Night Flying Woman Essay Example

Night Flying Woman Paper Gina Plumer Night Flying Woman Assignment American Indian Social Welfare Perspective The book that I decided to read was Night Flying Woman by Ignatia Broker. The tribal identity in the book was Oibwe from the White Earth Band. Ms. Broker started out the book from the present day in Minneapolis where she grew up. There wasn’t much culture to be seen, and the younger generations were getting too lost in the new world. Ms. Broker made sure to mention that she still taught her children the Ojibwe ways, and told them the stories that her grandmother had once told her. Throughout Ignatia Broker’s introductory chapter, we got a sense of the amount of respect she had for you great-great grandmother Oona, or Night Flying Woman. When Ms. Broker first moved to Minneapolis, she lived in a diverse neighborhood, heavily populated with Latinos. She described being a Native American woman growing up in the urban Minneapolis area. From the time she had first moved there until the present time she was writing about, there had been an increase in the Native population. With the increase in population, she explained how where she lived suddenly was surrounded by factories and freeways. Many of the Ojibwe people in Minneapolis identified themselves as Native American from a certain reservation, not like a clan as they did in her great-great-grandmother’s childhood. Her opening introduction was explaining the differences of the land and customs of the past to the present way. The book then began to tell the personal story of Ignatia Broker’s great-great-grandmother Ni-bo-wi-se-gwe, or Night Flying Woman. Ni-bo-wi-se-gwe was an only child to Me-ow-ga-bo (Outstanding), and Wa-wi-e-cu-mig-go-gwe (Round Earth). Three weeks after birth, in Indian tradition, came the time when naming must be planned. Oona’s parents consulted with Grandfather and Grandmother and decided that A-wa-sa-si would be the namer. A-wa-sa-si chose the name Ni-bo-wi-se-gwe (Night Flying Woman) because Oona was born during the darkness of the day. The tribal identity was Ojibwe, and the village that they lived in was very close-knit. Everyone that lived in the village was good at something and they helped each other out when they needed it. For instance, some were good at ricing, some at hunting, at picking berries, some at sugaring, and some at making necessities. We will write a custom essay sample on Night Flying Woman specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Night Flying Woman specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Night Flying Woman specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It was the environment we could only hope for in this day and age. The elders were respected above everyone else, and they were to always speak first. The children were to start learning the traditions from birth so that they would be efficient at an early age. The family structure was very open, and I could easily detect who was in the leadership roles. At birth, Oona’s caregivers were her parents, but she also looked to her grandparents for guidance. When she was given her Indian name, she looked up to her name giver as well. The responsibility of Oona as a child was to learn the traditions and the Ojibwe way of life. She was to help with the ricing, hunting, berries, sugaring, and berries for one day she was going to have to do it all on her own. She was taught that when she entered her grandmother and grandfather’s home, she was not to say a word until she was spoken to. If nothing was said by them, nothing would be said in return by Oona. The roles and responsibilities that everyone in the village was given depended on the strengths that they had as an individual. In the new land, Oona’s people weren’t able to hunt, fish, pick berries, or do any of their customary things freely. They were to build real houses, and wear real clothing like the â€Å"strangers†. Soon afterward, the strangers demanded that the children attend school, which soon turned into boarding school because of the distance it was away from their homes. At the boarding schools, the Native children were forced to speak English and forget their traditional ways. They were beaten if they disobeyed their teachers. This brought the book into how the Native culture is today. There aren’t many fluent Ojibwe people, and children are taught the customary methods of survival they were back before treaties were made. When the European settlers came over and started taking over the land, it served as a turning point of the Ojibwe culture and the way that they practiced their ways. When the Europeans came over, Oona and her relatives were forced to pack up and move their things twice. The land that belonged to them their whole lives were being taken over by settlers that thought they â€Å"found† the land. After they had moved, they were forced to start living the way that the new settlers were. While the children were learning the new ways, the adults were as well. Oona’s father had gone to a lumber camp to work. He went to try and earn enough money to build the kinds of houses that the new settlers had already built for themselves. The Native woman began to learn the household needs, and the English language as well. They made clothes similar to the new settlers, and even friended many of them. The way of life that they were once used to was becoming just a speck in their memories. As the generation passes, Oona always remembered to tell the children of how life used to be, and the traditions that were practiced. She recognized that the children would bring the culture with them in the generations to come, but it would never be as traditional as it once was. Oona’s family coped with the changes by having meetings with the elders, and getting their point of view on the new settlers. There was not much that could be done to save their land and go on living in the manner that they were used to. It seemed as though they all had each other even though their lives were changing drastically. Oona’s grandfather once said â€Å"the forests have never failed us†. I don’t think that they ever did, but the new settlers and their new ways definitely did. It wasn’t a choice for Oona’s family to adhere to the new way of life, but the decision was already made for them by the new settlers. I think that as hard as it sounded, the family coped with the changes very well. In the book, it was before federal and state policy was made. Although, tribal reservations were in the making, and the segments of land that were being saved for the Indian people was laid out. When a white man shows up with a paper that must be obeyed, it was required the people to move to the White Earth reservation. It was government policy at that time, in the 1840s, to move all northern Midwest U. S. Indians there in a kind of concentration camp. They were able to resume their traditional life until the boarding school era began. This was when the United States was becoming more unified, and the land was being distributed among the new settlers and the Ojibwe people. When the reservations were made, this was the only place where the Native Americans could hunt, fish, rice, sugar, plant, and pick berries. They could no longer set up summer and spring villages off the reservation to go about their traditional ways. Ms. Broker made reference to the bad eating habits that many Native Americans have today due to the change in traditional food gathering. If the Native Americans were able to collect food like they did before the new settlers, there wouldn’t be such a high degree of obesity and diabetes on the reservations today. In the book, Oona’s family always found a way to get off their designated land and gather more food, but I’m sure the generations to come found this more difficult. Appropriate skills that a social worker could use to strengthen and support the families would first off to be aware of the history of Native Americans. To be aware of the changes that they had to make to be an existing culture today. A social worker could work with family members one on one, but also in a group setting to see how they react in the different ways. A social worker could become aware of what the hardships this particular family would be facing, and also the historical trauma that they might be going through. Activities that a social worker could have would be sessions on learning more about the historic culture. Many Native American people today aren’t aware of the things that our ancestors had to go through when the new settlers came over. Our ancestors were assimilated into the modern culture, and it would be beneficial for our culture today to know the changes that were made. If there were a high school or middle school social worker helping these families, they could help shape Native American activities after school. Activities like pottery and beading, or even a language extra-curricular. There could be many options available to help Native people become in touch with their culture more. At the end of the book, Ms. Broker made it relevant that the younger generation does thrive to know the culture, and the stories of the past. It was like a revolving door of knowledge in her family in regards to the stories being passed down through the generations. I think that if everyone knew these hardships that the Native American people faced, they would have more respect for the culture, and the people of the culture. It is interesting to see how many people aren’t aware of the changes the Native American people went through in order for the European settlers to settle here and call it their home. The Chippewa or Ojibwe tribe is one of the largest American Indian tribes in North America. Every time a Native person marries out of their culture, the blood quantum of their children goes down, and in turn the amount of Native American people diminishes. I believe that it is the responsibility of our generation to help with the restoration of our Anishinabe culture. With the help of literacy works like Ms. Broker’s Night Flying Woman, we will be able to make the heritage of our culture known and the descendants of the tribes more aware of the unique history our people went through.

Revolution v. Civil War essays

Revolution v. Civil War essays Although the direct causes of the Civil War were different from those of the American Revolution, they were both caused by the differences in politics, economies, and social structures between each region. Rebellion in each of the wars was caused by people feeling that their government didnt represent their own interests. One of the causes of the American Revolution was the growing gap between the social structures of the colonies and Britain. Britain had a strict social structure where it was almost impossible to get an opportunity to rise into a higher class. The aristocrats of Britain looked down on the simplistic ways of the American colonists, who valued self-reliance, equality, and opportunity (The American Revolution: The Causes, 1). The colonies also had many differences between themselves. Even before the American Revolution, the lifestyles of the colonies were distinct from region to region. One of the main causes of these differences was the institution of slavery. In the southern states, social structure was generally rigid, while in the North, the industrial revolution was taking place, creating opportunities for almost any hard-working American man to raise his social status. Politics in the Civil War were much different from those in the American Revolution. Although the South was upset with the high protective tariffs on imported goods, it was not one of the main causes of war (Civil War: The Causes, 1). Northern and Southern leaders were required to work together in the same government, but they had conflicting ideas for the future of the nation. If no more territories entered the United States, the conflicts between the North and South could have been avoided, and wouldnt have grown into a war. Because the nation was expanding and new states were entering the country, there was controversy over whether these new states should be allowed to have slavery. The North was against expanding...

Official and Nonofficial Nicknames of U.S. States

Official and Nonofficial Nicknames of U.S. States The United States has 50 named states; thats obvious. What isnt so obvious is the fact that every one of those states has a nickname (official or not)- or maybe even more than one. Some come out of the pages of history (Constitution State, Land of Lincoln), and some come from what grows there (Peach State, Spud State) or an identifying natural feature (Grand Canyon State). Some just make you want to go there (Sunshine State, Colorful Colorado, Land of Opportunity). Historical Nicknames To folks not living there, some of the nicknames might seem odd or mysterious. Or they might not be what you think. The Constitution State isnt where the U.S. Constitution was drafted (remember, that was in Philadelphia), but rather the nickname comes from the document with regulations for running towns put together in 1639 by three cities; it was called the   Fundamental Orders and is considered by some to be the first constitution written in the States. Theres plenty of debate there whether it constitutes a constitution, however. Wars come into play in Alabama, Maryland, and Tennessee. Yes, the yellowhammer is a bird, but pieces of yellow cloth on the Confederate soldiers uniforms resembled them, earning first the troops the nickname and then eventually the state. And the Old Line refers to the steadfast Maryland troops from the era of the American Revolution. Tennessee soldiers who volunteered during the Mexican-American War (not the War of 1812) earned them their states nickname. Also from the colonial era, the Tar Heel nickname comes from the fact that North Carolina pine trees were harvested to make tar, pitch, and turpentine, used in wooden naval shipbuilding. The messy job ended up with workers inevitably finding the sticky substance on their feet, hence the name.   In 1889 in Oklahoma, settlers poured in to stake land claims. Those who came in early, before the specified time, were called Sooners. The territory became a state in 1907. State Nicknames Heres a listing of the often colorful nicknames of the 50 states. When a state has multiple nicknames, the official or most common state nickname is listed first. Alabama: Yellowhammer State, Heart of Dixie, Camellia State Alaska: The Last Frontier Arizona: Grand Canyon State, Copper State Arkansas: The Natural State, Land of Opportunity, The Razorback State California: Golden State Colorado: Centennial State, Colorful Colorado Connecticut: Constitution State, Nutmeg State Delaware: First State, Diamond State, Blue Hen State, Small Wonder Florida: Sunshine State Georgia: Peach State, Empire of the South, Goober State Hawaii:  Aloha State, Pineapple State Idaho: Gem State, Spud State Illinois: Prairie State, Land of Lincoln Indiana: Hoosier State Iowa: Hawkeye State Kansas: Sunflower State, Salt of the Earth Kentucky: Bluegrass State Louisiana: Pelican State, Sugar State Maine: Pine Tree State Maryland: Old Line State, Free State Massachusetts: Bay State, Old Colony State Michigan: Great Lakes State, Wolverine State Minnesota: North Star State, Gopher State, Land of 10,000 Lakes, Bread and Butter State Mississippi: Magnolia State Missouri: Show Me State Montana: Treasure State, Big Sky State Nebraska: Cornhusker State Nevada: Silver State, Battle Born State, Sagebrush State New Hampshire: Granite State New Jersey: Garden State New Mexico: Land of Enchantment New York: Empire State North Carolina: Tar Heel State, Old North State North Dakota: Peace Garden State, Flickertail State, Roughrider State Ohio: Buckeye State, Modern Mother of Presidents Oklahoma: Sooner State, Panhandle State Oregon: Beaver State Pennsylvania: Keystone State, Quaker State Rhode Island: Ocean State, Little Rhody South Carolina: Palmetto State South Dakota: Coyote State, Mount Rushmore State Tennessee: Volunteer State, Big Bend State Texas: Lone Star State Utah: Beehive State Vermont: Green Mountain State Virginia: Old Dominion Washington: Evergreen State, Chinook State West Virginia: Mountain State Wisconsin: Badger State Wyoming: Equality State, Cowboy State

Waitrose and its Organizational Behaviour Structure Case Study

Waitrose and its Organizational Behaviour Structure - Case Study Example Last year, Waitrose registered gross sales up 251.6 million pound which is 6.8% to just under 4.0 billion pound. Waitrose operating profits (excluding property profits of 8.6 million pound) has increased 38.3 million pound which is 22% increase to 212.1 million pound. It is likely to grow at the rate of 3.6 % (excluding Petrol). It has the market share of 3.9% and has registered growth in operating margin by 5.4% (excluding property profits). Waitrose sales have growth by 47% in last four years. Its market share of the UK organics market stands at over 18%. Sales density of Waitrose has increased by 2.3% to 1,038 pound per square feet. Due to its higher product quality, Waitrose achieved 13 out of 18 quality standard industry awards. Waitrose has maintained its long-term relationship with farmers and suppliers and committed to support and sell only British farm products. Waitrose is providing specialized services to provide knowledge of the products to its customers. So Waitrose aims to combine the convenience of supermarket with the expertise and services of specialist shop and offer price commitment to ensure its customer to get good value for money at Waitrose. These are the sole reasons why Waitrose voted as the most favorites. These are the sole reasons why Waitrose voted as the most favorite grocer of U.K (All the data has been extracted from the website www.waitrose.com ). Individuals as an employee are motivated through the fulfillment of their desires & needs, and is the base for the fact that why people behave in a certain way to achieve their personal goals. The two factor theory (sometimes also called motivation-hygiene theory) was proposed by psychologist Frederick Hertzberg. According to Hertzberg, the factors leading to job satisfaction are separate and distinct from those that lead to job dissatisfaction. Therefore, managers who seek to eliminate factors that can create job dissatisfaction may bring about peace but not necessarily motivation. They will be placating their workforce rather than motivating them. As a result conditions surrounding the jobs such as quality of supervision, pay, company policies, physical working conditions, relation with others and job security is characterized by Hertzberg as hygiene factors. When they are adequate, people will not be dissatisfied; neither will they be satisfied. If we want to motivate people on th eir jobs, Hertzberg suggested emphasizing factors associated with the work itself or to outcomes directly derived from it, such as promotional opportunities, opportunities for personal growth, recognition, responsibility and achievement. Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory based on five needs, first two lower needs and later three upper needs (Physiological, Safety, Social, and Esteem & Self Actualization) has received wide recognition, particularly among practicing managers. This can be attributed to the theory's intuitive logic and ease of understanding. In the later years, Alderfer has reworked Maslow's need hierarchy to align more closely to empirical research. It is revised need hierarchy is labeled ERG theory (Alderfer, 1969). Alderfer argues that there are three groups of core needs- existence, relatedness & growth. The existence group is concerned with providing basic requirement, which Maslow considered to be physiological and safety needs whereas relatedness considered Masl ow's social needs and the external component of

Smoke Signals, I Stand Here Ironing Movie Review

Smoke Signals, I Stand Here Ironing - Movie Review Example logue from the perspective of a mother who, whilst ironing has her presence requested for meeting from a school administrator regarding her daughter Emily. It is upon this foundation that the mother begins to recall the childhood of her daughter who is now a nineteen year old woman. It is made abundantly clear that the mother I actuality has very little control over her daughter and feels underappreciated though she does still have strong feelings. It is only through a gradual process does the reader come to learn that her daughter had a childhood full of poverty where the narrator identifies that she was in fact nineteen years old when she gave birth toe Emily. Both the narrator and Emily suffer from abandonment issues owing to the husband/father abandoning the young pair. It is at this point that the narrator leaves the child with the husband’s family further presenting abandonment issues for Emily who ultimately was sent to a sanitarium. In the film â€Å"Smoke Signals† one finds a tale between two young men, Thomas and Victor who share the same father figure named Arnold. Victor is the actual son of Arnold and Thomas was saved by Arnold from a burning house which took the lives of his birth parents. It becomes apparent that Thomas idolizes Arnold as a savior and Victor views Arnold through a very critical lens. After Arnold dies the two men must travel across the country to retrieve his ashes and it is upon this foundation that the two men make begin to begin to vent their frustrations and come to grips with their true feelings regarding their father figure ultimately dealing with issues of abandonment, alcoholism and the true origin of the fire that took the life of Thomas’s parents (Arnold started the fire by accident with a fire cracker). The film culminates with Victor becoming more compassionate towards his father and his situation whereas Thomas reasserts his deep admiration of Arnold. From the outset the comparisons between the film and the short

Wynn Resort Essay Example for Free

Wynn Resort Essay Executive Summary 1.) Purpose To know if what is the overall strategy of Steve Wynn to make Wynn Resorts, Ltd. on the right track and quite a remarkable company. 2.) Statement of the Problem There are three problems which I found out in the case, and these are the three challenges that Wynn will have to face, and the future may throw some curveballs along the way. First is need to secure a way to maintain the competitive advantage as increased competition is introduce both domestically and abroad into the gaming industry. Second, The Macau government reserves the right to take control of the Wynn Casino in 2017; this would be detrimental to the profits for the company, and some solutions will need to be devised to ensure that the survival of the company is not majorly dependent on the revenues generated by Wynn Macau resort and casino. A third concern about future success, but certainly not the final concern, is the loss of Steve Wynn himself. Losing Steve Wynn would mean losing his expertise, passion and governmental ties. In the most likely scenario, a loss of Steve Wynn may result in the sale of the firm to a competing company, such as MGM Inc. 3.) Alternative Courses and Actions Wynn must focus on differentiating the company by concentrating on the atmosphere and design of the resorts. Wynn Rsort must enhance customers service and luxury as full-service provider. 4.) Recommendation Wynn must not only focus to target high-end gaming customers, but he must also offer affordable goods and services to the middle-income clients. This segment includes vacationers and younger people looking for relatively inexpensive place to say with the understanding that most of their budget will go to dining and entertainment. Methods of Analysis 1. SWOT Analysis SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths 1. The greatest operational strength Wynn Resorts, Ltd. has is the founder himself, Steve Wynn. 2. The resort has earned AAA five diamond, Mobil five-star, Forbes five-star, and Michelin five star ratings for hotel, as well as one Michelin star for restaurant Wing Lei, and is considered to be one of the finest hotels in the world. 3. One of Wynn Resorts’ greatest marketing strength is strategic development of its product. The product that Wynn sells is a luxury destination experience that makes customers feel pampered and value through high-quality amenities and customer service. 4. Steve Wynn is widely considered the â€Å"Father of Luxury Gambling†, and he is largely responsible for the image change and societal perspective change of the city of Las Vegas. | Weaknesses 1. The company’s complete dependence of Steve Wynn is a significant weakness. 2. Focusing solely on the high-end market could be a marketing weakness in that Wynn is missing a large customer base of middle-income clients. 3. Wynn Resorts’ biggest disadvantage is its youth. MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment are companies with history and territory. They have the majority of premier legal gambling locations such as Atlantic city under their thumb and they will create difficult barriers to entry for Wynn Resorts.| Opportunities 1. As the boomers retire, they are spending more money on leisure and recreation, and they are piling into the casinos, this growing represents an opportunity for the gaming industry and for Wynn Resorts specifically. 2. The development of a casino in Macau is a strategic opportunity. 3. Wynn Macau provides the opportunity for cross-marketing with Wynn Las Vegas, because the target market segment in both Wynn Las Vegas and Wynn Macau is high income, customers have resources to travel and vacation in other parts of the world, which can make cross-marketing very effective.| Threats 1. Social norms in the United States differ from those practiced in Macau and should not be universally applied. 2. The ability of the government to take control of the casino at any time it deems appropriate is a significant threat to the success of Wynn Resorts because it could lose control of its operation in Macau. 3. Another threat exists in the possibility of Wynn Resorts, Ltd. being unable to collect on its gaming debts. 4. The loss of Steve Wynn, himself.| Bibliography 1. http://www.studymode.com/essays/Swot-Analysis-Wynn-Ltd-946073.html 2. http://www.investingvalue.com/investment-leaders/steve-wynn/index.html

Akeelah and the Bee Essay -- Film Review

Akeelah Anderson, an eleven year old African American student from the Crenshaw neighborhood of South Los Angeles, struggles to overcome the limitations of her environment in order to succeed in a national spelling bee competition. As our group discussed the film Akeelah and the Bee we first wanted to look at the themes the film presents. We originally thought of the more oblivious ones such as how race and socioeconomic class play apart in the film. We also started to notice that the film presented an idealized view of how one individual can transform a community. We came to am agreement that the film gives clear representations of both the traditional and progressive forms of education, but neglects to do anything to address the socioeconomic issues that critical theorists focus on. The film opens with the returning of spelling tests in an under-privileged, and traditional school. The first sign of a traditional based school is the way the classrooms are designed and set up, with all of the desks facing the front toward the teacher's desk and chalk board. The movie begins with the teacher handing out spelling test scores, and everyone except Akeelah’s spelling test is under the satisfactory mark. The teacher gave the students words to memorize and recite back on the test later that week, and focuses on basic rote memorization where all of the students are tested on the same level, which is common in a traditional school. The movie shows how the traditional classroom setting is flawed, and seems to be at a standstill not allowing for growth or a true learning experience. As states in School and Society: â€Å"This concern is not hypothetical. Many of the specific tests being used to generate speeches and articles about the ... ...to make a predominantly white, coffee-drinking consumer group feel less bad about school children in the ghetto. The film is a good example of how powerful progressive education can be with glimpses of traditional classroom, but fails to understand the Although this type of environment threatens her ability to be a very smart and gifted student, a few people in her life realize her potential. Akeelah gets this opportunity because the district gets involved with Crenshaw, Akeelah’s school, because their test scores are so low, and will not receive the full funding it needs in order to provide simple supplies to their students such as book and bathroom stalls: â€Å"The district is breathing down my back, the test scores are low again.† (Akeelah and the Bee), and the principle thinks that if a student does well at the national bee then it will get more attention.

The demand for telecommunications is rapidly increasing in Belize Essay

Research has found that an estimated fifty million minutes of international long distance telephone calls originate from Belize each year. The government has aimed to ensure that consumers have lower prices, higher quality services, wider array of service choices, and state of the art technology. It also seeks to improve the efficiency of numerous business ventures which would facilitate the economy of the country. An improved telecommunications infrastructure will also increase the level of foreign investment. The telecommunications sector has been constrained by limited financial ability to invest in development of new infrastructure (Fox 103, 2007). As a state run institution, BTL has found it difficult to maintain a state of the art telecommunications network. Satellite, cellular, and information technologies are changing at a rapid rate. Belize already faces several disadvantages as compared with its neighbors because it is losing competition in terms of cellular teledensity. It also has the greatest unsatisfied demand for services and the longest average wait for installation of telephone lines. It also suffers from a disadvantage in terms of the number of lines per employee and level of investment per employee. BTL has invested twenty dollars in telecommunications for every inhabitant. Other countries with similar economic levels have invested two to ten times higher. The country has annually invested less in telecommunication than the amount needed to maintain the current level of personal welfare enjoyed. The low investment rate has created several problems for BTL (Fox 103, 2007. Research conducted for a group of Belizeans determined that forty percent of the participants had no idea about the telecommunication reforms. Twenty percent claimed that government plans to reform the telecommunication sector would fail. The government aims to ensure that the demand for telecom services will increase if the level of services is upgraded and modernized. The country aims to privatize and liberalize the sector which would give an incentive for private organizations to provide services in remote areas of the country. Numerous communities in Belize do not have access to adequate telecommunication services. Private companies have been selected to tap for customers who would provide a large number of citizens with the opportunity to obtain telecommunications services. The Public Utilities Commission which was formed in the late 1990s regulates the telecommunications industry in Belize. It has worked with the government to develop a policy framework for the telecommunications sector. This policy is the future blueprint and development of the industry (Cronin 31, 2007). The Belize Telecommunications Act was passed in 2002 which allowed all licenses, permits, and permission for operating until the expiry of previous licenses. This act allows the development of the telecommunications industry by the system of competition. It has granted two licenses to the Belize Telecommunications Limited and International Telecommunications Limited. An individual license was also provided to Speednet Communications Limited. The PUC has granted an estimated twenty licenses for internet service providers, data networks, and private domestic networks (Cronin 32, 2007). The PUC has also allowed the improvement in the set of rules and software applications to improve the quality of communications. Belize has not managed to open its telecommunications market to competition and privatization. As a result it has been experiencing slower sector growth and higher prices as compared with its neighbors. High prices and the slow rate of innovation have been identified as being responsible for the slow pace of development (Cronin 29, 2007). There are also limited opportunities for entrepreneurial initiatives. The new government aims to properly design and implement reforms in the telecommunications sector. It requires political will and capacity to reform which would assist in the development of the telecommunications sector. It also requires the need for clear policies and basic rules of the game. The policy for licensing new companies must be clear as it would ensure that the sector structure is secure in the future. The pricing rules must be well defined which would allow firm numbers and simple formulas for automatic adjustments to hold for several years. Another requirement is the powers of the regulatory authority and the decision making processes will be used in interactions with regulators. Credible and stable sector policies and rules are another objective of the government. They aim to create a broad consensus on the reform package (Cronin 30, 2007). Another important step is the government seeks to add credibility to the reform process by relating the process to its success. Good telecommunications laws also need to be implemented according to the objectives of the new government. The current legislation needs to be upgraded so that it can assist in telecommunication reforms in Belize. A major task of the Belizean government has been to create credibility for its telecommunications reform policy. Private investors believe that the absence of credibility would result in the risk of expropriation and having investors taken hostage in terms of the ability of the government to force utilities to charge unprofitable rates for their services. While the government wants to encourage private investment, it must create an institutional arrangement that limits their own ability to behave opportunistically once private telecom operators undertake their investments. The creation of regulatory bodies creates questions concerned with accountability and autonomy. Empirical studies that have studied the Belizean telecommunication sector have tried to explain the partial telecommunications reforms or the effects of political and institutional variables on network deployment. Research has explored how new political institutions measured by index of checks and balances affect the long run level of penetration in Belize (Cronin 39, 2007). Political limits have a strong and positive relationship with the growth of main lines. It highlights the importance of policy for promoting steady and strong incentives to private investors in a sector where opportunistic behavior might be expected. Other researchers studied the effects of telecommunications regulation and political variables in which they found that these variables help explain the level of network expansion. A better and specific regulatory environment leads to greater investments in telecommunications. Ownership and competition by private investors tend to create favorable environment for the expansion of telecommunications. Regulation helps assist the private firms that enter the telecommunications sector of Belize. Research conducted for the links between privatization and network expansion found that privatization is strongly linked with the efficiency and reliability of the telecommunications sector. Competition a major variable can have a positive effect on the telecommunication sector. Regulation is however considered to negative with relation to network expansion. Regulatory environment constitutes an important factor for private organizations that seek to operate in Belize. Strategic decisions made by companies can be linked with traditional economic factors and regulatory conditions. The performance of the telecom industry affects and is affected by the political and regulatory decisions. Privatization, liberalization and regulatory enhancement are linked and influence each other in the success of the telecom industry (Cronin 69, 2007). Belizean telecommunications market is an emerging market which is considered risky by major telecom operators. It also suffers from volatility because of the vulnerability of the economy to market fluctuations. Consumers in Belize are also sensitive to prices even during the times of economic boom. Low prices and regulations make Belize an unattractive option for Western telecom companies. Despite major bills and reforms, the sector continues to be dominated by the BTL. Belize Telemedia retains its monopoly and hegemony over the telecommunication sector. It is also favorably supported by the government which continues to provide economic assistance to the company. The sluggish capital market and uncertainty about future economic development in Belize means that carriers will prefer technology that makes the most of existing infrastructure. This will increase the sales opportunities with products that offer reliable and efficient service.

Case Study, Amazon: From Book Seller to Service Provider Essay

Niklas Zennstrom stated: â€Å"When we look at investing, we always think about ‘how defensible is this, how likely is it that somebody is going to copy this. ‘ E-commerce tends to be something easy to copy because it’s execution. † Amazon is the world’s largest online retailer since the company opened in the garage of Jeff Bezos’, and its yearly are over 10 billion dollars. Many companies subsequently have copied Amazon and now compete for e-commerce profits; therefore companies like Google and Microsoft become an issue for Amazon. This has instigated Amazon to develop products for other e-commerce businesses, and now Amazon offers business- to -business e-commerce. This paper will discuss whether Amazon is moving away from its core competency of a leading online retailer, and if this is a wise strategy. A brief description of the Amazon database, how Amazon uses each component, and what data management issues may be encountered by Amazon, the relationship between data, information, and how Amazon tackles each will be included in this paper. To survive the invasion of companies like Google, Amazon has resolved to supply a series of computing, storage and other services that make its infrastructure available to businesses and people to assist them administer the technological and logistical parts of their company. Amazon only uses 10 percent of its processing capability, and offering these additional services will not impair other segments of the online retailer. This is a move away from its core expertise; however, this is a shrewd decision on the part of the Amazon Company. This strategy allows the company to boost earnings by using resources already on hand. This is similar to a landlord deciding to rent out the empty apartment as a storage unit, because it was not used by a family. The space was already there the landlord just found a new use for the vacant space. The Amazon database is made up of the Simple Storage Service (S3), the Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), and the Mechanical Turk. These services programs are an attempt by Amazon to be a principal competitor in the next development of the Internet. The Simple Storage Service allows businesses to warehouse data and applications on Amazon disk drives at 15 cents per gigabyte per month. For 10 cents an hour Amazon offers processing power on the Elastic Compute Cloud which is the same as one rudimentary server. The Mechanical Turk is the most complex of the three Amazon database components, and is commission based. Rainer, Turban wrote in the: Introduction to Information Systems: Supporting and Transforming Business, 2nd Edition, that the: â€Å"Mechanical Turk service combines processing power with networks of real people who are paid to do the kind of work that machines cannot do well, such as recognizing inappropriate content in images or transcribing audio. Companies post pieces of work onto the Mechanical Turk and pay people online, for which Amazon receives a 10 percent commission. † The data management issue that might be encountered by Amazon is how much space they can rent out before it takes away space and time from the online retailer system. A second issue would be what Amazon must do when Google and Microsoft start to copy and develop similar products at a lower price. Amazon concentrate on declining sales by increasing its productivity to ensure investors will see the profit growth they expected form the online retailer. Amazon decided to offer services that no other online retailer provided and this is how they tackled all their current issues. Amazon is helping thousands of companies store and debug their data information, therefore all three programs can be used together by a client to store e-mails after they check them for malware, and see what keywords draw prospective consumers to their sites. I think Amazon will succeed goal to revolutionize retailing as long as they understand how to adapt quickly in business.

Free Essays on Revelation by Flannery OConnor

When I finished reading â€Å"Revelation† by Flannery O’Connor I began to realize the importance of the title. The definition of a revelation is to uncover, unveil, or to discover and that is exactly what took place in this specific short story. A revelation is not merely a word a character continuously says but a life lesson that is taught to a character. It was the main character, Mrs. Turpin, who was taught in such a bizarre way what a cruel person she is that it initially shocked me. However, as a reader I found the literary element of foreshadowing used when Mrs. Turpin replies, â€Å"I thank the Lord he has blessed me with a good one(disposition). The day has never dawned that I couldn’t find something to laugh at.†(O’Connor Page 315) When Mrs. Turpin and her husband, Claud, had to remain in the waiting room the very first thing that Mrs. Turpin did was question the doctor for charging five dollars a patient and not having a â€Å"decent size waiting room.† The next thing she did was harshly judge the other patients including an older lady, a â€Å"white-trash woman† and a cruel depiction of an eighteen year old girl, Mary Grace. The narrator says, â€Å"The poor girl’s face was blue with acne and Mrs. Turpin thought how pitiful it was to have a face like that at that age.† Mrs. Turpin does rude things such as occupy herself at night by naming the classes of people and question who she would be if she couldn’t be herself, having to choose from a poor white citizen or an African American. Mrs. Turpin doesn’t understand that she isn’t the only person who can judge until she notices Mary Grace trying to single her out by starring at her and rolling her eyes. Mrs. Turpin is astonished and says, â€Å"It was the ugliest face she had ever seen anyone make and for a moment she was certain that the girl had made it at her.† Shortly after Mary Grace threw the text book she was reading about Human Develop... Free Essays on Revelation by Flannery O'Connor Free Essays on Revelation by Flannery O'Connor When I finished reading â€Å"Revelation† by Flannery O’Connor I began to realize the importance of the title. The definition of a revelation is to uncover, unveil, or to discover and that is exactly what took place in this specific short story. A revelation is not merely a word a character continuously says but a life lesson that is taught to a character. It was the main character, Mrs. Turpin, who was taught in such a bizarre way what a cruel person she is that it initially shocked me. However, as a reader I found the literary element of foreshadowing used when Mrs. Turpin replies, â€Å"I thank the Lord he has blessed me with a good one(disposition). The day has never dawned that I couldn’t find something to laugh at.†(O’Connor Page 315) When Mrs. Turpin and her husband, Claud, had to remain in the waiting room the very first thing that Mrs. Turpin did was question the doctor for charging five dollars a patient and not having a â€Å"decent size waiting room.† The next thing she did was harshly judge the other patients including an older lady, a â€Å"white-trash woman† and a cruel depiction of an eighteen year old girl, Mary Grace. The narrator says, â€Å"The poor girl’s face was blue with acne and Mrs. Turpin thought how pitiful it was to have a face like that at that age.† Mrs. Turpin does rude things such as occupy herself at night by naming the classes of people and question who she would be if she couldn’t be herself, having to choose from a poor white citizen or an African American. Mrs. Turpin doesn’t understand that she isn’t the only person who can judge until she notices Mary Grace trying to single her out by starring at her and rolling her eyes. Mrs. Turpin is astonished and says, â€Å"It was the ugliest face she had ever seen anyone make and for a moment she was certain that the girl had made it at her.† Shortly after Mary Grace threw the text book she was reading about Human Develop...

Parents: 10 Tips to Prepare Your Teen For Sophomore Year

For many parents, their teens’ high school years represent a difficult balance to strike. During freshman year, students may still need significant support and guidance from their parents, but by senior year, most parents hope that their students will soon be capable of venturing out on their own. The transition to independence during a time of such high stakes can be delicate to maneuver for many well-meaning parents who want to encourage freedom while still providing a safety net. Sophomore year in particular can sometimes prove trying for the relationships between parent and teen. While freshman year represented transition and likely a great deal of excitement about the start of high school, by sophomore year that newness has worn off and students can no longer take as much time to acclimate as grades and coursework gain momentum. If you’re the parent of a rising sophomore, you probably already know that during sophomore year your teen will begin to take the first major steps towards realizing his or her college dreams. In this post, we outline ten considerations for supporting your teen through this transformational year. For many teens, the years after high school seem like a distant and abstract time. The reality, though, is that the future will be here before either of you knows it, and there’s no better time to start discussing it than now. Be an open sounding board for your teen as he or she discusses possible career choices, college preferences, and other ambitions. Try to offer insight and perspective without being overbearing. For some useful conversation-starters, see these posts: Although your teen’s first experiences with actual standardized testing probably won’t be until the PSAT during fall of junior year, you can encourage him or her to get a realistic idea of his or her starting point by taking a practice test during sophomore year. Make sure your teen knows that it’s still early to get a very good read on standardized testing potential, but that having some rough idea of a starting point will ultimately make standardized test prep a little easier later on. Starting during sophomore year, your teen is able to gain actual experience in certain career fields. Depending on your teen’s age and the laws in your state, he or she may be eligible for an actual job. Even if he or she is not, you can still encourage your teen to gain experience through volunteer opportunities or unpaid internships. Start a conversation about your teen’s interests and consider different angles for applying them towards a future career. Have conversations about interests and ambitions. Try to inspire some more thought about the future. While it is still a bit early to think seriously about a future career, it’s never too early to bounce ideas around. Taking personality and career tests can actually be a fun way for your teen to start to consider options and to frame his or her strengths and interests in a productive way. Encourage your teen to explore some of these tests. Many are available online, and taking them with friends can even be a fun, social activity. To get started, point your student to Career One Stop . Career One Stop is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor and provides career, training and job search resources. Interest and skills assessments give you an idea of careers you might possibly pursue based on your unique passions and experiences, while career profiles and videos provide insight into professions you might not have otherwise considered. Another casual and fun way to explore future career options is through career days at school. You can help your teen to make the most of these events by perusing the event flyers in advance to preview who is visiting and what presentations sound most appealing. If your teen is interested, encourage him or her to make a list of the presenters he or she would like to see. Your student might even wish to compile a list of questions for these professionals in advance to truly maximize the experience. Our Early Advising Program helps students in 9th and 10th grade discover their passions and build strong academic and extracurricular profiles to succeed in high school. Sophomore year is the year that the college search begins to get real. If your teen has not already, he or she should begin to keep a college list. This list will grow and change with time, but it should reflect schools that your teen might consider attending. As time goes on, it will narrow in focus and your teen’s true college ambitions will become clearer. To learn more about starting a college list, see these posts: Some parents tend to think that because you yourself handled the college application process with ease, you’ll be a great resource for your teen when it’s his or her turn. While you may still be a great source of support and inspiration, in actuality, the college admissions process is changing rapidly and it likely bears little resemblance to the one you undertook. Rather than taking on the role of the teacher, make learning about the college application process into a team endeavor. Set aside some time with your teen to do some online research, pick up a few relevant, updated books or magazines, or chat with someone who’s gone through the process recently. While freshman year was a time to explore new options and branch out, sophomore year is time to focus in. Encourage your teen to identify the activities for which he or she truly has a passion, and to invest more time in these while letting other, less productive activities go. Ideally, your teen should eventually focus in on two or three extracurriculars that represent broad interests, ideally incorporating some kind of service element. If your teen needs help thinking about extracurriculars, point him or her to our posts A Guide to Extracurricular Activities: Grade 10 and A Guide to Choosing Electives in High School . Again, sophomore year is early to get serious about the college search, but there are plenty of fun ways to explore different options and, by doing so, gain some more insight into what your teen is looking for in a potential college. One fun way to do this is by perusing online college tours. Many of these have gotten very technologically advanced and include sound, 3-D video, and easily navigable experiences. You might choose to virtually tour any of the colleges on your teen’s preliminary college list, or for a list of some schools offering online college tours, check out the site eCampus Tours . Here, you’ll find a virtual tour of over 1,300 colleges searchable by state. Â   For many families, financial considerations play a significant role in choosing a college, and even for families who don’t need to weigh these factors, scholarships are still a smart way for students to gain recognition for their achievements. Many students are surprised to hear that sophomore year is a great time to begin reviewing scholarship applications. Many scholarships have stringent application requirements and if you don’t begin researching them early, you could be ineligible by the time application deadlines roll around. For example, to be eligible for the National Key Club scholarship program, students must be members of the Key Club with two years tenure. Other scholarships have strict GPA or standardized test score requirements. Begin your research early and arm yourself with knowledge about the scholarships best suited to your teen. Guiding your teen can be a delicate balance. On the one hand, you want to be a source of support and a shoulder to lean on. On the other, though, you want to provide the structure and accountability that many teens need. If you feel your teen needs a little extra boost from an outside source, consider the benefits of the Near Peer Mentorship Program , which provides access to practical advice on topics from college admissions to career aspirations, all from successful college students.

Nature vs Nurture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nature vs Nurture - Essay Example Some researchers support the argument that nature is responsible for the makeup of an individual’s behavioral patterns which can be modified through interaction with society. They suggest that human beings are not happy or sad because of their environment but individuals are different from each other because of their genetic makeup granted to them by their parents. Opponents of this approach argue that the behavioral patterns have nothing to do with genes because a human being can be modified into whatever kind of a person the nurturer wants him to grow into. Part 2 My friend’s parents were both doctors and they wanted their daughter to become one too. The girl herself had very much willingness and interest toward becoming a doctor and everybody knew that she had an inborn talent and ability to excel in the field of medicine. However, when she passed her high school, she had not enough marks to get into a medical school. She took admission in a computer science universi ty and made up her mind to study hard and show to the world that she can do it. And unbelievingly, she kept on passing with good grades in a field which was just opposite to her inborn talent and abilities.