Tuesday, August 6, 2019

In my project I am using three tables Essay Example for Free

In my project I am using three tables Essay Calculate Date Due Back   Scroll through on the stock table to the desired item   The hire table displays all of that item and status etc   Change the status from available to on loan (L), select customer ID from the lookup and enter Date out   Click Calculate Date Due Back button to calculate date due back Validation And Verification I will use validation in my tables, e. g. length check for phone number, and the presence check for stock number. I eliminate a lot of the need for validation with lookup functions for example title in customer table, and item ID in hire table. This helps to avoid unnecessary mistakes, and prevents unneeded duplication. Testing I will now show hard copies of the database to prove that it is working correctly. This is the Customer Table The lookup function shows what a patient currently has on loan. Miss Russell currently has two junior crutches, a junior neck brace and a junior wheelchair which are due back on 23/02/2003 and 13/02/03 for the junior wheelchair. The wheelchair is currently overdue, and my overdue query will show this. Miss Russells other items are due to be returned within the week, so they should be on the Due This Week query, I will show a printout to prove my project is working correctly. The stock information query below shows that the junior wheelchair, stock #1 is in Miss Russells possession. I will now show that Miss Russell has returned the wheelchair, however it needs repaired, and Miss Russell requires a replacement. I will change the settings on the Stock Hire Linked table, and click the calculate Date Due Button These changes now appear in my tables and my weekly stock report. I will also show how I can add new items and customers. I will add a Mr Wilson, living in Gall Street, and in ward 5. This also shows my phone number validation, as I have purposely entered 11 numbers instead of 12.

Monday, August 5, 2019

Macbeth Concept Of Imagination Philosophy Essay

Macbeth Concept Of Imagination Philosophy Essay Macbeth is the best example of Shakespeares use of imagination. Macbeth becomes very obsessed with an idea of becoming king and his imagination leads him to do horrible things. The purpose of this paper is to show how powerful Macbeths imagination was and how it served him. To successfully examine the concept of imagination in Macbeth it was necessary to read Macbeth itself, Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human by Harold Bloom and O Sekspirovim tragedijama by Shahab Yar Khan. Also, diverse critics gave their input on this theme which was helpful in finalizing this research. ( Ian Johnston 1999, Henry Neill Paul 1938) Results show that Macbeth has freely chosen to embrace evil in his imagination. He has not resisted the impulse to imagine himself as a king. It is quite clear that Macbeths ambition and commitment to his evil desires led him to brutally kill all those who he sees as a threat. Introduction Shakespeare has for the centuries thrilled most of the readers and spectators around the world. His works have been studied in many countries, thus making him hailed as the worlds greatest writer ever. Someone once said that the man, who has no imagination, has no wings. We are all aware of that. The imagination runs the show. We cant accept the modern literature without it. Shakespeare used it very often and with so much excellence that he brought it to the perfection. Macbeth is the best example of Shakespeares use of imagination Harold Bloom says that Macbeth himself can be called the unluckiest of all Shakespearean protagonists because he is the most imaginative. His power of fantasy is so enormous that pragmatically it seems to be Shakespeares own. (Bloom, 1998, p.516) The universal reaction to Macbeth is that we identify with him, or at least with his imagination. Shakespeare describes various types of symbolism and imagery that leads to the downfall of the main protagonist, Macbeth. The showings of darkness represent its evil and tragic moments. Blood symbolizes murder and guilt. The symbol of clothing is particularly used to suggest the hiding of the real faces and true itself and it is also widely used in order to achieve the general theme of evil. There are also Biblical references, witchcrafts, ghosts and many other imagery tools which made the story even more phantasmagoric. Concept of Imagination When we speak of imagination the first thing that comes up to our mind is something unnatural; something beyond our concept of reality. Imagination is a long lasting phenomenon. It has roots in mythology. Many people had spoken about it and gave their definitions. They can all be put in one: it is the formation of a mental image of something that is neither perceived as real nor present to the senses. The witchcraft in Macbeth, though pervasive, cannot alter material events, yet hallucination can and does. The rough magic in Macbeth is wholly Shakespeares; he indulges his own imagination as never before, seeking to find its moral limits (if any). I do suggest that Macbeth represents Shakespeare, in any of the complex ways that Falstaff and Hamlet may represent certain inner aspects of the playwright. But in the Renaissance sense of imagination (which is not ours), Macbeth may well be the emblem of that faculty of Shakespeare, a faculty that must have frightened Shakespeare and ought to terrify us, when we read or attend Macbeth, for the play depends upon its horror and its own imaginings. Imagination 9 or fancy) is an equivocal matter for Shakespeare and his era, where it meant both poetic furor, as a kind of substitute for divine inspiration, and a gap torn in reality, almost a punishment for the displacement of the sacred into the secular. All of us posses, to one degree or anot her, a proleptic imagination; in Macbeth, it is absolute. Macbeth terrifies us partly because that aspect of our own imagination is so frightening; it seems to make us murderers, thieves, usurpers and rapists. (Bloom, 1998, p.516) In the Act I Macbeth is already introduced with extraordinary nature of his imagination: This supernatural soliciting Cannot be ill; cannot be good: If ill, why hath it given me earnest of success, Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor: If good, why do I yield to that suggestion Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair, And make my seated heart knock at my ribs, Against the use of nature? Present fears Are less than horrible imaginings. My thought, whose murther yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man That function is smotherd in surmise, And nothing is, but what is not. According to Harold Bloom, my single state of man plays upon several meanings of single: unitary, isolated, vulnerable. The phantasmagoria of murdering Duncan is so vivid that nothing is, but what is not, and function, the mind, is smoothered by surmise, fantasy. Macbeth speaks to himself in a kind of trance, halfway between trauma and second sight. An involuntary visionary of horror, he sees what certainly is going to happen, while still knowing this murder to be but fantastical. His tribute to his own horrible imaginings is absolute: the implication is that his will is irrelevant. (Bloom, 1998, p.536) The Witches The witches interactions with Macbeth play a vital role in his thinking about his own life, before and after the murder of Duncan. Macbeth and Banquo recognize them as something supernatural, part of landscape, but not fully human. They have malicious intentions and prophetic powers. They do nothing other than talk and offer visions. They are not involved in any action, yet they are important symbols in the play. They are essential manifestations of the moral atmosphere of Macbeths world, just like the ghost in Hamlet. Macbeth so foresees an event that it seems to have happened already before it actually takes place. He is not aware of his ambition before he sees himself having performed the bloody crimes that fulfill his ambition. The witches exist to delusion people, to challenge their faith in themselves and the society. Professor Khan thinks that Macbeths evil-inner of himself attracts the witches: One namjerno Ä ekaju Macbetha i Banqua kao Ã…Â ¡to zlo Ä eka ljude. MeÄ‘utim, one Ä ovjeku ne predlaÃ…Â ¾u zlo: one radije spomenu object koji bi mogoao pokrenuti Ä ovjekovo vlastito naginjanje zlu, a u ovom sluÄ aju one to rade preko proroÄ anstva. Dobar Ä ovjek kao Ã…Â ¡to je Banquo, moÃ…Â ¾e se oduprijeti njihovom pozivu, jer on u sebi ima milost BoÃ…Â ¾ju, kao i trag prvog grijeha. (Khan, 2008, p.35) Unlike Macbeth, Banquo doesnt let his desires outweigh his moral caution. His response to the witches is different: But tis strange, And oftentimes to win us to our harm The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles to betrays In deepest consequences Macbeth cannot act on his awareness because his desires, kept alive by his imagination, are constantly mixed with his moral sensibilities. A part of Macbeth is fascinated with the possibility of being king. Its not entirely clear where this desire comes from. The witches put the suggestion into the play, but there is a strong hint from his wife that two of them have already talked about well before the play begins: What beast was t, then, That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man In that case, the appearance of the witches may be a response to Macbeths desires. He has not exactly invited them, but they are responding to his innermost imaginative desires. They dont tell him what to do; they dont say anything about killing Duncan. The witches cannot be responsible for Macbeths actions. His actions are not controlled by the witches. He is always free to choose how he is going to act. Hence, we can say that these witches are there to constantly remind us of the potential for evil in the human imagination. Blood Blood is everywhere in Macbeth, beginning with the opening battle between the Scots and the Norwegian invaders, which is described in harrowing terms by the wounded captain in Act 1, scene 2. Bloom in his Invention of human argues that of all Shakespeares plays, Macbeth is most a tragedy o blood, not just in its murders but in the ultimate implications of Macbeths imagination itself being bloody. Macbeths phantasmagoria of blood is constantly there: blood is the prime constituent of his imagination. (Bloom, 1998, p.520) Once Macbeth and Lady Macbeth embark upon their murderous journey, blood comes to symbolize their guilt, and they begin to feel that their crimes have stained them in a way that cannot be washed clean. Will all great Neptunes ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? Macbeth cries after he has killed Duncan, even as his wife scolds him and says that a little water will do the job. Later, though, she comes to share his horrified sense of being stained: Out, damned spot; out, I say . . . who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him? she asks as she wanders through the halls of their castle near the close of the play. Blood symbolizes the guilt that sits like a permanent stain on the consciences of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, one that hounds them to their graves. (http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/themes.html) Professor Khan discusses the sight of blood and its color in his book: Ono Ã…Â ¡to viÃ…Â ¡e upada u oÄ i od boja svjetla i vatre, jeste boja krvi. I zaista, prizor krvi nam se konstantno natura, ne samo pukim sluÄ ajem, nego punim opisom i Ä ak ponavljanjem rijeÄ i u neoÄ ekivanim dijelovima dijaloga. (Khan, 2008, p.25) Dagger scene After discussing the crime he is about to commit with Lady Macbeth, Macbeth decided to go through with the terrible feat. He is sitting alone, waiting for some signal which would approve his evil act. The focus of this soliloquy, the invisible dagger, is one of first evidences of Macbeths powerful imagination; an imagination, which would later be the main reason for his lunacy, and in the very end, his downfall: Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressà ¨d brain? I see thee yet, in form as palpable As this which now I draw. Thou marshallst me the way that I was going, And such an instrument I was to use. Mine eyes are made the fools o th other senses, Or else worth all the rest. I see thee still, And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before. Theres no such thing. It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes When he goes out to commit the murder, he is hallucinating the sight of a dagger leading him toward the deed, and he is filled with a sense of horror at what he is about to do. He is, it seems, in the grip of his imagination and is not serving some conscious rational decision he has made. But, in the very act of letting his imagination lead him on, he is aware that what he is doing is wrong. Its as if the dagger is pulling him toward the murder (against his will)hes following an imagined projection of his desires, rather than being pushed into the murder by some inner passion. (http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/eng366/lectures/macbeth.htm) Its important to stress the imaginative tensions in Macbeths character before the murder and to appreciate his divided nature. Thats why summing up his motivation with some quick judgment about his ambition is something one should resist. That resolves the issue too easily. Macbeth, in a sense, is tricked into murdering Duncan, but he tricks himself. That makes the launching of his evil career something much more complex than a single powerful urge which produces a clear decision. (http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/eng366/lectures/macbeth.htm) After all, one needs to notice clearly how he is filled with instant regret at what he has done. If driving ambition were all there was to it, one would think that Macbeth and his wife would not become morally confused so quickly. Macbeths entrance after the killing brings out really strongly a sense that if he could go back to the speech about the imaginary dagger, he would not carry out the murder. Lady Macbeth thinks a little water will solve their immediate problem; Macbeth knows that that is too easy. He cannot live with what he is done and remain the same person. (http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/eng366/lectures/macbeth.htm) Macbeth and Banquos ghost Encounter Another instance in which Macbeths imagination comes into play again is when he sees Banquos ghost and he begins talking to him: Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee. Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold. Thou hast no speculation in those eyes Which thou dost glare with! Macbeth and only Macbeth can see Banquos ghost. Many critics say that Banquos ghost is not real but a delusion of his evil sub-conscious and the fear and guilt that have completely overwhelmed and paralyzed him. So Shakespeare uses the appearance of Banquos ghost as a means of revealing to his readers the mental turmoil of Macbeth. We know how Macbeths reacted to Duncans murder, when he said he will never sleep again, that he is capable of guilt. The ghost is a manifestation of that, just as the dagger was a manifestation of his ambition. Conclusion Macbeths ambition is driven by a number of factors including prophecy and Lady Macbeth. The witches foretell that Macbeth will become King. Macbeth believes them and the various prophecies come true during the play. Witches appear three times, but as a fruit of Macbeths imagination. Lady Macbeth is the driving force that encourages Macbeth to overcome his strong sense of guilt and take action. Macbeths ambition soon gets out of control and forces him to murder again and again to cover up his previous crime. The last prophecy Macbeth hears from the witches is: Macbeth shall never vanquish be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill For none of woman born shall harm Macbeth. The supernatural force speaks the truth, but by obliquity and by double meaning. They have blinded Macbeth by extending his pride. The Shakespeares use of the apparition to represent the powerful evil spirits is effective to demonstrate the power of image over word. It is through the strengths of his imagination that Shakespeares characters have withstood time. They are played on every stage in the world. In the end, Shakespeares ingenious usage of themes and symbolism creates, as A. P. Rossiter calls, a play about the disintegration of the state of man, and the state he makes his. Without the witches, the ghost, the visions, and the apparitions, Macbeth would have been a dull and tiresome play.

Marketing analysis for the Allianz Group

Marketing analysis for the Allianz Group Allianz Group is a bigger company which providing insurance and financial services. Besides that, Allianz SE which is holding company of international group located in Munich. Allianz was found in Berlin. Germany in 1980 (Allianz, 2010) Allianz Group, with 152,000 employees in the worldwide, which has over 75million customers in around 70 countries. In the insurance market, Allianz is the market leader in the Germany and has strong international presence(Allianz, 2010). Allianz was a historical company which has more than 100 years. Even Germany defeat in the World War I but Allianz was slowly ventured outside Germany to European markets (Allianz, 2010) At the national socialist Nazi Germany in the era after 1993, Allianz fit in with the guidelines. After World War II, Allianz was start to rebuild post in 1945. Allianz was start to get international by spreading its activities to some country in Europe and Americas in year 1950s throughout 60s, 70s and 80s. In year 1990s, Allianz began to venture into the Asian market. (Allianz, 2010). Allianz Group also expanded its asset management business. Today, Allianz Group is one of the worlds leading financial service providers (Allianz, 2010). The mission of Allianz The mission of Allianz is to achieve sustainable growth of our competitive strength and values. In order to achieve this mission, they implemented a series of measures which characterize as 3+one program. They have an overall 3+1 program: Protecting and enhancing the capital base. Substantially strengthening the operating profitability. Reducing complexity. +One: Increase sustainable competitiveness and value. The organization structure of Allianz Board of Management Supervisory Board International Executive Committee International Advisory Board and Joint Advisory Council Employees The organization culture of Allianz Allianz Group culture combines German characteristic and international flair. In Munich, a lot of language will be using by the people when they talking to each other such as French, German, English, Italian, Chinese and etc. However Allianz values local cultures and markets situation does not dictate a one size all fit solution for the individual location. That why Allianz has defined a strategy framework to guiding standards. So that Allianz Group in the worldwide can adopt the cultural and business requirement to specific regions (Allianz, 2010) The macro environment analysis PEST analysis is concerned with the environmental influences on a business. PEST is stand for Political, Economic, Social, and Technological factors of the external macro environment. Political factors often look at the government policies. The economic factors relate to changes in the wider economy. Social factors is relating to the cultural aspects. The technological factors relate to the application of new inventions and ideas. It is an important tool to understanding risks associated with market growth or decline, and as such the position, potential and direction for a business or organization (Thompson, 2002). Following are the different factors affecting the Allianz insurance in UK. Political Some of these factors had a good impact to the travel, car and home insurance in the UK. The government travelers awareness campaign has brought awareness to the public about the dangers of traveling uninsured highlighting the expensive costs of medical treatments abroad. The travel industry has supported and benefited from this as it increased their sales prospects. The minimum car insurance implemented by the government is third party cover. This has a very good impact on the car insurance industry as this guarantees a sale on every car in the UK and because 76% of adult in the UK have a full driving license, all of them are potential customers (Birtles, 2002). Legal General data revealed that most critical illness cover claims are made by people under 40. (Speedy, 2004) This has been good news for age dedicated home and health care insurance companies as less cover claims means less liabilities. However, according to the Bank of England, the rising tax is slowing down the consumer spending. This has badly affected the whole of the insurance industry as people had less money to spend on higher premiums or packages. Economic In todays world facing inflation, people are more work-orientated, so earning more again translating to larger disposable incomes allowing people to live comfortably take advantage of more expensive schemes in insurance such as taking fully-comprehensive cover rather than third-party (Speedy, 2004). Another economical fact is that we are currently at the boom stage of economic cycle and so people are better off. This means that as stated above people are able to live more comfortably and on a general level are better able to afford things like food, shelter, clothing and health care. This translates to fewer illnesses which mean that insurance companies have less payout to make as less people fail ill (Speedy, 2004). Another important factor to notice about the general public in a boom phase of the economic cycle is that people are more likely to pay for products in the service industry. So things that they may have refrained from due to a lack of money like health insurance will be more welcome during a period of boom so increasing revenue for insurers (Birtles, 2002). Social Nowadays, Allianz facing a lot of social problems such as increase of young driver. They choose to insure on parents cars along with saving the money to buy their own cars. Young drivers aged between 17 and 25 also have a higher chance of being in an accident so they are more costly for an insurer to cover so insurers charge more. For this reason the increase in young drivers translates into larges revenues for insurance companies due to the larger premiums. (Birtles, 2002) Besides that, todays society is the increase in the racing culture with large emphasis placed on driving faster and better looking cars. Modified cars are a cheaper alternative to buying a sports car also increasing insurance costs (Speedy, 2004) . In comparison with 30 years ago the average person earns much more today translating to larger disposable incomes. This has leading to more people being able to afford second cars and so being insured on them giving more business to insurance companies (Speedy, 2004). Technology In new era, technology is an one of the important things using by social such as internet, communication technology and so on. With this technology, Allianz can increase the sales and reduce the transaction costs. By using internet, it can changes the delivery service process. Nowadays, Allianz using internet even sells insurance policies. Internet proving to be one of the widely used distribution networks for selling insurance policies. Also internet is used for sending premium notices to policy holders through e-mails (Shinde, et al., 2008) By using internet, it can provide several convenient such as premium calculator which accurately displays the amount of premium month wise and the remaining balance. One just has to enter the age, name of the insurance policy, the sum assured and whether there is an accident cover or not. By the insurance system, the user only by keying the information, this entire them to shown the premium amount within in short time. This has helped the customer in a way so that they dont have to travel all the way to the branch to ascertain the amount of premium to be paid (Shinde, et al., 2008) The international consideration Allianz operate almost in every continent. The regions are Eastern Europe, Central Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Americas and Middle East Africa. Allianz is deeply rooted in their domestic market which is Western, Northern Southern Europe. Western Europe is the home of Allianz. (Allianz, 2010) When Allianz wants doing an international business, Allianz will consider the human resource, financial and legal requirement into particular country. Allianz start a new venture in China, financial will incurred in that China will lower than having a new venture in Europe. Furthermore Allianz can get a large human resource in China. This is because the population in China is very large. Allianz also can save cost. The wage pay to the labor is lower and produced the production in a lower cost (Allianz, 2010). When a company intend to going international, they will consider the macroeconomic that will affect in their business. Before enter to a new country or new venture. They will do a research about the external environment of that country or region first and then only decide whether to start the new venture into that country or not. While Allianz also does the something. The macro environment that consider to the company are political or legal condition, economic condition, social issue environment and technology. Those are significant to evaluate a country before doing an international business (Allianz, 2010). There are several methods of going international when a company intends to go international. The company can go international based on export based, non-equity based and equity based. For Allianz which a company just provide services, it use equity based method to going international which include joint ventures and foreign direct investment (FDI). The first company or office that Allianz venture in is in London with open a subsidiary company (Allianz, 2010). Allianz was venturing into Malaysia in year 2001. It become controlling shareholder of Allianz General Insurance Malaysia Berhad(AGIM). However, AGIM was transferred wholly owned subsidiary AGIC in year 2007. Following the completion of the transfer of general insurance business, AGIM changed its name to AMB and became an investment holding company (Allianz, 2010). Besides that, there have several issue faced by Allianz in Malaysia. Currently, Allianz facing managing climate change risk. Managing climate change risk is the biggest challenge to the Allianz facing today with several impacts on insurance industry. Over past 30years, there was a great natural catastrophes claim by the victims which increase 15fold to approx. 30 billion Euros (approximately RM120 billion). Allianz settles 40% of industrial insurance claims are due to natural catastrophes (Allianz, 2010) With managing climate change risks, Loeffler (2010) was recognize climate changes as a matter of great strategic consequence for Allianz. Allianz need to assess together with their clients by mitigate the risks. In the other hand, Allianz was adapting the impact of climate change and safeguard insurability of risk in future. In year 2007, Allianz was established a subsidiary as Allianz Climate with explicit aim to develop new products and investment trends related to climate change. As a insurance business, Allianz need to act an early warning system to help the business and let the society know and understanding about the new risks. Allianz need to prepare in several ways for effects of climate change. Providing risk coverage for emerging technologies for example plays an important role in their future development. Securing the insurability of risks is essential for economies to be able to operate (Loeffler, 2010) The growth of business In year 1957, the Ansoff Matrix was first published in the Harvard Business Review and has given a quick and simple way of thinking about growth to generations of marketers and business leaders and helps them to assess and understand business development or marketing strategy (Manktelow, 2010). Ansoffs product-market matrix explain that a business attempts to grow depend on whether it markets new or existing products in new or existing markets. Market penetration Market penetration is a growth strategy where the business focuses on selling more of the same products or services in current markets. This strategy normally try to fix or increase the revenue of current products and achieve economies of scale through more efficient distribution more efficient manufacturing, and more purchasing power (QuickMBA, 2010). Take for instance; Allianz can use advertising to promote their product or policies. Advertising is an important tool to help the company to build up the brand name. In fact, consumer will compare the products through advertising. An innovative and creative advertising is able to form a well image in the mind of the public in order to stimulate more consumers to buy the products. Besides that, Allianz can implementation other special offer promotions like Allianz can offer a variety of free health checks in different public place such as hospital, shopping complex or any fair related to healthy. Through the event, the consumers were gi ven an opportunity to purchases health product at a promotion rate. (Anon, 2010) Product development Product development is the name given to a growth strategy where a business aims to sell new products or services in current markets. This strategy often try to develop and innovation new product and sell to existing customers (QuickMBA, 2010). For example, Allianz can provide more comprehensive coverage in addition to the existing insurance plans. Like Allianz can give protection among other, medical expenses including dengue, malaria, bungee jumping, amateur sports, natural disasters, kidnappings and thefts. Because these events were became more serious in Malaysia (Allianz, 2010). Besides that, Allianz can packaging existing products it in new ways. Like when husbands buy a personal healthy policy, Allianz will offer a new package that their wife are also can get the free protection from Allianz. It is means buy an insurance policy but the beneficiary is to two persons. Diversification Diversification is the growth strategy where a company promoted new products or services in new markets. This is the most dangerous type of strategy because the business is entering into markets in which it has little or no experience. For a business to use diversification strategy, therefore, it must have a clear concept about what it expects to obtain from the strategy and an honest assessment of the risks (QuickMBA, 2010). For example, Allianz can try to launch the pets insurance policies. Nowadays, many people feel that raising children is not easy, so they prefer to concentrate on their pets. According to internet firms found that over 90% people look pets as their own children. Many people going and acting crazy in love with dogs and cats (Plano, 2007). They will provide a loving, safe, healthy home for their pets by providing assisted living, hospice, and placement assistance. Since so many people regard their pets as children, they will want to help their pets to buy an insur ance policy and protect their pets. So Allianz can be a first company to implementation this new and creative insurance plan. New venture Vietnam which is located in Asia Pacific is the best investment country. Despite the 1997 Asian economic crisis, Vietnams economy has expanded rapidly since the year 1980s Communist Party of Vietnam leaved from the communist economic policies. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (2010), Vietnams GDP growth forecast is predicted to be strong, at an average of 7.9% between 2007 and 2010. Besides that, foreign direct investment in Vietnam rise 10 percent to between $10 billion and $11 billion in 2010. Foreign Direct Investment plays an important role in the Vietnam economy (Lan, 2010). Know and predominate the necessary need in Vietnam market in this few years, VIPC Capital Management Corporation provide many services such as Non risk investment , Asset management, Portfolio Management which can give more choices for the customer to choose the financial services and financial consultant to increase the effectiveness in fund management and generating profit. With these facilitie s and benefits, Allianz can use foreign direct investment method to enter Vietnam market. Threat of new entrants Allianz should make investigation on what benefits it will get by investing in Vietnam and build a strong customer royalty and make agreement with the government if possible to prevent possible entrants of competitor. As a new entrant, Allianz should build the good brand name to the customers in Vietnam by advertising such as TV advertisement, road side banner and so on. By advertise about the company to citizen in Vietnam to let them know about this company well. However, Allianz need to know the Vietnam citizen culture such as what they like or dislike. Besides the citizen, government rules and regulation need to learn by Allianz to enter into new market such as labor law. It is very important for Allianz to learn the government rule and regulation because some of the things have banned by the government in Vietnam. In other words, it is to make it harder for potential entrants to go in by imposing barriers to new entry. Competitive rivalry This is important for Allianz to know how rivalry in the market of Vietnam as rivalry among competing firms intensifies, causing industry profits decline and can make the industry becomes inherently unattractive. Since Vietnam less of international insurance company, Allianz can take advantage to enter the Vietnam market to gain more profit from the citizen. With brand equity of Alliance, the customer will prefer more for the international company. Besides that, there have only few multinational insurance company in Vietnam but Allianz need to know how strong the brand entity of the competitors are, and also to find out the weaknesses of competitor in order to get affiliate from the domestic consumers in Vietnam. However, Allianz need continuously innovative about the company to competitive with the competitor in Vietnam to gain more profit for it. Bargaining power of buyers Buyers purchases represent a major portion of income for Allianzs total sales revenue, so Allianz must investigate how strong the bargaining power of the buyers of the host country as most of the buyers have the absolute information regarding the price and the availability for the services. Recent year, Vietnam economic has resilient. Vietnams average income per capita has reached an estimated USD 1,200 in 2010 and the country has moved from the list of poorest countries to the list of low and middle-income countries (Vietnam Business Economy News, 2010). Most of the citizens have extra money to buy insurance for their own and their family. Allianz can offer with different types of policy to the customers such in different age of stage and so on. It will attract more customers to choose what type of policy they like due to increase the profit to the company. In the other hand, Allianz should offer a special price to the customers compare to the other competitors to attract for the c ustomers switch to the Allianz insurance. After the buyers purchase the insurance, Allianz need to make good relationship with the customers to maintains the sales because buyers will make income for company profits.

Sunday, August 4, 2019

The Pioneers and Cars Essay -- American History Asians Essays

The Pioneers and Cars With the popularity of movies like The Fast and the Furious and its sequel Too Fast Too Furious, import car culture has now become mainstream. What had started out as a small subset of Southern California car culture has quickly become part of American culture. In the same way hot rodding of the 50s and muscle cars of the 60s was a cultural lifestyle of the youths of that era, the import scene is now the new car culture of our generation. Car culture runs deeply in California. Hot rodders and street racers daily cruise the streets, all started from Asian Americans' love of import cars and racing. Since most Asian Americans in the late 70s and 80s drove Japanese imports, they could not compete with the much more powerful Detroit muscle cars. This resulted in a street-racing scene consisting solely of modified imports. But a lack of aftermarket parts to make the various Toyotas Hondas and Nissans go faster meant that drivers often used nitrous oxide as the best way to compete. As the competition increased, so did the speed and danger. One Asian American who had a vision to race safely also wanted to race at the local drag strip. Unfortunately the track was only reserved for V8's, Mustangs, or Cameros. Frank Choi set out to form an imports only drag race where the track turned away all the muscle cars. His vision became what is now called the Battle of the Imports, one of the most popular drag series and the first of which was started in 1990. Today there is a professional drag racing series by the National Hot Rod Association as well as the Nopi Drag Racing Association run by an aftermarket company out of Atlanta called Nopi. Some of the best and most popular import ... ...t is known today as the import culture or import scene. It is a set of people who challenged the norms and did what couldn't be done. Nobody thought a front wheel drive car could do the quarter mile in 11 seconds, 10 seconds, 9 seconds and then, 8 seconds. Today front wheel drive drag cars can do 8 second passes. I look to them for inspiration for what I would like my car to be in the future. I hope that I can achieve as much as they have done as the underdog, as an entrepreneur, and doing what they most loved. In an import world dominated by Asian Americans, the scene today has no color lines. It began from Asian American culture's love for cars and wanting to race to proving you don't need a V8 to be fast. As time goes by, the industry will grow and cars will get even faster. Props to the pioneers that wouldn't be denied the chance to do what they love. The Pioneers and Cars Essay -- American History Asians Essays The Pioneers and Cars With the popularity of movies like The Fast and the Furious and its sequel Too Fast Too Furious, import car culture has now become mainstream. What had started out as a small subset of Southern California car culture has quickly become part of American culture. In the same way hot rodding of the 50s and muscle cars of the 60s was a cultural lifestyle of the youths of that era, the import scene is now the new car culture of our generation. Car culture runs deeply in California. Hot rodders and street racers daily cruise the streets, all started from Asian Americans' love of import cars and racing. Since most Asian Americans in the late 70s and 80s drove Japanese imports, they could not compete with the much more powerful Detroit muscle cars. This resulted in a street-racing scene consisting solely of modified imports. But a lack of aftermarket parts to make the various Toyotas Hondas and Nissans go faster meant that drivers often used nitrous oxide as the best way to compete. As the competition increased, so did the speed and danger. One Asian American who had a vision to race safely also wanted to race at the local drag strip. Unfortunately the track was only reserved for V8's, Mustangs, or Cameros. Frank Choi set out to form an imports only drag race where the track turned away all the muscle cars. His vision became what is now called the Battle of the Imports, one of the most popular drag series and the first of which was started in 1990. Today there is a professional drag racing series by the National Hot Rod Association as well as the Nopi Drag Racing Association run by an aftermarket company out of Atlanta called Nopi. Some of the best and most popular import ... ...t is known today as the import culture or import scene. It is a set of people who challenged the norms and did what couldn't be done. Nobody thought a front wheel drive car could do the quarter mile in 11 seconds, 10 seconds, 9 seconds and then, 8 seconds. Today front wheel drive drag cars can do 8 second passes. I look to them for inspiration for what I would like my car to be in the future. I hope that I can achieve as much as they have done as the underdog, as an entrepreneur, and doing what they most loved. In an import world dominated by Asian Americans, the scene today has no color lines. It began from Asian American culture's love for cars and wanting to race to proving you don't need a V8 to be fast. As time goes by, the industry will grow and cars will get even faster. Props to the pioneers that wouldn't be denied the chance to do what they love.

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - AIDS, Isn’t it Time We Demand Action? :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

AIDS – Isn’t it Time We Demand Action? There are 42 million people living with AIDS worldwide. 950,000 are in the United States. New cases exceed 5 million every year. More than 28 million people die from AIDS each year. Within 10 years there will be 40 million orphans in Africa due to AIDS, and more than one-third of heavily affected countries have no strategies to deal with them. AIDS is now the fourth leading cause of death globally, and the leading cause of death in Africa (â€Å"AIDS at 20†). The plague that’s killed 22 million isn’t done with us yet. While we hunt for a vaccine, people continue to die—from AIDS or the drugs intended to treat it (â€Å"AIDS at 20†). â€Å"AIDS is not only killing the sick, but also crushing the healthy. There are two kinds of people here, the infected and the affected† (Kristof, â€Å"As Millions Die†). Though there are various excuses regarding AIDS funding, political stances, and the debate of whether or not Africa is ready to receive treatment, the fact remains that AIDS cannot sit on the backburner anymore: action needs to be taken now. FUNDING First, the question of funding; the cost of drugs has been a major issue in the treatment of AIDS. The estimated spending on AIDS prevention, care, and support in low and middle income countries in 2003 is $4.7 billion, while the estimated dollars needed to address AIDS care, prevention and support in low and middle income countries is $6.5 billion in 2003 alone, with an additional $10.5 billion in 2005 and $15 billion in 2007 (Avert). In part because of those inadequate funds, many countries will not meet basic goals like rapidly expanding AIDS prevention and care expected to them by 2005. Perhaps if America wasn’t spending an extra 87 billion dollars on futile efforts in Iraq, they would have more money to spend on the dying. â€Å"If pockets had been opened earlier, millions of lives would have been saved† (â€Å"Slowly, the Virus is Being Fought†). POLITICS There are also many various political stances regarding AIDS; President Bush pledged $15 billion for AIDS in African countries and the Caribbean over the next five years. But instead of $3 billion for the first year, he backtracked to just $2 billion (Kristof, â€Å"Prudery†). And instead of using existing channels to help, Bush created a new bureaucracy.

Friday, August 2, 2019

Environmental Degradation Essay

In 1987 The United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) released a pioneering report concerning the environmental damage that is going on. Through the report, called â€Å"Our Common Future†, WCED passed a warning that soon the world would be facing intolerable levels of damage to the environment if we are not going to alter our way of living. It would also lead to the humans suffering due to it. The Commission explained that there is a pressing requirement of changing the speed as well as the trend of international economic growth so that it meets the capacity of the world. It said: â€Å"Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. † (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987: 8) After thoroughly analysing the situation it can be concluded that the environmental crisis has an impact on each of the nation in the world. However, the extent to which they are affected is different and depends on the way they consume and also their economic expansion. Just 25% of the global population consumes a very high percentage of the world’s fossil fuels and chemical goods; as high as 70% and 85% respectively. This unbalanced consumption also exists in the area of water. In the United States the per capita consumption of water goes as high as 2300m3 annually. In Canada the figure is at 1500m3 while in Britain it reaches up to 225m3. On the other hand, the developing countries have a much lower consumption, of between 20 and 40m3. The trends of usage for the forest goods plus several of the other goods comprise of a similar direct proportion to the figure of population of the 20% of the wealthiest communities. Due to such extravagant demands, a great burden is being placed on the national as well as the world’s natural resources. The other societies make up to about 80% of the population, and get less than 20% of the world capital. The consumption of these societies is much more humble. Environmental Challenge Presently, there is not enough attention, at least not in the degree that is required, being paid to the social concerns. Scientists are pointing out to the troubles that we are facing and which would make our survival difficult later on. Such troubles include warming globe, the earth’s ozone layer being depleted, the deserts consuming agricultural land. However, we are not responding to the warning in the appropriate manner; instead we ask them for further details. Initially it was thought that environmental degradation is primarily the concern of the richer countries and happens due to industrial affluence. However, now it is an issue for the developing countries as well. The very poor countries are caught in the descending coil of associated environmental and economic decline. Although there are hopes being expressed at every side, no pattern can be seen nor any kind of campaigns or rules which would console the poor and decrease the increasing gap between rich and poor countries. For the purpose of â€Å"development† we have collected weapons which can divert routes, which had been pursued since millions of years, and can form such a planet that our ancestors may not identify as being theirs. The biodiversity in the European continent is rapidly going down. Although Europe can be termed as wealthy and strong it does not seem that it has the practical ways for avoiding the decline. Birdlife International (Conservative Series 3) conducted a study and the results showed that 40% of the bird species are in an â€Å"unfavourable situation†. Since the past two decades the there has been a â€Å"substantial reduction† in one in four of Europe’s 514 bird species. It is ironic that such occurrences took place in the same years when there were the most conservative efforts made. A re-strengthening of the European legislation has taken place, there are now more nature reserves and parks, and certain species which had disappeared in the area have been reintroduced. Concerning this issue, in 2003 the European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin said: â€Å"The time has come for coordinated European action to turn the tide on environmental threats†¦ For too long, we have exploited the Mediterranean and Black Sea areas, without considering the eventual consequences of our actions. We must invest in integrated programmes of research to deliver sustainable development solutions and long-term environmental protection for the benefit of our future generations. † (Europa, 2003). In 2008, the European Commissioner for Environment Stavros Dimas publically addressed the audience at Harvard University and talked over this issue. Dimas related what the European Union’s â€Å"ambitious environmental agenda† is. This included targeting 20% decline in the consumption of energy by the year 2020. This was, internationally, the first plus the greatest emissions trading plan. According to Dimas the agenda also targeted at using more and more of sustainable and renewable resources. Along with this Dimas emphasized that it is vital for there to be global collaboration on matters like climate change, biodiversity loss, and deforestation. The western world takes Eastern Europe as the place where there are smog and toxic spills. The priority of the communist regimes had been to intensify industrialization. Even though certain environmental rules exist in many areas and they were similar to those in the Western Europe, these were hardly ever implemented. Polluted rivers, toxic waste dumps, and the terrains and cities being blackened by soot was the consequence. The environmental standards of the European Union are harsh and these have been pushing these nations for the cleaning up of their ecological destruction regions. 15 years of leniency has been given to the states that have recently joined the union. However, this leniency is only for those regions where much investment is required, for example the building of water purification schemes. Several of the areas are already showing the signs of the clean-up attempts. For instance, there is the Black Triangle in Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. This area was once of the most polluted regions globally. It supplied energy to the heating and heavy industries through the power plants which worked on coal. Due to this whole forests were destroyed. However, by 2000 there had been such a significant change due to the efforts that emissions of sulphur dioxide and solid particles were lessened by greater than 90% (Habeck, 2004). Other Challenges At the time when the terms of reference of the Commission were is discussion in 1982, some of the individuals proposed limiting the concerns to only â€Å"environmental matters†. This would not have been feasible. In fact it would be considered a major fault. The environment is not separate from our actions, determinations and requirements, and efforts to save only that and not look at other concerns would make the word â€Å"environment† a nuance of gullibility in certain political spheres. Certain others have restricted the term â€Å"development† to quite an inadequate centre, along the lines of â€Å"what poor countries should do to become richer†. Therefore, those in the global scene mechanically dismiss it as being something that the experts are to worry about, and the ones concerned with queries regarding â€Å"development assistance†. European expansion (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD], 2006) has formed a new â€Å"rural† Europe. Certain of the rural areas of Central plus the Eastern Europe are being structurally transformed (Fraser, 2005). Simultaneously, in Europe and the member nations social services are being subjected to modernisation and improvement (Kumar et al. , 2003). The researchers who are on the lookout for the construction of a dependable rural evidence base are facing confronts. They wish this to inform policy decisions and practice (European Commission [EC], 2006a; OECD, 2006). One of the challenges that they face happens to be the speed of transformation and the requirement for latest research (Commission for Rural Communities [CRC] 2006a). One more is the problem that they face to arrive at a mutual explanation of each of the two rural regions plus the social services so as to conduct a relative research in the European continent which is quite a varied region. Europe is also facing challenges in the area of labour. When the Europeans lose jobs they get upset. This may happen because of inside rivalry in the European Union or because of the international competition that they face from other continents like Asia, and also from Latin America and the United States. In those regions the European carmakers have initiated their plants. The private sector has not been forming any significant number of new jobs since as early as the 1970s, and about 20 million Europeans are not employed of which several may not be ever. Recently there was a survey held in Italy and the results showed that 38% of the participants though unemployment to be the most urgent challenge. This view was held by 58% of the respondents in France, whereas in Germany the figure was as high as 81%. The big nations that are at the centre of the euro region are languishing in the economic area but still they do not seem capable of coming to grips with the opening transformations which are required in such a planet of globalisation, spirited labour markets, and the portable capital pressures of our economies. In the situation when a European loses his job because of his firm setting up in India instead, it is probable that he would not get another job. Plus due to the reducing demographic base the liberal pension systems are being threatened. Several of the European nations are going down and are not being able to sustain their people. For example, by 2050 the population of the Italian nation would go down, from a 57 million to 45 million. By the same time greater than half of the population in Germany would be above 55 years of age. Europe requires that immigration takes place. But this happens to be a contentious means of raising the workforce, since there is a prevalent dread of a rising Muslim population. What is more important? The â€Å"environment† is the place where we live and for improving ourselves in the environment there has to be â€Å"development† taking place. That is to say that the two are indivisible. Additionally, the matters related to development should be perceived by the political chiefs as being important, as they think that their nations have achieved stability and the other countries should struggle at attaining that position. The routes that the industrialized countries take for the purpose of development are obviously indefensible. The decisions that such nations make for improvement, due to their large economic plus political authority, would greatly affect the capability of each person for the sustenance of human growth. This would not be just for them but also for the further generations ahead. Several of the important survival matters concern unbalanced expansion, poverty and population growth. All of these issues extraordinarily pressurize the world’s lands, waters, green areas, plus also other natural resources, not least in the developing nations. Chances and resources are wasted through the downward spiral of paucity and ecological deterioration. Especially it is wasting the human resources. Such associations between paucity, inequity, and ecological deterioration created a significant matter in the assessment and recommendations. There is a requirement of a new period of economic expansion. This expansion has to be powerful but also socially and environmentally sustainable. â€Å"The search for a demanding dynamic balance between economic prosperity, environmental responsibility and social safety is certainly the essential civilizational, and consequently also political, task of the first half of the 21st century† (Plut, 2000: 149). The geopolitical part and situation of Europe had been altered drastically since the past some decades. Being the backing for the European continent, the EU reacted in two methods to the market-, technology- and information-related confrontations of globalisation and the macro regional rivalry with the United States and Japan: with development and nearer interrelation. Nevertheless, the fact that whether the nonexistence of a wide-spread domestic marketplace had been the chief cause of a low level of rivalry of the international firms in the European continent is arguable. In the 1990s an even European Union market had been set up and this allowed for a more essential development of a shared policy also regarding the environment, transport, and communication network. In several ways the expansion of environment rules can possibly be recognized with a past of democratization of the European Union. The EU nations accepted the Amsterdam Treaty in the June of 1997 and its environment related content was influenced a lot due to the deepened political pressures plus also good structured agendas of non-governmental environmental groups and green political parties. Because of the several past environmental pressures in the AC10, the procedure of their modification to the environmental legislation of the EU15 may seem to be extremely challenging, enduring, and due to their reduced item quality and social disaster, in all probability also politically conflictnous. For the purpose of the incorporation into the European Union and also for the modification of the ecological legislation there would be a requirement of capital and this may turn out to be a great burden. The EU15 and the AC10 nations have similar environmental objectives. However, their initial situations, the time, and the means of change are far from identical. AC10 faced economic and social disasters in the beginning of transition and because of this there is no worry for the environment among them both; the people and the government. In 2000, the AC10 had just started developing environmental action programmes and also incorporating the European Union environmental principles into their legislations. Before the EU environmental policy and rules can be adopted completely, there is an anticipation of a longer modification era. There is an anticipation of this era especially in the area of transport, energy sector and agriculture (European Environment Agency, 1999). There are fears of AC10 repeating the mistakes, that the EU nations committed in the 1970s, in the probable era of heavy economic expansion between the years 2000 and 2010 (2015) (Plut, 2000). Conclusion Because of the deterioration of the environment the public health is being affected drastically and it is also leading to social inequity. For the meantime, the economically strong countries who are the causing it escape efficient management by the public. Under the new-liberal stick, environmental, communal and autonomous matters have previously not appeared to be so nearly connected. The effects happening due to the destruction of the environment have affected the developed nations along with the third world nations lately. Such effects have been in, for instance, the health. According to recent studies, hundreds of deaths taking place annually in the major European cities are due to the air pollution which happens because of the too much vehicle traffic. Several others have to undergo chronic asthma, this too for the same reason. Similarly, a large number the young people are suffering from leukaemia. These are the ones who live near waste recycling and storage centre near the Hague, Holland. Industrial pollution is also affecting the babies and infants and they are going to endure it throughout their lives, not only medically but also socially. Water resources are going down, so much so that there is a danger of scarcity. Whatever amount still is there has a poor quality. This is resulting in high prices of water and because of this an increasing number of people cannot get the municipal water supply since they cannot afford to pay the charges. Certain extremely poor Europeans even have to make use of mineral water due to the fact that they are not getting water in their taps. Such kinds of situations should provoke an environmental sense to be at the centre of attention. Concerning biodiversity, the environmental requirements of Europe, just like in other regions, challenge the fundamental judgement regarding the market system that is governed by great, private welfare. It has been frequently thought that environmental requirements are a mere â€Å"luxury†, or at the minimum not the most important issue to be worried about, in front the prevalent social crisis. Nevertheless, suggestions of environmental catastrophe are very well felt in the north and the south and they are reaching an increasing scope of views of our situations of life. Environmental matters have to be handled today, and not simply left for later years. This fact should have been taken into consideration previously; it should be considered even more now. References Anon. (2003). Turning the tide on environmental degradation: the EU examines ways to reverse damage in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Europa, [Online] 28 May 2003. Available at: http://europa. eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction. do? reference=IP/03/769&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en [Accessed 9 May 2009]. Commission for Rural Communities (CRC). (2006a). Rural Disadvantage – Reviewing the Evidence. Cheltenham: Commission for Rural Communities. European Environment Agency. (1999). Environment in the European Union at the Turn of the Century. Copenhagen: EEA. European Commission. (2006a). Rural Development in the European Union – Statistical and Economic information – Report 2006. [Online] September 2006. Available at: http://ec. europa. eu/agriculture/agrista/rurdev2006/RD_Report_2006. pdf [Accessed 9 May 2009].

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Ethnographic Observation

I set out to find a place to begin my observations, not knowing what to fully expect, what I may find. So I decided to look around at what is close to my home that isn’t a place I frequent or have even visited at all. Then it came to me, the Starbucks that is only about a mile away is a perfect place for me to observe subjects that I would consider different from myself, seeing as how I consider such obscene prices for coffee ridiculous. Starbucks is a very popular chain of coffee vendors that describe their product as more about quality than what Americans are used to in typical coffee joints. Although I know it is poor technique of me as an anthropologist to have prejudice about any place or people that may be at that place, but I have to admit I already had set in my mind that these people would be â€Å"stuck-up† â€Å"more money than sense† type of people. So upon entering the establishment I decided to blend into as much as possible by ordering one of their Grande size coffees, which is just their basic coffee in a medium size. Then, I found a spot in the corner and began to pretend I was reading the newspaper I had brought as a prop to further help me blend into my surroundings. The aroma of the building was very pleasant blend of coffee and various mixtures of chocolate and hazelnut. It also did have a very friendly feel and accepting sense to the whole thing. So after being in Starbucks for approximately thirty minutes I decided I had enough data to discuss my findings. The business definitely drew in a particular social group. It seemed to consist of mainly white males and females that appeared to be in their early twenties to upper twenties. Also most of them seemed to be more affluent to at least upper middle-class status. I came to this conclusion by the vehicles they drove and also the clothing they were wearing. Most of them were adorned in such brands as Columbia and The North Face, which are higher-end winter apparel. Most of their vehicles appeared to be if not new only a couple of years of age and were in very nice condition. Most of the groupings were either just singular people or couples coming to pick up either a plain coffee or most of the females ordering some mixed espresso or something to that degree. There were a couple of oddities in the data such as a one older couple that came by and also one black male also stopped by to pick up some coffee. Most the behavior I observed was a very casual and relaxed as the people seemed to all be friendly and enjoying their absurd priced beverages. Once in awhile someone would recognize a fellow customer and they would proceed to great each other with either a handshake or hug. Spatial arrangement between people was typical of most American norms. They typically had about a person length in between each person making sure not to get to close to bump into one another which is considered rude in this country. I did my research at approximately 1pm to 1:30pm in the afternoon. I do believe this did influence the type of people I saw in the establishment. If it were early in the morning I believe there would have been slightly older gathering of people going to their respectable jobs. Instead a majority of the customers were college students that were coming in for that mid day pick-up. As for the norms I witnessed they were typical for American establishments, the people working greeted the customers in an almost fake friendly manner that is supposed to comfort and make the customer feel â€Å"at home† in the environment. Then, the customer would reply with what they would like to order and then finish by paying for the product, in this case coffee. In conclusion I have to say that for the most part my presumptions were reinforced which is consistent with what I figured would be the case. Although, it isn’t entirely fair because I didn’t get to truly meet my subjects and understand them fully. I only observed how they behaved in that instance which may have been completely out there norm and even their first time at Starbucks.