Personal problems Essay Example for Free

Personal problems Essay 1. There are many things that contribute to the pessimism of poor people. Some of the most prominent reasons why poor people believe that it is impossible to them to get out of poverty are high competition in labor markets, increased population (increased competition), lack of sufficient jobs, lack of proper education and the perception that the government is not doing anything to help them. With these factors, behaviors of frustration, oppression and depression will most likely exist. If such behaviors cannot be contained, then the cultivation of criminal mindset will be inevitable. 2.The most vulnerable groups of people who will live in poverty are those who did not complete formal education, those who are indirectly discriminated (due to race, age and social status) and those who have lost their faith with the government system of service. Possibly, these groups will not be able to access proper healthcare as well. They may not be able to afford even the basic health services, will not be covered by a health insurance and will be discriminated by corporate-established medical institutions. 3. Most people who live in poverty are aggressive when faced with personal problems. The poor commit crimes and they are high among their established segments in the society (Raffaele, 1968). However, in general, culture of poverty may be described as helplessness, marginality, dependency and the perception of not belonging to the system. Culture clashes may happen between the poor and the health care delivery system when it comes to understanding the needs of the poor, non-adherence of the poor to the instructions of health personnel, intimidation on the part of the poor and possibly moral and ethical abuse committed by health personnel. 4. To make the healthcare system more responsive to the poor, institutions should at least reach out to poor people even as a form of charity. They should initiate to help the poor because majority of them is socially powerless. Moreover, health institutions should at least adhere to the laws and instructions mandated by the governed in terms of providing services to the poor. References Raffaele, J. A. (1968, May 9). Culture of poverty. Retrieved from http://www. nybooks. com/articles/archives/1968/may/09/culture-of-poverty-2/

Free Awakening Essays: Impressions :: Chopin Awakening Essays

Impressions of The Awakening I liked "The Story of an Hour" much better than I liked "The Awakening" for a few reasons. First of all, "The Awakening" was entirely too long to say what it had to say. I do not really understand the point of having Edna spend all of that time away from Robert. At first, I thought it was to prove how much she missed him, but then she started fooling around with the other guy. To me, this does not indicate that she missed him very much at all. So what was the point of that whole boring part of the story? It made me want Robert to hurry up and come back so we could get on with it (which I guess Edna was thinking the whole time). Then when he does come back, they admit their love for one another, but they still are not together. I guess the ending just kind of pissed me off. I don't get the point in her "waking up" and being free to do whatever she feels, but she still cannot be with Robert. Another thing I did not like was the constant references to waking up and awakenings. I think that when a story is really good, you need to think about it, whereas this story just comes right out and tells you where the turning point is. It was obvious to me by that point when she learns to swim that this will be a turning point in her life, so I don't like the fact that Chopin practically spells it out for us.I do like the fact that, Chopin, living in the times that she did, had the courage to make such a stink! I liked the part where Edna is lying in the hammock, and her husband is yelling at her to come inside to go to bed while she stubbornly refuses.However, Chopin ruins it for me by telling us that Edna makes a conscious decision never to obey her husband against her will again. I think the portrayals of Edna's two friends serve to contrast what she is(or society believes that she should be) with what she will become. Adele is the mother-type who sacrifices all for her children and her husband, and she even assumes a motherly role in the life of Edna, giving advice and trying to protect her friend all the time.

Alibaba Competing in China and Beyond

Case: Alibaba Competing in China and Beyond Electric commerce (e-commerce) is the buying and selling of products or services over an electronic medium like the internet. The advantages of e-commerce are speedy transactions, less travel, low operational costs, ability to reach a large customer base, and round the clock buying and selling. Some of the disadvantages of e-commerce are the minimum amounts of customer to company interactions which leads to trust issues, e-commerce is prone to fraud and theft, and there is no guarantee on product quality.In a market like China, it's important to understand the local culture, values, the political government, and the language. The political government in China has a major impact on the Internet companies in China. It is important for e-commerce companies in China to understand how to successfully launch a Chinese language website or design a search engine that would suit the complex language. In order to gain an edge amongst their competitor s, international companies must seek out local help to understand the local culture and values, the language, the consumers, and how to deal with the politics of the region.Alibaba, founded by Jack Ma, is a website which allows for buyers and sellers all over the globe to engage in electronic business transactions. Alibaba played a major role in bringing the Internet Revolution to China. Ma achieved this by allowing small and medium-size enterprises (SME) in China to benefit from cross border trade through his website. Alibaba made their money from the 21 million users who paid annual subscriptions. Alibaba established itself when the Chinese Internet industry was still in its infancy.This was the perfect opportunity for e-commerce companies because of the lack of competition. However, the competition that they did face were Global Sources and MeetChina, which were also launched in 1999. In order to gain a competitive advantage in the B2B market Alibaba did not charge fees for any t ransaction. That was a strategy that critics were skeptical about. However, Alibaba built a customer base that would end up to be unrivaled. What made Alibaba so successful was its ability to rapidly adapt to current market trends in China.In the dotcom bubble burst Alibaba reformulated their strategy to concentrating on improving its business in China rather than focusing on global markets, they moved the headquarters back from Shanghai to Hangzhou, and they would concentrate on the richest regions in China. Foreign companies saw opportunity in China's expanding e-commerce market. One of those companies was US-based eBay Inc. , who entered China by acquiring stake in Shanghai's EachNet. com for $30 million. Ma then launched Taobao to rival eBay in the Business to Consumer (B2C) and Consumer to Consumer (C2C) market.Again, Taobao employed the free concept strategy to attempt to build a consumer base by offering free listings on their website. Alibaba also developed a promotional str ategy for Taobao in which they advertised through online ads and billboards. Taobao also had a unique feature where users can e-mail and chat with each other onsite unlike their eBay counterparts who concealed sellers identity and only offered communications through offline messaging. Taobao also addressed the trust factor during online transactions between buyers and sellers by developing AliPay, similar to Paypal.The first mistake that eBay Inc. made was that they based their business strategy on the US business model. What works well in one region will not work in others. Ma quoted â€Å"We knew that someday, eBay would come in our direction. † indicating that Alibaba had done their research and they were prepared for the arrival of any potential rivals. After cornering 79% of the market shares in China, eBay soon found itself in fierce competition with Alibaba when Alibaba made quick marketing adjustments. Bay ‘s other mistake was that they entered China assuming th at they have a global product. What they failed to realize is that the Taobao product was designed for the local consumer while eBay's product was more product based, meaning they are more concerned with how to get more consumers to use their product rather than does this product fit the consumers wants and needs. eBay declined to drop their auction fees and failed to improve consumer interaction on their website to compete with Taobao. eBay should have focused more on the local strategies that other local business use.They could have done this if they were more consumer driven and aligned with the local environment. eBay should have went through the process of environmental scanning. They should have conducted an analysis of their current and potential competitors to find out what their goals and strategies are and what are their strengths and weaknesses. eBay's lack of knowledge and ignorance of the local market left them unprepared for rapid change that local businesses employ. F oreign competitors fail to enter the Chinese market because they lack the nderstanding of the language, the culture, and they lack the ability to adapt rapidly to change. Foreign companies can address this issue by preparing a strategy for entry such as organize ways to enable fast communication and processes for quick business decision making. They should hire within the country to adopt the workers who have a understanding of the local culture and values. They should be prepared for change and learn to adapt with the local market trends and prepare a plan of action to react faster.

5 Environmental Consequences of Oil Spills

Oil spills caused by damaged tankers, pipelines, or offshore oil rigs often result in immediate and long-term environmental damage that can last for decades. These are among the most notable areas of environmental damage caused by spills: Beaches, Marshlands, and Fragile Aquatic Ecosystems David McNew  / Stringer  / Getty Images Oil spills coat everything they touch and become unwelcome but long-term parts of every ecosystem they enter. When an oil slick from a large spill reaches a beach, oil coats and clings to every rock and grain of sand. If the oil washes into coastal marshes, mangrove forests, or other wetlands, fibrous plants and grasses absorb oil, which can damage plants and make the area unsuitable as wildlife habitat. When oil eventually stops floating on the waters surface and begins to sink into the marine environment, it can have similar damaging effects on fragile underwater ecosystems, killing or contaminating fish and smaller organisms that are essential links in the global food chain. Despite massive clean-up efforts following the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, for example, a 2007 study conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that 26,000 gallons of oil were still trapped in the sand along the Alaska shoreline. Scientists conducting the study determined that residual oil was declining at less than 4 percent annually. Birds Stockbyte​  / Getty Images   Oil-covered birds are a universal symbol of environmental damage wreaked by oil spills. Some species of shore birds might escape by relocating if they sense danger in time, but sea birds that swim and dive for their food are most likely to be covered in oil following a spill. Oil spills also damage nesting grounds, potentially causing serious long-term effects on entire species. The 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon offshore oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, for example, occurred during prime mating and nesting season for many bird and marine species, and long-term environmental consequences of that spill wont be known for years. Oil spills can disrupt migratory patterns by contaminating areas where migrating birds normally stop. Even a small amount of oil can be deadly to a bird. By coating feathers, oil not only makes flying impossible but also destroys birds natural waterproofing and insulation, leaving them vulnerable to hypothermia or overheating. As birds frantically preen their feathers to restore their natural protections, they often swallow oil, which can severely damage their internal organs and lead to death. The Exxon Valdez oil spill killed from 250,000 to 500,000 seabirds, plus shore birds and bald eagles. Marine Mammals Handout  / Getty Images Oil spills frequently kill marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, seals, and sea otters. Oil can clog blowholes of whales and dolphins, making it impossible for them to breathe properly and disrupting their ability to communicate. Oil coats fur of otters and seals, leaving them vulnerable to hypothermia. Even when marine mammals escape the immediate effects, an oil spill can contaminate their food supply. Marine mammals that eat fish or other food exposed to an oil spill may be poisoned by oil and die or experience other problems. The Exxon Valdez oil spill killed thousands of sea otters, hundreds of harbor seals, roughly two dozen killer whales, and a dozen or more river otters. In the years after the Exxon Valdez spill, scientists noted higher death rates among sea otters and other species affected by the spill and stunted growth or other damage among additional species. Fish Vstock LLC  / Getty Images   Oil spills often take a deadly toll on fish, shellfish, and other marine life, particularly if many fish eggs or larvae are exposed to oil. Shrimp and oyster fisheries along the Louisiana coast were among early casualties of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Similarly, the Exxon Valdez spill destroyed billions of salmon and herring eggs. Years later those fisheries had not recovered. Wildlife Habitat and Breeding Grounds Julie Dermansky  / Contributor  / Getty Images Long-term damage to species and their habitats and nesting or breeding grounds is one of the most far-reaching environmental effects caused by oil spills. Even species that spend most of their lives at sea, such as various species of sea turtles, must come ashore to nest. Sea turtles can be harmed by oil they encounter in the water or on the beach where they lay their eggs, their eggs can be damaged by oil and fail to develop properly, and newly hatched turtles may be oiled as they scurry toward the ocean across an oily beach. Ultimately, the severity of environmental damage caused by an oil spill depends on many factors, including the amount of oil spilled, type and weight of oil, location of the spill, species of wildlife in the area, timing of breeding cycles and seasonal migrations, and even the weather at sea during and after the oil spill.