The Return: Nightfall Chapter 25

Matt lunged at Damon in a rush that clearly demonstrated the skills that had gotten him a college football scholarship. He accelerated from utter stillness to a blur of motion, trying to tackle Damon, to bring him down. â€Å"Run,† he shouted, at the same instant.†Run!† Elena stood still, trying to come up with Plan A after this disaster. She had been forced to watch Stefan's humiliation at Damon's hands at the boardinghouse, but she didn't think she could stand to see this. But when she looked again, Matt was standing about a dozen yards from Damon, white-faced and grim, but alive and on his feet. He was preparing to rush Damon again. And Elena†¦couldn't run. She knew that it would probably be the best thing – Damon might punish Matt briefly but most of his attention would be turned to hunting her down. But she couldn't be sure. And she couldn't be sure that the punishment wouldn't kill Matt, or that he would be able to get away before Damon found her and had leisure time to think of him again. No, notthis Damon, pitiless and remorseless as he was. There must be some way – she could almost feel wheels spinning in her own head. And then she saw it. No, not that†¦ But what else was there to do? Matt was, indeed, rushing Damon again, and this time as he went for him, lithe and unstoppable and fast as a darting snake, she saw what Damon did. He simply sidestepped at the last moment, just when Matt was about to ram him with a shoulder. Matt's momentum kept him going, but Damon simply turned in place and faced him again. Then he picked up his damned pine branch. It was broken at the end where Matt had trampled it. Damon frowned at the stick, then shrugged, lifting it – and then both he and Matt stopped frozen. Something came sailing in from the sidelines to settle on the ground between them. It lay there, stirring in the breeze. It was a maroon and navy Pendleton shirt. Both of the boys turned slowly toward Elena, who was wearing a white lacy camisole. She shivered slightly and wrapped her arms around herself. It seemed unusually cold for this time of evening. Very slowly, Damon lowered the pine branch. â€Å"Saved by yourinamorata ,† he said to Matt. â€Å"I know what that means and it's not true,† Matt said. â€Å"She's my friend, not my girlfriend.† Damon just smiled distantly. Elena could feel his eyes on her bare arms. â€Å"So†¦on to the next step,† he said. Elena wasn't surprised. Heartsick but not surprised. Neither was she surprised to see, when Damon turned to look from her to Matt and back, a flash of red. It seemed to be reflected on the inside of his sunglasses. â€Å"Now,† he said to Elena. â€Å"I think we'll put you over there on that rock, sort of half reclining. But first – another kiss.† He looked back at Matt. â€Å"Get with the program, Matt; you're wasting time. First, maybe you kiss her hair, then she throws her head back and you kiss her neck, while she puts her arms around your shoulders†¦.† Matt,thought Elena. Damon had saidMatt . It had slipped out so easily, so innocently. Suddenly her entire brain, and her body, too, seemed to be vibrating as if to a single note of music, seemed to be flooded by an icy shower-bath. And what the note was saying was not shocking, because it was something that somehow, at a subliminal level, she already knew†¦. That's not Damon. This wasn't the person she had known for – was it really only nine or ten months? She had seen him when she was a human girl, and she had defied him and desired him in equal measure – and he had seemed to love her best when she was defying him. She had seen him when she was a vampire and had been drawn to him with all her being, and he had cared for her as if she were a child. She had seen him when she was a spirit, and from the afterlife she had learned a great deal. He was a womanizer, he could be callous, he drifted through his victims' lives like a chimera, like a catalyst, changing other people while he himself remained unchanging and unchanged. He mystified humans, confused them, used them – leaving them bewildered, because he had the charm of the devil. And never once had she seen him break his word. She had a rock-bottom feeling that this wasn't something that was a decision, it was so much a part of Damon, lodged so deep in his subconscious, that even he couldn't do anything to change it. He couldn't break his word. He'd starve first. Damon was still talking to Matt, giving him orders. â€Å"†¦and then take off her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  So what about his word to be her bodyguard, to keep her from harm? He was talking to her now. â€Å"So you know when to throw your head back? After he – â€Å" â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"You heard me.Who are you? If you had really seen Stefan off and promised him to take care of me, none of this would have happened. Oh, you might be messing with Matt, but not in front of me. You're not – Damon's not stupid. He knows what a bodyguard is. He knows that watching Matt in pain hurts me as well. You're not Damon. Who†¦are†¦you?† Matt's strength and fast-as-a-rattlesnake speed hadn't done any good. Maybe a different approach would work. As Elena spoke, she had been very slowly reaching up to Damon's face. Now, with one motion, she pulled his sunglasses off. Eyes red as fresh new blood shone out at her. â€Å"What have you done?†she whispered. â€Å"What have you done to Damon?† Matt was out of the range of her voice but had been inching around, trying to get her attention. She wished fervently that Matt would just make a run for it himself. Here, he was just another way for this creature to blackmail her. Without seeming to move quickly, the Damon-thing reached down and snatched the sunglasses from her hand. It was too fast for her to resist. Then he seized her wrist in a painful grip. â€Å"This would be a lot easier on both of you if you'd cooperate,† he said casually. â€Å"You don't seem to realize what might happen if you make me angry.† His grip was forcing her down, forcing her to kneel. Elena decided not to let it. But unfortunately her body didn't want to cooperate; it sent urgent messages of pain to her mind, of agony, of burning, searing agony. She had thought that she could ignore it, could stand to let him break her wrist. She was wrong. At some point something in her brain blacked out completely, and the next thing she knew she was on her knees with a wrist that felt three times the right size and burned fiercely. â€Å"Human weakness,† Damon said scornfully. â€Å"It will get you every time†¦. You should know better than to disobey me, by now.† Not Damon,Elena thought, so vehemently that she was surprised the imposter didn't hear her. â€Å"All right,† Damon's voice continued above her as cheerfully as if he'd simply given her a suggestion. â€Å"You go sit on that rock, leaning backward, and Matt, if you'll just come over here, facing her.† The tone was of polite command, but Matt ignored it and was beside her already, looking at the finger marks on Elena's wrist as if he didn't believe them. â€Å"Matt stands up, Elena sits, or the opposite one gets the full treatment. Have fun, kiddies.† Damon had the palm-camera out again. Matt consulted Elena with his eyes. She looked at the imposter and said, enunciating carefully, â€Å"Go to hell, whoever you are.† â€Å"Been there, done that, bought the brimstone,† the not-Damon creature rattled off. He gave Matt a smile that was both luminescent and terrifying. Then he waggled the pine branch. Matt ignored it. He waited, his face stoic, for the pain to hit. Elena struggled up to stand by him. Side by side, they could defy Damon. Who seemed for a moment to be out of his mind. â€Å"You're trying to pretend you're not afraid of me. But you will be. If you had any sense, you would be now.† Belligerently, he took a step toward Elena.†Why aren't you afraid of me?† â€Å"Whoever you are, you're just an oversized bully. You've hurt Matt. You've hurt me. I'm sure you can kill us. But we're not afraid of bullies.† â€Å"You will be afraid.† Now Damon's voice had dropped to a menacing whisper. â€Å"Just wait.† Even as something was ringing in Elena's ears, telling her to listen to those last words, to make a connection – who did that sound like? – the pain hit. Her knees were knocked out by it. But she wasn't just kneeling now. She was trying to roll into a ball, trying to curl around the agony. All rational thought was swept from her head. She sensed Matt beside her, trying to hold her, but she could no more communicate with him than she could fly. She shuddered and fell to her side, as if having a seizure. Her entire universe was pain, and she only heard voices as if they came from far away. â€Å"Stop it!† Matt sounded frantic.†Stop it! Are you crazy? That'sElena , for God's sake! Do you want to kill her ?† And then the not-Damon-thing advising him mildly, â€Å"I wouldn't try that again,† but the only sound Matt made was a scream of primal rage. â€Å"Caroline!† Bonnie was raging, pacing back and forth in Stefan's room while Meredith did something else with the computer. â€Å"Howdare she?† â€Å"She doesn't dare try to attack Stefan or Elena outright – there's the oath,† Meredith said. â€Å"So she's thought this up to get at all of us.† â€Å"But Matt – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, Matt's handy,† Meredith said grimly. â€Å"And unfortunately there's the matter of the physical evidence on both of them.† â€Å"What do you mean? Matt doesn't – â€Å" â€Å"The scratches, my dear,† put in Mrs. Flowers, looking sad, â€Å"from your razor-toothed bug. The poultice I put on will have healed them so that they'll look like a girl's fingernail scratches – about now. And the mark it left on your neck†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mrs. Flowers coughed delicately. â€Å"It looks like what in my day was called a  ¡Ã‚ ®love bite.' Perhaps a sign of a tryst that ended in force? Not that your friend would ever do anything like that.† â€Å"And remember how Caroline looked when we saw her, Bonnie?† Meredith said dryly. â€Å"Not the crawling around – I'll bet anything she's walking just fine now. But her face. She had a black eye coming in and a swollen cheek. Perfect for the time frame.† Bonnie felt as if everyone was two steps ahead of her. â€Å"Whattime frame?† â€Å"The night the bug attacked Matt. It was the morning after that that the sheriff called and talked to him. Matt admitted that his mother hadn't seen him all night, and that Neighborhood Watch guy saw Matt drive up to his house and, basically, pass out.† â€Å"That was from the bug poison. He'd just been fighting the malach!† â€Å"We know that. But they'll say he'd just come back from attacking Caroline. Caroline's mother will hardly be fit to testify – you saw how she was. So who's to say that Matt wasn't over at Caroline's? Especially if he was planning assault.† â€Å"We are! We can vouch for him – † Bonnie suddenly stumbled to a halt. â€Å"No, I guess it was after he left that this was supposed to have happened. But, no, this is all wrong!† She took up pacing again. â€Å"I saw one of those bugs up close and it was exactly the way Matt described†¦.† â€Å"And what's left of it now? Nothing. Besides, they'll say that you would sayanything for him.† Bonnie couldn't stand just walking aimlessly around anymore. She had to get to Matt, had to warn him – if they could even find him or Elena. â€Å"I thoughtyou were the one who couldn't wait a minute to find them,† she said accusingly to Meredith. â€Å"I know; I was. But I had to look something up – and besides I wanted one more try at that page only vampires are supposed to read. TheShi no Shi one. But I've tweaked the screen in all the ways I can think of, and if there's something written here, I certainly can't find it.† â€Å"Best not to waste more time on it, then,† Mrs. Flowers said. â€Å"Come get into your jacket, my dear. Shall we take the Yellow Wheeler or not?† For just a moment Bonnie had a wild vision of a horse-drawn vehicle, a sort of Cinderella carriage but not pumpkin-shaped. Then she remembered seeing Mrs. Flowers' ancient Model T – painted yellow – parked inside what must be the old stables that belonged to the boardinghouse. â€Å"We did better when we were on foot than weor Matt did in a car,† said Meredith, giving the computer monitor controls a final vicious click. â€Å"We're more mobile than – oh, my God!I did it! â€Å" â€Å"Did what?† â€Å"The website. Come look at this.† Both Bonnie and Mrs. Flowers came over to the computer. The screen was bright green with thin, faint, dark green writing. â€Å"Howdid you do it?† Bonnie demanded as Meredith bent to get a notebook and pen to copy down what they saw. â€Å"I don't know. I just tweaked the color settings one last time – I'd already tried it for Power Saver, Low Battery, High Resolution, High Contrast, and every combination I could think of.† They stared at the words. Tired of that lapis lazuli? Want to take a vacation in Hawaii? Sick of that same old liquid cuisine? Come and visit Shi no Shi. After that came an ad for the â€Å"Death of Death,† a place where vampires could be cured of their cursed state and become human again. And then there was an address. Just a city road, no mention of what state, or, for that matter, what city. But it was a Clue. â€Å"Stefan didn't mention a road address,† Bonnie said. â€Å"Maybe he didn't want to scare Elena,† Meredith said grimly. â€Å"Or maybe, when he looked at the page, the address wasn't there.† Bonnie shivered. â€Å"Shi no Shi – I don't like the sound of it. And don't laugh at me,† she added to Meredith defensively. â€Å"Remember what Stefan said about trusting my intuition?† â€Å"Nobody's laughing, Bonnie. We need to get to Elena and Matt. What does your intuition tell you about that?† â€Å"It says that we're going to get into trouble, and that Matt and Elena are in trouble already.† â€Å"Funny, because that's just what my judgment tells me.† â€Å"Are we ready, now?† Mrs. Flowers handed out flashlights. Meredith tried hers and found it had a strong, steady beam. â€Å"Let's do it,† she said, automatically flipping off Stefan's lamp again. Bonnie and Mrs. Flowers followed her down the stairs, out of the house, and onto the street they had run from not so long ago. Bonnie's pulse was racing, her ears ready for the slightestwhipwhip sound. But except for the beams of their flashlights, the Old Wood was completely dark and eerily silent. Not even the sound of birdsong broke the moonless night. They plunged in, and in minutes they were lost. Matt woke up on his side and for a moment didn't know where he was. Outdoors. Ground. Picnic? Hiking? Fell asleep? And then he tried to move and agony flared like a geyser of flame, and he remembered everything. That bastard , torturing Elena, he thought. Torturing Elena. It didn't go together, not withDamon . What was it Elena had been saying to him at the end that had made him so angry? The thought nagged at him, but it was just another unanswered question, like Stefan's note in Elena's diary. Matt realized that he could move, if very slowly. He looked around, moving his head by careful increments until he saw Elena, lying near him like a broken doll. He hurt and he was desperately thirsty. She would feel the same way. The first thing was to get her to a hospital; the kind of muscular contractions brought on by that degree of pain could break an arm or even a leg. They were certainly strong enough to cause a sprain or dislocation. Not to mention Damon spraining her wrist. That was what the practical, sensible part of him was thinking. But the question that kept going around in his mind still made him reel in complete astonishment. Hehurt Elena? The way he hurt me? I don't believe it. I knew he was sick, twisted, but I never heard of him hurting the girls. And never, never Elena.Never . But me – if he treats me the way he treats Stefan, he'll kill me. I don't have a vampire's resilience. I have to get Elena out of this before he kills me. I can't leave her alone with him. Instinctively, somehow, he knew that Damon was still around. This was confirmed when he heard some little noise, turned his head too fast, and found himself staring at a blurred and wobbling black boot. The blur and wobble were the result of turning too quickly, but as quickly as he'd turned, he'd suddenly felt his face pressed into the dirt and pine needles on the ground of the clearing. By The Boot. It was on his neck, grinding his face into the dirt now. Matt made a wordless sound of pure fury and grabbed at the leg above the boot with both hands, trying to get a purchase and throw Damon off. But while he could grasp the smooth leather of the boot, moving it in any direction was impossible. It was as if the vampire in the boot could turn himself to iron. Matt could feel the tendons in his throat stand out, his face turn red, and his muscles bunch under his shirt as he made a violent effort to heave Damon off. At last, exhausted, chest heaving, he lay still. In that very same instant, The Boot was lifted. Exactly, he realized, at the moment when he was too tired to lift his head himself. He made a supreme effort and lifted it a few inches. And The Boot caught him under the chin and lifted his face a little higher. â€Å"What a pity,† Damon said with infuriating contempt. â€Å"You humans are so weak. It's no fun to play with you at all.† â€Å"Stefan†¦will come back,† Matt got out, looking up at Damon from where he was unintentionally groveling on the ground. â€Å"Stefan will kill you.† â€Å"Guess what?† Damon said conversationally. â€Å"Your face is all messed up on one side – scratches, you know. You've got sort of a Phantom of the Opera thing going on.† â€Å"If he doesn't, I will. I don't know how, but I will. I swear it.† â€Å"Careful what you promise.† Just as Matt got his arm working enough to prop him up – exactly then, to the millisecond – Damon reached out and grabbed him painfully by a handful of hair, yanking his head up. â€Å"Stefan,† Damon said, looking straight down into Matt's face and forcing Matt to look up at him, no matter how Matt tried to turn his face away, â€Å"was only powerful for a few days because he was drinking the blood of a very powerful spirit who hadn't yet adapted to Earth yet. But look at her now.† He twisted his grip on Matt's hair again, more painfully. â€Å"Some spirit. Lying there in the dirt. Now the Power is back where it should be. Do you understand?Do you – boy?† Matt just stared at Elena. â€Å"How could you do that?† he whispered finally. â€Å"An object lesson in what it means to defy me. And surely you wouldn't want me to be sexist and leave her out?† Damontched . â€Å"You have to keep up with the times.† Matt said nothing. He had to get Elena out of this. â€Å"Worrying about the girl? She's just playing possum now. Hoping I'll ignore her and concentrate on you.† â€Å"You're a liar.† â€Å"So I'll concentrate on you. Speaking of keeping up with the times, you know – except for the scratches and things, you're a fine-looking young man.† At first the words meant nothing to Matt. When he understood them, Matt could feel his blood freeze in his body. â€Å"As a vampire, I can give you an informed and honest opinion. And as a vampire, I'm getting very thirsty. There's you. And then there's the girl who's still pretending to be asleep. I'm sure you can see what I'm getting at.† I believe in you, Elena, Matt thought. He's a liar, and he'll always be a liar. â€Å"Take my blood,† he said wearily. â€Å"Are you sure?† Now Damon sounded solicitous. â€Å"If you resist, the pain is horrible.† â€Å"Just get it over with.† â€Å"Whatever you like.† Damon knelt fluidly on one knee, at the same time twisting his grip on Matt's hair, making Matt wince. The new grip dragged Matt's upper body across Damon's knee, so that his head was thrown back, his neck arched and exposed. In fact Matt had never felt so exposed, so helpless, so vulnerable in his life. â€Å"You can always change your mind,† Damon taunted him. Matt shut his eyes, stubbornly saying nothing. At the last moment, though, as Damon bent with fangs exposed, Matt's fingers almost involuntarily, almost as if it were something his body was doingapart from his mind, clenched themselves into a fist and he suddenly, unpredictably, brought the fist swinging up to deal a violent blow to Damon's temple. But – serpent-quick – Damon reached up and caught the blow almost nonchalantly in an open hand, and held Matt's fingers in a crushing grip – just as razor-sharp fangs opened a vein in Matt's throat and an open mouth fastened on his exposed throat, sucking and drinking the blood that sprayed upward. Elena – awake but unable to move from where she had fallen, unable to make a sound or turn her head – was forced to listen to the entire exchange, forced to hear Matt's groan as his blood was taken against his will, as he resisted to the last. And then she thought of something that, as dizzy and frightened as she was, almost made her pass out in fear.

Business School Essay

Since I first entered university, I have evolved from being convinced that an MBA was a necessary part of my future, to believing that MBAs made careers of victimizing other people, to realizing that an MBA truly will help me achieve my passion, which is helping people in my native China. I am now passionate [Comment 1] about attending Wharton to challenge myself with powerful business lessons that will help me grow as a leaders [Comment 2] . My alma mater offered an orientation program that offered [Comment 3] new admits consultation on academic study, and more importantly,[Comment 4] early career plan. I was excited to learn that the tests confirmed what I already expect [Comment 5] – that I showed a strong ability in business. Starting that day, I pinpointed [Comment 6] MBA as an ideal master degree to pursue following several years of solid work experience. With plans made, I embarked on the trek by opting to major in international finance, in addition to taking a broad spectrum of business-related electives including intermediate accounting, economics and banking. Although most of the teaching materials [Comment 7] derived from the communist time while [Comment 8] teachers still resorted to the stale methodology of indoctrination, I looked forward to every class that gave me new insights into how good business [Comment 9] function. I missed a chance to have [Comment 10] more interactive learning environment and to be able to challenge the lessons that we were taught, but the classes further solidified my plan to acquire a formal business degree. Originally my career plan was simple: to excel at [Comment 11] workplace, get an MBA, and then work as [Comment 12] top strategy consultant before settling down as an executive at a corporation. I was happy with my career progress as an Information Technology consultant, but it was not always smooth. While my project at International Media Corporation, my second employer, was in high gear, the 9. 11 tragedy reduced international travel to a standstill. (For details, please see essay No. 2. As if this were not enough, the ensuing fiber-optic scandal in which International Media Fiber Optics [Comment 13] was involved, worked perfectly as [Comment 14] the last straw—it forced our parent company to suspend its China-based operation [Comment 15] , including my project. That meant that I was unemployed. For the first time in my life I needed to assess my career plan. I had done nothing wrong, but the action of other [Comment 16] affected me and [Comment 17] put me out of job. Was th is what MBAs did? Did they ruin other people’s jobs? Comment 18] For a time,[Comment 19] I started to think that the business world was not where I would [Comment 20] be. Over the next six months I got a much clearer picture of what I wanted to do. [Comment 21] I gained experience in the UN initiative (for details, please see essay No. 3) and I reflected upon the world at large. What did I want to do, other than plan for my next promotion or consulting assignment? What did I want to be in twenty years? Consequently, this experience allowed me to contribute to society and to learn more about what I wanted. [Comment 22] My work in [Comment 23] the UN substantially changed my view of MBAs. This time, I started to perceive MBA [Comment 24] from a new angle—first and foremost, MBAs [Comment 25] must be socially responsible before they can aspire to reap professional achievements; otherwise they are still doomed to failure however smart they are. [Comment 26] This was again solidified by my acquaintance and mentorship, at the [Comment 27] UN conference, with an investment banker turned philanthropist,[Comment 28] also the founding chairman of the US-based Green Earth Institute. There were, and are, responsible people and organizations after all. I realized that I could be earn an MBA and make an impact just like those people! Six months on, I headed back to the corporate world, confidence recovered. National Data Systems (NDS) seemed an ideal place to start my career anew—I knew so the minute I saw the receptionist for interview [Comment 29] — in lieu of charming girls [Comment 30] , a disabled person handled the task. Later I learned this deep-rooted culture resulted from NDS’s strong advocacy of handicapped-hiring. As for me, I further extend it to hiring veterans in my department. Not only do I commit [Comment 31] social obligations, but the department actually benefit [Comment 32] from their ultra reliability and diligence. In addition, I volunteered as the department representative for the office health and safety initiative. Mid 2004 will witness my department’s consummation [Comment 33] of a worldwide business transformation project, to which I have been contributing as a IT consultant and project co-leader. This is [Comment 34] perfect opportunity to see my current work to completion and then embark on my new endeavor. Upon graduation, I would like to join a top-tier IT corporation and rotate in different functions in its leadership/executive development program at mid-management level. I see this ad [Comment 35] being important for gaining the management experience that I will need for my true long-term passion, which comes from my work in the UN. I want to help the underprivileged in China. Consequently, I plan on establishing an IT-based NGO in the long run. My business experience gained from my post-MBA job will render me better positioned [Comment 36] to contribute to this scenario—applying cost-effective technologies (only possible through my experience with an elite technology firm) to improve the quality of life in communities that have not changed in decades, if not centuries. After all, the betterment of the entire nation cannot hinge upon the prosperity of but a number of regions or cities. Based on my experience in consulting and the UN [Comment 37] I believe that managing an NGO shares much synergy with running a for-profit business. The leadership experience developed and social connections established in the business arena should be most conducive to my long-term career aspiration. The end of my achievements in business will ultimately find their way in the social cause. Yes, financial standing is an important yardstick,[Comment 38] against which personal success is judged; however, it will be even more fulfilling if I can share this success with the needy and bring benefits to them. As the [Comment 39] leading business school, Wharton offers many lectures in addition to [Comment 40] cases that prepare students for all kinds of real business challenges and opportunities, which caters [Comment 41] well to my career aspiration [Comment 42]. Admittedly, Wharton is most famed for its strength in finance; however, it has, over the years, [Comment 43] also produced a plethora of successful general managers. Having said that, I [Comment 44] trust Wharton is where I can attack my weak link by brushing [Comment 45] up my financial skills, which I believe are indispensable to my career advancement later on. â€Å"He is a sharp cookie, a natural leader just waiting to burst out of his shell†, goes the comment on my first performance review. My communication with Wharton students and alumni has fully attested to my belief that Wharton is the very school that will transform me from a candidate to a bona fide leader of the future.

Awakenings Project Essay Example for Free

Awakenings Project Essay The abuses at Bainbridge Hospital reflected a broken system at that time. Any person who was deemed untreatable was put into a â€Å"garden†- where people were treated like flowers that were simply â€Å"watered† and â€Å"fed† every day. The attitude of the people who worked at the institution was of people who had accepted the system’s failures as a way of life; they did not strive for change, they simply â€Å"went with the flow. † Dr. Sayer introduces a number of attitudes that can be seen in modern care facilities. For example, his unfailing persistence in not giving up on patients who he believed had a chance at life. These patients had been immobile for decades, with countless people telling him that they would never get better. By believing in their cognizance and their persistent awareness of their surroundings, Dr. Sayer creates the hospital environment of today, punctuated with the idea that all patients should have the chance to have the best chance in life. He never gave up hope. However, Dr. Sayer also faced many different obstacles in attempting to treat his patients. For example, he needed to first overcome the mockery of his fellow coworkers. The doctors and nurses who worked with him did not understand his desires to pursue what seemed like a meaningless waste of time. However, in doing so, he gave life back to people who would have otherwise been trapped forever, in a state of permanent limbo. Later, he also faced the crisis of dosage with his â€Å"patient zero†, Leonard. Would he cross the line and illegally dose Leonard without the consent of the pharmacist? In doing so, he achieved success. However, he had to do so by compromising the laws set by society. Moreover, he had to muster funding for the drug for all the patients that had been affected at the institution. He could have given up after the head of the hospital told him that it was simply too much money, but he persisted in his efforts and was rewarded with enough funding for every patient’s awakening. I agree with the approach Dr. Sayer took because he was a pioneer during his time. Could he have otherwise succeeded in the revival of the patients that had been afflicted with the mysterious illness? His practices, although at times showing his own sense of morality and disregard for the accepted, would later become what is widely believed to be the basis of hospitals today. He took an interest in finding out the truth and never stopped believing. Awakenings Project. (2016, Oct 05).

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 - Research Paper Example It quickly became apparent to all as soon as the scandal became public that both it and the cause behind it could have been avoided. To try to prevent other corporate scandals and collapses from happening, President George W. Bush signed into law the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, named for its sponsors, which would establish measures for corporate oversight and promise stiff punishments for those that even attempted, knowingly or unknowingly, to engage in corporate fraud (Bumiller, 2002). Promising to hold the top echelon of corporate executives accountable, and overhauling auditing and recording practices, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was declared to be the most far-reaching reform of the United States of America since the time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Bumiller, 2002). Enron: From Start, to Scandal The story of what would be one of the largest scandals in history started in 1985, when Enron came into existence as Kenneth Lay combined his company, Houston Natural Gas, with InterNorth Corporatio n to form Enron (National Public Radio, 2002). Hoping to gain further profits and showcase its new status as not just a business but a competitor, Enron started to market what was known as futures contracts or the delivery of natural gas to buyers for a certain price at some point in time in the future (National Public Radio, 2002). Like a giant game of Monopoly, Enron worked the boards buying and selling, building profits while growing the business larger and larger, expanding its business. Unfortunately, the investments and contracts that Enron had become known for by 2001 did next to nothing in terms of earning money. The investments that were made and secured largely were not turning a profit, or even earning a return (National Public Radio, 2002). Enron had invested sums of its own corporate funds in operations that, it had hoped, would provide even more money with which to run the business, thus creating a cycle of profit (National Public Radio, 2002). That money never materia lized, though this was kept secret until Enron filed for bankruptcy. The ensuing scandal brought about major reforms in the way accounting practices and audits were conducted, starting with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Enron and GAAP Violations Above all, the biggest question posed to Enron was, what exactly happened? By all accounts, it appeared to be doing well. Even its own employees did not suspect wrongdoings within the company (Cruver, 2003). Unfortunately, Enron also violated Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), or guidelines set out for the preparation of financial statements, in a number of ways (Cunningham & Harris, 2006). While this was not the entire reason for the collapse of the giant that left many without jobs and executives heading to jail for their actions, the ignorance and violation of GAAP principles may well have been the starting point.

Wal-Mart, Target and Kmart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wal-Mart, Target and Kmart - Essay Example Kmart has a long history; recently it is trying to emerge from bankruptcy reorganization. Kmart is slowly losing its customers to Wal-Mart. Before being bankrupted Kmart was the second best retailer after Wal-Mart. Both companies used different strategies to outsmart each other. They tried different strategies to woo the customers. After coming out from bankruptcy Kmart found that it has lost most of the customers to Wal-Mart and other retailers like Target. Its total net profit also declined considerably. Target took this opportunity to its full advantage and started aggressive campaigning. Though the think tank of Target knew that most of Kmart's customers would go to Wal-Mart rather than coming to Target's stores, they started slashing the prices of the products and announced heavy discounts on them. They used innovative ideas to woo the customers. To maintain its top position Wal-Mart used to slash the rates so that when customers come to purchase the items would buy other products also. These items were termed as loss leaders. Most of the middle class families are Wal-Mart's customers. Target aimed at upper middle class. Because of this stiff competition between Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, Costco, etc., customer has wide range of choices to choose. Customer can buy products at discount rates.

Implementing a Vision of learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Implementing a Vision of learning - Essay Example Speculative ideas come to existence and opposition cannot be avoided. It is common for a school to have a social responsibility to its community. Some stakeholdrers may take this as a lkeeway to satisfay their own needs. For instance, if a school gets its supplies from the neighbourhood, some peoppel who are close to the new administration may want to be favored in tenders to supply some school needs. Bitterness, opposition and resentment m,ay arise if this is not met (Green, 2009). Gaining support is not an easy task. However, Green (2009) stipulates that confidence can be earned with time by setting standards right from the beginning. Democratization of ideas and acting through professional ethics lays a foundation that gives each stakeholder a mandate that is indispensable. Development of support at all levels from teachers, parents, students and the entire community is sound in letting them know their boundaries of operation. The partnership must however be meaningful so that no group feels aggrieved by the conditions. Accountability is very important. Operating through delegated legislation and holding each individual for their actions helps create a sense of ownership of the tasks that these people are involved in. it is mostly easy to identify and correct errors. This is necessary for effective development (Whitley,

D1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

D1 - Assignment Example the start, therefore, California was prone to fabricate its experience and have continued to show some version of the that experience on and off ever since. In addition, Starr meant that our actual lived experience takes place in California, where our marriages, tribes, cultures, histories and neighbors, public laws, private agonies and our real homes right down to our humble daily occurrences and activities such as eating existed. All these things were pursued by the fact that one belonged to California or was precipitated by California-ism which depend upon love affair, power and pleasure, norms and values of human made empires not those that emanate from Heaven. When Starr stated that California entered history is a myth, he tried to imply that California has been seen Shangri-la-the promised land of many pilgrims who looking for American dream. In addition, the statement implied that California which is the second most populous State in the United States has been blessed with human diversity and natural beauty (Starr 30). More so, the State has been witnessed many events such as innovation, triumph, and discovery. For many years, Ca lifornia native people lived in plenty or of good topography and climate suited to human habitation. During the renaissance period, European colonization were not the only one doing good and great things. This is because societies in other parts of the world flourished. As the world turned into the 15th century, it seems that each in the world had its own renaissance. Native Americans of North America were not an exception. These people had diverse languages and culture much such as Europeans. When colonizers from Europe landed in North America, they could not have imagined of the intricacy of the people they were soon to interact with. Not all Native Americans lived in peace like Europeans; the continent faced tribal conflicts that sometimes led to cultural and human destruction. European colonizers in California sought to

Critical analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical analysis - Essay Example This crisis will peak around 2050. paragraph 2. The purpose of this article was to inform and influence. The information was given by statistics and facts. However, the statistics were projected. The problem with projected facts is the unknown. A nuclear war might occur next year and everyone could die. The article wanted to influence the reader with colorful wording and examples. The statistics were current about today’s older and younger populations. Thus the article is informational and influential. paragraph 3. The attitude or emotion type of this writer was concerned. This article would fit in the Economist.com (where it came from), a prolife leaflet, or even a book on why the world needs to have more children. It was factual, but emotional as well. It gave the feeling that the older generation is a burden. In essence, the older generation is a problem that needs to be solved. The danger is when the younger generation solves that problem, when they grow old their younger generation will solve the problem. paragraph 4. This article uses statistics to prove their points, but also uses opinions as well. For example, this article thinks in the future fewer workers will mean more job openings. The economy will falter due to fewer workers. That is an opinion. With the advancements in technology, fewer workers might be needed. The total affects of the ageing generation on political, social, and economical areas are speculation and opinion, since the author cannot predict the future accurately. The evidence this article uses is statistics on older generations. Birth rates in different countries, developing and richer ones, were given. Life span data was given. Opinions about this data were given. The conclusion was the abundant ageing population was going to burden the younger generations. The full affect will be felt in 2050. This as mentioned before is opinion due to the unreliability of

Group Long Term Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Group Long Term Insurance - Essay Example Employer-based group long term insurance is an essential comprehensive benefits package that offers long term insurance to the employees (Wiener and Illston 66). Reasons for use There are numerous advantages for enrolling in a group long term insurance since the patient does not need to meet any medical requirements before obtaining the group long term policy cover. The relatives and immediate family members of the individual may also be covered, since many group long term care policies allow the retirees and spouses to apply for the long term care coverage. If the group long term insurance consists of a high proportion of relatively younger employees, the insurance provider will be able to charge lower premiums compared with the individual long term plans (Beam and McFadden 357). Group long term insurance helps protect the employee retirement plans. Well informed employees understand that without a Group long term care, medical expenses after retirement can adversely deplete the emp loyee portfolio of assets (Beam and McFadden 369). Some Group Long term insurance policies enable employees to receive benefits and care from any place in the world. The Group long term insurance eases the emotional and physical burden of the family members since they are involved in the care-giving process but are not the primary providers. Group long term insurance covers the costs of care received at home, in the community and also in the nursing homes (Beam and McFadden 378). There are various benefits that accrue to employers who provide Group long term care to their employees. The employer is able to retain the most qualified and skilled employees in the company therefore reducing production losses associated with work stoppages (Beam and McFadden 357). Group long term insurance acts as an incentive of attracting and hiring new employees in the Company. The insurance cover offers the employer a competitive edge since it is an alternative to increasing salaries (Long Term Care Insurance 2). The employees will also receive additional benefits from the Group long term insurance since other programs like training of caregivers and care providers are included in the insurance plan. The employees also receive assistance on claim filling and can enjoy other wellness programs that may be incorporated in the Group long term insurance (Long Term Care Insurance 3). Administration and process All the insurance products for group long term insurance are consistent with Long term Insurance Model Act. HIPAA has imposed several standards that have led to increase in the coverage. The Act has reduced the revenue losses associated with coverage due to changes in the income tax codes. For eligibility to favorable tax treatment, the insurance contract should be qualified therefore contract is guaranteed renewable and all the refunds of premiums and dividends are applied as future reductions in premiums or to increase the future benefits (Beam and McFadden 360). The cost of the group long term insurance is covered by the employee. The initial premiums are calculated on five year age period brackets and increase significantly with the increase in the age of the employee (Wiener and Illston 65). Most of the States require the insurance companies to protect the benefits of employee from

Regarding possible influences on thought Essay Example for Free

Regarding possible influences on thought Essay There is an undeniable connection between thought and language. And as thought is so crucial to our knowledge, a study of our language itself is necessary. This essay examines how our language might affect our thought. In doing so, I shall examine the question, what is language?.  So, what is language? Etymologists, those who study language (in how it develops and changes), generally agree that language first started developing thirty thousand to a hundred and fifty thousand years ago. It began when, by an evolutionary chance, the oesophagus moved in human beings. This did two things: firstly it made them very prone to choking (this is often taken as proof that the ability to speak is innate in human beings for if benefits of speech were not developed quickly this should have died out almost immediately in accordance with the theory of evolution) and secondly it dramatically increased the range of sounds they could produce orally. It is thought that the natural calls animals make shrieks of alarm to show danger etc developed and became more complex to form a very basic language. Soon, these developed connotations: variations of alarm calls could be used to convey fear, pain or sadness whilst variations of triumphant calls could be used to show happiness, safety or the location of food. Imitations of the sounds things made also developed: a stream could be indicated by a gurgle, wind by a whoosh and so on. Examples of these two phenomenons continue: laughter and crying is pretty universal in babies whilst young children often refer to police cars as whah whah in an imitation of their sound. Language was further developed, reflecting the need to talk about the speakers environment. A commonly quoted example of this is that the Inuit have twenty words for snow. Not only is this debateable Inuit nouns are formed as in German, where nouns are tacked onto each other but also, English has at least fifty! However, a better example would be the aborigines of Tasmania who have a separate word for every kind of native tree, over two hundred in total, but do not have a word for tree. This is because in their environment, all the trees which surround them appear to be drastically different. It is also said (perhaps somewhat dubiously) that Arabic has approximately six thousand words for camels and camel-equipment. T is doubtless that language is affected in its evolution by our surroundings and our need to communicate about them. The main problems with language can be its vagueness and also the fact that it evolves according to our needs. Language is very vague and words can have myriads of meanings. In the English language, the word set has fifty eight non-obsolete uses as a noun, one hundred and twenty eight as a verb and ten as a participial adjective. The Oxford English Dictionary uses sixty thousand words, including abbreviations and symbols, to define it and set is by no means alone. The fact that language reflects its environment means that when someone has an original thought they often have to come up with an entirely new vocabulary to explain it. An example of this would be the concept of the big bang. When the idea originated, the language used to describe it was completely new and very few understood it. As the theory grew in popularity, its language was accepted into common usage. However, when the majority of the populace does not concern itself with that idea, the vocabulary become jargon, to be known only by experts. Language reflects or needs of it. Written language originated as logograms in the form of pictograms where to write house, one would draw a picture of a house. Soon these became ideograms where, as in language, associations where used e.g. a sun to represent heat. This is the basis of all languages and today can be seen in Chinese and Japanese, as well as the ancient hieroglyphs, Linear A and Linear B. Some languages went one step further, changing from logograms to phonograms. This resulted in syllabic or alphabetic symbols, where words were written using their sounds in spoken language. This was the first link between written and spoken language. Written language, in our society, is now completely dependant on spoken language so the two are often seen as synominous. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis argues that the nature of a particular language influences the habitual thoughts of its speaker. Different patterns of language would therefore lead to different patterns of thought. Thus this challenges that the world can be represented objectively, as language will influence its user. The most extreme supporters of this theory argue that thought is reliant on language and that therefore there can be no thought without language. The twentieth century Austrian philosopher, Wittgenstein says that, because of this, language hinders us. For example, when we say that we saw nobody on the road we have not actually seen nobody. More accurately, we did not see anyone on the road. Another twentieth century philosopher, a Rusiian named Vigotsky, would disagree with this. He held that language helps us to think. He says that the thought is ordered and is clarified by using language. However, a large number of people disagree with the extreme view that thought is impossible without language. Look, they say, at when we are lost for words or the words are on the tip of our tongue: we know what were thinking but cant say it. Another example would be that we can often imagine in our heads as an image something for example, the beginning of the universe but cant describe it. This theory states language is created by thought, although language may later by used as a means through which to think. Many etymologists would agree with this theory as it complies with their theory on how language develops: you see something, you think about it and then you develop language to convey these thoughts and to clarify them. So, our language is shaped by the world around us, and our thoughts are shaped by our language. So our thoughts are influenced, not just out of practicality, but empirically by our surroundings. For if we are not familiar with a concept or object or person then we are unlikely to have the language to describe it: and if we dont have the language then we are unlikely to be able to think about something properly, even if we wished to.

The Innovative Strategies For Samsung Marketing Essay

The Innovative Strategies For Samsung Marketing Essay Samsung has launched a new generation of tablets. This document will explain whether the industry presents the company with an attractive opportunity and what strategic issues and problems merit front burner managerial attention. Concluding with recommendations. Declaration: I hereby declare that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted for any subject previously. DUE DATE: 19 March 2013 Executive Summary: You have heard about Samsung, one thing that has made you hear a lot about them is their innovation. Samsung Innovation has kept competitors at bay and made them one of the leading manufacturers of electronics and mobile devices. If you have tried or used a Samsung product, you will agree that it is utilizing the strong Samsung Innovation that has been laid emphasis by the company. Samsung has launched a generation of tablets. The question posed is: Does the outlook for the industry present the company with an attractive opportunity? What strategic issues and problems merit front burner managerial attention? In the existing business environment, internal and external, all the businesses irrespective of its size have to face and overcome challenges posed by dynamic external changes, namely technological changes and accelerated globalization. This means it is not innovations per se that matters but innovations which embed within themselves game changing strategies would have to be followed by organizations, creating value could be a necessary condition for the company to survive but not a sufficient condition if they have to compete and win for which they need to change the rules of the game of strategy altogether in a manner that would replace the current ways and methods the businesses have been applying them in creating and appropriating value. In other words, the game changing innovations should not just stop with products and services but summarize within themselves the business processes, business models, and the way a company positions itself in comparison to its competitors. Throug h the principals we have learnt and acquired in strategic management, this paper will analyse the outlook for the industry and whether it presents the company with an attractive opportunity. In addition it will find out what strategic issues and problems merit front burner managerial attention? It is important to analyse the outlook for the industry and whether it presents the company with an attractive opportunity because Information technology is both an enormous industry in itself and the source of dramatic changes in business practices in all other sectors. The sequence of this paper begins by firstly recognising the outlook for the technology industry and IT industry and the description of Samsung. A brief explanation of the strategic issues, internal and external issues faced by Samsung will also be reviewed. Following this is Samsungs innovation which will covers key points such as strategies for Samsung, strategies for Samsung innovation and development of technology platform. Finally, this paper concludes by underlining recommendations for Samsung. Executive Summary 1. The Outlook for the Technology and Information Technology Industry. 1.1. Global perception 1.2. Continental perception 1.3. How South African citizens relate with technology, IT, and Samsung 2. Samsung. 2.1 Description of the company 2.2 Samsung Tablet 2.3 Future Plans 3. Strategic Issues. 3.1. INTERNAL ENVIROMENT 3.1.1. SWOT (environmental) analysis: Strengths and Weaknesses 3.2. EXTERNAL ENVIROMENT 3.2.1. SWOT (environmental) analysis: Opportunities and Threats 3.2.2. Changes in the external environment 3.2.3. Marketing Mix 4. A description of Samsung Innovation and Innovative Strategies for Samsung. 4.1. Two Samsung innovation uncharted innovative strategies 4.2. Future Samsung innovations 4.3. Development of technology platform 4.4. Conclusion on Samsung innovation 5. Recommendations 6. References The Outlook for the Technology and Information Technology Industry: Global perception: Market Analysis: According to the IT market analysis firm Gartner, Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is the worlds leading information technology research and advisory company. worldwide IT spending grew by more than anticipated in 2010, reaching 5.3%, as opposed to the predicted growth of 3.2%. Given the fragile state of the economic recovery, together with very low growth in most of the advanced markets, the mentioned number gives some grounds for hopefulness that corporate are preparing for higher rates of growth than is currently showing up in GDP figures around the world. In June 2011.The global IT spending will grow by 7.1% over 2010. Gartner sees some slowdown in spending on desktop PCs as big corporate delay refreshing their desktop PC infrastructure, but this is being more than made up for by increased spending on servers, storage, and networks. Even the spend on PCs shows strong growth if one adds in new spending on tablet PCs, a format that is proving extremely popular both with consumers and executives. The growth in global hardware spending in 2011 is predicted to be 11.7%. This is slightly behind the 12.1% growth achieved in 2010, in comparison with what was spent in 2009, but it represents a significant upward revision on Gartners earlier prediction of growth of 9.5% for the hardware segment in 2011. Continental perception: Market Analysis in Africa: Africa is a continent comprised of diverse countries, and each of these countries are developing at a different rate, many of these countries are dynamic emerging economies, some of which are essential states to American national strategic interests, one of which (South Africa) has been identified by the U.S. (Edward S. Marek) More than ever, the web is part of our daily lives. We live in a connected world that allows us to laugh, share, and live on the web. One of the major components of technology is internet. Africa has the lowest internet penetration rate globally. In Sub-Saharan African countries, for internet users the penetration rate is below 7% and for broadband it is under 1%. In Latin America and Caribbean, and East Asia and Pacific countries, the number is about 20% for internet users. North African countries are having a rate of 40.4%. However, even in North Africa the penetration rate for broadband subscribers is merely 2%. In Africa most internets is by low speed dial-up connections which are concentrated in Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa. More rapidly speed broadband connections through Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Lines (ADSL) are mainly found in South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria. Africa had the worlds greatest growth in new mobile phones in 2008. Some Sub-Saharan countries had some growth of 40% yet overall penetration rates remain low. There are also important differences between Sub-Saharan countries, with penetration rates in resource rich and resource scarce coastal countries at about 50%, compared 15% in resource scarce closed in countries. How South African citizens relate with technology, IT, and Samsung: Amongst other mobile companies, Samsung continued to govern mobile phones in 2011. Samsung is considered trustworthy by many South Africans. The company has managed to establish itself as the ultimate in style and design. Samsungs target is to dominate the whole South African consumer electronics industry. Based on its trendy designs and innovative products, it has a competitive edge which is difficult to beat. The overall IT spending in South Africa has increased by 7.1% year-on-year during 2011 reaching a total of more than R111.6 billion, according to the latest figures from market analytics company IDC (International Data Corporation). The growth in IT services spending was determined by a recovering economy, increased business confidence, expanding bandwidth availability, and different infrastructure investments made in the country in 2010. In a recent research report, IDC cited that IT outsourcing constituted around 40% of the South African IT services market, which represents the largest market share of all IT services foundation markets. The 2012-2016 South Africa IT market compound annual growth rate is projected to be in the region of 13%, as a number of Major IT infrastructure projects generate spending at provincial levels. A projected improvement in South Africas broadband infrastructure and international bandwidth will also be an important market growth driver and will help drive demand for cloud computing solutions. Samsung: 2.1 Description of the company: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd is an international leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies; Samsung is the globes largest company having the highest brand value. Samsung is functioning in more than 50 countries in the world. Their global strategy involves eight main regions Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa, and Middle East, China, North America, Europe and Latin America. Samsungs headquarters are in Seoul, South Korea. Strategy is long term planning to get the goals. It is a roadmap of future actions. After market researching the global market, Samsung gets plenty of feedback from its customer and employees. Samsung needs to advance its products promotional activities, customer service and online business since it is very important to satisfy its customers. Samsung strategic growth plan aims to fulfil the needs and wants of customers, expectations of employees and all other stakeholders. It requires focusing all its resources on increasing technological innovation and market share growth but the industrys infrastructure and labour skills at that moment were too unfavourable for Samsung to accomplish these and become competitive in the world market. In order to attain this, Samsung reinvented itself by primarily keeping on tract with its customers needs and wants. 2.2 Samsung Tablet: Samsung Mobile is one of the five units within the Korean Samsung Electronics. It is the second largest phone manufacturer and one of the largest technology companies by sales in the world, producing different devices including phones, TVs, cameras, computers, stereo systems, etc. The below information has been extracted from an article that was written based on Samsung Africa Forum 2013. Samsung Electronics announced the launch of the worlds first 8 inch tablet, the GALAXY Note 8.0. The whole of section 2.2 has been quoted due to technical terms. 2.2.1. A smart diary for life on the go Slim and compact enough to become the perfect on-the-go work and play companion, the GALAXY Note 8.0 brings powerful performance and functionality to support even the most demanding of lifestyles. Designed to store and manage your personal and professional data efficiently, this new era device gives users the perfect pocket-sized hands-on organisational tool and as a result, is ideal as a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) tool to use in the workplace. Practical S Note templates and S Planner feature help to manage everyday tasks, including meeting notes, to-do lists, and even personal diary entries. All content can be entered and updated with the finest of detail. (Staff writer: Wed, Mar 13th, 2013) 2.2.2. New content and services GALAXY Note 8.0 is packed with pre-loaded content and apps specifically for the mass multimedia, value-maximising, consumer. Upgraded Chat-On provides easy instant messaging and group chatting in multiple formats images, video, voice, contacts for simple, enjoyable communication. Awesome Note, an integrated application that is introduced in android tablet for the first time with NOTE 8.0, is capable of near-unlimited note-taking uses including Memo, Diary, and Must-remember lists. With Flip board, youre RSS, social network and other feeds come together in one stylish, flip-able format so you can enjoy all your news and lifes great moments in one place. Flip board developed a customised version of its application exclusively for Samsungs Note 8.0 that allows users to take the S Pens hover feature and preview article headers beneath Flip boards main screen tiles. Finally, Smart Remote gives you a universal remote control and electronic programming guide allowing you to manage TV and video watching seamlessly. (Staff writer: Wed, Mar 13th, 2013) A new age of S Pen intelligence Optimised to aid personalised creativity, the Samsung S Pen has evolved to increase everyday usability and enhance creation expression. Embedded within the tablet, the S Pen is an extension of the GALAXY Note 8.0. Removing the S Pen from the device will automatically launch innovative features such as Pen Detection that will suggest adapted menus that it thinks youll need and Page Buddy, a feature that will intuitively activate your most recently adapted S Note home screen. (Staff writer: Wed, Mar 13th, 2013) S Pen technology is now so advanced that it doesnt even have to touch the screen. With Air View, the S Pen needs only to hover over the screen to see previews of videos, emails, photos, and appointments on S Planner without opening the file or application in full. S Pen Gesture allows images and content to be easily edited and cropped, whilst Paper Artist and Photo Note allow photos to be artistically personalised. (Staff writer: Wed, Mar 13th, 2013) Maximising mass multimedia consumption Creative multi-tasking with the GALAXY Note 8.0 is effortless due to innovative Dual View feature, two multi- window options that seamlessly allow you to facilitate multi-screen usage. Dual Views split screen accommodates optimal operation of different apps, such as launching the S Note on the web browser screen and allowing content to be resized, dragged and dropped as required. Multi-tasking is extended to phone calls*. Pop Up Note allows you to access S Note at any time to keep track of key actions and Pop Up Video ensures you can keep surfing the web whilst chatting content windows can be easily resized by pinching to enlarge or reduce. (Staff writer: Wed, Mar 13th, 2013) Perfect info-attainment partner Packed with features to engage, entertain, and excite, the GALAXY Note 8.0 supports your everyday needs in a practical way. Reading Mode transforms the GALAXY Note 8.0 into an e-Book reader, provides the optimal reading conditions to ensure you can curl up and enjoy a good book. You can even turn it into a universal remote control with Smart Remote, to seamlessly manage TVs, set-top boxes, DVD Blu-ray players. (Staff writer: Wed, Mar 13th, 2013) 2.3 Future Plans: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, announced on the 05 April that it is now mass producing Ultra High Speed-1 (UHS-1) interface micro SD cards that support the highest performance levels required on advanced LTE (Long Term Evolution) smart phones and tablets. (Seoul, Korea on Apr. 5. 2012) In the future, Samsung plans to expand its micro SD card offerings with higher density solutions that reinforce its position as the leading market innovator for NAND flash. Strategic Issues: 3.1. INTERNAL ENVIROMENT: 3.1.1. SWOT (environmental) analysis: Strengths and Weaknesses Swot analysis is the most important and first stage of planning. It is a feedback mechanism to make new strategies for any company. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats are the four components of a swot analysis. Weaknesses and Strengths are correlated and examine the internal part of the business analysis whereas Opportunities and Threats deal with the external environment of business operation. Samsungs electronic strengths are: A strong global brand. It is the leading consumers electronics brand in the world. The Quality is good .They assure the same quality and range worldwide. Its vision is leading the digital convergence resolutions. It means they want to be the leader of the electronic items worldwide in order to get the goodwill as well. They have a strong concept. They are offering good design , good quality as well medium prices They have diversified products. Samsungs products has based on variety. It means they manufacture same items in diverse ways for the diverse kind of people for diverse countries. Technology. Voice call is clear and reckoned by customers as having a good value for their money; and the design of Samsungs electronics technology is very high. We can order right quality at the right price. Good reputation among customers. Samsung claims that it has well-established brand equity, and has performed extremely well since the past decade particularly from 2000 onwards. A range of innovative products with value-added features and functionalities have been launched by Samsung which have been very successful. The company strongly believes in playing to its strengths. (Samsung Group Timeline and History 2007). The senior management (2007) claims that the company has a diversified and talented human and intellectual capital. The executives pride themselves in having such capable employees and are confident that the workforce as well as the strategic partners including distributors, dealers, marketing and advertising agencies round the world would help Samsung Group, particularly the Samsung Mobile business segment, reach the rank of a global leader in electronics and telecommunication goods and devices. (Samsung Group Timeline and History 2007). Weaknesses for Samsung are: The global scale of Samsungs operation indicates that it has severe implication on its management system. To control a business in just one location is easy but for a worldwide operation is complicated and could be challenging. Base on the double digit decrease of its operating profit against the previous year, it indicates that its operating cost had also increased by more than 20%. Its operation had not been efficient enough to produce good profits. Samsung as a South Korean company is reckoned by most customer as only next to any Japanese firm since Japan is always considered as a high tech country in the world. Although companies strive to penetrate new markets, its concentration remains more on a few countries in Europe and North America. Samsung mobile focuses more Kingdom and United States compared to other countries. Although the diversified workforce is an asset to the company, many cultural and linguistic differences arise which lead to group conflicts and interpersonal grudges. Communication between individuals belonging to different nations may not be as efficient as between those who share the same culture and social background. The business is heavily investing into development of newer markets and segments. It wants to capture as many markets as possible in a smaller span of time. However, instead of taking thoughtful and careful steps in order to reach the global position it desires, Samsung is seems to be in a hurry to launch new products, segments and marketing campaigns. 3.2. EXTERNAL ENVIROMENT: 3.2.1. SWOT (environmental) analysis: Opportunities and Threats Opportunities A business uses its strengths to take advantage of the opportunities that arise, opportunities for Samsung are: Increases mobile and computer market Global growth. Entrance of new technologies A strong customer demand and good design. There is an increasing need of faster, dependable, and easy communication. Samsung sees a great opportunity in this. The technologies are advancing at a fast pace. The business, by gaining a deep insight into consumer preferences and needs, can develop products according to what the market needs and desires. Samsung Mobile has plenty opportunities to cease particularly with the rise in global population and the need for rapid communication. (EFFIE/ The Best Brand 2006). Threats If any company is aware of possible external threats, it can be addressed by generating new ideas to counter it or can use a particular strength to defend against threats in the market. The threats on Samsung are as follows: Changing social trends: It is trying to build on line help to guide customer to a more comfortable life. The online business and website promotion entails cost and any change introduces needs getting better staff competencies by training. Strong competition: Samsung faces strong competition from the other Korean company such as LG, KTF, SK aside from its foreign competitors like Sony Panasonic. Smart phones are easier to make now more than ever. New entrance in the market, more companies may enter the market, and competitors or even Samsung contractors can scheme around patents to create similar devices. Samsung has linked product lines; this means that if one product line fails due to its own reasons other product lines will also experience the same failure. Unlike Samsung, their competitors like Nokia has only paid attention in one segment and put much effort on it. Besides, the products made from China was very economic so Samsung could have a high competitive with their products. Retail chains like Big bazaar sell consumer electronics and home appliance in low cost strategy which produced in bulks foreign market. Therefore Samsung is also facing threats from many other low cost companies. New regulations and increased trade barrier. 3.2.2. Changes in the external environment External Environment: The external environment of an organization is those factors outside the company that affect the companys ability to function. Some external factors can be manipulated by company marketing, while other factors require the organization to make adjustments. Court Battles all Across the World One of the components of Samsungs external environment is their competitors. Competitors have a significant effect on how they do business and how they strategically address their target market. Apple has decided to take on the competition, Samsung directly in the same target market. The UK isnt the only place where Apple and Samsung lawyers are fighting. Apple and Samsung are fighting this fight across the world in nearly every country where Apple products are sold. Apple is tired of Samsung creating products that are very similar to what Apple puts out. Apple has won some of these battles while Samsung continues to pick up speed. Samsung has no control over this, as this is the market environment, what the company can really do is to adapt to the situation and fight the best way the knowhow. Any kind of company scandal can be damaging to the companys image. The public perception of Samsung can hurt sales its negative, or it can boost sales with positive company news. Samsung can influence public opinion by using public relations professionals to release strategic information, but it is also important for Samsung to monitor public opinion to try and defuse potential issues before they start to spread. The ultimate question is: did Samsung copy Apple or did Samsung simply come up with its own products that just so happen to look like Apples? Its tough to say which company came out with the concept of an iPad-like tablet first. Marketing mix of Samsung The marketing mix is one of the tools available to businesses to gain the reaction to its target market in relation to its marketing objectives .Marketing mix is the combination of 7ps. This includes price, place, promotion, product, people, process, and physical evidence. Its manufactures a range of designs which is directly concern to customer satisfaction. Samsung has high quality, capitalizes on packing branding, and having adequate warranties. Samsung technology is high and of good value. Samsung product electronic goods such as TVS, Computer, notebook, washing machine, microwave etc and the latest product is the tablet. Samsungs pricing strategy is neither high nor low; this means that the prices are affordable. Samsung offers schemes for all new products, during festive seasons, new years, when a new product is launched and on its anniversary, which helps to stimulated psychologically to customer. Samsung elucidates its vision as well as mission of marketing strategy by the following clarifications of 4 ps. Product: Samsungs product range worldwide included CTVs, audio and video products. IT products, mobile phones, and home appliances are Samsungs chief products. Samsungs product range covers all the categories in the consumer electronics and home appliances. Place: Samsung brands have 25 production base worldwide and more than fifty sales subsidiaries in about 50 countries, and their global strategy involves eight main regions. Samsung also sells its product through independent retailers. Customers can see and handle products they are taking into consideration of buying. Price: Pricing also seemed to have played an important role in Samsungs success. Samsung offers different pricing structures to reach out to different customers groups. The price plans are available on a monthly basis and a prepaid option. Promotion: Samsung advertises on TV, in magazines and in other media outlets; through this type of advertising they reach large audiences and spreads the brand image and the message very effectively. This is also known as above the line promotion. There is also the below the line promotion; every store has special offers, promotions, and posters showing sales offers to attract customers inside the store to buy. A description of Samsung Innovation and Innovative Strategies for Samsung: A description of Samsung Innovation and two innovative strategies for Samsung The innovations recommended here are ones that are diverse in the sense they are not preoccupied with short-term oriented competitive victories but they are focused on the long term oriented competitive advantage. It chalks out a new future for the company based on integrating intelligence instead of separating it out through diverse learning where in the ultimate, the output would be innovations. This paper assumes that Samsungs focal point would be more and more into the Information Technology and Communications (ICT) oriented business and consequently accords the highest priority to technology driven innovations. By the same token, it is also presumed the company would focus on deriving the most advantage from the emerging Internet opportunities. Two Samsung innovation uncharted innovative strategies The first innovative strategy this paper suggests focuses towards the expansion of software that would integrate the Smartphone with mobile payment system (e-wallet) which has implications far beyond from the way the current mobile payment system is functioning. In other words, the scope and opportunities in this area has not been exploited even by the stakeholders involved in the industry. The second relates to the development of a technology platform that would include the current and potential requirements of smart phones. Future Samsung innovations Central to the growth of any economy is a monetized system that makes business transactions and personal transactions competent, quick, and timely. With the technology advancing such a rapid phase, electronic payments in the next few years have the potential to replace in a considerable manner the legacy payments. But for that to happen, the stakeholders in the industry would have to understand the driving forces in the market for electronic payments. Even though at this time there are many solutions which are available that supports connecting bank credit/debit card accounts to on-time practical transactions, yet they suffer from the limitation of not changing the underlying value proposition which is the convenience to customers. Such a value proposition can not only be created but also appropriated only if the current limitations of smart phones as a tool for mobile payment are removed through development of software that could facilitate the contactless payment system. Currently the technology is limited to business-consumer segments, but, it offers scope for development of an assortment of payment system. If Samsung focuses into such an area as its innovative strategy by using the fame of its smart phones and user friendly software, it would ease its capturing and appropriating value proposition in the form of a different competitive strategy. Development of technology platform Before the introduction of smart phones, the mobile telephone and Internet were operating as two un-related entities, with its introduction what the customers today have is the mobile internet which has been made possible with the merging of smart phones and the Internet. For many of those organizations of which Samsung is one who are involved in the manufacture of computers systems, mobile telephony and personal digital assistant devices (PDAs), utilizing the potential offered by the smart phone industry and capturing the value they have created is considered to be a key to future expansion and profits. The value proposition that I am discussing is not just on the use of existing operating system as Android or what Samsung has developed in its own stable, the headlines that Samsung has imitated Apple by taking over its sales in the smartphone segment in July-September, 2011 quarter has not highlighted yet another aspect that can go against the company in the long term. It has to do with the operating system (OS). This may have created value for Samsung in the short term but it fails to address a critical issue for the future. Samsung does not have a strategy so far to capture the lock-in value of the customers and if it has to confine the value created by it, it should address this issue as its another innovative strategy. In this context to capture the value by locking-in the customers, Samsung has to focus on creation a technology platform for the present and future mobile devices. The winners in the technological competition are the ones who have not only the best platform strategy but also the best ecosystems to back it up. This makes it clear that if Samsung has to win over in the smart phone industry with a completive edge by capturing value and appropriate it in the form of revenues, innovating a technology platform should constitute its second strategy. 4.4. Conclusion on Samsung innovation This section of the paper has not only through its logical analysis has not only proved it but also identified two new innovative strategies which the company would have to take up to secure its place as a future driven company. This section has allowed you to agree that Samsung Innovation is real and they have brought up very innovative products and concepts to the market. The Samsung Innovation has made them compete with companies like Apple and larger companies . In electronics, they have also done well. Recommendations Samsung is one of the famous global companies (www.samsung.com) it has manufactured electronics goods and other concrete goods. Samsung is a well known brand because of its service, excellent employees, and Innovative reliable product. They have responsible approach to business and global citizenship and globalisation with partners and customers. Samsung t

Addiction and Compulsive Buying Disorder (CBD) Essay -- Psychology

Shopping is stereotypically a pastime many women love. In the Lockhorn comic strip husband Leroy often laments about his wife Loretta’s cooking, looks, and excessive shopping. In one strip Loretta is shown carrying several bags of items with the caption by creator Hoest, (n.d.) â€Å"you knew I had no sales resistance when I married you.† Many can joke about their love of shopping but for some it is a serious problem. People will argue that compulsive shopping is a weakness. Others feel that the idea of shopping as a disorder or addiction is a ruse of the medical establishment or pharmaceutical companies to boost sales and create a diagnosable problem. It is the intent of this writer to put current knowledge into a perspective that shows CBD to be an addiction that stands on its own merit. The concepts known to be true about addiction will be covered; along with what we understand about compulsive shopping. This writer believes that based on the evidence it will be clea r that CBD is an addiction that manifests itself independently and as a part of a complex addictive process. According to The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (2012) â€Å"addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.† Compulsive Buying Disorder according to Black (2007) â€Å"is characterized by excessive or poorly controlled preoccupations, urges or behaviors regarding shopping and spending, which lead to adverse consequences.† Many will argue that these definitions are not enough to claim CBD to be a true addiction. However those in the middle of CBD can tell you that the behavior and feelings they experience stray far from a normal compulsion to shop. Compulsive ... ...the addiction category. Works Cited Black, D. W. (2007) A Review of Compulsive Buying Disorder. World Psychiatry Journal. February 2007. 6(1): 14-18 Bryner, J. (2008) The Truth about Shopaholics. Live Science. Retrieved from: http://www.livescience.com/2338-truth-shopaholics.html Canadian Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health, and Addictions. (2012). The brain from top to bottom. Retrieved from: http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/a/a_03/a_03_m/a_03_m_que/a_03_m_que.html Carnes, P. (2011) Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction (3rd ed.).Center City, MN: Hazeldon Publishers Hartley, E. (2020) Is Compulsive Shopping Really an Addiction. Retrieved from: http://addictions.about.com/od/shoppingaddictio1/i/is_shopping_addiction_real_2.htm National Institute on Drug Abuse (2012). Drug Abuse.gov. Retrieved from: http://www.drugabuse.gov/ Addiction and Compulsive Buying Disorder (CBD) Essay -- Psychology Shopping is stereotypically a pastime many women love. In the Lockhorn comic strip husband Leroy often laments about his wife Loretta’s cooking, looks, and excessive shopping. In one strip Loretta is shown carrying several bags of items with the caption by creator Hoest, (n.d.) â€Å"you knew I had no sales resistance when I married you.† Many can joke about their love of shopping but for some it is a serious problem. People will argue that compulsive shopping is a weakness. Others feel that the idea of shopping as a disorder or addiction is a ruse of the medical establishment or pharmaceutical companies to boost sales and create a diagnosable problem. It is the intent of this writer to put current knowledge into a perspective that shows CBD to be an addiction that stands on its own merit. The concepts known to be true about addiction will be covered; along with what we understand about compulsive shopping. This writer believes that based on the evidence it will be clea r that CBD is an addiction that manifests itself independently and as a part of a complex addictive process. According to The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (2012) â€Å"addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.† Compulsive Buying Disorder according to Black (2007) â€Å"is characterized by excessive or poorly controlled preoccupations, urges or behaviors regarding shopping and spending, which lead to adverse consequences.† Many will argue that these definitions are not enough to claim CBD to be a true addiction. However those in the middle of CBD can tell you that the behavior and feelings they experience stray far from a normal compulsion to shop. Compulsive ... ...the addiction category. Works Cited Black, D. W. (2007) A Review of Compulsive Buying Disorder. World Psychiatry Journal. February 2007. 6(1): 14-18 Bryner, J. (2008) The Truth about Shopaholics. Live Science. Retrieved from: http://www.livescience.com/2338-truth-shopaholics.html Canadian Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health, and Addictions. (2012). The brain from top to bottom. Retrieved from: http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/a/a_03/a_03_m/a_03_m_que/a_03_m_que.html Carnes, P. (2011) Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction (3rd ed.).Center City, MN: Hazeldon Publishers Hartley, E. (2020) Is Compulsive Shopping Really an Addiction. Retrieved from: http://addictions.about.com/od/shoppingaddictio1/i/is_shopping_addiction_real_2.htm National Institute on Drug Abuse (2012). Drug Abuse.gov. Retrieved from: http://www.drugabuse.gov/

Dietary Assessment Essay -- Nutrition, Diet, Disease

A dietary assessment method is a critical component in many aspects of nutritional epidemiology such as evaluating energy and nutrient intake in free-living individuals (Taren, et al., 2002). The purpose of dietary assessment data collection is to establish the causal associations between diet and disease aetiology (Jain, et al., 1996). However, it is very difficult to measure exactly how much food people eat or to determine the nutrient content of the diet (Wild, et al., 2001). Therefore, the valid and precise techniques are required to estimate accurate and detailed information on food and nutrient intake as well as eating patterns for identification of the dietary influence on health and disease (Bingham, et al.,1994). Nutrition assessments include clinical and dietary assessment, anthropometrics, as well as biochemical, laboratory immunologic and functional indices of nutritional status (Gibney, 2005). In epidemiological studies, different dietary investigation tools were designed to assess the nutritional status in individuals and populations, nutrition monitoring and surveillance and diet-disease research (Friedenreich, et al., 1992, Taren, 2002). Choosing an appropriate dietary assessment method depends on the purpose for which it is needed. The majority of retrospective dietary assessment methods such as 24-hour recall is of limited validity because of dependence on subject memory and motivation, reliability of the respondent not to under /misreport and ability to estimate portion sizes of the items consumed (Thompson & Byers, 1994). Although the technique is inexpensive, low respondent burden and relatively easy to assess current nutrient intake of a group, it is not appropriate to use data from a single day to repr... ...., 2006). Furthermore, nutritional analysis of recording or reporting food intake data presents a main source of inaccuracy when determining habitual nutrient intake and it does not contain comprehensive information on the interpretation of results from dietary surveys (Macdiarmid, & Blundell, 1997). Therefore, biochemical markers of nutrient intake are now a valuable tool in validating dietary assessment methods (Bingham, 2002). For example, the double labelled water technique and 24-hour urine nitrogen and potassium are routinely used and potentially independent of the errors associated with dietary survey methods (Bingham, 2002). The aims of the study is to determine the intake of total energy, protein , carbohydrate, fat, iron, calcium and fiber within a group of students using the duplicate diet analysis, 24 hour recall and the 7 day weighed intake.

Hacking Defined :: essays research papers

A. What is hacking?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hacking is the act of penetrating computer systems to gain knowledge about the system and how it works.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hacking is illegal because we demand free access to ALL data, and we get it. This pisses people off and we are outcasted from society, and in order to stay out of prison, we must keep our status of being a hacker/phreaker a secret. We can't discuss our findings with anyone but other members of the hacking/phreaking community for fear of being punished. We are punished for wanting to learn. Why is the government spending huge amounts of time and money to arrest hackers when there are other much more dangerous people out there. It is the murderers, rapists, terrorists, kidnappers, and burglers who should be punished for what they have done, not hackers. We do NOT pose a threat to anyone. We are NOT out to hurt people or there computers. I admit that there are some people out there who call themselves hackers and who deliberately damage computers. But these people are criminals, NOT hackers. I don't care what the government says, we are NOT criminals. We are NOT trying to alter or damage any system. This is widely misunderstood. Maybe one day people will believe us when we say that all we want is to learn.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are only two ways to get rid of hackers and phreakers. One is to get rid of computers and telephones, in which case we would find other means of getting what we want.(Like that is really going to happen.) The other way is to give us what we want, which is free access to ALL information. Until one of those two things happen, we are not going anywhere. B. Why hack?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As said above, we hack to gain knowledge about systems and the way they work. We do NOT want to damage systems in any way. If you do damage a system, you WILL get caught. But, if you don't damage anything, it is very unlikely that you will be noticed, let alone be tracked down and arrested, which costs a considerable amount of time and money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beginners should read all the files that they can get their hands on about anything even remotely related to hacking and phreaking, BEFORE they start hacking. I know it sounds stupid and boring but it will definetly pay off in the future. The more you read about hacking and phreaking, the more unlikely it is that you will get caught. Hacking Defined :: essays research papers A. What is hacking?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hacking is the act of penetrating computer systems to gain knowledge about the system and how it works.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hacking is illegal because we demand free access to ALL data, and we get it. This pisses people off and we are outcasted from society, and in order to stay out of prison, we must keep our status of being a hacker/phreaker a secret. We can't discuss our findings with anyone but other members of the hacking/phreaking community for fear of being punished. We are punished for wanting to learn. Why is the government spending huge amounts of time and money to arrest hackers when there are other much more dangerous people out there. It is the murderers, rapists, terrorists, kidnappers, and burglers who should be punished for what they have done, not hackers. We do NOT pose a threat to anyone. We are NOT out to hurt people or there computers. I admit that there are some people out there who call themselves hackers and who deliberately damage computers. But these people are criminals, NOT hackers. I don't care what the government says, we are NOT criminals. We are NOT trying to alter or damage any system. This is widely misunderstood. Maybe one day people will believe us when we say that all we want is to learn.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are only two ways to get rid of hackers and phreakers. One is to get rid of computers and telephones, in which case we would find other means of getting what we want.(Like that is really going to happen.) The other way is to give us what we want, which is free access to ALL information. Until one of those two things happen, we are not going anywhere. B. Why hack?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As said above, we hack to gain knowledge about systems and the way they work. We do NOT want to damage systems in any way. If you do damage a system, you WILL get caught. But, if you don't damage anything, it is very unlikely that you will be noticed, let alone be tracked down and arrested, which costs a considerable amount of time and money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beginners should read all the files that they can get their hands on about anything even remotely related to hacking and phreaking, BEFORE they start hacking. I know it sounds stupid and boring but it will definetly pay off in the future. The more you read about hacking and phreaking, the more unlikely it is that you will get caught.

Comparing and Contrasting Men and Women

MEN AND WOMEN In terms of aesthetics, men and women think very different about their prescriptive towards men and women. Both seem to think differently from one another because men and women are very different from each other. As far as history can go there has been a battle of the sexes going on. Men and women have always interchanged from the bottom of the pyramid to the top. But like always men seem to be on the top. Since men are always at the top level it seems to me that women have to exert themselves to various limits to get noticed but while still keeping a humble mind.This is why women look at themselves for so long in the mirror as well some men do. The studies of beauty in some cases, are much more important to both men and women, but sometimes are afraid to feel a little too cocky about them. A common phrase women use is, â€Å"Boys will be boys†. The reason why it’s used like this is because girls are really distinctive from boys, as well as boys to girls. There are a myriad of reasons why women are the way they are, and a countless reason why men are the way they are.Men, in fact, will always have it easy and pay less attention to women when women most need attention from men. Oppose to woman, who have concerns about what she will wear, or do her hair, but in the end have no complements from men. In the essay written by Dave Barry, he states, â€Å"Men don’t even notice 97 percent of the beauty efforts you make anyway† (Barry 370). I feel like some men don’t take the time to observe a woman’s efforts; instead they stare and have less of a clue of what to say, and move on.Women, most likely would want to be complemented to satisfy themselves with the effort they have done. Susan Sontag uses a perfect example in her essay and states, â€Å"To be called beautiful is thought to name something essential to women’s character and concerns† (Sontag 644). It would be more meaningful to women if they w ere called beautiful every day, to let go of the low self-esteem. Let’s talk about why men are the way they are. I believe that some men are the way they are because they are desperate for a women or sex.Men should feel embarrassed of themselves because it does affect women to see men’s actions be such a routine. Men usually get frustrated when they don’t see things the way they want to, and girls pretty much like it because they get the sense that men are filling their part in caring just a bit. Yet, women don’t get pleased easily. When Elrenreich compares their differences, she states, â€Å"As a general rule, women get irritated: men get mad† (Elrenreich 218).I think what she refers to is that some men sometimes decide to take the lead and play immature, while women have to sit there and support them. This is because women show their way of respect towards men, unlike men who rule themselves and care less about what a women feels. Women instead use their parents’ strategy and respect men by not getting mad, albeit some men do, and some men don’t. Men do not always stress to keep their physical appearance like women do, but instead they try to see themselves as â€Å"kings of the world†.For thus say, men think that they can get any women in the world, when women are struggling and are much more classy to say they can have a man in better phrasing then men do. In the essay, What I’ve Learned From Men, by Elenreich, she explains how women are so much respectful than men and states, â€Å"The attraction of the â€Å"tough guy† is that he has- or at least seems to have- what most of us lack and that is an aura of power and control† (Elenreich 217). Men and women are so opposites from each other when it comes to confidence.Men feel like they know it all, when women feel a lack of confidence. Women sometimes try to use different personalities depending on who these men are. I feel when wo men want attention; they’ll get it, if only they try to be someone else, and Berry makes a clear statement about being out of character, and says, â€Å"The problem, of corse, is that we are not the authors of ourselves† (Berry 9). This is why women sometimes try too hard in using their beauty and knowledge, because some men just play hard to get.Whether men and women argue about their differences and similarities, I feel like there will never be an end to the battle of the sexes. Each individual has different opinions of who’s right or wrong, but no one has the right to state that they are correct because nobody is perfect. Both men and women have their good side about their beauty, and that is what makes someone unique, special, and memorable. The best for men and women is to be themselves in respect to their aesthetics and the beauty that was blessedly given to both sexes.