Is Teenage Gambling a Problem in Canada - 1034 Words

Gambling has become one of the major components in Canada’s entertainment industry. Not only has gambling become popular among adults, but it has also gained popularity among teenagers. The various types of gambling include lottery or scratch cards, card games such as blackjack, bingo and gambling machines. Gambling can affect an individual both mentally and physically. Some of the harmful effects of gambling include experiencing depression, isolation, loss of sleep, stress related problems, loss of control and many more. Even though, the minimum age for gambling is 19 (Ontario Canada, n.d), teenagers who play card games or dice games for money with their friends and families is defined to be as â€Å"gambling.† The proof that†¦show more content†¦Moreover, there is a link between gambling and illegal activities. One may able to tell that there is a connection between gambling and illegal activities because it is something that is portrayed constantly in movie s and the media itself. Betting on individual sporting events is by far the most popular form of illegal gambling, which generates a numerous amount of profit for the bookmakers. It is also known to be one of the biggest sources of gambling revenue of organized crime. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, an individual can be charged under Section 201 and/or 202 of the Criminal Code if he or she organizes a gambling event in a common betting house or common gaming house, or is found to be an organizer of illegal gaming activities. The online version of this is also illegal (Just the Facts - Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2013). Thus, exposing teenagers to gambling can cause them to do illegal activities and ruin their lives in the long run. Correspondingly, lying is one of the symptoms of compulsive gamblers. Some of the common lies that are told by compulsive gamblers include the following: â€Å" I don’t have a gambling problem,† â€Å" I didn’t go gambling,† â€Å" I have my gambling under control,† â€Å" My friend was in trouble and needed money,† I’ll never gamble again,† and â€Å" You can trust me now†Show MoreRelatedInternet Addiction And Its Negative Impact1002 Words   |  5 Pagesaddiction. Net obsession stems from excessive or compulsive use of the internet, often for the purposes of achieving financial gains. Most people, who suffer from this form of addiction, spend too much time on activities such as stock trading, online gambling, shopping and online auctions. The information overload form of internet addiction is made worse by the health repercussions surrounding it. Addicted persons often spend a lot of their time surfing the web for information and databases causing informationRead MoreDr. Lee Vukich As A Youth Leader952 Words   |  4 Pagesfor ten years, formerly chaired the Department of Church Ministries at Liberty University, and currently serves as a life coach in the Lynchburg, Virgina area. Dr. Steve Vandergriff served as the Executive Director of Youth for Christ in Alberta, Canada, also served as a youth pastor, and is currently a professor of youth ministries at Liberty University. In their book, â€Å"Disturbing Behavior: 53 Alarming Trends of Tee ns and How to Spot Them†, the authors offer a variety of topics that they, as wellRead MoreSublimation Mechanism of Psychoanalytical Counselling Theory as a Tool for Addressing Juvenile Delinquency in Secondary Schools in Nigeria4142 Words   |  17 Pagesillegal and immoral behaviours or behaving in ways not acceptable by society. Upadhya and Singh (2008) states that Juvenile delinquents are essentially criminals, minor in age and they violate the law of the land and commit offences like thefts, gambling, cheating, pick pocketing, murder, robbery, destruction of property, violence and assault, vagrancy, kidnapping, abduction, and other sexual offences. He also pointed out the fact that juvenile delinquency should be taken as a red signal and seriousRead MoreAn Evaluation of an on-Farm Food Safety Program for Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Producers; a Global Blueprint for Fruit and Vegetable Producers51659 Words   |  207 Pagesdevelop the food safety professionals of tomorrow. February 6, 2005 Ben TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1. A Review Of Current And Relevant Publications Relating To The Development Of Risk-Based On-Farm Food Safety Practices For Produce In Canada. 1 Introduction 1 Microbial food safety 2 Risk analysis 5 Risk 7 Risk-based food systems 14 Microbial food safety risks and produce 18 Factors of pathogen contamination in produce 24 Soil 24 Irrigation and surfaceRead MoreEthics of Information Communication Technology (Ict)27618 Words   |  111 Pagesalready legally recognised are daily being violated, whether in the name of economic advancement, political stability, religious causes, the campaign against terrorism, or for personal greed and interests. Violations of these rights have created new problems in human social systems, such as the digital divide, cybercrime, digital security and privacy concerns, all of which have affected people’s lives either directly or indirectly. It is important that the countries of the Asia-Pacific region come upRead MoreThe Role of Advertising in Marketing Communications9872 Words   |  40 Pagesto the public. For example, advertisements for weight loss programs, sex/gender related products, clinics that provide AIDS and STD testing, funeral services, groups that advocate for less gun control, casinos which naturally support and promote gambling could all be considered co ntroversial and offensive advertising because of the products or messages that the advertisements are selling. [5] Shocking advertising content may also entail improper or indecent language, like French Connections â€Å"fcuk†Read MoreCxc Mutipe Choice Questions13016 Words   |  53 Pagesdegree of economic development b) One of a degree of political development c) One of a degree of social development d) One of a degree of educational development. Caricom countries suffer from all the following except: a) Acute economic and social problems b) Lack of human resources c) Lack of capital d) Unfavourable balance of trade. The concept of â€Å"economic integration† means: a) Cooperation among the different states b) The maintenance of federation c) Cooperation in economic development d)Read MoreOcd - Symptoms, Causes, Treatment131367 Words   |  526 Pages616.85†²2270651—dc22 2003020283 To my parents, Albert and Ardith, for their support and encouragement About the Author About the Author David A. Clark, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, Canada. He received his PhD from the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, England. Dr. Clark has published numerous articles on cognitive theory and therapy of depression and obsessive–compulsive disorders (OCD), and is a Founding Fellow of theRead MoreAccounting Information System Chapter 1137115 Words   |  549 Pagescriterion about sharing data together, and then discuss what they think. Remind the students that GAPP is not regulatory law – just recommended best practice. 1-5 Ch. 1: Accounting Information Systems: An Overview SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO THE PROBLEMS 1.1 Information technology is continually changing the nature of accounting and the role of accountants. Write a two-page report describing what you think the nature of the accounting function and the accounting information system in a largeRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pages978-0-13-612100-8 1. Management—-Study and teaching. 2. Management—Problems, exercises, etc. Kim S. II. Title. HD30.4.W46 2011 658.40071 173—dc22 I. Cameron, 2009040522 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 ISBN 10: 0-13-612100-4 ISBN 13: 978-0-13-612100-8 B R I E F TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S Preface xvii Introduction 1 PART I 1 2 3 PERSONAL SKILLS 44 Developing Self-Awareness 45 Managing Personal Stress 105 Solving Problems Analytically and Creatively 167 PART II 4 5 6 7 INTERPERSONAL

The African Descent Essay - 1228 Words

1. Criollos: This term is often referred to as creoles, and it relates to the people of pure European descent born in the Americas. They were often the ones who carried out independence movements in Latin America, as they were tired of being subdued by the European natives and thus wanted to be the elite class. They did not seek to improve the lives of non-white people, and used theories of racial purity to keep them under control. 2. Mestizos: It refers to the non-white people present in Latin America. They are the result of various mixtures between people of Spanish, Indian and African heritage. They constituted the bottom of society before and even long after independence was achieved in the majority of the nations in South and Central America. 3. reinos and peninsulares: European natives who lived in Latin America. Before independence was obtained in the various South American countries, they were at the top of society, and subjugated both the creoles and the mestizos. In most cases, only peninsulares were appointed to the colonies’ highest office positions in the colonial governments. 4. Toussaint L Ouverture and Henri Christophe: They were the two main key protagonists of the Haitian revolution, which which allowed Haiti to become independent from France in 1804. Haiti was the second nation to obtain self-rule in the Western Hemisphere. 5. The American Declaration of Independence (1776): It was adopted in the Second Continental Congress, and written by ThomasShow MoreRelatedThe African Of African Descent1400 Words   |  6 Pagesrecent history, if not the most, are considered to be the those of African descent. There was, and arguably, still is institutionalized racism against people of African descent in the Americas, with a prime example being the peculiar institution of slavery. This institution was so peculiar that, in many countries, the long, entire process of capturing, enslaving, and forcing of people to work, primarily those that were of African descent, became so profitable and efficient that slavery became the backboneRead MoreConflict Of African Tribal Descent1442 Words   |  6 Pagesgovernment and economy, and an overview of their military. Liberia is a country with a rich history and culture. Liberia is predominantly inhabited by people of African tribal descent, although a small number of the population, about five percent, are what the locals refer to as â€Å"Americo-Liberians† referring to their American descent. According to Horan (n.d.) the Liberian population is broken up into five ethnolinguistic groups: The Mel (West Atlantic) group consists of the Gola and KissiRead MoreAfrican American And European Descent1947 Words   |  8 PagesDabney is an African-American and European descent whose parents went to a segregated school in Virginia. His great-grandmother of three generations before him were free blacks before the Civil War, but during the war lived in fear that they would be kidnapped and forced to submit to slavery, thus living in constant fear. His grandfather of three generations before him was a white slave owner. This side of the family is where Dabney has a connection with past family members that were ConfederateRead MoreA Short Note On Beta Thalassemia And Its Effects On African Descent1337 Words   |  6 PagesBeta-thalassemia is known as one of the most common autosomal recessive disorders around the world (Coa et al, 2010). This condition is seen the most in populations of Central Asia, Mediterranean, Far East Indian subcontinent and populations of African des cent. When it comes to the highest incidence, the island of Sardinia in Italy (12%), Cyprus (14%) and South East Asia are amongst the highest (Coa et al, 2010). Population, which have high gene frequency of beta- thalassemia, are closely relatedRead MoreAnalysis Of Felix s Race As A Man Of North African Descent791 Words   |  4 PagesFà ©lix’s race as a man of North African descent in northern France is the main aspect of his otherness. The viewer experiences Fà ©lix’s race in varying respects throughout the film. Initially, the film shows Fà ©lix listening to and enjoying North African music, in spite of others’ objections. Next, Fà ©lix decides not to speak to the police about the mugging and murder he witnessed because he feared racial discrimination. Later, when Fà ©lix crashed his â€Å"sister’s† car, the fight between Fà ©lix and the otherRead MoreAfro Latino Identity : America1066 Words   |  5 Pagesof mixed Latino race living in the United States and you are preparing to fill out a census form. None the choices accurately display who you are racially. This is a problem for many people of Afro-Latino descent. An Afro-Latino is defined as any person who is of both Latin and African descent. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines Hispanic or Latino as â€Å"a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.† But whatRead MoreSummary Of The African Experience Essay1455 Words   |  6 PagesNow, there are several salient points that can be made about Symonà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s comments. Symonà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s concern with her inability to accurately trace her African roots is reminiscent of the Pan-Africanist point of view. In this interview, Raven is privileging the Pan- African point of view, deciding that her blackness cannot be validated unless she can show a clear connection to Africa. The Pan-Africanist point of view cam e about during the time of 18th century slave revolts and continued throughout the 19th centuryRead MoreRacism In Latin America Essay1571 Words   |  7 Pagesdidn’t matter because they were almost completely displaced by African slaves. Then a system that was initially for privileges in Castile spread to the Americas to encompass the population. It included Africans, indigenous people, and castas. The castas system created a complex system to social stratification and also further alienated subjugated peoples. For example, all native people were recognized as a collective unit, but Africans and their descendants were not recognized and they were givenRead MoreThe Role Of Yellow Fever And The Regional Dynamics More Heavily Than Malaria1209 Words   |  5 Pagesbut is not proven and that acquired immunity in childhood sufficiently explained local and African advantage. McNeill also claims an acquired resistance to malaria develops from repeated exposure to infestation. He specifically states that anyone can develop acquired resistance to malaria. Thus McNeill subscribes to the possibility of an inherited resistance to yellow fever in people of African descent, but does not countenance a racial aspect to an inh erited resistance to malaria outside theRead More Teaching Children How to Discriminate Essay673 Words   |  3 Pagesseven of her article she gives us her main points: the portrayal of African-Americans in the Disney films; the way certain groups are represented---particularly lovers and mothers (87) and the manipulation of French accents that can be considered as a positive stereotype but can result as to being negative and limiting (87) for that particular culture. Lippi-Green gives an in-depth look at the negative portrayal of African-Americans in Disney animations. She acknowledged the fact that the

Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Five Free Essays

string(83) " a fair bit of planning and didn’t actually unfold until later the next day\." â€Å"I know what you’re thinking.† I stretched my arms above me, tucking my hands between my head and the pillow. Sunlight poured over me from the giant window but did little to help my troubled mood. We will write a custom essay sample on Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Five or any similar topic only for you Order Now I’d been sullen and quiet all morning. â€Å"Not likely.† Dorian reached over to a tray of assorted pastries and sweets that had been sitting by the bed when we awoke. That and the newly built-up fire were only a couple of signs that tidying servants had been up and around in here. Their presence shouldn’t have bothered me; everyone had already believed Dorian and I were sleeping together. Yet, knowing others had moved around us while we slept still felt odd. He popped a marzipan-stuffed tartlet into my mouth. I made a surprised sound but ate it anyway. He had excellent cooks. â€Å"Well, then, let me guess anyway. I do so love trying to reason out your thoughts.† He grinned at me, every inch the lighthearted and frivolous man I usually knew. He bore almost no trace of the impassioned lover from last night, the one who’d repeatedly told me in explicit detail exactly what he could do to me if he wanted – and then proved that he could. I rolled to my side, putting my back to him. â€Å"Knock yourself out.† â€Å"All right. You’re now realizing you did the unthinkable. You made love to me – one of the shining ones. You crossed over that invisible line, and now the horror and regret of that is eating you up.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"No?† â€Å"No, that’s not what I’m thinking.† â€Å"Oh.† I heard him shift again and then felt a cookie balanced delicately on my arm. I snagged it and munched on it, getting crumbs on the sheets while he reconsidered. Lemon sugar. â€Å"Very well. How about this: You’re thinking about the kitsune. About Kiyo. You miss him and lament what happened. Being with me makes you feel guilty.† I hadn’t been thinking about Kiyo, but mentioning him suddenly brought him to mind. I did miss Kiyo. I missed the easy way we interacted, his solid and steady presence. I missed the way he held me and made me feel safe. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Hmm. Well, then. My perception appears to be off this morning. It has been known to happen once or twice before.† I stared out the window, unsettled emotions turning over and over in me. Finally, I said, â€Å"I’m bothered by†¦how it was last night. How rough it was.† â€Å"Truly? I really don’t know you so well. I thought you enjoyed it.† â€Å"I did.† He waited a beat. â€Å"Forgive me, then, but I don’t quite grasp your concern.† I rolled back over toward him, and it all spilled out. â€Å"Don’t you get it? All this time I’ve been trying to avoid hordes of gentry and monsters from raping me. And yet†¦that’s essentially what happened last night. I let you†¦I let you be aggressive and possessive. And then I liked it. What’s that say about me? What’s wrong with me?† Dorian’s face shifted to that rare and serious concern that sometimes seized it. He reached out and cupped my face with both of his hands. â€Å"Oh, gods, no. Is that what’s upset you? Eugenie, Eugenie. That’s not rape. Rape is brutal. Rape is done against your will, usually with someone you hate – or at least like a little less than me. What we did last night†¦that was a game. I believe it initially helped you get over a mental stumbling block, but after that†¦there was nothing violent or bad. It was a†¦novel way of approaching sex. You consented. There’s nothing wrong with you for liking it.† Maybe he was right, but it still made me feel strange. â€Å"I’ve just never done anything like that. I’ve had rough sex before but never anything so†¦kinky.† â€Å"Kinky. Fantastic word. It always takes us awhile to catch up with your world’s slang.† â€Å"It makes things weird between us. I mean, weirder than usual.† He ran his hand over my cheek and through my hair. â€Å"Then tell me how to make things right.† â€Å"I don’t know.† â€Å"Perhaps this will cheer you up: We’re ready to go to Aeson’s now.† â€Å"What?† That didn’t cheer me up so much as surprise me. Where had this come from? â€Å"We can go whenever you wish.† â€Å"You’re giving in because I have morning-after regrets?† â€Å"I’m ‘giving in’ because you crossed the point I wanted you to with your magic.† I scoffed and rolled away. â€Å"Bullshit. I can make water drops appear in the air. Somehow I doubt that’s the life-or-death difference needed on this mission.† â€Å"The life-or-death factor here is that you can control a fine portion of your magic now. I needed that to happen before I felt comfortable on this venture. I couldn’t risk your emotions flaring and creating a storm that might kill us. Now, you may very well still have some sort of magical breakdown, but I believe your current skills will go far to at least minimize the impact.† â€Å"Then what you said before – about it being protection in case I was defenseless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes. I’m afraid that was a ruse. I’d hoped the thought might spur you on to try harder.† Typical Dorian. His absurdity made me half-smile. â€Å"You’re happier now?† he asked. â€Å"I don’t know if happy is the right word, but I will be when the Jasmine thing is over.† â€Å"Excellent. Come here.† He motioned me into his outstretched arm, and for a moment, I expected an advance. Like a Hey, baby, I’ll make you happier type thing. I moved over tentatively, and he only put his arms around me. Just that simple. No jokes. No kinkiness. Just a simple embrace between two people, two people close enough to have rattled the headboard last night. I took comfort in it, relaxing into his warmth and security. He wasn’t Kiyo, but he felt nice. At last he moved his face away so he could look at me. â€Å"Very well, then. Tell me how you would like this to unfold.† Staging another heist turned out to take a fair bit of planning and didn’t actually unfold until later the next day. You read "Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Five" in category "Essay examples" We assembled all three of my minions in one of Dorian’s lounges. They waited patiently for orders, each watching me as their minds undoubtedly stirred with their assorted neuroses. As Volusian had once pointed out, they had little to lose. They couldn’t die. When Dorian called in Shaya to join us, I couldn’t help an exclamation of surprise. â€Å"Remember the distraction we discussed?† he asked me. I did. Before getting out of bed, we had come up with the tentative outline of a plan. Part of it had included a major distraction near Aeson’s home, enough to draw the attention of his guard so we could enter undetected. My spirits had long since verified that the siege tunnel had been blocked off. Shaya, he explained, would be our distraction. She had the power to command small ranges of vegetation. In particular, she could summon and order around trees – something she’d apparently done before to great effect. Dorian’s thought was that Shaya would have a small regiment of said trees attack the western side of Aeson’s hold. On the eastern side, we knew there was a servants’ entrance we could slip into. Normally, that would be too exposed but not if the castle’s security was preoccupied elsewhere. I nodded, thinking it was a good plan. Shaya crossed her arms and looked thoroughly displeased. â€Å"You got a problem with it?† â€Å"I don’t think it’s our place to interfere with Aeson’s affairs, nor do I feel this is worth risking my king’s life over.† I glanced between her and Dorian uneasily. â€Å"So you won’t do it?† â€Å"Of course I will. My king gives a command, and I obey. I am merely expressing my honest opinion first. I would be doing a disservice otherwise.† Dorian touched her cheek, smiling at her stern expression. â€Å"And that is why you are so valued.† â€Å"It’s a bad idea,† said Finn suddenly. We all turned to him. â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked. â€Å"What’s a few trees? It screams, ‘Hey, look at our obvious distraction.’ It’ll make them suspicious. You want to really get their attention, send him in.† He inclined his head toward Dorian. â€Å"A little bit of that rock mojo, and they’ll think there’s an all-out assault going on.† â€Å"We can’t. I need him as my backup,† I argued, â€Å"and protection for Jasmine. Shaya can do her thing and get out of there quickly. If I go in without him, then we’re in exactly the same situation as before.† â€Å"Except without the army waiting for you,† said Finn. Shaya shook her head, glossy black braids swinging. â€Å"I don’t like the idea of my king left alone.† â€Å"He’ll be in and out, no problem. And if he has to face off, he can take anything Aeson’s people throw at him.† â€Å"Unless it’s Aeson himself,† mused Dorian. â€Å"Is he stronger than you?† I asked. â€Å"We’re very evenly matched.† â€Å"Huh. That surprises me. I mean, Kiyo walked away alive from a fight with him.† â€Å"King Aeson wasn’t using his full power then,† said Nandi. â€Å"Most likely he feared burning down his home.† Seeing my startled look, she continued. â€Å"It would have created a terrible inferno from whence you would not have escaped. Your skin would have melted, only your bones left behind.† â€Å"So you’re saying he wouldn’t have to worry about that outdoors. He could unleash as much as he liked.† Something struck me, and I turned back to Dorian. â€Å"What about you? Are you limited indoors?† â€Å"Hypothetically, no. Realistically? Well†¦I still have to operate in a way that won’t bury us alive.† He smiled, seeing my consternation. â€Å"Don’t worry, my dear. I’ll still be of use to you.† â€Å"More use outside,† said Finn. â€Å"We won’t even need extra backup, not if nobody’s inside to find us.† I sighed and rubbed my eyes. I’d walked into Aeson’s with a lot less planning last time, and foolish or not, it had been a hell of a lot simpler than this. I turned to the room’s darkest corner, which had been silent thus far. â€Å"Volusian?† He straightened up from where he’d slouched in the shadows. â€Å"I will be very surprised if we emerge from this without any sort of confrontation, regardless of who creates the initial distraction. If I must honestly answer what will keep you alive† – he sighed, obviously unhappy about that outcome. I suspected Nandi’s horrific description of my death by fire had kindled warm and fuzzy feelings in him – â€Å"then yes, bringing the Oak King affords more protection for you and the girl, mistress.† â€Å"Then it’s settled.† Finn pouted and turned his back on us, pacing around sulkily. After that, it simply became a matter of waiting. We wanted to go under cover of darkness. Dorian and Shaya left to pursue household duties, and the spirits flitted off to do whatever it was they did. This left me with a lot of downtime. I paced the castle’s grounds, ruminating over the same old things: Kiyo, the upcoming raid, and the prophecy. The appointed time came, and our strike team reassembled for a few last-minute details. Most of it was simply a repetition of what we already knew. The spirits drifted along, but the rest of us set out on horseback. Shaya rode with the physical grace that permeated her normal movements, but I was surprised to see how agilely Dorian rode as well. He seemed so languid and comfort-oriented in his day-to-day affairs that I never thought of him as having athletic abilities, his feats in bed notwithstanding. We crisscrossed the assorted kingdoms. It seemed to take longer than last time, and Volusian affirmed as much for me. â€Å"The land has shifted its layout,† he explained. â€Å"It does that,† said Dorian, seeing the panic on my face. â€Å"It’s normal. We’re on the right path.† â€Å"Yeah, but will we make it there before sunrise?† â€Å"Certainly.† He smiled too broadly, and I could tell he didn’t know for sure. I looked up. Right now we had perfect blackness, lit only by stars. The moon was dark tonight. Persephone’s moon. I could feel the tingle of the butterfly on my arm and felt reassured. Before, I’d needed Hecate to escape back to my own world. Here, that wasn’t an issue. Staying alive and sending my enemies on to death was the issue now, so I didn’t mind the boost to my connection with the Underworld. â€Å"How much farther?† I asked a little while later. I felt like a kid on a road trip but couldn’t help the anxiety tickling my brain. I might have imagined it, but I swore the eastern sky now looked deep purple rather than black. â€Å"Not far,† said Shaya, voice calm. Sure enough, we pulled off and secured the horses, going the rest of the way on foot, traveling through trees and undergrowth. I couldn’t see anything, but we soon reached some significant point. Shaya split off from us to do her thing. Dorian squeezed her arm before she left, and she made a solemn bow of acknowledgment. I watched her disappear before I turned and joined the others to continue straight ahead. Aeson’s fortress finally loomed up before us as we reached the edge of the tree line. It could really be perceived only through its blockage of the stars. Otherwise, it appeared almost as black as the sky beyond. We stopped just before the terrain cleared, staying under cover. Studying the building further, I could make out small black figures moving back and forth in front of the wall. Guards. Presumably there were lookouts on the towers too. â€Å"Now we wait,† I muttered. I was tired of waiting. I wanted action. Almost opposite us, on the other side of the forest, Shaya should have been preparing to summon her tree warriors. She and Dorian swore it would be a noisy affair, so there’d been no need for a secret countdown or anything like that. The castle was too far away for me to make out any identifiable features, but the spirits indicated the spot containing the side door. Minutes dragged by, and I imagined all sorts of horrible fates for Shaya. Oh, God. What if they caught and killed her? She’d come here out of loyalty to Dorian, and no matter what else had happened, I’d come to respect her immensely. I didn’t want her to die because of this. Dorian approached my right side and put an arm around me. â€Å"Don’t worry. This will be finished before you know it. Ah – there we are.† In the distance, we heard it. Wood crackling and splitting. A low roar. Faint shouts of alarm carried over the air, and the guards in our view took off running toward the noise. We waited until they’d cleared the area. â€Å"Now is our time,† murmured Volusian. â€Å"Go.† We streaked across the open area, toward the doorway. I could hear the noise on the other side. The sound of something breaking. More shouts. Shaya’s plan had been to send about a dozen massive trees to beat on the walls over there. What a wake-up call that had to have been. â€Å"W-wait! Hold it!† I suddenly cried. The spirits stopped instantly. Dorian took a moment longer to slow down and gave me an odd glance. â€Å"What’s wrong?† I peered around. My senses tingled. I could feel water, lots of it. The way I felt in crowds or at Dorian’s. Water in numerous condensed clusters. The water sources were people. Lots of them. We’d been set up. Again. â€Å"Fuck!† They seemed to come out from everywhere, though I knew they all had to have been hiding in the castle’s vicinity or else I would have felt them sooner. They came down from the roofs, out the door we’d been staking out, from around the corner. And somehow I knew the ones who ostensibly had run off would return. I heard Dorian yell, â€Å"They won’t kill you – not if they don’t have to!† Then, the side of the castle exploded in a downpour of huge black rocks, causing those above and still scaling to fall down to death or at least serious injury. Others standing nearby were buried by the fallout. My spirits had standing orders to attack anyone attacking us, and I saw them flare up for battle. As for me, I’d come packing two guns tonight, again courtesy of Lara. Both had steel cartridges, and my pockets held more clips still, plus a few silver ones. I kept what distance I could from the thick of the fray and fired, aiming for heads and faces if I could, but mostly happy if I could bring anyone down at all. Regular range practice paid off, and I hit almost everyone I fixed on. No one ever managed to get too close to me. The spirits I ignored. They couldn’t die, and only another shaman or Dorian-caliber magic user could banish them. After his spectacular wall demolition, Dorian had resorted to a more conventional method: a copper sword he’d worn sheathed under his cloak. It glowed red in the darkness, and I realized he could enhance its power since copper came from inside the earth. He didn’t fight with brute force, but he moved with speed and skill, surprising me as much as the horse-riding had. I wouldn’t have minded another show of that earth power, but all magic took its toll. It would do no good for him to burn himself out yet. Suddenly, I saw one of the guards moving up on him, just out of Dorian’s line of sight. I started to cry out a warning, and then a large, four-legged form ran forward, snarling as he threw his weight into the guard. Dorian gave a quick glance of surprise but quickly returned to fighting. I couldn’t recover so quickly and could only stare as Kiyo, in what I had jokingly dubbed the â€Å"superfox† form, clawed and ripped at his victim. The man did manage to slice Kiyo’s side, making me wince, but the fox seemed unaffected. Shaking my head, knowing I could neither wonder how he’d shown up nor worry about his safety, I returned to my own battles. A few victims later, I had my aim on someone when I sensed another form sneaking up behind me. I turned but wasn’t quite fast enough. He grabbed my arm and bent the gun away from him, forcing me to the ground. With my left hand, I managed to drag out the other gun. It was more or less smothered as his body tried to pin mine down, and I had no real target. It didn’t matter. I just sort of aimed in an upward direction and fired. He screamed and recoiled enough for me to push off and fire again with more precision. Someone else took advantage of my distraction and grabbed me from behind. I’d stuffed the extra gun back in my pants and now struggled against him with the first gun when suddenly it grew hot in my hands. Burning hot. I yelped and dropped it, staring as it lay sizzling on the ground, glowing faintly orange. I didn’t have to hear his voice in my ear to know who held me. â€Å"Eugenie Markham, lovely of you to pay me a visit.† â€Å"I’m going to kill you,† I hissed. â€Å"Yes, yes, you told me that before, and yet, I see it’s not really working out. You should have taken me up on my earlier offer.† He barked out a command to a nearby guard who ran up to us. â€Å"Disarm her before she kills anyone else.† With all the confusion, none of my other allies noticed what was happening. I opened my mouth and began chanting the ritual words to bring the spirits. They were currently too far out of range to simply hear me shout. Realizing what I attempted, Aeson threw me onto the ground, using his body weight to hold me while one hand covered my mouth. â€Å"Hurry!† The guard removed my athames and wand. For the extra gun, he wrapped his hand in the folds of his cloak to retrieve the weapon and then hastily tossed it away. â€Å"You’re a damned nuisance – and a deadly one,† muttered Aeson. â€Å"Keeping you alive for nine months may be more trouble than it’s – ow!† I didn’t see what happened to him but heard a thunk above me. â€Å"You used your power to toss one rock at me?† he exclaimed, an almost comic note of incredulity in his voice. â€Å"On the contrary,† I heard Dorian say pleasantly. â€Å"I didn’t use magic for that. I just threw it.† Aeson tossed me toward his guard, just as flames rose up from the ground. In the darkness, the bright light hurt my eyes, forcing me to glance away. Heat rolled off that scorching orange wall, instantly heating up my skin. The guard attempted to scramble back and hold me at the same time, doing a half-assed job at both, though he still managed – just barely – to keep me restrained. My gaze stayed on the fire’s flickering colors until I suddenly felt the ground shake. Jerking my head up as much as my restraint allowed, I saw a cloud of darkness rise above the flames. It crashed down, like the palm of one’s hand, and the fire abruptly went out, extinguished as pounds of dirt slammed it to the ground. Without missing a beat, Dorian gestured to the spot Aeson stood on. I felt shaking again and saw the earth ripple, like a wave of water moved under the surface. It knocked Aeson off-balance, and then a storm of rock shards – much as I’d seen with the nixies – swirled around, taking aim. Still on the ground, Aeson lifted his own hands. Waves of heat blasted away the rocks, scattering them in different directions. Some of them melted, dripping back to the earth in a molten shower. Ashes filled the air, and I could hear Aeson coughing as he stumbled to his feet. The ground trembled again, pushing him back to his knees. He supported himself with one hand and gave a shaking, raspy laugh. â€Å"It didn’t have to come to this,† he said. â€Å"If you would have just shared her, she might already be with child.† A shower of rocks spattered Aeson as Dorian strode forward. They weren’t razor sharp, but they looked like they hurt. The Alder King winced and shielded his face. â€Å"I don’t share,† Dorian said flatly. The earth near Aeson coalesced into ropes of dirt, winding their way around his limbs. Score one for bondage fetishes. â€Å"Too bad. You might have lived had you felt differently.† Aeson suddenly burst up, breaking through the bonds of earth. As he did, fire blasted from all around him, outlining him and then shooting forward. My scream was smothered in my captor’s hand as I saw Dorian fly backward. Aeson charged forward, his hands controlling and shaping the flames into a ring around Dorian’s crouching form. The walls flared up high and thick, so hot they gleamed blue and white. I wouldn’t have thought Dorian could survive that inferno, but Aeson kept talking to him as though he were still alive. â€Å"Too many theatrics, Dorian, and not enough strength left now to free yourself.† I looked around desperately. There weren’t many guards left. In the distance, I saw Kiyo nail some guy pretty handily – the man’s pain-filled scream affirmed as much – but he was too far to help, just like the spirits. I realized then my guard’s hold had slackened; he was apparently transfixed by his master’s showdown. Others, just as captivated, stopped and stared. Taking advantage of the guard’s lack of attention, I shoved my elbow back into his stomach and attempted to spring free. I didn’t really expect to achieve that goal, but it did uncover my mouth. I spoke the summoning words, and Nandi and Volusian appeared. â€Å"Get Aes – † I began, just before the hand slammed on my mouth again. Another guard joined mine to help with the confinement. The spirits shifted from humanoid form to something else, still vaguely anthropomorphic but more like a cloud of energy. They swooped toward Aeson, one shining and blue, the other black and silver. He deflected them with flames while still holding the walls on Dorian. An instant later, I saw a wand in one of his hands. No. He couldn’t – He spoke banishing words, and I felt the surge of power in the air as he tore open a hole to the Underworld. The form that was Nandi trembled and then exploded, disappearing in sparkles. She’d found her peace at last – and without another two years of service to me. â€Å"Call the other one off,† snapped Aeson, â€Å"unless you want to lose him too.† The hand on my mouth lifted. I hesitated. I had nothing to lose if Volusian won or lost. In fact, Aeson’s request likely indicated he couldn’t banish the spirit to the land of death. Gentry rarely had that kind of power anyway, so Aeson probably couldn’t do what I had been unable to do. But if he fought Volusian, it was possible he could have enough strength to break my control and enslave him as a minion. That was not an option. Better for the spirit to be destroyed than turned against me. â€Å"Hold, Volusian.† He retreated immediately, coalescing back into his normal shape. Aeson returned to Dorian. The Alder King held up his hand and brought his fingers together in a fist. The burning walls contracted, resembling more of a cocoon than a cylinder now. Through the crackling of flames, I heard Dorian scream. Helplessness choked my heart. Just like with the mud elemental. Just like with the nixies. I had no weapons and no freedom. This was exactly the kind of situation Dorian kept speaking of. The time magic would be handy. I couldn’t use it, however. My abilities included only miniscule water manipulation and out-of-control storms and their consequences. Yet, suddenly, I didn’t care about the consequences. I wanted to summon a major storm, a storm to devastate this whole area. Maybe it’d kill my friends and me, but things didn’t really look good for us anyway. Focusing my mind on that, I tried to recall the angry tempests I’d created before. Only†¦it didn’t work. Maybe it was because I’d never consciously done such a thing before. Or maybe it was because I could no longer see storms as a whole. They were pressure and charged particles and – most importantly – water. Dorian had taught me to compartmentalize the elements, and that’s all I could do now. I thought about storms, but all my mind did was reach out and touch all the water sources nearby. Damn it. Finding water did no good, not unless I could move a whole lake and douse the fire. I doubted I could command that much water, even if I had a source like that nearby. But I didn’t need one that big. I only needed to summon a smaller water source, one my powers could manage. I refocused. My magic reached out, grasping and connecting with the water molecules I wanted. They recognized me, and I called them forward. They resisted a little. There were more of them here than had been in the pitcher. Obey me! I shouted to them. Come to me! I am your mistress. Only a few seconds passed while I struggled for control of the water. Meanwhile, Aeson was still holding his arms up, collapsing the walls slowly in what was probably a sadistic effort to prolong Dorian’s pain. Still, I needed the delay as I pushed and pulled the water more fiercely. A funny look crossed Aeson’s face just then, and he glanced around, as though trying to find something. Yet, he didn’t know what that was. Come to me! I could feel the water breaking free, unable to resist my command. A look of horror twisted Aeson’s face. His hands dropped and clutched his head, almost as if he would claw it off. Behind him the flames around Dorian abruptly faded and disappeared, almost as if a lake had dropped onto them after all. But as I’d noted, I hadn’t needed a lake. I’d only needed a smaller source. I’d needed Aeson. The water in him was a size I could manage, the source I’d called out to and commanded. After all, the human – or gentry – body is 65 percent water. And a moment later, all of it came to me. The other 35 percent didn’t. How to cite Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Five, Essay examples

Henry Dumas free essay sample

# 8211 ; Online Poems Essay, Research Paper Take THIS RIVER We move up a spinal column of Earth That bridges the river and the canal. And where a deceasing white log, finger-like, Floating off the bank, claws at the incline, We stumble, and we laugh. We slow beneath the Moon # 8217 ; s oculus ; Near the radiance of the river # 8217 ; s blood face, The canal # 8217 ; s head covering of underbrush workout suits frost, And this ancient watery cicatrix retains The motionless cryings of work forces with troubled liquors. For like the whole Earth, This land of mine is soaked # 8230 ; . Shadows together, We fall on the grass without a word. We had run this far from the town. We had taken the bony class, bouldery and narrow, He taking, I following. Our breath watercourse into October As the air current sucks our perspiration and a foliage # 8230 ; We have come a long long manner, mahn. He points over the river Where it bends west, so E, And leaves our sight. We will write a custom essay sample on Henry Dumas or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I guess we have, I pant. I can hear My angry musculuss speaking to my castanetss. And we laugh. The goon of dark is coming. Up the river, down the river The sky and dark buss between the air current. You know, Ben says, this is where I brought Evelyn # 8230 ; . Look. We sat on that log And watched a river egret Till it flew off with the eventide. But mahn, she is a amusing miss, Aiee! But she looks like me Jamaica adult female # 8230 ; . But she asks me all the inquiries, mahn. I # 8217 ; m traveling to lose her mahn, Aiee! But I will. . . Ewie. Ewie I love you, But I do Ewie. . . Ewie. . . , he says And blows a buss into the air current. Broken shadows upon the canal Form and fuzz, as foliages shudder once more # 8230 ; once more State me this, Ben, I say. Do you love American misss? You know, do most Jamaicans Understand this state? We about laugh. Our perspiration is gone. He whispers Aiee on a long low breath And we turn full circle to the river, Our dorsums to the unsighted canal. But I # 8217 ; m non most Jamaicans # 8230 ; . I # 8217 ; m merely Ben, and tomorrow I # 8217 ; ll be gone, And # 8230 ; Ewie, I love you # 8230 ; . Aiee! My adult female, how can I love you? Blurred images upon the river Flow together and we are at that place # 8230 ; . What did she inquire you? I say. Everything and nil, possibly. But I couldn # 8217 ; t state her all. We about laugh. # 8217 ; Cause I Don # 8217 ; t cognize it all, mahn. Look, see over at that place # 8230 ; . We walked down from there Where the park ends And the canal Begins Where that ruddy shale stone Down the incline at that place. . . see? Sits itself up like a figure, We foremost touch our custodies. . . And up floats this log, Not in the river But in the canal there And it # 8217 ; s slimy and old And I kick it back. . . And mahn, she does excessively. Then she asks me: # 8216 ; Bennie, if I cry When you leave would you Remember me more? # 8217 ; Aiee! She # 8217 ; s a natural goddess! And she asks me: # 8216 ; Bennie, when you think of Jamaica Can you visualize me at that place? # 8217 ; And while she # 8217 ; s stating this, She # 8217 ; s making for the river Current like she # 8217 ; s experiencing its pulsation. She asks me: # 8216 ; Bennie, America means something to you? Possibly our meeting, our love? has Something to make with America, Like the river? Do you cognize Bennie? # 8217 ; Aiee, Aiee, mahn I tell you She might do me get married. . . Aiee! Ewie, Jamaica. . . Moon! And how can I state anything? I tell her: # 8216 ; Africa, someplace is Africa. Make you understand, # 8217 ; I say to her, And she look at me with the Moon, And I hear the air current and the foliages And we do non laugh. . . We are so near now no air current between us. . . I say to her: # 8216 ; Ewie, I do non cognize America Except possibly in my cryings # 8230 ; . Possibly when I look out from Jamaica Sometimes, at the ocean H2O # 8230 ; . Possibly so I know this state # 8230 ; . But I know that we, we Ewie # 8230 ; . I know that this river goes and goes. She takes me to the ocean, The female parent of H2O And so I am home. # 8217 ; And she tells me she knows By the silence in her eyes. I reach our custodies once more down And bathe them in the dark current And I say: # 8216 ; Take this river, Ewie # 8230 ; . # 8217 ; Aiee, air current around us, Aiee my God! Merely the dark knows how we kiss. He stands up. A raincloud sailing upon a leak, birrs In the fleeting embracing of our memories # 8230 ; . Let # 8217 ; s tally, I say, and warm these castanetss. But he trots a spot, so stops, Looking at his Jamaica sky. Let # 8217 ; s run the long route West Down the river route, I say, And I # 8217 ; ll state you of my adult female # 8230 ; .Aiee. We laugh, but we stop. And so, up the spiny ridge We race through the trees Like spirited fingers of frigid air. We move toward some blurred Mechanical visible radiation edged like an egret And swallowed by the dark. Into this land of mine. And the air current is cold, a goad Finger at our dorsums. The still Earth. Except for us. And from behind that ebon cloak, The Moon observes # 8230 ; . And we do non express joy And we do non shout, And where the land inclines, We take the river # 8230 ; . But we do non falter, We do non laugh, We do non shout, And we do non halt # 8230 ; . Online Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www2.mdcc.edu/north/asili/volii_3/nu00031.htm Copyright? Loretta Dumas and Eugene Redmond, 1989/99 Funk The great God Shango in the African sea reached down with palm oil and oozed out me. Online Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www2.mdcc.edu/north/asili/volii_3/nu00031.htm Copyright? Loretta Dumas and Eugene Redmond, 1989/99 Pea Peas in the cod peas in my intestine peas in the belly axial rotation making the prance. Blackeyes over blackeyes down blackeyes browneyes traveling to town Online Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www2.mdcc.edu/north/asili/volii_3/nu00031.htm Copyright? Loretta Dumas and Eugene Redmond, 1989/99 Yam I made a yamship for my belly with my spoon and sweet siting jelly bread kept me til midday. Online Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www2.mdcc.edu/north/asili/volii_3/nu00031.htm Copyright? Loretta Dumas and Eugene Redmond, 1989/99 BROWN SOUNDS brown sound cocoa memories like the first clip you saw grapes and tasted them and learned the colour blue brown sound pick milk reverberations like the first clip you saw bees and tasted gold and learned the honey lingua brown sound Africa pulsations like the first clip you exploded between legs and heard membranophones and learned the message of beats love brown sound United States pulsations plus forcing down trees like the first clip you saw that wild brainsick Equus caballus siting through painted comeuppances and you learned the expansive canon ruddy female parent brown sound black lineation like the first clip like the first clip the first clip is the last clip like that Online Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www2.mdcc.edu/north/asili/volii_3/nu00031.htm Copyright? Loretta Dumas and Eugene Redmond, 1989/99 Click on the nexus above for extra online verse forms by Henry Dumas

Ways to Motivate Yourself to Write an Assignment

The best writers seem to effortlessly tap into their creative juices, then spontaneously produce gorgeous sentences—the kinds of sentences with which a teacher could never find fault. But what if you’re not the best writer? What if you’re positively terrified at the thought of having to express yourself in prose, to the point that some sort of temporary paralysis descends on your hands: so there you sit, fingers poised to tap-tap-tap away at the computer, and your digits won’t budge, instead hovering idly over the keyboard, never striking a single letter? You’re not alone. Trust me, you’re not alone. And also trust that there are developed strategies for getting over this very common anxiety and for moving toward productivity as a writer. Read on and then practice what I preach. No One’s Perfect Repeat this phrase ten times. Make it your motto for academic life. No writer fluidly crafts perfect prose, all at once, all the time. Every writer has to work at it, even though it definitely comes more easily to some than others. The point is that every writer has room for improvement, on every assignment, and that alone should motivate you to start a writing assignment. After all, who doesn’t relish the chance to produce something, refine it, and then perfect it? A writing assignment is just that—the opportunity to achieve something meaningful, and to enjoy the credit for doing so. Write—Edit—Revise—Re-write Don’t let these multiple stages discourage you; in fact, embrace the process, from the first brainstorming session to the rough outline, to the draft and finally to revisions and a re-write. The best part of this sequence is that you’re likely to find your voice, all while working on a writing assignment! Imagine, in fact, that the assignment is the vehicle for expressing your convictions, your philosophies—and to conveying thoughts you wouldn’t otherwise have conjured, invented, or verbalized. What’s more motivating than that? Recognize that the written word is that powerful, and that a writing assignment puts that power in your hands—literally. Know Why It Matters Think carefully about why the writing assignment is crucial for you as a student, a thinker, and as a participant in academic life. Consider where in your â€Å"big-picture† this essay or research paper might fit, and imagine ways that you could turn it into something bigger: could you later share the essay as a blog post, or could you develop a narrow research project into a broader academic thesis? Of course, not every writing assignment proves relevant to your life, but with planning, speculation, and imagination, it’s possible to relate a writing assignment to future scholarly conversations, or to opening fresh dialogue via social media. Get motivated to write with the goal of articulating something about yourself and your future. Settle In for Success Start every writing assignment with the intent to finish it. Nothing motivates more than the realization that you CAN and WILL see this through. Take that single-minded approach to every writing task, and motivation will course through your veins! To secure that ultimate success, find—or create—a quiet, focused environment that supports you doing your best work. Even the most competent writer can falter if distracted. The library may be an option, but if it’s noisy or too social, get off campus and try a more isolated location; move out of your immediate zip code if necessary! Be sure to have on hand everything you need, from source material to your laptop charger to snacks. With all of your needs met, no interruptions and no excuses will result in success.

anti-abortion research essay essays

anti-abortion research essay essays The definition of life according to Websters Dictionary is the property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter.(Websters Dictionary) According to this definition, what do murder, capital punishment, euthanasia and abortion all have in common? They all take away a life, but in Canada only one of these is not against the law and occurs over one hundred and thirty thousand times a year: abortion. Prior to the nineteen-seventies, abortion was illegal in Canada and was punishable by incarceration. Legal abortion was unheard of prior to this decade, and if this act was committed, a horrific stigma was placed upon such an individual. This was the most progressive and most active time period for the pro-choice movement. In history, the nineteen-seventys, was when values and beliefs began to change and more individuals began to speak out against the abortion laws. Today abortion has become a normal medical procedure, just like having ones tonsils removed. The present society has recognized the rights of the individual as very important because of the shift in societal values. As society progresses and changes its values, issues such as abortion have become more acceptable within the new limitations of societal values and beliefs. Abortion must be viewed as a whole instead of being judged as individual cases, and in doing such society will see abortion as morally wrong and, in turn, will make this act illegal once again. During the nineteenth century, society had great respect for life, as morals and the greater good were seen as important. Laws are a set of regulations and statutes that are made up of popular societal values and beliefs that are important by the members of society. As such, the belief of the right and respect of life was portrayed through the beliefs of the nineteenth century society. However, there was still the minority which...

Managing strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managing strategy - Essay Example However, the ever evolving industry of tourism in Europe has meant that there were several factors in the external environment that were impacting the tour operators. This report will analyze those factors using the PESTEL model and Porter’s Five Forces. PESTEL Analysis Political The major political problem that struck the European tour operator industry was the September 11 attacks in the United States of America. The debacle was not just detrimental for Europe but for everywhere around the world. One of the industries that suffered most was the tourism industry. The sense of fear among people grew and that brought a big halt to the number of travelers around the world. The countries had implemented strict policies on visas and entry of foreigners in their lands. Among countries, there was increased scrutiny as the after effects of the attack on the US. There was lack of trust because of the security troubles. Every foreigner was scrutinized. Policies were made strict and thi s was one major reason why tourism industry took a big hit after the attack (United States, 2006). Economical The attacks did not just affect the political landscape of the world but it also had a direct impact on the economies of several regions. Businesses came to a halt and export and import was severely affected. This meant that businesses were not making as much money as they would in normal times. Because of this, there was a severe lack of profit which led to businesses running out of capital (Beaver, 2002). There were a lot of jobs lost and unemployment was on the rise. The overall spending power of the common man went low because of which the expenditures on luxuries such as traveling was also cut down. This had a direct impact on the European tourism industry because people started become more concerned about their well being rather than spending heavy and travel and leisure. An enormous decline was seen in the amount of money being spent in tourism (Hall & Lew, 2009). Mat ters were also made worse when the global economic crisis hit the region in the last 2000s. The world became rife of liquid money and economies were collapsing. This meant that the overall economic situation was not healthy. Companies were suffering as well with many big names being forced into shutting down their businesses. All in all, it was a tough environment to operate in for the European tourism industry. Social The positive aspect in the external environment for the European tourism industry, however, was that the people of Europe generally liked traveling. It was taken seriously and people considered it as their passion. This meant that when political and economic conditions in the region improved, people went back to investing in their travels and this was something that immensely benefited the tourism industry in Europe (Davidson, 1998). Technological Technology had a big part to play in the European tourism industry. For tour operators especially, technology was proving to be a menace. This was because their direct competitors, who would be the hotels and airlines themselves, started selling their products and services through the internet. During the last 2000s, sales through internet surpassed all other mediums. Technology provided a more convenient and easy access to people who wished to book flights and tours. Airlines as well as hotels both were now providing packaged tours for their customers, something the tour operators in

Figures for foreign language learning in different EU countries Assignment

Figures for foreign language learning in different EU countries - Assignment Example Languages are vital and need attention if the commission is to achieve capacity to increase productivity. Poor language skills, on the other hand, create obstacles to free movement of workers. People who cannot use foreign languages cannot secure cross-border employment that accelerates the home country’s ability to earn foreign exchange. English is becoming the first foreign language in the European Union. Kelly (2013) noted that English is the most taught foreign language, both in Europe and the world at large, because it plays a key role in daily life. Other foreign languages have also been identified as the primary accelerators towards the achievement of the European Commission’s 2020 plan. Therefore, member states make teaching and learning of foreign languages significantly more effective by ensuring proper quantity, quality, focus, guidance and monitoring. Kelly (2013) used secondary data methodology in carrying out his research study. In this method, the researcher collected data from available sources such as news articles, the European Union publications, and progress reports of ongoing foreign language learning projects. The main disadvantage of using secondary data methodology is that errors from the original data collection may be reflected in the current study. News articles are sometimes criticised because of lack of objective foundation for the data; information aired in the news are not researched well, but depend on public opinions. European Union publications are the most accurate sources of information that the author used to come up with the results. This is because the commission employs highly experienced researchers and data collected must be filtered to ascertain validity and reliability. The research study by Liepa and Ratniece (2013) focused on development of a model for studying a foreign language based on integrated language acquisition. The problem identified by Liepa and Ratniece (2013) in their research constituted

Memento (2000) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Memento (2000) - Essay Example These include a single problem facing the protagonist, comic relief and getting the audience to believe what the protagonist is fighting for. In Memento, Leonard’s mind is fixed on one thing only: track down his wife’s killer and kill them. There is comic relief in the story when Leonard’s details, such as having been an insurance investigator, and the story of Sammy, who also suffered a memory loss. The audience sympathize with Leonard. Leonard believes the second attacker’s name was John while the second name begins with â€Å"G†. He, therefore, embarks on an investigation to find John G. The plot of the film also details Leonard’s attempts to track down the second attacker with the name John G. The film develops in reverse sequence, showing the protagonist hot on the heels of a certain John G. He meets a man named Teddy whose full name turns out to be John Edward Gammell. Believing it is John G., he kills him. In the final black-and-white sequence, still in reverse, Leonard learns about another man, Jimmy Grantz and is told that he is a â€Å"John G† (memento, n.p.). Leonard proceeds to kill him. The film-makers have adopted a complicated narrative technique to tell the story. They present the film in two parts: the black-and-white section and color section. The black-and-white segment chronologically depicts Leonard as he hunts down his wife’s killer and ends when he kills Jimmy Grantz. The color segment, on the other hand, is presented in reverse. It begins with Leonard killing Teddy and works back in time to moment Leonard discovered that he had killed the wrong man, Jimmy Grantz (Memento, n.p.). Consequently, the events in the film are not presented chronologically as the two segments are intertwined throughout the movie. The film’s protagonist is Leonard Shelby. Leonard is hunting for his wife’s killer and the only clue he has is that the killer bears the name John and the second name begins

Importance of Risk Management in Banking

Importance of Risk Management in Banking The fall of Lehman Brothers and Bean Stearns triggered the financial crisis from 2007 to 2008. In the case of Lehman Brothers, which was one of the largest investment banks with old history in United States, illustrated the importance of appropriate internal risk management with control. Self-interview threat occurred and was leading to the bankruptcy. In the event of lacking enough bank reserve for withdrawal, Bank of East Asia (BEA) chose to enter mass of capital and welcome the public to take freely from the account balance. It would like to increase the stakeholder confidence and is finally success and solve the problem. It is obvious that risk management plays an important role in the financial institutions. Risk management is the management of identification, assessment and prioritization of risks to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the internal control system and reduce the impact of unexpected events. (ISO 31000, 2009) Without proper risk management, banks are diffi cult to operate with financial difficulties and survive during the financial crisis. An effective risk management also improves Corporate Governance procedures that help to increase investor confidence, transparency and accountability that helps institutions operate efficiently. If any error or missing occurs in the process of risk management, it causes a failure of corporate governance and may result in operating difficulty. In United Kingdom (UK), the Financial Services Authority (FSA) provides framework of risk management (Arrow), risk assessment framework and financial risk outlook (FRO) for financial institutions to understand the major risks. In addition, Turnbull provides a guidance of good internal control with implication of UK corporate governance code that focuses on the quality and extent of risk management disclosures in an organization and thus reduces the impacts. Combined Code (1998) requires the board of director (BoD) to maintain a good internal control system that includes risk management that safeguarding the tangible and intangible asset and ensure the effectiveness of system. In United States (US), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) 2002 requires that both management and auditor to maintain a sound internal control system. Section 302 requires management to certify the periodic financial reports and disclose significant internal control deficiencies and section 404 requires management to provide assessment of the internal control and auditors to provide opinion on that assessment. And the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) set accounting rules that corporations need to follow, i.e. they need to prepare, present and report the financial statements. In Hong Kong, the international banking regulation Basel III is applicable to banks. And HKMA regulates the economic stability in banking industry. Many large banks, like the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), also implement the SOX act, New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) corporate governance rules and USA PATRIOT act of the other countries in the Hong Kong. Internal control plays an important role in enterprise risk management (COSO, 2004 Pagano, 2001) Woods (2008) states the relationship between an effective and efficiently internal control linking with enterprise risk management (ERM). It also claims that management-based internal control includes conflicts of interest for internal auditors, is extremely risky for the financial institution. Harker and Stvros (1998) shows the efficiency of risk management significantly affect financial performance of financial institutions. Without effective risk management, auditing of financial statement and expense of audit may be affected and cause unreliable reports. In the financial crisis from 2007 to 2009, many corporations include banks liquated due to a weak internal control system without an effective risk management. Therefore, a good risk management programme is important to the firm in the Hong Kong banking industry. Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) is one of the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s largest financial institutions and thus its risk management will be identified, analyzed and compared with its competitors. Banking regulations and frameworks will be reviewed and key elements of risk management will be identified and compared. The debates will be reviewed and the strength and weakness of internal control of HSBC will be identified. In addition, recommendations for future improvement in effective risk management will be drawn. Aim and objectives of study The aims of the study are to illustrate the importance of maintaining a good risk management programme in the Hong Kong banks and to draw recommendations for the improvement of weaken risk management. To achieve this aim, the objectives have been established: To review banking regulations and framework (Basel III) apply to Hong Kong banking industry To compare and examine the risk management of internal control systems in HSBC and its competitors To review different comments given by its stakeholders during financial crisis (2008) and era To identify the strengths and weakness of an HSBCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s risk management To provide conclusions and recommendations for future improvement in effective risk management in financial institutions 1.3 Proposed Chapter Headings: Introduction Importance of Risk management Background The aim and objectives of the study Structure of the dissertation Literature Review Introduction of risk management Kinds of bank risks Credit risk Liquidity riskà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  funding risk Interest rate risk Mismatch risk Market liquidityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  market price risk Market risk Foreign exchange risk Regulations framework Benefit of risk management Weaknesses of risk management Causes of business failure Stress Testing Example of banks: Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), Bank of China (BOC) Government and authority intervention Conclusion An effective internal audit function of an successful case in Hong Kong The weakness of internal control system cause influence and failure of business performance Research Methods Statistical analysis of annual reports of different corporations to compare their differences with internal control systems Data findings Profile of respondents Data analysis Conclusion Recommendation Research direction Recommendations and Conclusions Summary of the actual findings Recommendations for an effective internal control system and risk management Limitations of Corporate Governance Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction of risk management The uncertainty environment leads to financial services products have become more complex and also increase the accountability of regulation. (Collier, 2009) Doyle (2007) shows that there are common material weaknesses in the risk management of complex and rapidly growing. Krishnan (2005) states limited scope of research leads to insufficient disclosure of internal control. Internal control plays an important role in enterprise risk management (COSO, 2004 Pagano, 2001) It includes 4 stages: risk identification, quantitative or qualitative assessment of risks, risk prioritization and response planning. Role of risk management Collier (2009) ALARM 2.2 Kinds of bank risks COSO (2004) defines enterprise risk management as a process applied with strategies to identify and manage potential risks and thus providing reasonable assurance of achieving corporate objectives. Basel I (1999) states banks should use measurement techniques based on robust data. Eccles et al (2001) reviews the US GAAP and SEC and illustrates 4 major risks: market risk, credit risk, operational risk and accounting risk. Then, Fell Devine (2003) demonstrate operational risk should be separated as liquidity risk, insurance risk and group risk. Further, De Wit (2007) recognizes that risks also include legal risk, concentration risk and reputation risk in financial institutions. There is legal risk of possibility of court cases. If they are well-known of providing good service about criminal, more companies would like to create financial relationship them that concentration risk arises. Also, negative publicity, which is uncontrollable and unpredictable, often lead to reputation risk in money laundering case. Collier (2009) states there are many ways of classification of risks. Recently, Besis (2010) states there are 7 major types of risks in banks: credit risk; liquidity risk (funding risk); interest rate risk; mismatch risk; market liquidity (market price risk ) and foreign exchange risk. 2.2.1 Credit risk Credit risk, which is risk of financial loss that creditors fail to execute their obligation of payment, is the main risk in banking industry that potential loss due to counterparty fail to execute payment obligation. (Besis, 2010) Collier (2009) mentioned that credit risk increases the impact of default as it can be transferred to third parties by using securitization. 2.2.2 Liquidity riskà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  funding risk 2.2.3 Interest rate risk 2.2.4 Mismatch risk 2.2.5 Market liquidityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  market price risk 2.2.6 Market risk 2.2.7 Foreign exchange risk 2.3 Role of governing bodies in risk management and control International Federation of Accountants Committee (IFAC) concludes the role of governing bodies in risk management and control in public sector. (International Federation of Accountants, 2001, cited in Collier, 2009, p.37) They should ensure to establish an effective risk management in the framework of control. Also, ensuring effective internal audit function includes in that framework. Moreover, they should ensure a framework of internal control is well established with practice and the statement of effectiveness is included in the annual report. Lastly, they should form an audit committee that involves non-executive independent members to provide independent review of the framework of control and external audit process. 2.3 Regulations framework 2.3.1 Basel Basel III is a set of international banking regulations developed by the Basel Committee on banking supervision. It revises Basel I and II that requires a higher level of capital. Basel II, which improves the weakness of Basel I, considers regulatory capital with risks. (Glantz Mun, 2008) Basel II provides three approaches for calculation of risk. A standardized approach is commonly used that requires banks to use standard risk assessment to calculate the risk weightings. Next, internal ratings-based (IRB) foundation approach that is based on internal assessment in probability of default from counterparty (PD), quantified estimates of exposure at default (EAD) and loss given default (LGD) can be applicable. And the third approach is called IRB advanced approach, which is based on own internal assessment in PD, EAD and LGD. 2.3.2 Benefit of risk management Weaknesses of risk management Causes of business failure Fight (2004) states that many industry surveys analysed 5 top causes of business failure. First of all, it states cyclical decline in demand is at the top of the five causes. Recession is not the main factor of failure but the element that helps to show the weakness of risk management in firms. It mentions some examples of weakness, such as poor competitive position, problem in internal control of quality and financial and weak capital and liquidity ratios. With these weaknesses, firms lost competitive advantages and cannot fulfill customer needs and also lead to decline in demand. Next, poor top management is followed. Thirdly, lacking of centralized financial control Fourthly, bad acquisition or inadequate integration strategy. The fifth is inappropriate product or market strategy Except the cyclical decline in demand, the other four causes are related to management. It is showed that management of firms plays an important role of survival in economic downturns. Regarding to the case of Lehman Brothers, the creditor fail to execute their obligation of payment that the demand of mortgage or loan was dropped. 2.5 Stress Test 2.6 Example of banks 2.6.1 Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) is a world-wide diversified banking group that involves in different business and activities since 2005. It takes conventional strategy in its entities in different areas, such as Europe, Hong Kong, Rest of Asia Pacific, Middle East, North America and Latin America. HSBC Holdings plc (2009) mentions that there are many factors vary the risks in HSBC, such as environment change. vary the degrees, measurement, evaluation of its risk management. mentions there are 4 main types of risks: credit risk, counterparty credit risk, market risk and operational risk in its business. Its credit risks arise from failure of receiving payment by customers or counterparties in its business, such as direct lending, trade finance, leasing business, guarantees, derivatives and debt securities. It applies 3 approaches in Basel international banking regulations to calculate the counterparty credit risk and determine exposure values. The three approaches are standardized, mark-to-market and internal model method (IMM). HSBC adopt the standardized approach and mainly adopt the IRB advanced approach to eliminate the credit risk. In addition, counterparty credit risk is risk of economic loss that counterparty may default in transactions arises from offer-the-counter (OTC) derivatives and securities financing transactions. HSBC uses the mark-to-market and IMM approaches to reduce the counterparty credit risk. Market risk is the risk of lower income or portfolio value with market risk factors, including foreign exchange rates and commodity prices, interest rates, credit spreads and equity prices. To get rid of it, HSBC applied standard rules of financial services authority (FSA) and value at risk (VAR) models. Lastly, operational risk is a risk of potential loss by imperfect internal processes and systems or external events. Actually, it also includes technological and legal risks. HSBC employed the standardized approach to determine its operational risk in group. To control risks in the IT area, 3 ways is implemented. First, it uses risk bases project management (RBPM) and a global HSBC tool that is called clarity tool to control the software development life cycle and ensure the consistency and efficiency of management. Second, a disaster recovery plan (DRP) is implemented. For example, it is used to recover system in the case of disasters to ensure the continuity of system. Third, it maintains a secure and reliable governance structure to control and response to the technological risk in different departments. For instance, senior management committees are responsible for managing the risk. The committees consist of HTS Steering Committee, Risk Management Committee (RMC), Operational Risk and Internal Control Committee (ORICC). In the way of managing legal risk, HSBC concerns with contractual, litigation, legislative or regulatory, reputation and non-contractual rights. In addition, it established policies and procedures, estimates potential losses from the judicial or administrative resolutions, disclose the relevant information. Moreover, it established policies and procedures for the identification, measurement of legal risk to eliminate or reduce the possible loss due to the non-performance of the norms and avoid adverse resolutions. 2.6.2 Bank of China (BOC) Bank of China applied the stress testing. 2.7 Government and authority intervention Woods et al (2009) states without perfect credit risk management, the survival of numerous financial institutions in the financial crisis relies on financial support or taking-over by government. In United States, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch collapsed because of no financial support to continue the business. On the contrary, United Kingdom mortgage providers, Northern Rock and Bradford and Bingley, survive in financial crisis as had been taken over by government. In addition, Derbyshire Building Society and the Cheshire Building Society faced substantial problems and then survived as it had been taken over by the Nationwide, a large mortgage lender with a stronger capital base. Starting from summer 2007, accumulating losses on sub-prime mortgage triggered financial tsunami in the global financial system. The paper analyzes that banks and mortgage providers using special purpose entities (SPE), collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) or collateralised debt oblig ations (CDOs) and illiquidity as the problems Financial Services Authority (FSA) provides operating framework (Arrow II), risk assessment framework and regulations for financial institutions. 2.8 Conclusion Chapter 3à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ Research method The research is mainly based on quantitative research by obtaining statistical data, such as complaints or commercial crimes, and related to annual reports and financial statement. Reports from Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) will be a part of source to analyze the data as it is easily assessed and convenient in obtaining data. In addition, the risk management system of 10-15 limited companies will be examined and compared. It helps to define the strength and weakness between different risk management systems under sudden events. It supplements questionnaires collection and theoretical research. Questionnaires collection is also used as an instrument in obtaining useful information. To obtain relevant information from stakeholders, questionnaires about satisfaction of financial institutions will be collected and some samples will be further conducted by face-to-face survey. And theoretical research is taken place on reviewing information of theories and practices about an effective internal control system with suitable risk management from academic journals and textbooks. 3.2Limitation: It is difficult to assess information because the internal information is not related to the operation that source is limited and limited samples are not be sufficient to conclude subject to risk management. In other words, recommendations are not be sufficient for the whole banking industry. In addition, the online questionnaires do not have a large number of respondents as the respondent rate is limited due to many reasons. For example, some people do not interest in filling questionnaire and some people feel trouble to complete the questionnaire. Chapter 4 Profile of the respondents A survey was conducted in late 2010, from October to November. Online questionnaires were collected from 30 respondents to understand their confidence level of banks in Hong Kong whether it is influenced by the occurrence of financial crisis and also obtain recommendations of risk management in Hong Kong banks for improvement. There are 25 questions in a questionnaire (see appendix) and it is formed as 3 parts: Personal Details; Before Financial Crisis (2007 -2008); After Financial Crisis (2007 -2008). The first 5 questions are about à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“personal detailsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. For question 6 to 8, questions are part of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“before financial crisisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. And questions 9 to 25 are focused on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“after financial crisisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? that shows present. The major findings drew from the questionnaires are concluded as below. Personal Details Question 1: What is your gender? Female Male Total 16 14 30 In the online questionnaires, there were 30 respondents that slightly more than half of them are Female while slightly less than half of them are male. Question 2: What is the range of your age? From the questionnaires, it was found that the respondents are mainly youngsters which are most (26 in 30 respondents) in the range of 18 to 29 years old. And there are a small number of respondents (2 in 30 respondents) in the range 30 to 39 years old and (2 in 30 respondents) the range of 40 to 49 years old. Question 3: What is your education level? According to results of questionnaires, no respondents are educated under primary level. Three fifths of respondents achieve the degree education whereas the minority of them, 2 in 30 respondents, reach the master or above education level. And the other two sixths of respondents completed secondary to diploma education. Question 4: What is the range of your monthly salary? It is showed that half of the respondents have monthly income less than $5000 while one fifth of them have over $5000 but lower than $10000 and the other one fifth have monthly income between $10000 and $19999. The minority of respondents got income more than $20000 each month that one respondent got more than $20000 but less than $30000 and two respondents got more than $30000. Question 5: What is your role in bank? The respondents are mainly customers in banks that there are over 90% of them, 28 in 30 respondents, as the role of customers and less than 10%, 2 in 30 respondents, of them as the role of employees in bank. Before Financial Crisis(2007-2008) Question 6: Before financial crisis (2007 2008), what was the percentage of your salary you spend on saving in a bank each month? Before financial crisis (2007 2008), almost two fifth (37%) of respondents expressed that they had habit of saving. Only a few of them spent their salaries mostly on saving while a minority spent much more on saving every month. And one in six respondents spent almost half of salary on saving. In the meanwhile, three fifths of them spent fewer while a few respondents spent slightly fewer or none on saving. Question 7: Before financial crisis (2007-2008), did you invest in stock of Hong Kong banks, such as HSBC? Over 70% of respondents, 73%, said that they had habit of investment in Hong Kong stock before financial crisis (2007-2008) while slightly less than 30%, 27%, had not invested. Question 8: Before financial crisis (2007-2008), what was the percentage of your salary you spend on investment each month? Before financial crisis (2007-2008), most of respondents had habit of investment. Three fifths of respondents had spent much more and majority or all of salary on investments each month. For example, less than half of them, 43%, had spent the majority and almost all of salary (80% 100%) on investment while one sixth had spent 60% to nearly 80% of salary. And a small number of them, 10%, had spent almost half of salary (40% 59.99%) on investment while nearly one quarter (23%) of them had spent fewer (25% 39.99) on investment. But, few respondents, 7%, said that they had not invested or spent slightly fewer on investment. Question 9: Did you have habit of checking your balance in your current accounts /investment accounts in banks? And how often did you check your balance each month? Before financial crisis (2007-2008), none of the respondents never check their current account or investment account balance. One in three respondents showed that they seldom (1 to 7 times per month) checked their balance in accounts while half of them often checked their accounts over once a week and nearly once per two days (8-15 times per month). And one in five respondents usually checked their accounts (16-30 times per month). After Financial Crisis (Present) Question 10: Do you own any current accounts for saving in banks? How many banks do you own current account? All respondents have current accounts for saving in banks in Hong Kong. One-fifth of respondents reported that they only owned current account in one bank while almost most of them, 77%, said that they owned current accounts in from two to four banks. In addition, only one respondent responded that hold current accounts in more than five banks. Question 11: What is the percentage of your salary you spend in saving each month? It is showed that most of the respondents have habit of saving. Almost a quarter of them, 23%, spend much more on saving while about two fifths of them, 41%, spent majority or almost all on it. Also, no respondents spend almost half of salary (40%-59.99%) while a minority of them reported they spent fewer and nearly a quarter of them reported they spent slightly fewer and almost none on saving. Question 12: Do you invest in stock Hong Kong banks, such as HSBC? After financial crisis (2007-2008), three fifths of respondents said that they had habit of investment in stock of Hong Kong banks while two fifths did not invest. Question 13: Do you own any investment accounts in banks? How many banks do you own current account? Most of the respondents own investment accounts in Hong Kong banks. For illustrate, more than half of respondents, 73%, only own investment accounts in a bank while 1 in 10 respondents own an investment account in two to four banks. And one-sixth of them, 17%, do not own any investment account and. However, no respondent hold investment accounts in more than five banks. Question 14: What is the percentage of your salary you spend on investment each month? More than half of respondents reported that they spent their salaries less on investment. One third of them spent slightly few and almost none of their salary on investment while one fifth spent fewer as well as the other one fifth almost spent half of it on investment. On the other hand, a small number of them, 10%, responded that they spent much more while 1 in 6 respondents spent most and almost all on investment. Question 15: Do you have habit of checking your balance in your current accounts/ investment accounts in banks? And how often do you check your balance each month? After financial crisis, none of the respondents never check their current account balance. Nearly three fifths of respondents,57%, reported that they seldom (1 to 7 times per month) checked their balance in account while one fifth of them often checked their accounts over once a week and nearly once per two days (8-15 times per month). In addition, about a quarter of them checked their accounts frequently (16-30 times per month). Question 16: After financial crisis (2007-2008), what do you pay attention to the bank before investment in it? (Answers can be chosen more than one.) The table shows the issues about bank whether respondents pay attention to before investment or not. After financial crisis (2007-2008), the respondents mainly pay attention to the news about the bank and also the banking industry before investment. Nearly three quarters of them, 73%, pay attention to the news about the bank and banking industry to concern about their investment. In addition, one-fifth of them pay attention to the risk management of the bank to concern whether risks are minimized and properly controlled. And the other one fifth also pay attention to relevant court cases while three in ten respondents focus on the changes in its share price. However, only a minority pay attention to the big issues, such as big loss or financial difficulties. Question 17: What element(s) do you think it is important in risk management? The table illustrates that importance of elements in risk management respondents revealed. Regarding to questionnaires, almost two fifths of the respondents thought identification of risk was important in risk management while about two thirds of them did not. About assessment of risks, nearly third fifths (57%) of them agreed it was an important element while more than two fifths of them (43%) disagreed. In addition one third of respondents expressed that internal control is an important element in risk management. However, only a minority of respondents, 4%, totally agreed that identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks and the internal control are important in risk management. Question 18: Do you trust the risk management of bank can ensure steadily operation with lower risks to prevent bankruptcy? Two thirds of respondents reflected they trusted the risk management of bank that can ensure it operating steadily with lower risks and prevent bankruptcy while one third said that they did not trust it. Question 19: What is the level you rely on the risk management of bank? After financial crisis (2007-2008), a small number (10%) of respondents reflected that they extremely relied on the risk management of bank while one fifth said that they more relied on it. Half of them remained neutral whereas a minority less relied and a few respondent never rely on the risk management of the bank. Question 20: After financial crisis (2007-2008), have your confidence in bank been cracked? About two fifths of respondents, 37%, thought their confidence in bank had not be cracked after financial crisis (2007- 2008). Nevertheless, half of them reflected their confidence were partly impaired while a minority (13%) revealed that their confidence were mostly damaged. Question 21: What is (are) the issue(s) that impair your confidence in the bank and make you think that it has weak risk management? The chart illustrates the issues whether it can impair their confidence of respondents and affect their investment decision in the bank. According to the responds, a majority of respondents, 90%, thought occurring liquidity problem and big loss can impair their confidence in the bank. And 70% of them expressed that weaken defense of risks and without experience of facing financial crisis can lead to bank have a weak risk management and also impair their confidence. Besides, slightly more than a quarter of them, 27%, considered human resources problem was one of the elements of weak risk management. For example, improper authorization and delegation policies lead to conflict of interest exists in the bank. Moreover, nearly one-fifth thought operating without following regulation, such as Basel framework, is more likely to maintain weak risk management. Finally, only a few of them, 7%, responded that involving in court case impair their confidence in bank and they might think it had we ak risk management Question 22: Do you read the annual report of bank to understand its risk management before investment? The above chart shows that one third of respondents responded that they saw annual report of the bank before investment to understand its risk management. However, two thirds of them expressed that they did not. Question 23: Do you think these banks have good risk management? In five Hong Kong banks, respondents expressed which banks they think have good risk management. As a result, most of them commented HSBC had a good risk management while only one third thought Bank of China had a good risk management. Also, half of them expressed that Hangseng Bank had good risk management while the other half disagreed that. Concerning to standard chartered bank, only one fifth thought its risk management was good. Moreover, slightly less than twenty percent of them reflected that Citibank had good risk management. Question 24: What rank do you give for the risk management of HSBC? (Please rank from 1to 5: 1 is weakest; 5 is best) Rank of HSBC Number of respondents

Oedipus Trilogy Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

Novel Analysis of The Oedipus Trilogy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oedipus Rex, or Oedipus Tyrannus as it is in Latin, could be what we call today a Freudian work of literature. The Oedipus Trilogy was originally written by Sophocles and is meant to be told in a story-telling fashion. But this Grecian tragedy was revised and translated into English by Paul Roche and put into a novel form. The Oedipus Trilogy is a novel that deals with destiny and fate. The reader is shown a series of events plotted out from which Oedipus cannot escape. When we begin to read this story, we must remember that Greek society was based around myths and legends. They, much like today’s society, had the need to explain everything. Their myths were a way of explaining such things. They had a series of gods and muses and fates to explain why things happened the way it happened. They believed in a force greater than their own controlling their every move. Sophocles took their beliefs and used the Oedipus Trilogy to explore the irony of how the Fates work more closely. The Oedipus plays are separated into three main plays: Oedipus Rex (The King), Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. The story starts in Oedipus Rex, and the city of Thebes in which he is ruler is in plague. The city calls upon the ruler Oedipus to find a way to stop the plague. At this point in time, it is 15 years after the prophecy given to him by the Oracle of Delphi of his father dying and him marrying his mother. When he hears of this he promises never to return so he may outsmart the fates. He eventually ends up in Thebes through his travels and gets into an argument with an old man. He ends up killing the old man in a brawl. Little does he know that this old man is King Laius, his father. He goes to Thebes where a Sphynx is harassing it’s people for an answer to it’s riddle. Oedipus solves the riddle and the Sphynx throws itself from its perch upon a rock outside the city. Its people make Oedipus the new King. Now he is faced with another challenge, to find the killer and banish him from the city to rid them of the plague. We are faced with an interesting plot indeed. When Oedipus pledges to find the murderers, he puts himself in the ironic position of having to hunt himself down. The story shows Oedipus following his own tracks until he finds the shepherd who gave the infant Oedipu... ... this thronging round my feet- this holding out of olive branches wreathed in woe?'; (Roche 23). By this sentence Sophocles is showing that his people are crying at his feet for an answer to their sickness. Little did Oedipus know that he had his own much larger problem on his hands. The plays of Oedipus have long been some of the most enlightening and teaching of stories. This story sparked the study of much psychological debate and theories pertaining to the love of ones mother and ones own sanity. It was used in Ancient Greece to tell of the twisted ways that Fate worked and how you can do something you may not want to out of pure ignorance. This story is a truly remarkable one for those who would read it for pleasure, and yet it is a plague of its own for many a student. And it is still used today so that we may study how an ancient culture thought. Much of Greco-Roman myths are centered on the subject of Fate. Homers epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey are two such examples. We can see that their societies were greatly concerned with Fate, as much of their writing reflects that. Every society has its own needs and concerns, and literature is always the best way to reflect them.