Social struggles in The Melting Pot and America Essay

E.E Cummings Essays (469 words) - Poetry, Literature, E. E. Cummings

E.E Cummings Essays (469 words) - Poetry, Literature, E. E. Cummings E.E Cummings The uncountable love sonnets of e.e. cummings have arrived at the ears and hearts of many. since feeling is first, You and tired and some place I have never voyage, happily past, all infer that some place individuals truly love one another. The speaker in these sonnets adored the subject so much that he is prepared to quit any pretense of everything for her. A sonnet brimming with adoration, some place I have never voyage, readily past, shows the affection a man has for a lady. The entry, (I don't have the foggiest idea what it is about you that closes also, opens; just something in me gets it the voice of your eyes is more profound than all roses) outlines just a piece of the affection he has for this lady. Intellectually he can not grasp the adoration he has for her. Just an inclination within him totally comprehends what's going on. The lady in this sonnet speaks with her eyes. None of the roses on the planet would ever match the profundity of her eyes, so incredibly sentimental. Another amazingly sentimental sonnet, since feeling is first, pronounces how much a man cherished a lady. woman I depend on all blossoms. Dont cry the best motion of my mind is not exactly your eyelids ripple which says we are for one another; at that point chuckle, reclining in my arms e.e. cummings makes a setting with blossoms, an exceptionally sentimental motion. Sentimental signals bring sentimental sentiments, the speaker at that point announces his profound feelings for this lady. The very ripple of her eyelid gets far more prominent than the most profound idea he has ever had. He is unassuming to her, for he sees all the enormity in her and acknowledges he can't manage without her. Lines fourteen through eighteen show the sentimental topic of adoration in You are worn out. However, I accompany a fantasy in my eyes this evening, also, I thump with a rose at the miserable entryway of your heart open to me! For I will show you the spots Nobody knows, What's more, on the off chance that you like, the ideal spots of Sleep The lady in this sonnet is becoming weary of her life and of things being broken. The man appears at the entryway to her heart. He has a fantasy about removing her from this world that breaks so without any problem. He needs to give her places that she doesn't have a clue. At the point when he says the ideal spots of rest, he implies that when they nod off in every others arms, it will be great. The sentimental artist e.e. cummings catches the hearts of numerous with only a couple of lines of verse. Through these three sonnets, individuals discover words to communicate their feelings of affection towards one another. A great many people make some hard memories trying to say three little words.

Variable Interval Schedule of Reinforcement

Variable Interval Schedule of Reinforcement Theories Behavioral Psychology Print How Variable Interval Schedules Influence Behavior By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Updated on February 21, 2020 Albert Mollon / Getty Images More in Theories Behavioral Psychology Cognitive Psychology Developmental Psychology Personality Psychology Social Psychology Biological Psychology Psychosocial Psychology In operant conditioning, a variable-interval schedule is a schedule of reinforcement where a response is rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time has passed, which is the opposite of a fixed-interval schedule. This schedule produces a slow, steady rate of response.?? As you probably recall, operant conditioning can either strengthen or weaken behaviors through the use of reinforcement and punishment. This learning process involves forming an association with behavior and the consequences of that action.?? Psychologist B.F. Skinner is credited with the introduction of the concept of operant conditioning. He observed that reinforcement could be used to increase a behavior, and punishment could be used to weaken behavior. He also noted that the rate at which a behavior was reinforcement had an effect on both the strength and frequency of the response. How Does a Variable-Interval Schedule Work? To understand how a variable-interval schedule works, lets start by taking a closer look at the term itself. Schedule refers to the rate of reinforcement delivery, or how frequently the reinforcement is given. Variable indicates that this timing is not consistent and may vary from one trial to the next. Finally, interval means that delivery is controlled by time. So, a variable-interval schedule means that reinforcement is delivered at varying and unpredictable intervals of time.?? Imagine that you are training a pigeon to peck at a key to receive a food pellet. You put the bird on a variable-interval 30 (VI-30) schedule. This means that the pigeon will receive reinforcement an average of every 30 seconds. It is important to note that this is an average, however. Sometimes the pigeon might be reinforced after 10 seconds; sometimes it might have to wait 45 seconds. The key is that the timing is unpredictable. Characteristics of the Variable-Interval Schedule Very resistant to extinction??The rate of response is moderate but steadyVery minimal pause after reinforcement is given Examples of Variable-Interval Schedules Checking Your Email: Typically, you check your email at random times throughout the day instead of checking every time a single message is delivered. The thing about email is that in most cases, you never know when you are going to receive a message. Because of this, emails roll in sporadically at completely unpredictable times. When you check and see that you have received a message, it acts as a reinforcer for checking your email.??Your Employer Checking Your Work: Does your boss drop by your office a few times throughout the day to check your progress? This is an example of a variable-interval schedule. These check-ins occur at unpredictable times, so you never know when they might happen. The chances are good that you work at a fairly steady pace throughout the day since you are never quite sure when your boss is going to pop in, and you want to appear busy and productive when she does happen to stop by. Immediately after one of these check-ins, you might briefly pause and take a short break before resuming your steady work pace.Pop Quizzes: Your psychology instructor might issue periodic pop quizzes to test your knowledge and to make sure you are paying attention in class. While these exams occur with some frequency, you never really know exactly when he might give you a pop quiz. One week you might end up taking two quizzes, but then go a full two weeks without one. Because you never know when you might receive a pop quiz, you will probably pay attention and stay caught up in your studies to be prepared.

The War Of The Vietnam War - 1772 Words

The wars in Indochina and Vietnam ravaged the landscape for decades. The strive for Vietnamese independence was fought for years by men and women across the country. Who were these people and why did they fight? Two of the more interesting men who fought for Vietnamese independence were Truong Nhu Tang, and Lam Quang Thi. Truong was a member of the southern Vietnamese intelligentsia who would later become a key member of the National Liberation Front(NLF), that would be instrumental in fighting against the Saigon government and American presence in Vietnam. Lam on the other hand couldn’t have had a much different goal in fighting for a sovereign Vietnam. Lam decided that his best course of action was to enlist into what would eventually be the Army of the Republic of Vietnam(ARVN), the army of southern Vietnam, eventually rising to the rank of general. I’ve had the pleasure of reading their memoirs (along with several others), and an interesting question came i nto my mind. Why would these two men, who had comparable backgrounds, choose such strikingly different ways of attempting to foster Vietnamese independence. I’ll attempt to answer this question by examining in more detail their comparable backgrounds, educations, early lives, families, etc, and striving to find an answer. As a further comparison Le Ly Hayslip, a woman from central Vietnam who also got involved in the fighting, will also be examined, but in much less detail, and more as a comparison to theShow MoreRelatedThe War Of Vietnam And The Vietnam War1525 Words   |  7 PagesThe war in Vietnam is The United States and other capitalist bloc countries supported South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) against the support by the Soviet Union and other socialist bloc countries of North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and the Vietcong of war. Which occurred during the Cold War of Vietnam (main battlefield), Laos, and Cambodia. This is the biggest and longtime war in American history during the 1960s (Best 2008). It is also the most significant war after World War IIRead MoreThe War Of The Vietnam War1475 Words   |  6 Pageson one such event, the Vietnam War, came from entertainment-based programs and the play Miss Saigon. Despite heavy coverage in such well-known comedic films as Forrest Gump and Good Morning Vietnam, the true events were anything but a laugh for those involved. In spite of the relative recentness of the events in Vietnam, many of today’s youths know little about the topic. The events in Vietnam raise the ever-present question on the ethics of third party involvement in a war otherwise unrelated toRead MoreThe War Of The Vietnam War1729 Words   |  7 Pagesspread of communism all around the world. This is what lead to the gruesome war that lasted over a decade in Vietnam. A great deal of social changed happened all over the world, but particularly in America as the Vietnam War dragged on. As people became more a ware of the atrocities going on in Southeast Asia, the endless domestic support turned into widespread explosive protest. During the first few years of the Vietnam conflict, Americans full heartedly supported the United States and its governmentRead MoreThe War Of The Vietnam War1379 Words   |  6 Pagestensions over the Vietnam war caused many americans to become divided on the actions taken by the government across seas. Americans questioned whether the government could be trusted. The feeling of betrayal and government secrecy created the â€Å"Credibility Gap,† in which many americans believed that the government no longer was for the people, but for anything else that would benefit the government. The Vietnam War exacerbated the gap between the pro-war traditionalists and anti-war liberals along withRead MoreThe War Of The Vietnam War1430 Words   |  6 Pagesended in 1989, the Vietnam war is still being fought, but on a different battlefield, one of public opinion. Some call this war an atrocity, a war the United States should never have joined. Others call it a crime, committed by the power hungry politicians of the U.S. Now that new information from both sides of the war has surfaced and the wounds of battle have had more time to heal there is yet another opinion emerging. The Vietnam War was in fact only one of many proxy wars fought under the umbrellaRead MoreThe War Of The Vietnam War1155 Words   |  5 PagesThe Vietnam War cost many Americans their lives in the 60s and 70s. Many were drafted into the war by choice and others selectively chosen to join to help America. The contributions made had a major impact on the American side of the Vietnam War. Though many contributions were made none stand out any more than others. It is sometimes said there is always a hero in the war who helped the victory. Wars, however, do not have war heroes because a hero is making an undeniable contribution to the war andRead MoreThe War Of The Vietnam War1592 Words   |  7 PagesThe Vietnam War was said to be one of the most significant wars in the twentieth century. This w ar took place from November 1, 1955 to April 30, 1975. It was at the time, the longest war in American history. Much of the conflict was centered in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. During that time, approximately 58,219 US troops were killed in action. The reason America got involved in the Vietnam War was to stop the spread of communism in South East Asia and beyond. â€Å"America’s involvement in Vietnam derivedRead MoreThe War Of The Vietnam War1204 Words   |  5 Pagesus†¦ When that is the way you are, how do you conduct your life?† The Vietnam War killed over fifty eight thousand Americans and over 61% of the men killed were 21 years or younger. Most Americans are conflicted with the fact whether the Anti War Movement played a factor in prolonging the Vietnamese War. â€Å"In every story there are two sides and in between lies the truth.† Anonymous The United States become involved in Vietnam after the French withdrew when the Republican President Dwight EisenhowerRead MoreThe War Of The Vietnam War877 Words   |  4 PagesAnother big difference in this war was that the Vietnam War was had more disapproval and was more expressive within the American public, unlike the Korean War. The ANITWAR MOVEMENT started in the 1960s this group was never enacted until this era. There was not a group like this in Vietnam, but there were many groups that opposed the war. The main object of these revolts was the American military presence in Indochina. The ANITWAR MOVEMENT caused an influence not only socially, but also in the realmRead MoreThe War Of The Vietnam War1421 Words   |  6 PagesIn July and August of 1972, Jane Fonda made radio broadcasts from Hanoi that changed the way Americans thought of the Vietnam war and of her. To this day, many people view her as a traitor and criticise her actions in Vietnam; however, some people we re truly inspired by her words and what she had to say. Despite people s personal opinions, Fonda was a powerful speaker and knew how to convey her message to her audience. She tried to convince people that the American government and military were the

Life Of A Multi Sport Athlete - 1148 Words

There is a time in the life of a busy multi-sport athlete (and especially the longer, time-constrained, endurance athlete) when you must eat, it must be a complete meal, and it must be quick. Your body can only support high volume training, proper performance, and immune system strength for a limited period of time if all your quick meals consist of microwaved meals in a box, gas station trail mix, and even all-organic food bars. You ll eventually crash. So you must make a habit of regularly eating fast healthy meals and wholesome foods without heavy amounts of preservatives, salts, sweeteners, and synthetic chemicals, and you must to figure out how to do it without huge amounts of time and preparation needed. On that note, I m going to give you my top ten meals that I rely on when I need good, nutritious food fast. That is, when I ve finished a big ride and have to be at work in 10 minutes, when I ve gotten back from the gym and need to be in ben within an hour, or when I have just a few minutes to make a dish to fuel a workout. Each meal includes a complete blend of protein and carbs for recovery and performance needs, and while none of these quick healthy meals are as tasty as filet mignon, lobster ravioli, or a loaded chopped vegetable salad, they will fulfill the physiological needs of the busy multi-sport athlete. These are all relatively cheap eats with ingredients that are budget-friendly. Here are the top 10 meals that I personally make and have ingrainedShow MoreRelatedLarge Salaries of Pro Athletes Negative Effects on Athletes and Sports1574 Words   |  7 PagesLarge Salaries of Pro Athletes Negative Effects On Athletes and Sports Abstract This paper will explain the effects of the luxury contracts of athletes on sports as well as the athlete. The debate is whether the effect is a negative effect or not. This paper will aim to show how the contracts of athletes have changed significantly over time. It will also show how the pro athlete affect the sport of college in different aspects and if that helps or hurt the college athletics or influencesRead MoreShould Athletes Be Overpaid?1642 Words   |  7 Pagesis constantly on celebrities and glorifying the life of professional athletes. The question of athletes being overpaid and not really working arises more and more. What makes their nontraditional occupation wurth a multi million dollar contract? Some say nothing-- they are grossly overpaid, but the simple truth is that the road to get to the pros entails dedication, overcoming adversity, diet, training, image and consistency. The idea that athletes are overpaid is completely false because of theRead MoreSports Marke ting: The Agent Athlete Relationship and Ethical Issues 1052 Words   |  5 Pagesbusiness management, financial and risk analysis, and of course, sports. In order to be a successful sports agent one must not only be a great negotiator, but also be highly motivated, have exceptional communication skills, be prepared to work long hours and handle multiple tasks at the same time. An agent must be able to apply effective marketing principles. The â€Å"Four P’s† of marketing are: 1. Product (or Service) - What does the athlete want from the agent? What needs does the agent satisfy? 2. Promotion-Read MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1701 Words   |  7 Pagestotal revenue of nearly $1 Billion. How much of that went to the 460,000 NCAA student-athletes, you may ask? Zero dollars and zero cents. The debate on whether or not student-athletes should be paid, specifically college football players, continues to grow. With this, it becomes increasingly more difficult to deny the fact that college sports are a multi-billion industry and coaches are being paid out multi-million dollar contracts over several years as a result of whether or not their playersRead MorePositive And Negative Effects Of Sports In Sport1247 Words   |  5 PagesNike released their motto, â€Å"Just Do It,† in 1988 at an advertising agency meeting. Striving to bring inspiration and innovation to athletes throughout the world, Bill Bowerman said, â€Å"If you have a body, you are an athlete.† This simplistic phrase can be related to many different situations, whether someone ’s parent is telling their child to clean their room or to walk their dog, but the child is refusing one may say, â€Å"Just Do It!† However in relation to athletics it may perceived as both a positiveRead MoreBlg Athletic Apparel Is A Sports Apparel Retailer Based Essay1211 Words   |  5 Pages1.0 Executive Summary BLG Athletic Apparel is a sports apparel retailer based in Worcester, Massachusetts. BLG offers the most comprehensive selection in town. By offering the most complete selection as well as a knowledgeable support staff, BLG will quickly gain attention in the market and grab a share of the market. Worcester was chosen because of its diverse, active population. Worcester is full of people who are looking to sport to better themselves and social interactions. BLG Athletic ApparelRead MoreConcerns in the Game647 Words   |  3 PagesCollegiate sports have progressed to one of the most highly profitable industries in the U.S. today. Through the years, these institutions have developed, marketed, and optimized a method to generate revenue of high levels. Yet, no one seems to have a problem with the fact that these players are being utilized and objectified for their talents. Each athlete must give up more than they should, without reasonable benefits. In fact, The University of Alabama ma de nearly $143.5 million in revenue aloneRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1402 Words   |  6 PagesShould College Athletes be Paid? Most American people like sports. College Sports have been growing up every year and universities and athletes are more competitive every year. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) was founded in 1906 to protect young people from the dangerous and exploitive athletics practices of the time and continues to implement that principle with increased emphasis on both athletics and academic excellence (NCAA 2012). The NCAA make and apply the rules in collegeRead MoreSports Influence On The Dominant Social Values1515 Words   |  7 PagesSports influence on the dominant social values in American life Americans have always loved sports; although the sports early Americans practiced may not still today be what the majority of people enjoy. For example, early Americans hunted, swam, ran, rode horses and played competitive games such as tug of war. They also participated in military skills contests, which have always been seen as an acceptable form of leisure time activity across many cultures. Sports have always been part of the AmericanRead More Professional Athlete Salaries Essay1363 Words   |  6 PagesProfessional Athlete Salaries In today’s society many will argue whether or not professional athletes are overpaid. In the present time athletes are being paid phenomenally large amounts of money for their entertainment. It is my claim that all professional athletes are overpaid because they do not offer society an essential function that improves or enhances our world in comparison to other professionals such as medical doctors, lawyers, and teachers. Society does not value entertainment

Analysis of Management Issues Starbucks †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Analysis of Management Issues Starbucks. Answer: Introduction Starbucks is the strongest competitor in the food and beverages industry currently. Though the sales of the company had dropped in the past few years. However they have recovered their business recently. This research aims at carrying out analysis of management issues faced by Starbucks in the past few years which resulted in its loss of business. Further it shall examine its current market position and the strategies adapted by it to regain its market share. The research shall be helpful to understand the marketing functions that need to be practiced to launch a brand effectively in different markets. Background In the year 2008, the operating profits of the company had dropped drastically due to increase in its operating costs and restructuring costs. The company had to shut its stores in Australia and unemployed up to 700 employees to cover up for the losses(Forbes 2016). The company had placed itself as an affordable luxury brand which however did not take care of the tastes and preference of the population in Australia. The chain tried to enforce American taste on Australians and was available everywhere in Australia(Mescall 2010). Significance of the study Studying the comeback of the coffee giant would help us understand the strategies adapted by the giant to cover up for its losses. This would further enable the readers to comprehend the effect of particular strategy in their situation and how can it be implemented. To come back in the market, Starbucks had adopted extensive Social Media Marketing techniques. The study would serve as a base for further studies relating to Social Media Marketing and its effectiveness in similar cases. Aims of research This research aims at identifying the various reasons behind the downfall of the major coffee giant, Starbucks. It further aims at analyzing various managerial issues faced by the company which led to such a condition and how those issues were resolved. Further it aims at analyzing the current market position of the company and the strategies adopted by it to attain this position. Research Questions Question 1 What were the Factors or Managerial Issues behind the downfall of Starbucks? Question 2 What is the Current Market Position of Starbucks? Question 3 What are the strategies adopted by Starbucks to re-attain the current market position? Literature Review First Starbucks was opened in 1971 by three friends who shared the same passion for coffee. In 1987, the company was sold to Schultz, who changed the logo of the company and merged his existing coffee restaurant named Li Giomale and Starbucks and naming it Starbucks. In 1990, the company expanded beyond Seattle throughout US. The company opened its outlets in Australia in 2000 at Sydney. The company opened several outlets in all major cities of Australia and was available everywhere. However, soon by 2008 the company was forced to shut many of its outlet due to losses. (Starbucks 2017). One of the major reasons behind its initial failure is said to be its lack of appropriate positioning in the Australian market. Positioning refers to the act of the company wherein it designs, establishes the companys offers, its image and communicates the key benefits of the products it offers in the market or the targeted population in a way that it can occupy a distinct place in the minds of the customers (Armstrong et al., 2014).The company failed to communicate its distinct feature to the customers and tried to account only on the brand name it gained all over the world(Business Think 2012). Another important marketing function is developing the product as per the market and pricing it appropriately. Starbucks entered Australia assuming the products suitable for American market shall be suitable for Australian as well. However, Australians found the products to be not worth the prices being charged. Thus they shifted back to Baristas available all over the market (Mescall 2010). Research methodology: Data Collection Method To conduct this study the appropriate research methodology shall be descriptive as the questions have been clearly described and the answers for them have to be found. Thus, the researcher knows the direction of his research. The data for this research shall be collected through the secondary data available in various forms such as articles, research papers, company reports and meetings etc. certain data shall also be collected through employee interview(Nassaji 2015). Research Approach The research shall be inductive in its approach as it does not aim at proving any particular theory. The research aims at finding out the theories which have proved to be helpful for Starbucks to overcome the issues face by it and regain the current market position(Malhotra, Birks and Wills 2013). Research Philosophy To conduct this research, the study shall be done on the basis of positivism research philosophy. It is believed that the data collected is observable and measurable and is trustworthy(Nassaji 2015). Ethical Considerations The research shall be conducted honestly and with complete integrity. There shall be no biasness towards the company or any particular strategy adopted by them. The researcher shall refrain himself from plagiarizing others work and due reference shall be given in case of adapting someones work(Malhotra, Birks and Wills 2013). References Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S. and Kotler, P., 2014. Principles of marketing. 6th ed. Australia: Pearson Education. Business Think, 2012.Marketing Lessons: Whatever Happened to Starbucks. [online] Businessthink.unsw.edu.au. Available at: https://www.businessthink.unsw.edu.au/Pages/Marketing-Lessons-Whatever-Happened-to-Starbucks.aspx [Accessed 7 Sep. 2017]. Chua, A. and Banerjee, S. (2013). Customer knowledge management via social media: the case of Starbucks. Journal of Knowledge Management, 17(2), pp.237-249. Forbes (2016). Starbucks' Challenges And How It Can Overcome Them. [online] Forbes.com. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2016/12/05/starbucks-challenges-and-how-it-can-overcome-them/#293ac7f04be9 [Accessed 8 Aug. 2017]. Malhotra, N., Birks, D. and Wills, P., 2013. Essentials of Marketing Research. 1st Ed. Australia: Pearson. Mescall, J., 2010.Starbucks in Australia: Where did it go wrong?. [online] ABC News. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-08-07/32188 [Accessed 7 Sep. 2017]. Nassaji, H. (2015). Qualitative and descriptive research: Data type versus data analysis. Language Teaching Research, 19(2), pp.129-132. Schultz, H. (2012). Pour your heart into it: How Starbucks built a company one cup at a time. 1st ed. UK: Hachette. Starbucks (2017). Company Information | Starbucks Coffee Company. [online] Starbucks Coffee Company. Available at: https://www.starbucks.in/about-us/company-information [Accessed 8 Aug. 2017].

Louis Armstrong His Childhood, And Early Years Of His Music Essays

Louis Armstrong: His Childhood, And Early Years Of His Music Brian McLaughlin History of Jazz 12/18/98 Professor Torff Louis Armstrong: His childhood, and the early years of his music He was born in the south at a time when a black boy could expect nothing but to grow up, work hard at the lowest jobs all his life, and hope somehow, somewhere manage to stay healthy and get a little out of life.(P.1 Collier) Get a little out of life Louis did, a pure genius he revolutionized America's first true form of art, jazz. Doing a paper on Louis Armstrong has been enjoyable to do and the information that is available on Armstrong is endless. So much that this paper is going to concentrate on Louis Childhood how he got involved with music and the early years of his music career with King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band and the recordings of the Hot 5's and Hot 7's. Satchmo, which is only one of his nicknames originated from people saying he had a mouth like a satchel, is a truly an extraordinary man. He started his life living in the slums of New Orleans, but would go one and play in front of some of the most important people in the world such as presidents, kings, and queens. Piecing together the facts around Armstrong's birth and childhood is difficult. What is known depends almost entirely on what he later told people. He was born sometime around 1900. Louie was raised by his grandmother Josephine Armstrong as an infant. His father abandoned him and his mother around the time of his birth. Louis spoke scathingly about his father when he spoke about him at all. He loathed his father so much that he told reporter Larry King, I was touring Europe then my father died. Didn't go to his funeral, didn't send nothing. Why should I He never had no time for me or Maryann (his mother). (p. 19 Coller) Louis had a genuine affection for his mother, though she was very undependable, leaving her son to take care of himself and his sister for days at a time. There is very little we know of Armstrong's family as you can see. Louis grew up in New Orleans in a tough area known, as The Battle Field where knife fights and gun play were common. At the age of about seven he moved to black Storyville. It consisted of dance halls honky tonks and brothels. It was an entertainment district like London's Soho. He grew up with music all around him. He could hear music from outside is house when he woke up and when he went to bed. It is recorded that Louis did attend school at the Fisk school where he learned to read and write. How long he attended this school is another mystery. One fact we do know about Louis is that he was arrested on New Years Eve 1912 for shooting a gun. Louis was around eleven at the time, and this was a very serious offense. He was sent to the Coloreds Waif House a reform school on the out skirts of New Orleans. Here Louis was introduced to organized music in the form of the school band. The school band was run by Captain Joseph Jones in a military fashion that was extremely strict. This is where Louis's life changed from delinquent to a disciplined young man this was also when Louis was introduced to playing a musical instrument. The teacher, Professor Pete Davis, first had reservations of letting Louis play in the school's brass band because he thought Louis was a bad kid. Finally Louis was let into the band, and received his first formal training on an instrument. More importantly th an the music training Louis received from Professor Davis were the real life lessons Lois received. Professor Davis had more to do with Louis' self respect and discipline than with musicianship. Even more important was that Louis finally formed a positive relationship with an older male, a father figure, whose discipline Louis was willing to except. Until this time, he had more or less acquiesced to the life into which he had been born, a world of pimps, thieves, hookers, and

Insults and Aspersions

Insults and Aspersions Insults and Aspersions Insults and Aspersions By Maeve Maddox Like the rabbit Thumper in Bambi, I was brought up on the admonition, â€Å"if you can’t say nuthin’ nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.† How times have changed! Not only has insult come to pervade public discourse, the Web abounds with insult generators to assist the invective-challenged. For instance, creative types who want to add a little class to their abuse can consult a Shakespearean insult generator. The word insult derives from Latin insultare, â€Å"to attack†; literally, â€Å"to jump on.† In medicine, an insult is anything that attacks or causes injury to the body. The verb insult means to display a scornful attitude towards someone by speech or behavior. As I have always understood the word, an insult is a deliberate attack on someone’s feelings, but there’s some evidence that for some folks, even a remark devoid of hurtful intention may be construed as an insult if it disagrees with one’s own views. This is from an article offering advice about how to respond to insults: It can be hard to know what to do when someone makes a thoughtful remark that is insulting to your convictions, values or beliefs I can see how one person’s â€Å"thoughtful remark† might be offensive to someone of differing beliefs, but I don’t see how it’s insulting. Here are some synonyms for the noun insult: jibe affront slight barb slur indignity injury libel slander declamation abuse [uh-BYUS] disparagement aspersion (usually in the plural) dig crack put-down slap in the face kick in the teeth cheap shot low blow Here are synonyms for the verb to insult: abuse [uh-BYUZE] be rude to slight disparage discredit libel slander malign defame denigrate cast aspersions on call someone names put someone down affront humiliate wound badmouth dis calumniate Note on aspersions: A reader asked me if one can do anything with aspersions other than cast them. The answer seems to be, â€Å"No.† The word aspersions comes from the verb asperse, â€Å"to besprinkle or bespatter.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Yiddish Handbook: 40 Words You Should Know11 Writing Exercises to Inspire You and Strengthen Your Writing55 "House" Idioms

Famous Office Space Quotes

Famous Office Space Quotes If you are looking for funny quotations about work or quotes from the movie Office Space, here is a page you will enjoy. These quotes are about working in an office. And they are hilarious! Peter Gibbons: What if were still doin this when were 50?Samir: It would be nice to have that kind of job security.Bob Slydell: What would you say ya do here?Tom Smykowski: Well look, I already told you! I deal with the goddamn customers so the engineers dont have to! I have people skills! I am good at dealing with people! Cant you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?Peter Gibbons: Our high school guidance counselor used to ask us what youd do if you had a million dollars and you didnt have to work. And invariably what youd say was supposed to be your career. So, if you wanted to fix old cars youre supposed to be an auto mechanic. Samir: So what did you say?Peter Gibbons: I never had an answer. I guess thats why Im working at Initech.Peter Gibbons: Hes going to ask me to work on Sunday and Im going to do it because Im a pussy, which is why I work at Initech in the first place.Michael Bolton: Hey, I work at Initech and I dont consider myself a pussy.Samir: Yes, I a m also not a pussy. Samir: No one in this country can ever pronounce my name right. Its not that hard: Na-ee-ana-jaad. Nayanajaad.Michael Bolton: Yeah, well at least your name isnt Michael Bolton.Samir: You know theres nothing wrong with that name.Michael Bolton: There was nothing wrong with it... until that no-talent ass clown became famous and started winning Grammys.Samir: Hmm... well why dont you just go by Mike instead of Michael?Michael Bolton: No way! Why should I change? Hes the one who sucks.

The Novel Kate Chopin The Awakening and the Short Story by Kate Chopin Essay

The Novel Kate Chopin The Awakening and the Short Story by Kate Chopin The Story of an Hour - Essay Example Sometimes cultural expectation or social conditions make people behave in a typical manner. Kate Chopin’s short story ‘The Story of An Hour’ and his novel ‘The awakening’ are two works in which the social conditions or the cultural expectations compel people to escape to the world of freedom (Petry, 1996) (Koloski, 1996). The protagonist of the novel ‘The awakening’ longed to take herself away from the expectations of her society (Telgen and Hile, 1998). While reading between the lines of ‘The awakening’, readers can find that the most crucial incident, the suicide of Edna (at the end of the book) is a consequence of her attempt to escape from everything and to tear herself away the social expectations to which she was strongly bounded to (Ewell, 1986). Her mentality was one of despair in which she does not wanted to live in the way she was supposed to be. Reading thorough the mind and sole of Edna, we can see that the decisi on that she has taken at the end was the one and only solution for her to escape from the internal struggles she suffered. She had violated the line that marks the norm of the society (and its conventions) of the late 1800s (Telgen and Hile, 1998). Edna’s despair that she will not be able to live in the ‘expected’ manner, leads to her take her own life. ... Edna was actually becoming free (recognizing her selfhood) attaining freedom and victory that was denied to her by Robert. Edna is a woman who should have born couple of centuries later; she would never fit in the life of the 1800s. Robert’s demand for Edna to be his wife, a ‘mother-woman’, following all the social conventions and followings, were unacceptable to Edna. As far as she was concerned, such a submission to his desires is a denial of her identity. Edna was unable to face this reality and she opted not to live rather than being submissive to the followings. She does not want herself to be locked inside the societal cage in which men others wanted her to reside. Her outlook and personality made her unfit for the life of her times. Edna’s life became quite unsuitable for the role her lover, husband and what the society demanded for her. Edna’s personal desire of freedom was denied in all her relationships, her father, her husband and even Rob ert (Ewell, 1986). Everybody denied her wish to live in her freedom and wanted her to submit her ‘sense of self’ in the role she was expected to play. Edna refuse to play these roles and her sense of self was too strong and very precious for her. "Edna's sense of self makes impossible her role of wife and mother as defined by her society; yet she comes to the discovery that her role of wife and mother also makes impossible her continuing sense of independent selfhood" (Chopin, 1982). She was found to be moving into the water and swimming away from the shore where she would remember "Leonce and the children. They were a part of her life. But they need not have thought that they could possess her, body and soul" (Chopin,

In class essay2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

In class essay2 - Essay Example It is highly necessary for the authorities to take action to bury the power lines underground, as this will avoid the chances of vulnerability of the power lines to natural disaster like storm and hurricane. The hurricane sandy has caused millions of people in Northeast to live without power for days. The Connecticut city had 90% living in darkness as hurricane sandy swept fiercely through the city damaging all the power lines. Considering this dangerous fact, it is strongly recommendable to the electricity providers to take action to bury power lines underground to avoid further mishaps. Being a super power, America need to be more thoughtful regarding their infrastructure and power providing system. If the power lines are laid outside then, any natural disaster can harm the electricity supply of the nation. But the government is not considering building power line underground as the cost for the same is high. Because the power lines where constructed above the ground, there was explosion of power station in the North east during sandy’s arrival. In recent times, America has been encountering numerous natural disasters like hurricane, typhoon, storms and wild fires. So the government keeping in mind of these disasters must make immediate strategy to combat catastrophe. Any government must priorities the citizen’s security and quality of life, as the government is by the people, for the people and of the people. North east America being a cold region needs power and electricity more than other areas of US. The government being cost conscious understood their mistake only when disastrous sandy affected the region. Now that the sandy has destroyed the power lines of North east America, the cost incurred by the government is more than imagined. Government’s ignorance and lack of alertness has caused much hassles and disruption in the life of millions of people. If the power lines of these region

Probability Theory Statistics :: essays research papers

The Collier Encyclopedia’s definition for probability is the concern for events that are not certain and the reasonableness of one expectation over another. These expectations are usually based on some facts about past events or what is known as statistics. Collier describes statistics to be the science of the classification and manipulation of data in order to draw inferences. Inferences here can be read to mean expectations, leading to the conclusion that the two go hand in hand in accomplishing what mankind has tried to accomplish since the beginning of time – predicting the future. It is the notion of science that this is the most accurate way to predict events yet to occur and this has lead to it being the most widely accepted “fortune telling'; tool in the world today. Probability and Statistics most widespread use is in the arena of gambling. Gambling is big all over the world and lots of money is won and lost with their aid. In horse racing especially the statistics of a horse in terms of its physical condition and winning history sway numbers of persons into believing that the mathematical evidence that is derived can actually be a good indicator of a race’s outcome. Usually it is if the odds or probability are great in favor of the desired outcome. However the future is uncertain and races can turn out any of a number of different ways. The field of medicine is another high subscriber to this forecasting technique. Potential diagnoses are frequently made based on a patient’s history or that of his ancestors and the calculated likelihood of him/her acquiring certain conditions. Statistics and probability aid in the decision making process of which test may be required for a given symptom and how a possible outbreak may be detected and contained. Strategies for isolating and dealing with diseases are often made with the aid of statistics on the percentage of a population that may have been infected and the probability of its escalation. The weather forecasters use probability and statistics just as much if not more than any other field on earth. As weather patterns are not fully understood and are dynamic, analysts have to rely heavily on past weather systems and patterns to “guess'; or estimate the possibility of present weather systems to behave in similar manners. If the probability of its behavior, subject to certain factors, in one manner over another is high forecasters make decisions as to how to advise the public.

A Critical Appreciation of Frost’s ‘The Oven Bird’

The Oven Bird is a pessimistic sonnet. The octave seems to describe mid-summer and how it is past its best. Whereas the sestet, which is marked by a rhyming couplet, brings a change, as Frost looks toward what will come in the future, and how to live with a life that is past its best. The bird sings ‘Loud' and predicts the inevitability of mid-summer turning into fall. Gloomy descriptions are used even though it's the middle of summer and everything should be bright and cheerful, ‘he says that leaves are old and that for flowers/ Mid-summer is to spring as one to ten'. The endstop after ‘ten', makes the fact that there are not as many flowers in summer as there are in spring, very definite and quite blunt. Even though winter is along way off, lots of nature is already past its best: The early petal-fall is past, When pear and cherry bloom went down in showers On sunny days a moment overcast The speaker constantly focuses on the shadows, although it is only a ‘moment', so much destruction seems to happen in it. While it's still mid-summer, the bird is already anticipating fall as he says ‘and comes that other fall we name the fall'. Perhaps in this poem Frost is talking about Darwin. The oven bird could be used to represent Darwin. Frost says ‘there is a singer everyone has heard'. Around the time Frost was writing, Darwin was teaching his theory, he was famous and everyone had heard of him. By placing ‘loud' at the beginning of the line and putting a comma after it, Frost focuses on this word, emphasising that Darwin is shouting and telling everyone about his theory. Frost then goes onto say the bird ‘makes the solid tree trunks sound again'. This could possibly be Darwin questioning all and bringing a new uncertainty to life. If we continue with the Darwin idea, perhaps when Frost refers to ‘that other fall we name the fall', he is referring to Adam and Eve and the fall of mankind. This is then followed by the bird saying ‘the highway dust is overall'. Read also Critical appreciation of the poem â€Å"Old Ladies’ Home†. The highway might represent mans progress and new scientific knowledge and how this now covers everything, nature and religion. Frost says, ‘the bird would cease and be as other birds/ but that he knows in singing not to sing'. I think this could mean that the bird is not as exuberant as other birds in spring, but he sings in mid-summer and knows the future isn't necessarily something to look forward to. With Darwin's new theory, the old certainty has been taken away and replaced by something new and radical that makes the future unsettling. The poem finishes on an unsure note as Frost says, ‘The question that he frames in all but words/ is what to make of a diminished thing'. Frost might be saying that, although life is past its best, like summer, how can we make the most of it? This is very characteristic of Frost's poetry, with Frost leaving the reader to make their own interpretation and decide for themselves. Although the tone of the last two lines is elegiac and ‘diminished thing' sounds very negative, Frost also asks ‘what to make' of it and this sounds more positive as though this is just a new, exciting challenge to face. The Oven Bird is also similar to Frost's other poetry because he uses nature to put across an idea. The Oven Bird is an unusual sonnet, Frost uses an old, accepted poetry style to express these new and bold ideas, the unconventional rhyme scheme also helps to emphasise these new ideas. This is another quality of Frost, to take a certain style of poetry and make it his own.

A Comparison of 1929s Stock Market Crash and Todays...

Introduction The most recent financial crisis was an all encompassing meltdown that affected the entire global economy. It is nearly impossible to quantify the distress this crisis put on the American economy and the world has yet to see the long term damage. After any disaster, people are eager to point fingers. This financial meltdown was no different, as critics were quick to blame anything and anyone from Wall Street to fair value accounting. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what caused the most recent financial crisis, and even time may not tell. Economists are still trying to figure out why the stock market crashed in 1929, and Ben Bernanke recently stated â€Å"to understand the Great Depression is the Holy Grail of macroeconomics.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦These ratings were trusted by investors and fueled the sale of additional CDOs. Credit rating agencies have a fiduciary duty to the public to evaluate debt instruments without bias and with due diligence. A conflict of interest arises however because they earn their revenues from the issuers whose financial instruments they rate. The issuers have the ability to pick and choose their credit rating agencies, most likely based on their willingness to give a favorable credit rating. In other words, it’s in the best interest of the credit rating agency to give favorable ratings in order to receive revenue. With an increase in bonds, and mortgages in 1929 and 2007 respectively, there was more profit to be made and credit rating agencies wanted their cut. Risky Credit Practices With increased capital and soaring investor confidence, both eras saw an increase in lending on credit. In 1929, â€Å"buying on margin† became very popular. Average investors wanted to get their share of the profits being made in the stock market and would find a stock broker to lend them money to increase their ownership. Sometimes brokers would require 50% down payment by investors and riskier ones only required 25%. Investors would put up the margin capital and the broker would put up the remainder (Bierman). Brokers would then collect a fee on borrowed money. There was no regulation on margin buying, so setting margins was left to theShow MoreRelatedThe Global Financial Crisis on India Essay2493 Words   |  10 Pagesthink India remained relatively insulated from the financial crises? The contagion is truly global in a globalized world. How can the high priests of globalization in India expect to insulate the country from this all-pervasive crisis? - By S. Shivaraman It is not right to say that a country is insulated from financial crisis in today’s globalized world. In some way or the other thereRead MoreElements of The Global Economy Essay2119 Words   |  9 Pagesgrowing at an increasing rate due to factors such as high oil prices, imports growing slightly faster than exports, and the low U.S. savings. We should be concerned over the long run because these trade deficits are overwhelmingly large in comparison to U.S. GDP and to the small U.S. export base. This concern in increasingly large deficits implies an even greater increase in the U.S. net external indebtedness and external balance. U.S. has sometimes relied on dollar depreciation to reduceRead MoreEurope Economic Crisis55278 Words   |  222 PagesISSN 0379-0991 Economic Crisis in Europe: Causes, Consequences and Responses EUROPEAN ECONOMY 7|2009 EUROPEAN COMMISSION The European Economy series contains important reports and communications from the Commission to the Council and the Parliament on the economic situation and developments, such as the Economic forecasts, the annual EU economy review and the Public ï ¬ nances in EMU report. 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Argumentative Essay Template - 835 Words

Socialising On The Internet Using the internet to socialise is an increasingly popular activity. Some of the most popular websites for this are Facebook, twitter, bebo, msn and many others. Social networking is when you speak to other people through the internet. Facebook is by far the most popular with over 500 million users and 250 million of them logging in everyday. Twitter is not far behind Facebook with over 177 million users. With social network sites you can keep in touch everyday and you can share your photos and news with hundreds of people. There are many advantages and disadvantages of socialising on the internet. One reason why people use the internet to socialise is because it’s easy to meet people from all over the†¦show more content†¦Strangers stealing your identity can give them access to private documents such as credit cards or bank details. Revealing your name and date of birth through these sites as well as pet names or nicknames is a gift to fraudsters as often people use nicknames or pentanes as passwords for private information. Online banking fraud has increased by 44%. It is estimated that identity fraud costs the UK  £1.7 billion a year and is the fastest growing crime. In conclusion, I think the internet is a great way to socialise with people from all over the world and communicate with lost family members and old friends but I think people should be a lot more careful when speaking to strangers. You should not give out any bank details or personal information through these sites and should be more aware of frauds and paedophiles. Although the internet is a great way to play games and meet new people, people need to be aware of the many dangers that social networkingShow MoreRelatedWhat Makes A Successful Argument?927 Words   |  4 Pagesargument? An argumentative essay is similar to any other essay. The writing process may vary, but only slightly to meet the demands of an argument. When writing a convincing argumentative essay, one must first choose a topic and then think about that chosen topic, draft a thesis statement, understand the intended audience, gather evidence, refute opposing arguments, revise the thesis statement, establish credibility, draft the essay, revise the essay, and finally polish the essay. By implementingRead MoreHow Technology Can Open Doors For Some Students1518 Words   |  7 Pagesreference. Students could also use the Got Credibility which walks them through what to look for. 6. What is argumentative writing and how teachers can help students with their writing with technology. The class defined argumentative writing as taking a view or stance, presenting both sides, and a possible solution. 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I wrote a multigenre on tattoos, literary analysis on Hamlet, and an argumentative essay as well as a summary and response essay on the need for higher education. From this wide array of papers I have learned and grown in my technical writing skills that will contribute in my pursuits of college level classes. I will address each of my papers and what I have learned from them. I have includedRead MoreVaccination Should Not Be Mandatory Due to Health Hazards: Outline539 Words   |  2 Pagesï » ¿ENG-106 Composition II Argumentative Essay Part II: Outline Assignment Directions: Outline your argumentative essay by following the template below. You do not need to write whole paragraphs for any of the below sections. You simply need to write complete sentences that show the basic outline of your essay. Doing this will give you a guide when writing your rough draft. 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Gods and Men in the Book of Genesis - 1275 Words

The book of Genesis as seen from a secular analytic vantage is no less riddled in faith than it’s more religious centered home. The story of creation in six days, a talking snake, and an omnipresent god may not be scientific or true, but that doesn’t negate what the book represents or its purpose. The moral and indeed law of the story is that people must really on their ruler, and that to go against his wishes and act in your own interests or thought process is something that will cause harm to society. It’s easy to see why a book with such a message would be written and why it would continuously be used throughout history. In essence Genesis/The Old Testament are a how to book on governance not only for those governed but also to the sovereigns who sometimes metaphorically take the position of god. You can see in Gilgamesh, The Iliad Paradise Lost, and any other book of ancient divinity that following the will of the gods is a manner of great concern. However, t he major focus of this concern is not just the subjects or human elements but the gods as well. Too my knowledge every civilization that worships or builds dogmatic beliefs around something greater than themselves has done so within the confines of said civilization. That is to say that the belief grew within the believers and helped to organize the sect of people. Now take a look at the role of God in Genesis, at no point does he give Adam or Eve faith. It is not something that he allows them in any direct sense.Show MoreRelatedComparing The Hebrew Or Israelite s ( Hoi ) And The Pandora Myth1491 Words   |  6 Pages The Hebrew or Israelite’s (HoI) book of Genesis (2.5-3) and the Pandora Myth in the Greek poet Hesiod’s Work and Days both include the creation of Men and Women. In each of these works, this creation plays a significant role in showing the relationship between human beings and gods (or God) in that culture. The order of creation (Man Vs Women) indica tes the importance one sex has over the other. In the book of Genesis (2.5-3) and Work and Days, Men are created before women towards the beginningRead MoreRole of Gender in the Book of Genesis and Theogony. Essay933 Words   |  4 Pagesroles that men and women play tend to differ in different works of literature. The roles depend on the culture and the context of a particular work of literature, and even the time the work of literature was written. For instance the roles of gender will differ from African culture to American culture, as well as from ancient America and Modern America. Old stories such as the Book of Genesis and Theogony portray different roles men and men play. Most of these roles are similar in both books, and aRead MoreThe Portrayal of Women to Men in Genesis1511 Words   |  7 PagesPortrayal of Women to Men in the Book of Genesis For the past two-thousand years, the Book of Genesis has served as work of literature to the western civilization. Whether people believed in the Bible or not, the Book of Genesis tell stories they talk about having good morals, teaching live-learned lessons and overall it gives a glimpse of how the first human being acted when the world was developing and how they handle problems and situations. However, even though the book of Genesis shows a tone ofRead More Genesis And Theogony... Plagiarism? Essay1483 Words   |  6 Pages Genesis and Theogony†¦Plagiarism? The Book of Genesis is a compilation, and like every compilation it has a wide variety of contributors who, in turn, have their individual influence upon the final work. It is no surprise, then, that there exist certain parallels between the Theogony, the cosmogony of the early Greeks, and the Book of Genesis, the first part of the Pentateuch section of the Bible. In fact, arguments may be made that the extent of this borrowing, as it were, is not limited to Genesis;Read MoreA Short Summary : The Passage Of Genesis 141146 Words   |  5 PagesINTRODUCTION The passage of Genesis 14 tells the story of Abram and how he is brought into the picture after a great war. The war consisted of five kings on one side, and four kings on the other. The five kings were defeated by the four and all of their possessions were taken. Lot, who was Abram’s nephew, and all his possessions were taken as part of their loot, while there was one, unnamed man who had escaped and made his way to tell Abram of the tragedy. Abram then gathered together his threeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Genesis 775 Words   |  4 Pagestaken from the book of Genesis. The focus will be taken from an event that was recorded in chapter 12 of this book. The main charter was a man call Abram and his wife, Sarai. Because of deceit of Abram, driven by his fear of losing his life he chooses to be deceitful.This dishonest act caused someone else to sin this caused God not to be happy with the person than sin so a plague was caused by him. The act on one cause God to moved on others in a negative way. Genesis is the first book of the BibleRead MoreThe Bible And Of The Pentateuch997 Words   |  4 PagesGenesis Genesis is the first book of the Holy Bible and of the Pentateuch, which is more commonly referred to as the Law. Literary Genre: Narrative Dates and Authorship: Although, the author is never named it has been accepted that the book was written by Moses. The book was most likely written during the year that Moses spent at Mount Sinai where he wrote the books of Exodus and Leviticus, 1446-1445 B.C. 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The Road To Growth For Financial Institutions Free Essays

string(179) " following components were involved in measuring Customer Momentum: advocacy, primary financial institution identification, propensity to switch institutions, and lack of errors\." Expansion of banks and financial acquisitions in the U. S. generally occur in two ways: by organic growth or by mergers and acquisitions. We will write a custom essay sample on The Road To Growth For Financial Institutions or any similar topic only for you Order Now Organic growth is the rate of business expansion that an organization can achieve through increasing output and enhancing sales. This form of business expansion excludes any profits or growths gained from mergers, acquisitions, and take-overs. This represents the true growth for the core of a company and is a good indicator on how well the organization’s management has used its own internal resources to expand profits. This type of business expansion also helps to identify whether managers have used their skills to improve the business (Investopedia 2006a; Wikipedia 2006a). On the other hand, acquisitions, mergers and take-overs do not bring about profits generated within a company, and are thus not considered organic growth. Historically, investment banks (which are defined as intermediaries which assist companies in selling ownership of themselves as stock or borrowing money directly from investors in the form of bonds) have been closely associated with the activity of merger and acquisitions since it represents a sales opportunity for the investment bank. For a bank to merge with another financial institution, it needs to attain a fair market value for its shares to swap with shares from the other entity. A popular formula in describing mergers and acquisitions is â€Å"one plus one makes three† – the key principle behind buying a company is to create shareholder value over and above that of the sum of the two principal companies involved (Investopedia 2006a; Investopedia 2006b; Wikipedia 2006b; Investopedia 2006c). In other words, two companies together are deemed more valuable than two separate companies. Strong companies buy other companies to create a more competitive, cost-efficient organization and to gain a greater market share. Target or weaker companies in turn often agree to being purchased by these stronger companies when they know they cannot survive alone in a competitive market (Investopedia 2006a; Investopedia 2006b; Wikipedia 2006b; Investopedia 2006c). Most major financial institutions in the US have gone through some form of merger and all of these institutions inevitably monitor their organic growth. The benefits that each type of business expansion offers are unique, and there are certain advantages and disadvantages in each type. The relevance of studying mergers and acquisitions involving financial institutions is that these activities can dictate the fortunes of the companies involved for years to come, and have considerable impact on investors involved as well as within the organizations themselves. Likewise, organic growth helps to strengthen an organization internally and places it on a stronger market position if done effectively and successfully. The significance of this research study is to compare these two types of business expansion. The objectives of this study are to analyze these two types of business expansion as to their strengths and weaknesses, benefits and potential threats or disadvantages to the banking sector, and to provide an overview of the history of the banking sector in terms of both organic growth and mergers and acquisitions activities and endeavors. The research is helpful in that it will provide valuable research data and hopefully some helpful insights to help financial institutions, large or small, to evaluate their present business expansion activities. Small companies which are limited to organic growth, and may wish to venture into mergers or acquisitions, may be able to use the data provided here. Larger institutions which practice both organic growth and mergers and acquisitions, on the other hand, may be able to use this research to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of both activities. The rest of the paper is organized as follows. Section I as presented here provides for the introduction to the study, definition of terms, objectives, the research topic, and the significance of the research. Section II provides for a literature review on both organic growth in the banking sector and mergers and acquisitions of financial institutions. Section III discusses the data gathering process for this study, the methodology used, and the research framework followed for this study. Section IV will provide for the analysis of the results and findings as gathered from the literature and related work reviewed. Section V presents the summary and conclusions of the study based on the analysis provided for in Section IV. Finally, Section VI will describe future directions this study might take. II. Literature Review According to the results of an annual study conducted by A. T. Kearney, one of the world’s largest management consulting firms, investment management firms are outperforming retail banks in the highly competitive race to grow profitably and to gain market share. A. T. Kearney conducted an Annual Organic Growth Index (OGI) for 2006 for measuring growth in investment and retail banks. The study was based on data collected online by Harris Interactive? of more than 4500 banking customers in the 20 largest US metro markets. Seven out of the ten top-scoring financial institutions included in the OGI based on their capability to grow organically were investment management firms, with Ameriprise with the top score for the second consecutive year, outperforming most banks and other investment firms such as Edward Jones, A. G. Edwards, Vanguard, Charles Schwab, and Merrill Lynch. Wachovia, on the other hand, outperformed many of its retail bank counterparts, also for the second year in a row since A. T. Kearney started conducting this study in 2005 (A. T. Kearney 2006). A. T. Kearney’s study is significant for this research since it provides insight into which financial institutions are most capable of achieving and sustaining organic growth. The index connects customer attitudes and actions with their wallet allocation decisions. The OGI looks at the performance of financial institutions based on their ability to achieve both Customer and Wallet Momentum. Customer Momentum measures an institution’s ability to attract and retain customers, forge long-lasting customer relationships, and instill advocacy among their customers. For the A. T. Kearney survey, the following components were involved in measuring Customer Momentum: advocacy, primary financial institution identification, propensity to switch institutions, and lack of errors. You read "The Road To Growth For Financial Institutions" in category "Papers" Wallet Momentum on the other hand measures an institution’s ability to expand the number of products and drive greater penetration per product with its customers. Components involved are: intent to add accounts, intent to increase equity account value, share of wallet with primary financial institution, and average number of products per customer (A. T. Kearney 2006). According to the results of the A. T. Kearney study (2006), investment management firms performed better overall than retail banks by scoring high in both Customer and Wallet Momentum. Retail banks on the other hand score higher on Customer Momentum than Wallet Momentum. However, the study concludes that no single type of financial institution dominates in either performance matrix. Most financial institutions strive to become their customers’ Primary Financial Institution (PFI), and have generally been successful at increasing the average number of accounts per individual within the last year (A. T. Kearney 2006). However, the study indicated that investment management firms have more difficult relationships with customers, and that being designated as customers’ PFI does not necessarily ensure success for retail banks. The study also showed that customers who experience two service errors or account problems within one year were 35 percent more likely than the industry average to leave such financial institution. This attrition rate doubled after three errors were experienced in one year (A. T. Kearney 2006). The study provides for the following suggestions in order to improve organic growth in financial institutions (A. T. Kearney 2006): ? Institutions with leading Customer Momentum scores have opportunities to cross-sell new products and services, and should determine how to recognize and reward people for selling a â€Å"bundled† set of products when most organizations are organized to measure and reward for selling specific products. ? Products and services to be added or cross-sold must be determined in relation to margins on core products, and the total portfolio, to ensure profitable growth. Cross-selling is less costly than adding new customers, but the mix or products and services is equally important when considering impact on profit. ? Product complexity and product variation makes it difficult for customers to understand a value proposition and for employees to explain it. This affects both service delivery and transaction effectiveness, and also increases the potential for errors. A financial institution should thus improve its ability to manage product complexity, as a way of improving service quality and overall customer satisfaction. A similar study conducted by Daniel Cox and James Bossert (2005) involved the analysis of the 2004 American Customer Satisfaction Index, which indicate that organic growth for banks have been hampered by the fact that the financial services industry has some of the lowest customer satisfaction ratings of any single industry. According to the study, customers view banks and other financial institutions as a commodity, with no unique reason for forming a business relationship with one particular bank. The study by Cox and Bossert (2005) studied in-depth the strategies employed by Bank of America in 2001 to improve customer satisfaction as one of its driving force to expand its organic growth. Bank of America started to focus on its organic growth in 2001, which meant increasing its customer base while becoming more efficient by improving processes. It developed a new strategy which relied heavily on voice of the customer (VoC) and tied all its planning efforts to factors that would drive customer satisfaction and loyalty (Cox and Bossert 2005). In other words, Bank of America recognized customer satisfaction as the core component of organic growth. With approximately 28 million customers at the time, the bank encountered approximately 200 customer interactions per second. To improve the overall customer experience, the bank implemented an associate training program called Bank of America Spirit, which was initially modeled to mirror the associate behavior of Disney employees. It re-evaluated its business model and the model’s performance by comparing them to other Fortune 500 companies that focused on customer service. It focused on the following model for improvement as seen in Figure 1 in the next page: Bank of America regularly surveyed their customers to gather VoC, and used these survey results in turn when developing new products and services. Paying close attention to such customer needs turned out to be instrumental in increasing its revenues and in improving its organic growth (Cox and Bossert 2005). Accenture, another leading management consultancy firm, conducted a global survey of strategies and programs for organic growth in retail banks. In its survey, Accenture examined more than 100 retail-bank executives’ strategies. The firm also provided for an industrialization concept critical for growth in the banking sector – â€Å"Differentiation on the Outside, Simplification on the Inside, Execution Mastery. † The research showed that pure cost-cutting strategies previously adapted by financial institutions produced diminished return. The emphasis on growth, and mainly organic growth, while managing costs as the same time, would produce the best results for a financial organization (Accenture 2006). The study showed that 87 percent of the executives surveyed indicated that increasing revenues is still top priority, mainly driven by the need to satisfy investor expectations. 73 percent also cited the achievement of cost-efficient scale. Fewer than one in ten believed that market growth will exceed 15 percent, while more than 20 percent believed their own banks will grow at a higher rate. To drive significant organic growth, respondents in the Accenture survey emphasized the need for excellence in marketing and product management, distribution and service and fulfillment (Accenture 2006). The study further recommended that to achieve growth targets in an increasingly competitive market, banks must industrialize their marketing, sales and service capabilities to maximize cross-selling. Similar to the findings and recommendations in the study by Cox and Bossert (2005) on Bank of America, the Accenture study indicated that cross-selling must focus on gaining and retaining profitable customers. Key capabilities necessary to achieve this would involve transformation in areas such as customer segmentation, which should include customer segmentation, product design, and price/value equation (Accenture 2006). The staff study by Rhoades (2000) for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System examined and analyzed bank mergers and banking structure in the US from 1980 to 1998. The study provided that 200 banks failed annually from 1987 to 1989 in the US, due to problem loans in petroleum, agriculture, commercial real estates, and loans to less-developed countries. These factors may have created some good buying opportunities for banks that were performing relatively well (Rhoades 2000). According to the study, the US banking industry experienced an unprecedented merger movement since 1980, with nearly 8000 mergers and about $2. 4 trillion in acquired assets as of 2000 alone. The banking industry has been restructured in response to the removal of legal restrictions on intrastate and interstate banking throughout 1980-1998. The number of banks in the US decreased from 14407 to 8697 and the number of banking organizations decreased from 12342 to 6839 (Rhoades 2000). In his study on mergers in the US banking industry, Rhoades (2000) provided for the following conclusions: ? The number of banking offices continued to grow in the US throughout the 1990s despite the burgeoning of ATMs and ATM transactions. ? Concentration of control over aggregate US bank deposits among the largest banks increased substantially, with the share of the 100 largest rising from about 47 percent to 71 percent, and the share of the 10 largest rising from 19 percent to 37 percent; the latter rise occurred mostly after 1990. ? Concentration increased substantially in many local banking markets, especially in large metropolitan areas. ? The number of bank mergers reached the highest level for the period in the mid-1980s, when industry profit rates and stock prices were very low (Rhoades 2000). But what exactly motivates firms to merge and how do these mergers affect competition and the economy? According to Moore and Siems (2006), there are two primary factors that affect the need for financial institutions to remain competitive: deregulation and technology. Deregulation has significantly changed how and where banks do business. Relaxation of restrictions on banks’ securities activities has blurred the traditional distinction with investment banking while the elimination of branching restrictions has created vast geographic expansion possibilities. Continued consolidation is estimated to eventually result in about 3000 banking organizations, with a handful of â€Å"super banks† competing simultaneously with many smaller community banks. Advancements in technology have also created incentives to merge due to decline in costs in information dissemination, allowing for far-flung operations created through mergers. In other words, technology and deregulation have blurred accepted boundaries as to time, geography, language, enterprises and regulations in the banking industry (Moore and Siems 2006). Thus, one advantage for mergers is that customers can receive one-stop financial services. This allows for greater efficiencies through better information flows and lower transaction costs for the financial institutions involved. However, studies show that major upside for earnings and stocks through mergers is if the economy continues to show stronger-than-expected growth, which in turn could increase demand for commercial lending. If the economy slows down, stock prices become pretty full, and takeovers are less likely to benefit the banks involved (LaMonica 2003). The data used for this research study were gathered from related database found online and from case studies and academic papers. The case studies were conducted by management consultancy firms such as Accenture and A. T. Kearney, whereas the working papers were collected from organizations such as the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the American Society for Quality. Results and findings from surveys and empirical analysis conducted by these research individuals and organizations were used for this paper. News articles from sources such as CNNMoney and other pertinent websites were also used. B. The Sample The data used are primarily case studies gathered from related literature. These were survey results and findings from studies conducted by research individuals and organizations such as Accenture (2006), A. T. Kierney (2006), and Cox and Bossert (2005). The findings analyzed for this paper were conclusions and results from the empirical data from surveys conducted in 2005 and 2006 from the various existing case studies reviewed. C. Research Design The research question for this paper is â€Å"Whether US banks should focus on organic growth or mergers and acquisitions in order to expand their business? † The hypothesis is that â€Å"Customer satisfaction, through focusing on VoC, is the key component to organic growth which is the recommended business expansion activity for financial institutions over mergers and acquisitions. † The hypothesis will be answered based on the analysis of the findings and insights gleaned from case studies and related literature. The study will make use of Qualitative Research Methodology. Numerical and statistical data were not gathered due to time constraint and physical limitations on conducting surveys in the financial institutions throughout the US. Based on qualitative analysis, the research paper thus approaches the study by providing a complete, and detailed description of organic growth and mergers and acquisitions in the banking sector based on a study of related literature. Based on the qualitative research approach, the researcher is the data-gathering instrument, and the data herein provided is in the form of words and pictures, as indicated in Figure 1 (Neil 2006). IV. Analysis of Results and Findings Results from the analysis of the case studies provided indicated that many financial institutions recognize the need for growth, whether it be through organic growth, mergers and acquisitions, or both. Many financial institutions are also aiming for annual organic growth rates of at least 10 percent or higher, but often, they fall short due to a variety of factors (A. T. Kearney 2006). An examination of the data provided would show that organic growth and mergers and acquisitions benefit two different groups. The organic growth of a company would benefit the bank itself, but more than anything, it will result in a greater advantage and benefit to the customers. The reason behind this is that studies have indicated that successful organic growth is premised on customer satisfaction as its most important component. To achieve high performance, increase revenue, and exceed their average growth rate, financial institutions must finds ways to harvest relationships with existing and new customers. Cross-selling will help increase share-of-wallet from both existing and new customers. However, cross-selling efforts must be accompanied with managing product complexity since customers have become increasingly aware of the range of banking and financial services available. Less than adequate products or poor service will cause the customers to shop around and switch service providers, especially since banks are treated more as commodities rather than business partners by their banking clientele. Thus, cross-selling must be utilized to gain and retain profitable customers (Cox and Bossert 2005; Accenture 2006; A. T. Kearney 2006). Banks would necessarily have to improve their marketing, sales, and service capabilities to maximize cross-selling. To achieve this, customer segmentation, product design, and price/value equations should be closely monitored in relation to customer relationship management. Gathering of customer data will help management to ascertain customer needs and to adjust and improve market and product management, distribution, service and fulfillment accordingly. Full integration of customer data provides for an accurate and complete view of the customer, and will allow for an empowered and better-trained sales force to turn customer insight into profitable and satisfying interactions (Cox and Bossert 2005; Accenture 2006; A. T. Kearney 2006). A model for a successful venture into improving customer satisfaction to increase its organic growth is the case of Bank of America. By establishing a customer satisfaction goal, which provides for a measurement process to evaluate current performance and to acquire analytical capability to improve performance in a targeted way, Bank of America was able to streamline its products and services to effectively retain and increase its customer base. By relying on VoC, and tying all its planning efforts to factors that would drive customer satisfaction and loyalty, Bank of America improved its organic growth (Cox and Bossert 2005). Focusing on organic growth will result now only improve customer satisfaction, increase customer base and profit, but will also drive wealth creation for shareholders (A. T. Kearney 2006). On the other hand, mergers and acquisitions provide a greater advantage to the financial institutions themselves. A company with financial problems will benefit from merging with a stronger company. The latter, in turn, would gain a greater market share and reduce competition in the industry by acquiring smaller or similarly situated institutions. Advancements in technology and less legal barriers regarding financial transactions have also allowed financial institutions to cover wider geographical areas. This in turn benefits the customer as well since the bank becomes a one-stop-shop for banking transactions, available wherever the customer may be. Deregulation and technology have been key factors in the drive for mergers, and have lead to significant cost-cutting measures for the firms involved. It has also provided for greater efficiencies and information dissemination to the financial institutions, which in turn provides for greater flexibility and convenience for its customers. One safeguard for baking institutions which opt for mergers and acquisitions to expand its growth is Rule 155 under the Securities Act, also known as the â€Å"Integration of Abandoned Offerings† which was passed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). SEC amended Rule 152 of the Securities Act of 1933 in response to the challenges under previous securities regulations and the changing market conditions. Rule 155 became effective on March 7, 2001, and has had significant impact on companies seeking alternative financing in light of a weakened securities market. It provides for a flexible framework in which companies can convert their private offerings to registered offerings and the other way around, minus the usual risk of integration. The rule provides non-exclusive safe harbors from the integration between registered and private offerings, and allows issuers to move more quickly if market conditions change rapidly (Marek and Seo 2001). Before Rule 155 was enacted, a financial institution with a failed registered offering was limited in the choices it subsequently had to raise capital. It could either withdraw or abandon a registered offering, but would encounter difficulty in quickly obtaining alternative funding due to unclear regulations on integration. A company that started a private offering may have found sufficient investor interest to justify making a registered offering, but was faced with making offers of registered securities prior to filing a registration statement. Before Rule 155, there were thus no clear guidelines as to how a company can insulate itself from the risk of mergers and acquisitions. SEC’s prior guidelines in this area were limited to suggesting a six-month â€Å"cooling off† period as well as a traditional five-part test involving consideration of whether two or more offerings (Marek and Seo 2001): ? Are part of a single plan of financing; ? Have the same general purpose; ? Involves the same class of security; ? Are made at or about the same time; and ? Involve securities sold for the same type of consideration. The adoption of the new Rule 155 provides for reliefs for financial institutions (and other institutions in different industries) who opt to participate in mergers, acquisitions, or take-overs. The new Rule 155 does not change the traditional five-factor analysis approach of SEC but clarifies the implication of integration in two specific types of transactions (Marek and Seo 2001). Rule 155 creates integration safe harbors for two types of common transactions: 1) a registered offering following an abandoned private offering; and 2) a private offering following an abandoned registration offering. The term â€Å"private offering† is specifically defined to include only the offerings that qualify for one of the following exemptions: (i) Section 4(2) of the Securities Act, for transactions not involving a public offering; (ii) Section 4(6) of the Securities Act, for transactions that do not exceed $5 million and involve offers and sales only to â€Å"accredited investors†. Or (iii) Rule 506 of Regulation D, for transactions involving offers and sales to an unlimited number of â€Å"accredited investors† and no more than 35 purchasers who, although not accredited, are â€Å"sophisticated† (Marek and Seo 2001). Thus, safe harbors in Rule 155 sets forth clear guidelines under which a company may change its offering between registered and private offerings without the risk of integration. It provides greater flexibility to companies such as financial institutions in this case which seek financing in this changing market (Marek and Seo 2001). V. Summary and Conclusions The case study on Bank of America is a model on how focusing on customer satisfaction can further enhance organic growth for a financial institutions. By establishing a customer satisfaction goal, a financial institution can set up a measurement process in order to evaluate current performance and acquire analytical capability to improve performance in a targeted way (Cox and Bossert 2005). Gathering information about the customers will allow a company to streamline its products and services to meet customer needs. This also allows for greater opportunity for more effective cross-selling which will help increase share-of-wallet from both existing and new customers. Institutions with high levels of customer satisfaction, or customer momentum, need to look at products and services through the eyes of the customer and should simultaneously listen to the VoC. There is a need to recognize and reward people for selling â€Å"bundled† sets of products rather than merely focusing on measuring and rewarding sales associates for selling specific products only (A. T. Kearney 2006). A financial institution must also take note that products and services to be added or cross-sold must be determined in relation to margins on core products to ensure profitable growth. The mix of products and services offered to customers is equally important when considering their impact on profit. Many financial institutions have limited insight into the true profitability of specific products which makes the development of an economically-attractive bundle (whether from the customers’ or the institutions’ perspective) problematic (A. T. Kearney 2006). As such, managing product complexity is also important. To better serve their customers, sales associates must understand their products, and when a bank has too many products and services on its platter, its employees tend to be less knowledgeable about what to offer or cross-sell to their customers. Managing product complexity will allow for improvement in the product cost/price relationship and will help customers understand a value proposition. It can help improve both service delivery, transaction effectiveness, and decrease the potential for errors within the financial institution (A. T. Kearney 2006). Thus, effective organic growth should focus on customer satisfaction or VoC as its key component. Mergers and acquisitions however provide for opportunities for financial institutions to gain a greater market share, improve cost-cutting measures, increase profit, and eliminate competition. Ailing financial organizations also have a better chance for survival by being merged with stronger banking counterparts, while the latter gain a stronger foothold in the market through such acquisitions. .The new Rule 155 adopted by the SEC in provides for safeguards for financial institutions in case of such mergers, acquisitions and take-overs. It provides for non-exclusive safe harbors from the integration between registered and private offerings, and allows issuers to move more quickly in case market conditions change quickly. The rule provides for clear guidelines in which a financial institution may change its offering between registered and private offerings without the risks normally associated with integration (Marek and Seo 2001). Deregulation, such as through adoption of the new Rule 155, and technology have been identified as two of the driving forces why banking institutions merge. Technology on the other hand has literally allowed banks to cross borders, and have made limitations as to time, geography, and boundaries practically non-existent. Information dissemination through the speed of technology has allowed mergers across continents, and for such financial institutions to grab a large slice of the market share. It has also provided for flexibility and convenience to customers. However, one threat to this form of business expansion is the formation of â€Å"super banks†, similar to what is happening in the retail sector wherein only a small number of key players dominate the industry. This may potentially affect customer needs, as the competitive edge remains with a select set of power players in the banking sector. The lack of boundaries, such as having branches in different parts of the globe, may also hinder optimum customer satisfaction, as a financial institution’s operating procedure remains uniform and standard, but customer needs always differ per area, region, or continent. Institutions will use both organic growth and mergers and acquisitions to grow and expand their businesses. But what can be concluded is that those financial institutions with business models that push for strong organic growth make more successful acquirers (A. T. Kearney 2006). Since they understand the needs of their clients better, the services and products they offer tend to be more appropriate and thus more cost-effective and profitable. By knowing their customers, and ultimately the strengths of their organizations, then institutions with strong organic growth models are better capable of acquiring and merging with other banking institutions in the future. VI. Future Research The preliminary research in this data indicated case studies from surveys conducted on the banking sector for 2005 and 2006. Trends with regard to organic growth and mergers and acquisitions in the financial sector were analyzed. Future research in relation to this study could include analysis of empirical data from major banking institutions and a comparison of their profit rates from their organic growth and mergers and acquisitions. Sample sizes may include banks which focus on both organic growth and mergers and acquisitions, and banks which monitor organic growth alone and do not participate in mergers. Such data may be gathered from interviews, surveys, and requests for financial reports from respondent banks. WORKS CITED Cox, Daniel and Bossert, James. Driving Organic Growth at Bank of America. American Society for Quality. Feb. 2005. 28 Nov. 2006. http://www. asq. org/financial/bank-of-america-case-study. html Investment Firms Improve, Retail Banks Slip in A. 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Wilderdom. 5 Jul. 2006. 28 Nov. 2006. http://www. wilderdom. com/research/QualitativeVersusQuantitativeResearch. html Organic Growth. Investopedia. 2006a. 28 Nov. 2006. http://www. investopedia. com/terms/o/organicgrowth. asp Organic growth. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 2006a. 28 Nov. 2006. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Organic_growth Organic Growth in Retail Banking: A Global Survey of Strategies and Programs. Accenture. 2006. 28 Nov. 2006. http://www. accenture. com/Global/Services/By_Industry/Financial_Services/Banking/R_and_I/GlobalSurveyStrategies. htm Rhoades, Stephen A. Bank Mergers and Banking Structure in the United States, 1980-98. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Staff Study 174. Aug. 2000. Marek, Thomas R. and Seo, Deborah. Rule 155 Provides New Integration Safe Harbors. Oppenheimer Wolff Donnelly LLP. 27 Apr. 2001. 28 Nov. 2006. http://www. oppenheimer. com/news/content/rule_155. htm How to cite The Road To Growth For Financial Institutions, Papers