My First Time Home :: essays research papers

Shining brightly, in the darkness below the clouds, the lights of tall buildings rose up to meet us. As the plane turned toward Logan airport my anticipation grew; I became anxious, squirming in my seat. The giant Citgo sign, the Prudential, Copley Plaza, Long wharf, and Fenway Park were lit up, and my mind was filled with nostalgic memories that made the descent longer. Bump, thump, bump, thump went my heart as we lowered to the ground. I felt butterflies rise up in my stomach fluttering about like a small circus. My face grew red as my smile grew wider. The excitement grew; I was unable to speak. My body started shaking, if anyone touched me, I would have exploded. Beep, beep went the seat belt sign, and I launching from my chair, annoying all of the more patient passengers around me, yanked the overhead compartment door. Click, it was open, grabbing my backpack, I dashed up the ramp into the terminal. My first victory: I was the first off the plane. Running down the hallway bump, bump, bump, bump, my heartbeat quickened with the pace of my footsteps. The smell of Starbucks cappuccino filled the air, cell phones of all colors in hand, beep, beep, beep went the pagers, my boyfriend's face was warm and bright, my smile grew inches upon seeing him. I ran to his arms, outstretched. As he put squeezed me, my fantasy, my imagination, became reality; I was home for the weekend. He opened the car door, stepping in, I grabbed the cell phone, and I was off. Quickly dialing, beep, bop, beep, boop, every number I had ever known, "Hi is Kat home? Will you tell her Melissa called? Yeah, I'm home for the weekend! School's fine! Bye." Hitting the "clear" button with my left hand, my right hand began reaching and pushing the familiar, preset buttons, on the car radio; fourteen wonderful stations, all playing various types of rock'n'roll, alternative, and popular music, I knew I was in a metropolitan area, for the only cou ntry music stations were at the far end of the dial. We pulled onto "Salem Street", the sign had not changed, green with white lettering, with rust stains on the upper corners. At night the breeze cools over my back and I relish the salt air from the North Shore. Walking up to the doorway I saw the familiar lights, the kitchen was bright, blue everywhere, the countertops filled with leftovers from dinner that evening.

Living in Global Cities

Living in a global city does not expose people to diverse cultures that enable them to develop well-rounded personalities and multicultural outlooks, but it is also vital into developing a â€Å"global† perspective within them. [WXwS1]  Upon entrance of the 1990s, the notion of `global city' was first brought into play by Saskia Sassen. In her first book on this subject, The Global City (1991), she analyzed New York, London and Tokyo as examples of cities which in the two last decades advanced to the status of global cities. Later, she includes other cities in this category like Miami, Toronto and Sydney, as pointed out in her subsequent book, Cities in a World Economy (1994). Under certain circumstances, Sassen suggested that Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Zurich, Frankfurt, Mexico City and Sao Paulo may also be included in the category of global cities, because they fulfill the prerequisites for certain transnational economic transactions. For a better understanding of Sassen's ideas, she defined global cities as â€Å"key sites for the advanced services and telecommunications facilities necessary for the implementation and management of global economic operations. They also tend to concentrate the headquarters of firms, especially firms that operate in more than one country† (1994, p.19). When the global cities sprouted, new inequalities among these cities became at focus. Nations and their importance within traditional commercial and economic webs lost their privileged positions. The importance of national states started to shrink and certain â€Å"global cities† became more important in the globalized landscape than whole nations. A new combination of spatial dispersal and global integration created new strategic roles for major cities like New York, London and Tokyo: Beyond their long history as centers of international trade and banking, these cities now function in four new ways: first, as highly concentrated command points in the organization of the world economy; second, as key locations for finance and for specialized service firms, which have replaced manufacturing as the leading economic sectors; third, as sites of production, including the production of innovations, in these leading industries; and fourth, as markets for the products and innovations produced (1991, p. 3-4). As Manuel Castells proclaimed, â€Å"Global cities are the new pillars of the informational era† (1996, p. 9). These cities provide the full infrastructure needed by the world economy for the realization of international transactions. This includes good airports, hotels, telecommunications, media, Internet, banking, security, stock exchange, and so on. The global cities have a significant number of qualified and efficient people able to supply and produce all necessary services. They are marketplaces able to absorb and recycle all financial flows and transactions. That is why it is important to remember that this hierarchy may change very fast under constantly changing economic conditions. These are the challenges of living in a global city where change is usually fast and people living it could develop that quick sense of adaptation to changes. [WXwS2] Moreover, global cities also enable people to have an increase in accessibility of areas for socialization.[WXwS3]   Business is booming and the areas outside of a city are affected by it. As the distance away from a community increases, its influence on the surrounding countryside decreases. Many residents will feel that they are able to have the best of both worlds, to be centrally placed yet able to get away to their second home. In global cities, people are provided with parks and lots of things to do. Although it is undeniable that living in global cities are expensive, but the price people pay will be diminished by the accessibility to virtually everything that modern people should have. The redistribution of population caused by suburbanization resulted to spatial and political segregation of social groups of the global cities. The upwardly mobile resident of the city— younger, wealthier, and better educated—took advantage of the automobile and the freeway to leave the central city. The poorer, older, least-advantaged urbanites were left behind. The central cities and the suburbs became increasingly differentiated. Large areas within those cities now contain only the poor and minority groups (including women), a population little able to pay the rising costs of the social services that their numbers, neighborhoods, and condition require. The corporate complex and the immigrant community today are probably two extreme modes in the formation and appropriation of urban space. The urban form represented by the global city function — the internationalized corporate services complex and the highly paid professional work force with its high-priced lifestyle — is the one habitually thought to constitute the essence of an advanced post-industrial economy. The urban form represented by the immigrant community, or more specifically, the informal economy, is habitually seen as not belonging to an advanced economy, one to be found here only because it has been imported via immigration (Sassen, 1993). This phenomenon has increasingly segregated the poor and minorities, being trapped in global cities, without the possibility of nearby employment and are isolated by distance, immobility, and unawareness from the few remaining low-skill jobs, which are now largely in the suburbs. Indeed, it is undeniable that there are huge problems when people choose to live in a global city like New York or San Francisco. However, people should also take part in the macro-structural changes in global economy. The transformation of the industrial into the informational society and the changing emphasis on information rather than material production have produced profound structural changes affecting the organization of societies, their labor force strategies, and the power structures of the state. As we are all aware that globalization is a vital concept in our time, living in a global city will eventually expose people to a global culture that is essential to widening knowledge in helping our nation achieve its economic goals. References Castells, M. (1996). The Rise of Network Society, Oxford: Blackwell. Sassen, S. (1991). The Global City. New York, London, Tokyo. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Sassen, S. (1993). Rebuilding the Global City: Economy, Ethnicity and Space. Social Justice, 20(3-4), 32+. Sassen, S. 1994. Cities in a World Economy. Thousand Oaks, CA, London and New Delhi: Sage. [WXwS1]MAJOR PREMISE [WXwS2]FALLACY OF RELEVANCE [WXwS3]MINOR PREMISE

Countryside v.sCity Life Essay

Have you ever thought about your birth place? Do you make your own decision where to live? I believe every person, in a certain time, think about the place they should live: countryside or city? To make the best choice, we must look at three big differences between countryside and city: the environment, education, entertainment. First of all, the countryside has a quiet and peaceful environment. Since most people living in the countryside make their living mainly on farming, the atmosphere is kept fresh and healthy. They are living close to the nature with green vegetables, pure water. In the countryside, people are neither in a hurry, nor anxious. They can stay in their house until they feel the need to visit their farm. On the contrary, the city has a busy and stressful environment. Everyday city dwellers have to face with pollution by noise and smoke from a huge amount of vehicles. Since many people work in factories or offices, and they also get paid by working hours, every day they are full of schedules and plans. As a result, they are suffering more pressures than those living in the countryside. The next difference between city and countryside is education. In the countryside, there are not many high graded school, many students have to go to the big city for higher education. While schools in the countryside don’t provide much services for students, many schools in the big city are equipped with modern labs supporting for practice and research. Others with workshops on or off campus give the learners the best training for later work. Schools in big cities also offer many activities for low grade students like field trips and boys and girls club. In higher levels, with many exhibitions, fairs, festivals and conferences, students are much easier to do their researches. Entertainment is another concern of many people. In the countryside, entertainment is only in some physical activities: fishing, biking, hiking, swimming. These things, in fact, are only practice outside and sometime not enough for the human nonstop needs. In big cities, there are more culture activities like concerts and cinemas making the richness of mental life. Entertainment of the nightlife including casinos, clubs, hotels, recreation and shopping centers, gyms, fashion centers, contributes to the liveliness of a city, which we are hardly find in the countryside. In conclusion, both countryside and city has their own values. Therefore, people can choose living in the countryside or in the city depending on their most needs. For me, each person only has one life. We are not able to choose the birth place but we completely can choose the place to live. That is the part of reaching our most optimal peak of life. Once we look back we are proud of the happy time we have ever lived in that place.

Mother of Invention essays

Mother of Invention essays Necessity is the mother of invention... or is it? The real mother of invention is not necessity, but curiosity. From the discovery of electricity, the invention of the light bulb, car, airplane, and air conditioning to Global Positioning Satellite systems curiosity has been the reason behind the invention. One of the greatest discoveries ever was the discovery of electricity. Ben Franklin has been given the most credit for the discovery of electricity. Before the legendary kite experiment in 1752 electricity was a known force of nature, but it had not been thoroughly studied. Even after that Franklin did not know what potential his discovery of electricity had. It is said that he once tried to kill a Christmas turkey with electricity, but accidentally made contact with the current and received a nice shock. As time progressed Franklin created more and more electrical devices including the battery and the lightening rod (Thinkquest.org). These inventions were discovered through theories and hypothesis that Franklin thought might be true and he tried them and they worked. All of these things are nice, and today people probably would have difficulty living without them, but at the time in the mid-1700's people had no need for electricity. There is another wonderful invention called the incandescent light bulb. Thomas Edison was a professional inventor. He wanted to see if he could create a better way to light a home that with candles or lamps. And so Edison invented the incandescent light bulb. Edison tried to come out with an invention every ten days. This invention came about in October 1879 (Thomas Edison birthplace Museum). Although people wanted another way to light their homes they did a fine job by using torches and lamps. They had a want for something better, but not a need for a light bulb. The invention of the air conditioning unit is a very popular one here in Phoenix. This again was not a necessity; ...

Funny Fathers Day Quotes to Make Dad Smile

Funny Father's Day Quotes to Make Dad Smile We celebrate Fathers Day to honor our fathers. Laughter is an excellent gift. Get your father to laugh with one of these chuckle-worthy funny Fathers Day quotes: Bob Monkhouse My father only hit me once - but he used a Volvo. Robert Orben Life was a lot simpler when what we honored was father and mother rather than all major credit cards. Ann Richards I have always had the feeling I could do anything, and my dad told me I could. I was in college before I found out he might be wrong. Jay Leno A lot of controversy over this possible invasion of Iraq. In fact, Nelson Mandela was so upset, he called Bushs dad. How embarrassing, when world leaders start calling your father. Barbara Kingsolver It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didnt. Jimmy Piersall Spread the diaper in the position of the diamond with you at bat. Then, fold second base down to home and set the baby on the pitchers mound. Put first base and third together, bring up home plate and pin the three together. Of course, in case of rain, you gotta call the game and start all over again. Bertrand Russell The place of the father in the modern suburban family is a very small one, particularly if he plays golf. Brad Pitt Man, if I can get a burp out of that little thing I feel such a sense of accomplishment. Ernest Hemingway To be a successful father theres one absolute rule: when you have a kid, dont look at it for the first two years. Gabriel Garcia Marquez A man knows when he is growing old because he begins to look like his father. Tim Russert The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get. Mark Twain When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. Bill Hicks I never got along with my dad. Kids used to come up to me and say, My dad can beat up your dad. Id say, Yeah? When? Jack Handy Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis. Alice Roosevelt Longworth My father always wanted to be the corpse at every funeral, the bride at every wedding, and the baby at every christening. Donald Trump I love producing children. Its fun! I dont like taking care of children, but I love producing children. Jerry Seinfeld There is no such thing as fun for the whole family. Patrick Dempsey Heres the cycle: They wake up, they cry, they go to the breast, they eat, they poo or pee, you change a diaper, and they go back to sleep. Its much harder for my wife than for me because shes pumping or nursing. Lionel Richie Forget about surviving 40 years in the music business. Just surviving 27 years of Nicole Richie has been a struggle-and-a-half, I want to tell you. I stand here as a survivor, I want you to know, for all the parents out there. Chris Martin Men should always change diapers. Its a very rewarding experience. Its mentally cleansing. Its like washing dishes, but imagine if the dishes were your kids, so you really love the dishes. Bill Cosby My father confused me. From the ages of one to seven, I thought my name was Jesus Christ!

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies Essay - 13

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies - Essay Example I clear separation must b made between mergers and consolidation. In the latter, both companies lose their identities and come together to form one major corporation which a completely new identity (Gomes, 2011). Mergers are regulated by the state laws as they are likely to eliminate competition leading to creation of oligopolistic firms which may collude to form cartels that may tend to harm the economy. Mergers and acquisitions are beneficial to the economy in the sense that they can bring about better approaches to management of the firm. They lead to economies of scale which has the effect of increasing production, reducing operation costs leading to decrease in the selling price which favors the consumers of various commodities. A merger can enable a business owner to sell the firm to someone who is already familiar with the industry and who would be in a better position to pay the highest price. Less competition will also mean low risks to the owners of the merged firms (Cardel, 1998). There are basically three categories of mergers which are based on the competitive relationships that exist between the merging firms. Vertical merger is a form of merger in which one firm acquires a customer or a key supplier of another firm. Horizontal mergers is where one firm acquires or takes over another firm that manufactures and sells an identical product in the same geographical location in a bid to lower competition that was originally existing between the two firms. Conglomerate mergers are those that the merging companies do not have any evident relationship between them. This paper takes an in-depth analysis on two public corporations in the United States in which one has a history of mergers and acquisitions and operated internationally and the other does not bear any history in relation mergers and acquisition and only operates within the nation. The two companies are Apple that has a long

Legal Environment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Legal Environment - Case Study Example One of these three horses reached to the place where accident took place. The exact reason for this sudden behavior of horses was not established but this kind of behavior is generally found when the animal is frightened due to some reasons. Mr. Cleese, the plaintiff, brought the case against Andrew and Susan Findlay, in the Exeter County Court, claiming that the accident occurred due to their negligence and under section 2 of the Civil Liability for Animals Act 1971; the defendants were totally liable for the accident. The judge, sitting in the Exeter County Court, rejected his both the claims. The Court of Appeal accepted the claim that though it was not defendant's fault, under section 2 of the Civil Liability for Animals Act 1971, they were liable for damage. The appeal of defendants highlighted the complexity and opacity of the Civil Liability for Animals Act 1971, which fixes the liability for damage caused by an animal. Section 2(2) of the act fixes the liability for damage caused when the animal's behaviour in the circumstances was in no way abnormal for an animal of the species in those circumstances. (b) the likelihood of the damage or of its being severe was due to characteristics of the animal which are not normally found in animals of the same species or are not normally so found except at particular times or in particular circumstances; and (c) those characteristics were known to that keeper ..." The non-clear tone of this section, especially subsection (b) has led to different interpretation at different courts of law. Subsection (a) and (c) are clearly understood but subsection (b) present two cases, first one is that the owner of animal is totally liable if "the likelihood of the damage or of its being severe was due to characteristics of the animal which are not normally found in animals of the same species" and the other one is the owner of animal is totally liable if "the likelihood of the damage or of its being severe was due to characteristics of the animal which are not normally so found except at particular times or in particular circumstances". The first case considers the animal where the species of the animal is, in general, docile but the particular animal that caused the damaged was abnormal and the second case considers the animals that are generally docile but the action that caused damage is outcome of their abnormal behaviour found at a particular time or in particular circumstances. 3. Which technique(s) of statutory interpretation do you consider that Lord Nicholls employed in the case Give reasons for your answer. LORD NICHOLLS based his interpretation of act on conventional interpretive techniques and used literal approach to