Electra complex in “The House on Zapote Street”

Our parents are the best treasure that we could have in our life. They are the reason why we exist in this beautiful creation of God, our world. From the moment of our conception until our age of adolescence we are still under the supervision of our parents. But when the right time comes and that we are already in the right age, and we are ready to engage ourselves with relationships, we must be given the independency from them.Electra complex termed by Carl Jung refers to a girl or woman who falls in love with her father and becomes jealous of her mother and or the girl daughter and the father has an intimate relationship towards each other. â€Å"House on Zapote Street†, a short story written by one of the famous Filipino writer Nick Joaquin emphasized this concept. This concept under psychological theory then took an immense role in the story wherein it serves as the main reason of all the unhappy moments of the major character.The story revolves in the character of Dr. Leo nardo Quitangon, Lydia Cabading and her father, Pablo Cabading. The role of Electra complex in the story is a contrast of the real concept since it is the father whom we can vividly seen the said fixation. Pablo Cabading being the father of Lydia suffers Electra complex in which he became very zealous over looking to her.He even threatened to arrest young men who stared at her on the street, or pressed too close against her. The dictation he made towards Lydia had already trespass her personal life which negatively affects her. Thus, this story shows how Pablo Cabading had been affected Carl Jung’s concept of Electra complex and this is because of the closeness or intimate relationship he had with his daughter, Lydia.

A view from the bridge †Arthur Miller Essay

When Marco and Rodolfo appear in Catherine’s life, she matures very quickly, perhaps making up for the time lost when Eddie kept her at home as a baby as Beatrice says: â€Å"Well, you kept her a baby, you wouldn’t let her go out†. Beatrice is urging Catherine to grow up and, as if she suspects some of Eddie’s feelings for her niece, points out to her the ways in which she should act around the house: â€Å"you still walk around in front of him in your slip †¦ or like you sit on the edge of the bathtub talkin’ to him when he’s shavin’ in his underwear †¦ if you act like a baby he be treatin’ you like a baby†. When Catherine falls in love with Rodolfo, her love for Eddie is split and she is confused. Eddie does not help his situation by being so stubborn about not allowing Catherine to grow up. She detaches herself from him and although she still loves him as a father figure, she does not seem to trust him anymore: she does not tell him about the wedding between her and Rodolfo – Beatrice does: â€Å"they’re going to get married next week, Eddie†. Beatrice is affected by the arrival of her cousins in her state of mind. The audience find out that she and Eddie are having marital problems: â€Å"It’s almost three months you don’t feel good; they’re only here a couple of weeks† and although they guess that it is to do with Catherine, they do not know whether of not Beatrice does. It is not until the end that the audience find out that Beatrice knows about Eddie’s feelings for Catherine although in hindsight, Beatrice could have been urging Catherine to grow up because she guessed Eddie’s flaw. It is at the end when it is finally said out loud â€Å"You want somethin’ else, Eddie, and you can’t have her! † when the audience finds out about Beatrice knowing and through this, she gains the audience’s sympathy because she has had to carry around this awful secret showing how loyal to her husband she has been by hardly mentioning it. Beatrice is also worn down by having to keep peace between her niece and husband. She desperately wants them to be friends and as happy as they were before with no secrets or lies â€Å"she wants to ask you. Come on, Katie, ask him. We’ll have a party! What’re we gonna do, hate each other? â€Å". Beatrice’s cousins end up wearing her out as she tries to hold her family together despite all of the hatred and love going on around her. When Marco and Rodolfo first arrive at the Carbone household, they are grateful to Eddie for letting them stay and they are willing to do as he tells them: â€Å"I want to tell you now Eddie – when you say go, we will go†. They greatly respect Eddie and are willing to do all he says like when Rodolfo’s singing is making Eddie uneasy, Marco tells Rodolfo firmly â€Å"You’ll be quiet Rodolfo† obeying Eddie’s commands. They are grateful towards Eddie because he is keeping them and hiding them as they are illegal immigrants into America. Eddie is very overprotective of Catherine and when she and Rodolfo start going out with each other, he is annoyed that firstly Rodolfo did not ask his permission to do so, as would have been the custom in Sicily, and secondly that they stayed out late which infuriated him † I don’t want you hangin’ around Times Square, see? â€Å". As her guardian, Eddie expects to oversee all of her movements. Marco is eager to please Eddie and tries to ensure that his brother does not overstep the mark in this new culture. When Eddie decides to teach Rodolfo to fight and hits him, Marco is keen to show that although his brother might not be very good at defending himself, the strength which Marco possesses is more than enough to beat Eddie. The audience learns this through actions which are dictated in the stage directions at the end of Act One: â€Å"He kneels, grasps, and with strain slowly raises the chair higher and higher †¦ a strained tension gripping his eyes and jaw, his neck stiff, the chair raised like a weapon over Eddie’s head†. Marco does not strike Eddie at this time because he still has respect for him. Despite this show of aggression, it does not stop Rodolfo continuing to go out with Catherine and pursuing the ‘American Dream’. Eddie does not believe that Rodolfo has genuine, sincere feelings for Catherine and just wants to marry her to obtain an American Passport. He counteracts this theory by saying to Catherine â€Å"You think I would carry on my back the rest of my life a woman I didn’t love just to be an American? â€Å". Eddie ends up betraying Rodolfo and Marco to the immigration office because of his jealousy and obsessiveness about Catherine. He does not realise these are the reasons though: he just wants to â€Å"protect† Catherine. His betrayal of Beatrice’s cousins is Eddie’s tragic downfall which links back to the classical tragedies. Eddie wants justice as he does not believe that Rodolfo is marrying Catherine for love but cannot prove it. It is because of this that he betrays Marco and Rodolfo in another way, he betrays their trust. The irony of the matter is that Eddie is not satisfied with the American way of justice: â€Å"you mean to tell me that there’s no law that a guy which he ain’t right can go to work and marry a girl and -â€Å". Marco does not believe in the American law either, he would rather get revenge himself than let the law do it or others for him as can be seen at the end of the play when Marco fights Eddie. In Marco’s eyes, by betraying him, Eddie has killed his family as their only source of income to buy food was through him. Eddie did not uphold the family loyalty and in that has broken the laws of family honour, a law stronger than the laws of the country in Marco’s eyes so therefore the punishment should be as heavy as the crime committed. Marco does not believe that American justice is forceful enough for the crimes committed, Miller has ironically made both Marco’s and Eddie’s view about American justice the same. Miller makes the audience have to think about which is the worse crime, being an illegal immigrant or cutting the lifeline of a whole family as Eddie did. The protagonist, Eddie, suffers a downfall at the end of the play: he is killed. This downfall is directly related to his flaw, his jealousy and love of Catherine, and, before he is killed, looses his reputation. As Marco and Rodolfo are taken away by the immigration officers, Marco spits in Eddie’s face and announces to the whole street what has been done and that he â€Å"stole the food from my children†. Eddie, although he does not deny it, he defies the claims saying â€Å"I gave them the blankets off my bed, six months I kept them as my brothers†: he is trying to prove to the crowd that he has no cause to betray the brothers and he is counting on his honest reputation to see him through and to have others believe him. When they don’t, he feels ruined and all he wants is his reputation back: the only way to do that is to â€Å"give it back to me in front of this neighbourhood, or we have it out†. Eddie has lost everything from this and just wants his dignity back but Marco does not give that to him either, he kills him and justice is done, the Sicilian way. Tragic climax in the play supported the themes raised throughout the play. There is a sense of climax at the point in the play where Eddie comes home drunk to find Catherine and Rodolfo in the bedroom together and he ends up kissing Rodolfo. This part of the play is following the theme of love, for Catherine, and jealousy on Eddie’s part of Rodolfo. The pace at this point of the play is fast and, although there is the sense of inevitability, the audience is taken by surprise by the twists and turns the play takes. The audience are shocked when Beatrice points out to Eddie and the audience his tragic flaw but because of the fast pace, there is no time for the audience or characters to dwell on the matter because then Marco arrives. With his arrival, anger flows freely between him and Eddie and neither tries to hide it. Eddie makes out how he has been victimised and asks the people in a sarcastic way â€Å"maybe he come to apologize to me†. The audience does not find out why Marco came back but at that time it is not really relevant. The focus is on Eddie and the audience realises that this is the climax the entire play has been building up to: the tragic end that has been inevitable since Alfieri’s first speech. The audience is tense and need the fast pace to feed their interest about what is going to happen next. The ironic death at the end: Eddie killed by his own hand and weapon makes the audience see that Eddie’s flaw has brought all this on himself. At the end of the play, there is a feeling of justice and revenge in the air, linking back to the tragic themes again, also, obviously, death. At the very end of the play, Alfieri makes a closing speech summarising and creating an affect of catharsis leaving the audience calm instead of tense, the effect of the ending if Alfieri had not concluded. The context of the play works as a tragedy because of the cultural backgrounds of the characters and their way of life. Alfieri has cleverly picked a culture that still runs as the Greeks did with high standards to live up to and strong family values. By using Alfieri as a modern day chorus, Miller mirrors a classical tragedy set-up keeping the audience informed and creating the element of predestination. By using a modern context, Miller has shown the audience that theories on honour and respect have not changed much since the Greeks. Alfieri’s message at the end of the play to the audience is that the truth should always be told. It shows that although Eddie did not know his feelings for Catherine, someone could have told him and the problem could have been sorted. If people had talked more to each other and instead of fighting about everything, just talked, maybe the whole thing could have been resolved.

Assessment Base Reading Instruciton Case Study Essay

Table of Contents Introduction Description of the Student Background Information PART 1: Administration of Assessments DIBELS: A Universal Assessment Battery Description and Purpose of the Assessment Setting for the Assessment Description of the Assessment Administration Process Results of the Assessment Analysis of the Assessment Results Running Records Description and Purpose of the Assessment The running record allows you to record the child’s reading behavior as he or she reads from the book. The purpose of a running record is a tool used to determine word recognition reading fluency reading strategies, self- corrections, and comprehension. It is an individually conducted formative assessment which is ongoing and curriculum based. It provides a graphic  representation of a student’s oral reading, identifying patterns of effective and ineffective strategy use. This method was developed by Marie Clay, the originator of Reading Recovery. Running records helps document reading progress over time. Help teachers decide what students need to learn and matches students to appropriate books. We want to capture all the behaviors to help interpret what the child was probably doing. Everything the child says and does tells us something: when the reading is correct, what his hands and eyes were doing, the comments he made and when he repeated a line of text. Setting f or the Assessment Library setting, after school. This was the only time available. Description of the Assessment Administration Process Select a book that is the child’s reading level. Explain to the child that he or she will read out loud as you observe and record his or her reading behavior. Sit next to the child so that you can see the text and the child’s finger and eye movements as he or she reads the text. Use running record form. As the child reads, mark each word on the running record form by using the symbols on the chart that follows. Place a check mark above each word that is read correctly. If the child reads incorrectly, record above the word what the child reads. If the child is reading too fast for you to record the running record, ask him or her to pause until you catch up. Intervene as little as possible while the child is reading. If the child is stuck and unable to continue, wait 5 to10 seconds and tell him or her the word. If the child seems confused, indicate the point of confusion and say, â€Å"Try again.† Results of the Assessment Student read 156 words at 98% accuracy. She had 3 errors and 2 self corrects. She missed boredom, I told her the word. She changed plan for idea, setting, characters, and beginning. She had trouble with middle and end. She did know the main idea but could not list supporting details. I would move this student to a higher level text. This text was easy for the student. Analysis of the Assessment Results Student read 156 words at 98% accuracy. She had 3 errors and 2 self corrects. She missed boredom, I told her the word. She changed plan for idea, setting, characters, and beginning. She had trouble with middle and end. She did know the main idea but could not list supporting details. This student needs practice in retelling story in sequence. She had issues with middle and end. I think she was going for a fluency score and read too fast. She had problems orally retelling middle and end. This level is an appropriate level for this student. I will use the results to plan for this student. Teaching purposes for running records. To find a book level appropriate for a child. Check a child after a series of lessons. Evaluate whether a lift in text level is appropriate. Observe particular difficulties in particular children in order to modify instructional emphasis. Evaluate in order to place a child in an appropriate instructional group, class or school. Add to a record which is monitoring an individual’s progress over time. Reading Inventory Description and Purpose of the Assessment Setting for the Assessment Description of the Assessment Administration Process Results of the Assessment Analysis of the Assessment Results Additional Diagnostic Assessment: Learner Choice Description and Purpose of the Assessment Setting for the Assessment Description of the Assessment Administration Process Results of the Assessment Analysis of the Assessment Results Overall Analysis of Assessment Results PART 2: Recommendations for Interventions and Instruction Identifying Student Needs Recommendations for Interventions and Instruction Recommendations for Further Assessment References Appendices Appendix A: DIBELS Scoring Documents Appendix B: Running Records Scoring Documents Appendix C: Reading Inventory Documents Appendix D: Additional Assessment Documents

Apple Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Apple Inc - Essay Example The company is located in the Silicon Valley in the United States that is currently experiencing economic turmoil. The recession has caused some technology companies to close shop and file for bankruptcy. Unemployment in the region has increased due to the economic downturn. On the other hand, the high standards of living among Americans have prompted for an increase in labour wages. The problems of the American economy created threats to the sustainability of some companies. However, Apple saw the recession as an opportunity to pool potential talents for their new business ventures. Laws and regulations related to mobile communications devices in the many jurisdictions in which the Company operates are extensive and subject to change. Such changes, which could include restrictions on production, manufacture, distribution, and use of the device, locking the device to a carrier's network, or mandating the use of the device on more than one carrier's network, could have a material adverseeffect on the Company's financial condition and operating results. Mobile communication devices, such as iPhone, are subject to certification and regulation by governmental and standardization bodies, as well as by cellular network carriers for use on their networks. These certification processes are extensive and time consuming, and could result in additional testing requirements, product modifications or delays in product shipment. (Apple, Inc, 2008) Information technology system failures, network disruptions and breaches of data security could disrupt the company's operations by causing delays or cancellation of customer, including channel partner. This situation can negatively affect the company's online offerings and services, impeding the manufacture or shipment of products, processing transactions and reporting financial results, resulting in the unintentional disclosure of customer or company information, or damage to the Company's reputation. (Apple, Inc, 2008) War, terrorism, geopolitical uncertainties, public health issues, and other business interruptions have caused and could cause damage or disruption to international commerce and the global economy, and thus could have a strong negative effect on the Company, its suppliers, logistics providers, manufacturing vendors and customers, including channel partners. The Company's business operations are subject to interruption by natural disasters, fire, power shortages, terrorist attacks, and other hostile acts, labor disputes, public health issues, and other events beyond its control. Such events could decrease demand for the Company's products, make it difficult or impossible for the Company to make and deliver products to its customers, including channel partners, or to receive components from its suppliers, and create delays and inefficiencies in the Company's supply chain. Should major public health issues, including pandemics, arise, the Company could be negatively affected by more stringent employee travel restrictions, additional limitations in freight services, governmental actions limiting the movement of products between regions, delays in production ramps of new products, and disruptions in the operations of the Company's manufacturing vendors and component suppliers. (Apple, Inc, 2008) The technology industry is a very attractive industry with a growing market demand internationally.

Financial Conservatism. Determinants of cash and leverage Dissertation

Financial Conservatism. Determinants of cash and leverage - Dissertation Example In this analysis, both cash conservative and leverage conservative firms will be taken into account. The essence of investigation of the two policies at the same is to find out if a firm can use leverage conservative policy in the place of cash conservative policy or vice versa. From the earlier analysis, the key reason why firms are motivated to adopt conservative financial policies is to protect them from the cost that is associated with missed out investment opportunities. The analysis of the literature will reveal that firms tend to maintain large cash reserves or do away with their debt capacity to make sure that they do not miss out investment opportunities. It is not rare to find firms exercising both policies simultaneously, though it is difficult to establish the reasons why they do so. All in all, according to major theoretical frameworks of capital structure, it is strange to find a firm that adopts high leverage policy having high cash balances in their capital structure. For instance, according to the pecking order theory, firms tend to result to eternal financing only after exhausting their internally available funds. Many researchers have covered this area of financial conservatism, especially regarding the rationale behind different accumulation of huge amounts of cash and cash equivalents as well as the repercussions of such policies (Ozkan & Ozkan, 2004; Mikkelson & Partch, 2003). However, the determinant of cash and leverage conservatism in UK firms has not been focused on. ... It is not rare to find firms exercising both policies simultaneously, though it is difficult to establish the reasons why they do so. All in all, according to major theoretical frameworks of capital structure, it is strange to find a firm that adopts high leverage policy having high cash balances in their capital structure. For instance, according to the pecking order theory, firms tend to result to eternal financing only after exhausting their internally available funds. Many researchers have covered this area of financial conservatism, especially regarding the rationale behind different accumulation of huge amounts of cash and cash equivalents as well as the repercussions of such policies (Ozkan & Ozkan, 2004; Mikkelson & Partch, 2003). However, the determinant of cash and leverage conservatism in UK firms has not been focused on. What’s more, most of the studies that have dealt with this area have been concentrated on the US firms, hence making it important to investigate w hether the puzzle regarding decisions of firms in relation to financial conservatism extends to the UK firms. As such, this study will focus on the UK firms especially because it is commonly known for observance of extreme debt conservatism, considering UK firms have the lowest leverage ratio, weighed against to other developed countries (Rajan and Zingales, 1995). This study will use leverage of firms or cash holdings to determine whether the firms are finically-conservative. The objective of this paper is to carry out an empirical study on the debt policies adopted by the UK firms, which particularly focus on the factors that influence large cash reserves and extremely low leverage. In effect, the paper will attempt to find answers to a number of research questions. First and

Dysrhythmia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dysrhythmia - Research Paper Example Oxygenated blood from the lungs is pumped to the body cells, the blood returns to the heart devoid of oxygen and is pumped to the lungs for oxygenation. The process repeats itself several times without ever halting (Balachander & Rajagopal, 2011). Basic normal EKG waveform morphology The electrocardiogram (EKG) works as a voltmeter, using twelve leads (electrodes) placed on specific areas of the body. It basically records the electrical activity of the heart at the body surfaces. Ordinarily, the SA node depolarizes spontaneously, initiating an action impulse which swiftly propagates through the atria, leading to atria contraction, then proceeds to the AV node before getting to the Purkinje system to the ventricles (Stein, 2012). This leads to the ventricular contraction. The EKG consists of waves and complexes hence the wave form morphology. In a normal sinus rhythm, the waves and complexes include the P wave, PR segment, PR Interval, T wave, QRS Complex, QT Interval and the ST Segme nt. The waves and complexes work in a complex system that consequently measure electrical activity of the heart. At the onset is the P wave that lasts not more than 0.12 seconds, usually occasioned by the atria’s depolarization. The nature of the P wave is smooth and positive (Stein, 2012). The PR interval then picks and ends at the QRS complex which signifies the onset of ventricular depolarization. Connected to the PR interval is the PR segment which is the EKG wave portion that corresponds to the period between the atria depolarization conclusion to the onset of the ventricular depolarization. At this time the impulse in the heart travels from the AV node through the conducting tissue towards the ventricles. The segment is isoelectric in nature. During ventricular depolarization, the ventricles undergo depolarization and this is represented in the waveform by the QRS complex. It ordinarily ranges between 0.04 seconds to 0.12 seconds and is measured from the onset of the fi rst deflection to the conclusion of the last deflection. Another isoelectric segment occurs typically referred to as the ST segment. It represents ventricular muscle contraction time before any depolarization takes place. Isoelectric segments represents durations in which no electric activities occur. The period between the onset of the QRS segment and the end of the T wave is represented in the waveform by the QT interval. This represents the period of ventricular depolarization up to the ventricular depolarization. The T wave essentially represents ventricular repolarization. The EKG thus represents the entire electric activity of the heart through the waveform morphology (Stein, 2012). Types of dysrhythmia Dysrhythmia is a condition of the heart that causes variation in the regular beat of the heart. Ordinarily it manifests in slow heart beat, skipping a heart beat or sudden changes in heart beat. The common types of dysrhythmia include: Bradycardia which refers to a heart beat f ewer than sixty beats per minute in an adult. Tachycardia, a condition in which the heart beats more than one hundred times per minute in an adult. Sick sinus syndrome, the heart rate slows down, at times the rates varying between slow and fast. Atrial flutter, a condition in which the heart beats very fast at around three hundred and fifty beats per minute, but usually steady (Day, 2012). Features and treatment The conditions described in the previous paragraph best serve

English Business law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

English Business law - Case Study Example een caused by communication breakdown whereby we could not directly get in touch with our members since we are still using the traditional form of communication which is the use of mail. It is our intention that we would harness the new information technology in the form of internet use so as to avoid inconveniences in the future with regards to books that end up failing to be collected by the supposed owners due to technical problems. We would also like to bring to your attention that our members are ladies in their fifties and we would like to put them in a category of old people who are no longer able bodied hence the inconvenience to respond accordingly. In some cases they would fail to get to us on time which would make us unaware of what may be taking place since it is a requirement that they should communicate with us directly should they require any changes to be made to their orders. It should also be brought to your attention that this has not been the usual way we conduct business hence accept our statement of apology. Indeed, we are currently in a financial crisis which has taken a toll on almost all facets of the economy across the board. Our organisation as well as our members have also not been spared by the tough financial crisis, the reason why some of the books may lie unclaimed at your premises. We would try to follow up on the issue since we assumed that if we do not get response from our membe rs they would have accepted their orders. We would also like to inform you that we will take appropriate action that is not in contravention with the law. It is our own knowledge that no one can operate above the law of the land and we would wish to inform you that we would take necessary measures that would ensure that we are not found at the wrong side of the law. Initially, we require our members to pay a membership fee which makes them legitimate and we would try to put measures that ensure effective communication among our members so as to avoid

Triad Problematic of Youth Entrepreneurship Research Proposal - 4

Triad Problematic of Youth Entrepreneurship - Research Proposal Example I am considering to replace my used car with another one with a budget I can afford. My net worth in cash does not exceed  £5,000. I will need to finance the rest of the budget via the sale of my old car. The car I currently own has high mileage and can only be sold at the lowest minimum price of 7,266. I decided to vend my automobile to the broker from whom I will get the new car. Even with the finance that I may get from the sale of my motor vehicle, I will not be able to get to the price if the new car that is being sold for 17,293 as the lowest price. The sales representative is allowed to make a sale at this price or higher than that. He is looking to make a deal before closing the business for the weekend. The deal is to be completed on the third day of the following week. Since I cannot afford the car with my total budget from the cash I have and the cash I get from the sale of the car, I need to get extra funds. The total funds that I can afford just exceed 12,000. In this case, I may request for a loan worth 5,000 in order to complete my purchases. In my course of negotiation, I came to realize that I will be able to get a loan from the car dealers. There are some rates that are offered, and the salesperson has to meet. The rules that guide the sales representative are vital in business operations (Jones, Chin, & Aiken, 2014, p. 91). The boss will need to see if the salesman utilizes the skills that he had gotten from the college level in carrying out the business. The skills also entail making a higher bid for the loans. I came to realizes that the higher loan the salesman makes with the client, the higher the special bonus.  

Is Outsourcing Good for America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Is Outsourcing Good for America - Essay Example As Konig & Koskela elaborates â€Å"Over the last years, as a result of the growing globalization, international outsourcing, which is defined as the acquisition of production parts from an independent foreign supplier, has become an important managerial tool in reorganizing a firm’s production process (22). Outsourcing as a managerial tool however is not a new or a radical business practice concept. Offshoring, a specific subset of outsourcing, involves the practice of moving noncore operations overseas, either by transferring jobs to a foreign subcontractor or building a facility where labor is cheap (Burkholder 2). It is only recent that outsourcing became pervasive as precipitated by the advances in information technology, integration of economy and the necessity for businesses to keep up with competition. As further elaborated by Burkholder, Private industry and the federal government have numerous reasons for outsourcing. Based on a survey by the General Services Admini stration in February 1998, â€Å"Outsourcing Information Technology,† the following are the primary reasons, in descending order of importance, for outsourcing information systems: Focus in-house resources on core functions. Allow personnel cost savings. Improve quality of information systems services. Increase flexibility (9). And this pervasiveness in resorting to outsourcing has changed the way business is done. Now, some early adopters are figuring out how to tap overseas workers for personal tasks. They're turning to a vast talent pool in India, China, Bangladesh and elsewhere for jobs ranging from landscape architecture to kitchen remodeling and math tutoring. They're also outsourcing some surprisingly small jobs, including getting a dress designed, creating address labels for wedding invitations or finding a good deal on a hotel room, for example (http://online.wsj.com). Given the scope and scale that outsourcing is being practiced today, it is no longer a surprise tha t this has caused anxiety among workers of host countries of a possible displacement from their jobs. Those workers' fears however have some grounding in fact. The prime motive of most corporate bean counters jumping on the offshoring bandwagon has been to take advantage of such "labor arbitrage" -- the huge wage gap between industrialized and developing nations. And without doubt, big layoffs often accompany big outsourcing deals (http://www.businessweek.com). Business as an entity is still profit driven and will always look for ways for it have a competitive edge against competitor to maintain profitability and increase the value for its shareholders. As always, it will always be motivated on cutting cost to maximize profitability. Such, outsourcing is just one of its strategy to keep up with competition and maintain its profitability in the market. For sure jobs will be in danger. With wages in developing countries like India and China which is only 10 to 20% compared to US salar y, the incentive for companies to outsource is just very hard to resist especially when there seems to be an endless supply of educated and underemployed workers (Hira 3) who can equally perform a US based job. The IT industry, which was once one of the highest paid jobs, is estimated by the experts of the University of California to be in danger of being outsourced. And nothing can

Andragogy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Andragogy - Research Paper Example Just as importantly, defining what makes an individual an adult has meaning when determining how they will perform when trying to learn. The seven steps to creating a learning planning for adults is called the progress model which means that solving problems is the focus of how learning is accomplished. The following paper will examine the assumptions that define andragogy and the meaning behind them as they support adult learning and the differences between adult and child level learning capacities. Andragogy The origins of andragogy can be traced back to a German educator in 1833 who used the term to define adult education from child education. Alexander Kapp created the term which specifically means man-leading, which is in contrast to the term pedagogy which means child-leading. In the 20th century American education theorists defined three different types of adult learning. The first is andragogy, the second is self directed learning, with the third being transformative. Andrago gy is used as a description of adult learning as a concept in which the learner is motivated by a series of assumptions that end with the learner developing solution to problems in order to learn in the context that an adult learns best (Melik & Melik, 2010, p. 108). Defining andragogy is a bit difficult as it has been presented through a variety of different ideas and is therefore not quite a firm theory through which to filter ideas. Andragogy was originally presented with three assumptions. Some criticisms of the ideas behind andragogy is that it is focused on the individual and not a critical evaluation of the social perspective on adult learning. The concept of andragogy has been correctly criticized for not informing the social perspective, but Knowles suggests that it does not have to promote the social perspective in order to have value in developing a structure of ideas about adult learning. One of the main proponents of andragogy as a theory of learning for adults is Malco lm Knowles. Knowles introduced the idea in the 1970s in response to the fact that most theory on learning was focused on children (Utley, 2011, p. 32). He broke down the assumptions about the motivation for adult learning it six basic concepts. The following is a list of those concepts: 1. Adults need to know the reason for learning something (Need to Know) 2. Experience (including error) provides the basis for learning activities (Foundation). 3. Adults need to be responsible for their decisions on education; involvement in the planning and evaluation of their instruction (Self-concept). 4. Adults are most interested in learning subjects having immediate relevance to their work and/or personal lives (Readiness). 5. Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented (Orientation). 6. Adults respond better to internal versus external motivators (Motivation) (Pierson, 2011, p. 182). These six principles outline the motivations that adults need in order to create a meaning ful learning experience. The development of andragogy was through recognition that adults learn very differently than children. This type of learning is problem solving oriented rather than based upon the idea of content based learning as is more often the situation with children. Andragogy begins with the notion that adulthood comes through a psychosocial perspective rather than through â€Å"a specific biological, social, legal, or chronological age group (Utley, 2011, p.

Helping Others Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Helping Others - Essay Example This work has led me to another volunteer opportunity and I presently volunteer at the community senior citizens’ home where I am a valued member of the non-permanent staff. Global warming is an international phenomenon with planet-wide repercussions. Although very controversial, with detractors arguing that global warming does not exist and alarmist headlines warning us that the end of the planet is near, global warming is an environmental phenomenon which has just recently received near-universal acceptance by the scientific community. Climate change is a hot topic these days and has been a key issue all over the world. Critics of the global warming phenomenon argue that global warming is in fact not an environmental crisis but a manufactured issue artificially created for a variety of unsavory and politically-inspired reasons. Despite the shrinking number of detractors, global warming is a phenomenon which affects our planet every single day. Global warming and climate change are two terms which are often used interchangeably. Has a link between global warming and climate change been established? Yes, global warming is caused by an increase in greenho use gases in the atmosphere and the effects of global warming include changes in atmospheric temperatures and rainfall, which can lead to climate change. Global warming is most generally described as an average increase in the Earth’s temperatures. Importantly, global warming is not only a present phenomenon but is perceived as something which is expected to continue and increase annually. Global warming is the reputed cause of climate change on an international scale leading to extreme weather, ranging from uncharacteristic snowfall in autumn to extremely mild winter temperatures, major changes to precipitation trends, glacial retreat, species extinction, desertification and a rise in sea  levels.  Ã‚  

A Critique of the Research Article Essay Example for Free

A Critique of the Research Article Essay A Critique of the Research Article: Methadone/Buprenorphine and Better Maternal/ Perinatal Outcomes: A Meta-analysis Abstract The purpose of this research article is to discuss lower risk drugs such as Methadone and Buprenorphine given to Heroin addicted pregnant patients to create better neonatal and maternal outcomes. This research articles discusses the gold standard of treatment for better neonatal and maternal outcomes. Keywords: heroin, neonatal, maternal, outcomes, methadone, buprenorphine, gold standard treatment A Critique of the Research Article: Methadone/Buprenorphine and Better Maternal/ Perinatal Outcomes: A Meta-analysis Methadone is a synthetic opioid. It is used medically as an analgesic and a maintenance anti-addictive and reductive preparation for use by patients with opioid dependency. It was developed in Germany in 1937. Methadone was introduced into the United States in 1947 by Eli Lilly and Company. The principal effects of methadone maintenance are to relieve narcotic craving, suppress the abstinence syndrome, and block the euphoric effects associated with opiates. When used correctly, Methadone maintenance has been found to be medically safe and non-sedating. It is also indicated for pregnant women addicted to opiates. (doi:http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/methadone) The theoretical study was not discussed in the articles but Roy’s Model identifies the elements considered essential to adaptation and describes how the elements interact to produce adaptation and thus health. Methadone helps the pregnant opioid dependent individual adapt to a lower risk drug and produces an overall healthier maternal and prenatal outcome. Middle Range Theory is less abstract and narrowed in the scope than conceptual models. These types of theories focus on answering particular practice questions and often specify such factors: patient’s health conditions, family situations and nursing actions. While researching this topic there were areas that were discussed, about patients being afraid to seek Methadone treatment and prenatal care because they were ashamed of how health care professionals would view them. It was also stated that patients in better overall health and less family related stress situations would more than likely be the ones to receive proper prenatal care and seek Methadone treatment. Opioid dependent pregnant patients and their fetus have more physical, mental and psychological issues. (Kaltenbach, Berghella, Finnegan, 1998). Opioid dependent pregnant patients are at an increased risk for preterm delivery and low birth weight. (Fajemiroku-Odudeyi et al. , 2005). To lower the health risks, pregnant women who are opiate dependent have been treated with methadone maintenance, the standard of care for several decades. (Jones et al. , 2005). Another treatment option became available when the U. S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of buprenorphine maintenance therapy in 2002, which is another substitute for methadone. The research article â€Å"Opioid Dependency in Pregnancy and Length of Stay for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome† examines 152 opioid-dependent pregnant women on methadone maintenance therapy (n=136 the participants that are using methadone) or buprenorphine maintenance therapy (n=16 the participants that are using buprenorphine) during pregnancy and their neonates. The neonates were born between January 1, 2005 and December 2007. The use of methadone in opioid dependent pregnant women lowers maternal morbidity and mortality rates and promotes fetal stability and growth compared to the use of heroin (Ludlow, Evans, Hulse, 2004). Continuous methadone treatment during pregnancy is associated with improved earlier antenatal care (Burns, Mattick, Lim Wallace, 2007), compliance with prenatal care and better preparation for infant care and parenting responsibilities (Dawe, Harnett, Rendalls, Staiger, 2003). Stabilization on methadone avoids the dangers of repeated intoxication and withdrawal cycles. Methadone has to be picked up by the patient at the treatment facilities. Attendance at these facilities allow pregnant patients opportunities to receive essential antenatal care and advice for a healthy pregnancy, which some of the patients otherwise may not receive. While conducting this research it was not clearly evident what was being researched until the conclusion of the results was determined. Based on the number of participants depended on the outcome of the better treatment. Therefore the results are not as accurate as could be if there were a larger amount of participants. There were no violations of patient rights with the methods used. The research article â€Å"Methadone in pregnancy: treatment retention and neonatal outcomes† examines three different groups of women: a group who entered continuous treatment at least one year prior to birth, a group who entered continuous treatment in the 6 months prior to birth, and a group whose last treatment program prior to birth ended at least one year prior to birth. Births that occurred after 1994 were selected for this analysis. Overall, 2 993 women were on the methadone program at delivery. The number of births rose steadily from 62 in 1992 to 459 in 2002. A particular strength of the large sample size was the ability to examine the effect of treatment retention on key neonatal outcomes. Among mothers on methadone at delivery, early commencement on methadone was associated with increased antenatal care and reduced prematurity. This is consistent with previous research that has shown that methadone in conjunction with adequate prenatal care promotes fetal stability and growth. Ethics approval for the project was granted by the NSW Department of Health Ethics Committee. All data was provided to the researchers’ only once full identification of records had taken place with password protected computers and firewall protection. This method was used to protect patient’s rights. Based on a large sample size, researchers were able to examine the effects of treatment retention on key neonatal outcomes. Although researchers had a large sample size based on certain ethical restrictions, limited the amount of information given to researchers, which waived the outcomes of individual’s results not being totally accurate. The research article â€Å"Methadone and perinatal outcomes: a prospective cohort study† examines A total of 117 pregnant women on methadone maintenance treatment recruited between July 2009 and July 2010. Measurements information on concomitant drug use was recorded with the Addiction Severity Index. Perinatal outcomes included pre-term birth (

Analysis of the Security Management Market in Hong Kong

Analysis of the Security Management Market in Hong Kong The Security Management Industry INTRODUCTION Security management is the combination of hardware, software, and services that normalizes, aggregates, correlates, and visualizes data from disparate security products. Security management is a broad term that encompasses several currently distinct market segments. With the presence of the Internet, spam is becoming increasingly costly and dangerous as spammers deliver more virulent payloads through email attachments. According to a recent IDC (2004) study, the volume of spam messages sent daily worldwide jumped from 7 billion in 2002 to 23 billion in 2004. The Hong Kong Population has increasingly Internet users. This boom in the electronic commerce creates ease in communication and on business transactions however this has also compromised the internal data security with the presence of hackers. Industry analysts believe that increased spending on internet security products and the establishment of a corporate data security policy is equally important in avoiding information leakage. Estimated information security spending in Hong Kong will reach USD 231 million in 2003 and will maintain a stable growth to reach USD 252 million in 2004. U.S. security products enjoy an excellent reputation in Hong Kong and should continue to dominate the market. According to Braunberg (2004), a major early driver for security management products is the need to get a handle on event data emanating from intrusion detection systems. Many security management products are chiefly concerned with the consolidation, correlation and prioritization of this type of data. These event management and correlation products address the volume of data and its heterogeneous origin, both in terms of devices and vendors. SECURITY MANAGEMENT MARKET IN HONG KONG Market Highlights The continuous increase in demand for communication internationally, internet has been increasingly in demand. With the Internet in business transactions, companies expanded sales opportunities through e-commerce and reduce business costs. With the presence of Internet, companies can broadly expand customer base. However, in spite of all these benefits that companies experienced with Internet, it has also brought some costs to companies. Internet opens up network and servers to external and internal attacks. In order to guard against these attacks, Hong Kong companies have increasingly felt the need to purchase Internet security. According to the report of HKCERT (2004), the number of PCs installed in Hong Kong has skewed to the low end. In the survey conducted, it shows that 63.5% of the surveyed companies had installed 1-9 PCs and only 1.3% had installed 100 PCs or above. Consumer Analysis In the report of HKCERT (2002), industry players estimated that the Hong Kong market for internet security products and services in 2001 was USD 231 million and will reach USD 252 million in 2004. Generally U.S. internet security products are the major players and are enjoying an excellent reputation in Hong Kong and are continually dominating the market. Industry Estimates The survey of HKCERT in 2004 showed that Hong Kong companies adopted security technologies to secure their computer form attacks. The survey includes 3,000 companies from different industry sectors in Hong Kong. According to the survey anti-virus software was the most popular security measure, being used by 90.9% of the companies interviewed in 2004. Physical security (65.5%), Firewall (65.4%) and Password (60.6%) were the next three common security measures adopted (HKCERT, 2004). The information security awareness of the companies in Hong Kong has increased considerably as the percentage of companies without any security measures in place dropped from 10.1% in 2003 to 3.6% in 2004 (HKCERT, 2004) As the survey shows, the use of firewall has significantly increased in 2004. This is due to the increasing awareness of a number of companies that the basic security tools can not completely stop virus and because software vendors pay great effort in promoting their products. From the table above, US rank number one in the list showing that US is the major host of malware in 2006. On the other hand, Hong Kong only is on the 9th place however it is still a major contributor of malware in the world. Sophos notes that up to 90% of all spam is now relayed from zombie computers, hi-jacked by Trojan horses, worms and viruses under the control of hackers. This means that they do not need to be based in the same country as the computers being used to send the spam (IET, 2007). Sophos found that the most prolific email threats during 2006 were the Mytob, Netsky, Sober and Zafi families of worms, which together accounted for more than 75% of all infected email (IET, 2007). According to the report, email will continue to be an important vector for malware authors, though the increasing adoption of email gateway security is making hackers turn to other routes for infection (IET, 2007). Malware infection will continue to affect many websites. SophosLabs is uncovering an average of 5,000 new URLs hosting malicious code each day (IET, 2007). In 2006, it has been discovered that there is a decrease in use of spyware due to multiple Trojan downloaders. Statistics reveal that in January 2006 spyware accounted for 50.43% of all infected email, while 40.32% were emails linking to websites containing Trojan downloaders. By December 2006 the figures had been reversed, with the latter now accounting for 51.24%, and spyware-infected emails reduced to 41.87%.(IET, 2007) Market Channels In Hong Kong, consumer-oriented products such as anti-virus, overseas companies usually market their products via local distributors who will then channel the products to resellers and in some cases directly to retailers. For enterprise-oriented products, which require value-added services such as system integration and after-sales support, overseas companies can go through local distributors and/or resellers. (Chau, 2003) Competitive Analysis The internet security market has four segments: anti-virus, firewall, encryption software, and Security Authentication, Authorization Administration. Anti-virus Software Anti-virus software identifies and/or eliminates harmful software and macros. Anti-virus are mostly software based. The major players in Hong Kong for the consumer market includes Symantec/Norton which possesses 50% of the market share in Hong Kong, Norman, Nai/McAfee, and Trend Micro which are basically US origin (Chau, 2003). According to Chau (2003), consumers of Anti-virus are generally price sensitive and usually seek for products with established brand name. In the enterprise market of anti-virus, the major players include Trend Micro, NAI/McAfee, Norman and Symantec (Chau, 2003). According to the analysis, enterprise users will usually seek professional opinions from their I.T. service provider and are more likely to focus on brand reputation and offered features and pricing is not the main concern, although with the downturn in the economy, companies are becoming more price-sensitive (Chau, 2003) Firewall Firewall software/hardware identifies and blocks access to certain applications and data. There are two categories of firewall products: software and hardware. The players in Hong Kongs software firewall market are Check Point Software which dominates the market of 60% market share, Computer Associates, Symantec and Secure Computing (Chau, 2003). In the hardware firewall market, the major players are Netscreen with 50% market share, Cisco (PIX) with 20% market share, Sonic Wall, Watchguard and Nokie of Finland (Chau, 2003). According to the report, the price for software firewalls averages USD 20 per user. On the hardware firewalls side, the number of users and the kinds of features determine the price. A low-end firewall server costs USD 600 to USD 700, a mid-range server costs USD 2,000 to USD 4,000, and a high-end server costs USD 10,000 and above. Netscreen and Sonic Wall are quite common in small to medium-sized enterprises. Cisco targets large corporations. Brand reputation and price are the prime concerns for buyers. According to industry players, there is an increasing preference for hardware firewalls over software firewalls because the hardware firewall has a speed advantage and is easier to maintain. (Chau, 2003) Encryption Encryption software is a security product that uses crypto-graphical algorithms to protect the confidentiality of data, applications, and user identities. According to the study, the most commonly-used standards in Hong Kong are SSH, SSL, PGP, RSA, and DES. Different standards are used for different objectives. SSH is mostly used to secure TCP connections between remote sites. SSL is commonly used in web browsers to secure web traffic. PGP is used for email encryption. RSA is for PKI system authentication and authorization. DES or 3DES are commonly used in the banking sector. (Chau, 2003) According to the report of Chau (2003), the major players in encryption in Hong are PGP, Utimaco, F-Secure, SSH (Security Shell), and RSA. Security 3A Software Security 3A (administration, authorization, and authentication) software is used for administering security on computer systems and includes the processes of defining, creating, changing, deleting, and auditing users. Authentication software is used for verifying users identities and avoiding repudiation. Authorization software determines data access according to corporate policy. Administrative software includes internet access control, email scanning, intrusion detection and vulnerability assessment, and security management. The major players in PKI system in Hong Kong are Baltimore of UK, Verisign, and Entrust (Chau, 2003). Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) An intrusion detection system (IDS) examines system or network activity to find possible intrusions or attacks. Intrusion detection systems are either network-based or host-based. Network-based IDS are more common. According to the report of Chau (2003), the major players of IDS in Hong Kong are ISS (Real Secure) which dominate in the market of 65% market share, Enterasys (Dragon), Symantec (Intruder Alert), Tripwire (Tripwire), Computer Associates (Entrust Intrusion Protection) and Cisco (Secure IDS). In the analysis it has been known that IDS end-users are mostly medium to large enterprises and the most significant purchasing criteria for end users are reliability and compatibility and price is not a key factor (Chau, 2003). Content Security Products The major players of content security products includes Clearswift which has 50% market share, Websense which has 25% market share, Trend Micro and Serve Control (Chau, 2003). Market Trends According to the report, on corporate side, the demand for network-based anti-virus would likely to increase than the demand for desktop-based anti-virus products since mostly viruses attacks are usually via internet (Chau, 2003). On the other hand, in the consumer side, consumer market would likely to fade away since consumers are downloading free anti-virus from the Internet. It is expected that ISPs will increasingly provide AV protection as a value-added service to the users (Chau, 2003). In the firewall software, it has been expected that the demand for hardware-based appliance products would likely to increase for small and medium-sized companies. (Chau, 2003) For Intrusion detection and vulnerability assessment, it is predicted that it will become very popular as enterprises will shift to a balance between internal and external threats. In addition, the distinction between host-based and network-based IDS is becoming blurry with the creation of IDS consoles that receive data from both the network sensors and host agents. Integrated solutions will become the trend. (Chau, 2003) Market Driver There are several market drivers of security management market. Chau (2003) identified some of these market drivers. In his report, he enumerated three of these market drivers which includes the Internet growth, telecommuting trend, and government generated awareness of Internet security. Internet Growth In Hong Kong, the Internet has become the prevalent communication means between business transaction and even between employees with the increasing trend of globalization. According to Hong Kong Government survey in 2001, 1.25 million households or 61% of all households in Hong Kong has PCs of which 80% are connected to the Internet compared to 50% households with PCs in 2000 of which only 36% are connected to the Internet in 2000 (Chau, 2003). Generally, consumers are making use of the internet to send emails, surf the web, carry out research, conduct on line banking transactions, and make low-value purchases. The survey estimated that around 6% of all persons over 14 had used one or more types of online purchasing services for personal matters in the 12 months before the survey (Chau, 2003). On the other hand, on the business side, more than one third of businesses in Hong Kong have internet connections. In 2001, about 12% of businesses had delivered their goods, services or information through electronic means which is 4% higher than that in 2000. The estimated amount of business receipts received from selling goods, services or information through electronic means in 2000 was USD 1 billion. Increased connectivity to the internet creates higher chances of hacker attacks, especially if the users have a constant live connection, such as through a DSL line. (Chau, 2003) According to the Hong Kong Commercial Crimes Bureau, reports of computer-related offenses increased from 235 incidents in 2001 to 210 in the first nine months in 2002. Computer attacks had affected 5,460 computers in the past 12 months. Financial loss caused by computer-related crimes rose from USD 195,000 in 2001 to USD 236,000 in 2002. The Computer Crime Section of the Hong Kong Commercial Crimes Bureau believes that only 0.3% of the victims reported hacking incidents, fearing that doing so would damage their reputation. Facing increasing internal and external hacking threats, companies are seeking security tools to protect their network and to maintain public confidence. (Chau, 2003) Telecommuting Trend Another major driver of security products, according to Chau (2003), is the increasing decentralization of the work force, such as mobile sales teams in the insurance industry who need to access corporate networks via PDAs. There is an increasing trend of businesses and organizations which benefit from employees ability to dial into corporate networks via the internet, however, this often creates information security risks within the organization, resulting in increased dependence on, and greater deployment of, security products (Chau, 2003). Government-generated awareness of internet security Another major driver of security products is the government awareness on the importance of Internet security. With this awareness, government organizations are formed. Like for example the SAR Government. The SAR Government is committed to providing a safe and secure environment to foster the development of e-commerce in Hong Kong in which has built a public key infrastructure (PKI) through the establishment of a public certification authority and a voluntary CA recognition scheme in Hong Kong (Chau, 2003). Currently, there are four recognized certification authorities operating in Hong Kong which includes JETCO, Digi-Sign Certification Ltd., HiTRUST.Com and the Hong Kong Postmaster General. In addition to the establishment of the PKI systems, the Hong Kong Government has also engaged substantial resources to educate the public regarding the importance of information security. For instance, the Crime Prevention Unit of the Technology Crime Division of the Hong Kong Police is responsible for providing advice on all aspects of computer security. It also produces educational materials on raising computer security awareness and makes presentations on technology crime prevention topics. (Chau, 2003) In addition to the market drivers in which Chau has enumerated, there are still other market drivers of security management market. Braunberg (2004) identified two major groups of market drivers which are the near-tern market drivers and long-term market drivers. Under the near-term market drivers are manage or prevent, perimeter management, vulnerability assessment, embracing standards and the brains of the operation. Long-term market drivers include complexity and cost, device and security integration, knowledge database resources, lack of trust, on demand of computing and social engineering. Near-Term Market Drivers Manage or Prevent. In the analysis of Braunberg (2004), the chief driver of event management solutions is the continuing and hugely annoying number of false positives pouring out of intrusion detection systems. According to him, a counter driver to growth in the managed security segment is the emergence of intrusion prevention systems, particularly in-line solutions that can perform real-time data blocking (Braunberg, 2004). The adoption of intrusion prevention system could inhibit spending on event management systems and security management vendors should consider these products competitive to their own (Braunberg, 2004) Perimeter Management. Security management products has evolve due tot to the demand of securing the perimeter. According to Braunberg (2004), security management solutions are evolving to integrate data from a host of perimeter products in which event management systems often evolved along separate lines with products for firewall, antivirus, and IDS. Vulnerability Assessments. According to Braunberg (2004), one of the near- term drivers for which end-users are of concern is understanding what the security risks are. Generally, clients are looking to leverage vulnerability assessments to help prioritize emerging threats. Increasingly vulnerability data is being leveraged in event management systems (Braunberg, 2004). Embracing Standards. According to Braunberg (2004), the industry is a long way from embracing standards for sharing event information but some progress has been made over the last year. The Internet Engineering Task Forces Incident Object Description and Exchange Format (IODEF) draft specification is gaining some traction and its adoption would be a significant step forward for the market (Braunberg, 2004) The Brains of this Operation. According to Braunbergs analysis (2004), the infatuation with IPS will be short-lived unless significant improvements can be made in reducing false positives in events however security management products will increasingly play a major role in providing the analytic smarts behind IPS solutions. Long-Term Market Drivers: Complexity and Cost. With the increasingly complexity in the web-based business models, the more tangled is the security solutions for the end-users. According to Braunberg (2004), businesses building online strategies from scratch can be overwhelmed by the initial investment of security solutions, while those trying to adapt existing solutions to evolving security concerns are besieged by maintenance costs. Device and Security Integration. According to Braunberg (2004), equipment makers are paying much closer attention to imbedded security functionality in devices and are actively attempting to integrate security as a value-added service in order to change the thinking of the end users of security products as an â€Å"add-on† or an extraneous component of infrastructure. In addition, vendors are looking to unite service providers with standards programs that simplify client understanding and reduce the complexity of product buying (Braunberg, 2004). Knowledge Database Resources. Another market driver for security products is to actively secure the knowledge database from attack patterns and other descriptions of the enemies. The security products vendors should reinvent a faster response to the known threats. According to Braunberg (2004), multi-product vendors particularly will look to evolve from real-time monitoring to broader real-time management. Lack of Trust: According to Braunberg (2004), end users, whether they are corporate users putting a business plan on a server or a consumer buying a CD, have ingrained habits that they are not necessarily willing to give up. For example, no matter how good an online banks security system is, a consumer will have to be convinced that its services are not only as good as a brick and mortar banks services, but better (Braunberg, 2004). On demand Computing: According to Braunberg (2004), the availability of ubiquitous computing resources on demand will further drive the need for sophisticated, highly flexible security management solutions that combine both identity management and event management. According to him, the demand for more esoteric offerings such as GRID computing is the major long-term driver for security management solutions (Braunberg, 2004). Social Engineering. According to Braunberg (2004), clients are still facing risks in security that employees represent just through the human desire to be helpful, and hackers exploit this through â€Å"social engineering.† According to him, a component of managed security will need elements of employee training to build awareness of outside threats (Braunberg, 2004). According to the analysis of Braunberg (2004), the security segment will continually be strong in which the diversity of interest ranges from an array of different types of companies which indicates a leverage of controlling security function. In addition, since end users demand has also evolve in which they demand for more in-depth defensive strategies ad best of breed approaches to purchasing decisions, security solution in turn has become more complex. Case Study: Trend Micro Enterprise History In 1988, Trend Micro Incorporated was founded by Steve Chang and his wife in California. Trend Micro Incorporated is a global leader in network antivirus and Internet content security software and services. The company led the migration of virus protection from the desktop to the network server and the Internet gateway—gaining a reputation for vision and technological innovation along the way. Trend Micro focuses on outbreak prevention and on providing customers with a comprehensive approach to managing the outbreak lifecycle and the impact of network worms and virus threats to productivity and information, through initiatives such as Trend Micro Enterprise Protection Strategy. Trend Micro ha grown into a transnational organization with more than 2,500 employees representing more than 30 countries around the globe. Many of the leading high-tech and security industry analysts have tracked Trend Micros growth and performance for the last several years, hailing the company as â€Å"visionary†, citing its leadership and innovation in the security industry. According to Brian Burke, IDC Research Manager, â€Å"Trend Micro has consistently demonstrated a strong position in the Secure Content Management market. To remain successful Trend Micro has adapted quickly to market challenges and the evolution of security threats such as spyware, phishing and spam, in which financial gain has become the number one driving force. Given Trend Micros track record and its strong upward momentum, we expect the company to continue delivering innovative solutions that provide customers with timely protection against unpredictable threats.† Trend Micro has earned a reputation for turning great ideas into cutting-edge technology. In recognition of the antivirus companys strategy and vision, the analyst firm Gartner has hailed Trend Micro as a visionary malicious code management supplier for four consecutive years. Citing its flexible and efficient transnational management model, BusinessWeek acknowledged Trend Micro as one ofa new breed of high-tech companies that are defying conventional wisdom. According to IDC, Trend Micro has held the top global market share in internet gateway antivirus for six consecutive years. A history of innovation In 1995 Trend Micro became an industry pioneer in the migration of virus protection from the desktop to the server level, with the launch of Trend Microâ„ ¢ ServerProtec. In 1997 it launched the industrys first virus protection for the Internet gateway with InterScan VirusWall. Since then, it has demonstrated a history of innovation in server-based antivirus products that has contributed to the leadership position it holds today in this market (according to the recent IDC report Worldwide Antivirus 2004-2008 Forecast and 2003 Competitive Vendor Shares. Trend Micro continues to shift the paradigms of antivirus security with cutting-edge products, services and strategies like Trend Micro Network VirusWall, Outbreak Prevention Services, and its Enterprise Protection Strategy. Trend Micro is committed to following its path of innovation to help companies manage todays ever-increasingly complex, fast-spreading malware threats. SWOT Analysis Strengths Business and security knowledge Trend Micro has been a pioneer and innovator in the antivirus software market since 1988, anticipating trends and developing products and services to protect information as new computing standards have been adopted around the world. Service and support excellence, that is, Trend Micro products and services are backed by TrendLabs a global network of antivirus research and support centers. TrendLabs monitors potential security threats worldwide and develops the means to help customers prevent the spread of outbreaks, minimize the impact of new threats, and restore their networks. Flexible workforce through contingent workers for seasonal/cyclical projects Loyal, hardworking, and diverse workforce who, in addition to good compensation, have an opportunity to do well Multinational corporation operating through regional subsidiaries to minimize cultural differences Low employee turnover Relatively rapid product development processes that allow for timely updating and release of new products Revenues and profits rising at 30% a year with merger/acquisition or investment in 92 companies over past five years Software products have high name recognition, broad-based corporate and consumer acceptance and numerous powerful features that are in use worldwide, thereby promoting standardization and competitive advantage through their ease of integration and cost-effectiveness Top rating from Fortune for best company to work at and most admired company Worlds largest software company with global name recognition and strong reputation for innovative products Weaknesses Perceived by many as a cut-throat competitor that uses its dominant market position to marginalize competition by stealing/destroying the competitions products, stifling product innovation, and decreasing the availability of competitor products Products have a single application focus and do not work well with or on-top of other products Reputation has suffered because of entanglement in antitrust and â€Å"permatemps† Vizcaino litigation Misperceptions of securitys value or purpose Opportunities Cheaper global telecommunication costs open new markets as people connect to the Internet in which in turn increases the need for security products Mobile phone applications and exploitation of personal digital assistants represent a growth industry so that strategic alliances could provide the company with opportunity in a market where it currently has little or no significant presence Business Continuity Reduced Costs Potential Revenue Opportunities Trend Micro holds the top market share for both worldwide Internet gateway and email-server based antivirus sales. Threats Currency exchange rates affect demand for application/operation software and hardware, and fluctuating currencies can negatively impact revenues in the global marketplace Recession or economic slowdown in the global market impacts personal computer equipment sales and their need for an operating systems which in turn would slowdown the need for security systems Software piracy of commercial and consumer applications software on a global scale threatens revenue streams Technology life cycle is shorter and shorter Inconsistency across the enterprise Loss of sponsorship or visibility Current Strategy The continuous success of Trend Micro is guided by its strategies. Innovation was always been the strategy of a technological company however in Trend Micro, innovation was not the only strategy implemented. There are many essentials that are to be considered. The current strategy of Trend Micro are the following. â€Å"Focus On the Essentials and Sacrifice the Rest† It is known that focus is important and essential for the success of any business. According to Steve Chang, strategy is about focusing on essential and sacrificing the rest. (Chang, 2002) in addition, according to Peter Firstbrook, program director, security risk strategies, META Group, Trend Micro has done just that, having an amazing laser-like focus on their business. And the authors of a Harvard Business School case study commented: â€Å"Although very entrepreneurial, Steve Chang held fast to a single strategic focus for over a decade. Rather than attempt to provide all security products to all customers, Trend Micro concentrated on developing ‘best-of-breed antivirus solutions.† (Pain and Bettcher, 2003) Trend micros consistent and persistent focus allowed the company to build their strengths and consistently leading the market. Innovation Isnt Just About Your Software Products Trend Micro has many product firsts under its belt: the first antivirus product for a server in 1993; the first Internet gateway protection antivirus software in 1996; the first e-mail anti-virus software product in 1998; the first Internet content security service in 1999. However, for the Trend Micro innovation applies to more than just the products. It is a pervasive notion that applies to other areas of your business as well. Innovation should be seen new type of global organization and in a new service offering. According to Steve Hamm in a 2003 Business Week article, Borders are So 20th Century, Trend Micro is an example of a new form of global organization, transnational organization in which aimed to transcend nationality altogether. Hamm quotes C. K. Prahalad, a professor at the University of Michigan Business School, who says â€Å"Theres a fundamental rethinking about what is a multinational companyDoes it have a home country? What does headquarters mean? Can you fragment your corporate functions globally?† (Hamm, 2003) According to Hamm (2003) Trend micro was one of the first responder to viruses which can deliver services in 30 minutes before the market leader Symantec. He commented that â€Å"Trend Micro is able to respond so quickly because its not organized like most companies. (Hamm, 2003) The strategy of Trend Micro is to spread its top executives, engineers, and support staff around the world. The main virus response center is in the Philippines,

Rommel Rundstedt Controversy Essay -- War, Invasion of France, Normand

There are significant reasons why Field Marshal Rundstedt’s operational concept to defend against the Allied invasion of France was superior to Field Marshal Rommel’s and could have changed the course of the war. Geographically, Rundstedt’s concept provided the Germans the best chance to defeat the Allied advance. Operationally, he accounted for several military and intelligence assessment considerations that gave his plan the edge. From a strategic and political standpoint, had Hitler been willing to negotiate peace, a major Allied defeat in France offered by Rundstedt’s plan presented Germany its last chance to achieve victory. Had Rommel made a proper assessment of the French coastline and countryside, he would have probably sided with Rundstedt. â€Å"It was clear to von Rundstedt that 2,600 kilometers of coastline could not be made impregnable†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ose, 8) In Rundstedt’s view, the best strategy to defend the coast â€Å"called for using an offensive defensive by operating behind the coast strong armored divisions, strictly controlled and flexibly led.† (Ose, 9) Obvious geographic challenges along the coast meant that Rommel’s plan to be decisive with armored divisions would have given the German Army little chance of success. The first major problem with Rommel’s plan was the length of coastline which would have been impossible to defend unless he was lucky enough to determine the exact time and location of attack. The long coastline of France had already overextended German forces and their defenses were growing weaker due to commitments elsewhere in the Europ ean theater. (Cubbage, 149) Even with Rommel’s plan for extensive obstacles along the coast, it seems he â€Å"forgot that a concrete and steel barrier with an exploitable wea... ...epts to defeat the Allied invasion of France. Upon examination of each operational concept, it becomes clear that Rundstedt’s plan would have given the German Army the best chance of success. In the summer of 1944, a decisive victory over Allied forces in France could have drawn Great Britain and the United States to the negotiating table. A decisive victory would have also afforded the Germans more forces on the Eastern Front. More forces in the east could have halted the Soviet advance, and could have brought Stalin to the negotiating table as well. Given those possibilities, we know in hindsight that it would have been unlikely for Hitler or the Allies to accept anything less than total victory. In other words, the operational success offered by Rundstedt’s plan would not have translated into strategic victory given the resolve of Hitler and the Allies.

Shakespeares Merchant of Venice and Othello: Shylock vs Iago Essay

The Merchant of Venice and Othello: Shylock vs Iago      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare's use of timeless themes make his works relevant to the modern reader.   His two plays "The Merchant of Venice" and "Othello" deal with the seeking of revenge and forbidden love.   In "The Merchant of Venice," Shylock, the main character, is a Jew who loans money and charges interest.   Shylock has an enemy named Antonio who also loans money to people, but without interest.   Iago is a character in "Othello" who has been passed over for a position as Othello's right hand man.   He feels that he deserves the position not the person who received it, Cassio.   Both of these characters want revenge from the people whom they perceive as having done them wrong and will stop at nothing to have their way.   In other words, Shylock and Iago are similar in that they want revenge.   However, there are also many differences in each character that demonstrate that they are in many ways polar opposites.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many similarities between Iago and Shylock.   One is that they both want revenge from another person.   Shylock wants revenge from Antonio because he has made him look bad in front of the rest of the people of Venice.   Shylock being a moneylender charges interest to the people who borrow money.   On the other hand, Antonio also is a moneylender, but does not charge interest. Iago also wants revenge because he feels that he has been cheated out of a position that he feels he deserves.   The position that he did not get was that of Othello's lieutenant, which was given to Cassio who has knowledge about combat from books.   Iago feels that he has more real experience and that he should have been the one to take that position.   Another similarity is that both charac... ...o does not have to do much to spring his plan into action because everyone believes everything that he says because he is "honest Iago" (1.3.297).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shylock and Iago are two of the most interesting characters created by Shakespeare.   Their personalities and characteristics make them who they are.   These characters do have some similarities, on the other hand, are different as night and day.   Each one has a different motive for revenge, and also they both go about it in different ways.   Iago will stop at nothing.   Shylock has the reader's sympathy.   Still their desire for revenge ruins them in the end.    Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. 1967. Ed. W. Moelwyn Merchant. The New Penguin Shakespeare. London: Penguin Books, 1996. - - -. Othello. 1968. Ed. Kenneth Muir. The New Penguin Shakespeare. London: Penguin Books, 1996.   

Origins of The Beauty Myth :: Naomi Wolf, The Beauty Myth

Naomi Wolf's "The Beauty Myth," discusses the impact of our male-dominated society upon women. Wolf argues that women's most significant problems associated with societal pressures are a "fairly recent invention," dating back to the 1970s (6). She explains that women have "breached the power structure" by acquiring rights equal to men in areas such as, education, professional careers, and voting. As a result, Wolf suggests that the "beauty myth" is the "last one remaining of the old feminine ideologies that still has the power to control those women" (3). Considering that the beauty myth is women's last battle, the struggle is increasingly more difficult. Wolf claims that women are currently experiencing "a violent backlash against feminism," noting the recent rise in eating disorders, cosmetic surgery, and objectification of women's bodies (3,2). While Wolf accurately defines the beauty myth, she incorrectly states that eating disorders, cosmetic surgery, and pornography are recent issues, resulting from an intentional "backlash" against women's rights. Wolf utilizes the term "the beauty myth" to demonstrate that the interpretation of beauty is a creation of society, intended to keep women trapped inside their bodies. Wolf claims that the beauty myth "is not about women at all." She explains, "it is about men's institutions and institutional power" (5). In addition, she claims that women have recently obtained numerous rights, which now threaten "to destabilize the institutions on which a male-dominated culture has depended." She continues to explain that "a collective panic reaction [†¦] has forced a demand for counter images" (8). Clearly, society as a whole does create pressure on women to act in a certain manner. However, Wolf's implication that it is an intentional, organized effort to keep women oppressed is one-sided and extreme. While Wolf fails to conclusively prove that the beauty myth is an organized group effort, she is certainly correct in her explanation of the symptoms associated with the beauty myth: There is a secret "underlife" poisoning our freedom; infused with notions of beauty, it is a dark vein of self-hatred, physical obsessions, terror of aging, and dread of lost control. (3) According to Laura Shapiro, a notable researcher on eating disorders, the medical condition of anorexia consists of several elements. By definition, anorexia nervosa is a condition characterized by intense fear of gaining weight or becoming obese, as well as a distorted body image, and a feeling of loss of control (Shapiro 69). Origins of The Beauty Myth :: Naomi Wolf, The Beauty Myth Naomi Wolf's "The Beauty Myth," discusses the impact of our male-dominated society upon women. Wolf argues that women's most significant problems associated with societal pressures are a "fairly recent invention," dating back to the 1970s (6). She explains that women have "breached the power structure" by acquiring rights equal to men in areas such as, education, professional careers, and voting. As a result, Wolf suggests that the "beauty myth" is the "last one remaining of the old feminine ideologies that still has the power to control those women" (3). Considering that the beauty myth is women's last battle, the struggle is increasingly more difficult. Wolf claims that women are currently experiencing "a violent backlash against feminism," noting the recent rise in eating disorders, cosmetic surgery, and objectification of women's bodies (3,2). While Wolf accurately defines the beauty myth, she incorrectly states that eating disorders, cosmetic surgery, and pornography are recent issues, resulting from an intentional "backlash" against women's rights. Wolf utilizes the term "the beauty myth" to demonstrate that the interpretation of beauty is a creation of society, intended to keep women trapped inside their bodies. Wolf claims that the beauty myth "is not about women at all." She explains, "it is about men's institutions and institutional power" (5). In addition, she claims that women have recently obtained numerous rights, which now threaten "to destabilize the institutions on which a male-dominated culture has depended." She continues to explain that "a collective panic reaction [†¦] has forced a demand for counter images" (8). Clearly, society as a whole does create pressure on women to act in a certain manner. However, Wolf's implication that it is an intentional, organized effort to keep women oppressed is one-sided and extreme. While Wolf fails to conclusively prove that the beauty myth is an organized group effort, she is certainly correct in her explanation of the symptoms associated with the beauty myth: There is a secret "underlife" poisoning our freedom; infused with notions of beauty, it is a dark vein of self-hatred, physical obsessions, terror of aging, and dread of lost control. (3) According to Laura Shapiro, a notable researcher on eating disorders, the medical condition of anorexia consists of several elements. By definition, anorexia nervosa is a condition characterized by intense fear of gaining weight or becoming obese, as well as a distorted body image, and a feeling of loss of control (Shapiro 69).

Promoting Electric Vehicles in Hong Kong

Advantages of using EV (Electric Vehicles) in Hong Kong Improved air quality Electric vehicles have zero emissions at the tailpipe. The wider use of EVs can greatly improve roadside air quality and reduce exhaust emission. Better suited to the urban environment: saving up to 1800-1900 gear changes a day helps reduce driver fatigue, while reduced noise pollution is a benefit to services delivered in residential areas Reduced noise Noise from traffic and transport is a major or fairly major problem. At high speeds, most noise is down to wind and tyres so there is little difference between ICE and electric vehicles. However, electric vehicles are almost silent whilst idling. Incentives Government would extend the waiver of the first registration tax on electric vehicles for five years from April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2014. Low running costs EVs also have higher fuel efficiency than conventional petrol/diesel vehicles. It costs about HK$2. 20 for a normal petrol seven-seater to run for about one kilometre and HK$1 for better ones. However, it apparently only costs about 10 Hong Kong cents for EV. To fully charge up EV, all it takes is about HK$10. That is enough for it to run about 100 kilometres. It is probably cheaper than riding on a bus. Cost savings not only in fuel (up to 10 times cheaper), but also in maintenance (less wear and tear, fewer services). There are also potential significant cost savings in the long-term. Travel distance of EV without recharging the battery In general, electric vehicles today can travel over 100km with a fully charged battery. The distance of 100km can suit most of the drivers in Hong Kong daily.

Marriage: When a Man Meets His Woman Essay

â€Å"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.† (New International Version, Genesis 2.24) Marriage as we all know is the union of a man and a woman to become husband and wife. Marriage is where the smallest unit of the society begins––the family. Marriage is the door to procreation. Marriage is a sacred vow and according to Hebrews 13.4, â€Å"Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.† Marriage is a game that children play. When children are tired of playing, they simply quit. When children encounter problems while playing, they quit. When they want to play again, they simply do so. Marriage is a deep relationship between the husband and the wife. It is intimate. It involves not only their physical self but their hearts and souls as well. Quitting is not an option should they become tired or should they encounter problems. Timothy had a good description of a responsible husband, â€Å"Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money† (1 Timothy 3.2–3). Though Timothy specifically dedicated these verses to an overseer (or a bishop during their time), the characteristics given are truly what a husband should possess in order to please God and to make their marriage last. Since a husband is the head of his family, he should really possess qualities that will help him manage the â€Å"small society† given to him by God. A man should seek God’s wisdom in choosing the woman to marry. Man, having free will, makes plans for himself. In most cases, these plans failed or never happened because those are not God’s plans. â€Å"Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails† (Proverbs 19.21). The Holy Bible describes the â€Å"perfect† woman to have fear of the Lord (Proverbs 31.30), has wisdom (Proverbs 31.26), and not quarrelsome (Proverbs 19.13). A woman can possess all these characteristics if she is living according to God’s will. With the Holy Bible as our reference, the first husband and wife were Adam and Eve. In the story of creation, God created man according to His image and likeness on the sixth day. He made man the steward of all His beautiful creations. God said in Genesis 2.18, â€Å"It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.† So God had Adam fell asleep, and took one of his ribs. Out of the rib God created the woman. Then Adam said in Genesis 2.23, â€Å"This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.† So this is the love story of our great, great, great, great, great grandparents. If you are interested to know the ending of our love story, read Genesis to find out. If we are to analyze our course verse (Gen. 2.24), a man will leave his parents and will be united with the woman as one. They are no longer two separate, different individuals, but they are one. Marriage binds this two unrelated people into a sacred union. The man will now live not only for his own but for his wife. Same is true for the woman. Both will â€Å"forget† themselves and will create a new self out of two obviously different individuals. This is in accordance to 1 Corinthians 7.4 ­, â€Å"The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.† Also in Ephesians 5.28, â€Å"In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.† These two Bible passages do not refer to the physical body alone but to whole identity of the man and woman—physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual, and let’s add financial. Being united as one, husbands and wives share resources. The â€Å"I† mentality is no longer applicable in marriage. It’s now the â€Å"us† or the â€Å"we.† A man’s burden is also his wife’s burden. A man’s achievements are also his wife’s achievements. A man’s failure is also his wife’s failure. A man’s dreams are also his wife’s dreams. In Genesis 2.18, God said that it is not good for a man to be alone. So He created a â€Å"helper† suitable for the man. â€Å"Helper† does not literally mean a house helper, or a slave, or a maidservant. Helper here means a co-worker; a colleague; and the most appropriate description of a helper, a partner. A husband now has a partner in everything. He has someone to share his goals, visions, aspirations, problems, weaknesses, and frustrations. He has someone to help him make decisions. He has someone he can rely on anytime. He has someone to grow old with. God binds a man and a woman in marriage. â€Å"So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate† (Matthew 19.6). It is very clear that no man should cause the fall out of anyone’s marriage. It is very clear that God’s plan in the very beginning is a lasting marriage for husbands and wives. Unfortunately, even during Moses’ time, divorce was already a show stopper. â€Å"If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house† (Deuteronomy 24.1). For the record, this was not God’s original plan. Laws for divorce were made because of the Israelites’ hard-headedness. But they could only file for a divorce if either one was proven guilty of marital unfaithfulness. â€Å"I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery† (Matthew 19.9). This is for the husband’s case. For the wife’s case, â€Å"So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man† (Romans 7.3). Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, also addressed the issue on divorce. â€Å"To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife† (1 Corinthians 7.10–11). The Holy Bible, from the Old Testament up to the New Testament, has teachings on divorce. This is how important and sacred marriage is for God. He wants every man and woman to enjoy the companion of each other. Hardships, troubles, and problems happened in marriage not to break it but to strengthen it. Some were not able to withstand the pressure brought about by these problems and ended their marriage. There are married couples today, who are having problems with their relationship, opt for divorce, believing that this is the best solution for their problems. What comes after divorce? Annulment, the couples now arrange the invalidation, dissolution, termination of their marriage contract.   The sacredness of marriage is slowly being neglected. If fact, there were some who re-marry after annulment. Marriage is a lifetime vow. Only death can separate a husband from her wife. This is God’s original plan. 1 Corinthians 7.39 says, â€Å"A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.† In this verse, the wife is only freed from the marriage vow because of the death of her husband. God wants every husband and wife to enjoy their vow as long as they live. How can a marriage last? Married couples who put God in the center of their relationship will definitely last. God, being the author of one’s life, never fails anyone who trusts and completely obeys His will. In Proverbs 16.3, â€Å"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed,† God assures married couples that whatever plans they have, success is an assurance, provided that they commit their lives to the Lord. God has given many advices on how to have a successful marriage. All of these can be found in the Holy Bible. So it is advisable for everyone, not for married couples only, to meditate the Word of God day and night (Joshua 1.8) because the Holy Bible contains God’s laws, promises, blessings, curses, and precautions that will serve as our guide. In Colossians 3.18, God instructed wives to submit to their husbands because this is His will. Husbands are also required to love their wives and never ever be harsh to them (Colossians 3.19). One marriage conflict is who has the authority over the family. In Colossians 3.18, wives should submit to their husbands. Also recall that God created man to become the steward of His creation. Woman was created to become man’s helper or a partner steward of God’s creations. Another answer to who has the authority over the family is written in Ephesians 5.23–24, â€Å"For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.† Wives submission to their husbands does not mean that the husbands are in charge of everything. As partners, they are both involved in decision-making and planning. But wives should acknowledge the fact that their husbands are the team leaders of the family. As team leaders, husbands preside the â€Å"meeting† and distribute the task to the whole members of the family. 1 Peter 3.1–2 says, â€Å"Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.† Actions speak louder than words. If someone’s husband is still an unbeliever, the actions of his wife, according to the previous Bible passage, can make the husband become interested in learning God’s words. According to Proverbs 12.4, â€Å"A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.† So a wife’s submissive attitude is worthy for her husband will truly respect her. Not only that, God will be pleased with her because according to 1 Peter 3.4, â€Å"Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quite spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.† Though wives should submit to their husbands, the husbands in turn should not abuse their wives submissiveness. â€Å"Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayer.† (1 Peter 3.7) The Book of Proverbs says how precious a husband’s wife is and why she deserves to earn her husband’s respect, â€Å"He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD† (Proverbs 18.22); â€Å"Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD† (Proverbs 19.14). So a prudent, well-respected wife is the Lord’s gift to faithful husband. Respect, aside from love, is a very important component of marriage. Respect in fact is one way of showing love to your husband or to your wife. Never ever disrespect your husband or your wife for this could be the start of a misunderstanding. God had promised Abraham that he will become the father of all nations and that his children will become as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22.17). The fulfillment of this promise is dependent on procreation, which is legitimate to married couples. Even before God revealed the promise to Abraham, He already declared that He will increase the number of humans on Earth, â€Å"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it† (Genesis 1.27–28). To this day, many recognize Abraham as the father of all nations. God’s promise was fulfilled. God loves man so much that He encourages the procreation of many men. Man, among all God’s creation, is the most especial creation because man is created according to His own image and likeness. He enjoys seeing His wonderful creation. Above all, God considers men His children. â€Å"Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease† (Jeremiah 29.6). In the book authored by Rick Warren, The Purpose-Driven Life, he identified the five main reasons why God created man. Man is created to worship God, to have fellowship with other men, to be trained to become Christ’s disciplines, to participate in God’s ministries, and to evangelize the words of God. God deserves to be worshipped. God loves to see His wonderful creations worshipping Him. Through marriage, more men will worship God. This is way God wants men to increase in number, not to decrease. Because God wants to see many men giving Him praise. Men should have fellowship with one another. God wants to see how His wonderful creations enjoy the company of one another. Fellowship is one way to develop a harmonious relationship among God’s children. Fellowship is also a training ground for us to become disciplines of Christ. Once trained, we can now participate in God’s ministries. And most of all, we His children are being prepared to evangelize, to spread the Good News of salvation. You may think that this is no longer related to marriage. But all these things started from the union of a man and a woman. Above all, everything has started from the wonderful plan of God for us. God wants to establish a nation of men who will worship Him. To do this, our God created the universe, which we know as the story of creation. To start the nation, He created a man and a woman. God created marriage so this man and woman could start to procreate and increase the number of men and women on Earth. Millions of years had past. Today is our present time. Today, many men and women submitted to the vow of marriage. Unfortunately, many marriages encountered so many problems. Unfortunately, these problems cause the destruction of some marriages. The sacredness of marriage is not preserved. Procreation, which should be done under the oath of marriage, is related now to pre-marital sex. God has a perfect plan for us. God made marriage to be sacred and holy. Divorce is detestable to God. Let us spread the awareness on the true reasons why God created marriage. God gave us the Holy Bible to be our guide in our daily living. The Holy Bible has many teachings on marriage. Marriage is supposed to unite a man and a woman deeply in love with one another. Marriage is a lifetime relationship. Marriage combines two persons into one. God, through marriage, created one individual out of two. What God has created, no one should separate. More importantly, marriage is the very reason life continues to exist.   WORK CITED The Holy Bible, New International Version. USA: International Bible Society, 1984. Warren, Rick. The Purpose-Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? USA: 2002.