Mariono Blanch Autobiography

Hi, I’m Mariono im 15 years old and during my 15 years of existence I’ve learned many things I’ve also experienced many things, but I also have surrounded my beliefs around things I was taught. The one major thing that I go by which I call a belief is expressing your feelings and not holding them in ask for help if you need it. I say this because I had to learn the hard way and hurting others while learning. My mom is a single parent she is also flight attendant so she travels a lot and I didn’t really have a male figure in my life because my father left when I was younger so I had a lot of anger in me and I never really said anything. I wouldn’t say that I had an attitude but it was like I was mad at the world I felt like I was being punished for nothing so as I got older people would bring up my situation more and more. They would ask me questions like are you okay? Are you happy? Should we talk about it? Then I would be dishonest because I was so determined that I was going to keep a motto me, myself and I. I also would get jealous sometimes when I saw happy families together because that feeling turned me kind of bitter. As my teen years started to come the more accomplishments I achieved the more angry I got because I wanted that father and son bond time. It started to affect me a lot I started to think different in school, lashing out at people for nothing so of course people started to notice the difference in me. Then people started offering me help and some I didn’t even know so then I stopped talking a lot and one day me and my mom had a disagreement about a box of cereal and then my body just let go and I snapped. It was like I couldn’t control myself I was letting so much out over something so small and once I cooled down I sat down and thought about it and I thought to myself I can’t live like this. So I ask my mom for some changes so now I live with a full figure family a little bother a little sister and I have a dad to talk to and now I can release myself. Sometimes I will think about my past and the choices I made and how I grew up and when I do I just simply talk to someone without being afraid of being judged. I try to spread and help people with my belief as much as I can and I just want to close out by saying your body is like a temple it’s a certain amount of everything it can take before a reaction come out so you should try to take care of it as much as possible don’t leave stress in anger and you ask for help then release it.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Essay

What’s an NP? A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has additional education and training in a specialty area such as family practice or pediatrics. Pediatric and family practice NPs can provide regular health care for kids. Nurse practitioners have a master’s degree in nursing and board certification in their specialty. A pediatric NP has advanced education, skills, and training in caring for infants, children, and teens. Licensed as nurse practitioners and registered nurses, NPs follow the rules and regulations of the Nurse Practice Act of the state where they work. If accredited through the national board exam, the NP will have an additional credential such as Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner or Certified Family Nurse Practitioner Task performed by a pediatric nurse practitioner ï‚ · Diagnosing, treating, evaluating and managing acute and chronic illness and disease ï‚ · obtaining medical histories and conducting physical examinations ï‚ · Ordering, performing, and interpreting diagnostic ï‚ · Prescribing physical therapy and other rehabilitation treatments ï‚ · Prescribing pharmacologic treatments and therapies for acute and chronic illness ï‚ · Providing prenatal care and family planning services ï‚ · providing well-child care, including screening and immunizations ï‚ · Providing primary and specialty care services, health-maintenance care for adults, including annual physicals ï‚ · Providing care for patients in acute and critical care settings ï‚ · Counseling and educating patients on health behaviors, self-care skills, and treatment options Education requirements An advanced degree in nursing is required for pursuing a career as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Before a student enrolls in a master’s degree program, completion of an undergraduate degree program in nursing is necessary. While many students complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, other students may choose to complete an associate degree in nursing program followed by an ADN-MSN bridge program Regardless of undergraduate degree choice, the curriculum prepares students for careers as nurses. Undergraduate degrees programs include general education courses and nursing-specific courses and clinical. The clinical experience places students in a live health care setting, such as a hospital or health clinic. Core nursing classes include topics, such as: * Community nursing * Health assessment * Nursing ethics * Anatomy and physiology * Complex health problems Schools that provide programs in this career: USF UCF UF Salary The salary for this career ranges from experience; the more experienced you are the higher your pay the less experienced you are the lower your pay. Average – $92,250 High – $109,688 Low – $81,509 Sources http://www1.salary.com/Nurse-Practitioner-Salary.html http://www.graduatecatalog.ucf.edu/programs/program.aspx?id=1362&tid=708 http://health.usf.edu/nursing/academics/pediatric/index.htm http://admissions.nursing.ufl.edu/degrees/graduate/master-of-science-in-nursing/family-nurse-practitioner/ http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/doctor/nurse_practitioner.html http://education-portal.com/pediatric_nurse_practitioner.html http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_task_performed_by_nurse_practitioners

Common social-political barriers corporate aviation operators confront Research Paper

Common social-political barriers corporate aviation operators confront when attempting to enter foreign markets - Research Paper Example The corporate aviation industry can help in the economic development of an entire region or a particular industry such as tourism. But it is also dependent on the latent demand for goods and services. Thus lack of air transport can stymie the economic growth and lead to excesses or inappropriateness in supply. The corporate aviation industry can thus shape the speed and form of globalization and the related processes. With increasing globalization, the air aviation industry is trying to invest in foreign countries to expand their bases. But such a strategy has many ramifications such as migration of labor. Thus corporate aviation needs to carefully strategize its choices so that they can achieve operational efficiency. The research problem given is analysis of common social-political barriers which corporate aviation operators face when they attempt to enter foreign markets. With increasing globalization, the national economies have integrated with each other. This has led to flow of trade, capital flows, foreign direct investment, and spread of technology and capital flows. The business aviation industry is an important part of the aviation industry since it caters to the premium segment of the aviation industry. Everything which corporate aviation does basically depends on time and is driven on flexibility. The globalization of trade, supply-chaining, political forces and outsourcing have changed the world for better and worse. In the process of investment in foreign countries a corporate aviation company needs to analyze carefully the political and social factors. This research paper focuses on the social-political barriers which they will face. The corporate aviation industry is a highly protected and regulated one, and it is done with the intention of utilizing it as a lever for attaining larger economic and political objectives. Initially there was no such demand for such an industry, but

Sport and Leisure Management - Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sport and Leisure Management - Portfolio - Essay Example Once that was done we had to pick the day for the event, and we picked Friday 13th March. This is because it was the same day as Comic relief our chosen charity. I would like to thank The Student Union (SU) for providing the  £150 for the event to take place and also for providing us with the prizes hanks to the SU for the free prizes they had provided us with which was T-Shirts for the winners. My allocated weightings were the same for Thomas Rose, Brandon, Liam, Daniel Dinnen and myself. The allocation reflects the fact that everyone had the same involvement on the event day and everyone contributed equally. This was either getting the teams, prizes, refereeing or filling in scores. Unfortunately, one member did not turn up till near the end and didn’t really contribute to the event of the day. This is why I equally distributed everyone else the same weighting. Although Dan did not get the teams he was supposed to, he was there and still helped on the Event Day. My contribution was to fill in the scores at the end of the games and get two teams to play which was more than anyone else. Brandon was on the laptop taking results and ensuring that everything was in place while Tom and Liam refereed. Dan also referred in a few games. Ten teams were needed to break even the  £150 that would be used to hire the pitches. This was not possible since we had only six teams which would not have catered for the break even costs and it meant making a loss. With the turn of events we were, we had to pay the remaining amount from our pockets to supplement the deficit. Sale of raffles did not take place as we had planned and this meant more reduction of the projected profits. Our initial target of minimum eight teams was not possible since teams were pulling out of the tournament, though this was our fault for not gathering money beforehand to prevent them from withdrawing. Brandon Bryan, Tom Rose, Liam

The Changes in Business Strategies for the Royal Furniture Term Paper - 1

The Changes in Business Strategies for the Royal Furniture - Term Paper Example In order to cope with these challenges, Royal Furniture has to bring a positive change in the company’s overall structure through the integration of change management, organizational behavior, and corporate strategies. This is important to sustain long-term modifications because critics argue that change management comes along with unavoidable risks and failures (Burnes, 2009). Hence Royal Furniture would have to critically evaluate its past and present performance prior to making future strategies. The Royal Furniture is operating in the international furniture industry for more than four decades. However, the company is currently facing immense challenges in terms of business policies, structure, and people. For instance, competition is drastically increasing because competitors are implementing new management and marketing strategies. Moreover, the business environment all over the world is now dominated by customized products and services. This has persuaded many organizations to change their traditional business structure and policies. Globalization has greatly facilitated business expansion while unveiling new markets and business opportunities, but it has also boosted the competition in the international consumer market subsequently leading to the change in business environment (Gottschalk, 2007). The consumer mindset is transforming as per the latest trends prevailing in the society which has been facilitated by intense communication networks. Social networking and internet marketing has proved fairly beneficial to the progress and development of different organizations.  

Florida National University Research Project - Strategic Management Paper

Florida National University Project - Strategic Management - Research Paper Example It has other of its campuses located in different regions, mostly the second floors of shopping centers, to take into consideration the ease of accessibility of the facilities by the physically challenged (Alonso, 2013). The Florida National University has a mission of contributing to the education of a diverse population, which is made up of a large percentage of Hispanic culture. In doing this, the University seeks to ensure that students are well prepared for gainful employment, through assisting them advance in the careers of their interest, while at the same time ensuring that the requisite skills and knowledge is imparted on the students, to enhance their competitiveness in the world of employment. To achieve this, the University has worked to control the size of the classes, while also providing the necessary facilities that will not only facilitate the attainment of quality education by the students, but also foster advancement in modern technology (Alonso, 2013). In line wit h serving the interest of the society, the Florida National University also offers cultural programs that develop the societal-cultural values of the community. SWOT analysis for Florida National University Strengths Despite having started two decades ago, Florida National University was declared a fully fledged University only early last year. This notwithstanding, there are several strengths that are associated with Florida National University. First, the University has equipped itself with the state of the art facilities, which enables students to undertake their learning in a favorable environment (Alonso, 2013). This does not only serve to support the students in their career development, but also serves to enhance their competitiveness in the world of employment, since they are taught under a modernized technology environment. The University has several vital educational facilities, which include a language lab, a media center, dental lab, an X-ray lab, a computer lab and a me dical lab (Alonso, 2013). These facilities are aimed at facilitating the smooth and effective learning of the students, while also ensuring that they are well equipped with sufficient knowledge and skills that make them competent professionals in the fields of their careers. Another of the strengths of Florida National University is the fact that it specializes in small class teaching (Alonso, 2013). This is vital since it ensures that the students are well attended to by their lecturers, since the lecturer is not overburdened and overwhelmed by the class population. This is a major milestone towards ensuring that the University produces competent graduates, since they have had sufficient assistance from the lecturers during their tenure at the university, and thus are well imparted with the requisite career knowledge and skills. Additionally, the Florida National University has a strength in the fact that it seeks to enrich the society which it serves, through developing cultural p rograms that are aimed at fostering the cultural values of that society (Alonso, 2013). This becomes one of the strengths of the University, since such an initiative reinforces the relationship existing between the institution and the surrounding

Business ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business ethics - Essay Example The paper tells that the 21st century workplace is a dynamic one and throws new scenarios and challenges every day. There are numerous ethical problems that arise and the decision making needs to be supported by strong ethical principles for everyone involved to be benefited. There are various ethical principles ad theories that have been discussed in great detail in theory and these needs to be applied in every day decision making. Moral and ethics is not always about being right/wrong or true/false but has numerous other considerations and factors such as feelings, preferences, resolutions, demand and many more. The details of the case: the researcher has been working as housing officer with a housing department for two years. During this time the researcher has developed a close friendship with John who is a manager of a local hostel. There had been an opening in my department and John had told me that he would apply for the position. He fears that his current job is at risk as hi s organization has financial difficulties. As the current opening in the researcher’s department needed a degree qualification, the researcher had figured that John would not get the position as he did not have a degree. But the researcher found out yesterday that John has got the job and one of the main reasons for it is his claim that he has Business administration degree from a top British University. The researcher believes John has lied in his application and interview.... Employee loyalty, moral obligation/duty, obedience, honesty, legal responsibility, etc are the various ethics involved in this response. This response is in accordance to the moral theory of obligation. One of the most basic elements of the moral fabric of our society is not to lie. It is very clear that John has lied in order to get the job. This is not just a lie but also a fraud and deception. Fraud and deception of any form violate ethical custom and law (SAGE, 2011). Any responsible citizen of a society, irrespective of being an employee of the organization or not, has a moral obligation to the society to stop or act such incidents that affect the value system of the society. Such incidents if not acted upon set a bad example in the society. So even if I was not an employee of the company, it would be my responsibility to bring the issue to the notice of the concerned. As mentioned above it is the moral duty, not just in an organization but in our society, to tell the truth. Mos t ordinary rule of â€Å"ethical custom† is telling the truth (Snoeyenbos & Humber, 2001). If an employee is aware of a lie that is been told to his employer, then the rule of ethical custom imposes a moral duty on the employee to tell the truth. Knowing about the lie and not reporting would question my honesty. Even though I am not directly involved, I would still be dishonest if I don’t act on this issue. Also I owe my loyalty to my employer. As every employee expects his employer to be loyal to him and take care of his needs and necessities so do the employer. Employee loyalty is a legitimate and coherent concept. Organizations expect employees to be loyal to the organization and vice versa. Simple obligations of loyalty that come with a job are to act in such a

Define and discuss sustainable development by focusing on a global Essay

Define and discuss sustainable development by focusing on a global issue - Essay Example Global warming is an issue that has to be looked into urgently in order to curb these effects before they even get worse than they are now. And in dealing with these issues, so many things have to be put into consideration. Will the measures taken be able to sustain this problem over the years to come and will the generations to come be able to put up with these measures? Without a doubt, it is evident that there exist symbiotic relationship and dependency between society (human beings) and natural resources. This relationship is what we refer to as â€Å"social metabolism† (Ghosh & Goswami, 2014, pg. 67). In any given society, natural recourses are what keep the economy moving. They are the backbone of any economy in society. Human beings depend on forests in so many ways. Forests are the sole source of wood used in construction of houses, commercial buildings; office and house hold furniture and so on. Literally in any building or place one walks into, rarely will one miss a â€Å"wood† aspect around them. Forests too are a good source of charcoal and firewood used at homes. Rural societies and some urbanites depend on forest for medicinal purposes since it is in these forests that you will find herbs and wild vegetation that contain medicinal value for curing various human and animal diseases. Forests are a good water catchment area and source of some rivers. Rivers, lakes and other water bodies provide human beings with water. â€Å"Water is life† no living thing in the world can survive without water. Water from rivers is used in irrigation and in other domestic uses by human beings. Water bodies are a source of habitat for creatures that benefit society in one way or the other (Ghosh & Goswami, 2014, pg. 68). Fish is a good source of healthy food for humans. Other than being used for home purpose, most societies living around fresh water bodies have built their economy through the sale of fish, both locally and to other

Study Source Essay Example for Free

Study Source Essay A possible Outline for Answering Question Introduction – You can take several approaches to writing your introduction: -Explain why changes were needed to constitution; why it seemed that the Bay Street Boys always won an election. End your introduction by stating what the focus of your essay will be. -State in summary form what the 1962 elections were and the 1964 constitutional changes were and the 1967 general elections. You introduction could be a study of the two sources. -Your introduction could also include a brief summary of the influence of the 1962 general elections and the 1964 constitutional changes on the 1967 general elections. Body Paragraph 1 – Describe what happened during the 1962 General Elections, e.g. outline the results. Paragraph 2 – Describe the changes in the 1964 Constitution. Paragraph 3 – Explain how the 1962 General Election influenced the 1967 General Election. Paragraph 4 – Explain how the 1964 Constitutional changes influenced the 1967 General Election. Conclusion Draw a conclusion by answering whether there is evidence to prove that the 1962 General Election and the 1964 constitutional changes or reform had a great influence on the results of the 1967 Election. Sum up your main points. You might be tempted to respond to this question as an argumentative essay but it is not an argument essay. You would want to argue that other factors were responsible for the 1967 results and not 1962 and 1964. This  may very well be true but it should not be the focus of your essay. However, you could argue this as a part of your introduction or conclusion.

Importance of selected accounting and related courses as preparation for a management accounting career Essay Example for Free

Importance of selected accounting and related courses as preparation for a management accounting career Essay The heart of the global economy is undergoing a tremendous growth, which has created favorable conditions for professional development accounting career paths.. The present job market is faced with competition and education in a given career choice broadens opportunities. There are numerous types of jobs for individuals to pursuit in the field of accounting with specific requirements for career ranks and particular career clusters. Previously, educators and parents have played a significant role in assisting students choose career paths perceived to be related to economic development and overall economic-driving career path. Career clusters demand similar fundamental education and training, skills and knowledge, and career pathways. Also, accounting career, just like other fields offers the professionals the opportunity to rise along the career ladder from entry level to senior most level.Accounting is the study of the procedure used by a business to track expenses, income, assets, and liabilities over time and at the same time adhering to reporting standards. Accounting career deals with the reporting, recording, and analysis of the financial transactions of a business. While many people think that accounting is a complex career, it is not much about subtracting and adding of numbers, yet about comprehending what those numbers mean and demonstrating the ability to apply and communicate the numbers in an approach that benefits of a business organization. Essentially, accounting revolves around the preparation and analysis of financial statements, which significantly evaluates the success or failures of the company. Accountants act as middle-men between the decision-makers and business activities. As such, they record data from transactions and translate it into a meaning and useful information useful to the management, stockholder, customers, employees, government agencies and creditors. See more:  First Poem for You Essay Accounting Career Cluster                Accounting clusters in accounting involve providing analysis and interpretation of financial records in order to prepare financial documents for regulatory authorities. The job clusters in accounting include tax advisor, auditor, budget analyst, accountant, and actuary. Clusters in accounting encompass career pathways that record, classify, analyze, summarize, and communicate a business’ financial information for management decision-making. Public Accountants               Individuals in public accounting are employed by public accounting firms. They offer a range of accounting activities from financial analysis, statement preparation, private businesses, public firms, non-profit entities and government agencies. Most public accountants are certified public accountants. The most common requirement is a CPA certification, yet there are some other accountings certificates as well, including certified fraud examiner, certified management accountant, and enrolled agents for those specializing in tax. The entry level of a public accountant is a bachelor degree in accounting or finance and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications. A mid-level public accountant must have a CPA certification an advanced degree like an MBA with a focus in accounting or MAcc is useful (Birrer, 2009). Senior level public accountant requires all the mid-level entry requirements with an MBA, or a MAcc is recommended. Financial Accountant                These are accounting individuals that prepares the financial statements based on the general ledgers besides participating in significant financial decisions involving M A, long-term and financial projections. Financial accountants, Birrer (2009) explains, are concerned with how the performance of a company is represented by outside party, loss and cash flow to managers and shareholders. Professionals in financial accounting career path follow the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles set by Financial Accounting Standards Board (Birrer, 2009). The requirements of an entry level a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of business administration. Furthermore, knowledge of bookkeeping, accounting software, accounts payable and receivable. A CPA certification is mandatory for any accountant working for a public company registered with Securities and Exchange Commission. The senior level, however, requires a bachelor in accounting degree or finance or a graduate degree in finance such as MBA. Career paths for financial accountants include staff accountant, bookkeeping, accountant, financial accountant, financial controller, and chief financial officer at a senior level. Management Accountants                  These are individuals employed by public or private companies to support their goals by performing tasks such as budgeting, asset management, cost management, and performance evaluation. Management accountants develop their career to become budget analysts that are responsible for developing and managing financial plans of an organization. There is also a cost accountant profession that works with consulting, corporations or accounting firms in retail and manufacturing sectors. Management accountants, another career path, involve participation in decisions about capital budgeting, business analysis, and shaping business strategy within a company. Management accountants require a bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance and strong technology skills, particularly, in Microsoft Excel (Ankers, 2007). Career LadderPublic Accountant                  According to Institute for Career Research, (2006) reports that the entry level of a public accountant is defined by the types of roles, requirements and job description of pubic accounts. An entry level is a staff accountant, tax personal, or a junior auditor at an accountant firm. Rising through the ranks, the middle level of a public accountant is a senior associate/accountant or tax or a manager for the audit in an accounting firm. The highest accounting rank of a public accountant career path is a senior partner/partner or director of a firm also, a certified public accountant in private practice and a corporate accounting executive or a CFO in a private company. In the senior level, executive accounting oversees audits; tax, drives strategy and business developed and manage client relationships. CPA in private practice, however, works with clients on tax issues, audits or budget analysis. Finally, a CFO conducts senior level management accountant re sponsibilities. Financial Accountant                   The entry level of a financial accountant is a bookkeeper, accountant or a staff accountant for individuals with bachelor’s degree in arts, science or BA. Along the ranks, there is a financial accountant, senior financial analyst and a senior accountant for individuals with all entry level requirements. Besides, strong communications and analytical skills are necessary. The professionals must also demonstrate knowledge of financial regulation. The top most financial accountant career paths include financial director, chief financial officer and a financial controller. These positions require all mid-level entry requirements alongside excellent managerial and interpersonal skills, high standards of accuracy and integrity and a bachelor degree in accounting or finance with MBA desirable (Institute for Career Research, 2006).Management accountants’ entry level becomes staff accountants, junior internal auditor, cost accountant, and a tax accou ntant. Along the ranks, the professionals become accounting managers, senior internal auditor, and a senior accountant. Moreover, the senior-most level is a controller, CFO, director of finance or accounting. While the entry level requires a bachelors’ degree, along the ranks, a senior most position in management accountants requires solid management skills, track record of leadership and excellence in the field and knowledge of the organization and accounting principles of United States. Conclusion                  Discussing career clusters and ladder is such an interesting assignment to establish a solid career path. Accounting professionals are tasked with responsibilities in various career paths and different job ladders. In overall, the accounting field requires professionals to achieve a bachelors’ degree in accounting or finance alongside special skill and knowledge such as communication, computer software, accuracy, integrity, management skills and overall accounting principles. References Ankers, R. G. (2007). Opportunities in an accounting career. New York: Educational Books Division of Universal Pub and Distributing Corp. Birrer, G. E. (2009). Importance of selected accounting and related courses as preparation for a management accounting career. Ann Arbor, Mich: University Microfilms Institute for Career Research. (2006). Career as a certified public accountant: CPA : crunching the numbers and advising businesses and individuals on how to manage their financial affairs. Chicago: Institute for Career Research. Source document

Dubai Property Market Economic Theory

Dubai Property Market Economic Theory With this dissertation what I would like to achieve is the following: I will carry out extensive research on the economic theory behind booms and bursts. I will look at some of the booms and bursts throughout history. I will attempt to make my own economic model behind what caused a boom and its subsequent burst and see if this model can be applied to the economic situation of the property market in Dubai. If a number of variables existed that suggested a burst might be coming, why was nothing done to stop it? 1.2: A brief history of Dubai Thirty years ago almost all of modern Dubai was desert. In the mid 18th century a small nomadic group settled there and built a small town. This small towns underlying asset being pearls. The pearl trade attracted people from all over the middle east, all with dreams of prosperity. The town was named Daba after a local locust that consumed everything it encountered. This rapidly growing town was soon acquired by the Gunships of the British army. Britain maintained control of the area until 1971(The Independent2009). In 1971 Dubai and five surrounding sheikhdoms (Abu Dhabi, Al Fujayrah, Ajman, Umm al Qaywayn and Sharjah) agreed on a federal constitution and became The United Arab Emirates or UAE. In February 1972 a seventh Sheikhdom, Ras al Khaymah joined the UAE. At this point Sheikh Zayid Ibn Sultan Al Nuhayyan of Abu Dhabi became the first president of the UAE. The ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid ibn Said Al Maktum was named vice president, and his eldest son, Sheikh Maktum ibn Rash id Al Maktum, the prince of Dubai, became prime minister. In 1990 Sheikh Maktum succeeded his father as ruler of Dubai and as vice president and prime minister of the UAE (Library of Congress2007). It was around 1971, as the British were leaving that oil was first discovered. However to say that Dubai relied on oil for its growth would be wrong. Dubai had very little oil relative to its neighbouring emirate Abu Dhabi. So Sheikh Maktum had to diversify. He used oil revenues to create something he thought sustainable. Israel used to boast it made the desert bloom; Sheikh Maktum resolved to make the desert boom (The Independent 2009). It became a hub for tourism and financial services, Attracting capital and expertise from all over the globe. He invited the world to come tax free, and people came in their millions. A city seemed to descend from the heavens in thirty years. Would it be sustainable? (Source : The Independent, The Dark side of Dubai, 7 April 2009) (Source: Country Profile : UAE. Library of Congress Federal Research division, July 2007) 1.3: From Boom to bust over night. I arrived in Dubai in 2007 at a point when it was said that a third of the worlds construction equipment was in Dubai. It was the second fastest growing city in the world (second to Moscow) and appeared to be one big construction site. Skyscrapers were appearing over night to cater for increases in demand in property. However, a large part of this demand for property was merely speculatory. Investments in property appeared to be highly attractive and beneficial, especially to foreign investors earning in non dollar currencies. I say this because the dirham is pegged to the dollar (3.75 dhms per US Dollar). It was around late 2007 early 2008 that the dollar reached its weakest point making property in Dubai cheaper to people earning pounds for example. People also assumed that the dollar would one day appreciate; therefore giving investors that extra incentive. Dubais popularity was rapidly increasing and it was booming in the true definition of the word. However in September of 2008 things changed. See the following line graph of average residential sales prices to appreciate the extent of the crash. Figure 1 Residential sale prices (AED/ft2) Source: Landmark Advisory Board 2010. As you can see in Q408 both the average price of apartments and villas plummet from a mutual peak of 1500 AED/ft2 to around 900 AED/ft2 from one month to the next. This is a massive average decrease of 40 percent. I will attempt to demonstrate why this rapid increase in residential prices occurred and its subsequent decline and decide whether the boom and bust can be considered a bubble bursting in its true economic definition. Literature Review The Economic Theory and History behind Bubbles 2.1 An introduction to bubbles Essentially an economic bubble is an increase in the price of an asset or stock above its fundamental value and its subsequent decrease in value and implosion on the bubble is referred to as a burst. When asset prices increase speculators are overwhelmed by a sense of euphoria, chasing short term capital gains. A phenomenon that former chairman of the federal reserve Alan Greenspan memorably called irrational exuberance (Nial Ferguson, The Ascent of Money). Contrarily, when speculators primitive instincts turn from greed to fear, the bubble created by the initial irrational exuberance can burst with astonishing abruptness; almost overnight. Charles Kindleberger defined a bubble as a sharp rise in price of an asset or a range of assets in a continuous process, with the initial rise generating expectations of further rises and attracting new buyers generally speculators interested in profits from trading in the asset rather than its use or earning capacity. The rise is usually followed by a reversal of expectations and a sharp decline in price often resulting in financial crises (Bubble, Bubble, Wheres the Housing Bubble?) The initial boost in augmentation of the economy acts as a catalyst for both lenders and investors optimism about the future and asset prices rise swiftly. Nial ferguson refers to investors as an electronic herd, happily grazing on positive returns one moment, then stampeding for the farmyard gate the next (Nial Ferguson, 2008, 2009). 2.2 Bubbles in History The big ten economic bubbles (Charles P Kindleberger, Robert Z Aliber 2005) 1. The Dutch Tulip Bulb Bubble 1636 2. The South Sea Bubble 1720 3. The Mississippi bubble 1720 4. The late 1920s US stock price Bubble 1927-29 5. The increase in bank loans to Mexico and other developing countries in the 1970s 6. The bubble in real estate and stocks in Finland, Norway and Sweden 7. The bubble in real estate and stocks in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and several other Asian countries 1992-97 8. The bubble in real estate and stocks in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and several other Asian countries 1992-97 9. The increase in foreign investment in Mexico 1990-93 10. The Bubble in over the counter stocks in the United States 1995-2000. Also known as the .com bubble Over and over again asset, security and stock prices have reached unsustainable highs and subsequently come crashing down. From boom to bust, this process is consistently associated with ruthless insiders exploiting asymmetries of information attempting to make a profit at the cost of first time investors. In Dubai, every three months or so Emaar one of the big real estate developers (of which it is alleged that the absolute ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed has a thirty percent stake) released property for sale at increasing prices, almost instigating the bubble themselves very similar to what John Law (a convicted murderer and gambling addict) did with shares of the joint stock company named Company of the West (Compagnie dOccident) which resulted in the Mississippi bubble of 1720(Nial Ferguson, 2008, 2009). All these bubbles in History have followed similar paths; Nial Ferguson believes it possible to dissect all bubbles into five stages. 2.3 Nial Fergusons Five Stage Model (Nial Ferguson, 2008, 2009) 1. Displacement: An incident or innovation in the economy that generates new and lucrative possibilities for investors/speculators. Kindleberger refers to this as the expansion stage of the business cycle (Charles P Kindleberger, 2005). In the cases of the Dutch Tulip Bulb, The South Sea and Mississippi Bubbles this displacement was the creation of the Joint Stock Company. In the case of the US .com bubble the displacement or expansion was innovations in technology like the internet. In Dubai It could be argued that the displacement stage of the bubble was when developments were open for sale to foreign investors as opposed to previously when only locals could purchase land and property. This initial process causes a rise in spending which leads to inflated prices and increased consumption which combined translate to economic growth. 2. Euphoria/overtrading: Rising expected profits induce the appreciation in value of assets and shares. Investment soars because credit is in abundance. In Japan in the eighties Japanese investors had access to mountains of credit made available by nave bankers that didnt even contemplate a crash and the Japanese went on an investment spree. In the US in the 1990s, during the time preceding the crash .dom companies had access to almost infinite funds from venture capitalists with distorted perceptions of the future profitability of these firms (Charles P Kindleberger and Robert Z Alibir). Dubai was the same pre crash credit was very accessible; I will asses this further in my analysis segment of the dissertation. 3. Mania/bubble: The anticipation of rapid, easy capital gains entices first time investors and unscrupulous, esoteric brokers cater for this demand, in a ruthless attempt to sell assets and shares before a crash, which a seasoned broker is capable of predicting. 4. Distress: Insiders become aware that prices of assets and shares exceed their fundamental values and exploit the asymmetries of information by selling at profit. 5. Revulsion/discredit: prices begin to plummet and the electronic herd stampedes to exit the market causing the bubble to implode. The value of commodities bonds, stocks, land, buildings and houses decline to levels that are 30 to 40 percent below peak prices (Charles p kindleberger and Robert Z . Aliber, 2008, 2009), this adheres perfectly to residential duelling prices in Dubai (refer to figure 1). (Nial Ferguson, 2008, 2009). The Fundamentals behind this model are asymmetric information, availability to rapid, relatively cheap credit and the capability of capital to flow freely over geographical borders. This five stage model is accurate but basic. I will now progress to more specific models in detail behind the creation and existence of economic bubbles. 2.4 The Hyman Minsky model of instability in the supply of credit. This model created by Hyman Minsky can be used to explain financial fragility in economies. Minsky focuses on changes in the availability of credit. During periods of growth the supply of credit increases and during economic slowdowns this supply decreases. In times of growth, usually following an economic displacement like mentioned in Nial Fergusons model, investors feel more confident about the profitability of a number of investments and seek to finance these investments with credit. In the meantime, lenders become more enthusiastic about providing credit, even for investments, that prior to the expansion, had appeared too risky they become far less risk averse, reducing minimum down payments, minimum margin requirements. For individual lenders the cost of borrowing has to remain competitive too to maintain market share. However, when the mood changes, the economy slows down and fear kicks in, investors act much more cautiously. Lenders react similarly and their risk averseness increases and they supply less credit. Minsky believed that these cyclical changes in the availability of credit are a major catalyst to financial instability and are a factor in causing bubbles (Charles p kindleberger and Robert Z . Aliber, 2008, 2009). I am certain that minskys model was apparent in Dubai and definitely a defining factor of the recent burst. I will go on to prove this in the critical analysis part of the dissertation. Minsky also mentions an over-estimate of prospective returns, or excessive leverage (Charles p kindleberger and Robert Z . Aliber, 2008, 2009) during the euphoric period. Speculation suggests the acquisition of assets for the capital gain from expected surges in their value as opposed to income generated by one of these assets or for their use. The income generated by an asset or the use of an asset is considered to be the fundamental value of an asset and in bubbles the prices of assets fluctuate far from their fundamental values. This point is made clearer in the next part of the literature review. Minsky also states that a sense of euphoria or depression in one country maybe contagious in another country. I believe that the recent housing bubble in the United States and its subsequent burst influenced the real estate bubble in Dubai and was a significant cause of the crash. 2.5 Fundamental Value Researchers seem to concentrate on one of the following elements when considering a bubble: rapid appreciation of assets, overly optimistic predictions of future prices, a discrepancy between price and fundamental value and obviously a vast depreciation of assets when the bubble pops (Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). Karl Case and Robert Shiller believe that A tendency to view housing as an investment is a defining characteristic of a housing bubble (Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). However, Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, in their 2006 journal titled Housing, Housing, where is the housing bubble? disagree. They argue that housing can be considered a legitimate investment and that the best way to spot a bubble is to determine the discrepancy between the actual prices of houses and the fundamental value of these houses. Speculators in general do not make an attempt to calculate the underlying value of a house, they respond to expected capital gains. Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith define a bubble as a scenario where the equilibrium price of an asset is higher than the present value of the anticipated cash flow from the asset (Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). Nonetheless, fundamental values may rise rapidly (for example an increase in population and therefore an incre ase in the acquisitions of houses for their use as opposed to expected capital gains, or an increase in rent) may stimulate a legitimate increase in the prices of houses. Equilibrium house prices may also increase rapidly and not necessarily be considered a bubble if their actual price is lower than their underlying fundamental value. They state that the real defining characteristic of a bubble is when equilibrium market prices cannot be answered for by the assets anticipated cash flow. Case and Shiller refer to the real estate market as being populated by amateurs making infrequent transactions on the basis of limited information and with little or no experience in gauging the fundamental value of the properties they are buying and selling'(Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). If this is true and I believe it was, in Dubai, to a certain extent (through knowing investors on a personal level) how can one expect for fundamental values to equal market prices? Most agents within the real estate market i.e. brokers, buyers and sellers seem to use what is known as comps when dealing within the real estate market. Comps are the latest sale prices of homes with similar specifications within the same area. Comps tell us how much other individuals are prepared to pay but not whether these prices are justified by the fundamental value (Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). Attempting to demonstrate whether market prices differ from fundamental prices isnt easy. Figures for average real estate prices are infamously imperfect. This is mainly due to the fact that houses are not homogenous in their specifications and environments. However, the National City Corporation use a multiple regression which considers a ratio of house prices to household income in a given area to mortgage rates, population density, the ratio of household income in the given area to the national average and historical prices to determine how much actual prices deviate from their real values (Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). The reason a ratio of house price and household income is used is based on theory by Karl case and Shiller that argue that housing prices are a bubble waiting to pop if the average investor is priced out of the market'(Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). There are problems with this model e.g. the historic house prices may not be based on fundamental value. Some economists including Edward Leamer argue that if house prices have increased in a larger proportion than rents a bubble exists (Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). I will attempt to look at rents versus house prices in my critical analysis section of the dissertation to determine whether this was apparent in Dubai. I will also attempt to look at the population density because I believe that it is relevant to fundamental value because an increase in population causes an increase in the demand for residential properties that will be used as dwellings. Minsky stated that a fundamental value of an asset was to do with is use and the income (rent) generated from the asset. 2.6 A brief look at the recent financial crisis in the USA. Hyman minsky stated in his interpretation of a bubble that euphoria or depression in one country can be contagious and spill over into another. I believe that the bursting of the real estate bubble in the states and the subsequent lack of worldwide credit was highly influential in the bursting of Dubais housing bubble. As per usual the great real estate and leverage bubble in the US of 2007 was instigated by a pervasive macroeconomic displacement. Prior to the 2000s banks would give loans to home owners and keep those loans as assets in their books (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010). However, post 2000 the entire banking system changed. Banks carried on issuing loans for mortgages but instead of holding them as assets on their books they would keep them for a short period of time and then sell them on to investment banks who would bundle different loans with different credit ratings into mortgage backed securities, also known as collateralized debt obligations (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010). Loans are split into different risk classes or tranches. So, low risk loans and high risk loans are bundled together and sold as one financial product which was deemed a good investment. This caused deterioration in lending standards (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010). Employees in charge of originating loans to clients were reckless when assessing the risk of the individuals potential default especially when dealing with subprime mortgages because they knew that the bank was only going to hold these loans for a short period of time and then pass them on. Insurance companies were also insuring subprime loans with credit default swaps because they were too nave to foresee mass defaults. These innovations in the banking system made credit easily accessible to individuals who may have not been considered credit worthy before these changes (subprime). Many financial institutions held vast amounts of these new bundled securities based around mortgages and held less equity backed securities and increased their leverage ratios (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010) making them very vulnerable in the case of a crash. Highly accessible credit at attractive rates due to lowered lending standards led to a huge bubble in the prices of houses. The inflation adjusted price of a commonplace home was roughly identical in 1999 as it was in 1899; however, between 2000 and 2006 real home prices doubled (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010). This is portrayed in the following line graph based on data from the Case-Shiller home price index in the US. Figure 2 Case-Shiller Home price index, 1989 = 100. Source: (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010) As you can see from the graph there is a rapid ascent in prices from around 2000 followed by a quick fall in prices starting in 2007. Prices began to decline and euphoria turned to fear. Houses were worth less than the amount of money owed to the banks and individuals began to default in mass. With massive amounts of defaults occurring, the value of the bundled mortgage backed securities or collaterized debt obligations (cdos) decreased rapidly. Many highly leveraged financial institutions holding long term assets financed by the short term mortgage backed securities did not have sufficient liquidity to continue to function (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010). All credit markets were frozen, excluding the US Treasury securities markets and financial institutions did not have sufficient liquidity to cover their short term debts. In the case of a bank an example of a short term debt is a deposit and people began to fear for their deposits and runs on banks happened in the US and UK institutions with vast amount of money invested in the US housing market e.g. Northern Rock. The US government was forced to bail out a number of financial institutions to prevent a total financial collapse (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010). Banks all over the world became cautious about lending money. Amlak finance Dubai stopped lending money all together and I think this was significant in the bursting of the bubble; it ties in directly with Minskys model of cyclical changes in the supply of credit. Panic struck and a worldwide financial crisis ensued. 3 Critical Analysis In this section of my dissertation I will evaluate real life data and literature about the situation in Dubai. What caused the rapid increase in price in the housing market? and what caused the resultant rapid decline in prices. 3.1 Displacement. Economists appear to agree that every bubble starts with a displacement. A macroeconomic change, or innovation, that induces pervasive adjustments in how agents within the economy behave and perceive the future. It can also be considered a paradigm shift. In the case of the .com bubble the displacement was the availability of the interweb to mass users. In the case of the recent housing and leverage bubble of the US the displacement was innovations in the banking system and the creation of new bundled financial products and collaterized debt obligations. In Dubai I believe that there were three displacing factors: The first displacing factor occurred in May 2002. Dubai was never rich in oil like its neighbouring emirate Abu Dhabi so it focused on creating a hub for tourism and commerce. It also promoted the development of real estate. In 1997 publicly quoted Emaar Properties and Al Nakheel Properties were setup (http://realestate.theemiratesnetwork.com/articles/freehold_property.php). In 1998 emaar started developing the Dubai Marina and the Emirates Living Community; however, properties within these developments were released on leasehold contracts which mean that properties are leased out for ninety years as opposed to being owned freehold. These developments were not successful in the market. People were sceptical about the leasehold contracts. Things changed in May 2002 when the crown prince General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktum implemented a new law, stating that ex pats were able to buy property in certain areas of Dubai. The following graph shows all transactions from 1994. The graph is based on data from REIDIN.com a company that provides data and information covering all deals and transactions in Dubai since 1973. The company is an exclusive partner of the Dubai Land Department the real estate registry for the emirate. (REIDIN, DUBAI FOCUS, 2010) Figure 3 Quantity of transactions in Dubai from 1994 (Reidin.com, DubaiFocus, 2010) The graph shows that as of the changes in law about the ownership of real estate from 2002 there is not a significant increase in the quantity of transactions. In fact, there is a decline in transactions until 2005 when quantity of transactions increase rapidly from there onwards. I would still, however, consider the innovations in the legislation behind the ownership of property a displacement because without the changes, ex pats would never have been able to own property on a freehold basis and the bubble would never have happened. I say this because the vast majority of investments into the property market have come from expatriate sources. See the following chart which depicts the value of transactions by nationality. Figure 4 Value (AED) of property transactions by nationality from 1973 (Reidin.com, DubaiFocus, 2010) As you can see from the chart foreign investment is very significant in value and this could never have happened if the changes in legislation had not been made. Also, cross border transactions are a key in the creation of a bubble and as you can see from figure 4 cross border transactions are huge. Another displacing factor was hype generated by the media about talks of a new GCC currency called the Khaleeji. Talks were being had about the possibility of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain creating a new currency for their states. These talks were being had around 2006/2007 and nothing was ever finalised but if it was to happen, especially at a point in time when the dollar was weak, this new currency would be valued higher than the specific currencies of the gulf states and investments in these countries would appear even more attractive to speculators as they would rise in value from the creation of a new currency. This ties in with the next displacing factor which is the weakness of the dollar due to financial fragility in the US. In the Spring of 2006 the dollar weakened dramatically due to financial instability in the US. Towards the end of 2006 it looked as if the exchange rate was rising towards $2. In April 2007 the Dollar depreciated to over $2 and on the 27th of July 2007 it got to $2.06 the weakest it has been since 1981, it continued to fluctuate around $2 for the next five months and on the 9th of November 2007 it was $2.11. After this point, on average, the pound began to decline in value as the global recession hit the UK. The importance of this analysis about the dollar exchange rate is that it shows that from around 2006 until 2008 the dollar was relatively weak compared to the pound. Transactions for Real Estate were booming during this period as portrayed in figure 3 and a huge portion of these transactions were fuelled by investment from the United Kingdom as portrayed in figure 4. I therefore believe that the weak dollar was statistically significant in the increase of transactions from UK investors. The exchange rate of the Dollar versus the Indian Rupee shows a similar story. From around January 2007 the dollar declines in value against the rupee to a peak of around 39 rupee to the dollar. Compare this to a value of around 55 rupee in 2003. Again the weakness of the dollar compared to the Indian rupee can be argued to have catalysed vast investment from Indian investors from 2006 as the dollar was depreciating until late 2008 when the global crisis begun to have consequences on other nations e.g. India and the UK. I therefore consider this a displacement which lead to increases in transactions, increases in prices of property and overly optimistic expected prices. Refer to graphs of the dollar exchange rates versus the pound and rupee in the appendix section of the dissertation. 3.2 Euphoria/overtrading If you refer back to Nial Fergusons five stage bubble model you will see that after a pervasive macroeconomic displacement in the economy, if it is tending towards a bubble situation, an economy will experience euphoria, also referred to as overtrading. Rising expected profits induce the appreciation in value of assets and shares. Investment soars because credit is in abundance. If you refer back to figure 1 you will see that prices begin to rise steadily from 2005/2006. The number of transactions also increases rapidly from around the same period. Nial Ferguson also talks about the abundance of credit; this too ties in with minskys model of the pro cyclical supply of credit. It implies that many of these transactions were fuelled by credit or leveraged. Again this is similar to what was happening in the US before their crash. The following line graph shows the percentage of residential transactions fuelled by credit or leveraged. I have also included the percentage of residential transactions that are classed as other. I have put other transaction types into the equation because a substantial amount of transactions are classed as other. other refers to transactions that are none of the following transaction types: sale, mortgage, leasing, valuation, grant, rent, compensation and pre-registration. Im not entirely sure as to what types of transaction would be considered as other. This, I will consider a limitation in my data; however, this is data provided by a governmental entity and censorship is alive and well in Dubai. Figure 5 Percentage of residential transactions leveraged with credit. What figure 5 shows is a steady increase in the percentage of transactions fuelled by credit until 2006 when there is a vast decline in this percentage and a continuous decrease until 2009. I wonder if the global credit crunch caused by the US crash hit Dubai much earlier than people thought, however why did prices not stop falling until late 2008/2009?. There is a visible pattern here; as transactions leveraged by mortgages decreases, transactions classed by Dubai Land Department the real estate registry for the emirate as other increase. This appears to be rather dubious in my opinion; maybe the global credit crunch hit Dubai but in an attempt to maintain high prices until ruthless inside investors with asymmetries of information could leave the market with huge profits the quantity of transactions was kept high by the government, who have invested interests. Emaar Properties and Al Nakheel Properties are publicly quoted companies but ownership is predominately by wealthy governme ntal authorities. We all know that OPEC controls the supply of oil to maintain high prices; maybe something similar happened with property in Dubai. Nial Ferguson does mention ruthless inside investors have played a significant role in past bubbles; I think this could be apparent here. (Nial Ferguson, 2008, 2009). The graph shows that vast amounts of credit were used to leverage investments until 2006 when the amount declines rapidly. Probably because banks were influenced by the credit crunch in the US and feared they may have inadequate liquidity. I will analyse the pro cyclical supply of credit in a later section of my dissertation. 3.3 Mania/Bubble and distress Nial Ferguson refers to the next the next stage as mania or bubble, where first time investors are enticed to the market and seasoned investors who can predict a crash scramble to sell their investments at a profit before the crash. If you refer back to figure 3 that shows the quantity of transactions I would say that the mania/bubble stage was occurring from 2007 to 2008 at when the quantity of transactions are skyrocketing. At this point too, prices are still very high (refer back to figure 1). The closer to late 2008 the sillier the investment, as bubble bursts in october 2008. Therefore transactions around about this time have to be from first time investors who cannot see a crash. This is referred to by Nial ferguson as the distress period. 3.4 Revulsion/discredit Prices begin to plummet and the herd stampedes to exit the market causing the bubble to implode. This is apparent in late 2008 and 2009. Transactions stay high (Figure 3) but prices are declining rapidly (40 percent on average). So, investors are struck by fear and rush to sell properties even if it is done at significant los

Against California Proposition 2 Essay -- Farm Management Animal

In the November 2008 General Election, citizens of the state of California will be asked to consider many issues affecting the state as a whole. Out of the many propositions to be decided upon, Proposition Two has become one of particular interest. Currently, forty million animals are being raised on California farms for production of milk, dairy, cattle, and chickens: given these very large numbers and increased consumer awareness of current management practice, there has been an increase in concern for ethical treatment and welfare of livestock within the public. Proposition Two challenges standards of confinement for livestock, specifically: veal crates, battery cages and gestation crates. Veal crates are restricted areas in which calves (young domestic cattle) are reared for slaughter. Battery cages are enclosures in which multiple female chickens are housed to lay their eggs, and similar to veal and battery cages, gestation crates are areas of restricted space in which female pi gs are housed during periods of pregnancy. If passed, Proposition Two would require all farming operations as of January 1, 2015 to house these farm animals in areas where they are able to extend their wings or limbs to full potential1. Although confinement of livestock and poultry is a well-established practice, modern housing does not allow animals to exhibit most normal behaviors3. Research has shown that animals held in restricted cage areas suffer from unnecessary stress and are unable to maintain normal bone structure, most commonly in the limbs and/or wings. The larger cages suggested by Proposition Two might provide a great deal of opportunities to supplement the wellbeing of animals and the quality of the products that they produce. Most... ... eggs in the United States. As evidence indicates, the greatest impact of Proposition Two will be felt by the California egg industry6. Proposition Two is also risk to the safety of farm animal, the products they produce, and decreases sanitation practices in comparison to modern housing. Under the conditions of Proposition Two, livestock would be at a higher risk of contracting communicable diseases in comparison to the disease/infection risks posed by current caging methods. Proposition Voting no on Proposition Two will keep the animal agriculture business and its animals safe and healthy while keeping the California egg industry secure. Proposition Two appears to be a measure with great potential for both the animal welfare and animal agriculture, but in reality, studies and research have concluded that Proposition Two is a detriment to both animals and humans.

Desperate Housewives :: television TV

Are you ever sitting at home, on 9 o’clock p.m. on a Sunday, with nothing to do? Just bored out of your mind.. Willing to do anything.. Maybe even.. Watch. Watch one of the most amazing shows you’ll ever see on t.v. A show full of drama, excitement, and every other positive thing on the planet. A show that you will talk about non stop the next day. Recite lines with your friends.. And overall, a show- a show of perfection. If you hadn’t figured out already, today I’m going to be talking to you about Desperate Housewives. And why it’s the best show for you to watch on Sundays At 9. First, I’ll talk about the different Seasons of the Show, second I’ll talk about the cast members, third I’ll talk about why you should watch this show Sundays at 9. Season one began its original airing on October 3, 2004 and introduces the four central characters of the show: Susan Mayer, Lynette Scavo, Bree Van de Kamp and Gabrielle Solis, and their families and neighbors on Wisteria Lane. The main mystery of the season is the unexpected suicide of Mary Alice Young, and the involvement of her husband and teenage son in the events leading up to it. While Bree tries to save her marriage, Lynette struggles to find time and energy to cope with her children, Susan fights with Edie Britt for new neighbor Mike Delfino’s affection, and Gabrielle tries to prevent her husband Carlos from discovering her affair with their underage gardener. The second season began airing on September 25, 2005 and its central mystery is that of new neighbor Betty Applewhite, who moved in in the middle of the night. Throughout the season, Bree tries to cope with being a widow, unknowingly begins dating the man who poisoned her husband, fights alcoholism, and is unable to prevent the gap between her and her son to keep growing to extremes. Susan’s love life gets even more complicated as her ex-husband gets engaged to Edie, who has been promoted to the role of fifth lead, Lynette goes back to her career in advertising and eventually becomes her husband’s boss, and Gabrielle decides to be faithful to her husband, and begins preparations to have a child. In season three, which began airing on September 24, 2006, Bree marries Orson Hodge, whose past and involvement with a recently discovered dead body becomes the main mystery for half of the season.

Tourist Case Study – Monaco

Monaco is a small and ancient principality located on the southern coast of France, near the Italian border by the Mediterranean Sea. This principality has been in the hands of the ruling Grimaldi family since the thirteenth century and the Prince Rainier is the current ruler. Although it only covers one square mile (two squared kilometers), it has a current population of 34,000, where only 16% are Monegasque (native population), 16% are Italian, and 47% are French. It is known for having more police per square meter than any other country in the world and for not having to pay any income tax. It is considered by many to be Europe's most fascinating country. Today, holidaymakers are attracted to the many physical and human factors, which can be found in Monaco. Certain attractive physical features may be found. Firstly, holidaymakers seem mostly attracted to Monaco's beautiful Mediterranean climate, where the summers are warm and the winters are mild with an average of 300 sunny days a year. There are many attractive beaches, such as â€Å"Larvotto Beach† and the â€Å"Monte-Carlo Beach Club†, where the water is at a high temperatures through May till August, and where a chick crown is attracted to, as well as movie stars. Monaco also contains a huge amount of human factors which attract tourists. For any people who are interested in Museums, Monaco has a wide selection. It is extremely famous for its â€Å"Oceanographic Museum†. This being one of the best aquariums in Europe (known to have the rarest fish in the seven seas), is one the main attractions in the principality, containing a total of 90 seawater tanks which hold 4,000 fish of which there are 350 different species. Giant skeletons of oceanic mammals are also on show, as well as the use of a meteorological station and a seismological observatory. A public terrace provides a beautiful panoramic view of the Italian Riviera. For tourists looking more towards ‘collections', the â€Å"National Museum† contains doll and automata collections dating from the 17th century, as well as the â€Å"Museum of Stamps and Coins†. Other museums such as the â€Å"exhibition the prince's private collection of classic cars†, the â€Å"naval Museum†, the â€Å"wax museum of the princes of Monaco† and the â€Å"museum of Prehistoric Anthropology† may be of high curiosity for anyone interested in those particular areas. If you visit Monaco for more historic reasons, you will be sure to visit the â€Å"museum of Napoleon's souvenirs†, where Napoleon's personal knickknack such as socks, handkerchiefs, medals, uniforms and swords may be found. One of the oldest parts of Monaco is known as â€Å"Monaco-Ville†, or â€Å"the old town†. If tourists are looking to understand the history of the principality better, then that is the place to go. It is found on top of a large piece of rock and is called â€Å"the rock†. It measures a large 60 meters in height (or 200 feet). There are three main attractions which seem to dominate tourism: The royal palace, the casino, and the Grand Prix. The Palace, which sits on the â€Å"rock†, has been owned by the Grimaldi Family since the 13th Century. It has 15 rooms and the throne room can be visited. There is the changing of the guards. The â€Å"Casino†, was built by Charles Garnier, one of France's best architects of this ire. It stands on a panoramic terrace, offering one of the grandest views along the Riviera. It is a place where every tourist insists on gambling in, not because the actual Casino is any different to any other one, but because it is situated in â€Å"Monaco†. Finally, Monaco's largest success which takes place once a year in the last week of May: the Grand-Prix. It is where people from all over the world come to watch famous racecar drivers race to win. This is a huge sportive event for thousands of people and just the thought of an autograph would make anyone plan to see this. Many other sportive events take place in Monaco, which also attract locals and holidaymakers. Monaco has its very own Stadium, the â€Å"Stade Louis II†, where many huge and famous football matches are played. It is a giant sports complex where a high level of international competition takes place, encouraging tourists from all over the place to support the games. As well as this, it is possible for holidaymakers to book to watch the â€Å"Tennis Masters† and â€Å"Open tennis championship† tournaments, which are huge sporting events for the History of Tennis where some the World's best players come. Many beautiful gardens are very appealing to tourists. These include the â€Å"Princess Grace Rose Garden†, where 4,000 rose trees stand being more than 150 different varieties. On the other hand, the â€Å"Exotic Garden† is composed of 7000 varieties of succulent and remarkable specimen of cacti. Tourists are known to have had admired them for their amazing shaped and colours (as they come from Africa and Latin America). The â€Å"World Music Awards† are held in Monaco, attracting anyone with music interests or anyone who wants to try and see famous pop stars. The â€Å"Yacht show† is a huge event attracting all those tourists interested in boats. Last but not least, holidaymakers usually plan their holidays so as to leave enough time for â€Å"shopping†. There are shops such as: â€Å"Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Lanvin, Prada, Cartier, Bulgari and Fred†. It is hard to find other towns where all these sorts of shops are so close together. Tourists can take part in various activities. They can ride in the â€Å"Azur Express tourist train†, which is a guided tour around Monaco or take the â€Å"Aquavision† which is a boat trip with Underwater vision. There are also â€Å"runs† which take place from time to time where people run around Monaco. And of course, there are always parties that over 18s can take part in. Tourists bring both benefits and problems to Monaco. The prices in Monaco are extremely high and as it is a huge tourist area, when tourist come to Monaco, they spend a lot of money on the shops and restaurants, tourist sites, the casino and hotels. This gives Monaco a very high economy which enables the residents to live tax-free and to keep the people employed. People who are working there are also getting a lot of money to earn a living, they are well paid. Without the tourists coming to Monaco, the people living there would not be living in the same conditions; they would have to pay tax and to do this work extra time. The money is also going towards improving the environment and it is important for Monaco to keep up its high standards. The tourists in Monaco also cause conflicts between them and the residents. For example at the Grand-Prix, the streets where it is happening will be crowded with people, the roads will be blocked making it inaccessible for public transport for the retired. There will be huge amounts of noise, not only from the screaming crowds, but the motor-cars, where the noise can be heard almost all over the principality. This also disturbs certain schools who happen to have major exams during that week. During major football matches, there is a huge amount of traffic in Fontvielle (a neat industrial suburb) and therefore the residents nearby are not happy, also because the loudspeakers can be heard. It is no longer safe to go out during a football match as tourist take to getting drunk and starting fights with anyone who crosses their way. To manage the risk of getting hurt in a fight, police have now been sent all around Fontvielle to avoid the occurrence of fights and to arrest anyone who opposes to that rule. Now, only cars with a driving plate indicating it is from either France or Monaco is aloud to drive past the royal palace. If this rule had not been put to use, tourists would have caused traffic jams by stopping in the middle of the road in front of the Palace to take pictures. This way, they can take a nice long walk and admire the scenery properly; in more depth. Monaco is very keen on its environment and it is often the case that tourists step on the grass, though it is not allowed. To solve this, more and more signs have been put up to try and stop the destruction or the flattening of grass. In conclusion, it is clear that Monaco is a very tourist industry thanks to its good facilities and physical and human factors. Although conflicts and problems are caused, tourists also bring benefits to Monaco; they increase Monaco's economy and it is due to this, that Monaco is the principality that it is.

Enlightment Age

Enlightenment Age The Puritans believed that the sole purpose of writing was to bring the writer to debase themselves before God. And teach them the true importance of humility. Puritans wrote mainly memoirs and sermons. Puritans thought the church did have errors, but could be reformed. Growing up in the Colonial days meant strict, and God fearing obedience; education and religion were very important to them. In Mary Rowlandson writing, she was able to write about her Indian captures as somewhat kind and friendly.This is far from what we have perceived of them. Mary Rowlandson believed what most Puritans did, that God was testing her faith and humbleness. Mary believed that her final escape was a lesson to â€Å"make us the more knowledge his hand and to see that our help is always in him† (American Literature). Puritans saw God in everything; God gave them trials and tribulations so they could learn to be humble and meek. From the capture of Mary Rowlandson, to Anne Bradstre et’s personal poems, we can see how much God had influence on their every thought, and every action.The Fundamentalist thinkers of the Enlightenment saw things quite differently. They believed that writing was a method for recording logical reasoning, and often provoked rational thought. The Enlightenment era was a new intellectual movement that stressed reason and thought and the power of individuals to solve problems. Even though different philosophers approached their goals differently, they achieved it none the less. They all approached their goal differently due to their different upbringings, their different backgrounds, and most importantly their different environments.The Enlightenment period was known as the Age of Reason. Deism was a belief that God was impartial and there was no revealed religion to select body of people. Many believed that the rights belonged to the people. For example, John Locke believed that citizens were entitled to set of natural rights. John Locke’s philosophies and the ideas of the Enlightenment influenced Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence. The document uses the idea of the Natural Law and justifies the reasons for escaping Great Britain’s rule.Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine wrote volumes on topics that questioned life, and the means by which one should live. Though there are a few small similarities between the writings of the two periods, there are considerably greater numbers of differences. Though the views of Puritans and Fundamentalists were dramatically different, they both believed in a certain code of morals and ethics. In both the Common Sense and The Crisis, No. 1. Thomas Paine uses metaphors to persuade the American Public to continue supporting the Revolutionary war in The Crisis.Thomas Paine implements powerful metaphors to achieve the effect. In the Common Sense used literary style intended to appeal to the broad masses of people rather than the elect few. Throu ghout his writing there is an emphasis upon the independence of the individual. In the beginning of the Crisis #1 the document begins with the telescopic sentence: â€Å" THESE are the times that try men’s souls,† which is contrary to the rest of the sentence lengths he uses.This makes the beginning omnipoint and interest the reader right off the get go. He uses capital letters to emphasize words such as freedom, tax, and bind when first presenting his argument. He also introduces strong negative diction, such as celestial and impious, that will continue throughout his writing. Paine’s writing was simple and direct, and his arguments turned on one or two accessible principles and pursued persuasion through clarity and repetition. j

The Poisson Probability Distribution

The Poisson probability distribution, named after the French mathematician Simeon-Denis. Poisson is another important probability distribution of a discrete random variable that has a large number of applications. Suppose a washing machine in a Laundromat breaks down an average of three times a month. We may want to find the probability of exactly two breakdowns during the next month. This is an example of a Poisson probability distribution problem. Each breakdown is called an occurrence in Poisson probability distribution terminology.The Poisson probability distribution is applied to experiments with random and independent occurrences. The occurrences are random in the sense that they do not follow any pattern, and, hence, they are unpredictable. Independence of occurrences means that one occurrence (or nonoccurrence) of an event does not influence the successive occurrences or nonoccurrences of that event. The occurrences are always considered with respect to an interval. In the ex ample of the washing machine, the interval is one month. The interval may be a time interval, a space interval, or a volume interval.The actual number of occurrences within an interval is random and independent. If the average number of occurrences for a given interval is known, then by using the Poisson probability distribution, we can compute the probability of a certain number of occurrences, x, in that interval. Note that the number of actual occurrences in an interval is denoted by x. The following three conditions must be satisfied to apply the Poisson probability distribution. 1. x is a discrete random variable. 2. The occurrences are random. 3. The occurrences are independent.The following are three examples of discrete random variables for which the occurrences are random and independent. Hence, these are examples to which the Poisson probability distribution can be applied. 1. Consider the number of telemarketing phone calls received by a household during a given day. In t his example, the receiving of a telemarketing phone call by a household is called an occurrence, the interval is one day (an interval of time), and the occurrences are random (that is, there is no specified time for such a phone call to come in) and discrete.The total number of telemarketing phone calls received by a household during a given day may be 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and so forth. The independence of occurrences in this example means that the telemarketing phone calls are received individually and none of two (or more) of these phone calls are related. 2. Consider the number of defective items in the next 100 items manufactured on a machine. In this case, the interval is a volume interval (100 items).The occurrences (number of defective items) are random and discrete because there may be 0, 1, 2, 3, †¦ , 100 defective items in 100 items. We can assume the occurrence of defective items to be independent of one another. 3. Consider the number of defects in a 5-foot-long iron rod. The interval, in this example, is a space interval (5 feet). The occurrences (defects) are random because there may be any number of defects in a 5-foot iron rod. We can assume that these defects are independent of one another. The Poisson Probability Distribution The Poisson probability distribution, named after the French mathematician Simeon-Denis. Poisson is another important probability distribution of a discrete random variable that has a large number of applications. Suppose a washing machine in a Laundromat breaks down an average of three times a month. We may want to find the probability of exactly two breakdowns during the next month. This is an example of a Poisson probability distribution problem. Each breakdown is called an occurrence in Poisson probability distribution terminology.The Poisson probability distribution is applied to experiments with random and independent occurrences. The occurrences are random in the sense that they do not follow any pattern, and, hence, they are unpredictable. Independence of occurrences means that one occurrence (or nonoccurrence) of an event does not influence the successive occurrences or nonoccurrences of that event. The occurrences are always considered with respect to an interval. In the ex ample of the washing machine, the interval is one month. The interval may be a time interval, a space interval, or a volume interval.The actual number of occurrences within an interval is random and independent. If the average number of occurrences for a given interval is known, then by using the Poisson probability distribution, we can compute the probability of a certain number of occurrences, x, in that interval. Note that the number of actual occurrences in an interval is denoted by x. The following three conditions must be satisfied to apply the Poisson probability distribution. 1. x is a discrete random variable. 2. The occurrences are random. 3. The occurrences are independent.The following are three examples of discrete random variables for which the occurrences are random and independent. Hence, these are examples to which the Poisson probability distribution can be applied. 1. Consider the number of telemarketing phone calls received by a household during a given day. In t his example, the receiving of a telemarketing phone call by a household is called an occurrence, the interval is one day (an interval of time), and the occurrences are random (that is, there is no specified time for such a phone call to come in) and discrete.The total number of telemarketing phone calls received by a household during a given day may be 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and so forth. The independence of occurrences in this example means that the telemarketing phone calls are received individually and none of two (or more) of these phone calls are related. 2. Consider the number of defective items in the next 100 items manufactured on a machine. In this case, the interval is a volume interval (100 items).The occurrences (number of defective items) are random and discrete because there may be 0, 1, 2, 3, †¦ , 100 defective items in 100 items. We can assume the occurrence of defective items to be independent of one another. 3. Consider the number of defects in a 5-foot-long iron rod. The interval, in this example, is a space interval (5 feet). The occurrences (defects) are random because there may be any number of defects in a 5-foot iron rod. We can assume that these defects are independent of one another.

Apollo Shoe Inc

Date: 19 Jan 1:30:27 From: Dennis Reese Subject: Revenue Cycle Problems I have looked over Bradley’s report and yes we do have some issues with the Sales, and Account Receivables. The fourth quarter deviations overstated are the worst because they can have the most effect on the Financial Statements. The controls need to be more uniform as Bradley stated because then they would even out through the months instead of hitting us mostly on the fourth quarter.The company reports financial Statements each quarter and they are the months: March, June, September, and December. In their last quarter they are facing financial problems because of incorrect record sales. Some of the sales records are missing bills of lading. Also the credit approval controls are not emplaced our lack of them will cause a greater liability for collection. Will need to verify all the charges to the customer because there is many overcharge and undercharge amounts.The overcharge delay from invoice date and credit memo averages 24 days to correct the mistake. Apollo’s controls are un-reliable and we will need to follow up on all Revenue and Accounts Receivable. Also positive confirmations need to be sent to customers with accounts greater than 1,000,000 and negative confirmations need to be sent to customers with less than 1,000,000. But all the customers need to be verified that their information is correct before they are sent. Also we need to ask the customers to verify all sales they made from us for the year.

Ielts Sample Writing Essay

The amount of sport shown on television every week has increased significantly and this is having an impact on live sports events. Do you think the benefits of having more televised sport are greater than the disadvantages? Sample answer It is now possible to watch live sport on television on any day of the week, and the current amount of coverage will undoubtedly increase in the near future. This is definitely affecting the live sports themselves at some ways, and there are both benefits and drawbacks to this. Why there has been so much sport broadcast? For one thing, with the development of digital broadcasting, there are more TV channels than there were a decade ago. For another thing, sport has become an important form of entertainment, appealing to both men and women. What are the benefits of the increasing televised sport programs? For the sport profession, it is advantageous to have the injection of capital provided by television companies. Large football clubs also benefit financially from TV revenue and the top players can ask for large salaries. Less popular sports also receive money that can be invested in training and awareness-raising. Moreover, there is a health benefit to some of the population, because through televised sport, more people have become interested in actually playing sport. However, there are certain disadvantages to having so much sport on television. Considering football again, many small clubs are suffering financial losses recently, as they cannot compete with the larger ones. There has been a general decline in ticket sales, especially among smaller clubs. Fewer people attend live matches at stadiums nowadays, preferring to watch the live broadcast at their comfort living rooms. What is more, ticket prices have risen dramatically. To sum up, while televised sport has created many opportunities and benefited certain individuals and clubs enormously, it has also been responsible for changing the nature of live events for ever.

Accounting Client Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Accounting Client Response - Essay Example ng research issue’, ensuring timely and updated information and news about the release of new accounting standards to major users and alleviating the ‘risk of noncompliance with standards making the literature easier to use’. (Internet: fasb.org) It is worthwhile to highlight the fact after an extensive research on FASB codification that leasing had a total volume of worth US $760billion alone in 2007 (prior to recession) but due to the complications of financial reporting standards, a mammoth sum of those lease contracts went unreported in financial statements of various business entities. Perhaps, the main reason behind this was the fact that leases were divided into two categories such as Operating leases and Capital or Finance leases by IFRSs and US GAAP and accountants recognized only the assets and liabilities arising from Capital leases’ in the company’s balance sheet. On the other hand, ‘for an operating lease the lessee simply recognized lease payments as an expense over the lease term’. This difference in recording of lease contracts and their categorization led to different technical issues such as misunderstanding and misinterpreting by accounting users who tended to believe that all le ase contracts increases ‘assets and liabilities so they should be recognized in the financial statements of lessees and hence regularly adjusted those amounts in their balance sheets to evaluate assets/liabilities effects resulting from operating lease contracts.’ Secondly, the categorization of contracts also resulted in ‘similar transactions being accounted for very differently and reducing comparability for users of accounting information.’ And thirdly, the difference in reporting the two types ‘provided opportunities to structure transactions so as to achieve a particular lease classification.’ (News Release, 2009) It was due to the above problems as defined by FASB, it along with IASB came up with a new approach in which classification of

Bio project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bio project - Essay Example Treatment options are very few with varying degree of success percentage. This paper briefly explains Leukemia, probable reasons and treatment options. Exact reasons of blood cancer are still unknown, but genetic effects and exposure to retroviruses are generally considered as the reasons of blood cancer (Mamgain). Leukaemia means ‘white cells in the blood. â€Å"The white cells are part of the body’s immune system, and there are several sub-groups of white cells that have different sorts of roles in recognizing and dealing with ‘invaders’ such as bacteria and viruses as well as other types of foreign protein. All of the blood cells originate in the bone marrow and leukaemia is a disease where the bone marrow produces large numbers of abnormal white cells. This means that the normal marrow is pushed into smaller and smaller areas. This results in fewer normal cells being produced and gives rise to some of the symptoms† (Dr  Ã‚  Green) Blood test and born marrow test is used to confirm leukemia. Based on the nature and seriousness, Leukemia can be classified into four categories; ALL (Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia), AML (Acute Myelocytic Leukemia), CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia), CML (Chronic Myelocytic Leukemia) (CHRONIC LEUKEMIA TREATMENT INFORMATION) Symptoms of leukemia include’ Fatigue, Malaise (vague feeling of bodily discomfort), Abnormal bleeding, Excessive bruising, Weakness, Reduced exercise tolerance, Weight loss, Bone or joint pain, Infection and fever, Abdominal pain or "fullness", Enlarged spleen, lymph nodes, and liver etc (Leukemia Signs and Symptoms, 2009) It is difficult to diagnose blood cancer because of the similarities blood cancer symptoms have with other diseases. For example, fatigue weight loss fever etc is generally associated with many other diseases and the doctors will try to treat such diseases initially before going for a detailed

Potential Role of The Yuan as the New Reserve Currency Essay

Potential Role of The Yuan as the New Reserve Currency - Essay Example These are large economic base, political stability, and a low rate of inflation (IMF, WB & World Bank Group, 2009). It should also be backed by a joint international monetary authority that is capable of asserting compliance among its member states, which must in turn comprise a significant number of nations in the world (Finance and Development, 2009). The currency must be sellable or tradable without limitation (Levine, 2009). Since the currency is supposed to be, according to Levine, a â€Å"safe haven† for other currencies, they should be able to have access to huge sums of it without restriction. This is because inadequate reserves of the currency would compromise the ability of that country to trade in that currency or participate in international transactions denominated in it. The international currency’s home economic and political systems must also be stable enough and fundamentally sound to support international transactions among countries. In order to engen der confidence in the reserve currency, the valuation of said currency must be transparent to all for them to consider holding that currency in significant quantities. Because the determination of value is for the most part subjective, the matter of the country’s governance may not be concealed from the world, and therefore the political ideology of the country must be supportive of full disclosure (Cohen, 2007). Recent developments that triggered the search for a substitute It has already been mentioned that the large current account deficit and huge public debt of the United States are primarily responsible for the weakness of the dollar as the primary medium of exchange. Ordinarily,...This paper presents a comprehensive analysis, that aims to determine whether or not the renminbi would provide a real substitute for the dollar as principal international reserve currency within the next ten years, and whether such a substitution will stabilize the global currency market and prevent further recurrences of financial crises as the world had experienced in the past. The international reserve currency performs three vital functions of money – that is, as medium of exchange, as unit of account, and as store of value. There are many reasons for the yuan to be considered as a possible alternative, the most important of which is its position as the top trading country in the world. It has amassed some 3 trillion dollars worth of international reserves, two-thirds of which is in U.S. dollars, thus this country is capable of exerting economic pressure on the U. S. Yearly it experiences record current account surpluses, compared to the U.S.’s accumulating current account deficit and public debt. Despite these positive factors, there are also serious concerns. China’s financial markets are still highly restricted, and its currency is still unable to trade in open market, let alone be freely converted into other currencies. Other than currency concerns, China’s economic and political infrastructure are in need of a fundamental change. Corruption must be addressed, and the system made more transparent, in order to afford investors and fund managers a clearer view by which to assess the political risks of the currency.

Summary of a chapter of book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary of a chapter of book - Essay Example It has been found out that adolescents learn better about the world around them, including those they have not physically visited, through the internet. Active participation in discussions makes them more informed, contrasting the idea that learning is most effective within the four walls of the classroom. In fact, adolescents with writing skills are not just able to express their thoughts and publish them online. They also develop as they are given feedbacks and pieces of advice on how to make their works better. Animation is another skill that is shared and developed through internet interactions. Asians like the Japanese who are highly skilled in the art grow as they share their works, receive critiques and develop their English communication skills as well while they communicate with people around the globe. Moreover, internet games are not limited to entertainments but also include learning. Online games incorporate stories that inform the players and encourage them to be intera ctive in the development of the games or for some; they are influenced to write their own stories and experiences of the games they played. This shows that literacy is not achieved only within the classroom but also in a bigger world, the virtual

CAUSAL ANALYSIS ESSAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CAUSAL ANALYSIS - Essay Example It seemed like a trend among my peers to get married a few years after completing high school. My best friend and classmate in high school got married a few months after we had cleared high school. I was tempted to take the same path but took a different path eventually. I knew I needed to join college but also knew that I could study online. I met Jenny in junior high in my first year; she perfectly fitted what I termed as the girl of my dreams. We were in the same class but not the same stream. We were both chosen to represent our school in an inter-school competition. I am a generally introverted and so I decided to sit alone at the back of the bus. For most of the trip, I pondered about different things and tried to think of what the future held for me. At some point, I dosed off only to be woken up by this beautiful girl standing besides me. I thought I was dreaming at first as I raised my head for a split moment before and dosing off again. She went ahead and sat next to me and nudged me to wake up. I eventually did and she introduced herself to me. Through out the trip we engage in a positive and constructive chat. Jenny was every man’s or should I say every boy’s dream in school; she was a smart, sharp, eloquent, beautiful, and hardworking. She seemed to know everything about everything. She was outgoing and a favorite of every teacher for her intelligence. Many of the boys in school had tried to befriend her but felt belittled by her smartness and level of intelligence. Although everyone in school thought we were dating, it never got into my head that I was engaged in a serious relationship. Gradually, I realized we had so much in common and my reserved nature gradually became more accommodative of her. We had a normal relationship with normal challenges for a long time until one day she brought up the subject of marriage. Not that we had never discussed the subject before†¦ she only brought up the subject without mincing words. We made a