Inequalities in health Essay

Introduction. Mildred Baxter conducted a survey in 1990 on Health and Lifestyles, and asked 10,000 people how they defined health, her results were defined by Three answers: – Positive Definitions- where health is defined as feeling fit and able to undertake any reasonable task. Negative Definitions- where health is defined in terms of being free from pain and discomfort. Functional Definitions- where people define health in terms of being able to perform a range of tasks. Whereas Medical Definitions state that: – Illness is always based on an identifiable (physical/mental) cause. Illnesses and their causes can be identified, classified and measured. The cure lies in the physical body of a person, not their social relationships or their spiritual life. There is reliance upon drugs and surgery. During this essay I will be looking at the inequalities, (inequalities means that something is not equal to something else), in Health, with regards to class, ethnics, gender and age. There are several possible explanations for inequalities in health, these include: – Social and material reasons, (whereby because of poverty in society, it leads to ill health, because of poor housing, nutrition, etc), Cultural, religion reasons, (because of the difference in diet, and certain beliefs and habits that effect health), The effect an individual has on his or her own health, (by choosing what they eat, drink and whether they smoke or not). Social class We could argue that the standard of healthcare in different social classes are because of geographical reasons, and the level of funding that the government gives to poorer, lower class areas compared to the level that is given to richer, middle/higher class areas. This can be seen in the Black Report (1980) and The Health Divide (1987). These reports clearly show such strong evidence of social class inequalities in health that the government tried to suppress the findings. The Acheson report (1998) then went on to confirm the evidence of social class inequalities and recommend more help for poorer social classes by a means of improving their health. We can also clearly see from research that lower, poorer classes have a higher mortality rate, (including infant), than the higher classes, these are mainly seen in Respiratory Disease, Injuries and poisoning and Cerebro-vascular Disease, this is because lower classes tend to work mainly in manual work, (factories with dangerous machinery, working in bad weather conditions, etc). Tudor-Hart (1971), first suggested in the Inverse Care Law, that higher class that need it least gets more resources and lower classes that needs it most gets the least resources, So social class inequalities are made worse by inequalities in the NHS, this is because poorer areas don’t have as many GP practices, they have to depend on public transport, and are more likely to loose pay for taking time off. Whereas it is thought that the middle/higher classes have the resources to find out what healthcare they are entitled to, and are more likely to fight against poor health services, and are able to jump NHS waiting lists by paying privately. We can argue that material explanations suggest that those who suffer poor health do not have a healthy balanced diet, inadequate housing conditions, lack of education and joblessness, all stem from poverty, which shows the link between material deprivation and ill-health. Criticisms;- We can argue that poverty and class status in society is not just the reasons for poor health; it also comes down to the individual choices and cultural choices that are made by people in their life. We are not told we have to smoke or drink or take drugs, we do it because we want to, which we can argue is one of the reasons Respiratory Diseases and Heart disease are on the increase. We can also argue that another reason why these diseases and other health problems, such as obesity, which is high in lower classes, are on the increase is because of the cheap unhealthy food that is being eaten, and lack of exercise, is also an individual choice. Ethnic Inequalities We can argue that Ethnic groups experience poor levels of health as a result of inequalities in the health service. A comprehensive survey (The Health of Britain’s Ethnic minorities), was conducted in 1997 by James Nazroo, his findings challenged the view that biology and culture were the main factors that explained the health of ethnic groups in the UK, but instead focused on the importance of socio-economic factors. The findings found that: – people from black and Indian minorities are more likely to suffer from TB, Diabetes and Heart Disease, people from ethnic minorities are more likely to be hospitalised for mental illnesses, and most ethnic minorities show higher rates of still births, prenatal deaths and infant deaths as well as higher mortality rate. We can see from research conducted by the Health Authority that up to 50% of ethnic minorities described themselves as having poor health. We could argue that the reasons for this is because of poverty and material deprivation, while racism and discrimination also play an important factor, Minority groups have the lowest income, the worst housing, and the highest unemployment rates in the UK. We can also argue that other cultural reasons such as language barriers, religious reasons and the lack of knowledge of the dietary needs for ethnic minorities, from health professionals may lead to ethnic minorities not seeking medical advice and thus having poorer health. Criticisms: – We can argue that not all ethnic minorities share the same level of inequalities, Black African, Caribbean; ethnic groups are more accepted in society than Asians, Chinese groups make more money than Bangladeshi groups. We can also argue that it is also down to social class, a middle class ethnic minority doctor is more likely to be accepted than an unemployed lower class ethnic minority. We can also argue that it also individual choices that lead to inequalities, e. g.social exclusion, a lot of minority do not integrate in the community, instead they stay in groups of their own race. Ethnic minorities also believe that a strong sense of cultural identity protects against the effects of poverty. Gender Inequalities Through research we have found than women on the whole are healthier than men and that women’s mortality rates are lower than that of men. According to Hilary Graham (2002), men have fewer consultations with GP’s and have lower levels of illness. We could argue that this is because in society from the time we are born we are taught a â€Å"normal† role in society, firstly by our parents and then by schools, media etc, and boys and girls from a young age are given toys, (dolls, cleaning toys etc for girl, tools, cars etc for boys), which gives them a stereotypical role that is expected of them, because of this it is much excepted in society that women can go to the doctors more because they are a weaker sex, where a man is expected to be masculine and except illness. We could also argue that men mostly work in manual jobs, and that is why they have a higher mortality rate, whereas women take on a more domestic role, looking after the home and children, although we could argue that this is a large reason why women visit the doctors more often than men, according to Ellen Annandale (1998) women who work have better levels of health than those who do not, because of the sense of independence and a wider social network, thus lowering the number of women with depression. It has also been found that women are more like to be living in poverty than men, because for example most single parents are women on a low income. Criticisms: – We could argue that gender inequalities are lowering due to more women now having equal educational opportunities and having equal roles in a work place, it is now not so frowned upon that a man stays home with the children and women go to work. More women have become more career minded and education have become more â€Å"women† friendly. We can also argue that domestic labour has become easier for women in the home with the development of technology e.g. dishwashers, washing machines etc. There is also evidence to suggest women are biologically stronger than men, more male babies die than female, and they have a higher biological possibility of living longer. Age Inequalities We can argue that elderly peoples’ opinions of health differ greatly from those of younger people; elderly people accept a range of physical pain and limitations, whereas younger people would define them as symptoms of illness. We re-evaluate what illness is as we get older and accept greater levels of discomfort as â€Å"one of those things†, that comes with age. Mildred Baxter in her survey of Health found that young people define health in terms of physical fitness, whereas older people defined it in terms of being able to cope with everyday tasks. We can also argue that the poverty elderly people face also contribute towards ill health, because they cannot afford adequate heating, balanced diet etc, because the live on a low income, or may not know the benefits they are entitled to. Research has also found that elderly people do not visit the doctor because they see themselves as â€Å"wasting time†. Criticisms: – We can argue that inequalities can again occur because of individual choices, it could be argued that a poor diet is not just because of low income but they may live alone and cannot be bothered to cook for themselves. We also see that social class plays a part, because wealthy elderly people do not face the same inequalities in health as lower class elderly people. We can also see that the government have taken steps to improve the health of elderly people by introducing the flu vaccine and by giving heating grants etc. Conclusion. To conclude I think that there are no strong arguments to say that there is one specific social or materialist explanation for inequalities in health. I think that there are a number of factors that contribute towards inequalities, from geographical, social, financial, cultural, economical, religious reasons, to biological reasons. I also think that the choices we make as individuals’ plays a major factor towards the inequalities that we encounter in heath, and by changing certain things in our life that we have control over there would be fewer inequalities.

Lyman Frank Baum

Lyman Frank Baum is an American writer, independent film maker, and actor who was born on May 15, 1856 in Chittenango, New York from a Scottish Irish mother named Cynthia Stanton who is the direct descendant of Thomas Stanton, the founder of the Stonington, Connecticut, and a German father named Benjamin Ward Baum. From 1880 to 1902 he became a newspaper-man and began writing a series of books in which he made an original fairyland, a world of fantastic characters and light-hearted adventures, and the Land of Oz, and from this books, the most famous was the â€Å"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz† written in 1900 (L. Frank Baum, Encarta). Baum wrote 13 sequels, 9 other fantasy novels, 82 short stories, over 200 poems, and many miscellaneous writing, which resulted to numerous attempts to bring back his work to the screen and stage. Because of Baum’s love for theatre, often to his financial detriment, he often support elaborate musicals. Baum adapted the â€Å"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz† as a ‘musical extravaganza’ named The Wizard of Oz in 1901, and before Baum’s death he wrote an additional thirteen more books all about Oz (L. Frank Baum, Encarta). The book became the best selling children’s book after its initial publication in 1900. Baum was originally a Methodist but later he joined the Episcopal Church to be included in community theatrical arts, and later he was encouraged by his wife in 1897 to become a Theosophist. According to records, Baum’s belief is reflected or can be seen in his writings. After Baum’s death in May 6, 1919, several writers continued his series, which resulted to huge volumes. Works Cited â€Å"L. Frank Baum.† 2007.   L. Frank Baum – MSN Encarta, 12 January 2008   

John Constable

Constable, John – 1776–1837, English painter, b. Suffolk. Constable and Turner were the leading figures in English landscape painting of the 19th cent. Constable became famous for his landscapes of Suffolk, Hampstead, Salisbury, and Brighton. The son of a prosperous miller, he showed artistic talent while very young but did not devote himself to art until he was 23, when he went to London to study at the Royal Academy.Influenced by the 17th-century landscape painters Ruisdael and Claude Lorrain, his poetic approach to nature paralleled in spirit that of his contemporary, the poet Wordsworth. Constable's direct observations of nature and his free use of broken color were extraordinary in his day. He received but modest recognition in England, being tardily admitted to the Royal Academy in 1829. His work was more popular in France. In 1824, his View on the Stour (1819) and The Hay Wain (1821; National Gall. London) were exhibited at the Salon in Paris, winning gold medals . His work made a profound impression on the French romantics including the young Delacroix and Bonington. Later his painting influenced the Barbizon school and, more indirectly, the general course of French 19th-century landscape art. In the United States he is represented in the Metropolitan Museum and the Frick Collection, New York City, in the Mellon Center for British Art, New Haven, Conn. , and in the galleries of Philadelphia, Toledo, and Chicago.Splendid examples of his work are contained in the National Gallery, London and the Victoria and Albert Museum. See catalogue of the latter collection by G. Reynolds (1960); C. R. Leslie, Memoirs of the Life of John Constable (enl. ed. 1937); collections of his letters by P. Holmes (1931) and R. B. Beckett (1962); biography by B. Taylor (1973); studies by C. Peacock (rev. ed. 1972) and R. Gadney (1976). The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2004, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Produ cts N. V. All rights reserved.

Disparities in Pain Management in the Emergency Department Research Paper

Disparities in Pain Management in the Emergency Department - Research Paper Example The authors provide an overview from ancient civilizations to the modern theories. The modern theories include Melzack and Wall's Gate Control Theory of Pain. The knowledge in the article Theories of pain: From specificity to the gate, control can be used to understand the character of pain as well as its symptoms that reflect the significant aspects of the entire bodily suffering of the human body. The article provides more information on the manner in which pain functions including its structure and pathways. Acute Pain Management by Warfield CA and Kahn CH The stated research problem of article Acute Pain Management is that there is lack of professional and public awareness of pain management strategies. In addition, Warfield & Khan state that the significance of the problem is that medical professionals, as well as the public, should acquire knowledge on pain management in order to reduce the extent of postoperative pain. The purpose of the study is to investigate the situation o f acute pain management in the United States hospital. Additionally, the article was aimed at assessing the attitudes of adults in America in relation to postoperative pain control. A certain patient that had undergone through surgery believed that he was supposed to feel pain. This perception was contributed to by lack of adequate information on postoperative pain management. If the patient were aware that there are methods that can be used to reduce pain after surgery, he would have agreed to feel the pain.

Arthistory Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Arthistory Paper - Essay Example Examples of oppositional dressing include punks, zoot suits and clothing that were made of skinheads. In most cases, they did arise where there was oppression and ill-treatment of the masses by the dominant groups. A practical case and instance is the zoot suits which was worn by the servicemen of African-American origin in protest to the white domination and racial discrimination. Similarly, people who lived in similar locality and geographical region had their social destiny bound together. Thus, in any case there was any change and shift from the popular culture, then people in same area moved together in that respect. For instance, when fabrics and puinks hit the ghettos, it was the in thing and every person who wanted to show solidarity with the masses blended with the culture. In retrospect, oppositional dressing relates to subculture in that, it was part of a behavioral or sectoral pattern of behavior within the large cultural spectrum. This is to say that the people who blended with the opposition dress shared similar culture, and the oppositional dress code that they adopted was just a part of the culture in terms of dressing. The term, notion and concept of dandyism refers to a culture where a human being places a lot of attention and weight on the physical and outward appearance. This is to say that the person would take a lot of time and resources to ensure that he or she appears nonchalant at the very least. In most instances and cases, dandyism was a cloud word used to discuss how the men stressed on their masculine principles to try to imitate the aristocrats. This is to say that a man would use refined language, often engage in leisure activities which are conventionally regarded as royal or aristocratic. In the period of the early 19th century, a dandy was a person who was self-made and strived hard to fit into the highest class of the society, (Wilson, 112). This was done regardless of the

Contemporatry social problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contemporatry social problems - Essay Example The film literally bursts with the theme of racial prejudice as a multi-colored cast careens in and out of the screen to make their presence felt. From the first frame, it already shows a black man sitting with a Hispanic woman, both police officers in a car that got bumped by another. This woman gets insulted by the Chinese lady driving the car that bumped into theirs and calls her a Mexican who â€Å"blakes (translated as brake) too fast†. She, in turn, wields her sword of a tongue to throw back the sarcasm by commenting to the petite Chinese lady that â€Å"Maybe if you see over the steering wheel, you’d blake too!† Indeed, one can’t help but judge one another based on physical appearances and the stereotypes they represent. Same goes for the American gun dealer who gets impatient with foreigners who speak their language in front of him, making him feel left out. Sensing that these Mediterranean customers are Arabs, he snaps at them by saying, â€Å"Play your jihad on your own time†. When the customer reacts angrily, saying he is an American citizen who has the same rights as everyone else, the dealer goes on his offensive oration on how these foreigners have no right to destroy America. He is suggesting that the customers are would-be terrorists, relating it to the â€Å"recent† September 11 terrorist attacks. The man is sent out of the store leaving her daughter behind while the dealer continues his hostile verbalizations. In doing so, he is unaware that he himself is terrorizing a lady. The overly- ethnocentric black car robber who constantly complains about how blacks are being unfairly discriminated upon in L.A. is one example of a self-fulfilling prophecy. He believes that the white server in the restaurant ignored them because they were blacks and because blacks are not known to give tips, proved her right by not leaving a tip at all, justifying that they had poor

Fetal Heart Monitoring during labor Research Paper

Fetal Heart Monitoring during labor - Research Paper Example Similarly, the paper will discuss the aspects of intermittent fetal heart monitoring and the negative and positive aspects that are included. Additionally, the paper will describe the interview performed on doctors working in Labor and Delivery at the local hospital; their views and opinions will be noted. Last will be a determination of potential problems that could arise without the use of fetal monitoring and provide evidence of the possibility of them occurring. The fetal heart monitoring is the standard method and the most preferred technique to determine the heart rate of the fetus during labor. Determination of the fetal heart rate is vital because it enables the prevention of the fetal distress and fetal death as well as prevention of fetal seizures. Although this procedure is vital for the health of the mother and of the fetus, doctors’ delay in acting when fetal distress detection is shown on the electronic monitor can lead to death of the mother and fetus (Elimian, Lawlor, Figueroa, Wiencek, Garry, & Quirk, 2003). The continuous use of the fetal monitoring electronically has shown a positive impact on the fetal development. The process further reduces the chances of incidences like the fetal failure and eventually fetal death. The continuous fetal heart monitoring is famous in the United States but it has fewer benefits for the pregnant woman or the fetus. Continuous fetal heart monitoring (CEFM) has a negative effect on the labor process in pregnant women. This process can also affect the satisfaction of the maternal delivery by decreasing the maternal mobility, physical contact of the pregnant mother with the partner, and the time period with the nurse or the doctor in comparison to the intermittent auscultation procedure (Bailey, 2009). The intermittent auscultation procedure is known to increase the rate of medical risks. This is chiefly because of the

Women in the World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Women in the World - Essay Example The paper also looks at the reasons for the different kinds of oppression faced by women. Basically, in every field where man and women interact, discrimination can be seen in one form or another. This paper tries to bring out the nature of oppression against women, not only in America, but also across the world and across the various religions. It also brings to attention the female oppression in the fields of politics, science and technology. The paper ends in a positive note hoping for the creation of a new horizon for women across the world. Keywords: Women, Discrimination: The fact that discrimination against women still exists in most countries across the globe, is a blemish to humanity. The discrimination â€Å"ranges from tacit male dominance in religion and philosophies to the brutal male oppression, for instance Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) that is still carried out in some communities†(Female Oppression 2008:1). ... After much struggle and strong opposition from the women community and other social organizations, the system of Apartheid is eliminated from Africa. But women in Africa still suffer cruel discrimination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Poverty and illiteracy of Africa are other major reasons for the unequal treatment of women. South Africa reports the world’s highest number of rape cases, which is about half a million each year. Ironically, the actual number of rape incidents is much larger than the official reports. Even among the many reported cases, only a few receive justice from the court of law. According to a study done on the rape cases in Africa, about 69% of the 394 rape cases that were reported, only 17 cases fetched justice. This is really a pathetic situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Genital mutilation in Africa is greater than any other continent in the world. The four type of Genital mutilation as per the WHO classifications are practiced in Africa. On the basis of a study about 60% of African women are circumcised. Africa is not only the part of the world where discrimination occurs on such a rampant scale. It is a surprising fact that discrimination against women occurs not only in underdeveloped countries, but also in developed countries like America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even in the modern world of technology, the traditional roles of women and men are not still revolutionized. Men are still seen as the breadwinners and women as the homemakers. Even though career oriented women and domestic centered men are present in the modern world, the inequality in the opportunities that both the genders share is still great. There is a wide gap between the positions of men and women in the technically perfect

Who Benefits from College Pressures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Who Benefits from College Pressures - Essay Example Those were: economic pressure, parental pressure, peer pressure and self-induced pressure. For sure, those pressures haven’t become weaker today. Students differ, yet there have always been those highly motivated ones, doing their best in attempt to satisfy and exceed high academic standards. This group enhances college pressure, spreading it upon the rest of students. Young people all over the country courageously struggle through academic years gritting their teeth and suppressing their natural inclinations. All these sacrifices are done in the name of the golden calf and absurd ideas. However, it stays unclear, who benefits from this race. College pressures do more harm than good. Economic and parental pressures, being interrelated, are the major sources of students’ uneasiness. Today the USA goes through difficult economic conditions. Life is expensive and the competition in the society is as high as it has never been before. It is easy to get frightened about your future. Loving parents dream of the success of their children. They are ready to assist in achieving this success. Certainly, they expect their offspring to be grateful for this assistance, thus placing a heavy burden on the youth striving for freedom and self-realization. The puzzle seems simple: having graduated from a prestigious college and having got a prestigious profession, one finds himself on the top of life (or at least somewhere near it). Education costs ever more, and the young people, who are enrolled, feel an obligation to their parents. Many of them pursue the career chosen by their parents, while their own vocation is rejected as non-beneficial. Abandoned dreams do not disapp ear without leaving a trace. They continue disturbing one’s imagination and spirit. As the result, students follow the path chosen by others, feeling deeply unhappy and discontented. They realize that something is wrong but often cannot admit that they are lying to themselves.  Ã‚  

Kenneth Clark, Katharine Hepburm, Harvey Milk, and Fred korematsu, and Essay

Kenneth Clark, Katharine Hepburm, Harvey Milk, and Fred korematsu, and all tried to create social change in areas of sexual or racial discrimination - Essay Example Although, Tracy Seth (John Holiday) and Margaret (Mary Nash) are divorced; Tracy feels that their family reputation must be protected (Cukor et al, 278). The novel Milk written by Milk Harvey (Sean Penn) covers the difficulties that Milk; a gay activist has to contend. Harvey tries harder to get people to understand and appreciate the sexual preferences of gays in the community (Jinks et al, 212). Kidd presents Dexter with an opportunity to get closer to Tracy. Dexter revealed that Kidd had an innuendo Laden cover up from her Tracy’s father Seth (John Holiday). Tracy’s family Margaret and Dinah (Virginia Weilder), Tracy’s sister, warmly; which disappoints Tracy. During her interaction with Mike, Tracy discovers the admirable qualities that he possesses (Nourmand & Graham, 256). Tracy finds herself wind up in confusion, between her ex-husband the Fiance and Mike, the reporter. To ease her mind, Tracy drinks for the second time in her entire life. She then resorts to a friendly swim with Mike. George gets to see the two, and he appears filled with Jealousy. Tracy uses the opportunity George presents, when confronting her of what he did the previous night, as an opportunity to break up with him on her wedding day. Mike proposes to marry Tracy, who declines in a nice way. When Dexter, her ex husband, asks for Tracy’s hand in marriage; she gladly gets a ccepts (Nourmand & Graham, 256). On the other hand, Harvey, later on, in his quest to fight for the gay rights, receives appointment as a Supervisor in the San Francisco’s board, in the year 1977. Milk takes pride in being the first gay man assimilated in the public office, in America. This way he not only succeeds in materializing the gay rights, but also used the opportunity to fake relations with the political society; from political officials to the union

Zara - spanish clothing company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Zara - spanish clothing company - Essay Example Zara’s performance can be observed to be outstanding in the way it manages its operations timing in meeting the ever-changing demands of the customers. The company is in a â€Å"cutting edge†, capable of designing, manufacturing and delivering new styles of clothes and receiving â€Å"full price on 85 percent of its products†1. The present research focuses on a study on the Zara Spanish Clothing Company reflecting on the market that it serves, its competitiveness and the associations of its competitive measures with its supply chain facilities. Market Characteristics Where Zara Company Serves: Zara Clothing Company has grown very fast in Europe thereby increasing its share in the market that is characteristic of following the concept of â€Å"fast fashion†2. Manufacturing clothes in Spanish clothing companies involve higher costs of production than other companies that are competitors producing clothes in other countries like China and India. However, acco rding to Zara, their productivity, lower costs of sales and distribution and flexibility pay off for the higher costs of manufacturing and production3. Considering the apparel market, studies reflect that Europe has a share of around 34 percent of the total market in comparison to United States’ 29 percent and Asia’s 23 percent. This signifies the rate of increasing population and their spending capabilities that tend to get affected by rising prices. The choices and demands of the customers also are rapidly changing in this market where companies like Zara are prevalent. The customers, particularly the young generation are more attracted towards new fashion styles and trends that includes strokes of other cultures as well. The market scenario has been changing over the years with customers demanding for newer fashions in lesser time. Zara with its timely operations system focuses on meeting the expectations of its target customers. The company also has its competitors like the Gap, H&M, and Benetton who are playing in the market of apparels.4 Zara’s Competitiveness in the Market: The Zara Clothing Company has been observed to achieve highly satisfactory business results as the company has its focus on its core competencies. This provides the apparel retailer with a competitive advantage over

Librarian PHP Essay Example for Free

Librarian PHP Essay A. Introduction A Library System is a software use to catalog, to track circulation and to have an inventory of the library’s assets. It often contains many thousands of books that are available in the library. This uses computer-based system to keep a record of the books and the transaction that took place. A computer- based library system allows for: * Quick and easy searching for books * Easy printing out of book list/ labels * Automatic warning letters for borrowers who have not yet returned books. The major goal of this study is to create an effective Library System that will meet the needs of the users. The researchers selected the Pasig City Elementary School Library as its subject for system proposal. An interview is conducted to observe transactions happening in that library. During gathering period, the group noticed that they are still using logbooks for filing and recording. It reaches to our knowledge that a one librarian suffers much without a computer- based system. In fact, a librarian stated that if there will be a system to be created for the library, it has to be something with swipe feature so it will display all information immediately. Furthermore, with this information gathered, a computer- based library system will be generated with the use of all the data disclosed to the researchers. B. Objective of the Study General Objective: * To create an effective system out of all information gathered during interview at Pasig City Elementary School Library Specific Objectives: * To be able to make a system that will lessen the work of the librarian * To be able to make a system that will help users for a quick and easy access with the needed information in the library * To be able to meet the needs of the users * To have an easy access with the library * To have a smooth transaction in the library * To avoid miscomputations of penalties for late book returnees C. Statement of the Problem The researchers found out that the library doesn’t have a Computer-Based System. They use logbooks to file all information needed in the library. The librarian is having a hard time cataloging and filing the books every now and then adding to the burdens is the utilization of different and separate logbooks for borrowers, visitors and attendees. Without computer-Based System, the one in-charge is having a hardship organizing borrowing transactions especially, when it comes to accommodating many students at a time. It was further revealed that there are times they lose some information of the students because of not having a system. These are the problems of the current system that would be addressed by our proposed system. D. Scope and Limitation Scopes The researchers will generate a system with the following scopes: * A system with a swipe feature that can display all information needed * A system that can organize/catalog books * A system with password for security * A system with that will give quick and easy access for the users * It has a comprehensible interface. Limitations * It cannot accommodate many users at a time. * This is slight time consuming in encoding/ cataloging. E. Importance of the Study The necessity of using the Library System is to help a lot more the librarians. It will lessen the time of librarian in writing all information of the students in the logbooks. All he had to do is to create a database that supports the system. This will also lessen his time printing out booklist/labels, receipt, etc. This also gives an automatic warning letters for borrowers who forgot to returned books on time. It will also avoid miscomputations of penalties for late book returnees. This study will improve the skills of the researchers in generating a system. F. Conceptual Framework The researchers will create a computer-based library system to meet the needs of the librarians. The group will try their very best to come up with the best system with the help of their instructors using PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) as the programming language and Wampserver as the database. Through the information gathered the proponent will try its o G. Definition of terms * Computer- based Library System It is the software used to catalog, track circulation (where appropriate) and inventory a librarys assets. * PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) It is a server-side scripting language designed for web development but also used as a general-purpose programming language. * Wampserver It is a web development platform on Windows allowing you to create dynamic web applications with Apache2, PHP and MySQL. * Software It is a general term for the various kinds of programs used to operate computers and related devices. * Inventory It’s an itemized catalog or list of tangible goods or property, or the intangible attributes or qualities * Catalog It also serves as an inventory or bookkeeping of whats in the library. * Database It is a collection of data that is organized so that its contents can easily be accessed, managed, and updated.

Effects of Parental Divorce on Childrens Growth

Effects  of  Parental  Divorce  on  Childrens  Growth Divorce has become an important social issue which can not be ignored and avoided. In mid-19th century, only 5% of the marriages were broken in the United States, and now almost 50% of first marriages were ended in divorce, there were 100 million children who experienced parental divorce in the United States, in England and Wales, more than 140,007 children were facing parental separation every year. The children of this kind have become an important part of the vulnerable group in modern society, which also attracts the attention of many scholars. A large number of social evidence shows that the psychological trauma which the breakdown of a family brings children is obvious and will exist for a long term. Relevant scholars sociological research also showed that divorce had a negative impact on the cognitive development, personality development, mental health, relationships, social behavior development and other aspects of Childrens. To explore the influence of parental divorce on ch ildrens growth trajectory, this essay reviewed relevant literatures and conducted a critical analysis towards the literatures. Chapter II Discussion Through reviewing relevant academic literatures on divorce, research on the influence of divorce on childrens development included the following contents. 2.1 Cognitive levels and academic performance Research (Amans et al, 2001) showed that there was a very significant difference in areas of cognition, reasoning and academic achievement between children in divorced families and complete families, the impact of divorce on childrens learning performance was the most, the impact on cognition was less than the impact on academic achievement, the impact on the non-text logical reasoning was minimal. There was no significant difference in the cognitive aspects between the children of different genders in divorced families, and the girls academic performance was significantly better than the boys. Levels of cognitive development and academic performance of seven, eight or nine year old childrens from divorced families were significantly lower than the childrens from complete families. Amato (2001) made use of Meta analysis in his study. Meta analysis refers to using a number of statistical methods to analyze the collected research data. Its advantage is to increase the reliability of co nclusions through increasing sample sizes, so as to address the inconsistency of findings. The conclusion of Amans research (Amans et al, 2001) was also based on Meta analysis, he used appropriate statistical to conduct systematic, objective and comprehensive quantitative analysis towards lots of relevant research results in 1990s and found that the scores of learning of childrens in divorced families were significantly lower than the childrens from complete families, he pointed out that this gap was increased slightly when compared with the situation in 1980. 2.2 Emotional development and personality development Amatos (2001) study showed that children from single parent families were less able to control themselves and their assessment for themselves was too high. There were a higher proportion of children who were abnormal in their mood, emotion and personality, their specific performance included preferring crying, depression, irritability, anger, fear, etc., their bad character included low self-esteem, unsociability, poor self-control ability, frailty, lying, cheating, apathy, anxiety, etc., but majority of them had a strong independence. Children whose parents were separated had significantly polarized introversive or exoscopic characters, and most of them had singly introversive or exoscopic personalities, and majority children who were from complete families had the intermediate personalities. The research method which Amato (2001) adopted was Meta analysis, by comparing conclusions of a large number of research he found that, in fact, there was difference between children who grew u p in complete families and children who grew up in single parent families, but the difference was not as big as what usually imagined. His (Amato, 2001)research showed that parental divorce was only one factor in the process of a childs growth, there were other factors that could influence a childs growth, but his research did not specify what these other factors were. 2.3 Mental health Relevant research (Aaron et al, 1999) has indicated that there was significant difference in the general levels of mental health between children from divorced families and children from complete families, children with single parent had more psychological problems, including tendency of a serious loneliness, unwilling contacting with people, tendency of self-accusation and giving low evaluations for individual abilities and qualities, strong feelings of inferiority, obvious anxiety, lacks of confidence in interpersonal relationships, lacks of security, tendency of serious impulsions, etc., many children often felt depressed, irritable and had extreme behavior, their physical symptoms which caused by psychological problems were more obvious. Relevant research (Aaron et al, 1999) also explained this phenomenon, because the childrens parents divorced, they lacked parental encouragement, in the face of setbacks, they couldnt get strong incentives, resulting in a lack of confidence. And because of parental divorce, it caused the reduction of parents concerning about the children, lack of communication with their children and failing to detect changes in the children life and thought would lead to the childrens failing to deal with the problems in a timely manner, thereby resulting in depression, irritability and other emotions. 2.4 Interpersonal relationship The research on the interpersonal relationship of childrens from divorced families was mainly carried out in the areas of peer relationship, parent-child relationship and control ability. Study has shown that judging from the perspectives of peer relationship, subjective and objective control abilities, children with single parent was not as good as the childrens from complete families. In terms of parent-child relationship, children with single parent were not satisfied with their parents and families, their relationship with their parents wasnt as good as the childrens from complete families. Even when they grew up, they still showed their distrust towards their parents, as Jacquet and Surra (2001) found in their study that even taking full consideration of the quality of parent-child relationship, the adult children still had a strong sense of distrust. Moreover, parents divorce also had a profound effect on the childrens establishing a close relationship with their lovers when th ey grew up. Jacquet and Surra (2001) took young couples of 19- 35 years old as research objects and investigated the determinacy of the relationship between them and their cognition and understanding towards the problems between them, they found that women from divorced families had a sense of lack of trust and satisfaction, showing ambivalent feelings and conflicts. Although there was no difference between the men from divorced families and the men from complete families (Emery, 1999), but because of the marital status of their own parents, the former thought that the relationship between couples was temporary. Thus, parental separation not only affects childrens close relationship with their parents, but also has a negative impact on the childrens creating their own intimate relationships when they grow up, the impact of parental separation on childrens understanding of interpersonal relationship is negative and permanent, making the children show great adaptability in dealing wit h interpersonal relationship. 2.5 Behavior problems Study (Jeynes, 2001) showed that the problem behavior of childrens from divorced families was more than childrens from complete families, the behavior included lying, cheating, bragging and boast, poor school performance and fearing of school, etc. There was a very close relationship between childrens Internet addiction and their divorced families. Jeynes (2001) investigated the childrens alcohol problems after their parents divorced and found that compared with the children whose parents have divorced for more than 4 years, the children whose parents divorced newly had the same frequency of drinking, the number of the children who indulged in drinking was increased, and they were more likely to be affected by alcohol, the frequency and quantity of the two groups of the children who addicted drinking were more than the children from complete families (Jeynes, 2001), the children who didnt have complete families were more likely to drink and affected by alcohol. The greatest significa nce of Jeynes research (2001) did not lie in confirming that children of divorced families were more likely to drink than children of complete families, but proving that both children whose parents divorced four years ago and the children whose parents divorced newly had the same frequency of drinking, thereby refuting some people opinion of thinking that divorce only had an impact on children at the time when their parents divorced, it further confirmed that the influence of parental divorce on children would be lasted for a long time. Chapter III Conclusion Through literature review, this essay summarized the impact of divorce on childrens development and tried to find out the problems existing in relevant study and explore the directions of future research.  ·The above-mentioned research on children of single parent families particularly concerned about adolescents, especially callan, there was less study on young children. Therefore, it should seek for evaluation means which is suitable for the characteristics of infants and preschool children, paying more attention to their psychological development and adaptation.  ·The previous research on children who were from divorced families generally compared the behavior problems between children from divorced families and complete families, or by statistical methods to control other household variables to examine the direct impact of parental separation on childrens behavior problems. The study has provided a wealth of useful information, but often overlooked the impact of other family variables in the divorce process on children. Thus future research should not only concern about the impact of divorce itself on children, but also pay attention to the role of other variables relate to divorce, such as the quality of parent-child relationship, the marriage conflicts before divorce and during parental separation, the living conditions of children after their parents divorce, etc. It should pay a special attention to the changes of the internal mechanism which affects the childrens adaptability.  ·Research on Children from divorced families was mostly transverse study, few was longitudinal study. Childrens development is a process, only depending on the existing transverse study is difficult to explore the impact of parents separation on childrens development of different stages and its change process. Therefore, the relationship between parents divorce and childrens development needs to be analyzed with a clear and tracked investigation which is the problem needs to be resolved in future study.

Marketing: British Airways Group

Marketing: British Airways Group The assignment focuses on analyzing summarizing and comparing two companies which deals in same sector or industry with a marketing aspect. The purpose states that the study of the module Marketing Management needs to be implemented in virtual front by providing meaningful process to the company chosen and revise the value proposition. The assignment is divided into step-by-step parts towards preparing a plan for the organization under study. British Airways- Company profile British Airways is the airline company of the United Kingdom. It has its headquarter in Waterside which is near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport and as found it is the biggest airline of UK on the record basis of number of international flights and international destinations it has. Its second hub is London Gatwick Airport. As per the research it found that The British Airways Group was formed on 1 September 1974. BA was formed by the merger of two large London-based airlines, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and British European Airways Corporation (BEA), and two much smaller airlines, Cambrian Airways Cardiff and Northeast Airlines Newcastle upon Tyne. BA according to the research was found as the only two airlines to operate the supersonic Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde inaugurating the worlds first supersonic passenger service in January 1976. BA became the worlds most profitable airline following its strategies under the slogan The Worlds Favorite Airline. Rather it was earlier Boeing customer. The formation of Richard Bransons Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1984 began a tense relationship with BA. The main activities of British Airways Plc and its subsidiary undertakings are the operation of international and domestic planned air services for the deportment of passengers, freight and mail and the facility of ancillary amenities. (uk.reuters.com 2010) Franchisees  · Comair: based in South Africa, franchisee since 1996.  · Sun Air: based in Denmark, franchisee since 1 August 1996. (uk.reuters.com 2010) Customer Value It is the difference between what a customer wants from a product and what he or she has to give in order to achieve it. ( Business dictionary.com 2010 ) Customer Value proposition A customer value proposition is described as a business or statement of marketing that describes why would a customer buy a product or service he wish to use. It has been targeted towards the potential of customers rather than other consisting groups such as of workers, stakeholders or suppliers .It is designed for the customers to convince their self to one particular product or service which will add more value ( Business dictionary.com 2010). Types of CVP 1.All Benefits Sometimes most managers formulates customer value proposition which includes all customers benefits which can be fulfilled by them by offering different types of offers to meet customer needs. It requires them a hard work to keeping records about customer needs and competitors in the market ( Ogle,2010). 2. Favourable Points of Difference The second type of value proposition which includes all alternatives in which customers focus includes different types of products and services offered by others. It provides the customers with the best of its offers just to attract them without having the proper knowledge about what the customer is demanding but they try to fulfil their customer need( Ogle,2010). 3. Resonating Focus This is a very important aspect as it focuses on the value proposition having differences to an all benefits position of companies leading a value proposition for the customers .Resonating is the point which deals with the standard of the value proposition and it should be at its highest level .By this method the manager wants to do the business with the marketers who has the proper knowledge about the customers need and delivers the customers value proposition at the market capturing level ( Ogle,2010). Importance of value proposition A good customer value proposition is a method of convincing the customers to buy their products other than buying the competitors and find it different from others .This method has been used to grasp the attention of the customers and increase the sales at large scale which will help in increasing the market shares. To promote the product it has been always important to understand customers need . It is profitable in building a brand association that help in providing offers to the customers (Ogle, 2010) Three Key Dimensions Active vs. Reactive value Extrinsic vs. intrinsic value Self-oriented vs. other-oriented value As per the research on the British airways customer value proposition it has been found that : Effect of British airways on customers mind It has Strong brand name and brand image good reputation in market as well as customers mind Reliability of British airways BA Key Messages is to provide the consistency in providing good service Reliability in providing best quality of offering Safety and security Safety and security are key priorities for British airways. It follows the formal management system for the security which ensures with all relevant rules and regulations that are must be followed. British airways is into a system of operating a inclusive monitoring system to ensure that all incidents are reported before they occur and necessary action been taken. HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_value_proposition l cite_note-Lake-1Question 2. The requirement of the question speaks about the two companies to be selected of the same industry which can be compared on various aspects particularly marketing strategy on a global scale; I have chosen the following two companies: British Airways Virgin Atlantic airways The reasons for selecting these companies are: The value proposition of both the companies can be compared and differentiated based on their marketing assets. Both the companies are intense competitors in the business of airlines and in providing superior quality of services to the customers Virgin Atlantic Airways- Competitor Company Profile Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited (operating as Virgin Atlantic) is a British airline owned by Sir Richard Bransons Virgin Group (51%) and Singapore Airlines (49%). It is headquartered in Crawley, West Sussex, England, near London Gatwick Airport. It operates between the United Kingdom and North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia from main bases at Gatwick and London Heathrow Airport, using a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft (innovationaleaders, 2010). We all experience customer service, without even understanding it. The only time youre likely to poster is when it surpasses your potentials, or it doesnt meet them! Pleased customers are more likely to commend you to others. Customer Service is clearly a main part of any businesses corporate plan to recall and attract clients. Effective Customer Service is critical in portion a business to meet its planned sales intentions whilst meeting their client potentials through exceptional customer service. CRITICALLY EVALUATING CUSTOMER VALUE PROPOSITON OF BRITISH AIRWAYS British airways as being on the top of the chart of airlines industry to maintain its standard it has acquired several innovative ideas which have left certain impression on customers mind. British Airways is comparatively strong from a financial point of view and have a good reputation in comparison to other companies in the airlines industry, and it has positioned itself on the top leveled service provider but still it is facing some problems in satisfying the customers completely. BA provides it customers with affordable price flight ticket and spends to that level which delivers the minimum performance for the ante ( for example: providing nuts and soft drinks to the customers),Yet on the other hand BA maximizes its marketing by spending more effectiveness by removing ineffective spending on the ante that pushes the performance but does not leads to any change in customers behavior ( for example: BA dont provide the customers with hot meals on short flights). British airways has redesigned its cabin into truly flat bed which are up to the best comfort of the customers and it helps in attracting more customers in business class at a time when other airlines merely increased leg room or seat width but to really rule in the filed of airline BA should also try to provide more innovative facilities for lower class customers too as they are being their regular customers. BA provides its customers with its key priority of security for which it has operated different security system specially for its customers safety. In order to profitably satisfy customer needs, an organisation must understand its external and internal situation including the customer, the market and its own capabilities. MARKETING MIX OF BRITISH AIRWAYS Product Strategy A product is characterized as anything that been offered to a party to another party in return of something. As we talk about BA, it provides its customers with different types of services like booking their tickets online, choose the sitting of their choice and meals of customer choice.BA provides the quality of compensating the customers at the time of cancellation of their flight tickets (123helpme, 2010). Pricing Strategy Pricing strategy is the overall task of defining the price range and price movement through the time period given to support the organizational fund and profit gaining objectives. BA holds a different type of pricing strategy in its two sectors of airlines short-haul and the long-haul , it provides its customers with tickets at affordable price. It has different price standard for different categories of flights but with same quality of service. BA has the special system for optional product pricing charged for optional extra guaranteeing a window seat or reserving a row seats next to each other (123helpme,2010). Place This heading refers to distribution. This means all aspects that focus on to how the goods and services should move from the producers to the end user. This means the coordination of retailers and/or wholesales and in the case of products the logistics involved in moving from factory/warehouse/head office, to the end user.BA has its main head quartos in U.K only. The airline hovers to above 550 destinations internationally and is measured to be a leader in the business. BAs prices depend on fluctuations in oil prices which it cannot control (123helpme, 2010). Promotion It is refers to as advertising or promoting a product, brand or industry to gain profit and expand the business. British Airways launched an advertising campaign to promote the trial of its First and Club World services. BA gives a lot charity and launches exhibitions for the funds for the needy ones. BA provides training programs and provides the students with the scholarships for their better future (123helpme, 2010). On a preliminary note it is important to understand the concepts of Mission and Vision for a particular organization. The difference between Mission and Vision statement is a Mission statement contains the information of the company in a nutshell about its products and services to customers while a Vision statement offers the future perspectives of the company or organization, the purpose or broader goal for being in existence or in the business. (Difference between, 2010) Mission and Vision Statements of the British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are discussed below Mission statement of British Airways There is no official mission statement from the companys website instead the social blogs have various statements out of which the best one chosen To be the undisputed leader in the world of airlines for the next millennium Vision statement of British Airways- The Worlds Favorite Airline Mission Statement of Virgin Atlantic- Safety, security and consistent delivery of the basics are the foundation of everything we do. Vision statement of British Airways- To grow a profitable airline, where people love to fly and where people love to work Analyzing and comparing the Mission and Vision statements of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic The mission and vision statements of British airways seems to be in the line of business as both focus on world class operations not just local or domestic functioning, hence it is recommended that being a company which caters large scale audience/customers British Airways has to focus on its principles of functioning to achieve its vision. As far as Virgin Atlantic is concerned, nowhere it mentions about the functioning and catering the audiences of the world, it is known fact that Virgin Atlantic is more of a British nature and caters or prefers services priority to British audiences hence it needs to change its mission and vision statement which though is appealing but doesnt come in the line of business. Competitor Analysis The airline sector is more competitive today than it was before in the past, provided now days consumers with more choice and with affordable prices than ever before due to the emergence of low-cost airlines. British Airways operates within two strategic groups within the airline sector the short-haul and the long-haul. Each of these sectors has different competitors. One group consists of airlines with regional operations offering scheduled flights and comparison on costs. The other group focuses on offering long haul flights, with great quality of environments and services to a wide range of destinations. Which makes BA to participate on a large scale at global, European, national and regional level. Within the UK, BA is the largest carrier in the market accounting for 45.1% of passengers with Virgin Atlantic being the second largest carrier in the market with 9.2% market share. It is also likely that long-haul licenses will be granted to low-cost airlines which will enable them to compete in both .This was originally a major cause for concern for British Airways and they initially set up Go-fly to be able to compete with its new competitors Virgin Atlantic. However, it later decided t o focus on its core business and sold Go to Easy Jet in 2002. For example, regional competitors such as Virgin Atlantic have entered the market offering European flights from local airports in Wales. .Virgin airlines change in strategy will have direct effect on BA as they continue to attract customers for their high quality standards. Another strategy that seems to be emerging amongst traditional carriers is to reduce fares in order to become more competitive with the low-cost airlines.BA also has to consider the indirect competitors. New planes, new routes, additional flights and management changes are all factors that impinge a business. Such changes made by a competitor need constant monitoring in order for BA to examine its current position and develop future strategies. Virgin Atlantic has best online reputation as compared to British Airways that effects the working of the British airways. CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS AND OUTCOMES This model talks about the services and quality promised to the customers and the service and quality the customer receives. It is very important for any company to understand the importance of its customer needs for its development and building a brand image. BA is a well-established company and holds a very good reputation in the markets with filling the need of their customer through the terms and conditions they have promised to their customers. The strength of BA lies with the satisfaction of its customers but in certain cases it is failed to satisfy its customers according to the promises been made, issues which have affected the reputation of BA are like not delivering hot meals in flights or not delivering meals at all in short flights. These certain issues has disappointed the customer expectations from BA . Therefore, from the model above which emphasis on the bond between the company offering and delivering to their customers, so it is found that customers are not receiving the quality of services which are been promised by BA .(Ogle, 2010) Question 3. Answer: Using Piercys Value Proposition Model the above question can be solved Piercy (1997) identifies 4 relationships to be considered when managing market-led organizations. Figure 1.1: Key relationships in market strategy (Source: based on Piercy, 1997) It identifies the key relationship-marketing issue as the refocusing of marketing effort: moving activities away from a marketing mix that creates a series of one-off transactions, to managing a complex network of relationships involved in the production of the whole consumer offering. Customer Analysis Shaw (2004) addresses what the most fundamental and commonest mistakes made in airline marketing failure to make a proper distinction between the Consumer and the Customer. Consumers are the ones who actually travel and it is significant that BA consider customers importance, as they are the decision makers of the organization. This is very important aspect for both consumer as well as industrial markets. BAs customers differ extremely in terms of their buying behaviour. Not only do they differ in terms of their age, income, educational levels and geographic location but more fundamentally in BAs case in terms of their lifestyles and potentials which are unfair by several factors. BA also deals in an industrial market where changes in buying behaviour are showed by the reserve of BAs purchasing policies, delivery dates and expected 7 This means using smaller airports, not allocating seats, making passengers pay for refreshments and not issuing tickets. The majority of these decision s are made by a group of individuals working to a set of purchasing criteria, known as the Decision Making Unit (DMU). The mission statement is defined as the key to success and meeting the customer needs on a short span of time and it requires to be changed every year preferably. We now discuss about developing a mission statement, developing vision statement and value statement. (ba.com, 2010) New mission and vision of British Airways Mission Statement : Modernise aircraft fleet and offer new services managing at cost base. Vision Statement : Increase corporate responsibility through environmental performance and partnerships. Developing a Mission Statement Mostly, the mission statement states the overall objective of the organization. If the company decides to develop its vision statement before developing its mission statement it should not affect its working as both means the same and in the vision turns into mission for the company. Improving a mission statement can be done in a fast way by having proper discussion , different experience and should have survey about having different mission with working team of the organization. Study any changes that may be required in wording of the mission statement can leads to any new suggested strategies during a recent strategic planning process which can affect its working.( Managementhelp, 2010) Creating New Value Propositions In order for a company to move to an unique position on the value frontier, it must change its strategies. Value propositions can be changed along four dimensions (price, place, product and promotion) to achieve one of the four strategies which alter positions on or of the value frontier (extending toward the low-end, toward the high-end, and shifting the frontier). First, a company must identify which of the four strategies is appropriate. Extending the frontier toward the low-end is worthwhile if the low-end frontier point in a specific industry can compete with the high-end point in another industry (e.g., low-cost air travel competing with buses) or if customers would be interested in a product/service of lower performance at a lower price. Extending the frontier toward the high-end can be considered when the high-end in a specific industry can compete with the low-end point in another industry (e.g., high-quality prepared pasta competing with restaurants) or when there are customers willing to pay for more performance than what is currently available. If neither option makes sense, then shifting the frontier is the only alternative. This has traditionally been the basis of market competition. Changing value propositions to achieve such frontier changes rely on changing one or more of the four dimensions. Managers need to think of innovating ways to reduce price, risk, and efforts as well as to address the multiple roles customer play, such as having customers co-create some of the work. So now we will focus on transforming product performance by suggesting generic ways of changing product/service attributes. Desired attributes are those most often already delivered in another customer segment, but unreachable at the price point of customers who also desire them. Technological innovation is the most common lever for bringing down the price points to deliver such attributes to a new market segment. For instance, British Airways started providing individual color screens to every economy class passenger when matrix display technology got advanced enough to lower the costs sufficiently. One way to elicit these attributes is to find out what performance level customers would ask for if they had unlimited resources. What service could be delivered to them? And are there any ways to provide some of these services at a more reasonable price (e.g. British Airways adding beds to airplanes). So to answer these question British Airways must improve it. (Source: archive.nyu.edu, 2010) Improved value proposition of British Airways Upgrade customer experience via the introduction of text and mobile services for business class customers as well as regular customers and maintain low price for all types of services. Defining/ Implementation of the Plan Value Propositions and Value Frontier The first step in the process is to define the value frontier. This is fairly easy to do. Managers must first identify what their competitors offer in terms of performance and cost. A value frontier extends from low-cost substitutes to fulfill a specific need (automobile or railway vs. aircraft) to high-end embellishments that are currently offered at high prices and define superior performance . Thus, we ask managers to consider ways of fulfilling core needs beyond the ways currently offered in their industry segment. This is a critical first step in identifying new strategies. Once the value frontier is defined, what are the value propositions of the companies along the frontier? What are the performance, price, risk and effort attributes across customer roles that define the companies on the frontier? Defining the value proposition of different locations on the frontier allows managers to elicit key attributes for differentiation. It also forms the basis for comparing the companies value propositions with a competitors. It should avoid price related struggles and should adopt policies which comprises of low prices. Good communication channels should be adopted in order to avoid confusion about the services been provided to the customers. Better quality of technology should be use to entertain the customers in flight. Should not promise the customers to deliver the services which are cannot be fulfilled. BA should provide its customers with hot meals in all kind of flights. It reflects good impression on the customers. BRITISH AIRWAYS SHOULD ADOPT NEW MARKETING MIX Suppliers, shareholders, customers and employees are not rivals for the battle for profits they are partners, and will be more successful once they learn to work together. (Egan and Thomas, 1998) NEW MARKETING MIX FOR BRITISH AIRWAYS On the basis of status financial British Airways is relatively stable to other companies in the air transport industry, and it has positioned itself as a best service provider. It has formed alliances with other carriers, and has already segmented its market successfully. The best strategy for the BA is to follow the strategic plan it has made and monitor that all of its activities support that strategic focus. Product strategy Product is always been the most important aspect for the organizations success. It needs to be advanced and achieve very careful in order to be successful. British Airways product strategy comprises of good quality services, quality of flights leads to various destinations through Europe and rest of the world. It has executive class, business class, speed, security, support facilities and having experience of several years. To satisfy its customers should it provides them with their basic need to other alternatives too and fulfill their demands. Pricing strategy Pricing strategy followed by British Airways is Price Discrimination. There is a condition of price war between different airline companies as the new breed of airlines, the so called low cost airlines is growing fast. The most successful among these low cost carriers are Southwest Airlines (USA), Ryan air (Ireland), easy jet (UK). So British Airways should adopt the policy of low price. Promotional strategy British Airways launched an advertising campaign to promote the trial of its First and Club World services. As part of the campaign, British Airways is offering new members of its Executive Club Canada frequent flyer program free economy class tickets for two to a global destination in exchange for their opinion about their flying experience in First Class or Club World this will help in attracting customers. Place British Airways working globally should focus on its key destination countries and should adopt such policies to meet the demands of its customers on time. CONCLUSION British Airways remains cautiously optimistic about its future prospects. However, it is certain that considerably more work lies ahead if the airline is to succeed. Rising prices could place BA in a disadvantageous position, particularly given the continued popularity of budget airlines. This is an important factor for BA to consider. BA must understand that the key growth area for BA is likely to be in value-added travel. In some areas, BA found that it could improve customers experience while reducing costs, such as in its building up of online sales. Overall, BA must continue to strive to reduce costs and improve customer and employee satisfaction. List of References 123HELPME 2010, Product Strategy of the British Airways [Online] Available at: http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=121683 [Accessed on 05 December 2010 ]. Business dictionary 2010,customer value [online] Available at:http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/customer-value.html [Accessed on 06 December 2010]. Business dictionary 2010, value proposition [online] Available at: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/value-proposition.html [ Accessed on 05 December]. ba.com 2010 (Official Website) Available at: www.ba.com[Accessed on: 30th November]. Difference between (no date), Difference Between Mission and Vision [Online] Available at:http://www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-between-mission-and-vision/ [Accessed on 06 December 2010]. Innovation leaders 2010, Profile: virgin atlantic [online] Available at: http://www.innovationleaders.net/va_company_profile.html [Accessed on 05 December 2010]. Karnbil , A.1996, Re-Inventing Value Propositions[online] Available at: http://archive.nyu.edu/bitstream/2451/14205/1/IS-96-21.pdfhttp://archive.nyu.edu/bitstream/2451/14205/1/IS-96-21.pdf [Accessed on 06 December]. Ogle, D, 2010. Types of Customer value Proposition BD415031S Marketing Management. Anglia Ruskin University, Unpublished. Ogle, D, 2010. Importance of value proposition BD415031S Marketing Management. Anglia Ruskin University, Unpublished. Ogle, D, 2010.CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS AND OUTCOMES BD415031S Marketing Management. Anglia Ruskin University, Unpublished. Reuters 2010, Profile: British Airways PLC (BAY.L) [online] Available at: http://uk.reuters.com/business/quotes/companyProfile?symbol=BAY.L [Accessed on 06 December 2010].

Style :: Writing Styles Style Paper

Style After reading Strunk and White’s, The Elements of Style, Williams’, Style: Toward Clarity and Grace, and my peers’ reviews of these two books, I have come up with an all encompassing answer to the question: what is style, and what elements are most important to all writers? The answer is: there is no clear cut definition of style. It is ever changing; and is based on society’s views of what makes good writing, not necessarily the writer’s own thoughts on the matter. Therefore, the writer is better off following the set rules of grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure, determined by society; then adding her own voice. The actual elements that make up style are a little less vague, but again, it is up to the individual writer to decide which elements to include in her writing—and which to leave out. Strunk and White have listed â€Å"Seven rules of usage, eleven principles of composition, a few matters of form, and a list of words and expressions commonly misused.† (Strunk and White) Strunk and White present their list of rules to would-be writers in hopes that they may one day attain what society deems to be style. Strunk and White’s rule number six: â€Å"Do not break sentences in two—in other words, do not use periods for commas,† (Strunk and White) was interesting because I break it often. Before reading Strunk and White, I was under the impression that when you want a sentence to be emphatic, you can clip it, and force the reader to take notice simply by creating a sentence structure that looks unusual to them. This forces the reader to stop and take another look. Strunk and White warn us that this is not proper, and should be attempted by no means, â€Å"Less a clipped sentence seem merely a blunder in syntax or punctuation.† Strunk and White also claim, â€Å"As a rule, single sentences should not be written or printed as paragraphs.† Unfortunately, writing single sentence paragraphs once defined my writing. In grade school, I was told the only way to write well was to write exactly as you speak. I just happen to be the type of person that speaks fast, changes subjects often, emphasizes certain groups of words I want my listeners to grab on to, and then (and this is what often saves me from becoming a complete muddle), summarizes what I was saying.

The Multiple Person Complex :: Writing Education Teaching Essays

The Multiple Person Complex Well, I am embarrassed to admit this, but the assignment of the metaphor for life at a university was not something I worked very hard to write. Even more embarrassing is that it is evident when you read my paper. When I look back on it, I don't see a metaphor at all. A comparison? Yes. But there's no metaphor in my paper. That proves to me, and everyone in the class, that I didn't put a lot of thinking into my writing. So I have to ask myself why a paper that was easy enough to write could have turned out so wrong. I think that I truly intended to use a jigsaw puzzle as a metaphor for my experiences of life at Bemidji State University. But as I wrote the paper, I remember feeling removed from the project and the contents. I was merely "creating" in to hand in. So I started with an object I could use for a metaphor, the puzzle, then just wrote out a simple comparison. I didn't even think about it not being a metaphor until I got it back a couple of days ago. It wasn't at all how I viewed life at the college. It was simply easier to do, than to explain way I really felt, like some strange force just keeps pushing me through school, and that I don't feel comfortable with the idea of what my education will bring me, or won't bring me. Instead of putting my real experiences on the paper with my real voice pulling the reader into my paper, I ended up with a dull, simple paper that didn't even fulfill the assignment. The difference between me as the writer and the "me" portrayed in my papers is evident in my paper "Thoughts on Organization." I was very unsure of how to do the assignment, so I followed Marnie's advice and just started writing as things came to me. I wrote my thoughts as they occurred, basically. My little quirky comments are very true to my personality. In the metaphor paper I didnà ­t use any of them. In fact, I purposely kept them out, thinking they had no place in a paper or essay. (How very institutionally OS of me, huh?) The reason I put the into other papers, is because I worked really hard on the, gave them long consideration, and wrote them with me as the "character" in them.

Import Substitution Industries Essay

â€Å"There is a belief among some economists that a country should focus more on export sector explanation and diversification than promoting the import substitution Industries (ISI).† Critically comment on this taking Sri Lankan economy as an example. You are expected to refer relevant articles from recognized sources on the said areas and provide your own views and analysis with proper reasoning. Export means shipping the goods and services out of the port of a country. An import is a good brought into a jurisdiction, especially across a national border, from an external source. Import Substitution Industries (ISI) means an economic theory employed by developing or emerging market nations that wish to increase their self-sufficiency and decrease their dependency on developed countries. Implementation of the theory focuses on protection and incubation of domestic infant industries so they may emerge to compete with imported goods and make the local economy more self-sufficie nt. Normally importing is not bad. Importing raw materials and goods is one of the paths of increasing the profit margins. There are number of benefits in importing the goods, such as high quality, low prices, and benefits related to the international trade. But I think there are more disadvantages for country. Importing of goods could lead the erosion of the domestic markets and national economies specifically when there is trade deficit occurrence the import is higher than the export. And can also be increased due to import of goods such as conflict in the domestic values due to the acceptance of social values. The domestic industries can also be crippled due to the import of the countries where the wages are low and the domestic industries are unable to compete since they cannot lower down their prices of goods than the cost of goods. The exporting of goods is specifically difficult and disadvantageous for the small and medium size firms. The sale of services and goods into the foreign market is difficult for them rather serving the domestic market. A lack of knowledge of different languages, difference in culture, exchange regulations and trade regulations having the major impact on exporting the goods. But normally there are have more advantages than importing. One of the major advantages of export is the ownership advantage which is specific to the firms international experience, asset and ability of the exporter to  either develop the differentiated product or low cost product with in the values chain. A combination of investment risk and market potential is known as the location benefit of the particular market combination. In order to retain the core competencies within the organization and stitching it throughout the country without retaining the license, selling or outsourcing is the international advantage in export. Some of the organizations having lower level of ownership advantage may do not enter into the foreign markets. In case a company’s products and company’s ownership equipped with the international advantage and ownership advantage, the entry can be made through low risk model known as exporting under the eclectic paradigm. There is low investment requires in exporting of goods than the other modes of inter national trade and expansion such foreign direct investment. Somehow it is recognized that the lower level of risk result in ,lower level of rate of return than possibly the other modes of international trade. On the other hand the usual return on international trade in export sales might not have greater potential but also there will be no risk. In export of goods the managers are allowed to exercise the various operational control however it does not have the option over the control of marketing activities of the company. The end consumer of exported goods is far away from the exporter though the various intermediaries can manage the risk. Export performance is one of the strongest areas of Sri Lanka’s economy at the present time. It can be best described as a growth area. If you were to take exports as a whole, there has been an improvement of around 14% across the board, in terms of the foreign exchange that was realized by Sri Lankan exports. However, in some sectors, the growth has been very much more. For example, in the electronic sector, it is as high as 80%, with rubber performing at 45%, wooden products at 57%, and so on. And also emphasis that the government’s policy is not restricted to enhancing the quantum of foreign exchange that we earn from exports. Earning more foreign exchange is important as the country requires it, but we do not intend to stop there. This is a necessary condition but we do not see it as being sufficient. One of the main policy objectives is to ensure that all benefits percolate down to the grassroots level. In other words, there has to be an equitable distribution of wealth and income right throughout the country. So Sri Lanka is today referred to as a ‘middle income country’ with a per capita income  of US$ 1,370. However, one of our problems is that the distribution of income within the country is far from equitable. A good example of this is the fact that the per capita income in the district of Colombo is seven times what it is in districts such as Monaragela, Pollonnaruwa and Hambantota. Thus we need to address the inequities that are inherent in that situation. This is why the putting a particular emphasis on the concept of ‘export promotion villages’ that are being developed around the country. However in this year Imports in Sri Lanka increased to 1845.30 USD Million in July of 2014 from 1439.40 USD Million in June of 2014. Imports in Sri Lanka averaged 1035.70 USD Million from 2001 until 2014, reaching an all time high of 1986.40 USD Million in November of 2011 and a record low of 408 USD Million in February of 2002. (Reported by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka) Normally we export different type of goods like Apparel, tea, rubber coconut gems etc†¦ In those industries the tea industry is perhaps Sri Lanka’s most strategic economic sector and pure Ceylon tea our only internationally known brand. We are the world’s biggest tea exporter, manufacturing more than 300 million kilos of black tea annually, almost all of which is exported. Our orthodox teas usually sell at a premium over other orthodox teas from elsewhere. Therefore we can increase that industry and get more economical profit for our country. In importing we have to pay more money with huge taxes to other countries, and in that situation we waste our money more. But if we focus more on export sector explanation and diversification we can improve our productions, develop our manufactures, and finally we can export those productions for other countries, then we can earn more profit. Don’t want to pay unessential money for other countries if we’ll develo p our exporting industry. In that case we can increase jobs for our people also, and we can develop our economy. So, mainly Imports and exports may seem like general terms that have little bearing on everyday life, but they exert a profound influence on the consumer and the economy. In today’s interlinked global economy, consumers are used to seeing products and produce from every corner of the world in their local malls and stores. These overseas products or imports provide more choices to consumers and help them manage strained household budgets. But too many imports in relation to exports which are products shipped from a country to foreign destinations can distort a  nation’s balance of trade and devalue its currency. The value of a currency, in turn, is one of the biggest determinants of a nation’s economic performance. So finally studying about those cases I also think the country should focus more on export sector explanation and diversification than promoting the import substitution Industries (ISI).

Vampire Academy Chapter 20

TWENTY MY MOUTH DROPPED OPEN. â€Å"Uh†¦wait†¦you mean sex?† My astonishment prevented me from thinking of a better response. Mason thought it was hysterical. Jesse looked like he wanted to die. â€Å"Of course I mean sex. She said she'd do it if we said that we'd†¦you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I made a face. â€Å"You guys didn't both, uh, do it at the same time, did you?† â€Å"No,† said Jesse in disgust. Ralf kind of looked like he wouldn't have minded. â€Å"God,† I muttered, pushing hair out of my face. â€Å"I can't believe she hates us that much.† â€Å"Hey,† exclaimed Jesse, reading into my insinuation. â€Å"What's that supposed to mean? We're not that bad. And you and me – we were pretty close to – â€Å" â€Å"No. We weren't even close to that.† Mason laughed again, and something struck me. â€Å"If this†¦if this happened back then, though†¦she must have still been dating Aaron.† All three guys nodded. â€Å"Oh. Whoa.† Mia really hated us. She'd just moved beyond poor-girl-wronged-by-girl's-brother and well into sociopath territory. She'd slept with these two and cheated on a boyfriend whom she seemed to adore. Jesse and Ralf looked incredibly relieved when we walked away. Mason slung a lazy arm around my shoulders. â€Å"Well? What do you think? I rule, right? You can tell me. I won't mind.† I laughed. â€Å"How'd you finally find that out?† â€Å"I called in a lot of favors. Used some threats. The fact that Mia can't retaliate helped too.† I recalled Mia accosting me the other day. I didn't think she was entirely helpless yet but didn't say so. â€Å"They'll start telling people on Monday.† he continued. â€Å"They promised. Everyone'll know by lunch.† â€Å"Why not now?† I asked sulkily. â€Å"They slept with a girl. Hurts her more than them.† â€Å"Yeah. True. They didn't want to deal with it tonight. You could start telling people if you wanted to. We could make a banner.† With as many times as Mia had called me a slut and a whore? Not a bad idea. â€Å"You got any markers and paper?†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My words trailed off as I stared across the gym to where Lissa stood surrounded by admirers, Aaron's arm around her waist. She wore a sleek pink cotton sheath in a shade I never could have pulled off. Her blond hair had been pulled up in a bun that she'd used little crystal hairpins on. It almost looked like she wore a crown. Princess Vasilisa. The same feelings as earlier hummed through to me, anxiety and excitement. She just couldn't quite enjoy herself tonight. Watching her from the other side of the room, lurking in the darkness, was Christian. He practically blended into the shadows. â€Å"Stop it,† Mason chided me, seeing my stare. â€Å"Don't worry about her tonight.† â€Å"Hard not to.† â€Å"It makes you look all depressed. And you're too hot in that dress to look depressed. Come on, there's Eddie.† He dragged me away, but not before I cast one last glance at Lissa over my shoulder. Our eyes met briefly. Regret flashed through the bond. But I pushed her out of my head – figuratively speaking – and managed to put on a good face when we joined a group of other novices. We earned a lot of mileage by telling them about the Mia scandal and, petty or not, seeing my name cleared and getting revenge on her felt amazingly good. And as those in our group wandered off and mingled with others, I could see the news spreading and spreading. So much for waiting until Monday. Whatever. I didn't care. I was actually having a good time. I fell into my old role, happy to see I hadn't grown too dusty in making funny and flirty remarks. Yet, as time passed and Eddie's party grew closer, I started to feel Lissa's anxiety pick up in intensity. Frowning, I stopped talking and turned around, scanning the room for her. There. She was still with a group of people, still the sun in her little solar system. But Aaron was leaning very close to her, saying something in her ear. A smile I recognized as fake was plastered across her face, and the annoyance and anxiety from her increased further. Then it spiked. Mia had walked up to them. Whatever she'd come to say, she didn't waste any time in saying it. With the eyes of Lissa's admirers on her, little Mia in her red dress gestured wildly, mouth working animatedly. I couldn't hear the words from across the room, but the feelings grew darker and darker through the bond. â€Å"I've got to go,† I told Mason. I half walked, half ran over to Lissa's side, catching only the tail end of Mia's tirade. She was yelling at Lissa full force now and leaning into her face. From what I could tell, word must have reached her about Jesse and Ralf selling her out. † – you and your slutty friend! I'm going to tell everyone what a psycho you are and how they had to lock you in the clinic because you're so crazy. They're putting you on medication. That's why you and Rose left before anyone else could find out you cut – â€Å" Whoa, not good. Just like at our first meeting in the cafeteria, I grabbed her and jerked her away. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"Slutty friend here. Remember what I said about standing too close to her?† Mia snarled, baring her fangs. As I'd noted before, I couldn't feel too sorry for her anymore. She was dangerous. She had stooped low to get back at me. Now, somehow, she knew about Lissa and the cutting. Really knew, too; she wasn't just guessing. The information she had now sounded both like what the guardians on the scene had reported, as well as what I'd told them about Lissa's history. Maybe some confidential doctor's stuff too. Mia'd snagged the records somehow. Lissa realized it too, and the look on her face – scared and fragile, no more princess – made my decision for me. It didn't matter that Kirova had spoken the other day about giving me my freedom, that I'd been having a good time, and that I could have let my worries go and partied tonight. I was going to ruin everything, right here and right now. I'm really not good with impulse control. I punched Mia as hard as I could – harder, I think, than I'd even hit Jesse. I heard a crunch as my fist impacted her nose, and blood spurted out. Someone screamed. Mia shrieked and flew backwards into some squealing girls who didn't want to get blood on their dresses. I swooped in after her, getting in one more good punch before somebody peeled me off her. I didn't fight restraint as I had when they'd taken me from Mr. Nagy's classroom. I'd expected this as soon as I'd swung at her. Stopping all signs of resistance, I let two guardians lead me out of the dance while Ms. Kirova tried to bring some semblance of order. I didn't care what they did to me. Not anymore. Punish or expel. Whatever. I could handle – Ahead of us, through the ebbing and flowing waves of students passing through the double doors, I saw a figure in pink dart out. Lissa. My own out-of-control emotions had overridden hers, but there they were, flooding back into me. Devastation. Despair. Everyone knew her secret now. She'd face more than just idle speculation. Pieces would fall together. She couldn't handle that. Knowing I wasn't going anywhere, I frantically searched for some way to help her. A dark figure caught my eye. â€Å"Christian!† I yelled. He'd been staring at Lissa's retreating figure but glanced up at the sound of his name. One of my escorts shushed me and took my arm. â€Å"Be quiet.† I ignored her. â€Å"Go after her,† I called to Christian. â€Å"Hurry.† He just sat there, and I suppressed a groan. â€Å"Go, you idiot!† My guardians snapped at me to be quiet again, but something inside of Christian woke up. Springing up from his lounging position, he tore off in the direction Lissa had traveled. No one wanted to deal with me that night. There'd be hell to pay tomorrow – I heard talk of suspension or possibly even expulsion – but Kirova had her hands full with a bleeding Mia and a hysterical student body. The guardians escorted me to my room under the watchful eye of the dorm matron who informed me she'd check on me every hour to make sure I stayed in my room. A couple guardians would also hang out around the dorm's entrances. Apparently I was now a high-security risk. I'd probably just ruined Eddie's party; he'd never sneak a group up to his room now. Heedless of my dress, I flounced onto the floor of my room, crossing my legs underneath me. I reached out to Lissa. She was calmer now. The events from the dance still hurt her terribly, but Christian was soothing her somehow, although whether it was through simple words or physical mojo, I couldn't say. I didn't care. So long as she felt better and wouldn't do anything stupid. I returned to myself. Yes, things were going to get messy now. Mia and Jesse's respective accusations were going to set the school on fire. I probably would get thrown out and have to go live with a bunch of skanky dhampir women. At least Lissa might realize Aaron was boring and that she wanted to be with Christian. But even if that was the right thing, it still meant – Christian. Christian. Christian was hurt. I snapped back into Lissa's body, suddenly sucked in by the terror pounding through her. She was surrounded, surrounded by men and women who had come out of nowhere, bursting up into the attic of the chapel where she and Christian had gone to talk. Christian leapt up, fire flaring from his fingers. One of the invaders hit him on the head with something hard, making his body slump to the ground. I desperately hoped he was okay, but I couldn't waste any more energy worrying about him. All my fear was for Lissa now. I couldn't let the same thing happen to her. I couldn't let them hurt her. I needed to save her, to get her out of there. But I didn't know how. She was too far away, and I couldn't even escape her head at the moment, let alone run over there or get help. The attackers approached her, calling her Princess and telling her not to worry, and that they were guardians. And they did seem like guardians. Definitely dhampirs. Moving in precise, efficient ways. But I didn't recognize them as any of the guardians from school. Neither did Lissa. Guardians wouldn't have attacked Christian. And guardians certainly wouldn't be binding and gagging her – Something forced me out of her head, and I frowned, staring around my room. I needed to go back to her and find out what had happened. Usually the connection just faded or I closed it off, but this – this was like something had actually removed me and pulled me. Pulled me back here. But that made no sense. What could pull me back from†¦wait. My mind blanked. I couldn't remember what I'd just been thinking about. It was gone. Like static in my brain. Where had I been? With Lissa? What about Lissa? Standing up, I wrapped my arms around myself, confused, trying to figure out what was going on. Lissa. Something with Lissa. Dimitri, a voice inside my head suddenly said. Go to Dimitri. Yes. Dimitri. My body and spirit burned for him all of a sudden, and I wanted to be with him more than I ever had before. I couldn't stay away from him. He'd know what to do. And he'd told me before I should come to him if something was wrong with Lissa. Too bad I couldn't remember what that was. Still. I knew he'd take care of everything. Getting up to the staff wing of the dorm wasn't hard, since they wanted to keep me inside tonight. I didn't know where his room was, but it didn't matter. Something was pulling me to him, urging me closer. An instinct pushed me toward one of the doors, and I beat the living daylights out of it. After a few moments, he opened it, brown eyes widening when he saw me. â€Å"Rose?† â€Å"Let me in. It's Lissa.† He immediately stepped aside for me. I'd apparently caught him in bed, because the covers were peeled back on one side and only a small tableside lamp shone in the darkness. Plus, he wore only cotton pajama bottoms; his chest – which I'd never seen before, and wow, did it look great – was bare. The ends of his dark hair curled near his chin and appeared damp, like he'd taken a shower not so long ago. â€Å"What's wrong?† The sound of his voice thrilled me, and I couldn't answer. I couldn't stop staring at him. The force that had pulled me up here pulled me to him. I wanted him to touch me so badly, so badly I could barely stand it. He was so amazing. So unbelievably gorgeous. I knew somewhere something was wrong, but it didn't seem important. Not when I was with him. With almost a foot separating us, there was no way I could easily kiss his lips without his help. So instead, I aimed for his chest, wanting to taste that warm, smooth skin. â€Å"Rose!† he exclaimed, stepping back. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"What do you think?† I moved toward him again, needing to touch him and kiss him and do so many other things. â€Å"Are you drunk?† he asked, holding his hand out in a warding gesture. â€Å"Don't I wish.† I tried to dodge around him, then paused, momentarily uncertain. â€Å"I thought you wanted to – don't you think I'm pretty?† In all the time we'd known each other, in all the time this attraction had built, he'd never told me I was pretty. He'd hinted at it, but that wasn't the same. And despite all the assurances I had from other guys that I was hotness incarnate, I needed to hear it from the one guy I actually wanted. â€Å"Rose, I don't know what's going on, but you need to go back to your room.† When I moved toward him again, he reached out and gripped my wrists. With that touch, an electric current shot through both of us, and I saw him forget whatever he'd just been worrying about. Something seized him too, something that made him suddenly want me as much I wanted him. Releasing my wrists, he moved his hands up my arms, sliding slowly along my skin. Holding me in his dark, hungry gaze, he pulled me to him, pressing me right up to his body. One of his hands moved up the back of my neck, twining his fingers in my hair and tipping my face up to his. He brought his lips down, barely brushing them against mine. Swallowing, I asked again, â€Å"Do you think I'm pretty?† He regarded me with utter seriousness, like he always did. â€Å"I think you're beautiful.† â€Å"Beautiful?† â€Å"You are so beautiful, it hurts me sometimes.† His lips moved to mine, gentle at first, and then hard and hungry. His kiss consumed me. His hands on my arms slid down, down my hips, down to the edge of my dress. He gathered up the fabric in his hands and began pushing it up my legs. I melted into that touch, into his kiss and the way it burned against my mouth. His hands kept sliding up and up, until he'd pulled the dress over my head and tossed it on the floor. â€Å"You†¦you got rid of that dress fast,† I pointed out between heavy breaths. â€Å"I thought you liked it.† â€Å"I do like it,† he said. His breathing was as heavy as mine. â€Å"I love it.† And then he took me to the bed.