Custody of The Pumpkin

Situation: Humorous, old earl obsessed with a pumpkin with a son who complicates the pumpkin issue with his marriage. Ludicrous, has a happy resolution. Funny part; telescope, chance upon his son fooling around, thinking the cats attacked the pumpkin, his reaction when his son tells him he's married, the garden situation, the fact that the pumpkin actually won.Characters All of them are funny,Lord Emsworth- fluffy minded, eccentric interests, strange fears, frustration with his son, tendencies to overreact, tendency to get carried away,tends to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, he got everything he wanted even though he didn't deserve itMcallister- Way he talks is humorous, scottish temper is used as a tool for humor, very proud,Hon Freddie- Hilarious (narrator compares him to a theocritan Shepard), very flippant, romantic, his mannerisms are childish, has lots of dumb luck.Only thing funny about Niagra is her name.Dialogue- Idiocy, Lord Emsworth's is the funniest, Angus is funn y because of his accent and the confusion it creates, Freddie's dialogue is full of slang to make him sound flippant. Dialogue further enunciates the characters. Narration is very humorous, constantly making fun of the characters, subtle indications.Images- The image with the leopard is very funny, looking into the telescope, Lord Emsworth standing frozen, finding out about his son's marriage, Mcallister's bottom. Images are used to create humor.Tone- Humorous, light-hearted.Language- Funny metaphors and similes.Irony: â€Å"Hon. Freddy†, freddy gets this amazing, the wife is richer than Emsworth,Sarcasm: Narration done in third person omniscient, towards the endThemes- Luck, Aristocracy, materiality, parent/child relationship, class distinctions

Pornography is not harmful to American Society Essay

This essay will argue that pornography is not harmful to American society. However, there are some important reservations to be made: the acceptable form of pornography is legal adults engage in this activity with full consent. Obviously, there are some forms of exploitation that are harmful and dangerous, such as forcing subjects to take part in pornography production or involving minors in this process. However, this essay will not discuss these activities that are already illegal and prosecuted to relevant authorities. Instead, it will argue that pornography is a legitimate form of self-expression. Furthermore, it will dispel many myths that are used by anti-pornography lobby (such as pornography leading to rape or being addictive) to appeal to public sentiment with a view of enacting a more restrictive regime regulating the field. At the first glance, banning of pornography pursues a plausible aim: protecting American citizens from the temptation of watching it. Giving this issue a second thought, it becomes evident that everything can go terribly wrong if such prohibition is instituted. Not only will it fail to achieve its goals, it will also harm the economy and society in the most dramatic fashion conceivable. In a debate on pornography, ‘liberals defended the freedom of consenting adults to publish and consume pornography in private from moral and religious conservatives who wanted pornography banned for its obscenity, its corrupting impact on consumers and its corrosive effect on traditional family and religious values’ (West, 2004, para. 3). Weighting such an intangible and relative thing as decline in social morale against a far more serious development of restriction on freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by our Constitution, it is necessary to admit that human rights are more important for the functioning of society than morale. Moral codes vary among different religious, ethnic and age groups; therefore, it would be unreasonable to base a federal policy on moral considerations only. In every debate on civil liberties, the discussion is often narrowed down to the traditional dilemma of decriminalization and control v. prohibition and black market. This argument is hard to run in a debate on, for instance, legalization of drugs, since governments of the world have proven to be sufficiently successful in combating illicit drug trafficking. However, it perfectly applies to restrictions on pornography. The demand for pornography soaring, there will be abundant supply. The police will be incapable of preventing illegal pornography production. The sector might be heading towards wide-scale corruption. Moreover, lack of regulation in pornography production might result in exploitation, use of minors, or unacceptable working conditions. Thus, it is better to regulate this sector than to let black market overtake it. There is a lesson America should have learned: the 1920s were the time of alcohol prohibition, and the regulation provided for a huge black market in alcohol to flourish, giving rise to bootlegging business and speakeasies. Many gangsters, including Al Capone and Bugs Moran, made fortunes selling alcohol illegally. Another hackneyed argument in a debate on civil liberties is that it’s better to tax than to let shadow economy grow. However, this argument should be taken seriously in the U. S. at the present moment of its history. The falling dollar and slowdown in the housing market has placed the U. S. economy on the verge of recession. At the same time, more government revenue is needed to support the national welfare and healthcare programs. More money is needed in education and research. Large-scale foreign policy initiatives also require additional funding. Refusing another source of tax money is unacceptable for the time being. If the aforesaid is not enough to dismiss the feasibility of restrictions on pornography, another argument can be introduced into the debate. In general, civil liberties are in danger in the U. S. , and by clampdown on yet another one the government will send a very wrong message. In fact, the government should leave citizens the ability to think for themselves. Individuals should be able to make decisions about their life careers themselves, and the government should be supportive of these decisions if they are deemed to be beneficial for the individual and society as a whole. Yet it is far beyond the jurisdiction of the government to protect an individual from the consequences of his/her conscious choices. In fact, it is the traditional dilemma of governmental regulation v. individual freedom. It may seem that restrictions on pornography would be in line with the theory of social contract. The state, which is the product of social contract, has the function of setting the limits on individual rights and freedoms. Social contract implies that agents give away a part of their freedom in return for security delivered by state. John Locke (2004, p. 33) writes: ‘Men†¦ by agreeing with other men, to join and unite into a community for their comfortable, safe, and peaceable living, one amongst another, in a secure enjoyment of their properties, and a greater security against any that are not of it†¦make one community or government†¦and make one body politic. ’ The situation is fairly clear-cut when one individual’s activity results in the violation of another individual’s rights. When the realization of rights of one individual infringes on rights of another individual, the state should intervene to reestablish the balance between these rights of different individuals. However, in the case of pornography, the practice does not pose a danger to society. Feminists argue that pornography is dangerous because it perpetuates exploitation and oppression of women. However, this is not necessarily true. Men also star in pornography production, and women are not always featured in subordinate roles. In the 1960s, a more liberal approach to sexuality was hailed as a major advancement of women’s right. Pornography means that both male and female sexuality is no longer a taboo but rather a subject for public discussion and business activity: ‘Pornography breaks cultural and political stereotypes, so that each woman can interpret sex for herself†¦ Pornography tells them to accept and enjoy them. Pornography can be good therapy. Pornography provides a sexual outlet for those who – for whatever reason – have no sexual partner’ (McElroy, 2004, ‘A Pro-Sex Defense’). For some females, pornography might be a pleasurable way of expressing themselves, given the popularity of home videos. Liberals ‘continue to maintain either that pornography does not cause harm to women (in the relevant, usually narrow, sense of ‘harm’), or they admit that pornography probably does cause some harm to women’s interests, but deny that this harm is sufficiently great to offset the dangers inherent in censorship and to justify the violation of the rights of pornographers and would-be consumers’ (West, 2004, ‘Recent debate: liberals and feminists’). A riskier argument that feminists were running was that pornography increases the number of instances of rape in society. However, empirical evidence in support of their claim has been scarce and contested. It leads to an obvious conclusion that ‘[p]ornography will not cause otherwise normal, decent chaps with no propensity to rape suddenly to metamorphose into rapists,† (Feinberg, 1985. p. 153). Some researchers have gone as far as to argue that consumption of pornography might decrease rape rates (Landsburg, 2006). Since citizens can satisfy their sexual fantasies by watching them on the screen, their urge to commit sexual assaults in real life is weaker. In fact, empirical evidence suggests that porn actually decreases rape: ‘The incidence of rape in the United States has declined 85% in the past 25 years while access to pornography has become freely available to teenagers and adults’ (D’Amato, 2006, Abstract). While there are many critics contesting the actual correlation between the two variables, increase in accessibility of pornography would have led to skyrocketing rape rates, which is not happening. There is another positive feature of pornography being pointed out by sexologists and family therapists. For some couples, watching pornography together might enhance their sexual relationship and make them freer in expressing their desires and fantasies. One more oft-cited danger of pornography is that it might cause an addiction. The government has long established itself as a body responsible for protecting its citizens against addictions, since they might foster compulsive behavior and lead to citizens harming themselves or other. This might be true about physical addictions, like addiction to drugs. However, addiction to pornography, if it exists, is a psychological phenomenon. Psychologically, people can be addicted to anything, from computer games to chocolate, which does not provide grounds for the government to ban everything that is enjoying considerable popularity. Taking all those arguments into account, it is possible to conclude that pornography is not as dangerous as it is portrayed, and prohibition of pornography might have devastating consequences for the society.

Advance Directives

These are health care decisions made by a person on what he/she would like to be done to in case he/ she becomes incompetent at some time in future.   Decision making on health care issues is not easy and people are advised to seek advice from so many medical professionals in order to make the right kind of decision.   It is not only a persons doctor who should give directions on what to do then conclusions made from there, more information can be obtained from other health care professionals to help the person make satisfactory decisions on what he/she wants (Monagle and Thomasma 2004: 141). Advanced directives are made when one is mentally competent and are made on different forms as will be discussed.   Different patients suffer different illnesses or diseases and there are various cases of emergency.   Most cases that do occur are those of cardiac problems, respiratory and life sustaining problems.    Advance directives indicate what a person would like to be done to in case he/she can no longer make his/her own decisions (Monagle and Thomasma 2004: 141). A person is also allowed to assign this decision making role to a physician he/she trusts and knows his/her health status, therefore can make appropriate decisions.   Advanced directives as have been indicated, apply in different sections of healthy care.   Different health care departments have to abide by the advanced directives of the patients.   Almost all health care departments receive these advanced directives on what a patient would like to be done to.   An example is the emergency department that deals with resuscitation of patients with heart problems, respiratory problems among others (Bledsoe et al, 2008: 156). The paramedics in this department in most cases do not have the time to read and analyse the advanced directives written by the patient and the advanced directive may not even be available at the time of emergency.   They are always fighting to save the life of the patient at the time of emergency as their protocols dictate, giving them a hard time in consideration to advance directives documentation as well as information retrieval about the advanced directives. They therefore have problems with the advance directive system and forms.   Some countries or hospitals have developed different forms of advanced directives that suit the emergency department as well as other medical departments (Bledsoe et al, 2008: 157).   This will be discussed later.   The different forms of legal advanced directives are not known to so many people and so they do not know which one to use when in need of an advanced directive. Every adult in a mentally competent state is allowed to make a decision and write an advance directive.   It does not mean that if one does not have an advance directive then the person will not be treated or offered health care services, this is an optional measure just meant to give people a decent death or health care service of choice.   It is not only the people with terminal cases that write advanced directives.   Normal people who feel that accidents can occur to them and may need specific medical treatment write advanced directives indicating what they want and what they do not want when such a situation occurs (Cotts 2006: 5). This may be a problem though since the person at the time of decision making, do not know how the accident will occur or how his life will be affected after the accident.   It is only after the accident that the real facts can be revealed to the person.   This always causes problems with the close relatives to the incapacitated person.   Most cases of advance directive are on those with terminal illnesses who know that their life will not be good after some period of time and therefore make decisions on their life when they are fully competent (Cotts 2006: 5). People always make decisions not to be put into any life sustaining machines, not to be resuscitated or allow themselves to be treated so that there lives can be sustained.   An advance directive is just a guideline to a doctor on what the patient wants to be done to in cases of incapability.   An example of an advance directive is the Do Not Resuscitate, which dictates that a doctor should not resuscitate a patient in case of heart failure, or respiratory problem that makes the person not able to breath (Atkinson 2006: 46). There are different types of advanced directives.   These are anatomical donation, a living will and a health care surrogate designation.   There is a different form in case of emergency medical care.   If someone does not want any resuscitation in case of respiratory or cardiac rest, then a form of advanced directive known as the DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) is used.   All these types have specific areas of use (Atkinson 2006: 46).

Revised Analytical Essay about Poetry Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Revised Analytical about Poetry - Essay Example The study develops an understanding of the poetic approaches emphasized upon by a professor and his student in literature that are from different races. The poem theme for English B implicitly resembles an answer, written in the form of a stream-of-consciousness to the indirect question, what we can call true. The main theme of the poem and specifically in this context is the quest to look for answers in the issue of discrimination of people through color, race, and self-identification (Scott, 2006). The poem also analyzes the means and ways of dealing with this through the theme of English B analysis based on the instructor and his student’s work (Sherry & Schouten, 2006). The theme for English B analysis poem starts with a question from the student, twenty-two year old who is the only colored in his class and wonders if it would be that simple to write a page out of him that could be considered true. Therefore, the student has received an assignment to write about something that would be true, but he asks himself if it would be that simple. This question could have a dual meaning for example, if writing the task would be an easy task or not and on the other hand, if a complicated notion of truth could be easy to gather from the poem (Leach, 2004). The poem though gives answers to both questions but as for the latter, the answer has been given in the form a thread penetrating the whole poem. For example, the poem starts with ‘I wonder if it is true’(line 6) then an answer is alluded which says it is not easy for me to know what is true for me(line 16) and then the thread is concluded with ‘but we are, that’s true’(line 36). Harlem was the center of development and prosperity of Africa American community in the period of Harlem renaissance. Though Harlem was based in New York, it has been known to be associated

Face-Vase Illusion An Explanation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Face-Vase Illusion An Explanation - Essay Example Well, what do they do? Usually they draw a house and some trees in the foreground, with a field, sky and some birds flying, in the background. Ever wondered why children do not draw the picture of only a house, or only a tree, or a field or perhaps the sky only? Why do they choose to draw some things constituting the foreground and some things constituting the background in a picture? It would not be wrong to say that to a great extent, children do not do this deliberately, but in a way are naturally responding to the way human brain likes to perceive things. It is a psychologically valid fact that human brain has a natural tendency to differentiate between a foreground and a background, while perceiving things. Even when a flat picture is placed before the eyes, the human brain, responding to this natural tendency, tries to develop an idea of depth by establishing or identifying some things as foreground, while taking the other things to be constituting the background in that pictur e. This is the way it is. To explain as to why the brain does this may require a complex explanation. Yet, to explain the illusion under consideration, it will be appropriate to agree to the fact that human brain always sees things in terms of a foreground and a background.

The Learning Of Pharmacy Medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Learning Of Pharmacy Medicine - Essay Example In my opinion, knowledge gained from your reputable institution will allow me to become an efficient pharmacist. Since my childhood until now, I have been able to realize that service is truly a way of contributing to the society and not everyone is capable of making such a contribution. Education that I gained has been efficient in inspiring me to give my best to individuals in need. In addition, research on the profession of pharmacy has indicated that this profession is in rapid process of emergence, and pharmacists are playing a crucial and noteworthy role in the establishment of quality standards for pharmaceutical, as well as health care in the society. Moreover, recent developments in the pharmacy have resulted in broad perspectives of the field that were not recognized earlier, such as the academic pharmacist, antibiotic pharmacist, etc. My passion and zeal for pharmacy enhanced during my volunteering at one of the pharmaceutical organizations that facilitated me in understanding the real impact of pharmacy on the society, and helped me in developing talent, as well as composure required in the profession. To be a great pharmacist, one has to care about others to the point of achieving beyond the objective. With every patient, a pharmacist has to carry out different tasks in responsible and efficient manner, in order to bring a positive and constructive change in one’s life. Unlike conventional pharmacy, pharmacists are now working closely with patients rather than limiting to the products, a significant factor of this profession that has inspired me to acquire education in this field and make a difference in human lives.

Do you need cosmetic surgery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Do you need cosmetic surgery - Essay Example The bonafides of genuine, necessary plastic surgery are, of course, beyond debate. Reconstructive plastic surgery, which is performed to correct functional impairments caused by burns, trauma-induced bone injuries, congenital and developmental abnormalities, such as cleft palates, and abnormalities caused by diseases such as  cancer  or  tumors, is an essential and powerful tool of medical science. It is cosmetic surgery, or its more polished moniker, ‘Aesthetic plastic surgery,’ which is a fraud perpetrated on susceptible women and men by unscrupulous beneficiaries. Cosmetic surgery refers to the use of surgical techniques merely for the purpose of enhancing physical appearance. Cosmetic surgery runs the entire gamut of procedures from rhinoplasty and liposuction, to ‘tummy tucks’ and breast implants. It is medical science which has been corrupted for commercial use. It is a commercial industry, which has more in common with the cosmetic industry of f airness creams and hair colors, than with medical surgical procedures. The need of the hour is to bring cosmetic surgery under a strict regulatory mechanism as it is mere commercial exploitation, involves several risks, and engenders psychological disorders and abnormalities. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Americans spent nearly $10.7 billion on cosmetic procedures in 2010. Since 1997, there has been over 155% increase in the total number of cosmetic procedures. In 2010, there has been more than 1.6 million surgical procedures performed in the US. This in the midst of a recession which sees one of the highest rates of unemployment in the history of the nation! These statistics are convincing evidence of the burgeoning commercial aspect of cosmetic surgery. The ever-increasing reach of the cosmetic surgery industry is the result of a cleverly orchestrated program of advertisement and promotion, aimed at a beauty conscious younger generation. Fox's re ality TV makeover show, "The Swan 2,† was won by DeLisa Stiles after â€Å"she morphed into a beauty queen† (Dittman, APA), with the help of the entire gamut of cosmetic surgery procedures – from face to feet. According to the British Medical Journal, Britons spend over 400 million dollars a year on cosmetic surgery, and it’s one of the most common reasons women give for non-property loans. In the United Kingdom, My Big Fat Plastic Surgery Prize Draw  is a lottery sponsored by a cosmetic surgery group, with ?4,000 worth of surgery of your choice as the prize. Prize draws, loyalty card schemes, divorcee packages, magazine competitions and online deals are all part of the advertising strategy to pull susceptible youth into the money-spinning cosmetic surgery industry (skininc.com). These marketing gimmicks are unscrupulous means of generating profit. The commercial potential of cosmetic surgery has even spawned a tourism industry. ‘Plastic Surgery Pa ckage Tours’ are now being hawked not only by several agencies, but also by governments, such as Thailand. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has promoted cosmetic surgery as it would any commodity – eighty percent of the clientele is foreign (Cullen, Time). Such a blatantly commercial enterprise continues to masquerade as a part of medical science! In aggressively marketing cosmetic surgery as a money-spinning concern, its advocates and beneficiaries conveniently ignore the

Coursework 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

1 - Coursework Example Additionally, the paper tries to show how the stated values and attributes of international leaders are relevant and adequate capabilities, conditions and qualities of international managers/leaders in managing culturally diverse project teams. The paper also details critical analysis of how culturally diverse teams operate, the roles of the team members, as well as, the importance of human resource management in these teams. IHRM also covers the management of expatriates and the organizational strategies and interventions put in place to curb the potential challenges posed by culturally diverse teams. It is important to understand the nature of culturally diverse teams so as to deduce valid conclusions that Smith’s statement is true. As stated earlier, the number of culturally diverse teams has increased dramatically in the world for last few decades. Companies adopt these teams believing that they can boost performance, but, at the same time, the teams pose potential risks to their operations. Cultural diverse teams can be classified into bicultural and multicultural teams. Bicultural teams consist of two or more members that represent two different cultures while, in multicultural teams, the members come from three or more ethnic/cultural backgrounds (Roberson 2013, p. 45). Usually, diverse teams are prone to disagreements because most people struggle to intermingle, relate and understand their colleagues who come from different backgrounds. Although the multicultural teams may yield good results, the lack of understanding and distrust among the members can lead to poor performance of the teams. However, if the members of diverse teams are managed adequately, the teams can get access to the wide variety of skills and information and solve problems effectively. It, therefore, means that the cultural differences must be reconciled through a deeper and critical analysis of issues undermining diverse teams’

Report outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Report - Outline Example g cart into the UK will assist the marketer or company on whether there are factors that will play a role in achieving the business plan or it will highlight the obstacles that will act as a barrier in bringing an American hot dog cart into the UK (Griffin, 2010, 161). PEST analysis will be significant in measuring the growth or plan of bringing an American hot dog cart into the UK. It will highlight the political, economic, social and technological factors that may influence both negatively or positively the plan of introducing the cart into the UK market (Griffin, 2010, 161). The 4Ps will assist in marketing the cart into the UK markets as they will provide both the marketer with information regarding the product, price, place and promotional strategies used by to capture the markets (Cowan, 2012, 61). It will involve market Penetration into the UK market. Secondly, there will be market development of the product in the UK. Thirdly, there will product development of the American hot dog cart into the UK market. Lastly, the American hot dog cart will be exposed through a stage of diversification to improve on the carts used for transporting hot dogs (Dransfield, 2004,

Book Report on Farewell to Manzanar Essay Example for Free

Book Report on Farewell to Manzanar Essay In the early year of 1942, the families of Japanese people are being ordered to start a move to Manzanar, California; the Wakatsuki family is one of them. Many Japanese accept the move because they are afraid of Caucasian aggression, but some simply see it as an adventure. Families have to put on identification number tags on their collars. Riding on buses to Manzanar, Jeanne falls asleep on the bus, nearly half of which is filled with her relatives, and wakes up to the â€Å"setting sun and the yellow, billowing dust of Owens Valley. (pg 19) As they enter the camp, the new arrivals stare silently at the families already waiting in the wind and sand. Upon arriving, just in time for dinner, â€Å"the mess halls weren’t completed yet† (pg 19) seeing a line formed around the soon to be finished building blocking a good part of the wind. Only seeing tents and barracks, half built buildings that were unending. There were cracks in the floors, only one light bulb per room, gaps in the walls, an oil stove for heat, and not very much space at all. â€Å"We were assigned two of these for the twelve people in our family group. † (pg. 1) With all the confined spacing for the families, you can tell there was a lot of tension between everyone. The food they had made for us to eat was not in our culture at all. â€Å"The Caucasian servers were thinking that the fruit poured over rice would make a good desert. Among the Japanese, of course, rice is never eaten with sweet foods, only with salty or savory foods. † (pg. 20) On top of the food being served wrong, their latrines were not very useable. â€Å"The smell of it spoiled what little appetite we had. † (pg. 31) â€Å"My mother was a very modest person, and this was going to be agony for her, sitting down in public, among strangers.   (pg. 32). What some of the other women did was drag in a big cardboard carton and put up as walls so no one could see. The reservoir shack was just outside of camp. â€Å"My brother-in-law Kaz was foreman of a reservoir maintenance detail, the only crew permitted to work or to leave the camp limits the night of the riot. † (pg. 78) The guys that were on this detail slept on cots in a shack. When they turned off the lights in the shack at night and everyone was laying down it was so dark that you couldn’t see anyone or anything in the shack.

Los Angeles Lakers: A history

Los Angeles Lakers: A history The Lakers were founded in 1948 and named after Minnesota. They were named after Minnesota because it was the land of ten thousand lakes. The Lakers have become a great franchise because of their player and their great sportsmanship. Pro Basketball has been around since 1898, only seven years after the game was invented. The Lakers hired John Kundla as their first coach from Saint Thomas College. The Lakers then won the 1948 NBL Championship. The next year the team moved to BAA (which is another basketball league) and also won the Championship. In 1979 they moved to California. The old Lakers owner traded the team, The Forum and the Kings to Jerry Buss for a 70 million dollar deal. After the purchase, Jerry Buss wanted the Laker games to be the most exciting event in Los Angeles, so he introduced the Laker girls dance team. This attracted many viewers. In their half century of basketball, the Lakers have had many outstanding players and many memorable games. This has made many Los Angeles residences die hard fans. Their team colors are, purple gold and white. They have played in many world wide arenas. The following arenas are, Minneapolis Auditorium, Minneapolis Armory, L.A. Memorial Sports Arena and the Los Angeles Forum. The Lakers currently play at the Staple Center located in down town Los Angeles. Which can hold up to18,997 people per game. The NBA was formed in 1949 and the current coach of the Los Angeles Lakers is Phil Jackson. The Lakers have 14 championships, 29 conference titles and 28 division titles. They are currently in the Pacific Division, also in the Western conference. The Lakers are currently in the NBA finals vs the Boston Celtics. Some of the Lakers best memories began on, November 5th when the Lakers beat Baltimore and went onto winning 32 more games in a row. They lost their first game on January 9th to the Milwaukee Bucks ending their 32 game winning streak. In one of the many playoff games. In the playoffs the Lakers swept the Bulls. In the finals the Lakers played the Knicks. New York won the first game but that was it. The Lakers reeled off 4 straight victory wins. In 2000, 2001 and 2002 the Lakers wons back to back Championships. The Laker bacame the NBAs first Champions in the 1949 -50 season. In 1984 through 1985 Lakers finally beat the Boston Celtics in the finals. Over the years the Lakers have had many all star players on the team. The Lakers have one of the most exciting players, who is known as now MVP player Kobe Bryant. Bryant rose to national prominence in 1996 when he became the first guard in league history to be drafted out of high school. Bryant and then-teammate Shaquille ONeal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. Since ONeals departure following the 2003-04 season, Bryant has become the cornerstone of the Lakers franchise, and was the NBAs leading scorer during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. In 2006, Bryant scored a career high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second highest number of points scored in NBA history. He was awarded the seasons MVP in the 2007-08 NBA season after leading his team to the 2008 NBA Playoffs as the first seed in the Western Conference. In 2003, Bryant made headlines when he was accused of sexual assault at a ski resort in Eagle, Colorado by a hotel employee. Bryant admitted an adulterous sexual encounter with the accuser, but denied the sexual assault allegation. In September 2004, prosecutors dropped the case after his accuser informed them that she was unwilling to testify. Bryants accuser brought a separate civil suit against him that was ultimately settled out of court. Later in the season, it was reported that Bryant would change his jersey number from 8 to 24 at the start of the 2006-07 NBA season. Bryants first high school number was 24 before he switched to 33. After the Lakers season ended, Bryant said on TNT that he wanted 24 as a rookie, but it was unavailable, as was 33, retired with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bryant wore 143 at the Adidas ABCD camp, and chose 8 by adding those numbers. During the 2006-07 season, Bryant was selected to his 9th All-Star Game appearance, and on February 18, he logged 31 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 steals, earning his second career All-Star Game MVP trophy. Here are some of the well known players in the Laker history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlin, Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Jerry West. Jerry West became the only player in the NBA on the loosing team of the finals to win the MVP award. This is to show you how good the players were on the team, even though they lost. Jerry West picture is the NBA logo. It was taken when he was in college. The Los Angles Lakers are the 2nd most valuable team in the U.S.A., valued at 568 million dollars. They also have the 2nd most Championship following Boston. The Lakers are notable for having (at the end of the 2005-06) the most wins (2,905), the highest winning percentage (61.5%), the most finals appearances (28) of any NBA franchise, Lakers are still continuing their legacy and keeping their fans happy and proud. Im proud to say that Im a die hard Laker fan. Sources www.wikipedia.org The Los Angeles Lakers Basketball Team By William W. Lace www.nba.com/lakers/history/history.html#36

Evaluation of Journal Article Involving Cross Cultural Perception of Eu

Evaluation of Journal Article I. Introduction The essay is about to evaluate the journal written by Coen Heijes and express my personal interpretation of the article. The essay was divided into five sections. First of all, I would briefly outline the topic of the article and introduce the findings made by the author. Secondly, I would analyze the theory and literature review by evaluating the main theoretical framework. Then research design and methods would be discussed, followed by the findings and conclusions given by the author. Finally, personal implications would be delivered. In my opinion, take power dynamics into account while analyzing the perception across-cultural is a beneficial supplement to the dimensional approach which is limited in doing research on international management. Despite lacking of empirical research on relations between cross-cultural perception and power asymmetry in organizations, this paper could be a significant reference on further research. II. Description of the paper being evaluated In this paper, the author delivered a research about cross cultural perception and power dynamic across changing organizational and national contexts in Curacao and the Netherlands. The essay is divided into seven parts. First of all, the author pointed out that more and more researchers found they should go beyond standard cultural dimensions of Hofstede when analyzing the national cultures because culture is not so much fixed, cohesive and systematic concept but more dynamic and co-created. Therefore, the author expanded on the interactions between culture and power and discussed the role of power and power differences in cross-cultural perception. Second, methodological triangulation was used al... ...ice organizations in the IRS and the police in the Netherlands and Curaà §ao. The results of the research findings were just the reflection within the public services organizations and it cannot indicate that similar conclusions would be drawn up in business organizations. Besides, the study lacks some empirical data on the relation between cross-cultural perception and power asymmetry in organizations. Furthermore, this study paper made me think about another case of the UK and HONG KONG, since the impact on the cross-cultural perception would be more complex not just considering the power dynamics and power imbalance due to the western social system background based on Chinese culture. In all, I benefited from the power dynamics influence study on cross-cultural perception and it would be a good learning example for me to carry out research in the future .

Free Essays On Shakespeares Sonnet 118 :: Sonnet essays

Analysis of Sonnet 118 Like as, to make our appetites more keen, With eager compounds we our palate urge; As to prevent our maladies unseen We sicken to shun sickness when we purge: Even so, being full of your ne'er cloying sweetness, To bitter sauces did I frame my feeding; And, sick of welfare, found a kind of meetness To be diseas'd ere that there was true needing.j Thus policy in love, to anticipate The ills that were not, grew to faults assur'd, And brought to medicine a healthful state Which, rank of goodness, would by ill be cur'd: But thence I learn, and find the lesson true, Drugs poison him that so fell sick of you. This is another sonnet that Hieatt found to share certain similarities with Spencer's _Ruines of Rome: "In Sonnets 118 the conceit of health 'rank in goodness' anticipating and thus precipitatin sickness mirrors, first, Ruines 10--the 'rank seed' who destroy themselves--and, second, Ruines23--the Roman people 'impatient of pleasure's faint desires,' becoming the matter of their own fimes, 'as in a vicious body gross disease / Soon grows through humor's superfluity'." Having a possible source for this sonnet, we will now move to a paraphrasing of the sonnet. 1-2: 'In order to make our appetites more aware (of taste), we convince our palate by ingesting stimulating dishes'; 3-4: 'In order to prevent unforeseen sickness, we purge ourselves [Ingram/jRedpath note, "The old-fashioned purges were very powerful, and could indeed make people feel extremely ill"], to make that sickness feign, yet become sick by doing so'; 5-6: 'As this is, I apportioned my diet to unsavory dishes [base company] from being (so) full of your substantial sweetness'; 7-8: 'And, overindulged in happiness, I found a [requisite] jusxtaposition of becoming diseased (from the purging) because I was in need of, 1) the sickness, or 2) your love [or both]'; 9-10: 'Thus, it is a sly [almost overly-sly] strategy in love, to anticipate the malefactors that are not always thought of, which grow into affirmed faults'; 11-12: 'And make a "healthful state" of me available to medicine which, gross [almost with a sense of glutton] with goodness, would be cured by the malefactors:' 13-14: 'But from this I learn, and find the lesson [moral] true, that the drugs that poisoned him [identity unknown; possibly in general] are the same ones that made me fall (love) sick for you'.

The Negative Impact of High Stakes Standardized Testing Essay -- Stand

Standardized testing is not a new concept; it has been in use since the mid to late 1990’s. However the â€Å"high stakes† focus on standardized testing is. The practices that accompany standardized testing have long been in debate. Those in favor of standardized testing will argue that the testing creates a system that increases grades and accountability among teachers, students and school districts across the country. On the other hand those that oppose standardized testing will argue the ill effects that standardized testing can have on students, teachers, and schools. There are numerous ways in which standardized testing has gravely impacted education, some of which are high stress levels of students and teachers, the hindrance on educational instruction, high monetary costs of testing as well as inadvertent discrimination and bias. Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota stated â€Å"Far from improving education, high-stakes testing marks a major retreat from fairness , from accuracy, from quality and from equity.† High-stakes standardized testing greatly impacts the environment in which students learn. When such a huge emphasis is placed on these tests and scoring well on them, it often creates, in excess, unnecessary anxiety and stress. In Florida alone the number of different standardized tests given to students spanned across kindergarten through 12th grade has increased to over sixteen. Often students are faced with the harsh realization that not scoring well can mean the difference from a pass and fail grade. That kind of pressure can lead to a complete shutdown of their learning. Although students are heavily impacted by the pressure and anxiety that accompanies standardized testing, they are not the only ones. Teachers not unli... ...Child Left Behind has laudable goals, but it's too narrowly focused on just test scores, To just constantly boil everything down to standardized test scores doesn't tell the whole story.† - Catherine Sullivan Works Cited Kohn, Alfie. "Standardized Testing and Its Victims." Education Week. N.p., 27 Sept. 2000. Web. 15 Jan. 2015. Moon, Tonya R., Catherine M. Brighton, Jane M. Jarvis, and Catherine J. Hall. "State Standardized Testing Programs: Their Effects on Teachers and Students." The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. University of Connecticut, 2007. Web. 05 Feb. 2015. Steinberg, Jacques. "NATION'S SCHOOLS STRUGGLING TO FIND ENOUGH PRINCIPALS." New York Times 03 Sept. 2000: n. pag. Web. 08 Feb. 2015. Strauss, Valerie. "How Standardized Tests Are Affecting Public Schools." Washington Post 18 May 2012: n. pag. Print.

Focus Group Research- Reliability, Validity, Replicability, Generalisability Essay

A focus group can be defined as a group interview- centered on a specific topic and facilitated and co-ordinated by a moderator or facilitator- which seeks to generate primarily qualitative data, by capitalizing on the interaction that occurs within the group setting. The idea behind the focus group method is that group processes can help people to explore and clarify their views in ways that be less easily accessible in a one to one interview. While the focus group opens up exciting analytical possibilities, it also gives rise to a number of potentially problematic issues in this respect. Definitions: Reliability- The quality of being reliable, dependable or trustworthy. Validity- The state or quality of being valid (having some foundation; based on truth) Replicability- Property of an activity, process, or test result that allows it to be duplicated at another location or time. Generalisability- Generalizability is a process in testing and statistics theory that takes a score from a sample of behaviors and applies them to the entire possible set of observations The group dynamics which take place in a focus group are central to its success. However, these interpersonal processes may cause problems in the interpretation of focus group data. One problem is that of the ‘censoring’ of dissenting views held by less confident participants within the group. The emergence of dissonant views and perspectives — what Kitzinger (1994b) calls ‘argumentative interactions’— often contributes importantly to the richness of focus group data, but may be artificially suppressed. Certain members of the group may be more assertive or articulate than others, and their views may come to dominate the proceedings; such individuals have been described as ‘thought leaders’ ( Henderson 1995). This reflects the tendency of those who find themselves in a minority to acquiesce to the majority view ( Asch 1951, Deutsch & Gerard 1955, Carey & Smith 1994). There is a further problem here. If a viewpoint which is shared by most of the group lies in one direction or other on the attitude continuum it may be exaggerated through what is known as a group polarization effect ( Turner 1991). The prevalent group viewpoint will tend to converge on the end of the continuum in question, but will also tend to be amplified in the process. In comparison, any divergent viewpoints will tend to be suppressed. Interestingly, when the topic in question is one which elicits an evaluative response from group members, Carey (1995) suggests that this convergence of viewpoint tends to be negative rather than positive. The more homogeneous the participants (which, as previously noted, is in other respects advantageous), the greater the likelihood of polarization. Another negative aspect is that the focus group output is not projectable. If a great deal of consistency in the results from a series of focus groups have been identified and it is very likely that the results from these sessions probably can represent a larger number of people. We can’t expect focus groups to be projectable in the same way as quantitative study findings can be. My last point about the disadvantages is that focus groups are a very artificial environment which can influence the responses that are generated. This is frequently the argument that ethnographers will use when recommending their methodology versus focus groups. Because researchers using the ethnographic technique will situate themselves in the real environment, that is unreachable for focus groups. In focus groups people are collected in a meeting room thus they might behave differently from how they behave when they are not watched and it will effect the quality of research results. But there is also a high number of advantages of focus group research . First of all the authority role of the moderator. The face-to-face involvement of a qualified moderator can ensure that the conversation is always on track, and encourage participants’ engagement without one individual dominating the meeting. Another point is the dynamic nature of the methodology. Due to the dynamic environment the moderator can modify the topics, which are prepared before the session to make the topic more suitable for the purpose. The Ability to involve the client personnel in the research Process is another important advantage. In traditional focus groups it is possible for the client personnel to watch the whole discussion behind a one-way mirror. The client personnel can provide their thinking to the moderator, which may help the moderator better handle the direction of discussion, and improve the quality of output. Also the capability to utilize non-verbal behavior as a research input can be useful . The expression, attitude of individual, the intensity of the conversation etc. can be perceived by the researcher, which can modify the moderator’s decision and also can be counted in the research result. Another positive aspect is the level of participant involvement in the research. Because every participant is under observation by the moderator and everybody know the process has been videotaped, it is easy to make participants fully engage even during non-discussion time. My last point is the greater security associated with focus group research. The possibility to screen each participant, lets the researcher know who have been involved. This ensures that for example your competition is not involved. (PBWorks, 2007, P. 1) Reliability of Focus Groups Reliability is the extent to which a measure (such as a focus group) is accurate and replicable. With focus groups, this could concern whether another focus group, of similar but different people, would give similar answers. Focus groups often have problems with reliability. These can be lessened if the moderator is highly trained and if questions are relatively specific. Validity of Focus Groups  Validity is the extent to which a measure measures what it purports to measure. For focus groups, this could mean whether it is reasonably certain that people are talking about what you think they are talking about. Focus groups tend to be strong on validity. ( Peter Flom, [N. D. ], P. 1) Generalizing from focus groups There are two perspectives from which the issue of generalizing from focus groups may be problematic. The first perspective sees the focus group as a sample from a target population — and thus presumably regards generalization as a legitimate goal — but recognizes a number of methodological barriers. Because focus group participants are often gathered together through a process of non-probability sampling, this will not provide the degree of representativeness of a larger population that may be achieved in, for example, some mail surveys. Furthermore, there is a tendency for the more self-confident and articulate individuals to be more willing to agree to take part in a focus group in the first place, and it may be necessary to provide inducements to encourage less forthcoming participants to come forward. The other perspective on the external validity of focus group data raises epistemological, not methodological, difficulties. This view would stress the fact that focus group data are firmly contextualized within a specific social situation. They therefore produce ‘situated’ accounts, tied to a particular context of interaction which may not be a particularly natural one for many participants. The conclusion that would seem to emerge on this issue is that generalization from focus group data is not impossible, but is of a very different nature from that displayed by orthodox quantitative approaches to research. Conclusion  The focus group has considerable potential as a means of gathering qualitative data. This potential will not, however, be realized unless due attention is paid to the problematic methodological issues to which the focus group gives rise. In this respect, the principal conclusions to arise are the following: The skills and attributes of the moderator and the manner of data recording will exert a powerful influence on the quality of the data collected in a focus group. Focus groups explore collective, not individual, phenomenology, and attempts to infer the latter from focus group data are likely to be unfounded. Focus group data may be a poor indicator of attitudinal consensus, though they may reveal a divergence of opinion and the extent to which certain issues recur across groups. Focus groups can reveal the nature and range of participants’ views, but less so their strength. Generalization from focus group data is problematic, but is likely to be more fruitful at the level of theoretical generalization than at that of empirical generalization. The use of focus groups is increasing at a faster rate than our knowledge about these qualitative research methods. Every indication , however, is that this environment is dynamically changing and will continue to do so over the next 50 years. To keep up with those changes more research on focus group methods is needed. Ultimately the best teacher is experience . Like most other research tools , proficiency comes with practice. This provides an opportunity to see a variety of groups interact and the way the moderator handles specific problems as they arise. We also have drawn attention to the limitations of focus group interviews as well as to their advantages. The greatest of the limitations associated with focus groups is that each group really represents a single observation. In the case of focus groups , the demand effects are likely to result from the composition of the group , the presence of a particularly dominant member of the group, the actions of the moderator , or some other group related factor. Thus, focus groups share many of the same limitations as many other research tools, including survey research and experimentation. The source of these limitations and problems may differ somewhat, but the problems are the same. All in all if you do it on the right way with the right tools, focus group research can be very helpful for your business to come up with new ideas and to find out the best way to act with your target groups.

Buddhism and Siddhartha Gautama Essay

Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life. There are 376 million followers worldwide. Buddhists seek to reach a state of nirvana, following the path of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, who went on a quest for Enlightenment around the sixth century BC. There is no belief in a personal god. Buddhists believe that nothing is fixed or permanent and that change is always possible. The path to Enlightenment is through the practice and development of morality, meditation and wisdom. Buddhists believe that life is both endless and subject to impermanence, suffering and uncertainty. These states are called the tilakhana, or the three signs of existence. Existence is endless because individuals are reincarnated over and over again, experiencing suffering throughout many lives. It is impermanent because no state, good or bad, lasts forever. Our mistaken belief that things can last is a chief cause of suffering. The history of Buddhism is the story of one man’s spiritual journey to enlightenment, and of the teachings and ways of living that developed from it. The Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, was born into a royal family in present-day Nepal over 2500 years ago. He lived a life of privilege and luxury until one day he left the royal enclosure and encountered for the first time, an old man, a sick man, and a corpse. Disturbed by this he became a monk before adopting the harsh poverty of Indian asceticism. Neither path satisfied him and he decided to pursue the ‘Middle Way’ – a life without luxury but also without poverty. Buddhists believe that one day, seated beneath the Bodhi tree (the tree of awakening), Siddhartha became deeply absorbed in meditation and reflected on his experience of life until he became enlightened. By finding the path to enlightenment, Siddhartha was led from the pain of suffering and rebirth towards the path of enlightenment and became known as the Buddha or ‘awakened one’. Schools of Buddhism There are numerous different schools or sects of Buddhism. The two largest are Theravada Buddhism, which is most popular in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Burma (Myanmar), and Mahayana Buddhism, which is strongest in Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Mongolia. The majority of Buddhist sects do not seek to proselytise (preach and convert), with the notable exception of Nichiren Buddhism. All schools of Buddhism seek to aid followers on a path of enlightenment. Key facts Buddhism is 2,500 years old There are currently 376 million followers worldwide There are over 150,000 Buddhists in Britain Buddhism arose as a result of Siddhartha Gautama’s quest for Enlightenment in around the 6th Century BC There is no belief in a personal God. It is not centred on the relationship between humanity and God Buddhists believe that nothing is fixed or permanent – change is always possible The two main Buddhist sects are Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism, but there are many more Buddhists can worship both at home or at a temple The path to Enlightenment is through the practice and development of morality, meditation and wisdom.

Alliance Bank Essay

1. Introduction Alliance Bank is one of the leading banks in Kazakhstan, and it is the tenth largest bank in terms of assets in Kazakhstan. Headquartered of the bank are located in Almaty. Bank is developing as a universal financial institution in all lines of business, with a primary focus on retail banking and lending to SMEs.JSC Alliance Bank, has been operating for over 15 years. Recently bank has been shadowed by number of scandals, which had a negative effect on its reputation. In February, 2009 the government appointed a new management team after its key shareholder, SAFC, rejected to support the bank in long-term. During the financial crisis Alliance Bank was the first bank to default. By 2010 its debts were restructured and government had to inject 24 billion KZT on its deposit account in order to save the bank. Since the restructuring, state-owned National Wellbeing fund Samruk-Kazyna is holding 67% of the bank’s shares. In 2012 Alliance was judged to be stable with a Standard and P oor’s rating of â€Å"B-†. Today Alliance’s long-term credit rating by Standard and Poor’s is stated at â€Å"D†, together with short-term rating. In 2011 bank considered talks with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development regarding the potential sale of its shares. In February 2014 bank has suffered from technical default. Later in February, the bank’s reputation suffered even more after SMS-attack on three banks about their default. Alliance Bank’s mission is to be a reliable partner for each  customer and meet the best banking practice. The basis for this statement is bank’s philosophy of meeting the needs of society as quality financial services. Main principles of bank’s corporate culture include classical principles of fairness, trust and apolitical relation. These principles work as the basis for existence of commercial bank as a social institution, which aims to combine and unite interests of different groups of people – shareholders, employees, customers and partners. The vision of the bank is â€Å"Look at things in a new way!† The Bank’s primary business is related to commercial banking activities, granting of loans and guarantees, accepting deposits, exchanging foreign currencies, dealing with securities, transferring cash payments, as well as providing other banking services in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The main goal of the bank’s activity is to earn income through the provision of banking services, for legal and physical entities, residents and non-residents of Kazakhstan, establishment of direct contact with international institutions for the development of External Relations, improvement and strengthening of business cooperation with foreign organizations. 2. External analysis PESTLE analysis PESTLE analysis or PEST stands for auditing the Alliance Bank’s current environment and assessing its potential changes by looking at the organization from different angles in order to be better placed than its competitors and make plans for future events in terms of responding to the rapid changes in the macro-environment. It contains the factors such as political-legal, economic, socio-cultural, and technological. Considering and understanding all these factors that influence the business, the information about the risks associated with the situation in the market will be clarified. Moreover, using the PESTLE analysis, it is possible to maximize opportunities and minimize threats for the Alliance Bank. Political-legal forces provide information about the political situation in the country and current legislations that regulate the industry. Businesses can be affected by many aspects of government policy. In particular, all businesses must comply with the law. They must also consider the impact of any forthcoming legislation on their operations. This may require taking action before the legislation comes into effect. Today a political factor,  which would affect Kazakhstani banks, and in particular Alliance Bank, is the Ukrainian political instabilities. Russia and Ukraine have bad political relations, and it leads to trade barriers as well. As Kazakhstan is a member of Custom Union, of course, any instability in Russia could influence Kazakhstani market as well. As an example, recent devaluation of Russian Ruble will bring very negative effects in both Kazakhstan and Belarus Republic. This instability might lead to declining on the foreign investments to Alliance Bank that they were recently asking from London creditors. Also on the 26th of December 2012 the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed the Law â€Å"About Modification and Additions in Some Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan concerning the Taxation†. One of the amendments to the law says that from the January 1st, 2014 the conscientious taxpayers may postpone paying the accrued tax liability for not more than 3 years w ithout having any collateral or fund for restricted cash. It will help the Alliance Bank to save the amount of money in the current period in order to invest it if needed in some other activities. Economic forces focus on the prevalent economic factors. Evaluating one of them which is the average monthly wage in Kazakhstan, the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan’s Statistics provides the following data: in March 2010 the average monthly wage is equal to 72 000 KZT, in March 2011 the amount is 87 000 KZT, in February 2012 it is presented as 92 000 KZT, and in February 2013 it has increased to 98 736 KZT. Such a picture of the wage growth is very positive and beneficial for the Alliance bank because the bigger amount of clients is willing deposit their money to bank accounts. Another not less important economic factor to consider is the inflation rates. According to the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan’s Statistics, in 2011 the inflation rate in Kazakhstan was 7.4%, in 2012 it was 6%, and in 2013 it decreased to 4.6%. Due to recent devaluation of Kazakh Tenge, the forecast of inflation in 2014 is going to increase. The increase of inflation rates will lead to increase in interest rates, which will decrease the number of clients of the bank. Another important economic factor is GDP per capita in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan government is putting a huge afford to improve the lifestyle and living conditions of its people. The government set two crucial strategies; Strategy2030 and Strategy2050. According to these strategies, Kazakhstan must be listed among the developed countries of the  world. One of the requirements of these strategies is raising GDP per capita. According to Dosayev, the GDP per capita will reach to $14,600 and it is expected to rea ch to $24,000 in 2018. Accordingly, the products of the bank will become more popular among the population. Social forces are the next. In this case they may be presented as demographic trends. Population of Kazakhstan for the 1st of March 2013 has increased by 1.4%, according to the report of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan’s Statistics. Nowadays it is more than 17 million people who are living in the territory of Kazakhstan. Actually, the new migration policy for oralmans (people whose historical place to live was Kazakhstan), and people who arrive to the cities from urban areas is a good advantage for the bank. The President of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan’s Statistics Alikhan Smailov noted that the average life expectancy in 2014 will be at the age of 70. According to the data for 2012 it was less and the actual number of years was 69 per person. Technology is another very important role in bank’s internal control mechanisms as well as services offered by them. Through the use of technology new products and services are introduced. It includes technological aspects such as R&D activity, automation, technology incentives and the rate of technological change. Some of the technological changes which brought radical changes in banking industry in Kazakhstan, and especial in Alliance Bank are described below: Automated Teller Machine (ATM) The latest developments in terms of technology in computer and telecommunication have encouraged the bank to change the concept of branch banking to anywhere banking. The use of ATM and Internet banking has allowed anytime, anywhere banking facilities. IT Services & Mobile Banking Today banks of Kazakhstan are also using SMS and Internet as a major tool of promotion and giving great utility to its customers. For example, SMS functions through simple text messages sent from your mobile phone. Technology advancement has changed the face of traditional banking systems, it is even offering 24/7 banking even faster and secured service. Alliance bank definitely should look after all technological changes in banking industry both within Kazakhstan and on International level, because it really matters, and differentiate service of the bank. Porter’s Five Forces The Kazakhstan banking system has experienced many difficulties in recent years, as well as huge growth. Last year was marked by the successful completion of the restructuring of debts of the three largest banks in the Republic of Kazakhstan: BTA Bank, Temirbank and Alliance Bank, which defaulted in 2009. Nevertheless, Kazakhstan’s banks currently operate in a very challenging external and internal environment which of course could reflect their financial stability, way of development in future years and their ability to find new appropriate business models. Kazakhstan’s banking system suffered due to a liquidity crisis less than its peers (e.g. Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan). Measures of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan to maintain stability of the banking system and the infusion of funds into the capital’s largest banks, had its effect – not one bank in Kazakhstan has not been declared bankrupt, the investors could easily withdraw their funds, there we re no signs of the banking panic among the population. So, the main current advantage of Kazakhstan’s banking system is the stability which is a very serious and necessary feature at the Commonwealth of Independent States. Threat of New Entrants: Banking industry deals with other people’s money and financial information new banks find it difficult to start up. Due to the nature of the industry, people are more willing to place their trust in big name, well known, major banks who they consider to be trustworthy. The banking industry has undergone a consolidation in which major banks seek to serve all of customers’ financial needs under their roof. This consolidation furthers the role of trust as a barrier to entry for new banks looking to compete with major banks, as consumer are more likely to allow one bank to hold all their accounts and service their financial needs. Ultimately the barriers to entry are relatively low for the banking industry. While it is nearly impossible for new banks to enter the industry offering the trust and full range of services as a major bank, it is fairly easy to open up a smaller bank operating on the regional level. Large financial resources are needed in order to open own bank an d enter on the financial market. Authorized capital  must be 5 billion Tenge, except other expenses (advertising campaigns, open own office, purchasing equipment and software etc.) Power of Suppliers: Capital is the primary resource on any bank and there are four major suppliers (various other suppliers like fees contribute to a lesser degree) of capital in the industry. Customer deposits Mortgages and loans Mortgage-baked securities Loans from other financial institutions By utilizing these four major suppliers, Alliance bank can be sure that they have the necessary resources required to service their customers’ borrowing needs while maintaining enough capital to meet withdrawal expectations. The power of the suppliers is largely based on the market, their power is often considered to fluctuate between medium to high. Suppliers for Bank are depositors and shareholders. Alliance Bank is interested in attracting outstanding depositors and principal shareholder. The main purposes are: correct invest invested funds; to ensure payments under the deposits and the shares; to make up owner’s operating expenses; to get a certain profit Power of Buyers: The individual doesn’t pose much of a threat to the banking industry, but one major factor affecting the power of buyers is relatively high switching costs. If a person has one bank that services their banking needs, mortgage, savings, checking, etc, it can be a huge hassle for that person to switch to another bank. Alliance Bank has 2 million customers who have a bargaining power and can switch to any other bank due to bank’s current situation. Availability of Substitutes: Some of the banking industry’s largest threats of substitution are not from rival banks but from non-financial competitors. The industry does not suffer any real threat of substitutes as far as deposits or withdrawals, however insurances, mutual funds, and fixed income securities are some of the many  banking services that are also offered by non-banking companies. As Alliance bank primarily offers commercial banking services, it does not suffer any threat of substitutes. Competitive Rivalry: The banking industry is considered highly competitive. The financial services industry has been around for hundreds of years, and just about everyone who needs banking services already has them. Because of this, banks must attempt to lure clients away from competitor banks. They do this by offering lower financing, higher rates, investment services, and greater conveniences than their rivals. There are two giant banks in Kazakhstan, Kazkommertsbank and Halyk Bank, which hold 18% and 19% of total asset of Kazakhstani market, whereas Alliance bank holds only 4%. Therefore, the above mentioned banks are the competitive rivalry of the Alliance bank’s services. 3. Internal analysis SWOT analysis The key factor in the bank’s strategic planning is SWOT-analysis. SWOT-analysis methodology suggests: first, to identify the internal strengths and weaknesses of the company as well as the external opportunities and threats, and secondly, to establish connections between them. The SWOT-analysis of Alliance Bank is described below. Strengths Weaknesses Support of Samruk-Kazyna Years of experience Extensive branch network Extensive acquiring network (ATMs, cash-in ATMs, POS-terminals) Innovative technologies Professional bank management Brand name recognition (recent rumors about bank default) Low-speed service with a large flow of clients Low-level promotion of banking products Shrinking loan portfolio Opportunities Threats The tenth largest bank in terms of assets in Kazakhstan Development of technology (Online banking, fingerprints) Geographic expansion Long-term partnerships with major companies Cover new demands of current customers Expand the customer base Publicly traded on KASE Customer dissatisfaction with new banking products Increased competition Unstable economy of the country (possibility of a financial crisis, devaluation of the local currency, inflation) Changing legal and tax provisions The possibility of clients default Change in oil prices Increased regulation of capital requirements Strengths of Alliance bank are the characteristics of the business that give it an advantage over the competitors. These characteristics may include personnel, finance, and manufacturing capabilities and so on. Weaknesses are the attributes resources that work against a successful outcome. Strengths and weaknesses are internal attributes and the company can use its strengths to liquidate the weaknesses. For instance, Alliance Bank JSC has an extensive branch network including 19 branches and 106 cash offices in 51 cities and rural settlements of the Republic of Kazakhstan. They can use their extensive branch and acquiring network to increase the level of promotion of banking products in cities and rural areas. Another example is to use the innovative technology to deal with low-speed service when there is a large flow of clients. The bank could automatize its operations. Opportunities are the external factors the business can capitalize on or use to its advantage. Alliance bank has a n opportunity to expand geographically to new markets. For instance, Kazkommertsbank has branches in different countries of Central Asian region, which allows them to expand their customer base and increase their profits. Threats are the external factors that could jeopardize the business. External factors may include  macro-economic factors, technological changes, legislation and socio-cultural changes as well as changes in the market place or in competitive position. For example, due to the recent devaluation of KZT in February, 2014 Alliance Bank customers withdrew 55 billion KZT in two weeks from the moment of the announcement of the devaluation. As explained to the bankers, since the beginning of the National Bank’s announcement of the devaluation in the period from 11 to 17 February, investors withdrew 25 billion KZT from their accounts. And after the SMS-attack, in the period from 18 to 21 February, another 30 billion were withdrawn from the bank. This amounted to one third of the deposit base. Conducted SWOT analysis helps to analyze how our Company proceeds and what kind of opportunities and strengths we have, additionally, it helps to identify what threats and weaknesses we have. One of the basic strength of our company is experience that we have in banking industry. Alliance Bank is supported by SamrukKazyna fund, which is trust-worthy fund. Another strength is extensive branch network, which allows bank to operate in 51 cities and rural areas of Kazakhstan. Due to recent financial problems, bank is trying its best to deal with these kinds of strengths in order to overcome financial distress and possibility of new technological default. Recapitalization of bank by the government resulted in injection of 24 billion KZT. SamrukKazyna owns today 67% of shares of the bank, and bank is looking for opportunities of finding capital investors in order to buy shares of the bank. VRIO analysis The VRIO Analysis is an analytical technique which for each type of resource considers the following questions (evaluation dimension) for an organization as well as for its competitors. In practice, the VRIO analysis is also used in combination with other analytical techniques to help organizational management evaluate business resources in a more detailed view. For financial resources, there are many detailed financial indicators that evaluate the financial condition or performance of the business from different perspectives. Likewise, humanresources, property or information are other detailed indicators of their performance, efficiency or quality. The advantage of a VRIO analysis is its simplicity and clarity. Value Chain Product Development Alliance Bank has two primary product offerings: personal banking and commercial banking. Commercial banking is the largest of these, comprising more than half of the bank’s portfolio. Commercial blends are segmented by business size and feature a combination of accounts, credit cards, lines of credit, merchant services and cash/investment management services. Personal banking blends are segmented by customer age and include services such as checking and savings accounts and credit cards. Product Support Suppliers Alliance Bank leverages and backs up its products with hedging instruments in order to maintain a stable financial base. This involves in-house development of a diversified portfolio, market analysis of deposit versus lending activities as well as the purchase of risk-hedging tools to back its  lending products. However they have to increase the efficiency of their product development. Marketing Alliance Bank has differentiated itself within the crowded field of commercial banking through its marketing and brand-building efforts, steadfastly emphasizing customer service andalso reframing theirs as a retail organization. Alliance Bank has established a brand strongly. Over the past years, Alliance Bank has invested heavily in rebuilding a brand image which was negatively affected during the financial crisis on 2009. Alliance promotes itself as an â€Å"innovative, customer friendly retailer of financial products and services† whose aim is â€Å"to connect with the public on an individual level†. They have pursued this strategy through more traditional (TV, radio, brochures, newspapers and billboard) campaigns. Sales and Service Service is a critical differentiator for a community bank because most financial products are homogeneous. It therefore makes sense that Alliance has made unsurpassed service a key strategy company-wide. Much like Alliance’s efforts at creating a community atmosphere, this strategy could be easily replicated by other banks. Here Allianceis afforded at least a competitive parity. Information Technology and Human Resources Human Resource Development and Information Technology are two underlying segments of Alliance’s value chain that support all their other lines of business. For its part, IT’s strategic relevance is limited by the simple fact that most banking platforms are acquired from third-parties due to their huge development and support costs. These platforms tend to constrain service because they are geared more towards security and stability—for obvious reasons—than flexibility. IT is therefore generally a threat to Alliance’s quest to provide innovative banking solutions. HR, on the other hand, is a strategic asset that Alliance continually employs to support their unique service culture. HR has successfully managed the organization’s culture via a variety of methods: ongoing employee development/training programs, astute hiring practices, etc. 4. Recommendation (Corporate Strategy) Before making the recommendation concerning the Corporate Strategy, the profound analysis of the Company overview was made. Because of devaluation in Kazakhstan, the company is on the stage of technical default. Meantime, the financial sector in Kazakhstan is very vulnerable and some of the banks’ situation is becoming even worse. Alliance Bank is looking for new opportunities to get out of this situation. According to Madina Abdina, the head of Almaty branch of Alliance Bank, the bank is looking for investors to do restructure. This activity will save the bank from the bankruptcy. According to Banking Report of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Alliance Bank holds only 4% of total asset of Kazakhstani market. It means that Alliance Bank is not as big as â€Å"Halyk Bank† or â€Å"Kazkommertsbank†. Nevertheless, the company managers and employees doing their best to save their bank. One of the most optimal recommendations during this period would be to restructure the bank. When the bank returns the previous position, then it could look at other opportunities, which we will offer. We will recommend the bank to apply growth strategies. First is, through concentration strategy. The company can launch new services within the business or expand its business through expanding its geographic locations. We will talk about this issue later in this part. The first recommendation is that Alliance Bank should sign a Strategic Alliance with market’s giants; â€Å"Kazkommertsbank† or â€Å"Halyk Bank†. According to Banking Report of the Republic of Kazakhstan, â€Å"Kazkommertsbank† and â€Å"Halyk Bank† hold 18% and 19% respectively. This would be a good chance for Alliance bank to expand its business and to have new customers, but they should offer a good proposal to those banks. Another recommendation is offering new service as a product development. According to Forbes, Insurance is one of the most profitable businesses. Of course, there are many insurance companies in Kazakhstan, but according to the World Bank, life insurance still has not developed in Kazakhstan. Therefore, Alliance Bank can open an insurance company under the financial sector. The next recommendation relates to concentration strategy. The purpose of a concentration strategy is to provide a singular focus to the product line, and the market in which the company chooses to compete. The concentration strategy may be approached through market development or product development. In the case of Alliance bank, we recommend to concentrate on  market development through geographic expansion. In today’s rapidly globalizing economy, a well-planned and properly managed geographic expansion can help a business reduce costs, gain access to new markets and fuel the company’s future growth. In his article â€Å"The Effects of Geographic Expansion on Bank Efficiency†, Berger and DeYoung note that geographic expansion may allow scale or scope efficiencies that reduce costs or enhance revenues. Linking branches, ATMs, and back-office facilities over a larger geographic area may yield network economies. A more geographically broad institution may also be better able to serve business customers that have many locations, and may have a broader menu of potential new investment opportunities outside its home market. As we can see, there are numerous advantages of geographic expansion. In case of Alliance bank, it can open its branches in neighboring Central Asian countries, like Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Known to all, those countries are the least developed countries in the region and Alliance bank is able to introduce many new things to these markets. The products and services that are not highly accepted in Kazakhstan due to a big number of good banks in this region can have a greater success in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The main reason is that the banking system is not highly developed in those countries and there is a lack of good banks there. The example of a Kazakhstani bank that expanded geographically is Kazkommertsbank. It already has its successfully operating branches in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and the Russian Federation. Alliance bank has the same potential to succeed by geographic expansion. In the long term, Alliance Bank can expand to other regions of the world, access new markets and grow in the future. 5. Recommendation (Business Strategy) Due to rapid development of technology, Alliance bank can use an opportunity of creating a more developed SMS-banking system. SMS-banking is type of mobile banking, which allows customers to operate selected banking services over their mobile phones using SMS-messaging. Alliance Bank already had implemented internet banking. Still, it is not widely used among its customers due to inconvenience of usage. Bank has to promote its online banking system and SMS-banking very actively so that customers get to know the services of bank. By developing the SMS-banking, Alliance Bank will have a chance to compete with its rivals, differentiate its services from other  banks, which do not have internet-banking and SMS-banking yet. SMS-banking is well developed in international banks, as well as in Kazakhstan. One of the banks that use this system is Kazkommertsbank. Thus, Alliance Bank can differentiate its services by using one more feature to its customers. SMS-banking is very trustful, safe application that allows doing following operations: Balance enquiry Statement request Fund transfer to account number Fund transfer to mobile number Current exchange rates information; deposit interest rates Bank could spread new offerings, i.e. do mobile marketing through the SMS-banking, which allows decreasing the amount of funds spent for marketing. Bank could also use one of the latest tools against cyber-fraud – One-time password. OTPs are requested each time customer wants to perform transactions. Once password is used, it expires. Most of SMS-banking solutions are add-on products, which work on bank’s existing platform. Today, however, some companies develop independent applications that allow using SMS-banking. For instance, Alliance bank has access to â€Å"SMS banking† application for Apple products. The problem with this application is that it is only available for Apple products and also it is not easy to use. Ratings of users remain very low. There is one more application available for android system, called â€Å"Handpay†. This application, however, is also not easy to use, requires high speed of internet. Payment is only withdrawn for SMS-requi ries sent to the bank. However, customers do not find it useful. Therefore, we suggest developing a new platform for the bank. Firstly, it will increase the safety of operations for customers. Secondly, it will allow bank to charge customers with monthly fee (200 KZT for example), which is additional source of income. Thirdly, it will allow bank to spread information about new products without spending money for advertisement (through pull messages). Another business strategy recommendation for Alliance Bank is to introduce a new service – pension accounts. This is very convenient service for Alliance Bank subscribes because their long term clients will stay with their bank even during pension period. This service gives an opportunity for pensioners to get their pensions and make other  transactions with the same account. Alliance Bank should think about new activities which differentiate them from their competitors. One of such activities is launching pension cards for free. Another activity which our team recommends to Alliance Bank is that the bank should offer pensioners to buy or order Internet transactions with lowest possible rate. Pension accounts will give Alliance Bank and additional opportunity to expand its network. 6. Recommendation (Functional strategy) The functional strategy of the bank should be based on both recommendations on corporate and business strategies that our team offered. Different departments in the bank, such as Human Resource, R&D, Marketing and Accounting/Finance realize functional strategy. The main aim of functional strategy is to assure that corporate and business strategies implemented by the bank are successful. Alliance Bank should implement following activities for each of the above-mentioned departments: Corporate Strategy Business Strategy Strategy/ Department Strategic alliance Insurance Company Geographic expansion SMS Banking Pension account Marketing Think of appropriate way to deliver this message to customers Calculate efficiency of these alliance Use Push marketing Think of appropriate way to enter insurance market Use Pull marketing Contact local advertising agency to plan their marketing campaign for entering new market Use Pull marketing Think of appropriate way to deliver this message to customers Use Push marketing Think of appropriate way to deliver this message to existing clients Use Push marketing H&R Select new manager for executive position Hire new personnel for new company Select and send their specialist to the new market Hire new local people for different positions Train the local personnel Hire appropriate IT specialist Teach marketing team the usage of the technology Assign a team from existing staff R&D Make research before the implementation of alliance Monitoring the efficiency of alliance Technological leader Research about current market on insurance industry Technological follower Research on the situation of the banking industry in Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan Technological leader Research sms-banking application and find the most appropriate and easy to use Technological follower Technological follower Accounting/Finance Create pro-forma statement Find the most appropriate investors Find the ways to minimize the costs of opening the new business Calculate the future profits of the company Consider the opportunity of debt financing versus equity financing Find the ways to minimize the costs of opening the new business Calculate the future profits of the company Create pro-forma statement Create pro-forma statement 7. Implementation According to our recommendations, Alliance Bank should introduce; 1) Strategic alliance with Kazkomertsbank and Halyk Bank, 2) Introducing insurance company, 3) Geographic expansion under corporate strategy. Additionally, there were some more recommendations under the business strategy such as: SMS banking and pension account. Accordingly these new activities and businesses will change organizational structure of Alliance Bank and may introduce new management strategy. For signing Strategic Alliance, the bank itself will be responsible for all documentations. As for introducing insurance company, the company will have another division with responsible management. This would be the example of divisional type of organizational structure. In case of opening Alliance Bank’s branches in Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan, the company should have a new managerial position with all functional areas in both countries. Here, Alliance Bank showing the geographic type of organizational structure. General Manager of both country branches will rapport to CEO of company in Kazakhstan. As about introducing SMS banking, the Engineering Manager and R&D Manager will be responsible for launching this service. When this service starts operating, a new manager should coordinate this service. In case of pension account, a new manager under the CEO of Alliance Bank will be assigned. In last two activities Alliance Bank will have the combination of functional and matrix types of organizational structure. It shows that implementing our recommendations will change the organizational structure of Alliance Bank significantly. 8. Conclusion The current situation of Alliance Bank makes the managers to think about new strategic plans in order to survive further. The company’s external and internal analyses show that company can introduce new activities and businesses which would be profitable for Alliance Bank. Our recommendations are based on analyses of SWOT, VRIO, Value Chain and PESTLE. Alliance Bank should introduce corporate strategies as Strategic Alliance with Kazkommertsbank and Halyk Bank, establishing a new Insurance Company and expanding geographically. Implementation of Strategic Alliance would take 3-5 months; establishing an insurance company would take 3-4 years; and geographic expansion would take much longer – 4-5 years. Alliance bank should introduce business strategies as SMS-banking and pension accounts.  Development of the SMS-banking would take 1 year and the development of pension accounts would take 3-4 years. To successfully implement the corporate and business strategies, Allianc e bank should involve all the departments of its company. Therefore, Alliance bank should have a good functional strategy. This would include involvement of Marketing, Human Resource, Research and Development, and Finance and Accounting departments. Overall, by summing up all those strategies we developed recommendations for Alliance bank which includes usage of corporate and business strategies in different situations as this would help a company to recover from the technical default and improve its current financial situation. 9. References Berger, A. N. & DeYong, R. (n.d.). The Effects of Geographic Expansion on Bank Efficiency. Journal of Financial Services Research. Retrieved from http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/feds/2001/200103/200103pap.pdf Biery , M. E. (2013). The Most Profitable Businesses to Start. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/sageworks/2013/04/28/the-most-profitable-businesses-to-start/ Clardy, A. (2013). Strengths vs. Strong Position: Rethinking the Nature of SWOT Analysis. Modern Management Science & Engineering, 1(1). Kazakhstan commercial banking report. (2012). Business Monitor International. Kazakhstan Overview. The World Bank, (2014). Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/kazakhstan/overview Tatum, M. (2014). What Is a Concentration Strategy? Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-concentration-strategy.htm Toktabayev, K. (2013). Internet Banking. Business Review. Retrieved from http://profit.kz/articles/2019/Internet-banking-2013-ili-Odin-v-banke-dnem-she st-let-spustya/ Vidyanova, A. (2014). Alliance Bank Faced Technical Default.Capital Finance. Retrieved from http://kapital.kz/finance/26763/v-alyans-banke-proizoshel-tehnicheskij-defolt.html Yertayev, Z. (2013). Position of Kazakhstani banking system today – Review. Forbes journal. Retrieved from http://forbes.kz/life/opinion/v_kakoy_zone_nahoditsya_bankovskaya_sistema_kazahstana

Outliers: The Story to Sucess Essay

Outliers: The Story of Success is a book that examines the qualities and experiences of successful people in order to provide a blueprint for nurturing the human potential. According to the author, Malcolm Gladwell, human potential is not something one is born with but something that has to be shaped throughout one’s life course. Contrary to popular belief, having a high IQ or a lucky break are good opportunities to have, however, they do not contribute to an individual’s success alone. Gladwell realized that it took a combination of biological, personal, social, and environmental factors to help an individual reach their full potential. Examples of those factors that influence one’s success include timing of birth, area where one lives, family history, and culture. These factors make up concepts that Gladwell described as practical intelligence, social savvy, natural growth, and natural advantage. In addition to these factors, he discussed how anyone can succeed if they were willing to practice and work hard. He demonstrated this theory by researching the different stories of successful people and he found a common denominator, long hours of professional practice. He referred to this as the â€Å"10,000 Hour Rule. He mentioned that it took 10,000 hours or approximately 10 years of practice to perfect a professional trade. Outliers are successful people that are not your ordinary individual. However, the distinction of a true outlier can be attributed from the author’s recipe of success: the right combination of the different factors, practice, and hard work. Gladwell knew that IQ was not the sole determinant of success. So he developed other concepts based on family circumstances that included the time period of birth and child rearing, as well as, one’s acquired knowledge through education. Robert Sternberg described practical intelligence as a procedural method of knowledge that helps one know how, when, and what to say to whom to get what they desired. Gladwell looked at the life’s courses of successful people and found that many sports players born at a certain time of year were more likely to be selected for professional hockey or soccer teams. He discovered that they had more time to practice and become  better at playing these sports before the team’s selection process. He also looked at the time period at which one was born such as Bill Joy or Bill Gates, to show how they were born at the perfect time to refine a skill and change the world when the opportunity presented itself later in life. These examples show that each of these people acquired the proper skills from lots of hard work and long hours of practice; nonetheless, they were also at the right place at the right time, which were made possible through family circumstances. Social savvy is another process of acquiring knowledge that includes a collection of skills that had to be learned. These skills and attitudes are usually passed down through family generations and the chances of success are strongly influenced by their cultural legacy. Annette Laureate was a sociologist who best explained this concept after studying a group of black and white 3rd graders from different socioeconomic statuses. She discovered that the socioeconomic status played a major role in children developing social savvy skills. However, the two parenting style â€Å"philosophies† were divided along class lines. Wealthy and middle-class parents supported their children and encouraged them to pursue goals. Wealthy children’s parents tended to be very involved in their child’s life and their schedules were filled with numerous activities. Middle-class parents used reasoning with their children to teach their children how to talk, negotiate, and question authority figures to obtain more information. This parenting style was called â€Å"concerted cultivation† because it nurtured and evaluated a child’s opinions, talents, and skills. Whereas, poor parents had a different strategy of raising their children, that is referred to as natural growth. Natural growth is the parent’s sole responsibility of caring for their children but letting the child develop and grow on their own. Neither method is ethically better than the other but the concerted cultivation demonstrated more natural advantages. Comparing Chris Langham, the smartest person in the world, and Robert Oppenheimer, one of the wealthiest lawyers in world, we learned that the cultural advantages of the wealthier families made a significant difference in how one is able to navigate throughout life. Although the poor children were independent and creative, later on in life they were not able to customize their desired path because they  distrusted authority and lacked the knowledge that taught them how to make a lasting first impression. These concepts proved that being an outlier is not just about luck but a combination of IQ, acquired knowledge from education and ideal circumstances generated by family. In 1994, David Leven and Michael Feinberg founded KIPP, Knowledge is Power Program, Academy in New York City for underprivileged children. The school’s concept is remotely based on one of Gladwell’s main points, the importance of cultural legacy. This experimental middle school choose their students through a lottery system and the students spent long hours each day learning about respect and different school subjects. This social initiative has been compared to other foreign countries’ schooling, because it supported another one of Gladwell’s points that hard work and lots of practice matters in success. Gladwell mentioned that practical intelligence or social savvy skills were usually acquired from one’s family, but KIPP Academy taught these skills at school. Therefore, many of the children went on to be successful because they have learned the tools to ensure life achievement. As mentioned earlier, socioeconomic status was one of the factors that contributed to one’s accomplishments, however, this school’s mission proved that regardless of a child’s family background, the child can still succeed if given the structure and opportunity. Daisy Nation and her husband were hard working schoolteachers who provided a foundation for the success of their children and their grandchildren. Both of their twin daughters, Faith and Joyce, were able to reap the benefits of their labor and achieve higher education. Faith was given several scholarships but Joyce was not always that lucky. However, Daisy always looked out for both daughters and sent them to schools believing that the funds for their educations would be come unexpectedly. Joyce went to France for school where she met her husband, Graham, and in this union Malcolm Gladwell, the author of this book, was born. Gladwell was indeed an outlier; however, he remained humble in knowing that he was not self-made but the product of his family and the concepts he mentioned in his book. His IQ, practical knowledge, and social savvy all played a role in his success. This book was very inspirational to me because it helped me to understand my past, present, and future success. I was not raised in a wealthy family, attended what is considered to be the best schools or even considered the smartest person in my classes, but I have had impeccable timing and great drive to pursue goals when educational and professional opportunities presented themselves. In my past, the life lessons and values from my parents created common sense. My DNA and pursuit of higher education generated book sense. With both set of skills, I have had many memorable experiences and I obtained a substantial amount of knowledge that has brought me thus far and will take me further than my high IQ or any lucky break could have taken me alone. This thought-provoking text demonstrated that I did not have to be wealthiest or have the highest test score, but solely needed the concepts of knowledge and practice to meet the success threshold. This book has also helped me to understand what I need to do presently in order to be a Public Health and Social Work expert. I lack the direct practice that is needed to reach the expertise level; however, I am willing to work hard and long to be successful in understanding individuals to produce changes in a population of individuals. Our society needs more individuals who have found their niche and used it for the advancement of the general public. The level of training and knowledge in public health is ever-changing and will require hard work and practice to be effective. I am an African American woman who has continued to beat the odds regardless of what some have predicted or desired for my life. At times, I feel as if they are right, but I remember the words of a wise man, â€Å"God doesn’t expect you to always be the best, He just expects you to do your best.† Therefore, I use negativity as my motivation to keep striving and utilize my skills to make a change one step, one day at a time.