Effects of Shared ATM Networks on Efficiency -Turkish Banks

Effects of Shared ATM Networks on Efficiency -Turkish Banks The effects of shared ATM networks on the efficiency of Turkish banks H. Evren Damar This study investigates whether forming shared ATM networks has yielded positive benefits for banks in Turkey by increasing their productive efficiency. The performance of the banking sectors of developing countries has recently become a topic of interest in the literature. Most of this attention has been focused on the impact of financial liberalization on the performance efficiency of banks in a variety of countries. An aspect of financial liberalization that has not been addressed in this literature is the impact of new technology adoption and sharing that usually accompanies the liberalization and opening up of the banking sector. The usage of technologies such as Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in developing countries has increased significantly during the past 15 years or so. Although the theory behind the benefits associated with the adoption and sharing of such technologies is well-understood, empirical studies that look at the actual realization of these benefits are relatively few. The goals of this study are to investigate whether ATM sharing has benefited Turkish banks by increasing their productive efficiency and to contribute to the literature on bank efficiency in developing countries through focusing on aspects of bank behaviour that have yet to be fully examined. The ideas behind ATM sharing and its benefits are based on the development of shared ATM networks in the USA during the 1970s and 1980s. In broad terms, there are two opposing effects associated with shared ATM networks. The benefits of ATM sharing are called ‘network’ and ‘economies of scale’ effects (Prager, 1999). Network effects suggest that the value customers attach to ATM services offered by a bank goes up as the size of the ATM network increases. In other words, the addition of a new bank or a new ATM to the network increases the attractiveness of all banks within the network to their customers. This is an important issue because it allows for banks to capture more business without having to increase the size of their branch or ATM networks. For example Vesala (2000) finds that after the start of ATM sharing in Western Europe, banks have opened fewer new branches and deployed fewer new ATMs. Economies of scale imply that the cost per transaction at an ATM declines as the number of transactions increases. Each ATM location has a variable cost and a fixed cost associated with it. Although variable costs (film, paper, etc.) are directly proportional to the number of transactions conducted at the particular ATM, fixed costs (such as the cost of purchasing or leasing the ATMs) decline as the number transactions increase (Saloner and Shepard, 1995). Therefore, by increasing the number of transactions, a shared ATM network can turn an unprofitable ATM into a profitable one. On the other hand, the presence of shared-ATM networks has also been shown to have negative effects on participating banks. These effects arise because ATM sharing reduces the level of product differentiation between banks and allows depositors to switch banks without incurring high costs. In their study of ATM network compatibility, Matutes and Padilla (1994) refer to this as the ‘substitution effect’ and show that its presence can be an impediment to achieving full ATM compatibility within the banking sector. In simple terms, whether a bank can benefit from a shared-ATM network will depend on which one of the effects described above dominates. If the network and economies of scale effects dominate, then the bank will be able to offer a more convenient product, collect more deposits and potentially increase profits. On the other hand, if the substitution effect dominates, then ATM sharing may result in a loss of depositors and profits. This problem can easily be framed within the concept of productive efficiency of banks. If ATMs are considered an input in the ‘production’ of deposits, then the presence of any benefits from ATM sharing would be reflected in the efficiency scores of banks. If indeed the network and economies of scale effects dominate, then banks that are engaged in ATM sharing will have relatively higher efficiency scores. On the other hand, if the substitution effect dominates, this would result in lower productive efficiency. Evolution of shared ATM networks in Turkey Similar to other developing countries, ATM technology was introduced in Turkey during the late 1980s. As the level of competition in the banking sector increased in the 1990s, there was a widespread increase in ATM usage. By 1995, there were 5000 ATM locations in Turkey and this number doubled by the end of 1999 (Isik and Hassan, 2002). By this date 27 out of 62 deposit collecting institutions had adopted ATM technology and another seven had issued ATM cards to their customers, although these banks themselves did not own or operate their own ATMs. The first shared ATM network in Turkey (referred to as the ‘Pamukbank-YKB Network’) was formed in 1993, and was soon followed by a shared ATM arrangement between four banks, named ‘Golden Points’. Unlike the USA, shared ATM networks in Turkey did not start as regional networks between local competitors. Since Turkey is significantly smaller than the USA, most banks operate in all major cities and some rural provinces. Therefore, the Turkish shared ATM networks started from a ‘national’ and not a ‘regional’ network stage. By 1999, ATM sharing had become a widespread phenomenon, with three more banks joining the Golden Points network and 16 smaller banks forming another network in 1998, named ‘Common Points.’ However, three of the five biggest banks in Turkey continued to operate proprietary networks. Variables: ATM transactions Total deposits Total loans Fees and commissions no. of ATMs no. of shared NW ATMs no. of branches no. of employees Interest on deposit Operating expenses Conclusion (READ IT AGAIN) This study has looked at the evolution of shared ATM networks in Turkey and has attempted to see whether banks have been able to realize net positive network and scale effects through ATM sharing. The main finding of this study is that participation in shared ATM networks has failed to increase the efficiency of small and medium size banks. The fact that most of these banks tend to share their ATMs with each other (and not with big banks) can be an important factor in their relatively lower efficiency scores. The lack of significant positive benefits for many medium and small banks fits the conclusions reached by Matutes and Padilla (1994). Their results suggest that ATM compatibility is easier and more effective if shared-ATM networks are formed by banks that operate in separate locations because of regulatory reasons or due to geographical factors. On the other hand if banks that compete for deposits within a market decide to share their ATMs, this may decrease the level of product differentiation between these banks, causing the sharing arrangement to become costly and ineffective. Similarly, Holden and El-Bannany’s (2004) conclusion that there was no relationship between ATM sharing and bank profitability in the UK may be due to the fact that banks in their sample are not differentiated according to size and geographic concentration. The findings of this study also support Carbo et al. (2003), who argue that technology adoption and sharing do not always yield cost savings for small banks. The results discussed above take this finding one step further by arguing that such technology adoption by small banks can turn into costly idle capacity. For the case of Turkey, there is ample evidence of such idle capacity. For example, Table 5 shows that many medium size banks exhibit DRS. It is likely that some of this excess capacity is caused by ATMs that are deployed in urban areas, but infrequently used by depositors. A similar observation has been made by the Banks Association of Turkey, which has concluded that ‘some ATMs operated by banks are located too close to each other and this is a waste of resources.’ They suggested that banks should try ‘to increase the sharing of existing ATMs before deploying new ones’. One possible solution to this problem of low efficiency among small and medium banks would be for these banks to form sharing arrangements with bigger banks. This would allow them to truly expand the services they can offer and gain an advantage over their competitors. Recently, strides have been made towards such arrangements, with one small and one medium bank from the Common Points network signing an ATM sharing agreement with the Pamukbank-YKB network in early 2003. However, it is also possible that big banks would not be eager to allow smaller banks to join their shared ATM networks, as this would make it harder for bigger banks to differentiate themselves. Similar worries have been echoed by big banks in Turkey, who have stated that ‘the possible effect of increased sharing on the banks with extensive branch and ATM networks is an important issue’. Another possibility has been put forward by Carbo et al. (2003), who argue that the lack of uniform benefits from technology-sharing arrangements should promote consolidation in the banking sector. In the context of the Turkish banking sector, the consolidation argument would suggest that the large number of small and medium banks that offer similar products can be consolidated into a few big banks that would be able to offer differentiated products and compete with other banks. One of the consequences of the 1999–2001 banking crisis in Turkey has been a government-encouraged wave of consolidation, the efficiency impact of which remains to be seen. Other than being the first study to look at the effects of ATM sharing on productive efficiency, the period covered in the analysis is also significant. The period 2000–2003 corresponds to one of the worst banking crises in Turkish history and the beginning of the best planned and executed rehabilitation program of the banking sector. Although the number of branches and depository institutions decreased significantly between 2000– 2003, the growth rate of ATMs has remained high and positive. This may suggest that banks and regulatory authorities do not consider the build-up of ATMs as a serious overcapacity issue. This study, however, makes a point of caution that more ATM sharing does not automatically mean efficiency gains for banks. On the contrary, an increase in ATM sharing solely within the urban markets will be likely to increase the costs of banks without generating any additional benefits to their customers. Although ATMs are still significantly cheaper than branches, operating and sharing unproductive ATMs can possibly contribute to another build-up of overcapacity. The only two options for preventing this potential problem are either further consolidation of the banking sector or a carefully planned restructuring of the existing sharing arrangements.

Racial Stereotypes in Disney Films

Racial Stereotypes in Disney Films Henry Giroux, in his essay Animating Youth: The Disnification Of Childrens Culture, refers to Disney films as one of the primary institutions constructing childhood culture in the United States. But by the nineties, even the urban Indian child had access to the aura of innocence and wholesome adventure that Disney animated features supposedly exhibited. Fairytale adaptations such as Sleeping Beauty and Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs(1937), became immensely popular and as the 22 Billion Dollar Disney enterprise furthered its ventures, Disney films became synonymous with well loved Childrens movies, both abroad and at home. The objective of Disney films was to transport its viewers to a magical realm of enchantment and endless possibility. Disney offered a supposed alternate paradigm in which there was the promise of a Happily Ever After. It aimed at appealing to audiences young and old and hoped to find a universal market. Walt Disney once stated that Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language. And although it did reach audiences far and wide, for a young Indian girl watching The 1937 Disney adaptation of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, it gave her very little to identify with or relate to. Snow White, the first on-screen Disney Princess was rendered With lips as red as rubies and skin as fair as snow. Blatantly epitomising Western ideas of femininity and beauty, films like Snow White alienated the Non-western viewer. It was a fantasy that was centred on fixed archetypes of beauty and desirability which catered to the white, western population and had no room for anybody else. Eventually, the industry was criticised for its focus on a singular ethos and racial presentation. Thus, the last decade of the 20th century saw Walt Disney Pictures release films that were now aimed at broadening its cultural spectrum. Alladin, debuted as Disneys first attempt to explore a different cultural terrain. Released in 1992, it was later followed by other culture specific films like Mulan and Pocahontas which opened in cinemas in 1998 and 1995 respectively. Although this new brand of films hoped to establish a sense of cultural inclusivity by venturing beyond the Western World, what became clearly evident in the process, was a heavy dependence on Despite an apparent interest in spreading the knowledge of distant cultures, these films drew excessively on racial stereotypes and produced a largely distorted idea of the cultures they depicted. Elena Di Giovanni, in her essay Disney Films: Reflections of the Other and the Self, notes that Disneys selection of certain cultures which it chose to portray, was not a choice that was arbitrary and unplanned. According to Di Giovanni, the reasons for selecting these cultures can be ascribed to precise cultural and ideological strategies. The cultures depicted in these films are either conventionally considered to be somehow inferior if juxtaposed with modern Western Civilisations and to the narrating American culture in particular, as suggested by the Saudi Arabian-born scholar Ziauddin Sardar. Otherwise,they refer to prior stages of social and cultural development in comparison to the contemporary American standards. These films rely almost exclusively on conventional cultural metonymies to build the representations of the Other. In historical terms, the tradition of representing otherness through a filtered Gaze finds its roots in Western colonialism. With consolidated efforts made by the colonizers to impose their own cultural, linguistic parameters on the subjugated populations of the so-called East, moulding the image of the Other according to their own needs was a means to reinforce their own identity and supremacy. The dissemination of biased representations of non-Western cultures flourished even beyond the decades of colonial expansion, manifesting itself in various different forms, ranging from pop culture to international relations. One of the first scholars to give a sharp account of these biased cultural encounters was Edward Said in Orientalisrn(1978). Even though primarily concerned with tracing the history of the Orientalist attitude by the West in literature, Said does not fail to consider the importance of new technologies and the media in the proliferation of this unjust tradition: One aspect of the electronic, post-modern world is that there has been a reinforcement of the stereotypes by which the Orient is viewed. Television, films, and all the medias resources have forced information into more and more standardized moulds. More recently, Ziauddin Sardar has echoed similar ideas in his 1999 publication of Orientalism, a book he writes, as assort of tribute to Saids work, therefore titling it the same. The main interest of Sardars book, whose approach is even harsher than Saids, lies in his detailed reflections upon the new, modern ways by which the Orientalist attitude manifests itself and is still spreading nowadays. By way of introduction to his work, Sardar declares that even though the project of Orientalism has way passed its sell by date, it is colonizing new territories, such new territories being related to the new geographies which are shaped and controlled by contemporary means of mass cornmunication like the cinema. A whole chapter of Sardars work is devoted to Orientalism in films, where the author sets out to explore the treatment and manipulation of other cultures within the discourse of cinema, across different genres, including cartoons, and where he makes ample reference to the Americ an hegemonic control of the cinematic medium. Sardar states that otherness is generally treated as a pattern book from which strands can be taken to draw up cultural representations which serve the purpose of entertaining audiences while reinforcing, by contrast, the superiority of the narrating culture. Thus, the the commodification of culture takes place whereby visual and verbal elements belonging to a distant world are taken and made suitable for smooth reception within more powerful socio-cultural settings. Aladdin, which was based on the Arab  folktale  of  Aladdin and the magic lamp  from One Thousand and One Nights, became the most successful film of 1992, grossing over $502 million worldwide. However, almost instantly, it was met with criticism from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. The movie quite literally translated into an Orientalist fantasy. With glaringly derogatory depictions of Arab culture, and a few pointedly offensive remarks, the movie has gone down in history as one of the most controversial films. The film portrays all Arab men as street thugs, pickpockets, emasculated palace guards, beggars, sultans, or sorcerers. A male character early in the film even declares to his master upon stealing a jewel, I had to slit a few throats, but I got it. The men are short and stocky with thick lips, missing teeth, heavy, menacing brows, and hooked noses, while the hero Aladdin and heroine Jasmine look like suburban, white, U.S. teenagers.  Jasmine, though sporting dark flowing hair and with darker skin than her counterpart princesses in earlier films, still retains blue eyes. Though Jasmine must represent the Arabian heritage, the films producers seem to find it necessary to leave at least a vestige of tangibility that Western audiences can relate to. In the same vein, the character of Alladin, seems to disinherit his Arabian roots, as hes cleverly christened Al, and exhibits distinctly American mannerisms throughout the film. What one is left to ponder is whether these characters would have appealed to western audiences, had they not been endowed with these traits? And if so, why? Arabs are shown as gratuitously cruel, with characters making several references to beheading. One Arab merchant even tries to cut off Jasmines hand when she doesnt have money to pay for an apple she gave to a hungry boy.   Most noteworthy, however is the opening sequence of the film, which was later revised due to harsh criticism and protests. Aladdin  opens with the expository song Arabian Nights which includes the lyrics PEDDLER: Oh I come from a land From a faraway place Where the caravan camels roam Where they cut off your ear If they dont like your face Its barbaric, but hey, its home The blatantly offensive final line had to be eliminated from the home video version of the film as a consequence of the numerous protests the Disney Company received after international release. However, all the other subtle and indirect hints at the American cultures position of supremacy over the narrated Other, which is deliberately kept ambiguous and undefined in historical-geographical terms, remain untouched, and continue to carefully shape the viewers perception. One of these subtle instances in the movie can be seen in the same opening sequence. The first words which are uttered by the peddler contain an unmistakable, conventional reference to the culture portrayed: PEDDLER: Ah, Salaam and good evening to you worthy friends. The worldwide-known Arabic greeting is, however, immediately followed by good evening, as if to compensate even for the faintest sense of estrangement the viewer might feel upon hearing salaam. Orientalist preconceptions find their way into the Disney adaptation of the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan. Walt Disney Pictures released Mulan in June, 1998 and it was the thirty sixth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics. Mulan, which was once again infused with orientalist imagining of culture, uses a host of long-established, worldwide-known stereotypes on the visual as well as verbal levels. As Elina Di Giovanni points out, cultural metonymies are very often related to specific domains such as food, which provides universally identifiable socio-cultural references and ensures easy, if strongly stereotyped identification of different nations and peoples. In the case of verbal stereotypes, references to other cultures clichà ©d words and expressions tend to draw from common categories such as greetings, exclamations and titles. Greetings and exclamations, though not necessarily connected to the stereotyping of cultures, can nonetheless be frequently used to support cultural representations as they ensure simple and immediate identification. In the opening sequence of Mulan, the 1998 film which portrays the Chinese culture at the time of the invasions by the Huns, the visual and verbal cultural stereotypes employed do not contain any derogatory reference, but they are equally highly conventional. An instance of this can be seen in the portrayal and dialogue of the emperor of China who, incidentally, is always shown with the image of a golden dragon at his back to address his army generals in a situation of emergency. He is shown to exhibit a typical trait which is often associated with the Chinese culture, using words of wisdom to describe the fate of his country: EMPEROR: single grain of rice can tip the scale Moreover, one can note that the reference to the most popular element of the Chinese culinary tradition does not appear by coincidence in the emperors line. The shot which immediately follows features a large bowl of rice in the foreground with a pair of chopsticks lazily picking at the rice. This image is used in the film to introduce the protagonist herself, who will be very slowly revealed to the audience starting from her hand holding the chopsticks. But even more noteworthy, is that fact that the bowl of rice which alluded to in the beginning by the Emperor, and used in the introducing of the protagonist, Mulan is then later appropriated to serve American cultural interests by replacing the contents of the bowl(rice), with porridge and rashers of bacon and fried eggs, which make up Mulans breakfast. The bowl which contained rice in the opening scene has been deprived of its typical, if also highly conventional, Chinese content to be replaced by what looks more familiar to the American viewers, although totally remote from the eating habits of Chinese soldiers. Moving from visual to verbal examples, the use of language is an obvious vehicle for further consolidating the presence of American culture. It is worth pointing out that all the main characters in the films, although belonging to distant and exotic worlds, speak with perfect American accents. Moreover, they are very often characterized by the use of non-standard, colloquial or regional varieties of American English. This is the case of the dragon Mushu in Mulan, whose dialogue is generously punctuated with contemporary, informal American expressions. Similarly, in Aladdin, the most striking, informal and modem use of Ameriean English is to be found in the lines uttered by the genie of the lamp, appearing in different guises and often mimicking famous American personalities. His lines are filled with colloquial expressions as well as references to the contemporary American world. Pocahontas, which opened in cinemas in the year 1995, presented a thoroughly revised picture of a historical figure, appropriated suitably to appeal to western audiences. Modelled on the historical Native American figure ,Matoaka, who is more popularly known by the nickname Pocahontas, the film revamps and restructures the story of Pocahontas and showcases it as a tale where a culture under siege by British Colonialism, ends up being rescued by the White Messiah. The film clearly distorts historical facts and produces a tale that is made palatable to western audiences, with the White Settler rescuing the native tribe from a terrible fate, which, interestingly enough, would have been executed by his fellow men. The movie Pocahontas deviates from the true historical story in many ways. The most significant deviation is Pocahontas age and the nature of her relationship with John Smith. In the movie, Pocahontas is portrayed as a twenty year old woman who falls in love with John Smith, and he with her. From what we know of the historical record, she [Pocahontas] was a child when they met, probably between 12 and 14, and Smith was about 27, states Thomasina Jordan, the head of the Virginia Council on Indians, and herself a Wampanoag Native-American. However, it is not just her age that has been altered in the film version. Even her physical appearance is rendered far from factual. The on-screen Pocahontas is designed to be a tall, attractive figure, with dark, flowing hair and sharp features. This depiction in the film has been clearly designed to cater to the male fantasy of the young, exotic woman. Moulded from the Orientalist perspective, she is seen as the enigmatic princess, who captivates the young John Smith with her gentle spirit and exotic beauty. Moreover, the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas, was that of a young girl and an older man. The relationship that the two share in the movie is entirely fictitious and completely inaccurate. Another deviation is John Smiths attitude towards the Native Americans. In the movie, Smith defends the Native-Americans, and dons the mantle of the White Messiah. Abandoning his fellow men, Smith advocates the legitimate right of the natives to possess their own land. He states that the British are the intruders and have no authority to colonise and usurp the land of the natives. This heroism, is however absent in factual accounts of the story. In reality, Smith believed that the English had a right to the land and he was not an advocate for the Native-Americans. Disney also distorts the facts about Governor James Ratcliffe. In the movie they portray him as a villainous character. At the end of the movie he tries to shoot Chief Powatan, but shoots John Smith instead. After he does this, his own men make him a prisoner and send him back to England. However, this is not confirmed in the historical account. Thus, it is evident, that even through Disneys attempt to create a more panoramic view of Society and the world, by retelling tales rooted in different socio-cultutal contexts, it is unable to rid itself of omniscient Western ideals which dictate the ways in which Non-western cultures are received. The non-western cultures can only be understood when either juxtaposed with western traditions or appropriated to appeal to a western audience. The appeal of a non-white prince must be countered with distinctly Americanised mannerisms. Tales from the East seem only to be tangible if they propagate long standing stereotypes and reinforce Orientalist preconceptions. While Disney paints portraits of cultural landscapes and attempts to traverse into the world of The Other, the question remains as to whether it is possible for the West to tell tales of a Non-White civilisation, without all the trappings of stereotypes and exoticism. Can a Media Giant like Disney truly showcase different cultures, without insinuating Western Supremacy over them all? Can they truly paint with all the colours of The Wind? Zoya Parvin Roll No. 19 III A

Green peace :: essays research papers

We interviewed Andra Zommers from Greenpeace. The questions we asked were as follows: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is Greenpeace? 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How is Greenpeace run/structured? 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why did you get involved in the environment? (Your motivation) 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why Greenpeace? 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In your opinion, where is the greatest concern? 6)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is there any Spiritual emphasis Greenpeace has or that you personally have? 7)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is Greenpeace’s vision for the future? 8)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What gives you hope? Taken from www.greenpeace.ca: â€Å"Greenpeace is an independently funded organization that works to protect the environment. We challenge government and industry to halt harmful practices by negotiating solutions, conducting scientific research, introducing clean alternatives, carrying out peaceful acts of civil disobedience and educating and engaging the public. Greenpeace seeks to:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Protect biodiversity in all its forms;  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prevent pollution of the earth’s oceans, land, air and fresh water;  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  End all nuclear threats;  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Promote peace, global disarmament and non-violence.† It is a global campaigning organization founded in 1971 and contains offices in 27 countries worldwide. They place a high emphasis on non-violent confrontational methods in the hope to raise education and awareness. This is often the motivation behind protests. They do this through lobbying, campaigns, boycotts, discussions and interviews. Their focus audience is the consumer. They hope to inform the consumer to change economic stance to support only companies concerned with the environment. Theoretically, the change in money flow should affect large companies approaches to the environment. Greenpeace is independently run in each country. Greenpeace Canada contains 7 board of director members (Peter Bleyer, Varda Burstyn, John Doherty (chair), John Foster, Karen Wristen) that determine priorities and the annual budget. The Executive Director, Peter Tabuns, handles day-to-day management. It is run solely on public donations and does not accept company of government funding in order to stay independent. Most of the money stays local. Their head office is located at 1726 Commercial Drive in Vancouver. Andra credits her motivation towards the environment largely to the location of her upbringing. The claims that the in-your-face beauty of British Columbia, with its mountains, lakes, rivers, forests and ocean, one cannot help but be drawn and connected by it. This, accompanied by the in-your-face destruction of the environment and abuse evidently seen in British Columbia, one cannot help but also be involved with saving the thing you are so closely connected to. She also expressed much concern with the power corporation seem to have over our lives and her personal desire to educate people and see them change for the better drives her to continue in the field.

My Summer Vacation Essay

The dream summer vacation of every person only comes once in a lifetime. In the summer of 2014 i had just completed my first year of college and my parents wanted to take me some where I’ll always remember for my profound work. I had no clue of what their intentions were or what to even expect from them. My parents had invited just about all of our closes relatives and family friends to come along and celebrate the occasion with us. Majority of those that came brought gifts and money to encourage me to do well. Of course this made me the most thrilled person in the world, because I not only had family and friends over to celebrate but they also spent the night over for the trip my parents had put together to take us on. The following morning my Father woke everyone up at 2oclock in the morning to get situated and hit the road for the airport by 3oclock. How ironic they had everything planned out from the bathroom time to the seating in the vehicles. But yet each and every time I pampered the question in their heads as to where we were going they never answered me. Anxious to know I was, so i began thinking of all the possibilities of the places they’d consider going. I began to get drowsy from how early I woke up and all the curiosity running through my veins. After getting to the airport at 4oclock our flight finally left at 6:45am and we arrived at our destination into Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We collected our bags and was on our journey once again this time it had felt as if we had been driving forever. I had woken up to screams and shouting from almost everyone around me, yet I still had no clue as to what was going on. As my dad was trying to find a parking spot I started to look out the window in search of any clues that could help me figure out where exactly we were. Once we pasted the entrance my eyes blew up when I saw the words Carnival Cruise Lines. After seeing all the commercials with all the festivities that occur, all the famous people that appear in person, the amazing games and family activities, the theatre and food that was on board, this was indeed the place I would give the world to go to. When asked by my parents how I liked my gift, I became lost for words and could only smile for how happy and filed with joy I was.

The Landlady Essay

The Landlady Essay The landlady; is she a normal bath B&B owner or a psychotic, sinister, visitor stuffing murderer? The Landlady seems from her physical appearance a sweet, middle aged woman who lives alone running her B&B. â€Å"She seemed terribly nice. † These are the inner thoughts of Billy Weaver, when he first meets the Landlady. Roald Dahl is a very good and clever author, and he uses a clever method to make us feel so suspicious of the Landlady, he contradicts himself when he describes the Landlady and when Billy describes her. He gives her a sinister edge, â€Å"He pressed the bell- and out she popped!It made him jump. † But when billy is thinking about the landlady we can clearly see that in his opinions she is just a sweetheart. â€Å"After all, she not only was harmless—there was no question about that—but she was also quite obviously a kind and generous soul. † On the other hand, Roald Dahl makes us very suspicious of the Landlady, mak ing her say creepy and sinister things all the time, but unfortunately for Billy he doesn’t pick on them. â€Å"There wasn’t a blemish on his body† The main thing he uses is the landlady’s dialogue; it really alerts the reader to the evil lurking within her.One of my favourite things that Roald Dahl does is make the Landlady seem very secure in what she is assaying once she has drunk the tea. Like the remarks about the people in the house. Before he had sipped the tea, she says; â€Å"We have it all to ourselves† But when she knows he has had the poison in the tea she says things like; â€Å"But my dear boy, he never left. He’s [Mr Mulholland is] still here. Mr Temple is also here. They’re on the fourth floor, both of them together. † Another thing I like is the interrupting when Billy is so close to finding out the truth. â€Å"Now wait a minute,† he said. Wait just a minute. Mulholland . . . Christopher Mulholland . . . wasn’t that the name of the Eton schoolboy who was on a walking tour through the West Country, and then all of a sudden . . . † â€Å"Milk? † she said. â€Å"And sugar? † â€Å"Yes, please. And then all of a sudden . . . † â€Å"Eton schoolboy? † she said. â€Å"Oh no, my dear, that can’t possibly be right, because my Mr Mulholland was certainly not an Eton schoolboy when he came to me. † The Landlady is a great book and I really enjoyed reading it because it has this rather dark and sinister edge that I look for in all the books I read.

Learning Styles Essay

Learning has been going on since the beginning of human kind and is still going on in today’s world. While in the beginning they did not study how they learned they still accomplished many things. Now we study how we learn so that we can hopefully learn more efficiently to accomplish things beyond our wildest dreams. Today I took to learning style quizzes in hopes of learning more about my personal learning styles so that I may improve myself. Today in this essay we will explore learning styles that equate with a preferred bodily sense through which one receives information. The three that are the most popular and explored are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Gaining knowledge about things that connect to the real world that we walk in everyday is of great interest to me. In saying that, I chose to pursue a degree in Public Health, because it something I see every day and became very intrigued by. My chose to obtain a degree also came out of wanting to better myself and the people around me. A very important reason that I wanted to acquire my degree is so that I could be more financially capable to providing a comfortable life for my family. Finishing a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health would also give me a great deal of pride in myself. The two quizzes that I took today were the Felder and Soloman Quiz and the Learning Styles Quiz. They both gave me some good insight to how I learn and suggestions to help me learn more efficiently in any leaning environment. The results from the Felder and Soloman quiz showed me that I was reflective, sensing, verbal, and sequential which seemed to very accurate (Felder & Soloman, n. d. ). As a reflective learner I prefer to think it through quietly, working alone, and taking notes while listening to lectures (Felder & Soloman, n.d. ). Being a Sensor tells me that I tend to enjoy learning about facts to the real world, solving problems with well-established methods, and I am patient with details (Felder & Soloman, n. d. ). Verbal learning is something I have always enjoyed I just get more out of words–written and spoken explanations (Felder & Soloman, n. d. ). Writing out or seeing steps in my head while trying to process information points to sequential learning where the learner tends to follow logical stepwise paths in finding solutions (Felder & Soloman, n. d. ). The learning styles quiz focused on visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning styles which made it very straightforward. After taking this quiz the results showed me to be more of an auditory learner with sixty-four percent. As far as visual and kinesthetic learning both of the percentages were at eighteen percent so I definitely lean towards one method. As an auditory learner you prefer to learn by listening and often recall the words you’ve heard in your mind (Penn State, 2010). This quiz brought to my attention that while taking a written test, I am slow because of speaking to myself as you read (Penn State, 2010). The results of the quizzes that I took were very enlightening to me since I was of the belief that I really did not lean towards one learning style. Felder and Solomans’ quiz was the best out of the two that I experienced today because it was so full of information. I especially like that it gives you helpful tips on how to learn better with the learning styles that you have. Taking the quizzes today helped me better understand my learning style which I know will help me down the line while trying to learn anything. Basically what this essay boils down to is everyone has different ways of learning whether it is auditory, sensing or reflective. Knowing how I learn can be a very helpful tool in my success to completely my degree. Taking a quiz to learn about my learning style proved to be very insightful into my tactics taken while studying. In the end knowledge is power and knowing how to pour it into your mind with understanding is priceless. References: http://www. engr. ncsu. edu/learningstyles/ilsweb. html http://www. howtolearn. com/learning-styles-quiz.

Leadership and Julius Caesar - 1488 Words

As Warren Bennis, Founding Chairman of The Leadership Institute at the University of Southern California, once said, â€Å"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.† This can be interpreted to mean that one can be classified as a leader if he or she can put a plan into action. A leader is often like a visionary, and forward thinkers are needed in society. A visionary has a vivid imagination who makes dreams come true. They provide a backbone in society, helping to plan what is to come in the future that would be most beneficial. Without a leader that has the qualities of a visionary, no civilization has a bright future. Julius Caesar, Roman general-turned-ruler, was a historical visionary who fit Warren Bennis’ description of a leader. Possibly one of the most well-known Roman figures, Caesar extensively pushed Rome to one of its best eras, despite Caesar himself having a bit of a dark side. Even though Caesar seized power in the Roman Empire and name d himself â€Å"Dictator For Life,† Julius Caesar was a great leader. He helped to expand the empire into France, as well as glorifying Rome through architectural projects and reforms. Overall, ? Julius Caesar’s exceptional leadership skills begin with his victories in the Gallic Wars. The Gallic Wars were battles in Gaul with Caesar and his men fighting various rebelling Gallic tribes. These Gallic rebellions were caused by a population boom within the tribes of Gaul, causing them to leak into Roman territory (GallicShow MoreRelatedJulius Caesar And Roman Leadership1877 Words   |  8 PagesIn this paper I will compare and contrast four Roman leaders and their leadership styles. Caesar in my opinion was the worst being a dictator, and ultimately bringing Rome to its demise, Whereas Numa brought great prosperity to Rome for many years. I will compare these four leader’s military leadership, civil leadership and their ethics. Julius Caesar was born in a time of great political strife and conflict in Rome. Caesar studied outside of Rome for years before gaining power. He lived in theRead MoreJulius Caesar s Leadership Skills1893 Words   |  8 PagesGonzales English 4 Ms. Robinson June 5, 2015 Julius Caesar Et tu, Brute? were Julius Caesar s last words after being assassinated at his own senate. Of a well-known family, Gauis Julius Caesar was born on the 12th of 100BCE. He may have obtained his leadership skills at a very early age due to the fact that he derived from a political family. When Caesar s father died, he became the head of the family. 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Many other countries have modeled their ethics and used them as their own to better themselves as a whole. Without these two men, our world would not be the same in just about every way. Although these two men were both great, one of them was better than the other. Although Julius Caesar was a dominant leader, Augustus Caesar was certainly the better leader. Julius Caesar was said to be a greatRead MoreHsc Essay Mod C Julius Caesar1419 Words   |  6 Pagesrepresented. In various texts such as Shakespeare’s â€Å"Julius Caesar† and Leunig’s cartoon â€Å"Yet another picture with the wrong caption†, the composers bias is evident even though conflicting perspectives towards the personality are presented. Although conflicting perspectives are present in Shakespeare’s â€Å"Julius Caesar†, the composers bias is still evident. Shakespeare’s â€Å"Julius Caesar† is a play which reflected the anxiety of England over succession of leadership. 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These leaders have shared powerful leadership skills which has resulted in fame and marked them as great in their field of expertise. All societies have been obsessed with fame. Modern society is obsessed with celebrity culture, but this is not unique to western society in the 20 first century, ancient society also had celebrity culture. One significant leader of this time period was a man named Gaius Julius Caesar, who became one of the most famous Romans of all time. Caesar’sRead MoreJulius Caesar Language Analysis745 Words   |  3 Pages use language as a means to have some sort of leadership position, whether it’d be for good or bad reasons, and whether they’re speaking and using language in a good or bad way. The play Julius Caesar starts off with a Roman gathering of the citizens to celebrate the return from the war. On the way, Caesar is stopped by a mysterious man who warns him of â€Å"the ides of March† or the middle of March. Cassius and Brutus are doubting that the power Caesar holds would be for good use, so they plan against

Negative Externalities And The Effect On The Perception Of...

Introduction Telling the reader what the essay is about and a brief overview of the different components of the essay. This part is critical to capture the interest of the reader. This paper will cover what falls under the general category of externalities, an externality arises when a person engages in an activity that influences the well-being of a bystander but neither pays nor receives compensation for that effect. If the impact on the bystander is contrary, it is called a negative externality, on the other hand, if it is beneficial, it is called a positive externality. I will explain how microeconomic tools and materials we have covered this semester apply towards externalities and then follow on to its historical analysis. Then I will take it back to the role of the government with externalities which will then lead to how externalities are relevant in my daily life as a student at Cal State Dominguez Hills and why it is important to my readers to understand why. Society’s interest i n a market result ranges beyond the well-being of buyers and sellers who contribute in the market. The market equilibrium is not effective when there are externalities because buyers and sellers neglect the outside effects of their actions when determining how much to demand or supply. That is to say, the equilibrium fails to exploit the total benefit to society as a whole. Descriptive Section Apply microeconomic tools and materials discussed in class to help the reader understand the