Succubus Blues CHAPTER 12

â€Å"Man, if Jerome had threatened to stash me somewhere, I wouldn't be out snooping around.† â€Å"I'm not snooping. I'm just speculating.† Peter shook his head and took the cap off a beer. I sat with him and Cody in their kitchen, the day after Hugh's attack. A ham and pineapple pizza had just arrived, and Cody and I dug into it while the other vampire merely watched. â€Å"Why can't you just accept this for what it is? Jerome's telling the truth. It's a vampire hunter.† â€Å"No. No way. None of this adds up. Not the goofy way Jerome and Carter are acting. Not Hugh's attack. Not that fucked-up note I got.† â€Å"I figured you get screwy love notes all the time. ‘My heart bleeds for you, Georgina.' Written in actual blood. Stuff like that.† â€Å"Yeah, nothing like self-mutilation to turn a girl on,† I muttered. I gulped some Mountain Dew and returned to my pizza. Really, as far as caffeine and sugar went, Mountain Dew was nearly as good as one of my mochas. â€Å"Hey, why aren't you eating any of this?† Peter held up his beer bottle by way of explanation. â€Å"I'm dieting.† I peered at it. Golden Village Low- Carb Ale. I froze, mid-bite. Low- carb? â€Å"Peter†¦ you're a vampire. Aren't you by definition always on a low- carbdiet?† â€Å"It's no use,† Cody chuckled, speaking up for the first time. â€Å"I've already had this argument with him. He won't listen.† â€Å"You wouldn't understand.† Peter eyed our pizza wistfully. â€Å"You can make your body look like anything you want.† â€Å"Yeah, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I looked to Cody. â€Å"Can he really even put on weight? Aren't immortal bodies, I don't know, unchangeable? Or timeless? Or something?† â€Å"You'd know more about it than me,† he said. â€Å"We eat other things.† Peter rubbed his stomach selfconsciously. â€Å"Not just blood. It all adds up.† This had to be weirdest thing I'd heard since Duane's death. â€Å"Stop it, Peter. You're being ridiculous. Next thing, you'll be down at Hugh's asking for liposuction.† He brightened. â€Å"Do you think that would help?† â€Å"No! You look fine. You look the same as you always have.† â€Å"I don't know. Cody's been getting all the attention whenever we go out. Maybe I should get more blond put into the spikes.† I refrained from pointing out that Peter had been almost forty when he'd become a vampire, his hair heavily receding. Cody had been very young – barely twenty – and bore tawny, leonine good looks. Immortals who were formerly human stayed fixed at the age and appearance immortality had taken over. If the two vampires still frequented clubs and college bars, I didn't doubt Cody had more luck. â€Å"We're wasting time,† I exclaimed, wanting to derail Peter from this whole image thing. â€Å"I want to figure out who attacked Hugh.† â€Å"Christ, you have a one-track mind,† he snapped. â€Å"Why can't you just wait to find out?† Good question. I didn't know why. Something inside me was tugging to get to the truth of this, to do what I could to protect my friends and myself. I just couldn't stand passively by. â€Å"It couldn't have been a mortal. Not from the way Hugh described the attack.† â€Å"Yeah, but no immortal could have killed Duane. I already told you that.† â€Å"No lesser immortal,† I pointed out. â€Å"But a higher immortal†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Peter laughed. â€Å"Oh-ho, you are pushing the envelope now. You think there's some vindictive demon out there?† â€Å"They'd certainly be capable.† â€Å"Yeah, but they have no motivation.† â€Å"Not nece – â€Å" A funny sensation suddenly spread over me, tingly and gentle and silvery. I was put in mind of the fragrance of lilacs, the tinkling of small bells. I looked sharply at the others. â€Å"What the – † began Cody, but Peter was already moving toward the door. The signature we all felt was similar to Carter's in certain ways but lighter and sweeter. Less powerful. A guardian angel. Peter opened the door, and Lucinda stood there primly, her arms clasped tightly around a book. I nearly choked. It would figure. As a general rule, I didn't interact with many angels in the area, Carter being the exception because of his relationship with Jerome. Still, I knew who the locals were, and I knew Lucinda. She wasn't a true angel like Carter. Guardians were more like the heavenly equivalent of Hugh: former mortals who served and ran errands for all eternity. I had no doubt Lucinda performed all sorts of good deeds on a daily basis. She probably worked in soup kitchens and read to orphans in her free time. Whenever she was around us, however, she became a prissy little bitch. Peter shared my sentiment. â€Å"Yes?† he asked coolly. â€Å"Hello, Peter. Your hair is very†¦ interesting today,† she observed diplomatically, not moving from the doorway. â€Å"May I come in?† Peter scowled at the hair comment but had too many good hosting instincts drilled into him to not wave her inside. He might tease me about mortal hobbies, but the vampire had a meticulous sense of propriety and etiquette bordering on obsessive-compulsive disorder. She swept inside, proper in an ankle-length plaid skirt and high-necked sweater. Her short blond hair curled under in a perfect bob. I was a different story. Between my plunging neckline, ultratight jeans, and fuck-me heels, I felt like I might as well lie down on the floor and spread my legs. The demure look she gave me clearly implied she was thinking the same thing. â€Å"Charming to see you all again.† Her tone was crisp, formal. â€Å"I'm here to deliver something from Mr. Carter.† â€Å"Mr. Carter?† asked Cody. â€Å"Is that his last name? I always thought it was his first.† â€Å"I think he just has one name,† I speculated. â€Å"Like Cher or Madonna.† Lucinda said nothing to our bandying. Instead, she handed me a book. Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex. â€Å"What the hell is that?† exclaimed Peter. â€Å"I think I saw it on some talk show.† I suddenly remembered walking out with Carter in the hospital and how he'd claimed to own a book that would help me with Seth. I tossed it on the counter disinterestedly. â€Å"Carter's fucked-up sense of humor in action.† Lucinda flushed deep crimson. â€Å"How can you use such language so carelessly? You sound like you're†¦ like you're in a locker room!† I smoothed down my tank top. â€Å"No way. I'd never wear this in a locker room.† â€Å"Yeah, it isn't even in school colors,† said Peter. I couldn't resist toying with the guardian. â€Å"If I were in a locker room, I'd probably have on a short cheerleader skirt. And no underwear.† Peter continued playing off me. â€Å"And you'd do that one cheer, right? The one with your hands splayed against the shower wall and ass sticking out?† â€Å"That's me,† I agreed. â€Å"Always ready to take one for the team.† Even Cody flushed at our crassness. Lucinda was practically purple. â€Å"You – you two have no sense of decency! None at all.† â€Å"Oh whatever,† I told her. â€Å"Back at the country club, or wherever you and the rest of the choir hang out, you probably wear a shorter version of that skirt all the time. With knee socks. I bet the other angels really go for the schoolgirl look.† If Lucinda were any one of my friends, a comment like that would have only escalated into more sarcasm and snide remarks. The guardian, however, merely stiffened and chose to rely on deadpan self-righteousness. â€Å"We,† she declared, â€Å"do not carry on in such an unseemly manner with each other. We act with decorum. We treat each other with respect. We do not turn on each other.† This last one came with a brief eye-glance toward me. â€Å"What was that for?† She tossed her hair, what little of it there was. â€Å"Oh, I think you know. We've all been hearing about your little vigilante act. First that vampire, then the imp. Nothing about you people surprises me anymore.† Now my face flushed. â€Å"That's bullshit! I was cleared of Duane a long time ago. And Hugh†¦ that's just stupid. He's my friend.† â€Å"What does friendship mean among your kind? He's just as bad. From what I heard, he received a great deal of amusement telling anyone who would listen about your little whip and wings getup. Oh, and by the way, if you don't mind my observation, I think that has to be the most degrading thing I've ever heard. Even for a succubus.† She arched a glance toward the book I had tossed to the counter. â€Å"I'll tell Mr. Carter you, uh, received the book.† With that, she turned neatly and left, closing the door behind her. â€Å"Sanctimonious bitch,† I muttered. â€Å"And how many people know about that demon girl thing anyway?† â€Å"Forget her,† said Peter. â€Å"She's a nobody. And an angel. There's no telling what they'll do.† I scowled. And then, it hit me. I couldn't believe I'd never thought of it before. Maybe Lucinda needed more credit. â€Å"That's it!† â€Å"What's it?† mumbled Cody through a mouthful of nearly cold pizza. â€Å"An angel killed Duane and attacked Hugh! It's perfect. You were right in saying a demon would have no reason to take our side out. But an angel? Why not? I mean a real one, not a guardian like Lucinda.† Peter shook his head. â€Å"An angel could do something like that, but it'd be too petty. The great cosmic good-versus-evil battle is bigger than one-on-one matches. You know that. Taking out one agent of evil at a time would be a waste of resources.† Cody considered. â€Å"What if it was a renegade angel? Someone not following the rules of the game.† Peter and I both turned to the younger vampire in surprise. He'd been more or less avoiding our speculation this evening. â€Å"There's no such thing,† his mentor countered back. â€Å"Is there, Georgina?† I felt both vampires' eyes turn to me, waiting for my opinion. â€Å"Jerome says there are no bad angels. Once they're bad, they become demons, not angels anymore.† â€Å"Well, that kills your theory then. An angel doing something bad would fall and not be an angel anymore. Then Jerome would know about him.† I frowned, still intrigued by Cody's use of the word â€Å"renegade† over â€Å"fallen.† â€Å"Maybe angel sin is like human sin†¦ it's not always ‘bad' if the person thinks they're doing ‘good.' This one hasn't gone over yet.† We all pondered this a moment. Humans continually labor under the delusion that there really is a precise set of rules on what sin is and is not, rules that one might break without even realizing it. In reality, most people know when they do wrong. They feel it. Sin is more of a subjective matter than an objective one. Back in the days of the Puritans, corrupting souls had been no problem for a succubus since almost anything sexual and pleasurable felt wrong to those men. Nowadays, most people don't regard premarital sex as wrong, hence no sin is committed. Succubi have been forced to become more creative over the years if they want to get an energy fix and corrupt a soul. Still, by that logic, it was possible that a renegade angel who believed he or she was doing good might not cross into the realm of sin. If there was no sin, then there could be no fall. Or could there be? The whole concept strained the mind, and Peter apparently thought so too. â€Å"So what's the difference? What makes an angel fall? We're staking a lot here on a technicality.† I could have concurred until I recalled something else. â€Å"The note.† â€Å"Note?† asked Cody. â€Å"The note that was on my door. It said I was beautiful enough to tempt angels into falling.† â€Å"Well, you do look pretty good.† When I raised an eyebrow, Peter said grudgingly, â€Å"Okay, that is kind of suspicious†¦ but it's almost too suspicious. Why would someone overtly leave a calling card?† Cody nearly jumped out of his seat. â€Å"It's some kind of psycho angel who likes playing mind games. Like in those movies where killers carve clues into their victims, so they can watch the police puzzle things out.† I shuddered at that image as I thought over what I knew about angels in general, which really was nothing. Unlike our side, the powers of good did not have the same cryptic hierarchy of supervisors and geographical networks, no matter the stories about cherubim and seraphim. After all, we were the ones who had invented middle management, not them. I always had the impression that most angels and denizens of good operated like private investigators or field agents, completing assorted angelic missions in a very loosely organized way. Such an open venue would provide ample chance for someone to surreptitiously tackle a side agenda. Angelic involvement would also explain the subterfuge, I reflected. Their side was embarrassed. Typical, really. Little embarrassed our side anymore. They, however, would be shamefaced to admit one of theirs had turned rogue, and Carter, being so chummy with Jerome, had conned the demon into keeping quiet about the whole matter. All of his sarcasm and attempts to mock me were only more weak efforts at saving face. The more I considered this far-fetched theory, the more I liked it. Some disgruntled angel, wanting to be heroic, decided to turn vigilante and take on the forces of evil. The renegade angel theory would explain how any of us could be legitimate targets, as well as shed light on why no one could sense this being since we now knew higher immortals could hide their presence. Which made me wonder why exactly Jerome and Carter were also masking their presence. Were they hoping to catch this angel unaware? That, and†¦ â€Å"Why'd this person let Hugh live then?† I looked from vampire to vampire. â€Å"An angel could take out any of us. Hugh said he wasn't winning, and no one interrupted. The attacker just got bored and took off. Why? Why kill Duane but not Hugh? Or me, for that matter, since this person knows what I am.† â€Å"Because Duane was an asshole?† suggested Peter. â€Å"Personality aside, we all weigh in just as heavily on the evil side. Hugh maybe even more so.† Indeed, Hugh was in his prime as far as immortals went. He no longer held a novice's inexperience like Cody, nor had the imp grown world-weary and bored like Peter and I had. Hugh knew enough now to be good at his job, and he actually liked what he did. He should have been a prime target for any angelic vigilante wanting to make the world a better place. Cody agreed with Peter. â€Å"Yeah. Evil or not, some of us are more likable than others. Maybe an angel could respect that.† â€Å"I doubt an angel would find any of us likable – â€Å" I cut myself off. One angel did like us. One angel hung out with us a lot. One angel who seemed to be everywhere Jerome was lately when these attacks happened. One angel who knew us personally, who knew all of our habits and weaknesses. What better way was there to track and study us than to infiltrate our drinking group and pretend to be a friend? The idea was so explosive, so dangerous, I felt ill at ease just giving shape to the thought. I certainly couldn't utter any of it aloud. Not yet. Cody and Peter hardly believed the angel theory at all. I doubted they'd jump on board if I started accusing Carter. â€Å"You okay, Georgina?† Cody queried when I lapsed into silence. â€Å"Yeah†¦ yeah†¦ fine.† I caught a glimpse at the time on the stove and jumped up from my chair, head still reeling. â€Å"Shit. I've got to get back to Queen Anne.† â€Å"What for?† asked Peter. â€Å"I have a date.† â€Å"With who?† Cody grinned slyly at me, and I blushed in response. â€Å"Roman.† Peter turned to his apprentice. â€Å"Which one is that?† â€Å"The hot dancing guy. Georgina was all over him.† â€Å"I was not. I like him too much for that.† They laughed. As I picked up my coat, Peter asked: â€Å"Hey, I don't suppose you could do me a favor sometime?† â€Å"What?† My mind still clung to the mystery winding around us. That, and Roman. He and I had talked on the phone a few times now since the last date, and I was growing more and more amazed at just how well we clicked. â€Å"Well, you know how they've got those computer programs in salons that will show you what you'll look like with different colors and cuts? I was thinking you could be like a living one. You could morph into me and show me what I'd look like with different hairstyles.† Silence hung in the room for a full minute as Cody and I stared at him. â€Å"Peter,† I told him at last, â€Å"that's the stupidest idea I've ever heard.† â€Å"I don't know.† Cody scratched his chin. â€Å"For him, it's not bad.† â€Å"We have too many other issues to deal with right now,† I warned, having no patience to humor Peter with niceties. â€Å"I'm not wasting my energy on your vanity.† â€Å"Come on,† pleaded Peter. â€Å"You're still brimming from that good virgin guy. You can spare it.† I shook my head, slinging my purse over one shoulder. â€Å"Succubus 101. The farther a transformation takes me from my natural form, the more energy it expends. Cross-gender changes are a pain in the ass; cross-species ones are even worse. Playing salon with you would burn through most of my stash, and I've got better things to waste it on.† I eyed him dangerously. â€Å"You need some serious counseling for body image and insecurity, my friend.† Cody regarded me with new interest. â€Å"Cross-species? Could you, like, turn into a Gila monster or†¦ or†¦ a sand dollar or something?† â€Å"Good night, boys. I'm out of here.† As I departed, I could just barely hear Peter and Cody debating if it would take more energy for me to change into a really small mammal or a human-sized reptile. Vampires. Honestly, they're like children sometimes. I drove home in record time. I remembered to shape-shift my heels into sandals and walked up to my building's door just as Roman did. Seeing him banished any lingering thoughts of angels and conspiracies. He had told me to dress casually for this evening, and while he had done the same, he still managed to make jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt look like runway fashion. I apparently had the same effect on him because he caught me up in a giant bear hug and kissed my cheek. â€Å"Hey, gorgeous,† he murmured into my ear, holding on to the embrace a bit longer than necessary. â€Å"Hey, yourself.† I disentangled my body from his and smiled up at him. â€Å"You're so short,† he noted, cupping my cheek in his hand. â€Å"It's cute.† Those eyes threatened to engulf me, and I hastily turned away before I did something stupid. â€Å"Let's go.† I paused. â€Å"Um, where are we going?† He led me to his car, parked just down the street. â€Å"Since you seem to be so good with your feet, I thought I'd take us somewhere to test the rest of your bodily coordination.† â€Å"Like a hotel room?† â€Å"Damn. Am I that obvious?† Several minutes later, he pulled into a dilapidated establishment with a blinking neon sign reading BURT's BOWLING ALLEY. I stared in open distaste, unable to hide my feelings. â€Å"This is your choice of date? A bowling alley? Not even a nice one at that.† Roman seemed unconcerned about my lack of enthusiasm. â€Å"When was the last time you actually went bowling?† I suspected it had been back in the 1970s. â€Å"Not in a very long time.† â€Å"Exactly. You see,† he began conversationally as we went inside and approached the counter, â€Å"I've got you figured out. You claim you don't want to get serious with anyone, but I still get the impression you go out a lot. Size ten, please.† â€Å"Six and a half.† The cashier gave us each a pair of unsavory-looking shoes, and I felt grateful germs posed no threat to me. Roman handed over some cash, and she gestured us down to our designated lane. â€Å"Anyway, like I was saying, regardless of your intentions, you must still end up dating quite a bit. I don't know how you couldn't with the attention you attract.† â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† I sat down by our lane and took off my Birkenstocks, still eyeing the rental shoes askance. Roman paused in his own shoe-tying and gave me a long, steady look. â€Å"Oh come on, you can't be that oblivious. Men check you out all the time. I always see it when I'm with you. Walking through the bookstore, going to that bar the other night. Even here, in this place. In just walking over from the counter, I saw at least three guys stop and watch you.† â€Å"Is there a point here somewhere?† â€Å"Eventually.† He stood up, and we walked over to a rack of communal bowling balls. â€Å"With all that attention, guys must ask you out all the time, and you must give in sometimes, just like you did with me. Right?† â€Å"I guess.† He paused in his ball selection and gave me another one of those breathtaking, soul-searching looks. â€Å"So tell me about your last date.† â€Å"My last date?† I somehow didn't think Martin Miller counted. â€Å"Your last date. I mean a real date, not like a casual grabbing a drink thing. A date where the guy gave his best shot at planning an itinerary he thought would get you into bed.† I tested the weight of a fluorescent orange and green swirled ball, racking my brain. â€Å"The opera,† I said at last. â€Å"And dinner at Santa Lucia's.† â€Å"Nice spread. And the one before that?† â€Å"Jesus, you're nosy. Um†¦ let's see, I think it was the opening of an art exhibit.† â€Å"Undoubtedly paired with dinner at some restaurant where stiff waiters say ‘thank you' after you make a selection, right?† â€Å"I guess.† â€Å"Just as I thought.† He hoisted a navy blue ball into the crook of his arm. â€Å"This is why you're resistant to dating, why you don't want to get serious with anyone. You're such a hot commodity that plush, five-star dates are par for the course. They're ordinary. Men try to throw out all the stops for you, but after a while, you get bored with them.† His eyes danced mischievously. â€Å"Therefore, I will differentiate myself from those losers by taking you to places your little elitist feet would never dream of touching. The salt of the earth. Back to basics. The way dating was meant to be: two people, more concerned with each other than their posh venue.† I walked with him back to our lane. â€Å"You just took an awfully long time to say you think I want to go slumming.† â€Å"Don't you?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Then why are you with me?† I eyed that gorgeous appearance and thought about the conversation we'd had the other night on classical languages. Looks and intellect. Hard to beat. â€Å"You're hardly slumming it.† He smiled at me and changed the subject. â€Å"That's your choice?† I looked down at the ball's psychedelic color pattern. â€Å"Yeah. This night is already turning surreal enough. Figured I might as well get the full experience. Maybe we'll drop some acid later.† Roman's eyes crinkled with amusement, and he cocked his head toward the lane. â€Å"Let's see what you can do with it.† I stepped up uncertainly, trying to remember how I used to do this. All up and down the alley, I could see other players walking up and throwing with ease. Shrugging, I stood at the line, drew my arm back, and threw. The ball flew out jerkily, sailed about four feet, hit the lane with a loud crack, and then promptly entered the gutter. Roman walked up beside me, and we silently watched the ball complete its journey. â€Å"Are you always that rough with balls?† he asked finally. â€Å"Most men don't complain.† â€Å"I imagine not. Try making contact with the floor before you let it go this time.† I gave him a sharp look. â€Å"You aren't one of those guys that gets off from showing women how much better you are at stuff, are you?† â€Å"Nope. Just offering friendly advice.† My ball returned, and I followed his instructions. The ball's impact proved quieter that way, but I still ended up in the gutter. â€Å"All right. Show me what you can do,† I grumbled, sitting down huffily into a chair. Roman strode up to the lane, movements graceful and flowing like a cat's. The ball poured from his hand like water from a pitcher, sailing smoothly down and hitting nine pins. When his ball returned, he threw it effortlessly once more and took out the obstinate tenth. â€Å"This is going to be a long night.† â€Å"Cheer up.† He chucked my chin. â€Å"We'll get you through this. Try it again, and aim more toward the left. I'm going to get us some beers.† I threw to the left as advised but only succeeded in hitting the left gutter. On my second throw, I tried greater moderation and managed to hit one pin on the far left. I whooped in spite of myself. â€Å"Nicely done,† cheered Roman, setting two mugs of cheap beer down on the table. I hadn't drunk anything not from a microbrewery in over a decade. â€Å"It's all about baby steps.† That certainly turned out to be true as our evening progressed. My pin count increased slowly, though I soon developed the nasty habit of creating splits on my first throw. I showed no aptitude for picking them up, despite Roman's best explanations. To his credit, he gave good, nonthreatening advice, as well as some hands-on instruction. â€Å"Your arm goes like this, and the rest of you leans like this,† he explained, standing behind me with one hand on my hip and the other on my wrist. My flesh warmed at his touch, and I wondered if his actions were truly driven by altruism or were an excuse to get his hands on me. I exercised such techniques regularly in succubus work. It drove men wild, and now I knew why. Ruse or no, I didn't tell him to stop. I hit my peak in the second game, even managing one strike, though my performance declined in the third round as beer and fatigue took over. Sensing this, Roman called our bowling adventures closed, lauding my progress as highly impressive. â€Å"Do we have to go to a dive now for dinner, in order to keep with this dream-date slumming fantasy you've got going?† He put his arm around me as we walked out to the car. â€Å"I guess that depends if you've succumbed to my wily charm or not.† â€Å"If I say yes, will you take me somewhere good? Sometimes the posh places do work, you know.† We ended up at an upscale Japanese restaurant, much to my satisfaction. Taking our time, we savored both food and conversation, and again Roman's knowledge and wit impressed me. This time we discussed current issues, sharing opinions on recent news and culture, things we liked, things that drove us crazy, etc., etc. I discovered Roman had traveled quite a bit and held strong views on world politics and affairs. â€Å"This country is so in love with itself,† he complained, sipping sake. â€Å"It's like one big mirror. It just sits all day and looks at itself. When it can be bothered to look away, it's only to tell others ‘do this' or ‘be just like me.' Our military and economic policies bully people outside our borders, and inside, conservative groups bully other citizens. I hate it.† I listened with interest, intrigued at this side of a normally light and easygoing guy. â€Å"So do something about it. Or leave.† He shook his head. â€Å"Spoken like a comfortable citizen. The old ‘if you don't like it, you can just leave' policy. Unfortunately, it's a lot harder than that to cut yourself off from your roots.† Leaning back, he forced levity with a small grin. â€Å"And I do do things here and there. Small acts. My own battle against the status quo, you know? Attend the occasional protest. Refuse to buy products made with third world labor.† â€Å"Avoid fur? Eat organic food?† â€Å"That too,† he chuckled. â€Å"Funny,† I said after a moment's silence. Something had just struck me. â€Å"What?† â€Å"This whole time, we've talked about current things. No sharing of traumatic childhoods, college days, exes, or whatever.† â€Å"So what's funny about that?† â€Å"Nothing really. It's just that the human mating process usually seems to dictate everyone share their histories.† â€Å"You want to do that?† â€Å"Not really.† I actually hated that part of dating. I always had to edit my past. I hated the lying, having to keep track of my stories. â€Å"I think the past plagues us enough without muddling it into our present. I'd rather look forward, not backward.† I studied him curiously. â€Å"Does your past plague you?† â€Å"Very much so. I fight every day to not let the past overtake me. Sometimes I win, sometimes it does.† God only knew mine did the same. It was odd to talk to someone about this, someone who felt the same way. I wondered how many people in the world walked around with invisible baggage, hiding it from others. Even while packing said baggage, I'd always kept it concealed. I had a driving need to keep up surface appearances – hence the so-called â€Å"happy face.† I'd smiled and nodded through the worst times of my life, and when that superficial reaction had not been enough, I'd finally just run – even though it cost me my soul. I smiled slightly. â€Å"Well then. I'm glad you and I stick to the present.† He tweaked my noise. â€Å"Me too. In fact, my present is looking pretty damned good right now. Maybe my future too, if I keep weakening your resolve.† â€Å"Don't push it.† â€Å"Aw, come on. Admit it. You find my outrage at the powers-that-be endearing. Maybe even erotic.† â€Å"I think ‘entertaining' would be a better word. If you want outrage, you should spend time with Doug, my coworker. You guys have a lot in common. By day he cleans up and plays respectable assistant manager, by night he's the lead singer of this wacky band, registering his discontent against society through music.† Roman's eyes flickered with interest. â€Å"Does he play around here?† â€Å"Yup. He'll be at the Old Greenlake Brewery this Saturday. Me and some of the other staff are going.† â€Å"Oh yeah? What time should I meet you?† â€Å"I don't recall inviting you.† â€Å"Don't you? Because I could have sworn you just named a day and place. Sounded like a passive invitation to me. You know, the kind where it'd be my job to say ‘mind if I come along,' and then you say ‘yeah, no problem,' and so it goes. I just skipped a few steps.† â€Å"Most efficient of you,† I observed. â€Å"So†¦ mind if I come along?† I groaned. â€Å"Roman, we can't keep going out. It was cute at first, but it was only supposed to be one date. We've already gone past that. People at work think you're my boyfriend.† Casey and Beth had informed me recently what a † hottie† I had. â€Å"Do they?† He looked very happy about this. â€Å"I'm not joking here. I mean it when I say I don't want to get serious with anyone right now.† And yet, I didn't really mean it. Not in my heart. I'd spent centuries cutting myself off from any sort of meaningful attachment with another person, and it hurt. Even when I had purposely cultivated relationships with nice guys in my succubus glory days, I had immediately dropped them and disappeared post-sex. In some ways, my life now was even harder. I avoided the guilt of stealing a nice man's life energy, but I never had true companionship either. No one who cared exclusively for me. Sure, I had friends, but they had their own lives, and those who got too close – like Doug – had to be pushed away again for their own good. â€Å"Don't you believe in casual dating? Or even male-female friendships?† â€Å"No,† I answered decisively. â€Å"I do not.† â€Å"What about the other males in your life? That Doug guy? The dance instructor? Even that writer? You're friends with them, aren't you?† â€Å"Well, yeah, but that's different. I'm not attracted – â€Å" I bit off my words, but it was too late. Roman's face bloomed with hope and pleasure. He leaned toward me, touching my cheek with his hand. I swallowed, terrified and thrilled by how close he was. Beer and sake had made me fuzzy in body and mind, and I made a mental promise not to drink the next time we went out. Not that we were going out again†¦ right? Alcohol confused my senses, made it harder to differentiate between the succubus feeding instinct and pure, primal lust. Either one was dangerous around him. And yet†¦ in that moment, lust wasn't even really the issue. He was. Being with him. Talking to him. Having someone in my life again. Someone who cared about me. Someone who understood me. Someone I could go home to. And with. â€Å"What time should I meet you?† he murmured. I looked down, suddenly feeling warm. â€Å"It's a late show†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His hand slid from my cheek to the back of my neck, intertwining with my hair and tipping my face toward his. â€Å"You want to hang out beforehand?† â€Å"We shouldn't.† My words all seemed long and drawn-out, like I was swimming in molasses. Roman leaned over and kissed my ear. â€Å"I'll be at your place at seven.† â€Å"Seven,† I repeated. His lips moved to kiss the part of my cheek closest to my ear, then the cheek's center, then just below my mouth. His lips hovered so close to mine; my whole body concentrated on that proximity. I could feel the heat from his mouth, like it had its own private aura. Everything moved in slow motion. I wanted him to kiss me, wanted him to consume me with his lips and his tongue. I wanted it and feared it, yet felt powerless to act either way. â€Å"Can I get you something else?† The waiter's mildly embarrassed voice shattered my numbing haze, snapping me back to reason, reminding me what would happen to Roman even with a kiss. Not too much, true, but enough. I broke out of his grasp and shook my head. â€Å"Nothing else. Just the check.† Roman and I spoke little after that. He drove me home and made no advances when he walked me to the door, only smiling kindly as he chucked me under the chin again and reminded me he'd be by at seven on Saturday. I went to bed restless and aching for sex. The alcohol helped me fall asleep easily, but when I awoke in the morning, lying in bed in a drowsy state, I could still remember how it had felt to have his lips so close to mine. The lustful yearning returned with a vengeance. â€Å"This is no good,† I complained to Aubrey, rolling out of bed. I had three hours before work and knew I needed to do something other than daydream about Roman. Remembering that I had never followed up with Erik, I decided I should pay him a visit. The vampire hunter theory was more or less obsolete as far as I was concerned, but he might have found something else of use. I could also ask him about fallen angels. Considering the whole â€Å"stashing† threat, I probably should have experienced more concern about going back to Arcana, Ltd. Still, I felt more or less safe. One thing I had learned about the archdemon was that he was not a morning person. He didn't really need rest, of course, but it was a mortal luxury he'd taken to wholeheartedly. I expected him to still be asleep, wherever he was, with no way of knowing what I planned to do. Dressing and eating breakfast, I soon hit the road to Lake City. I found the shop effortlessly now, feeling dismay once more at its barren look and empty parking lot. Yet, when I entered, I saw a dark shape leaning over a corner of books, too tall to be Erik. Pleasure at the thought of Erik getting more business coursed through me until the figure straightened and fixed me with a sardonic, gray-eyed expression. â€Å"Hello, Georgina.† I swallowed. â€Å"Hello, Carter.†

Impacts of Social Media Marketing Essay

With the emergence of internet-based social media it has made it possible for people to communicate with thousands of other people around the world about products and the companies that provide these goods and services to them. Accordingly, the impact of consumer to consumer communications has been tremendously heightened within the marketplace. Many people would argue that social media is a hybrid element for promoting a company and its products, considering that in the traditional sense it allows companies to speak directly to their customers, while in a nontraditional sense it enables customers to talk directly to one another. The information, timing, and volume of social media-based conversations that occur between consumers are outside of a managers’ direct control. This goes against any traditional integrated marketing communications where there is a high sense of control from the manager. Thus, it is the managers’ responsibility to learn how to shape a consumers discussion in a manner that is consistent with their organizations mission statement and performance goals (Kerin, Hartley & Rudelius, 2009). Traditional Marketing Traditional marketing techniques involve direct mail, trade shows, television, radio broadcasting and social events which are still very prevalent and are still heavily used by many companies around the world to market products and the services offered by their companies. Marketing through television provides companies mass exposure to a wide array of individuals with a mass message. Many businesses don’t realize that television can often be one of the most cost-effective forms of advertising. The advantages of television are that it has everything needed to catch the attention of your projected audience: audio and visual. Community based television stations which are often looking for advertisers and are more willing to accommodate advertisers because of a less rigid schedule. Newspapers and classifieds are becoming increasingly popular and is a great way to target clients at a reasonable cost. The yellow pages have become a commonplace for companies who want to locate their specific business needs. Another way for businesses to market is with brochures, these are a great way of advertising a business. Depending on the type of business, brochures can be extremely useful. For a business that is in the industry of travel or tourism, brochures are a must, and there are multitudes of places where they can be displayed for customers to view. If a business is in a different type of industry it may be a little more difficult to find locations to display brochures, except to use them in mail drops, as handouts at trade shows and conventions, or for a direct mail out to potential customers. If a company is a manufacturer or supplier, it will need to provide their brochures to a distribution network. Brochures are a great way to market, but a company should make sure they are a cost-effective use of your time and investment, and if a company is going to produce brochures, they should know ahead of time how and where they will distribute them. Social Media Marketing Social media marketing represents low cost tools that are used to combine technology and social interaction with the use of words. These are typically internet based. Social media gives marketers a voice and allows them to communicate with their current customers and potential customers. Companies are able to personalize their brand and it gives them a way to spread their message in a relaxed and conversational way. Many people used to think Facebook was just for teens and young adults. Companies did not see much value for the social media site. That is all slowly changing though. Several companies are using Facebook to market their products and are seeing great success. Consider the following statistics provided between September 2008 and February 2009 the number of Facebook users between the ages of thirty five and forty four increased by 51%, user among the ages 45-54 jumped up 47 % and user ages 26-34 increased by 26 % more then half of Facebooks 140 million users are out of college. Clearly, social media is no longer just for the college student. Facebook is used as a marketing tool because it is easy to gain new clients, promote new products and services while offing deals and sales and staying in touch with your customers (Zarrella , 2009). Social media can be used to provide an identity for the products and services that a company has to offer. It can also create relationships using social media with people who might not otherwise know about a company’s products or services or what our companies represents. If a company wants new customers and retain their current ones they must establish a good relationship. Social media can be used to associate one’s self with their peers, which could be serving the same target market. It could also be used to communicate and provide an interaction with the consumers a company is looking for. Conclusion There are many advantages to using social media as a marketing tool for a company. However a company cannot just depend on social media alone to market their company, they must integrate it with other vehicles of marketing. While social media can create awareness for a company, it may not be the right form of advertising for a company. Companies must be consistent with any form of marketing that it chooses to use. The role that social media plays in the marketing of a company is to use it as a communication tool that allows a company access to those interested in their product and makes the company visible to those who do not know what services and products a particular company has to offer. It can be used as a tool to create a personality behind a company’s brand and create relationships that otherwise may never have happened. Social media cannot only create repeat-buyers for companies, but also customer loyalty. The fact that social media is so diversified and it can be used in several different ways, ways that best suit the interest and the needs of a company shows that it is a good source of marketing for any business (McAdams, Neslund & Zucker, 2008). The form of marketing that a company uses really comes down to what type of audience the company is trying to attract and what they can ultimately afford to spend on adverting and marketing for the company. Any of the marketing techniques work a company just has to be consistent with the form they choose to use. Social media marketing is the way of the future and is not going to go away anytime soon. References Zarrella , D. (2009). The social media marketing book. Kerin, R. A., Hartley, S. W., & Rudelius, W. (2009). Marketing. (9 ed.). McGraw-Hill/Irwin McAdams, T., Neslund, N., & Zucker, K. D. (2008). Law, business, and society. (Ninth ed.). McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Future Innovative Design in Virgin Galatic Case Study

Future Innovative Design in Virgin Galatic - Case Study Example Virgin has been associated with change and innovative idea, during this era of design and innovation manufacturers are experimenting with technology and introducing new services and creating opportunities for themselves. It has one of the successful space tourism groups in the industry and also the first one of its kind. Virgin is a large group therefore this organization has got access to more funds and tools to research and therefore they are able to come up with great creativity. They are trying to explore the satellite business through their efforts of launching satellite based services and science missions along with the idea of passenger flights which is expected to come as a successful venture in the space industry (Aaker, 2008). The world has become a place of complexity and unpredictability therefore businesses need to be very careful and in order to sustain the competition, they constantly need to update themselves and cope up with the changing needs and wants of the consumers. Therefore design has become an excellent tool to create a sustainable competitive advantage in the industry. Due to the importance of this subject and its relevance in the business set up and functioning there are various researches and studies that have been done. Design - Inspired In... e on the need for firms in UK to incorporate design in their work in order to differentiate themselves by other nations and other organizations and compete on factors other than price, this is called the differentiation strategy. Designing is a creative experience altogether where one has to think out of the box. There are companies all around the globe that have long history of success and innovative designs such as Apple which is the king of innovation in the industry, then there is Toyota Motor Corp which has constantly shown evidence of efficiency in the manufacturing while Procter & Gamble has adopted an open house innovative strategy. Virgin got a strong backing on the decision on using UK as a base for its launch plan. Currently the contribution of the UK space industry towards their economy is 6.5 billion pounds and it is providing employment to around 68000 employees which is significantly a large figure. The economy is hoping to achieve success in this sector in the near future and a 5% growth rate each year by 2020 which will help the space industry to come out of its recession and it is said that the space industry is probably one of the success stories of UK currently. Therefore knowing the potential in the industry Virgin Galactic has portrayed itself an example of excellence in ideas, modernization and development (Bennett & Craun, 2008). The company wants to give their consumers a memorable experience along with safety which is an integral part of the entire manufacturing at the same time. Initially people didn't believe that this idea will be implemented and that soon Virgin is going to launch its airplane for commercial purpose as it surprised all of them when they gave a first look of their new Space Ship two's planes it took them two years to

Q3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Q3 - Essay Example Since I work as an IT professional, I would categorize myself as a knowledge worker because of the technical knowledge I possess in the area of programming for various applications. Problem solving requires the application of this knowledge, and also requires soft skills such as the ability to work in groups, because most IT work is done in teams and groups. Some examples of knowledge workers are those who possess specialized or highly technical knowledge, such as engineers, medical or legal professionals or IT workers responsible for systems design. Most technology jobs fall under the category of knowledge based jobs, however in most occupations, routine, desk level jobs can be standardized and outsourced. Job growth in the next couple of decades is predicted to be highest in well paying occupations requiring â€Å"expert thinking† and â€Å"complex human communication.† (Levy and Murmane, 2004:80). Hence, knowledge workers are those who possess a level of knowledge an d the ability to engage in expert thinking and are also able to interact effectively with others at different levels. (2) In the knowledge economy, work patterns are changing. As pointed out by Smith (2005) in his comparison of the work habits of the Baby Boomer generation and the young workers of today who belong to the Internet age, there is a higher level of independence and flexibility sought by the latter. Communication between these individuals takes place through electronic means even as they are sitting next to each other. If creativity and innovation among these knowledge workers is to survive and thrive, they require the kind of flexible managerial support that will focus on the end product rather than dictate the method by which such an end is to be achieved. Where knowledge workers are concerned, soft skills and effective networking is also an

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Assignment Example I have used both in my writing to give me as much information I could think of on the subject and express the scope of the elements that could be considered in writing. 3. The difference between free writing and focused free writing is in terms of focal point. Focused free writing centers one’s attention to a particular topic. In contrast, free writing is a prewriting strategy that lists just about anything that comes to mind. 4. The difference between a comparison and contrast paragraph is in the elements being compared: a comparison paragraph emphasizes similarities while a contrast paragraph emphasize differences. In a cause-and-effect paragraph, the focus is on why things happen (cause) and what happens as a result (effect). These paragraphs differ in approach as the cause and effect looks at historical information (root causes) and the outcome; while comparative analysis takes in a balanced perspective. 5. Defining simply states the precise meaning or specifying the natur e of the topic or subject being defined. Classifying, on the other hand, is an analytical technique that arranges or puts into order a subject or topic being evaluated. These kinds of analysis are similar in terms of the use of the information to detail, depict and describe. The difference between these two is in terms of arrangement or organizing process being created by the classification technique. 6. Since it was revealed that the difference between an analytical argument and persuasion is the selection of a specific audience, choosing an audience is deemed so important for persuasion because the nature of the arguments should be well understood by the audience being influenced or persuaded on the subject at hand. The objective of an analytical argument is merely to evaluate something into parts or components and determine its viability or credibility. A persuasion’s objective is to convince the audience to agree to one’s contentions. 7. Given that one is asked to persuade a potential student to attend your college next year, the three genres of communication that can be used to deliver the persuasive argument are written communication, oral or verbal communication and through electronic communication. The written communication could be disseminated through the local student paper or brochures that would highlight the benefits, features and competitive advantages of attending one’s college. Verbal communication could be used in face-to-face interactions where one could persuade and convince potential students, either within the campus or outside. Electronic communication is easily accessible and predominant currently. It is most effective to disseminate persuasive arguments that highlight the benefits of the college through social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and other networks through referrals from friends and associates. 8. There are various pieces of a business letter: the heading, date, salutation, the body of the l etter, and the complimentary close. The heading generally contains the information and address of the person writing. An inside address is needed prior to the salutation to indicate the address of the proposed recipient of the letter. The salutation or greeting addresses the person to whom the letter is directed to. A subject line would detail the aim or objective of the letter –

Starbucks Failure in International Market Essay

Starbucks Failure in International Market - Essay Example The company that is the subject of this research is Starbucks, an international coffee and Spice Company that operates in over 60 countries in the global food and beverages industry. The company has invested in the food and drinks industry, which has become a target for many investors today. The company started from a humble beginning back in 1987 in the US under the leadership of Baldwin, Bowker, and Siegel, and now is one of the top international companies that supplies coffee products. As the pressure in the domestic market increased, the company management focused on international expansion to evade competition and market saturation. However, the company’s international expansion has faced a wide range of challenges due to the complexity of the international market. The weakness of the company hails from its inability to focus on the characteristics of the international market such as culture, competition, customer behavior patterns, which has led to losses. This article s eeks to detect the cause of Starbuck’s failure in the international market, Japan for this purpose, and develop strategies to overcome these challenges. Therefore, this piece of work will provide the company with a platform to succeed in the international market. In international strategy, organizations look for markets that are potential for their products and one that provides an opportunity for organizational development. One of the international markets that Starbucks has focused on is the Japanese market, one of the largest coffee consumer markets. A rapid development of the Japanese economy has been an attractive feature for many investors. As the economy stabilizes, the purchasing power of the consumers will increase and hence the demand will escalate. Therefore, the company’ choice for this market was a wise decision.

Air pollution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Air pollution - Research Paper Example In this manner, the large particles emitted to the atmosphere settle on the ground, while the small particles are carried by the wind. Air pollution does not only damage the environment, but it also affects the health of the individuals in terms of skin and eyes irritation, and respiratory illness. Air pollution has been a concern of almost every individual in the world, and many are exerting effort in order to enact laws or individual awareness to end air pollution (â€Å"Air Pollution†). 3.0 Types of Air Pollution 3.1 Indoor Air pollution Air pollution occurs inside the houses, offices, schools, and other enclosed areas. Air pollutants indoor usually comes from cigarette or tobacco smoking, gases that come from stoves while cooking, chemicals, glue, and paint used in the building, and other hazardous fumes secreted by the materials of the building, and radon. Radon is considered as a radioactive gas which is emitted by decaying uranium rocks on the ground. Radon can easily b e trapped in structures that are energy-efficient where hot or cool air is kept inside. Therefore, due to this high concentration of gases inside the structure, radon can easily be trapped inside and can cause harm to the people inside the building. Nonetheless, the ventilation of the structure also plays a vital role in contributing to indoor air pollution (Thakur 68). 3.2 Outdoor Air Pollution Outdoor pollution occurs when the air pollutants from the burning of gases by vehicles, power and business plants, burning of garbage are formed into gases and particles which then emitted to the atmosphere. Some of these activities emit lead and mercury, which are considered as heavy metals, which then result to the formation of smog. Smog is a result of the reaction gasoline and petroleum combustion to sunlight. This reaction then forms a brown-colored smoke that also results to the creation of different harmful gases. From these different gases, ozone is also formed, which is a harmful ty pe of oxygen. Aside from smog, acid rain is also caused by air pollution. This occurs when nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide reacts with water vapor, which results to the production of nitric and sulfuric acid. The most common sources of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide are burning gas and oil by cars and factories (Thakur 68-69). 4.1 Effects of Air Pollution 4.1 Effects of Indoor Air Pollution Indoor air pollution can cause eye irritation, headache, skin irritation, and other health problems. Aside from this, if radon is inhaled in large amount, the person can also suffer from lung cancer. Sick building syndrome (SBS) can also occur if the air quality in a building is poor or low. SBS can elicit symptoms such as chills and fever, congestion of the chest, throat irritation, dry skin, and dizziness. These symptoms are not specific; therefore, these symptoms can also be caused by other ailments. However, an employee must seek an attention of a physician if the symptoms worsen during working shifts or hours and deteriorate after the shift of an employee (Thakur 68; Austin, Brimblecombe, and Sturges 90). 4.2 Effects of Outdoor Air Pollution Outdoor air pollution affects human beings and the environment. The short term effects of air pollution include pneumonia, irritation of the nose, skin, throat, and eyes, nausea, and headaches. Aside from this unpleasant odor from factories, garbage, clogged drainage systems also cause air pollution. On the other hand, the long-term

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 17

Case Study Example After a period of two weeks, Carnack sold the house and lot to Balkan at a cost of $105,000. Willard wanted Carnack to refund him the deposit that he made to him, but Carnack said that Willard breached the contract, and the deposit was entitled to him as required by the contract. According to the law, in an event that the contract is breached, regardless of the form that it takes, the innocent party is always entitled to take a step for the damages. In the case study, the innocent party is Carnack, and by law he is within his legal right to terminate the contract that he made with Willard and retain the deposit as liquidated damages as noted by Koffman & McDonald (2007). The contract that Willard and Carnack entered had a provision for liquidated damages clause in it. That provision made it clear that should Willard breach the agreement that he signed with Carnack, then the 10% deposit would be considered as liquidated damages. According to Burling (2011) that clause, therefore, made it clear that Carnack was entitled to the deposit after Willard breached the contract. Generally in most cases, the court always maintains that the clause with the liquidated damages has to be adhered to. The clause has to be respected even if it implies that the affected individual gets less than his or her real damages resulting from the breach. Therefore, Carnack is right in taking the 10% deposit made to him by Willard as part of the down payment since Willard breached the contract. According to Wilmott et al. (2009), it can be argued that Carnack terminated the contract that he had with Willard based on the following principles of the law. First Willard committed an anticipatory breach. Anticipatory breach is a situation where the buyer states in the form of writing that s/he will not honor the agreement or will do it on terms that were not initially agreed upon. In the case of

Eliminating Bias Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Eliminating Bias - Essay Example Both of these aspects of management bias send some signs of favorable predisposition on one group while the other group experiences unfairness, mistreatment and bitterness, which ultimately translate into poor performance. The reporting of these unfair treatments almost often goes futile with fear of being fired or increased discrimination. Management of human resource faces many challenges including management bias due to inherent human errors. Individual managers’ personality which is factor of several psychological development interactions is an issue almost beyond the junior worker’s control. This is therefore the reason why appropriate measures must be taken by the managers, to ensure that their management practices are favorable to all, regardless of their differences. Favoring one group of persons with respect to their different characteristics has been reported, indicating the extent to which these errors affect human resource management. Being a boss is one thing while exercising the best human resource management is yet another. Over several centuries, these errors have continually reduced productivity, at least until when the field of human resource management evolved to offer solutions (Wanq, 2010). Bias and unethical conduct are totally different things in management, since some aspects of its aspects are sub-conscious. The fact that management involves decision making on a high frequency than any other worker exposes managers to risks of being biased on several grounds. Causes of management bias could be weight, height, color, age, race or even ethnicity. Human resource management recognizes management bias as a conflict which must be resolved for performance enhancement. Conflict resolution means that the complete absence of the elements of conflicts may not be realized. It therefore necessitates the accommodation and utilization of the underlying forces of the conflict to a meaningful coexistence that enhances maximization of

The Impact of the War on Drugs on Puerto Ricans Essay

The Impact of the War on Drugs on Puerto Ricans - Essay Example The majority of Puerto Rican immigrants live in New York City, a circumstance that can be traced to post-World War II economic development programs, which ensured Puerto Rico's economic and political dependence on the U.S. It has and continues to have a colonial status with the United States. Crime in the Latino community, and specifically in Puerto Rico, has created a legacy of poverty, unemployment, and lack of education for the population, accelerated by drug prohibition. In 1994, the murder rate in Puerto Rico was the highest in the western hemisphere, with 73 percent classified by the police as "drug related." The article states the tendency among Latinos to follow overall trends throughout the U.S. with alcohol and cigarettes consumed far more than all illegal drugs combined. Nevertheless, the treatment of Latinos is unequal with a greater number of arrests in Latino neighborhoods. The high number of young people incarcerated has a negative effect on the lives of families and neighborhoods. In addition, the war on drugs focuses on Latino gangs in New York City and Puerto Rico, with the Kings and Queens and the Netas of particular interest to law enforcement. The article further states that the war on drugs has acted as a catalyst to the AIDS epidemic. AIDS is the leading cause of death among young adult Latinos in the United States and more than half are injection-related. In addition, people who live both on the island of Puerto Rico and in the United States have a much higher incidence of injection-related AIDS than do other Latino groups living in the United States.The relationship of the United States to Latin America and the Caribbean has been characterized as neocolonialism and is often considered a humanitarian gesture. However, rather than help them gain self-sufficiency, it becomes a means by which the United States government has exerted economic and political control. This is a long-term situation. By the 1960s, a period of great experimentation with drugs, the war on drugs shifted from federal to state and local bodies. However, when the Knapp Commission of 1968 convened and police corruption made headlines across the nation, the police took a hands-off policy and looked to the cartel lords. This policy allowed drug distribution organizations to build empires in neighborhoods no longer the focus of police. In Puerto Rico, the war on drugs followed in U.S. footsteps due to its continuing colonial status. Summary Barrios and Curtis (1998) make it very clear that only with legalization of all personality-enhancing drugs, along with alcohol and cigarettes, can a solution to the drug problem be found. By focusing on Puerto Rican immigrants in the United States, specifically in New York City, as well as those on the island of Puerto Rico, and continuing with a case study of a specific family, showing the way in which desperate needs bring about desperate means, these two authors show how the present system of laws against drugs accelerate rather than resolve the problem. In describing the Santuree family, the authors offered a microcosm of the drug problem within the experiences of one dysfunctional family, which shows clearly how the problems were escalated by poverty, unemployment, lack of medical care, lack of suitable housing, and ultimately following the apparent economic promise of drug dealing and the resulting

Personality Psychology Essay Example for Free

Personality Psychology Essay Everyday, we meet different kinds of people. It can be our friends, family or new acquaintances. Some of them we already know or even share a common trait. However, it is not always guaranteed that we understand them always. They may behave in this way today, but will be completely different tomorrow. Just as genes contribute to the uniqueness of each one of us, personality in every person is also distinct. Personality is defined as the entire mental organization of a human being at any stage of his development. It embraces every phase of human character: intellect, temperament, skill, morality, and every attitude that has been built up in the course of ones life (Warren Carmichael, 1930). With this concept in mind, we can say that personality is the essence of the human being. He reacts to any life circumstances with his own personality. Psychology regards this as an important factor in understanding people. Personality can work itself on what you are now and how will you be in the future. Research efforts have been expended through the years on how personality develops on one person. Studies on the different patterns of behavior, feelings and thoughts that make a person have been experimented. David and Larsen mentioned in their book that the fundamental components of personality are the following: (1) consistency, which means that people behave in a recognizable order; (2) psychological and physiological, aside from the works of the mind, personality is also governed by biological factors; (3) impact behaviors and actions, it does not only influence how a person respond, but also causes him to act in certain ways and; (4) multiple expressions, personality is embodied not only on one behavior. Given these complexities, it has become a basis of school of thoughts to theorize a person’s personality. Nevertheless, most researchers unite on the fact that personality lies on biological and social systems. Early psychology attributes personality as influence of biological factors. These are what to be known as Type Theories. It tells us that it depends on a person how he reacts on the external environment. One can be extroverted or introverted. Another type of personality theories are the Trait Theories. According to the American Psychiatric Association, traits are enduring patterns of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and oneself that are exhibited in a wide range of social and personal contexts. Traits can be considered also as a big player in defining one’s personality. Overtime, researches on personality has evolved. Earlier, it directs its focus on the person itself, but later on, psychologists acknowledge that the environment the person plays with also dictate his disposition. A person’s personality can change depending on what he sees on other people, not only what he believes in himself. Behavioral and social cognitive theories comprise the contemporary theories on personality. Together with the evolution of personality research, personality tests were also developed. These are very useful nowadays to educational and working environments where people are subjected to diverse kinds of people and experiences. Understanding a person’s personality is an important indicator to teachers and bosses, since this will aid them in handling other people. Personalities of people continue to be a mystery to most of us. However, with how psychology evolves, we can now, if not all, pinpoint the factors that will let us understand how people behave. True enough, it is still a very interesting topic to look on to, given the challenges of the ever changing society. Bibliography Buss, D. M. , Larsen, R. J. (2006). Personality Psychology: Domains of Knowledge About Human Nature. New York City: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages. Robins. (2002). Overview of the proceedings of the 2002 meeting of the association for research in personality. Journal of Research in Personality, 36(6), 539-540. Warren, H. C. , Carmichael, L. (1930). Elements of human psychology. Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin.

Watson and the Shark Painting Analysis

Watson and the Shark Painting Analysis John Singleton Copley (1738 1815), was an American painter born in Boston, Massachusetts. From the time Copley began to paint at the age of fifteen, many people throughout Massachusetts admired his paintings; also, people from other colonial cities recognized his portrait paintings. A big inspiration and benefit to him was his stepfather, Peter Pelham, a successful English engraver, painter, and teacher[1]. At the age of twenty-one Copley left Boston to travel around Europe to learn more about the art of painting. First, he went to London where he met Benjamin West, a respected painter around Europe and an established painter in the Royal Academy. While in London, he learned different techniques from West. These techniques seemed common in London, but were unknown in America. Copley wrote in a letter back home to his stepfather telling him about a simple technique he had learned â€Å"†¦Before painting, make drawings.†[2] From there Copley moved on to Paris where his confidence grew even more as he saw firsthand paintings from the best known painters in Europe at the time. As he got the chance to see works from his two favorite artists, Poussin and Rubens, Copley started sketching every time he saw something he thought was a beautiful form.3] When he arrived in Rome, Copley would rise early in the morning and sketch reliefs and antique statues at the French Academy. Although confident about his abilities to sketch and paint, he worked humbly on all the details of his painting projects. At the end of his stay in Rome, Copley faced a hard decision; return to America, the country he was born in and loved, or move to London where his art career would flourish. At this time, the American Revolution had started and he feared for the wellbeing of his family back in Boston. Although the fear for his family was strong, Copley decided that moving to London would be the only place where he could sell his historical paintings, for which he had been working on tirelessly around Europe. While he was trying to make this hard decision, his family was already on a ship to London unbeknownst to him.[4] This painting is the story of Brook Watson, which took place in Havana harbor, Cuba around 1749 when he was only fourteen years old. Watson, an orphan was working as a crewmember on a trading ship. While he was swimming alone out in the harbor early in the morning, a shark attacked him. His shipmates ran to his rescue, but not before the shark attacked him at least two times. According to tales, Watson and Copley met while they were traveling from Boston to England in 1774. However, history says that Watson never traveled that year. Copley must have heard the story and its details from Londoners who might have been Watsons political followers.[5] Watson and the Shark is a large oil painting on canvas measuring 183.51 x 229.55 cm (fig. 1). Copley decided to depict the dramatic scene where Watson was about to be attacked for the third time by a shark. This painting is a work during Copleys English period; it was such a great success from the beginning that it was put on display at the Royal Academy in 1778. Watson, who is naked in this painting and the shark attacking him are in the foreground (fig. 1). The shark has already devoured Watsons right leg, as we can see from figure 1 Watsons right leg is missing from the knee down. The shark is turning toward Watson, with its mouth wide-open and sharp teeth suggests that he is not satisfied, and is returning to finish what he has started.[6] Besides Watson, in a small boat, two of his shipmates are reaching to grab him and pull him on the boat. One of them is trying to fight off the shark by plunging a harpoon at the monster from the bow of the boat. A rope thrown at him is dangling useless in the water. This painting has captured a moment of fear and sadness in the faces and eyes of every man on that boat. The quiet waters of the harbor serve Copley in the composition of the painting to bring the viewers attention to the action. Copleys placements of elements in the painting allow the viewer to trace the action. The boat is coming from the harbor toward the shark. The movement of the shark that is taking a turn and a part of his body is outside the painting. We can clearly follow the movement of the harpoon that the sailor is plunging toward the shark. In addition, the movement of the men toward the boy makes the scene even more tragic. (Fig. 1). Watson and the Shark, even though off center, are the focal points in this painting. The artist has successfully made this a tragic scene, by making Watson appear as he is frozen in the moment, portraying him exactly the way he was in those moments struggling for his life. The shark with his mouth wide open and his sharp teeth painted in detail make the scene even more dramatic to the viewer. The artist has portrayed Watson naked in the water helpless on his back, which shows him as very vulnerable. His has a freighted look in his face, with his mouth and eyes wide open looking directly at the shark, which seems to represent the evil predator, and one hand up as if he is reaching for help from the heavens. The artist has painted the sun rising in contrast with the situation, but has also put the light on Watson the shark and the crewmembers trying to get him out of there. The predominant color is sea green with some brighter colors in the background. These somber colors contribute in depicting these tragic moments in this scene. Sadness is all over the faces of men in the boat. The composition is centered at the man in the middle of the boat. All around him there is action. Lines seem to be less important than shapes for the artist in this painting. The artist has been very careful in painting the men on the boat and depicting their actions, so that the story and individual actions of each man in this scene would be very clear to understand to the viewer. However, the most details have gone to portray the situation in which Watson is in, and to show his vulnerability. While most reviews around this painting describe it as a painting that is describing a historical event, Irma Jaffe mentions in her journal, John Singleton Copleys ‘Watson and the Shark,† that people have missed one very important aspect of Copleys life; his religious life. As Jaffe points out, Copley was a very religious man, he went to church every Sunday and religion had played an important role in Copleys view of himself as well as an artist. She says that this painting is about â€Å"resurrection and salvation†[7] In her journal, she takes on the symbolism of the shark as a monster as described in the Bible and the symbolism of water as a life-giver and a trial in the Bible. Jaffe then analyzes all the other elements. It is noticeable that Copley has taken poses from earlier sculptures and put them in his painting. He has taken them and put them in different positions to accomplish his final painting. Copley made the effort to paint every detail. The shark has very detailed features; his teeth and eyes were painted in detail to show the true nature of this evil creature. Watsons hair, his eyes, and his facial expression were painted in detail. Copley really wanted the viewer to get involved in the tragic story that had happened to his patron, Brook Watson. [1] Rebora, Carrie.John Singleton Copley in America. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1995. p. 79. [2] Plate, Robert.John Singleton Copley Americas First Great Artist. United States of America: David McKay Company, Inc., 1969. p. 100. [3] Plate, Robert.John Singleton Copley Americas First Great Artist. United State of America: David McKay Company, Inc., 1969. p. 101. [4] Plate, p. 105-109 [5] Jeffery, Margaret. A Painting of Copleys English Period.Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series1.4 (1942): 148. Web. 03 Mar 2010. [6] Jeffery, p. 148 [7] Jaffe, Irma B. John Singleton Copleys Watson and the Shark.American Art Journal9.1 (1977): 15-25. Web. 03 Mar 2010.

The Computer Ethics | Essay

The Computer Ethics | Essay The computer and the Internet is probably the greatest tool that people rely on in the modern world today. However, they are the most unrestricted form of technology. Identity theft, stealing, fraud, and plagiarizing can now be done electronically and anonymously. There are people in the world that intend to hurt others through the computer. As such, it is important to not only understand a code of ethics to prevent harming yourself and others, but to also develop methods to protect yourself. Code of Ethics It is always important that when operating a computer that one does not harm other people. Unethical decisions in the use of the computer are as varying and harmful as acts committed directly against other people. The internet is very vast, and it does contain information and data, but it also provides dangers. There are as many dangerous activities through the internet as outside the computer and then some. Viruses, hacking, committing fraud, plagiarizing can all be done through a computer. Therefore, a code of honor should be established for anyone wishing to use the computer. Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics. The Computer Ethics Institute created the Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics. 1. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people. 2. Thou shalt not interfere with other peoples computer work. 3. Thou shalt not snoop around in other peoples computer files. 4. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal. 5. Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness. 6. Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid. 7. Thou shalt not use other peoples computer resources without authorization or proper compensation. 8. Thou shalt not appropriate other peoples intellectual output. 9. Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are designing. 10. Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that insure consideration and respect for your fellow humans. (Lee) Personal Care. A computer is personal property to the owner, and he or she may do as they wish with the computer. However, a computer is the same as any property such as a house or a car. It is important to take care of the computer so that it operates safely as long as possible. This means to avoid any behaviors that would harm the computer or that will harm you. An example is giving personal information to sites that should not be trusted and could result in identity theft. Maintain an anti-virus software program to prevent virus attacks and always maintain and update the Computer. If a computer was a car, the same rule applies. A car should regularly be checked and sent for a tune-up. Respect Property. As always, it is important to take care of your computer. However, it is just as important to respect and properly use other computers. The same old rule applies; treat others property as you want your property to be treated. There are several risky behaviors on the computer that can harm it, and should be avoided on another persons computer. As a general rule, treat another computer better than your own. Not only does this apply to a friends personal computer, but also to the computers at school or at the library that provide public access. Remember that access to these computers is a privilege and should be respected. There are several important behaviors to observe when operating a different computer than your own. First, never operate a computer without permission. There may be special circumstances that you may be unaware. Second, always take good care of the equipment; the keyboard, the mouse, CDs, and hard drive itself. Finally, never download material or do anything potentially harmful to the computer. An illegal act could cause trouble for the owner or harm the computer and information it contains. Intellectual Property Intellectual property is any creation of the mind. Certain property is protected under Copyright Law, such as: Scientific discoveries Works of art or literature Inventions Designs Films or television programs Trademarks and names Computer programs Entertainment The Internet and Intellectual Property. As mentioned several times, the Internet is a source of a vast amount of information. The Internet is not a library or book, the Internet is for the most part unmanaged, unedited, unsupervised; anyone can post information on Internet for all to see. (Emmans) Information or creative works are not limited to copyright protected companies or organizations. Anyone can place information or creative work on the Internet. There are no physical boundaries to protect against the infringement of copyright. With free access to the Internet, any user may steal information anonymously and claim it as their own and this makes Intellectual Property almost unenforceable on the Internet. Protecting Against Plagiarism. Fortunately, there are tools available on the Internet to ensure users that they properly give credit to the information on the Internet. First, many sites available assist students in creating the proper citations for their sources. Good examples of these include Easybib and Citationmachine. These sites allow the user to enter the information of the source that they used, from either the Internet or elsewhere, and the device creates the proper citation. Jus the same, there are websites available to check the authenticity of a source of information, either a website or another type of information. An example is Turnitin.com, which allows teachers to analyze students work for plagiarized information. Other sites can be used to find if other website is credible or not. Finally, databases are an excellent tool for student or researchers. Databases contain well-documented articles from professional journals to even whole books, while also providing the sour ce information. Any student should take advantage of the tools available on the Internet to properly cite information and to find real sites. Placing Information on the Internet. When placing items on the Internet always make sure that the source of the information or media is cited. Also, when running a website, always include information to the ownership of the site and when it was updated. In this way, people can cite your website if they wish. Also, when maintaining a website, update regularly and maintain the site constantly. A website that has not been updated in years or does not have the proper links does not appear to be a good website. Limiting Access Free Speech. In American, everyone has a right to free speech, but where does this cross the line on the Internet? While people have a freedom of speech, there are limits in the physical world. For example, a person cannot slander or falsify against someone that will harm them. For example, claiming that a political opponent stole money from the treasury when this is not true is illegal. However, in the realm of the Internet, where there are no boundaries or enforcement, anything that can be said is said without punishment. The Internet is an excellent source of information, but as said before, websites should be evaluated before they are considered trustworthy or capable. An excellent example is Wikipedia, a free-access reference site. The site is well maintained and there is plenty of information with credible sources. However, anyone can edit a page on Wikipedia, and some of the facts may be false if not blatantly. In addition, on the Internet, there is a large amount of media, music, videos and images, even derogatory images and videos. Given that there is free-access, children may accidentally find these inappropriate images from innocent searches. Schools and Libraries. Schools and Libraries can help protect students and children from unrestricted access to the Internet. School and Library servers can now be fitted with restrictions that will block harmful or inappropriate websites. For students, this is very helpful in keeping them from exploring harmful sites while still having access to find information. In Libraries, it is important to protect the computers and restrictions on the internet help in this task, since many people come and go on the computers. (Emmans) Parental Control. Still the best protection for children is parental oversight. Children should not operate the computer or navigate the Internet themselves. This should also be applied to teenagers. Cindy Emman writes, A minor walking into a store to try to buy pornography can be stopped; a minor logging into the Internet can easily pose as an adult no one is the wiser. Parents should monitor teens use of the computer and teach their children proper use of the internet. (Emmans) Conclusion There are many concerns for the use of the computers. There are many harms that are created by others and there are harms created by the operator. Fortunately, there are methods developing to defend against harmful viruses, internet theft, and plagiarizing. The key for the prosperity of the computer is that each owner of the computer exhibits proper behavior, and anyone can turn to the Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics as a guide. Remember; never do anything that would harm another.

Sat Scores Vs. Acceptance Rates :: essays research papers

SAT Scores vs. Acceptance Rates The experiment must fulfill two goals: (1) to produce a professional report of your experiment, and (2) to show your understanding of the topics related to least squares regression as described in Moore & McCabe, Chapter 2. In this experiment, I will determine whether or not there is a relationship between average SAT scores of incoming freshmen versus the acceptance rate of applicants at top universities in the country. The cases being used are 12 of the very best universities in the country according to US News & World Report. The average SAT scores of incoming freshmen are the explanatory variables. The response variable is the acceptance rate of the universities. I used September 16, 1996 issue of US News & World Report as my source. I started out by choosing the top fourteen "Best National Universities". Next, I graphed the fourteen schools using a scatterplot and decided to cut it down to 12 universities by throwing out odd data. A scatterplot of the 12 universities data is on the following page (page 2) The linear regression equation is: ACCEPTANCE = 212.5 + -.134 * SAT_SCORE R= -.632 R^2=.399 I plugged in the data into my calculator, and did the various regressions. I saw that the power regression had the best correlation of the non-linear transformations. A scatterplot of the transformation can be seen on page 4. The Power Regression Equation is ACCEPTANCE RATE=(2.475x10^23)(SAT SCORE)^-7.002 R= -.683 R^2=.466 The power regression seems to be the better model for the experiment that I have chosen. There is a higher correlation in the power transformation than there is in the linear regression model. The R for the linear model is -.632 and the R in the power transformation is -.683. Based on R^2 which measures the fraction of the variation in the values of y that is explained by the least-squares regression of y on x, the power transformation model has a higher R^2 which is . 466 compared to .399. The residual plot for the linear regression is on page 5 and the residual plot for the power regression is on page 6. The two residuals plots seem very similar to one another and no helpful observations can be seen from them. The outliers in both models was not a factor in choosing the best model. In both models, there was one distinct outlier which appeared in the graphs. The one outlier in both models was University of Chicago. It had an unusually high acceptance rate among the universities in this experiment. This school is a very good school academically which means the average SAT scores of

Supporting Nuclear Energy as a Power Source :: essays research papers

Do you know that only fifty people have ever died from nuclear power plant related disasters? That’s more than the number of people that die from car crashes around the world each hour. Just because people die from driving doesn’t mean that we should doing that, so why should we not have nuclear power plants when only a small number of people died from them. The problem is that people over-exaggerate the negative parts of nuclear energy and use it to fuel the public’s fear of nuclear energy. For these reasons and more I support nuclear energy as a power source. First, nuclear energy has proven to be the most economical energy source. 15.5 grams of Uranium can produce as much energy as 1,400 tons of coal. Using nuclear power would also lower the cost of gas because there wouldn’t have to be as much oil burning power plants, so the demand of oil wouldn’t be as high. And, lastly, with nuclear energy we wouldn’t have to keep replacing the fuel because one rod of enriched Uranium can last as long as fifty years. Second, nuclear energy is one of the safest forms of energy. For starters, more people die each year from coal mining accidents and oil drilling separately than the number of people that have died from nuclear power plants. Next, for radiation exposure The Nuclear power industry contributes to far less than one percent of the average persons exposure. The rest of the radiation exposure comes from x-rays, medical waste, the radiation that is naturally given off by rocks, and numerous other sources. As for transporting the material to and from the sight, the containers that the material is shipped in are put through rigorous tests such as being able to survive a 2,000-foot fall onto a concrete surface and survive 30 minutes engulfed in 1,475-degree fire. So, safety wise, the nuclear energy industry is one of the safest. Lastly, nuclear power is one of the cleanest energy sources. Power plants that burn coal pollute the air and cause acid rain. Plants that burn oil force us to use large ships that sometimes spill the oil. Nuclear energy, on the other hand, doesn’t release any pollutants, and while shipping the radioactive material, there have been no accidents that have released any radiation into the air.

Instruments of Change :: Third World Countries Progress Essays

Instruments of Change As our world is becoming more technologically advanced, many countries are being forced to change their ways. Many Third World countries are in the process of modernization, though some are ahead of others. Besides modernization, there are other factors that can influence a country to change. These factors consist of the military, a charismatic leadership, ideology, bureaucracy, and religion. The military can be a very powerful instrument of change. For example, the majority of countries in the Middle East are ruled by the military. The military is seen as a very capable institution because of the fact that it can build or destroy nearly anything. It is also most representative of the society because it includes all classes and types of people. An illustration of the military as an instrument of change is the military takeover of Egypt, led by Nasser in 1952. The military takeover of a government is often referred to as a coup d’etat. Nasser was a member of the Free Officers. Nasser, like other members, came from a lower-middle class background and was frustrated with the feudal system that was being enforced in Egypt. Under the feudal system, only two percent of the people owned an entire 75% of the land. Due to the unfairness and the people’s hatred of the current king, the military took over the land of Egypt. The second instrument of change is leadership, which plays a significant role in the process of change. Nasser became the leader of Egypt after the military revolted. In 1953, Nasser gave a famous speech in Alexandria where someone fired four shots at him but missed. Nasser was praised for this speech, stating "I live for Egypt, I die for Egypt." These words turned Nasser into a charismatic leader- a leader who is seen as a type of God and is a huge role model to the people. During his rule, Nasser wanted to give Egypt back to the Egyptian people. Nasser accomplished this by giving extra plots of land to peasants, passing Agrarian Reform Acts to help out the lower classes, and by gaining control of the Suez canal. Needless to say, Nasser was seen as a great leader and hero in the Third World. The third instrument of change is ideology. Ideology is simply a belief system- what one feels is good or bad. Ideology can also be referred to as a set of political ideas or values.

Analysis of Hong Kong Economy During Financial Crisis

 ·808 · Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Innovation & Management An Analysis of the Hong Kong Economy after the Financial Crisis Cao Hongliu School of Management, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangdong, P. R. China, 510520 (E-mail: [email  protected] com) Abstract This paper analyzes the current economic development and the status of leading industries in Hong Kong. It shows that Hong Kong economy, which is mainly comprised of the service industry in particular, facing with both opportunities and challenges after the financial crisis.Hong Kong economy has a wide range of needs in information technology, electrical and electronic technology, and manufacturing technology. Development in these areas has great significance to ensure sustained development of Hong Kong economy. Key words Hong Kong economy status; Leading industry; Service industry 1 Introduction Hong Kong’s a small and open economy system and international financial center, its economi c development face many new challenges because of the impact of the global financial crisis.Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of the Hong Kong’s economic development and their leading industry status becomes an important issue. 2 Overview of Hong Kong Economy 2. 1 The services sector is a leading industry in Hong Kong From Table 1, we can see that the services industry is a leading industry of Hong Kong economy. During the decade from 1997 to 2006, services sector in the Hong Kong economy has gained greater prominence. This change has already been reflected in the share of contribution of the services sector to the local GDP.The contribution of the services sector to GDP increased from 85. 9% in 1997 to 91. 2% in 2006. Based on the industry definition of Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department, The services sector includes wholesale, retail and import and export trades, restaurants and hotels; transport, storage and communications; financing, insurance, real estate and b usiness services; and community, social and personal services. Table 1 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Economic Activity (at Current Prices) GDP by Economic Activity(2004-2007) 2004 2005 2006 2007Economic activity Agriculture and fishing Mining and quarrying Manufacturing Electricity, gas and water Construction GDP 886 72 44455 39726 40376 ratio 0. 1 * 3. 6 3. 2 3. 2 GDP 847 100 45547 39924 38538 ratio 0. 1 * 3. 4 3 2. 9 GDP 849 93 45761 40364 38688 ratio 0. 1 * 3. 2 2. 8 2. 7 GDP 895 114 39282 39426 40154 ratio 0. 1 * 2. 5 2. 5 2. 6 Services 1119304 89. 9 1207873 90. 6 1297545 91. 2 1429293 92. 3 Note: Data is from Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics (2004-2008 Edition) edited by Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department. Data unit is in million terms and ratio unit is %.Besides, * represents the comparison had less than 0. 05% is in the total economy The services sector becomes the principal source of employment. The employment share of the services sector in total employment h as increased moderately over the past decade, from 79. 8% in 1997 to 86. 6% in 2007. In 2007, the services sector as a whole engaged 3. 03 million persons out of the 3. 5 million overall employments. The services sector plays a significant role in supporting the growth of our external trade. In 2007, the value of exports of services reached $652 billion, representing an average annual growth rate ofProceedings of the 7th International Conference on Innovation & Management  ·809 · 8. 6% over 1997. In 2007, merchant and other trade-related services was the most important major service group, contributing 30. 9% to the value of total exports of services. It was followed by transportation services and travel services, contributing 28. 6% and 16. 5% respectively to the value of total exports of services in 2007. In 1997, the respective percentage shares of these three major service groups in the value of total exports of services were 25. 6%, 30. % and 20. 8%. 2. 2 The structure of H ong Kong’s services industry sector Among the economic activities in the services sector, wholesale, retail and import and export trades, restaurants and hotels together contributed 27. 9% of the GDP in 2006, followed by financing, insurance, real estate and business services (25. 0%), community, social and personal services (18. 0%) and transport, storage and communications (9. 6%). Among them, financial services, trading, tourism and professional services are key industries in the Hong Kong economy.They have been the driving force of Hong Kong’s economic growth, providing impetus to growth of other sectors and creating employment. (1) Import and export trade . The import and export trade is the most important industries in Hong Kong’s service industry, has been playing an important role in the development of Hong Kong economy. The import and export trade produced a net output of HK$305. 1 billion in 2006, representing an increase of 39% over 1997. The ratio is the highest among all service industry. In 2007, there were 98 000 import and export trading establishments in Hong Kong, with 520 000 persons.At the same time, import and export trade sector is also directly promoting the development of other industries, such as logistics, transportation, business services and other services. Hong Kong’s import and export trade, including the visible trade and invisible trade two parts. The visible trade refers to the traditional commodity trade. In 2007, the value of Hong Kong imported and exported goods was $5,556 billion, representing an increase of 9. 8% compared to 2006. Hong Kong’s total exports of goods (comprising domestic exports and re-exports) in 2007 amounted to $2,688 billion, or increased by 9. % when compared with 2006. The value of imports increased by 10. 3% to $2,868 billion in 2007. With the value of total exports being less than that of imports, a merchandise trade deficit of $180 billion was recorded in 2007. In the import and export trade, the largest proportion of re-exports. This was largely attributable to the relocation of many local manufacturing activities to the mainland of China. Quite a large amount of the goods produced in the mainland of China through the outward processing arrangement were sent back to Hong Kong and re-exported to other countries/territories.During 1997 to 2007, the value of re-exports increased by 107%, while a decline of 48% was observed in the value of domestic exports. In 2007 the re-export trade to the mainland continued to grow rapidly. The invisible trade services are export and import trade of commercial services and financial services. While these services could be exported or imported by the import/export firms or companies in other sectors, most of the merchant and other trade-related services were exported or imported by import/export firms . In 2007, Hong Kong’s exports and imports of services valued at $652 billion and $322 billion respecti vely.Compared to 2006, exports and imports of services increased by 15. 4% and 11. 7% respectively. Net exports of services in 2007 amounted to $330 billion, this makes Hong Kong’s overall trade surplus of $150 billion. (2) Finance. Hong Kong is recognized as an international financial center, many multinational banks and financial institutions gathered here. The financial business is classified in detail, covering all aspects of the financial industry. Hong Kong three-tier system of deposit-taking institutions, namely licensed banks, restricted licensed banks and deposit-taking companies, known collectively as the authorized institutions.At the end of 2007, the number of authorized institutions stood at 200, comprising 142 licensed banks, 29 restricted license banks and 29 deposit-taking companies. 68 of them were incorporated in Hong Kong and 132 were incorporated outside Hong Kong. In addition, there were 79 representative offices of foreign banks coming from 27 economies/ regions. As at end December 2007, 152 of the largest 500 banks in the world had a presence in Hong Kong. The value added generated by the banking industry amounted to $136. 5 billion, or 9. 6% of Hong Kong’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2006, representing an increase of 41. % compared with 1997. The development of the banking sector also promotes the development of other financial industries. In 2007, some 2 940 establishments and about 32 400 persons were engaged in the business. These included stock and share companies; commodity futures, gold bullion and foreign exchange brokers/dealers; stock, bullion and commodity exchanges; fund management companies; investment advisory companies; and firms providing other various financial services. The financial markets and asset management industry generated value added of about $59. billion, contributing to 4. 1% of Hong Kong’s GDP in 2006.  ·810 · Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Innovation & Managem ent Hong Kong is also the Securities and Exchange Center and an important place for the mainland enterprises to raise funds. At the end of 2007, 1 048 companies were listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx), with a total market capitalization of $20,536 billion. Despite an increase of only 7. 5% in the number of listed companies, market capitalization was observed to rise 55. 0% over 2006.Since July 1993 when the first Chinese state owned company was listed on the HKEx through issuance of H shares, the role of Hong Kong as a major fund-raising centre for the mainland of China had become increasingly important. By the end of 2007, there were 146 H shares listed on the HKEx, with market capitalization of $5,080 billion. In addition, there were also 93 â€Å"Red Chips† companies and 200 private enterprises listed on HKEx. Hong Kong is one of the most active and liberal debt markets and a leading asset management centre in Asia. (3) Tourism . In 2007, 51 900 persons were engaged in industries closely related o tourism, such as hotels and travel agents and 315 300 persons in industries partly related to tourism such as restaurants, retailers, transport operators and other service providers serving visitors. In terms of economic contribution, inbound tourism and outbound tourism together generated $45. 3 billion value added and 176 300 job opportunities in 2006, or 3. 2% of total GDP and 5. 2% of total employment of Hong Kong respectively. The number of incoming visitors in 2007 reached 28. 2 million, increased by 11. 6% as compared with 25. 3 million in 2006 and set the highest record for visitor arrivals in history.The mainland of China remained the major source market of visitors to Hong Kong since 1994. Visitor arrivals from the mainland of China reached 15. 5 million in 2007, accounted for 55. 0% of the total visitor arrivals, followed by South and Southeast Asia (10. 3%) and Taiwan (7. 9%). In addition, Hong Kong i s Asia’s major trade exhibition and business conference center. A total of 218 conventions and 78 exhibitions with international participation were held in Hong Kong in 2006. (4) Professional service . The professional service is Hong Kong’s fourth-largest service industry.The professional services industry generated $40 billion of value added, or 2. 8% of Hong Kong’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in 2006 and provided job opportunities for about 106 000 persons in 2007. In 2007, there were about 13 500 professional services establishments, including 3 900 accounting, auditing and bookkeeping firms, 1 800 solicitor and barrister firms, 3 300 architectural, surveying and engineering firms and some 4 500 management consultant firms. The business receipts of professional services industry increased by 10. 7% in 2007 over a year earlier.The development of professional services industry over the past decade was quite remarkable. Number of establishments and persons en gaged increased by 35% and 23% respectively between 1997 and 2007. During the same period, the total number of registered professionals also increased remarkably, with certified public accountants increasing at the fastest rate of 7. 3% per year on average. 2. 3 Manufacturing company is the support for the Hong Kong service industry In this paper, the Hong Kong Manufacturing Company refers specifically to the Hong Kong manufacturing companies in the mainland.The rapid expansion of Hong Kong’s service industries in the past two decades benefited from the development of the Hong Kong Manufacturing Company and the sub-contracting business model. In the late 80’s, under the pressure of high land prices, high rents, high labor costs, a large number of Hong Kong manufacturers shifted their production to the Mainland, where the land and labor costs were relatively low, in particular the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong Province. And because of the changes in the business, many original manufacturing companies become the service company.These companies transferred their manufacturing factories to the Mainland, and kept the headquarters and other high value-added services such as marketing, order processing, material procurement, design, packaging, logistics business in Hong Kong. This business model is known as â€Å"shop in front and factory in back† mode. At the same time, in order to adapt to the changes in international markets and increase exports, many traditional trading companies, set up manufacturing factories in mainland, and formed a sub-contracting operation mode.In the sub-contractors mode, products manufactured in the mainland branch companies, headquarters in Hong Kong focused its efforts on trade, market and management. This mode of operation combined the mainland companies’ low-cost production advantage and the Hong Kong trading companies’ familiar with the international market advantage together, promoted the expediti ons of business of Hong Kong trade companies and improved their production efficiency. This production mode provided a strong support to the development of Hong Kong’s service industry.The financial crisis press great operating pressure to the Hong Kong Manufacturing Company. Mostly concentrated in the Pearl River Delta region, the types of these companies are sound equipment, electrical appliances, toys, clothing, footwear and other labor-intensive industries. The development of these enterprises is based on low labor and land inputs, production technology is very low. With the Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Innovation & Management  ·811 · labor, land costs rising substantially in the Pearl River Delta region, the ompetitive advantages of the Hong Kong Manufacturing Company decreased a lot in recent years. Under the impact of the financial crisis, there has an obvious drop in experts of these labor-intensive consumer goods. Many Hong Kong Manufacturin g Companies face the problem of orders reduction, profit decline, and even bankruptcy. 3 Hong Kong’s Economic Problems under the Global Financial Crisis Table 2 1997-2007 Business Receipts Indices 1997 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Wholesale/Retail Import and export trade Restaurants Hotels Transport Storage Communications Banking Financing (except banking) Insurance 24. 4 107. 2 104. 7 99 61. 7 157. 1 127. 1 84. 1 79. 8 38. 2 88. 3 75. 5 94. 9 73. 1 68. 8 81. 1 96. 6 86. 4 56 59. 2 85. 8 80. 4 85. 7 58. 8 69. 1 77. 4 94. 3 86. 4 65. 7 70. 5 93. 8 90. 5 94. 3 81. 9 85 90. 6 95. 1 90. 2 87. 5 86. 2 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 107. 4 110. 2 109. 5 113. 7 110. 6 110. 2 100. 8 119. 5 147. 9 121. 3 99. 6 119. 6 114 109. 7 120. 6 119. 1 124. 2 131. 1 122. 6 127. 8 110. 8 165. 3 249. 7 156. 2 139. 3 135. 4 135. 4 117. 1 Real estate 135. 6 71. 5 75. 9 86. 2 Business 119. 7 87. 88. 1 95. 3 services Tourism 91. 5 75. 5 70 88. 5 Computer and 53. 1 63. 7 67. 3 81. 1 information services Note: Data is from Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics(2008 Edition) Statistics Department. Table 3 2005 edited by Hong Kong Census and 2005-2008 the variation ratio of Business Receipts Indices 2006 2007 2007 3 quarter 9 15. 1 8. 2 15. 4 15. 7 11. 7 11. 7 9. 7 47. 7 99. 6 42. 1 27. 7 2007 4 quarter 15. 5 17. 7 7. 6 14. 8 16. 5 14. 8 10. 3 16. 2 45 82. 9 35. 4 69. 5 2008 1 quarter 9. 6 17. 5 13. 2 16 9. 9 15. 9 10. 7 11. 2 6. 32. 8 11. 7 14. 5 2008 2 quarter Wholesale/Retail Import and export trade Restaurants Hotels Transport Storage Communications Banking Financing (except banking) Insurance Real estate Business services 5. 6 6. 8 10. 6 6 22. 1 17. 8 10. 4 5. 1 10. 9 14. 3 16 16 7. 9 7. 3 10. 2 9. 5 13. 7 10. 6 10. 2 0. 8 19. 5 47. 9 21. 3 -0. 4 10. 4 12. 8 8 13. 4 15. 2 10. 8 16 10 38. 3 68. 8 28. 8 39. 8 14. 1 14. 4 14. 6 15. 3 9. 6 11 3. 5 13. 5 -6. 8 4. 7 8. 3 10 Tourism 4. 9 19. 6 13. 2 11. 8 14 11. 5 10. 3 Computer and 12. 9 14 18. 7 18. 9 25. 4 14. 14 information services Note: Data is from Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics (2008 Edition) edited by Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department.  ·812 · Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Innovation & Management Table 2 shows the revenue changes of the Hong Kong’s service industry from the 1997 Asian financial crisis. In the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the subsequent 2003 epidemic of SARS, Hong Kong’s service industry was particularly hard hit. Until 2006, the industry revenue was generally restored to the level of 97. Finance, insurance, transport, trade and other business incurred the largest loss.In February 2007, the U. S. sub-loan crisis happened, and the Lehman bank filed for bankruptcy in September 2008. The U. S. financial crisis intensified and developed into a global financial crisis. From the second half of 2008, the global financial crisis began to influence Hong Kong economy. This performance is particularly evident in the service industry. Hong Kong’s financial industry has been most affected. From Table 3 it can be seen that Banking and financial services industries are in the most affected after the financial crisis. There is a rapid decline in industry revenue.In the second quarter of 2008, banking industry even has the first negative growth since the past few years. At the end of the third quarter, because a lot of major financial institutions in the United States had been threatened with a bankruptcy, the global financial crisis became even more serious. The panic selling appeared in many countries’ stock market, Hong Kong was no exception. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index plummeted by 15% in September, and fall 22% in October. The normal operation of Hong Kong’s capital markets has been seriously affected.The growth of other financial related industries, such as insurance, real estate and business services, had a slowed down significantly from the beginning of the second quarter of 2008. Import and export trade and related industries sectors have been affected in different degrees. The merchandise exports slowed down in the third quarter and only had a small increase. Even so, this was the worst performance since the first quarter of 2002. With the increase of global financial crisis, exports to other markets also had different degrees of slowing down.As a result, the growth of related industries, such as business service, trade service, transportation and storage service also slowed down slightly. Exports of services had maintained a steady increase in the financial crisis, but the growth rate was also smaller than the second quarter. The growth of tourism also had signs of deceleration and affect the growth of related industry, such as transportation, hotels, catering services, the number of visitors from long distance market decrease a lot, particularly the tourists from Europe and the United States.To face the challenge of financial crisis, the SAR Government has been actively responding well to prevent the spread of financial risks. From the beginning of the sub-loan crisis in the United States, in order to ensure stability of the financial system, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority introduced a number of measures to alleviate the pressure on banks and provide necessary assistance to the banks. Securities and Futures Commission and the Insurance Supervisory Commission also had made action to strengthen the protection of investors and policyholders.At the same time, most Hong Kong’s local financial institutions’ participation in directly investment to the US sub-loan is limited in small scale. The local banking system remains steadily without be directly effected by the sub-loan crisis. Benefit from the economic development of the Mainland, Hong Kong’s service industries is also faced with new opportunities in the global financial crisis. For example, supported by the growth of trade in the Mainland, of fshore trade growth was still significant.Although 2008 is the â€Å"Olympic Year†, but the mainland tourists to Hong Kong remained a high-speed growth. In the third quarter of 2008, the Mainland tourists to Hong Kong wad still higher than last year, an increase of 9. 4%. Individual Visit Scheme is one of the bright spots; the visitors in accordance with this scheme had a further rise in the third quarter, the ratio wad 14. 5%. These factors effectively guaranteed the smooth operation of Hong Kong’s service industries. At the same time, the ten naturalization industry plan in the mainland had already been introduced.The mainland accelerated the pace of industrial upgrading and began to support the development of high-tech industry. These policies provide a good environment for the Hong Kong companies in mainland to upgrade their technological level and achieve their own industrial upgrading. Based on the above analysis, the challenges faced by Hong Kong’s econom ic in the financial crisis can be summarized into the following three aspects: (1)financial sector’s profits decline a lot, related sector’s services business reduces. 2) The trade and service market in Western countries shrink. 3 Hong Kong Company in mainland operates difficultly. Hong Kong economy is facing the opportunity for: the steady development of the Mainland economy and the acceleration of the industrial upgrading. Therefore, in order to face the challenge of the financial crisis, it is important for Hong Kong service companies to expand business in the Mainland, and to Hong Kong companies in mainland to enhance the productivity. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Innovation & Management  ·813 · 4 ConclusionsThrough the above analysis, this paper can be drawn the following conclusions: (1) The a major problem of Hong Kong economy is decline in financial sector profits and trade volume with Western developed countries. (2)The expansion of d emand of the Mainland market is the most important opportunity for Hong Kong’s economic development. (3) Hong Kong economy has great demands for information technology, electrical and electronic technologies, manufacturing technology. To ensure sustainable development of Hong Kong economy, it is very important to promote scientific and technological development. References [1] Yang Xue.The Analysis of the Scientific and Technological Needs Based on Micro-macro System[J]. Social Science Frontier, 2008, (10): 241(In Chinese) [2] Guo Kasha, Wang Wenlong. Science and Technology Needs Analysis of Chinese High-Tech Industry[J]. Economic Review, 2004, (8):198(In Chinese) [3] Wu Jiapei, Wang Changsheng. Science and Technology Needs Analysis of the New Road to Industrialization[J]. Science & Technology and Economy, 2005, (4): 4(In Chinese) [4] Li Jianhua, Cheng Baoying, Yang Xue. Analysis on Demand of Science and Technology Effected by Informatization During New Industrialization[J]. Information Science, 2004, (8): 903(In Chinese) Analysis of Hong Kong Economy During Financial Crisis  ·808 · Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Innovation & Management An Analysis of the Hong Kong Economy after the Financial Crisis Cao Hongliu School of Management, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangdong, P. R. China, 510520 (E-mail: [email  protected] com) Abstract This paper analyzes the current economic development and the status of leading industries in Hong Kong. It shows that Hong Kong economy, which is mainly comprised of the service industry in particular, facing with both opportunities and challenges after the financial crisis.Hong Kong economy has a wide range of needs in information technology, electrical and electronic technology, and manufacturing technology. Development in these areas has great significance to ensure sustained development of Hong Kong economy. Key words Hong Kong economy status; Leading industry; Service industry 1 Introduction Hong Kong’s a small and open economy system and international financial center, its economi c development face many new challenges because of the impact of the global financial crisis.Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of the Hong Kong’s economic development and their leading industry status becomes an important issue. 2 Overview of Hong Kong Economy 2. 1 The services sector is a leading industry in Hong Kong From Table 1, we can see that the services industry is a leading industry of Hong Kong economy. During the decade from 1997 to 2006, services sector in the Hong Kong economy has gained greater prominence. This change has already been reflected in the share of contribution of the services sector to the local GDP.The contribution of the services sector to GDP increased from 85. 9% in 1997 to 91. 2% in 2006. Based on the industry definition of Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department, The services sector includes wholesale, retail and import and export trades, restaurants and hotels; transport, storage and communications; financing, insurance, real estate and b usiness services; and community, social and personal services. Table 1 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Economic Activity (at Current Prices) GDP by Economic Activity(2004-2007) 2004 2005 2006 2007Economic activity Agriculture and fishing Mining and quarrying Manufacturing Electricity, gas and water Construction GDP 886 72 44455 39726 40376 ratio 0. 1 * 3. 6 3. 2 3. 2 GDP 847 100 45547 39924 38538 ratio 0. 1 * 3. 4 3 2. 9 GDP 849 93 45761 40364 38688 ratio 0. 1 * 3. 2 2. 8 2. 7 GDP 895 114 39282 39426 40154 ratio 0. 1 * 2. 5 2. 5 2. 6 Services 1119304 89. 9 1207873 90. 6 1297545 91. 2 1429293 92. 3 Note: Data is from Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics (2004-2008 Edition) edited by Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department. Data unit is in million terms and ratio unit is %.Besides, * represents the comparison had less than 0. 05% is in the total economy The services sector becomes the principal source of employment. The employment share of the services sector in total employment h as increased moderately over the past decade, from 79. 8% in 1997 to 86. 6% in 2007. In 2007, the services sector as a whole engaged 3. 03 million persons out of the 3. 5 million overall employments. The services sector plays a significant role in supporting the growth of our external trade. In 2007, the value of exports of services reached $652 billion, representing an average annual growth rate ofProceedings of the 7th International Conference on Innovation & Management  ·809 · 8. 6% over 1997. In 2007, merchant and other trade-related services was the most important major service group, contributing 30. 9% to the value of total exports of services. It was followed by transportation services and travel services, contributing 28. 6% and 16. 5% respectively to the value of total exports of services in 2007. In 1997, the respective percentage shares of these three major service groups in the value of total exports of services were 25. 6%, 30. % and 20. 8%. 2. 2 The structure of H ong Kong’s services industry sector Among the economic activities in the services sector, wholesale, retail and import and export trades, restaurants and hotels together contributed 27. 9% of the GDP in 2006, followed by financing, insurance, real estate and business services (25. 0%), community, social and personal services (18. 0%) and transport, storage and communications (9. 6%). Among them, financial services, trading, tourism and professional services are key industries in the Hong Kong economy.They have been the driving force of Hong Kong’s economic growth, providing impetus to growth of other sectors and creating employment. (1) Import and export trade . The import and export trade is the most important industries in Hong Kong’s service industry, has been playing an important role in the development of Hong Kong economy. The import and export trade produced a net output of HK$305. 1 billion in 2006, representing an increase of 39% over 1997. The ratio is the highest among all service industry. In 2007, there were 98 000 import and export trading establishments in Hong Kong, with 520 000 persons.At the same time, import and export trade sector is also directly promoting the development of other industries, such as logistics, transportation, business services and other services. Hong Kong’s import and export trade, including the visible trade and invisible trade two parts. The visible trade refers to the traditional commodity trade. In 2007, the value of Hong Kong imported and exported goods was $5,556 billion, representing an increase of 9. 8% compared to 2006. Hong Kong’s total exports of goods (comprising domestic exports and re-exports) in 2007 amounted to $2,688 billion, or increased by 9. % when compared with 2006. The value of imports increased by 10. 3% to $2,868 billion in 2007. With the value of total exports being less than that of imports, a merchandise trade deficit of $180 billion was recorded in 2007. In the import and export trade, the largest proportion of re-exports. This was largely attributable to the relocation of many local manufacturing activities to the mainland of China. Quite a large amount of the goods produced in the mainland of China through the outward processing arrangement were sent back to Hong Kong and re-exported to other countries/territories.During 1997 to 2007, the value of re-exports increased by 107%, while a decline of 48% was observed in the value of domestic exports. In 2007 the re-export trade to the mainland continued to grow rapidly. The invisible trade services are export and import trade of commercial services and financial services. While these services could be exported or imported by the import/export firms or companies in other sectors, most of the merchant and other trade-related services were exported or imported by import/export firms . In 2007, Hong Kong’s exports and imports of services valued at $652 billion and $322 billion respecti vely.Compared to 2006, exports and imports of services increased by 15. 4% and 11. 7% respectively. Net exports of services in 2007 amounted to $330 billion, this makes Hong Kong’s overall trade surplus of $150 billion. (2) Finance. Hong Kong is recognized as an international financial center, many multinational banks and financial institutions gathered here. The financial business is classified in detail, covering all aspects of the financial industry. Hong Kong three-tier system of deposit-taking institutions, namely licensed banks, restricted licensed banks and deposit-taking companies, known collectively as the authorized institutions.At the end of 2007, the number of authorized institutions stood at 200, comprising 142 licensed banks, 29 restricted license banks and 29 deposit-taking companies. 68 of them were incorporated in Hong Kong and 132 were incorporated outside Hong Kong. In addition, there were 79 representative offices of foreign banks coming from 27 economies/ regions. As at end December 2007, 152 of the largest 500 banks in the world had a presence in Hong Kong. The value added generated by the banking industry amounted to $136. 5 billion, or 9. 6% of Hong Kong’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2006, representing an increase of 41. % compared with 1997. The development of the banking sector also promotes the development of other financial industries. In 2007, some 2 940 establishments and about 32 400 persons were engaged in the business. These included stock and share companies; commodity futures, gold bullion and foreign exchange brokers/dealers; stock, bullion and commodity exchanges; fund management companies; investment advisory companies; and firms providing other various financial services. The financial markets and asset management industry generated value added of about $59. billion, contributing to 4. 1% of Hong Kong’s GDP in 2006.  ·810 · Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Innovation & Managem ent Hong Kong is also the Securities and Exchange Center and an important place for the mainland enterprises to raise funds. At the end of 2007, 1 048 companies were listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx), with a total market capitalization of $20,536 billion. Despite an increase of only 7. 5% in the number of listed companies, market capitalization was observed to rise 55. 0% over 2006.Since July 1993 when the first Chinese state owned company was listed on the HKEx through issuance of H shares, the role of Hong Kong as a major fund-raising centre for the mainland of China had become increasingly important. By the end of 2007, there were 146 H shares listed on the HKEx, with market capitalization of $5,080 billion. In addition, there were also 93 â€Å"Red Chips† companies and 200 private enterprises listed on HKEx. Hong Kong is one of the most active and liberal debt markets and a leading asset management centre in Asia. (3) Tourism . In 2007, 51 900 persons were engaged in industries closely related o tourism, such as hotels and travel agents and 315 300 persons in industries partly related to tourism such as restaurants, retailers, transport operators and other service providers serving visitors. In terms of economic contribution, inbound tourism and outbound tourism together generated $45. 3 billion value added and 176 300 job opportunities in 2006, or 3. 2% of total GDP and 5. 2% of total employment of Hong Kong respectively. The number of incoming visitors in 2007 reached 28. 2 million, increased by 11. 6% as compared with 25. 3 million in 2006 and set the highest record for visitor arrivals in history.The mainland of China remained the major source market of visitors to Hong Kong since 1994. Visitor arrivals from the mainland of China reached 15. 5 million in 2007, accounted for 55. 0% of the total visitor arrivals, followed by South and Southeast Asia (10. 3%) and Taiwan (7. 9%). In addition, Hong Kong i s Asia’s major trade exhibition and business conference center. A total of 218 conventions and 78 exhibitions with international participation were held in Hong Kong in 2006. (4) Professional service . The professional service is Hong Kong’s fourth-largest service industry.The professional services industry generated $40 billion of value added, or 2. 8% of Hong Kong’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in 2006 and provided job opportunities for about 106 000 persons in 2007. In 2007, there were about 13 500 professional services establishments, including 3 900 accounting, auditing and bookkeeping firms, 1 800 solicitor and barrister firms, 3 300 architectural, surveying and engineering firms and some 4 500 management consultant firms. The business receipts of professional services industry increased by 10. 7% in 2007 over a year earlier.The development of professional services industry over the past decade was quite remarkable. Number of establishments and persons en gaged increased by 35% and 23% respectively between 1997 and 2007. During the same period, the total number of registered professionals also increased remarkably, with certified public accountants increasing at the fastest rate of 7. 3% per year on average. 2. 3 Manufacturing company is the support for the Hong Kong service industry In this paper, the Hong Kong Manufacturing Company refers specifically to the Hong Kong manufacturing companies in the mainland.The rapid expansion of Hong Kong’s service industries in the past two decades benefited from the development of the Hong Kong Manufacturing Company and the sub-contracting business model. In the late 80’s, under the pressure of high land prices, high rents, high labor costs, a large number of Hong Kong manufacturers shifted their production to the Mainland, where the land and labor costs were relatively low, in particular the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong Province. And because of the changes in the business, many original manufacturing companies become the service company.These companies transferred their manufacturing factories to the Mainland, and kept the headquarters and other high value-added services such as marketing, order processing, material procurement, design, packaging, logistics business in Hong Kong. This business model is known as â€Å"shop in front and factory in back† mode. At the same time, in order to adapt to the changes in international markets and increase exports, many traditional trading companies, set up manufacturing factories in mainland, and formed a sub-contracting operation mode.In the sub-contractors mode, products manufactured in the mainland branch companies, headquarters in Hong Kong focused its efforts on trade, market and management. This mode of operation combined the mainland companies’ low-cost production advantage and the Hong Kong trading companies’ familiar with the international market advantage together, promoted the expediti ons of business of Hong Kong trade companies and improved their production efficiency. This production mode provided a strong support to the development of Hong Kong’s service industry.The financial crisis press great operating pressure to the Hong Kong Manufacturing Company. Mostly concentrated in the Pearl River Delta region, the types of these companies are sound equipment, electrical appliances, toys, clothing, footwear and other labor-intensive industries. The development of these enterprises is based on low labor and land inputs, production technology is very low. With the Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Innovation & Management  ·811 · labor, land costs rising substantially in the Pearl River Delta region, the ompetitive advantages of the Hong Kong Manufacturing Company decreased a lot in recent years. Under the impact of the financial crisis, there has an obvious drop in experts of these labor-intensive consumer goods. Many Hong Kong Manufacturin g Companies face the problem of orders reduction, profit decline, and even bankruptcy. 3 Hong Kong’s Economic Problems under the Global Financial Crisis Table 2 1997-2007 Business Receipts Indices 1997 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Wholesale/Retail Import and export trade Restaurants Hotels Transport Storage Communications Banking Financing (except banking) Insurance 24. 4 107. 2 104. 7 99 61. 7 157. 1 127. 1 84. 1 79. 8 38. 2 88. 3 75. 5 94. 9 73. 1 68. 8 81. 1 96. 6 86. 4 56 59. 2 85. 8 80. 4 85. 7 58. 8 69. 1 77. 4 94. 3 86. 4 65. 7 70. 5 93. 8 90. 5 94. 3 81. 9 85 90. 6 95. 1 90. 2 87. 5 86. 2 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 107. 4 110. 2 109. 5 113. 7 110. 6 110. 2 100. 8 119. 5 147. 9 121. 3 99. 6 119. 6 114 109. 7 120. 6 119. 1 124. 2 131. 1 122. 6 127. 8 110. 8 165. 3 249. 7 156. 2 139. 3 135. 4 135. 4 117. 1 Real estate 135. 6 71. 5 75. 9 86. 2 Business 119. 7 87. 88. 1 95. 3 services Tourism 91. 5 75. 5 70 88. 5 Computer and 53. 1 63. 7 67. 3 81. 1 information services Note: Data is from Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics(2008 Edition) Statistics Department. Table 3 2005 edited by Hong Kong Census and 2005-2008 the variation ratio of Business Receipts Indices 2006 2007 2007 3 quarter 9 15. 1 8. 2 15. 4 15. 7 11. 7 11. 7 9. 7 47. 7 99. 6 42. 1 27. 7 2007 4 quarter 15. 5 17. 7 7. 6 14. 8 16. 5 14. 8 10. 3 16. 2 45 82. 9 35. 4 69. 5 2008 1 quarter 9. 6 17. 5 13. 2 16 9. 9 15. 9 10. 7 11. 2 6. 32. 8 11. 7 14. 5 2008 2 quarter Wholesale/Retail Import and export trade Restaurants Hotels Transport Storage Communications Banking Financing (except banking) Insurance Real estate Business services 5. 6 6. 8 10. 6 6 22. 1 17. 8 10. 4 5. 1 10. 9 14. 3 16 16 7. 9 7. 3 10. 2 9. 5 13. 7 10. 6 10. 2 0. 8 19. 5 47. 9 21. 3 -0. 4 10. 4 12. 8 8 13. 4 15. 2 10. 8 16 10 38. 3 68. 8 28. 8 39. 8 14. 1 14. 4 14. 6 15. 3 9. 6 11 3. 5 13. 5 -6. 8 4. 7 8. 3 10 Tourism 4. 9 19. 6 13. 2 11. 8 14 11. 5 10. 3 Computer and 12. 9 14 18. 7 18. 9 25. 4 14. 14 information services Note: Data is from Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics (2008 Edition) edited by Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department.  ·812 · Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Innovation & Management Table 2 shows the revenue changes of the Hong Kong’s service industry from the 1997 Asian financial crisis. In the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the subsequent 2003 epidemic of SARS, Hong Kong’s service industry was particularly hard hit. Until 2006, the industry revenue was generally restored to the level of 97. Finance, insurance, transport, trade and other business incurred the largest loss.In February 2007, the U. S. sub-loan crisis happened, and the Lehman bank filed for bankruptcy in September 2008. The U. S. financial crisis intensified and developed into a global financial crisis. From the second half of 2008, the global financial crisis began to influence Hong Kong economy. This performance is particularly evident in the service industry. Hong Kong’s financial industry has been most affected. From Table 3 it can be seen that Banking and financial services industries are in the most affected after the financial crisis. There is a rapid decline in industry revenue.In the second quarter of 2008, banking industry even has the first negative growth since the past few years. At the end of the third quarter, because a lot of major financial institutions in the United States had been threatened with a bankruptcy, the global financial crisis became even more serious. The panic selling appeared in many countries’ stock market, Hong Kong was no exception. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index plummeted by 15% in September, and fall 22% in October. The normal operation of Hong Kong’s capital markets has been seriously affected.The growth of other financial related industries, such as insurance, real estate and business services, had a slowed down significantly from the beginning of the second quarter of 2008. Import and export trade and related industries sectors have been affected in different degrees. The merchandise exports slowed down in the third quarter and only had a small increase. Even so, this was the worst performance since the first quarter of 2002. With the increase of global financial crisis, exports to other markets also had different degrees of slowing down.As a result, the growth of related industries, such as business service, trade service, transportation and storage service also slowed down slightly. Exports of services had maintained a steady increase in the financial crisis, but the growth rate was also smaller than the second quarter. The growth of tourism also had signs of deceleration and affect the growth of related industry, such as transportation, hotels, catering services, the number of visitors from long distance market decrease a lot, particularly the tourists from Europe and the United States.To face the challenge of financial crisis, the SAR Government has been actively responding well to prevent the spread of financial risks. From the beginning of the sub-loan crisis in the United States, in order to ensure stability of the financial system, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority introduced a number of measures to alleviate the pressure on banks and provide necessary assistance to the banks. Securities and Futures Commission and the Insurance Supervisory Commission also had made action to strengthen the protection of investors and policyholders.At the same time, most Hong Kong’s local financial institutions’ participation in directly investment to the US sub-loan is limited in small scale. The local banking system remains steadily without be directly effected by the sub-loan crisis. Benefit from the economic development of the Mainland, Hong Kong’s service industries is also faced with new opportunities in the global financial crisis. For example, supported by the growth of trade in the Mainland, of fshore trade growth was still significant.Although 2008 is the â€Å"Olympic Year†, but the mainland tourists to Hong Kong remained a high-speed growth. In the third quarter of 2008, the Mainland tourists to Hong Kong wad still higher than last year, an increase of 9. 4%. Individual Visit Scheme is one of the bright spots; the visitors in accordance with this scheme had a further rise in the third quarter, the ratio wad 14. 5%. These factors effectively guaranteed the smooth operation of Hong Kong’s service industries. At the same time, the ten naturalization industry plan in the mainland had already been introduced.The mainland accelerated the pace of industrial upgrading and began to support the development of high-tech industry. These policies provide a good environment for the Hong Kong companies in mainland to upgrade their technological level and achieve their own industrial upgrading. Based on the above analysis, the challenges faced by Hong Kong’s econom ic in the financial crisis can be summarized into the following three aspects: (1)financial sector’s profits decline a lot, related sector’s services business reduces. 2) The trade and service market in Western countries shrink. 3 Hong Kong Company in mainland operates difficultly. Hong Kong economy is facing the opportunity for: the steady development of the Mainland economy and the acceleration of the industrial upgrading. Therefore, in order to face the challenge of the financial crisis, it is important for Hong Kong service companies to expand business in the Mainland, and to Hong Kong companies in mainland to enhance the productivity. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Innovation & Management  ·813 · 4 ConclusionsThrough the above analysis, this paper can be drawn the following conclusions: (1) The a major problem of Hong Kong economy is decline in financial sector profits and trade volume with Western developed countries. (2)The expansion of d emand of the Mainland market is the most important opportunity for Hong Kong’s economic development. (3) Hong Kong economy has great demands for information technology, electrical and electronic technologies, manufacturing technology. To ensure sustainable development of Hong Kong economy, it is very important to promote scientific and technological development. References [1] Yang Xue.The Analysis of the Scientific and Technological Needs Based on Micro-macro System[J]. Social Science Frontier, 2008, (10): 241(In Chinese) [2] Guo Kasha, Wang Wenlong. Science and Technology Needs Analysis of Chinese High-Tech Industry[J]. 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