Achievement for Excellently Exceeding and Surpassing Requisite Succubus Quotas in this Most Recent Quarter. Congratulations.† Horatio shook my hand and handed me the certificate, which had been signed by about fifty different people. This Certifies that: LETHA (alias Georgina Kincaid), Succubus in the Archdiocese of Seattle, Washington, United States of America, North America, Earth, has hereby Excellently Exceeded and Surpassed Requisite Succubus Quotas in this Most Recent Quarter, demonstrating outstanding performance in seduction, damnation, and corruption of human souls. Everyone looked at me when I finished reading, so I supposed they expected some kind of speech or something. Mostly I was wondering if I'd get in trouble for trimming this down to fit an eight-by-ten frame. â€Å"Urn, thanks. This is†¦cool.† That seemed to satisfy Horatio. He nodded smartly, then shot a glance to Jerome. â€Å"You must be so proud.† â€Å"Exceptionally,† murmured the archdemon, stifling a yawn. Horatio turned back to me. â€Å"Keep up the good work. You might find yourself in line for promotion to the corporate level.† As if giving my soul away wasn't already bad enough. I forced a smile. â€Å"Well. There's still so much to do here.† â€Å"Excellent attitude. Most excellent. You've done well with her.† He gave Jerome a chummy pat on the back, something my boss did not look happy about at all. He didn't really like friendly pats. Or being touched, period. â€Å"Well, if there's nothing more, I should probably – oh, I nearly forgot.† Horatio turned to Kasper. The imp handed over something else to his master. â€Å"These are for you. As a token of our appreciation.† He gave me a gift card for Applebee's, as well as some Blockbuster free-rental coupons. Jerome and I both stared for a moment, dumbstruck. â€Å"Wow,† I finally said. The runner-up for this award probably got a gift card for Sizzler. Never doubt that second place really is the first loser. Horatio and Kasper vanished. Jerome and I stood in silence for a few moments. â€Å"You like riblets, Jerome?† â€Å"Droll, very droll,Georgie.† He strolled around my living room, pretending to study my books and artwork. â€Å"Nice job with the quota thing. Of course, it's easy to excel when you're starting at zero, huh?† I shrugged and tossed the certificate on my kitchen counter. â€Å"Does it really matter? Still gets you the laurels. I figured you'd like that.† â€Å"Of course I do. In fact, I've been rather pleasantly surprised at just how well you've kept your promise.† â€Å"I always keep my promises.† â€Å"Not all of your promises.† My silence made him smile. â€Å"So what now? Going out to celebrate?† â€Å"You know where I'm going. I'm going to Peter's. Aren't you?† He avoided the question; demons excelled at that. â€Å"I thought perhaps other plans had arisen. Plans with a certain mortal. You do seem to be doing that an awful lot lately. â€Å" â€Å"It's none of your business what I do.† â€Å"All of your business is my business.† Again, I didn't answer. The demon stepped closer, dark eyes boring into me. For inexplicable reasons, he chose to look like John Cusack while walking the human world. That might seem like it would reduce his power to intimidate, but I swear, it only made things worse. â€Å"How long are you going to keep up this farce, Georgie?† His words were a challenge, trying to draw me out. â€Å"You can't honestly think you have a future with him. Or that you two can stay chaste forever. For Christ's sake, even if you can keep your hands off him, no human male's going to stay celibate for long. Especially one with a large fan base.† â€Å"Did you miss the part where I said it's my business?† Heat rose to my cheeks. Despite knowing better, I'd recently gotten myself involved with a human. I wasn't even entirely sure how it had happened since I've always gone out of my way to avoid that kind of thing. I guess you could say he sort of snuck up on me. One moment he was simply a warm and comforting presence at my side; the next I realized how intensely he loved me. That love had blindsided me. I hadn't been able to resist it and had decided to see where it might take me. As a result, Jerome never failed to remind me of the potential disaster I courted daily in this romance. His opinion wasn't entirely unfounded. A small part of this was because I didn't have a good track record with serious relationships. The larger part was that doing much more than hand-holding with a human would inevitably lead to me sucking away some of his life. But hey, all couples have their stumbling blocks, right? The demon smoothed down the jacket of his perfectly tailored black suit. â€Å"Just friendly advice. It makes no difference. I don't mind if you keep playing house with him – denying him a future, a family, a healthy sex life. Whatever. So long as you keep up the good work, it's all the same to me.† â€Å"Are you done with the pep talk? I'm late.† â€Å"One more thing. I thought you might like to know I just made some arrangements for a pleasant surprise. One you'll like.† â€Å"What kind of surprise?† Jerome didn't really do surprises. Not good ones, at least. â€Å"Wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?† Typical. I scoffed and turned away. â€Å"I don't have time for your games. Either tell me what's going on or leave.† â€Å"I think I'll leave. But, before I do, just remember something. † He put his hand on my shoulder and turned me around to face him again. I flinched at his touch and his proximity. The demon and I were not as buddy-buddy as we had once been. â€Å"You only have one man who's a constant in your life, only one man you will always answer to. A hundred years from now, he will be dust in the earth, and I will be the one you keep coming back to.† It sounded romantic or sexual, but it wasn't. Not in the least. My tie to Jerome ran deeper than that. A binding and loyalty that literally went straight to my soul. A connection I was bound to for all eternity, at least until the powers of hell decided to assign me to a different archdemon. â€Å"Your pimp routine is getting old.† He stepped back, undisturbed by my rancor. His eyes danced. â€Å"If I'm a pimp, Georgina, what's that make you?† There was an ostentatious poof of smoke, and Jerome disappeared before I could reply. Fucking demons. I stood alone in my apartment, turning over his words in my mind. Finally, remembering the time, I headed for the bedroom to change clothes. As I did, I passed Horatio's certificate. Its gold seal winked up at me. I flipped it over, face down, suddenly feeling queasy. I might be good at what I did, but that didn't mean I was proud of it. I ended up only being about fifteen minutes late for my friend Peter's shindig. He answered his door before I could even knock. Taking in his billowing white hat and KISS THE COOK apron, I said, â€Å"I'm sorry. No one told me Iron Chef was being filmed here tonight.† â€Å"You're late,† he chided, waving a wooden spoon in the air. â€Å"So what, you win an award and think you can forget all about propriety now?† I ignored his disapproval and swept inside. It was the only thing you could do with an obsessive-compulsive vampire. In the living room, I found our other friends Cody and Hugh sorting large piles of cash. â€Å"Did you guys rob a bank?† â€Å"Nope,† said Hugh. â€Å"Since Peter's trying to provide us with a civilized meal tonight, we decided a civilized pastime was required.† â€Å"Money laundering?† â€Å"Poker.† From the kitchen, I could hear Peter muttering to himself about a souffle. It sort of diminished my image of a bunch of shady characters huddled around a backroom card table. â€Å"I think bridge would be more appropriate.† Hugh looked doubtful. â€Å"That's an old-person's game, sweetie.† I had to smile at that. â€Å"Old† was kind of a relative term when most of us could boast centuries. I had long suspected that among my circle of lesser immortals – those who were not true angels or demons – I had more years than any of them, never mind the optimistic claim of being twenty-eight on my driver's license. â€Å"Since when do we even play games?† I wondered aloud. Our last attempt had involved a game of Monopoly with Jerome. Competing with a demon in a struggle for property and ultimate control is kind of futile. â€Å"Since when don't we play games? Games of life, games of death. Games of love, of hope, of chance, of despair, and of all the myriad wonders in between.† I rolled my eyes at the newcomer. â€Å"Hello, Carter.† I'd known the angel was lurking in the kitchen, just as Peter had felt me coming down the hall. â€Å"Where's your better half tonight? I just saw him. I thought he was coming too.† Carter strolled in and gave me one of his mocking smiles, gray eyes alight with secrets and mirth. He wore his usual transient ware, ripped jeans and a faded T-shirt. When it came to age, the rest of us couldn't even compare to him. We had all once been mortal; we measured our lives in centuries or millennia. Angels and demons†¦well, they measured their lives in eternity. â€Å"‘Am I my brother's keeper?'† Classic Carter answer. I looked to Hugh, who was, in a manner of speaking, our boss's keeper. Or at least a sort of administrative assistant. â€Å"He had to take off for a meeting,† said the imp, stacking twenties. â€Å"Some kind of team-building thing in L.A.† I tried to imagine Jerome participating in a ropes course. â€Å"What kind of team building do demons do exactly?† No one had an answer for that. Which was probably just as well. While the money sorting continued, Peter made me a vodka gimlet. I eyed the bottle of Absolut on his counter. â€Å"What the hell is that?† â€Å"I ran out of Grey Goose. They're practically the same anyway.† â€Å"I swear, if you weren't already an abomination before the Lord, I'd accuse you of heresy. â€Å" When all the money was sorted, including my contribution, we sat around the vampires' kitchen table. Like everyone else in the known world right now, we started playing Texas Hold,em. I could play okay but fared far better with mortals than immortals. My charisma and glamour had less effect on this group, which meant I had to think harder about odds and strategy. Peter scurried around during the game, attempting to play and watch his meal at the same time. It wasn't easy, since he insisted on wearing sunglasses while playing, which then had to be removed while he checked the food. When I commented on how this would be my second fancy dinner in two nights, he nearly had a fit. â€Å"Whatever. Nothing you had last night will even compare to this duck I've made. Nothing.† â€Å"I don't know about that. I went to the Metropolitan Grill.† Hugh whistled. â€Å"Whoa. I wondered where you got the glow from. When a guy takes you to the Met, you can't really help but put out, huh?† â€Å"The glow's from a different guy,† I said uncomfortably, not really wanting to be reminded of a tryst I'd had this morning, even if it had been pretty hot. â€Å"I went to the Met with Seth.† The memory of last night's dinner brought a smile to my face, and I suddenly found myself rambling. â€Å"You should have seen him. He actually didn't wear a T-shirt for once, though I'm not sure it made a difference. The shirt he did have on was all wrinkled, and he couldn't really tie the tie. Plus, when I first got there, he had his laptop out on the table. He'd shoved everything else aside – napkins, wineglasses. It was a mess. The waiters were horrified.† Four sets of eyes stared at me. â€Å"What?† I demanded. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"You are,† said Hugh. â€Å"You're a glutton for punishment.† Cody smiled. â€Å"Not to mention totally love struck. Listen to yourself.† â€Å"She's not in love with him,† said Peter. â€Å"She's in love with his books.† â€Å"No I'm – † The words died on my lips, mainly because I wasn't sure what I wanted to argue. I didn't want them to think I only loved the books, but I wasn't entirely sure I loved Seth yet either. Our relationship had blossomed with remarkable speed, but sometimes, I worried what I actually loved was the idea of him loving me. â€Å"I can't believe you guys are still doing the sexless-dating thing,† continued Hugh. My temper flared. I'd already taken this from Jerome; I didn't need to hear it here too. â€Å"Look, I don't want to talk about this if you guys are just going to nag me, okay? I'm tired of everyone telling me how crazy it is.† Peter shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. It's not that crazy. You always hear about these married couples who never have sex anymore. They survive. This would be almost the same thing.† â€Å"Not with our girl.† Hugh shook his head. â€Å"Look at her. Who wouldn't want to have sex with her?† They all looked again, making me squirm. â€Å"Hey,† I protested, feeling the need to clear up a point. â€Å"That's not the problem. He wants to, okay? He's just not going to. There's a difference.† â€Å"Sorry,† said Hugh. â€Å"I'm just not buying it. He can't be with you in the clothes you wear and not crack. Even if he could, no guy could handle his woman seeing as much action as you do.† It was a well-worn point in my mind, the same Jerome had made, the one that worried me more than our ability to keep our hands off each other. One of my greatest nightmares involved having a conversation akin to: Sorry, Seth. I can't go out tonight. I have to go work this married guy I met, so I can get him to sleep with me, thus leading him further and further down the road to damnation while I suck away part of his life. Maybe when I'm done, you and I can catch a late movie. â€Å"I don't want to talk about this,† I repeated. â€Å"We're doing just fine. End of story.† Silence fell, save for the sound of cards and money hitting the table. Glancing around, I saw Carter watching me levelly. Only he had stayed out of the Seth bashing. This didn't surprise me. The angel usually just listened until he could interject some sarcastic or esoteric quip. This used to infuriate me, but recent events had changed my attitude toward him. I still didn't fully understand him or know if I could trust him, but I had come to respect him. Troubled by the scrutiny, I glanced back down and discovered I finally had a respectable hand after several rounds of shit. Three of a kind. Not the greatest but passable. I raised high, wanting to get the others out before more cards came into play and made my hand less passable. My strategy worked on the vampires. The next card fell. Seven of spades. Hugh scowled and folded when I raised again. I waited for Carter to drop out as well, but instead, he reraised further. I hesitated only a moment before calling. As the last card was about to play, I puzzled over what the angel might have and whether I could beat it. A pair? Two pair? Ah. The last card came out. Another spade. There was now a strong possibility he had a flush. That would beat me. Still hoping I could bluff him out, I raised even more. He reraised me again, more than doubling my initial bet. That was a lot of money to add, especially considering what I'd already put in. Centuries of investments kept me pretty comfortable, but that didn't mean I had to be stupid. What did he have? It had to be the flush. Balking, I folded. With a pleased grin, he swept in the massive pot. When he tossed his hand over to the discard pile, the cards' edges caught, making them flip over. Two of diamonds. Eight of clubs. â€Å"You†¦you bluffed!† I cried. â€Å"You had nothing!† Carter wordlessly lit a cigarette. I looked to the others for confirmation. â€Å"He can't do that.† â€Å"Hell, I've been doing it for half this game,† said Hugh, borrowing Carter's lighter. â€Å"Not that it's done me any good.† â€Å"Yeah†¦but†¦he's, you know. An angel. They can't lie.† â€Å"He didn't lie. He bluffed.† Cody considered, twisting a piece of his blond hair around one finger. â€Å"Yeah, but bluffing is still dishonest.† â€Å"It's implied lying,† said Peter. Hugh stared at him. â€Å"‘Implied lying?' What the fuck does that mean?† I watched Carter stack his money and made a face at him. You'd think an angel who hung around with employees of evil would be a good influence, but at times, he seemed worse than we were. â€Å"Enjoy your thirty pieces of silver, Judas.† He gave me a mock hat tip while the others argued on. Suddenly, like a row of dominoes, conversation steadily dropped. Carter felt it first, of course, but he merely arched an eyebrow, as indifferent as ever. Then came the vampires with their heightened reflexes and sensitivity. They exchanged glances and looked toward the door. Finally, seconds later, Hugh and I sensed it as well. â€Å"What is that?† Cody frowned, staring across the room. â€Å"It's sort of like Georgina but not.† Hugh followed the young vampire's gaze, face mildly speculative. â€Å"Incubus.† I had already known that, of course. The signatures we all carried differed by creature. Vampires felt different from imps, just as imps felt different from succubi. If one knew an immortal well enough, one could also pick up on an individual's unique attributes. I was the only succubus who inspired sensations of silk and tuberose perfume. In a room full of vampires, I would have been able to quickly determine if Cody or Peter were present. Likewise, I immediately knew there was an incubus approaching Peter's door, and I knew exactly which incubus it was. I would have known his signature anywhere, even after all this time. The fleeting feel of velvet on the skin. A whispered scent of rum, almond, and cinnamon. Not even realizing I'd gotten up, I flung the door open, staring with delight at the same fox-faced features and mischievous eyes I'd last seen over a century ago. â€Å"Hello, ma Fleur ,† he said.

Overpopulation: Research Paper Essay

Overpopulation: Research Paper Introduction A. Noticing the situations of several people in poverty, otherwise those devastated by natural disasters, pollution, crimes, etc, we have come to conclude that the reason for this suffering is essentially the rapid growth of population, and thus, with this mindset, we decided to uproot the cause further so as to be able to contrast it. B. The objectives of this research are: 1. To make people aware of the crisis of overpopulation 2. To lessen the number of people each year by making them aware of the effects C. Definitions of terms: 1. overpopulation – condition of having a larger population than normal 2. human resources- people with ability and skill as the wealth of a nation 3. accommodate- to provide or supply for someone 4. contraceptives- drug, medicine, chemical agent or device that prevent impregnation 5. natural disasters – occurrences in nature that damage poverty and lives 6. pollution – â€Å"dirtying† or â€Å"killing† nature 7. [global] economic crisis- a depression; a state of unemployment and little or no trade and investment over a long period of time [in the world] 8. poverty- a state of being poor, with no money or goods to support oneself 9. succumb- to give up; to give in to something far more superior 10. decline- a gradual decrease in strength and power [of a nation]; deterioration 11. chaos- a state of disorder, confusion disorganization of something; one in disarray 12. prosperity- a state of success or thriving; flourishing financially and socially D. Data-gathering procedures 1. Interviews 2. Internet Resources Presentation of Gathered Data A. Interviews 1. Annabelle Tee â€Å"For me, overpopulation is not good†¦ because there will be more pollution and this will result to more natural disasters forming around the world. As you can see right now, there have been many strong and deadly typhoons such as Ondoy entering the Philippines. Overpopulation, however, can result to some good things, such as our own country will progress†¦Ã¢â‚¬  2. Richmond Tee â€Å"Overpopulation is when there are more people than there should be. We must lessen the population of the Philippines (and the world) because we need to also put a stop to global warming. Since many people aren’t even aware of this yet, it is becoming more deadly. You see, there have been many natural disasters recently. I really think that overpopulation is bad†¦ Even our family is overpopulated†¦ *laughs*†¦Ã¢â‚¬  3. Izen Lao â€Å"For me, overpopulation will make our country bad because there are a lot of pollution. Mas grabe pa nga sa U.S. eh†¦ *laughs* So thus†¦ overpopulation is bad.† 4. Jan Adrian Chan â€Å"Overpopulation, in my opinion, has two sides: the good and the bad. On the good side, with a greater population, we have more people to help in progression. More people equals more manpower, and manpower means a lot to a country. Even if there aren’t many job opportunities here in the Philippines, workers, or OFWs, they may go abroad to work and bring back some money to enrich our economy. On the other hand however, too many people can cause several things such as traffic congestions, crime, poverty, pollution, etc.† 5. Ninyo Vasquez â€Å"Overpopulation can be good for the economy and at the same time bad because there are positive and negative effects. I think that’s it. B. Internet Resources â€Å"In a corner of the Northern cemetery, Venanjo Sison is standing on top of a coffin and taking a bath. Like many other of Manila’s residents, he is forced to live wherever he can. His home is made of wooden planks and scrap pieces of plastic.† The capital of the Philippines is a very overpopulated place. An average of 41,282 people live in 1 square kilometer; in slum areas the rates rise to even 88,000 people in 1 square kilometer. For Manila, people simply are running out of space. Some live in home-made shacks in cemeteries, railroad tracks or even under bridges. Some even take residence in toxic garbage dumps just to get whatever food they can. A big percentage of the 11 million residents of Manila don’t even have clean water to drink, proper jobs and medicine or education. With such a large population, our resources cannot accommodate everyone anymore. â€Å"Charito Esponilla’s dream is to give her children an education. That is what her neighbour with only two children has done. But the Esponilla family can’t afford to send their children to school. As it is, they have a hard time making ends meet and when the family runs out of money, they are forced to live on the charity of neighbours. â€Å"’Our neighbours are so sweet,’ explains Charito Esponilla, while she washes children’s clothes in three large buckets of laundry. ‘Sometimes they give us a little rice, but a lot of the time they are short on food just like us. Then we have no other choice but to go hungry to bed. On those nights, it’s very hard to fall asleep. The children cry and wake me up all night long. But I don’t have anything to give them. What can I do?’ â€Å"Even though Charito Esponilla loves her seven children, she doesn’t want any more. Like most other Filipinos she doesn’t use contraceptives, and never has. She has considered the birth-control pill, but she doesn’t know much about them and is afraid of what they might do to her body.† Lack of information is one of the main causes of Philippine overpopulation. Dr. Emily Bernardo, the leader of a family-planning unit at the public Jose Fabella Hospital in Manila, says, â€Å"The poorest social groups are incredibly ignorant. They don’t even know how a woman becomes pregnant. Some of them believe they are infertile while they are still breast-feeding their  new-borns and others have never even heard of prevention or contraceptives. Others are still terrified of unknown side effects. That’s why women keep having more children, even though they neither want to nor have the economic means to provide for them.† The Catholic Church, however, is against Dr. Emily Bernardo and the center for family planning. They are against abortion, sterilization and all other forms of contraception, and even sexual education. Women are encouraged instead to guess their egg cycle to prevent pregnancy. Being a very religious country, the Philippines and its government policies are still influenced heavily by the Church. A lot of governmental campaigning on prevention of pregnancy and sexual education never pushed through due to this influence. Interpretation of Data Based on the conducted interviews and the process of surfing the Internet for the data we gathered in this research, we have come to see many points of view concerning the national —or rather worldwide— issue that continues to be an increasing problem in society. Overpopulation, as we now see it, has conflicting good and bad effects to the community. On the one hand, having a lot of people means more human resources, which would be very useful for further growth of national wealth. But on the other hand, the strain on economy and natural resources will be too much for the Philippines—and eventually the whole Earth—to handle, and the world may be left in poverty and chaos, and humans will be left to the mercy of what our once more peaceful world would become. We do not only observe this, though. We can also see that both sides are only possibilities, meaning they may potentially not happen at all. It all depends on what we, as the people, do about our situation. Even if we have manpower to support the nation, the country could still fall into depression if this manpower is not used efficiently. If most Filipinos in their working age, if not all, do not have jobs and sit idly in the streets, definitely the economy would fall. If we  take full advantage of the fact that we have a lot of human resources, we may just prosper. Even if we suffer from a global economic crisis, we could either succumb to the continual decline, or we could try to counteract the problem. After our endeavors, only time can tell what would happen after. How we handle our problems could mean all the difference between prosperity and chaos. Insights Based on Gathered Data Big Ideas: ï‚ · All things, no matter how good or bad they may seem, have both positive and negative sides to them. ï‚ · It’s not so much as what problems we face as how we face them. Sources/Bibliography Interviews: Annabelle Tee and Richmond Tee: parents Izen Lao: close friend Jan Adrian Chan: classmate and insightful peer Ninyo Vasquez: friend from Mindanao

Housing Industry Research Essay

People would often refer to real estate and housing industry as the best way to build up riches, or possibly the best, easiest and fastest way for anybody to get rich. Most of the time, the terms real estate industry and housing industry are being used interchangeably by people, not knowing the very basic distinctions between the two terminologies. Real estate industry more formally refers to the industry that focuses on simply buying and selling real estate properties. Whereas, the housing industry is more concerned on developing and incorporating improvements to a real estate property. Basically, those that are in the real estate industry are doing much more of retail business, while those in the housing industry are doing much more of service and nonetheless, research, design, and manual work. The housing industry is the industry which is primarily concerned in building and developing houses and housing designs for private individuals, for government housing projects and for a local community. Moreover this is also the industry which provides the basic materials such as the building materials, and hard escape materials for a housing project. When you drive or ride through a community, the variety of architecture often reflects some of the history of the community or the locality. Architectural styles of the past are illustrated in the older neighborhoods but also influence the styles of homes built today. In a community, the housing industry is the one which is mainly concerned in all these. For most communities, there is only one housing industry which can be regarded as the main housing industry of the community. This can be a company, or a group of companies that would generally dominate all the housing projects within the locality, be it a private housing project or a housing project from the government. Mostly, these housing industries would dominate the landscaping industry, hard escape industry, and the hardware, building equipments and materials industry as well. Since most people believe in the logical trend that as one industry goes up the black, a counter industry would fall down the red; this would lead many to believe that the immediate spike in the information technology and communications industry would leave other industries such as the real estate industry and housing industry, to experience its most protracted slump for several years. This is actually the opposite of what’s really happening in the economy, for many years, the housing industry has remained as one of the most stable industries all over the globe. Indeed the housing industry has had its share of downs and suffered greatly from economic destabilizations, inflations and other economic fluctuations, but in spite of all these, it has retained itself as still one of the most promising, and stable industry. With nearly 17 million new conventional homes added over the past decade, the home building industry continues to set new records and standards. In 2005 alone, single-family starts exceeded 1. 7 million—far and away the largest number ever. Thanks to a stable economy and low mortgage interest rates, the home building industry has not seen a significant downturn since the early 1990s. This undeniable stretch of strong, stable growth in the home building industry has ushered-in a period of prosperity for major builders and supported a wave of mergers and acquisitions within the industry. In the early 1990s, the top 10 builders in the country accounted for less than 10 percent of all conventional new single-family home sales. By 2004, their share had risen to over 20 percent in most major metropolitan areas; larger builders hold an even greater market share. There are three major reasons for the dramatic increase in the scale among the home builders. The change in the access to capital is one of these reasons. After World War II, the savings and loan industry was the principal source of capital for the home building industry. With the collapse of many of these institutions in the late 1980s, builders had to turn to other sources of financing. Banks and private funds companies have thus, stepped in to fill the need for capitals and investments. These funding companies gave an edge to the housing industries since their presence meant easier access to capitals. Another reason is the change in the land use regulation. More and more communities are restricting residential development in an effort to manage growth. As a result, the development process in many locations takes longer than it once did, with land assembly and entitlement typically more complex and costly. This again creates a premium for scale of operations, since smaller builders often lack the resources to work with local officials over extended periods to secure the necessary approvals. The third reason is the change in economic environment. This has favored large-scale home builder industries. The strong economic environment for home construction over the past decades has ushered a stable growth and low mortgage interest rates that have prevented a major recession in the home building industry since 1991. This combination of market conditions has produced stunning increases in top-line growth and bottom-line financial performance for large home building companies. Between 1999 and 2004, builders of 500 units or more each year realized inflation-adjusted revenue growth of 135 percent. In addition, their gross margins on homes sold and net income each increased about 4. 5 percentage points. With industry consolidation have come new opportunities. To increase their scale and overall capabilities, larger-scale builders have incentives to reinvest in their operations by adding information systems for estimating, scheduling, and purchasing, or investing in panel plants to save time and costs in the construction process. With such investments, larger home builders continue to improve their operating performance, at a much faster rate relative to smaller builders. Better performance encourages even more builder consolidation, which in turn produces even greater scale economies, creates more incentives for investments to leverage these opportunities, and so on. This cycle would dictate further consolidation and greater efficiency in the home building industry in the years ahead. When asked to name the single most important reason for their recent financial performance, over half of the corporate-level survey respondents attributed their success to strong housing market fundamentals, and nearly a third cited their land assembly strategies. Another 13 percent considered improved customer satisfaction the key to profitability. In sharp contrast, few respondents attributed their success to shorter construction cycles, savings on product purchase, man power, on-site construction costs, and other operational efficiencies. Still, evidence of operational improvements does exist, particularly within the divisions of national and international home builders. Although their homes have become bigger and have incorporated higher-quality materials in recent years, national and international home builders have been cut the construction time to minimal, keep cost increases at modest levels, and significantly improve customer satisfaction scores, in parallel to improvements in the quality of finished products. Local divisions of regional builders have been less successful in improving the efficiency of their operations. Improvements in home building efficiency were the most common results from the implementing of innovative operating practices. Studies from Harvard have cited four general types of operating practices that homebuilders especially those at large scale, have used to their advantage. 1. Coordination with subcontractors. Subcontractors are typically the ones who purchase the materials used in home building, making payments to contractors a major expense category for homebuilders. Innovative builder practices in this area include initiatives such as making scheduling information easily accessible to subcontractors, automatically notifying subcontractors of schedule changes, and frequently updating the job site production schedule. As a result, increased efficiencies in the building process and lower production costs is maintained. 2. Component preassembly. Preassembling major components such as roof trusses allows greater precision in manufacturing and often provides cost savings by substituting semi-skilled off-site labor for skilled on-site labor. The preassembly process is also more efficient when done off-site, thereby creating the potential for shorter construction cycle time, and even so, smaller labor costs. 3. Supplier installation. In many product categories, builders have begun to purchase installation services from the manufacturers or distributors. Supplier installation helps to limit product disputes over the source of any problems. In addition, this practice can reduce construction labor needs since product manufacturers and distributors typically serve broader geographic areas than subcontractors. 4. Supply chain management. Supply chain management covers a broad range of practices from price negotiations for products and value-added services to the implementation of information systems to support purchasing and inventory management. Supply chain management is an area where scale economies give larger builders an obvious edge over their smaller competitors. Innovative operating practices help large home builders not only run their operations more efficiently and use their market power more effectively, but also better manage risk especially financial risks and risks in operations. Builders have reduced their exposure by controlling more land through options, joint ventures, and other approaches that keep land costs off their books until they buy the entitled lots. In this way, builders only incur these expenses close to the time of construction. With more efficient operations and better management controls, large builders typically do not begin construction until a home is pre-sold. Across builders surveyed, 73 percent of all homes closed in 2004 were sold before construction began an increase from 70 percent in 1999. National builders pre-sold over three-quarters of homes closed in 2004, while regional builders pre-sold about two-thirds. Larger builders have incentives to adopt innovative operating practices because they have the market power to implement these efficiencies and can leverage the benefits across a broader range of operating divisions. The financial payback for these improvements, however, depends greatly on conditions in the local market. Over the past years, consolidation of the home builders has dramatically changed the home building industry. In addition to improved financial performance, the adoption of innovative practices and methodologies related to product distribution and assembly line and development, has improved the operational performance of large builders along such dimensions as construction cycle time, efficiency of the building process, stability, style, and overall quality of structures, and customer satisfaction. In generating these efficiencies, builders have helped to streamline processes throughout the entire homebuilding industry. Home buyers have also benefited in parallel to the home building improvements. More efficient builder operations have kept construction costs low and customer satisfaction levels high, allowing builders to offer more model home options and more product choices without any corresponding increases in prices. In addition, greater efficiency has enabled builders to pre-sell more homes, which in turn has reduced the risk of overbuilding, and thus reduced the risk or putting the company financial trend line on the red. By keeping supply in line with demand, home builders have helped to bring greater stability to house prices, since overbuilding has historically been a principal cause of house price declines. Whether these improvements will continue as market conditions change remains to be seen. One encouraging sign is that operating efficiencies, as opposed to financial performance, have increased most in more competitive markets. If the housing market weakens in the years ahead and competition increases, larger builders still have the potential to improve their operations and maintain their strong financial performance. In communities where demand is strong but residential development opportunities are limited, house price appreciation tends to be high. In markets where price appreciation is low, land is generally more accessible and builders face fewer barriers to entry. As a result, construction activity can respond very quickly to changes in demand. As market conditions shift, however, builders can get caught with excess inventory, which drives down area-wide house prices. In these markets, builders must run their operations efficiently to remain profitable. In high-appreciation markets, demand for new homes is generally greater than the number of homes that can be added under existing land use and building regulations. This limits the risk of rapid overbuilding. Given that it takes more time and resources to build in these markets, higher barriers to entry and higher land costs push up the average price of homes sold. Builders working in these communities generally put a premium on their land acquisition and development strategy. Since they are often able to achieve higher margins on homes sold in these markets, they may put less emphasis on operational efficiencies. The market conditions that have helped to create a more efficient home building industry over the past years have also, in turn, favored the housing consumers. A more stable economy, with more muted cycles and low inflation, has produced some of the lowest long-term interest rates in a generation. Low interest rates, together with low unemployment rates, have also provided greater financial security for many citizens and thus given them more initiative to build their own households or improve their current household. Internationally, house prices have raised an average of 127 percent since 1990, with nearly half of this increase coming since 2000. Until recently, economic cycles interacted with housing cycles to produce tremendous volatility in home prices. From 1975 to 1993, house prices rose more slowly than overall inflation in 10 of the 19 years, or over half of the time. In each of the 12 years since 1993, however, house price appreciation has exceeded the pace of inflation. Builders that have already adopted more innovative practices have clearly profited from their investments. New practices related to product distribution and assembly has improved the operational performance of large builders, particularly in terms of construction cycle time and customer satisfaction, and thus greatly increasing their profits. Although being in the housing industry has a lot of economic advantages it is undeniable that there are still various external, economical, factors that can negatively affect this industry. A low economy, and low living standards, would most likely correspond to a decrease in the demands for housing industries. Natural disasters and calamities such as earthquakes, floods and typhoons that would occur at an unfortunate time, would leave home builders hanging in the deadlines for finishing their projects, since building cannot continued during such occasions. Generally speaking, the housing industry reflects the type of economy in a given region or locality. A region with a high economic state, low inflation, and high monetary value would most likely have a high level of housing industry in turn. The houses in the said region would also be of high quality; however, man power for construction would also come at higher rates at such an area. A stable economy in terms of monetary value and inflation would be the most ideal economy for a successful housing industry. Even high-performing builders still have the potential to make more improvements. Given that their strong financial performance has largely resulted from their leading land positions in booming housing markets, builders just have not to focus on implementing innovative practices and on maximizing operational efficiencies. Larger builders are those that would especially benefit from focusing on efficiency. Local builders with closings of 10,000 homes or more in 2004 reported implementing only half of the common innovative practices, while the divisions of builders with sales of 2,500 to 10,000 homes implemented less than 40 percent of the innovative practices. There are many valid reasons why implementation has been relatively weak. The corporate offices of larger builders report above-average development of innovative procedures, but implementation at the division level has often lagged. With the increase in the number of acquisitions in recent years, many of these divisions have only recently come under management of the acquiring builder and may thus need additional time to implement new systems and procedures. Furthermore, given their strong financial performance in recent years, corporate offices have less incentive and reason to develop new procedures for their local divisions, and local divisions have less incentive and reason to implement such changes. Whether builders will seize these opportunities remains to be seen. One encouraging sign, however, is that operational improvements have increased the most where house price appreciation is relatively low and no one builder dominates the market. If the house building industry weakens in the years ahead, house price appreciation is likely to slow and more builders are likely to compete within individual markets, these are exactly the conditions that lead to the development and implementation of operational improvements made in recent years. This means that a crisis such as the weakening of the economy leading to the weakening of the housing market, although has its undeniable negative effects in the housing industry, on the positive side, it would somehow force the home building industry to continuously and further develop and implement more and more innovations in their systems. Nonetheless, this would consequently lead to further innovations and efficiencies in the home building industry, and thus more high quality and affordable choices of homes for the consumers. References What’s next for housing industy CIOs. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www. cio. com/article/134004 Seiders, D. F. (2006, September 19). Housing economics. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www. nbnnews. com/houseecon/issues/2006-09-19. html Milt N. (2005, April 27). Housing market crisis threatens economy. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www. workers. org/2005/us/housing-0505/ Schoen J. W. (2007, June 19). Housing industry still looking for the bottom. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/19311316/ Buban C. E. (2007, December 22). Housing developers and current industry trends. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://showbizandstyle. inquirer. net/ lifestyle/view_article. php? article_id=108293 Zito K. (2006, June 16). Billions to state from housing. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www. sfgate. com/cgi-bin/article. cgi? f=/c/a/2006/06/16/BUG77JER951. DTL Housing slump reflects worsening economic crisis. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://en. internationalism. org/inter/144/housing-slump A new paradigm of the housing industry. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www. meti. go. jp/english/newtopics/data/nBackIssue20080408_01. html Brief overview of the housing economy. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www. oppapers. com/essays/Brief-Overview-Housing-Economy/116741 Barry S. Housing industry, subprime loans and mortgage woes: how serious is it? Retrieved