Evaluation of Batman Begins Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evaluation of Batman Begins - Essay Example Plot summary The plot revolves around Bruce Wayne’s past (childhood and life in exile), his return to Gotham City to achieve his aim. He joins Carmine Falcone’s group and gets trained at the League of Shadows. When he came to realize that the evil forces are trying to destroy Gotham City, he decides to save the same. With the help of Lucius Fox, Bruce Wayne transforms himself to Batman, a superhero. The following events include Batman’s fight with evil forces like Dr. Jonathan Crane, Ducard, and his ultimate victory. Three criteria and its importance to evaluate the movie Three criteria used to evaluate the movie Batman Begins are: Story Line, Light effects and Sound effects. This standard to evaluate the movie is important because it helps to have deeper understanding of the same, beyond a typical superhero film. Julian Darius describes the sound effects of the movie Batman Begins as â€Å"echo that of horror movies† (82). In the movie Batman Begins, the director gave ample importance to the Storyline (human beings with superhuman powers, fight between good and evil and the ultimate victory of good over evil), Light Effects (to portray a virtual real environment) and Sound Effects (to portray a superhuman world).

History of English Literature Essay Example for Free

History of English Literature Essay 1.What role does the mead-hall play in Anglo-Saxon warrior culture? What is the proper relationship between a lord and his warriors? What examples can you find throughout Beowulf? 2.What is the role of women in the heroic culture of Beowulf? 3.Compare/contrast what constitutes a hero or the notion of heroism in the Old English and Middle English periods. Draw your examples from two texts: either Beowulf OR The Dream of the Rood 4.Drawing your examples from Beowulf and one Middle English work, compare/contrast the roles assigned to women in literature of the Old and Middle English periods. 5.Analyze the different ways in which English Renaissance poets contributed to or responded to the Petrarchan tradition of love poetry. 6.In what ways does the idea of the court and the life of the courtier affect Renaissance English literature? Identify poems or works in which court life is represented or commented upon and explain how those texts reflect Renaissance attitudes toward court life. 7.The concept of meditation in Wordsworth’s Tintern Abbey 8.The credibility of Pip’s character in Dickens’s Great Expectations 9.Discuss the Social critique in Dickens’s Great Expectations 10.Discus the concept of being a gentleman in Dickens’s Great Expectations 11.Ddiscuss the Reality and symbolism in Hopkins’s poetry 12.Discuss the concept of purity in Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles 13.Discuss Christianity and paganism pl in Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles 14.Discuss the symbolism of darkness and light in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness 15.Discuss the elements of postmodernism in British Contemporary Poems (take example from british contemporary writer) 16.Discuss the element of Romanticism in William Wordsworth’s Poems 17.Discuss The influence of Japanese Poetry in Modern Poetry by Ezra Pound 18.Discuss the portrayal of ideal women in Victorian Novel written by Women writers. 19.How did French Poetry influence the development of modern English Poetry? 20.Discuss various aspect of modernism in James Joyce’ Ulllyses† 21.Compare different attitude to war presented by the Poets William Butler Yeats, Sigfried Sassoon, and Wilfrid Owen in their poems. 22.How did Freud’s theory on human psyce influence the work of moden writer? Provide examples! 23.How did Asian Poetry influence the works of early modernist poets Eezra Pound and Richard Aldington?

Abortion Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abortion is the termination of pregnancy before birth, resulting in, or accompanied by, the death of the fetus. Some abortions occur naturally because a fetus does not develop normally. Or because the mother has an injury or disorder that prevents her from carrying the pregnancy to a full term. This type of abortion is commonly known as a miscarriage. Other abortions are induced. Induced abortions are intentionally brought on, either because a pregnancy is unwanted or presents a risk to a woman’s health. Induced abortion has become one of the most ethical and philosophical issues of the late 20th century. Modern medical techniques have made induced abortions simpler and less dangerous. But in the United States, the debate over abortion has led to legal battles in the courts, in the Congress of the United States, and state legislatures. It has proven to be spilled over into confrontations, which are sometimes violent, at clinics where abortions are performed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many different methods in having an abortion. Induced abortions are performed using one of several methods. The safest and most useful and appropriate method is determined by the age of the fetus, or the length of pregnancy, which is calculated from the beginning of the pregnant woman’s last menstrual period. Most pregnancies last an average of 39 to 40 weeks, about 9 months. This period of time is broken up into three parts known as trimesters. The first trimester is the first 13 weeks, the second trimester is from the 14 to 24 week and the third trimester lasts from the 25th week to birth. Abortions in the first trimester of pregnancy are easier and safer to perform, that is because the fetus is smaller. Abortions in the second and third trimesters are more complicated procedures, which present greater risks to a woman’s health.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the United States, a pregnant woman’s risk of death from a first-term abortion is less than 1 in 100,000. The risk increases by about 30 percent with each week of pregnancy after 12 weeks. Although it is so dangerous many women continue to have abortions. There are even some drug medications used to terminate a woman’s pregnancy. In a method commonly referred to as the morning-after pill, a woman is given large doses of estrogen which is a f... ...rtion which is extremely dangerous. On the other hand, the argument against having abortion is that it can be very risky. Some abortions are so severe that they can kill you. Most of the abortions don’t necessarily have to protect the mothers health since she wants to kill the baby. If the mother doesn’t want to baby so badly than she should put it up for adoption. Majority of the abortions performed in the United States are done in an unskilled way, which leads to either woman dying or having horrendous side effects such as the inability to have children. The woman who is having the abortion should be responsible to prevent a pregnancy from the beginning of the sexual relationship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion I feel that abortion should be legalized through out the world. I think an amendment should be passed for all those unwanted mothers who either can’t afford to have a baby or who just don’t want it. Obviously my position on this case is to allow the choice of an abortion in any case. I hope I’ve proved my arguments for having an abortion. In the future, I aspire that abortion will be legal in all states and not just selected states through out the country.

Environmental Analysis and Long-term objectives Essay

The organization selected for this paper to discuss the environmental analysis and long-term objectives is Dunkin Donuts. The main focus will be on the forces and trends operating in the environment which have a considerable effect on the running of the organization. The paper will first discuss these forces and trends in detail and then provide an insight to how these forces effect the organization and align themselves with the vision and values of the organization. The trends selected are: 1. Social responsibility 2. Environment 3. Fuel Social Responsibility One of the environmental trends is social responsibility which adds to the credibility of an organization. Social responsibility basically refers to the responsibility or the duties of an organization, government or even an individual towards the society in which it functions. Every organization has a responsibility to keep their actions and practices in the best interests of the people living in the society so that it does not endanger them in any way. Instead organizations should work to provide comfort and help to the society as a whole. This is a part of their corporate social responsibility. The company can also be involved in eradication of unethical practices and behavior taking place in the society so that the lives of the people could be made easier. For example, some companies take initiative in planting trees or constructing gardens in an area which serve a place for community people to come together and meet each other (Kotler and Lee, 2004). Social responsibility at Dunkin Donuts has actually helped the organization in a considerable manner. The restaurant holds a respectable position in the society due to its charity and community involvement programs. The company as well as their employees contributes for the community service organization in order to make the lives of the people better. Moreover, they are extremely committed to the environmental responsibility. The restaurant follows the environment regulations and promotes cleanliness. The restaurant itself is very clean and tidy with a proper system to discard the garbage. The company supports charitable programs and takes initiatives for supporting and participating in the welfare of the community people. They even sponsor educational programs in local community schools and provide funds for different events like Special Olympics, AYSO soccer teams etc. Recently Dunkin’ Donuts has entered into a relationship with a non-profit organization ‘Coffee Kids’ for supporting families in the coffee-producing regions of Mexico and Central America. On 22 May, 2008, the company went ‘green’ by initiating its first LEED (Leadership in energy and environmental design) restaurant which is a part of their corporate social responsibility commitment. This way the company hopes to improve the quality of life of the community people by making the area clean and green (Kotler and Lee, 2004). The trend operating in the environment must be aligned with the mission, vision and values of the organization for it to work in the best possible way. At Dunkin’ Donuts, there are seven core values and one of them is responsibility towards the environment and the community in which they are functioning. They are committed for improving the people’s quality of live. The first LEED being built up by the company is an effort towards promoting a healthy life for the people and improving their quality of life. The social responsibility practices of the company reinforce their mission, vision and values which are focused on making the ‘world a better place live and work’ (David, 2006). Environment The second force the paper talks about is the physical environment in which the organization is functioning. The trends in the environment have a much larger impact on the organization; here we are discussing the physical environment. Changes happen in the physical environment without any notice which might result in shock or disaster or even opportunities. Organizations need to have a contingency plan to deal with such contingencies resulting from the physical environment (Shaffer, 2000). In the physical environment outside the Dunkin’ Donuts Company and restaurant, variable changes can take place which can sometimes help the organization or hinder its processes at some other instances. The environment can provide opportunities as well as threats to the company. Since Dunkin’ Donuts has now essentially become a beverages company so it can specialize in different kinds of beverages and become a market leader. Moreover, the increasing number of suppliers in the industry can also result in new opportunities. Threat comes mainly from the substitutes and the new entrants. The company faces tough competition from Starbucks and their success becomes a threat for the company plus the industry doesn’t offers high barriers for the new entrants so more beverages company can be set up thus giving rise to the competition. Apart from this, the physical environment also includes the threat from natural disasters which can cause huge losses to the company so the company needs to have contingency plans for dealing with them. Thus, the physical environment can both help and hinder Dunkin’ Donuts depending on the situation (Reeve, 2002). The organization strives to accommodate any changes emerging in the physical environment in its strategy. The company was essentially based on donuts first but now it has developed into a beverages company. This was because it saw greater opportunities for itself in serving the beverages market. It saw the changing taste of people towards coffee and decided to establish a strategy based on a coffee company. Today Dunkin’ Donuts is known as the no. 1 retailer in hot and ice regular coffee. Thus, this shows the organization’s strategic adaptability towards the changing forces resulting in the environment (David, 2006). Rising Fuel Costs The burning issue facing the organizations today in their environment is the rising fuel prices. Companies have to face rising costs due to this shooting up in fuel prices which have almost doubled this year. As the costs are increasing so the companies have to raise the prices of their products and services which decreases their sales. This way many companies are facing problems due rising fuel costs which in turn decreases their average sales. Therefore, the third issue is of fuel which this paper will examine (Reeve, 2002). The rising cost of fuel is a trend in the environment which hinders the company by raising the costs of doing business and thus, decreasing the sales and profits. Since electricity is produced through fuel so increase in fuel costs also increases the electricity cost. At Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants, the food including the donuts and beverages is prepared to sophisticated machines which run on electricity. They have to pay higher for electricity which increases the cost of inputs and simultaneously, the cost of doing business. The company has raised the prices of its products worldwide recently but that has caused the sales to decrease and thus, it earns lower profits. This way fuel is actually a hindrance towards high profits for the company and simultaneously, its long-term objectives. Since rising fuel costs are hindering the company’s sales and profits, Dunkin’ Donuts is trying to find out ways of producing the products efficiently so that they involve low costs and the profits of the company could be increased. The company tries to specialize in certain beverages which can be produced with hands so that machine use could be limited thus, saving up the electricity. The company tried to adjust for these rising costs so that it can acquire an increasing number of customers to boost up its sales as well as profits (Shaffer, 2000). Conclusion The paper has discussed in detail the environmental analysis pertaining to social responsibility, environment and fuel. It first discussed what these forces actually mean and then identified their relevance with the organization and how organization adapts to these forces operating in the environment. Social responsibility at Dunkin’ Donuts is aimed at winning the hearts of the masses through charity and community involvement activities. The mission of the company is to improve the quality of life and this is effectively done through their social involvement programs. The company also takes immediate action to the changing environment which may involve rising incomes or changing tastes of the people and tries to accommodate the change in its strategy as it did from shifting to beverages industry from donuts industry. Finally, the company is also trying to cope up with the rising costs of fuel through cost efficient methods and increasing the prices since the income of a common man has also increased. All these forces or trends help or hinder the organization and its strategy in their own way. Thus, it can be said the Dunkin’ Donuts is a very capable organization who has effectively dealt with difficult times and has become the no. 1 retailer in coffee throughout United States (David, 2006). References David, F. R. (2006). Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. Prentice Hall. Kotler, P. , & Lee, N. (2004). Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your Company and Your Cause . Wiley. Reeve, R. N. (2002). Introduction to Environmental Analysis. Wiley. Shaffer, J. (2000). The Leadership Solution. New York: McGraw-Hill

American Cruise line Company

Medicine River by Thomas King focuses primarily on communal life. It talks about the theme of mixed blood and how such people fit in to the society. The issues related to social life, intermarriages and the significant roles of the community. The novel follows through the experiences of Will Thomas and the trickster, Harlen Bigbear. The novel highlights the journey of the photojournalist’s integration in to the native Indian community, helped greatly by the trickster, Harlen Bigbear. With reference to Harlen’s character, it is assumed that he has a narcissistic personality.Let us first divulge in to the interiors of narcissism. Narcissism is defined as having an exceptional love and admiration for ones self, according to the Webster’s online dictionary. (Webster, Pp1) This implies that a person having a narcissistic personality would be absorbed in himself. His priority would be self-defined; if the outcome would benefit him, he would be ready to go for lengths f or it. Such people are usually hard-workers and are ready to burn midnight oil in order to achieve success. For them societal norms and values; traditions and beliefs play a very minimal role.They believe that their thoughts and ideas are above everyone else. In fact, they try to impose them on others for they tend to believe that it is they who are correct. Due to this over confidence they are highly sensitive to criticism and often respond in excessive rage. Such people are not worried about the welfare of others. Their world consists of, I or me and not them or they. This insensitivity towards others greatly hinders with their social life. They will refrain from putting themselves in situation s where they know they will fail. In short they contemplate a great deal before involving them selves in some project.Thus, they expect that due to their success they should be considered superior to others. (Library of the national Society, Pp1) With this explanation in view, it appears co ntroversial to assert that Harlen Bigbear. While as a trickster, he appears to be confident and successful. As a native trickster he has been upgraded to a divine level. His dialect and his actions speak for his self-confidence. As narrated by Will Sampson, â€Å"I used to have conversations with Harlen that didn’t make much sense and didn’t seem to go anywhere† (Thomas, pp. 169).Through this quote two narcissistic attributes come in to the spotlight: Harlen’s confidence and his feeling of himself being better than others. Since, he as the trickster, considers himself above others he tends to transfer his thoughts to others, his thoughts which he considers wise. The persistent repetition of this particular attribute of Harlen accounts for his narcissism, to which Will does not speak against. Thus, like a narcissist person, Harlen meddles in the affairs of others, trying to impose his wisdom on the society. (Siemerling, Pp 71)This is because of his belief in himself, which is left unchallenged.Thus, as a narcissistic trickster, Harlen tends to interfere with things not related to him, In order to do good to the society. This is reflected several times in the novel, typically when Harlen interrupts Will in his studio. However, this same trait of Harlen also provides comic relief for the reader which is why the role of Harlen received so much significance. However, this particular trait of Harlen also contradicts deeply with his reference as a narcissist person. This is because there is an eminent goodwill in all that Harlen operates. This goodwill of Harlen is present at various instances throughout the novel.Harlen’s insistence of Will residing in Medicine waters shows his inclination towards making the son of a woman who married a white man become blended in to the society. Harlen wanted to make Will a part of the native community and take him out of his life of isolation that he lived in Canada. Harlen’s goodwill is a lso mirrored when he uses his social contacts to provide a living for Will. Perhaps this is one reason why Will states that â€Å"Harlen Bugbear was one of the most charitable people I had ever known. No matter who it was, Harlen Big bear would go on looking for good in a person.† (Thomas pp. 151) this trait is also reflected when Harlen, while meddling in the affairs of Louise heavy man, tries to find her a male counterpart. Partly because she is unwed and expecting a child. To do her good he coaxes Will to escort her, which leaves the community thinking that Will is the father of the child. This ultimately results in Will naming the girl as â€Å"south wing† and also looking after her, when she was in distress. Another fact that also refutes Harlen’s narcissistic personality disorder is when he encourages Will to act as a father figure for some people of the community.(Lundquist Pp, 175) He tends to bring Will closer to the natives and the natives closer to wi ll so that they both accept each other. He involves Will in the native basketball team, encouraging more interaction with the locals. His hard work bears fruit when ultimately Will is asked by the people to also be a part of the photograph that he is shooting. Thus he succeeds in blending Will in to the society as a part of the society and not as an outcast for he was considered one due to the fact that his mother had married a white man.All these evidences point towards the fact that Harlen‘s interests were in working for the betterment of the society. He intervenes to make the world a better place and as his world is that of the native Indian community he tends to work for its people. As per the work of a trickster, he seeks to end conflict and maintain decorum in the society. He is the emblem of the good spirit of the community. His narcissistic attribute s is refuted by the fact that nowhere in the novel does Harlen boast about his superiority in terms of success.Rather he falls short as well: he can not read maps and also catches flu. The only indication that Harlen’s character provides its readers is that of his good will for bringing the society together. For not letting superficial norms and values come in the way of the welfare of even one individual of the society. This is why we see that he helps not only the unwed woman who is expecting a baby, but also the ex-convict who is released from the prison and also Will, an outcast in the society. References: Thomas King ,Medicine River , Edition: reissue Published by Penguin Books, 1995.Pp 151 and 169 Suzanne Evertsen Lundquist. Native American Literatures: An Introduction. Published by Continuum International Publishing Group, 2004. Page 175 Library of the national Society. Narcissistic personality disorder. Retrieved from http://www. medical-library. org/journals2a/narcisistic_personality_dis. htm Winfried Siemerling ,The New North American Studies: Culture, Writing and the Politics of Rec ognition. Published by Routledge, 2005 . Page 71. Webster Online Dictionary, Narcissism. 2009. Retrieved from: http://www. websters-online-dictionary. org/definition/Narcissism

The History of the Zamboni Invented by Frank Zamboni

The History of the Zamboni Invented by Frank Zamboni The fourth Zamboni every built they simply called it No. 4 sits  enshrined in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame  in Eveleth, Minnesota, along with its creator and inventor, Frank Zamboni. It stands, fully restored, as a symbol of the integral part this ice-resurfacing machine has played in professional hockey, as well as ice-skating shows and in ice rinks around the country. Always Amazed Indeed, Zamboni, himself, who died in 1988, is also enshrined in the  Ice Skating Institute Hall of Fame and has been honored with about two dozen awards and honorary degrees. He was always amazed about how (the Zamboni) became associated with the game of hockey, with ice, with whatever, said Zambonis son Richard in a video marking the 2009 induction ceremony. He would have been surprised and pleased about being inducted into the (ice hockey) hall of fame. But, how did a simple, tractor-like  machine  used on an ice-skating rink to smooth the ice as the Associated Press describes it come to be held in such high esteem in the ice hockey and ice skating worlds both in the U.S. and globally? Well, it started with ice. Iceland In 1920, Zamboni then just 19 moved from Utah to Southern California with his brother, Lawrence. The two brothers soon began selling block ice, which local dairy wholesalers used to pack their product that was transported by rail across the country, according to the Zamboni companys informative and lively  website. But as refrigeration technology improved, demand for block ice began to shrink and the Zamboni brothers began to look for another business opportunity. They found it in ice skating, which was skyrocketing in popularity in the late 1930s. So in 1939 Frank, Lawrence, and a cousin built Iceland Skating Rink in Paramount, a city about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles, notes the companys website. It was, at the time it opened in 1940 with 20,000 square feet of ice, the largest ice skating rink in the world and could accommodate up to 800 ice skaters at one time. Business was good, but to smooth the ice, it took four or five workers and a small tractor at least an hour to scrape the ice, remove the shavings and spray a fresh coat of water onto the rink and it took another hour for the water to freeze. That got Frank Zamboni to thinking: I finally decided Id start working on something that would do it faster, Zamboni said in a 1985 interview. Nine years later, in 1949, the first Zamboni, called the Model A, was introduced. A Tractor Body The Zamboni was, essentially, an ice-cleaning machine placed on top of a tractor body, hence the APs description (though modern Zambonis are no longer built over tractor bodies). Zamboni modified the tractor adding a blade that shaved the ice smooth, a device that swept up the shavings into a tank and an apparatus that rinsed the ice and left a very thin top layer of water that would freeze within a minute. Former Olympic ice-skating champion Sonja Henie saw the first Zamboni in action when she was practicing at Iceland for an upcoming tour. She said, Ive got to have one of those things, recalled Richard Zamboni. Henie toured the world with her ice show, carting along a Zamboni wherever she performed. From there, the machines popularity began to soar. The NHLs Boston Bruins bought one and put it to work in 1954, followed by a number of other NHL teams.   Squaw Valley Olympics But, what really helped the ice-resurfacing machine shoot to fame where iconic images of a Zamboni efficiently cleaning ice and leaving a smooth, clear surface at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California. Since then, the name Zamboni has become synonymous with the ice-resurfacing machine, notes the hockey hall of fame induction video. The company says that about 10,000 of the machines have been delivered worldwide each one traveling about 2,000 ice-resurfacing miles a year. Its quite a legacy for two brothers who began selling blocks of ice. Indeed, notes the company website: Frank often pointed out to rink owners a comment indicative of his own lifelong mission: The principal product you have to sell is the ice itself.†

How Steinbeck Uses Foreshadowing and Settings Effectively Essays

How Steinbeck Uses Foreshadowing and Settings Effectively Essays How Steinbeck Uses Foreshadowing and Settings Effectively Paper How Steinbeck Uses Foreshadowing and Settings Effectively Paper How does Steinbeck use Foreshadowing and Settings effectively in Of Mice and Men? John Ernst Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men uses a lot of foreshadowing and clever settings effectively, which makes his novel a great book. The use of foreshadowing entices the reader and makes you want to read on. The well-described settings make a vivid image of what is actually going on and help us think what it really was like during the 1930’s. Steinbeck uses masses of foreshadowing throughout his book. For instance, Steinbeck refers to Lennie as an animal. Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water†¦Ã¢â‚¬  George, later in the book, says â€Å"Ever’ Sunday we’d kill a chicken or rabbit. Maybe we’d have a cow or goat. † At the end of the book George kills Lennie. This is foreshadowing because Steinbeck is hinting that George would eventually kill Lennie as he said they’d kill an animal every weekend. In this case Lennie was constantly compared to an a nimal. This is effective as it reminds us that Lennie is like an animal and that George kills all sorts of animals which portrays the image that Lennie is going to be killed by George. Another example of foreshadowing, is when George and Lennie are making their way to the ranch, George says to Lennie â€Å"If you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you always done before, I want you to come right here an’ hide in the brush. † Towards the end of the book Lennie goes back to the bush and George kills him there. This piece of foreshadowing is vital because it almost definitely tells us that Lennie is going to get in trouble. When everyone starts to neglect Lennie, George kills him in a way that can be seen as euthanasia. Killing Lennie painlessly as there was no other way out. This can be linked to another point of foreshadowing, where Carlson says â€Å"The way I’d shoot him, he wouldn’t feel nothing. I’d put the gun right there. Right back of the head. He wouldn’t even quiver. † This shows that George was loyal to Lennie and cared for him as he didn’t want him to get hurt, but just wanted to end all of Lennie’s suffering. This also ties in with the fact that as everyone started to spite Lennie, George helped him and supported him just like a father would do with his child. This father-figure theme has travelled through the whole novel and is used well by Steinbeck at the end. Furthermore, Lennie gets into trouble at numerous stages in the book and when he kept on stroking mice and always killed them, it was linked back to when he allegedly raped a woman in Weed. This pattern continued when he was working at the ranch, this time with Curley’s wife. â€Å"Oh, that’s nice,† and he stroked harder. Oh that’s nice. † Lennie said. â€Å"You stop it now, you’ll mess it all up. † Let go,† she cried. â€Å"You let go! † This is especially effective as it constantly hints that he was going to kill someone by stroking, as he killed countless mice, stroking them to death. Knowing that Lennie is a bit mentally unstable, I think it is Curley’s wife’s fault for inviting him to stroke her hair. She intentionally tempted him to touch her hair and received the consequences. Steinbeck also uses settings that make the novel interesting and lure the reader to the book. Crooks, the stable buck, is the only coloured character in the book and is not treated well and reflects how segregated America was during the Great Depression. Crooks slept in a separate room and had a terrible bed. â€Å"A long bunk filled with straw. â€Å"His bunk was in the harness room; a little shed that leaned of the wall barn. † This clearly shows that Crooks was not as well respected as the others were and that he was given accommodation that an animal would get because he is black. He is seen as not being equal and is a low class person who is not cared about. It is interesting that Steinbeck chooses to start the novel describing the place which he was born in an d knew very well. â€Å"A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. It is clever how he mentions Soledad in the beginning and it sets the perfect layout for the story. Soledad means Spanish loneliness and this is really intriguing as the main theme of the story is loneliness, especially on Lennie. Steinbeck’s choice was well-thought as he intelligently linked the loneliness with the isolation of Crooks and also the feeling of seclusion in Curley’s wife which made her want company from Lennie. In addition, at the start of the sixth chapter the description of the setting almost literally summarises the whole chapter. A topic sentence if you like. â€Å"The deep green pool of the Salinas River was still in the late afternoon. Already the sun had left the valley to go climbing up the slopes of the Gabilan Mountains, and the hilltops were rosy in the sun. But by the pool among the mottled sycamores, a pleasant shade had fallen. † This paragraph has many details which point to failure and the dream disappearing. The stillness of the river in late afternoon represents death, danger and the fact that tension is rising. The point that the sun had left the valley is personification and brings an awareness that the dream had vanished and nothing good was left. The bit about the pleasant shade that had fallen is a big indication that there was something good, but that was now in the past and only bad was going to happen. Finally, in conclusion Steinbeck’s uses of foreshadowing and settings are extremely effective not only on the reader, but on the characters. The view of the characters is reflected on the settings and brings each and every one of them to life.

When the Standard Deviation Is Equal to Zero

When the Standard Deviation Is Equal to Zero The sample standard deviation is a descriptive statistic that measures the spread of a quantitative data set. This number can be any non-negative real number. Since zero is a nonnegative real number, it seems worthwhile to ask, â€Å"When will the sample standard deviation be equal to zero?† This occurs in the very special and highly unusual case when all of our data values are exactly the same. We will explore the reasons why. Description of the Standard Deviation Two important questions that we typically want to answer about a data set include: What is the center of the dataset?How spread out is the set of data? There are different measurements, called descriptive statistics that answer these questions. For example, the center of the data, also known as the average, can be described in terms of the mean, median or mode. Other statistics, which are less well-known, can be used such as the midhinge or the trimean. For the spread of our data, we could use the range, the interquartile range or the standard deviation. The standard deviation is paired with the mean to quantify the spread of our data. We can then use this number to compare multiple data sets. The greater our standard deviation is, then the greater the spread is. Intuition So let’s consider from this description what it would mean to have a standard deviation of zero. This would indicate that there is no spread at all in our data set. All of the individual data values would be clumped together at a single value. Since there would only be one value that our data could have, this value would constitute the mean of our sample. In this situation, when all of our data values are the same, there would be no variation whatsoever. Intuitively it makes sense that the standard deviation of such a data set would be zero. Mathematical Proof The sample standard deviation is defined by a formula. So any statement such as the one above should be proved by using this formula. We begin with a data set that fits the description above: all values are identical, and there are n values equal to x. We calculate the mean of this data set and see that it is   x (x x . . . x)/n nx/n x. Now when we calculate the individual deviations from the mean, we see that all of these deviations are zero. Consequently, the variance and also the standard deviation are both equal to zero too. Necessary and Sufficient We see that if the data set displays no variation, then its standard deviation is zero. We may ask if the converse of this statement is also true. To see if it is, we will use the formula for standard deviation again. This time, however, we will set the standard deviation equal to zero. We will make no assumptions about our data set, but will see what setting s 0 implies Suppose that the standard deviation of a data set is equal to zero. This would imply that the sample variance s2 is also equal to zero. The result is the equation: 0 (1/(n - 1)) ∑ (xi - x )2 We multiply both sides of the equation by n - 1 and see that the sum of the squared deviations is equal to zero. Since we are working with real numbers, the only way for this to occur is for every one of the squared deviations to be equal to zero. This means that for every i, the term (xi - x )2 0. We now take the square root of the above equation and see that every deviation from the mean must be equal to zero. Since for all i, xi - x 0 This means that every data value is equal to the mean. This result along with the one above allows us to say that the sample standard deviation of a data set is zero if and only if all of its values are identical.

The Movie Winnie Mandela Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Winnie Mandela - Movie Review Example A terrorist also depicts a person using terror, intimidation, and violence to achieve an end. The presence of different definitions and understanding of terrorism depicts several levels of complexities in terrorism. The study aims at reviewing the levels of complexities in the film, Winnie Mandela that aimed at expounding the role played by Winnie Mandela in the fight for South Africa’s fight for freedom. There are several ways in which the film, Winnie Mandela portrays terrorism with the definition evident from watching the film being the use of violence or threat of violence to achieve an end. One of the designations of terrorism evident in the film, Winnie Mandela, is violence against others as a measure of achieving a cause. This is evident when Winnie Mandela played by Jennifer Hudson perpetrates violence against opponents. The implication of Winnie Mandela of a teenager’s murder is a designation of terrorism since the main reason for the murder is to send a message to dissenters and informers who would face death and other forms of violence. The film provides that terrorism involves the use of violence to achieve a cause, which in the case of Winnie was to oppose the government through using violence against those who opposed her and the Mandela United Football Club. The use of violence in the achievement of the aim evidences terrorism as aimed at achieving the intended aim using all means necessary. The statement, â€Å"with our boxes of matches and our necklaces, we shall liberate this country†, depicting the use of old tires on informants’ necks and burning them alive depicts violence. Terrorism is also designated as an act of defiance aimed at achieving the goals designed despite the consequences. The film uses the actions of Winnie Mandela to depict defiance through her decision to engage in violence against her deserters. The decision is contrary to the requirements and believes of her husband Nelson Mandela and is well

Beginner's mind Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Beginner's mind - Assignment Example Generally, these physicists do not use or think of nonsense. Many of these physicists spend their expert lives having thoughts along well reputable thought lines. The scientists seen in establishing the reputable lines of thought are seen not to involve themselves boldly into nonsense (Zukav, 117). In physics, the individuals who might have felt the excitement of the creative process are the individuals who have best slipped the bonds of the recognized to undertake far in the territories that have not been explored and lying beyond the noticeable barrier. This kind of an individual has two traits. The first trait is a childlike capability of viewing the world as it is and not as it is seen according to what individuals recognize about it (Zukav, 118). For example, in â€Å"The Emperor’s New Clothes,† when the emperor passed through the roads, a child stated that the emperor did not have clothes while the other individuals forced themselves in believing that the emperor dressed in his best new clothing. The child is seen by the individuals to be innocent and naà ¯ve (Zukav, 118). The second trait is the strong confidence that the scientists and the artists have in them. This confidence is a manifestation of an inner strength that enables them in speaking out, confident in the facts that, appearances to the disagreeing, it is the universe that is mixed up and not them (Zukav, 118). In conclusion, the first individual to see an impression that has been flourished by other individuals for centuries certainly stays in a lonely area. In that insight moment, the individual only sees the noticeable which the rest of the world views it as madness or nonsense. This sureness is not the fool’s obstinacy, but the surety of him recognizing what he recognizes and recognizing that he can express it to other individuals in a meaningful way (Zukav,

The Financial Analysis of Barcelona Brasseries Case Study

The Financial Analysis of Barcelona Brasseries - Case Study Example In the case study, hedging, as suggested by the private banker, would make sense for Barcelona Brasseries S.L. The economic environment is characterized by floating interest rates all through, with low margins. Given the prevailing economic environment, hedging the interest rates may be beneficial. The prevailing interest rates are low, and the company’s investment yield is quite low. Since the company has recently obtained additional locations all through Barcelona, for 1,000,000 Euros holding mortgage loan(s) will, therefore, result in higher earnings. Such a rise in income is caused by the increased interest earnings. In the example provided, the interest rate –swap has been set into a three-month floating rate system. The three-month floaters stretch more than it can if invested in securities and there are no capped rates (Hollis 2011). The company’s performance will be better if the interest rates increase. Suppose the rates fall, the three-month floater wil l have a performance similar to that which was predicted. However, the low rate may be quite inconvenient. Deventer and Imai (2013, p.113) note that there are some dangers the family may have to take into account when implementing the hedging of interest rate risks. There is a need for constant and consistent rearrangement. For example, a hedge with an eight percent effective duration would be sufficient to hedge a balance sheet with 31-year mortgage loans. However, seven years later, the hedge diminishes ineffective duration and may need to be rearranged with more hedges as the earlier former hedges mature. In most cases, this rearrangement needs superior modeling methods. In summary, the hedging of interest rate risk and the application of derivatives are useful method Barcelona Brasseries Inc. may consider utilizing.  

I think that Television technologie have the greatest impact on global Research Paper

I think that Television technologie have the greatest impact on global communications for these reasons - Research Paper Example In the current world people are enjoying the evolution of flat screens, and the technology of 3D. Viewers enjoy better view and the industry will be big in the future. Most of the duties performed by television industries are unique like broadcasting football matches from different part of the earth. The introduction of big flat and colored televisions are making individuals enjoy when watching football matches unlike before when everything broadcasted by televisions were only in black and white. International relations is the relationship between countries in the world. This relationship is based on mutual respect. This is because every country in the world is a sovereign state. International relations has facilitated a lot of things in the world; the growth and development of the international market depends highly on the international relations between different states of the world (Wilkins, 2001). Evolution of Television Opt electric Transformation This was the first of the serie s of the nineteenth-century discoveries which finally became the basis of television discovery. This process which leads to changes of behavior of electrons caused by variations in amount of light illuminating a given material. This process was very instrumental in the development of the television (Todorivic, 14). ... For it to be possible to reproduce all the tones from black to white passing by different shades of gray, the light source was expected to be able to change its intensity several hundred times in the course of one television line, and this was to be during the 60th of the duration of one picture ( Todorivic, 17). The Cathode-Ray Tube More research in the development of television shows that Nipkow disk was not a perfect solution for the display of transmitted moving images. By the end of nineteenth century cathode-ray tube was developed which became the essential and basic television display device (Todorivic, 17). Discovery and development of the television have had several advantages to the world. Television can be used for entertainment and as well as educational uses. Television is one source of informing whereby broadcast news and weather stations help in keeping people updated about the current events. This helps people in knowing what is happening around them before they make some decisions or adjustments to fit in the updates received from the television. Television can be used for educating purposes. Through the programs casted by the television and adverts individuals are able to learn new things through this channel of communication. When families sit together to watch different programs, this helps in creating a strong family bond because as people watch they share a lot about what they are watching (Anthony, 2007). Complex TV shows or movies requires a great deal of intelligence to comprehend the story line of the show or movie. The current TV stations not only bring comedy, drama and action to their viewers but also they have been bringing some programs

Competitive forces and SWOT analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Competitive forces and SWOT analysis - Essay Example Organic farming and food production found to be less harmful to environment. At the same it offers healthy body and fewer side effects to the regular users. Artificial foods like the fast foods always contain harmful ingredients to the health. Moreover artificial foods always contain excess calories which may be precipitated in the body of the user as fat. Organic farms always use less energy and resources and moreover it helps the ecosystem immensely. The comparatively higher advantage of organic farming and the consumption of organic foods forced many countries to encourage the farming and usage of organic foods at present. Founded in 1980, in Texas as a small supermarket, Whole Foods Market is currently world’s largest retail chain in natural and organic foods. John Mackay is the CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods Market. The company has recorded $ 6.6 billion sales in 2007 and had around 276 stores in total in countries like US, UK and Canada. It recorded an annual growth rate of 20% from 2000 onwards has set a target of 400 stores and $ 12 billion sale by 2010 (Thompson, 2008, p.c2). Whole Foods Market is responsible for the popularity of organic foods not only in America but even in other countries as well. Whole Foods Market aims to catch the number one spot not only in organic food industry but even in general food industry where the Whole Foods Market stores operate. People are more aware of the consequences of artificial foods at present which helped organic foods to grow immensely for the last two decades. The rapid pace of life activities and high levels of diversified commitments forced the public to rely on fast in order to save time. Moreover, fast foods were tastier than the organic foods which helped the fast food industry to grow immensely. But along with the fast food industry, the health problems also began to grow heavily. Dawn Crystal (2010) has mentioned that the major

I think that Television technologie have the greatest impact on global Research Paper

I think that Television technologie have the greatest impact on global communications for these reasons - Research Paper Example In the current world people are enjoying the evolution of flat screens, and the technology of 3D. Viewers enjoy better view and the industry will be big in the future. Most of the duties performed by television industries are unique like broadcasting football matches from different part of the earth. The introduction of big flat and colored televisions are making individuals enjoy when watching football matches unlike before when everything broadcasted by televisions were only in black and white. International relations is the relationship between countries in the world. This relationship is based on mutual respect. This is because every country in the world is a sovereign state. International relations has facilitated a lot of things in the world; the growth and development of the international market depends highly on the international relations between different states of the world (Wilkins, 2001). Evolution of Television Opt electric Transformation This was the first of the serie s of the nineteenth-century discoveries which finally became the basis of television discovery. This process which leads to changes of behavior of electrons caused by variations in amount of light illuminating a given material. This process was very instrumental in the development of the television (Todorivic, 14). ... For it to be possible to reproduce all the tones from black to white passing by different shades of gray, the light source was expected to be able to change its intensity several hundred times in the course of one television line, and this was to be during the 60th of the duration of one picture ( Todorivic, 17). The Cathode-Ray Tube More research in the development of television shows that Nipkow disk was not a perfect solution for the display of transmitted moving images. By the end of nineteenth century cathode-ray tube was developed which became the essential and basic television display device (Todorivic, 17). Discovery and development of the television have had several advantages to the world. Television can be used for entertainment and as well as educational uses. Television is one source of informing whereby broadcast news and weather stations help in keeping people updated about the current events. This helps people in knowing what is happening around them before they make some decisions or adjustments to fit in the updates received from the television. Television can be used for educating purposes. Through the programs casted by the television and adverts individuals are able to learn new things through this channel of communication. When families sit together to watch different programs, this helps in creating a strong family bond because as people watch they share a lot about what they are watching (Anthony, 2007). Complex TV shows or movies requires a great deal of intelligence to comprehend the story line of the show or movie. The current TV stations not only bring comedy, drama and action to their viewers but also they have been bringing some programs

Everything You Know About Branding Is Wrong By David Galullo Essay

Everything You Know About Branding Is Wrong By David Galullo - Essay Example Gallulo, (2013) stated that if any marketer of major corporations is asked, most of them would agree to the statement that â€Å"Branding Is Everything.† Gallulo, (2013) stated that despite of having known the importance of branding as everything, people still misunderstand, misinterpret and use the word branding in a vague meaning. Even though branding is an integral source of success for the organizations, yet the approach towards branding is incorrectly utilized. Historically, branding of businesses used to be done through silos. This means that the business used to hire an advertising agency to carry out its marketing activities whereas another firm is appointed for developing the official website of the company. Above all, that appointed organization is contracted to complete the overall design of the organizational environment. This scheme of branding is resulted in relatively weaker branding outcomes such that the brand actually failed in creating its own brand personal ity and the organization could not achieve its desired goals through branding in various different fragments. Ultimately, the brand could not connect the customers and employees to the organization. In new era, branding is something more than what it is perceived by companies. It means that businesses do not merely offer their products or yell at their potential customers just to come and shop their products. Nowadays, businesses attract their customers by reflecting them the intended personality of the organization and for this purpose; they create the perception of the business in the minds of customers. The employees of such businesses do not work for such organizations only for getting salaries nor the customers of such companies not just buy the products only because of being indiscriminate customers. Rather, these stakeholders consider themselves as a part of that organization in way that they believe this organization provides them a sense of identity. Gallulo, (2013) states that nowadays, brand is not an advertisement, a logo, or a poster displayed in corporate office. Brand has become the gut feeling and intelligent companies know the potency of a rightly built brand. This occurs when all the components are integrated via designs-from virtual platforms such as websites to tangible platforms such as office buildings- in general, it starts from the basic realization of the significance of the company. Whether it is designing the website, headquarter of the company, field office, or new brand strategy, it all starts from two basic questions: what is your identity? And: what is your importance? These questions apparently seem easy, but when it comes to companies, they are most difficult questions to answer. That is why majority of the companies do not bother and therefore, fail in their efforts of developing brand. Gallulo, (2013) retorts that it is integral to find answers for these two questions and to build connection with a holistic and integrated app roach. This will ultimately create a more meaningful and stronger brand. Gallulo, (2013) took the example of football program of University of Oregon. The team plays football in a relatively small town and does not have tradition and history of Texas or Alabama. The team was considered as mediocre until the mid of 1990s. Yet, Oregon has developed a distinguished brand that cuts through chaos and turns heads around. From advertising to uniforms, Oregon has encompassed branding as an integral way of thinking. The ‘why’ of Oregon is change and it has embedded change into everything. It is attracting the best staffs as well as the attention of people. Gallulo, (2013) inferred that people do not watch because team is good, team is good merely because people watch them. Gallulo, (2013)

Student Accounting Essay Example for Free

Student Accounting Essay This paper addresses the way state funds are distributed to schools using ADA or ADM. It also addresses the advantage of using either one of these and equalizing the funds to maximize cost-quality relationships. It also focuses on preparing for changes in local area revenue and expenditures of a school district based on demographic and economic factors. Distributing state dollars to all the schools in the state is one of the most important jobs of the state department of education. There are several different ways in which the state department of education collects data to use in deciding how to allocate state dollars to public schools. The two most common methods that are used are ADA (average daily attendance) and ADM (average daily membership). These methods are sometimes refered to as pupil counting. ADA is the average total of students that are present during a certain time period. ADM is the average total of students that are on a class roll during a certain time period whether present or not. As the person in charge of distributing state dollars to all public schools, I can see how it would be easy to prefer the ADA method. The reason is simple. I would want the money going to the schools that actually have students that are present so the money would not be wasted. This would create a difference of opinion between state officials and school officials because, as an administrator of a school, I would prefer the ADM method. But, we are talking about public schools where every child is entitled to the same education. We cannot assume that a certain number of children will be absent from school a certain time period, therefore, not allocate money for them. This would be highly unfair, not only to these students , but to the schools who are have to educate children under funded. This happens enough as it is without state officials withholding state monies from certain schools. The advantage of using the ADA over the ADM is that you would get a more accurate number of students that are actually at school most of the time during the school year. Teachers would prefer the ADM method because they want the most money possible for their students. The problem with ADA is that the numbers don’t always paint a clear picture. In 1989 at a school in Alabama, a meningitis epidemic broke out. The CDC were called in and numerous students were in the hospital for over two weeks and from school up to a month. If the state was using the ADA method during this time period of the year, this particular school would not have anywhere close to accurate numbers. Whereas if the state was using the ADM method, the circumstances that caused the absences would not matter because these students were on the role of their teachers classes. The cost-equality debate goes back to the Coleman Report on Equality of Education Opportunity in 1966. Over the years opinions on the issue of how money allocated to schools affected student achievement has gone back and forth. Social scientist of national reputation have analyzed statistical findings on this issue and determined that money allocated to schools per student do not effect student performance on standardized test. Other issues such as home background account for the differences in student achievement. But, even with this information, public school children must receive the same monies per child to give them a chance to achieve and the teachers a chance to teach. I would give school systems in lower socioeconomic areas more money per child to even out the levels that some systems are able to provide extra. In preparing for changes in local areas, I would conduct studies on how past economic factors have changed the revenue and expenditures of a given school. In 2004, Alabama was in proration. There is a chance Alabama will be in proration again during the 2008-2009 year. Files that show how each school district were effected in 2004 should be studied to get an idea of what might happen again. Local economic factors also have to be taken into consideration. Industries open and close and this effects the schools and how much tax money they receive. Proration often leads to school closings and loss of teacher units and jobs. City systems , which receive lots more tax money are usually in a lot better shape than county schools who receive less. Our students in public education and what is best for them is what must be considered in all situations, good or bad. Appropriate accommodations must be made to insure that all students receive an opportunity for an equal education . References Hall, J(2003). ADA vs. ADM: More information is needed. Retrieved from http://www. buckeyeinstitute. org/article/344 McDermott, John E. (1974). The cost equality debate in school finance litigation. Retrieved from http://www. jstor. org/pss/1191046 North Carolina Public Schools. (no date given). Data Reports- Student Accounting. Retrieved from http://www. ncpublicschools. org/fbs/accounting/data

ICT In The Hospitality Industry

ICT In The Hospitality Industry Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is supposed to be one of the basic building blocks of the modern society and it is a necessary component of business culture. Information and Communication Technology plays a vital role in the hospitality industry and its importance has dramatically increased over the years. In todays world, each and every business uses ICTs and it is no more a distinct characteristic or a unique quality of any business, but using ICTs in a more effective and efficient way will help in obtaining a competitive advantage. Hospitality industry belongs to the service industry and consists of number of fields such as restaurants, lodging, theme parks, transportation, event planning and various other fields within the tourism industry. The hospitality industry always depend upon two main factors: one is the availability of leisure time and the other is the disposable income. Hospitality industries is one of the worlds largest and most permeant industries, the industry has exposed itself to the forces of change, especially by the ongoing developments in ICTs. E-commerce has been negatively influenced by few factors such as the current political developments and the slowing economy, but it is still booming in the hospitality industry. In the hospitality industry, the internet is not only used for gathering information, but it is also being used for acceptance of ordering services over the internet. Information and communication technology and hospitality are two of the most dynamic drivers of our global economy. In the case of hospitality industry, many authors have claimed that tourism must be treated as an information-intensive industry (Poon 1993; Sheldon 1997; Inkpen 1998), whereas, travel and tourism can be defined as an information business. Hospitality industry is a business that is related to information in all the ways, because information is one of the most important quality parameters to support actions for the tourism area as a service industry. Information is also used in various means in the hospitality industry, mainly they are observed in areas where gathering of information, generation, application, processing, application and communication of information is as important for day-to-day operation. Hospitality industry is also considered as a hybrid industry because more than any other services, they are more dominated by information. In the whole tourism sector, hospitality industry is considered as the forefront and it is always sensitive to the competitive pressure which keeps increasing constantly. The industry is also sensitive to the operational needs that are effective and control tools which are always the growing need. In order to overcome all the competitive pressure and to be effective, the use of ICTs will be the only solution as it is capable of bringing in new business opportunities as well as help in the overall business development. NEW INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES Innovation is a process that mediates between two streams of human activity. Market and technology develop in parallel and independently, save for a linkage through innovation. Innovation, therefore, is a response to changes in one or both of these streams. As the market changes, firms have to innovate with new products and services, frequently having to seek out new technology in order to accomplish this. On the other side, rapidly changing technology creates new opportunities and sometimes even creates changes in market structure. As a consequence, the more rapidly that stream changes, the greater the pressure will be for firms to be innovative. (Morton 1991) ICT always has a significant impact on all the industries and the growing importance of ICT in the daily business started causing threats and opportunities for the business. The current markets are changing, becoming bigger, faster, getting more standardised, it is always being segmented properly and all these makes it completely competitive. ICT has created a all new information infrastructure which resulted in a new way of accessing information between the buyer, seller and the middleman. Over the past few years, there has been a transformation from an industrial economy to an information economy in the industrialized world (Parker, 1998). ICT has been completely changing the business world and will also be changing the forms, processes as well as the substance of the firms and organisations. One of the most important scenes in the current world is that ICT has been driving the productivity as well as the profitability of any business. The scenario is not just about the decrease in computing costs or the increase in computing speeds and capacities, it is all about the new ways of using the computers and technology which would influence the existing business processes as well as the value chain in the hospitality industry (Thompson 1990; King 1998). Porter and Millar (Porter and Millar 1985) contend that ICT is also affecting the competition in major ways: ICT can change the structure of an industry, and alter rules of competition. ICT can be used to create sustainable competitive advantage and provide companies with new competitive weapons. ICT enables new business which can be developed from a companys existing activities. Porter (Porter 1985; Porter and Millar 1985; Porter 1995; Porter 2001) recognizes that ICT is reshaping industries and organizations competitiveness by changing the nature or conduct of business. ICT enhances the ability of organizations to manage their resources, increases their productivity, to communicate their policies and market their offerings, and to develop partnerships with all their stakeholders, namely consumers, suppliers, public sector, etc. We can state that ICT supports the development and maintenance of organizational competitiveness and competitive advantage. ICTs ADOPTION IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY In the hospitality industry, technology is considered as an important of sustainable competitive advantage and a strategic weapon (Poon, 1993; Sheldon, 1997; Connolly and Olsen, 2000; Rao, Metts and Monge, 2003). Various studies (Buhalis and Main, 1998; Evans and Peacock, 1999; Vich-i-Martorell, G.A., 2004; Tang and Louvieris, 2004) have found that the hospitality industry have been always keen in adopting information technology. The reason for the adoption of ICTs in hospitality industry is that they require a diverse range of information which basically made them encouraged to adopt the technology, as well as because of the widespread use of e-mail and the development of an on-line presence amongst the vast majority of organisations. Buhalis (2003) proposed that internet has been an ideal way of selling inventories on-line because of the broke up nature of the hospitality industry. Further investigation revealed that the level of ICTs adoption varies between various enterprises (Sigala, 2003). In most of the small and medium organisation, these services are available rarely because of the inadequate on-line booking services (Fux et al. (2007). Most of the earlier studies have cited the issue about the problems in answering to e-mails and defensive adoption of e-mail marketing in the small organisations. (Frey et al., 2003; Murphy et al. 2003; Schegg et al. 2006; Schegg et al. 2007). The following indicates the ICT index in the hospitality industry for various activities. Activities and ICT Index 4. ICT IN USE 4.1 Electronic Data Processing (EDP) Electronic Data Processing is usually referred to the use of automated methods to process data. The technology adoption increased before many years but it was basically limited to only the operational and administrative areas. Most of the organisation does not utilize the information that is available in the information system in order to use them in their strategic planning and decision making processes. 4.2 Property Management System (PMS) In the hospitality industry, ICTs are mainly used in booking systems which is considered as an internal technology. Property Management System acts as a central point that coordinates both the technology and hospitality operations. The main purpose of property management system is to manage room inventory, produce billing information and also to record the details of the guests or the customers. In order to integrate the billing and management reports, it often creates a interface with various other systems such as telephone system and food and beverages point of sales terminal. 4.3 Central Reservation System (CRS) Central Reservation System is a computerised system that helps to store and distribute information. When an organisation has a chain or belongs to any franchise group, Central Reservation System always helps in various ways. The system helps to book between all the organisations in the chain and would also accept direct booking from the central reservation office. The systems always have a direct access into property management system which would automatically update information to the front office. 4.4 Global Distribution System (GDS) Global Distribution System is also a computerised system which will include hotels, airlines, car rental and also other travel resources and they are most commonly used by travel agents. Global Distribution System is actually an operation in the computer reservation system and helps to book and sell tickets to multiple airlines. The system is not always connected to the main system and information will not be updated automatically, which means the information has to be updated manually. 4.5 Yield Management (YM) Yield Management which is also known as revenue management is a process in which the consumer behaviour is understood, anticipated and also influenced. It will result in maximizing the revenue as well as the profit from the resources. In the hospitality industry, yield management is used widely and largely in the same way. Using yield management, the rates, rooms and restrictions on sales are calculated in order to maximize the return of the business. The revenue managers in the hospitality industry have acquired over the last few years and in such a global economy the right distribution channel, correct controlling costs and the right marketing mix plays a vital role in yield management. The services are sold to the right people, at the right time and at the right place. Model of ICT INTERNET AND ITS USAGE IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY The Internet is a worldwide network and a global system that is interconnected to computer networks which use TCP/IP protocols to serve billions of users. The Internet plays a vital role in the hospitality industry and is being used in various forms. It also supports a wide range of services and tools that would enable communication and also data sharing. Some of the most important usage and activities on the internet are: (Cockburn and Wilson 1996) 5.1 Communication The Internet helps a lot in communication especially in the hospitality industry. It represents the largest part of the traffic that crosses the Internet. eMail is one way to communicate and it is also better for many companies and a way to go online. The main reason eMail is efficient is because it is cheap (eMail costs less than long-distance charges for fax machines or the phone), fast (most Internet mail arrives at its destination only minutes after dispatch), easy to use, and links many companies. The other advantage of eMails is that the message that is being delivered to the destination will already be in the electronic form. It reduces the time to scan and re-enter the data into the computer. eMail is the most used communication medium today for internal as well as for external communication. 5.2 Collaboration Collaboration is one other way the Internet can be used and most of the companies use the Internet to link themselves to the outside world. Usually, the connections are very easy to set up and also are very fast. In the hospitality industry, most of the companies are some way or the other linked with each other, so establishing a connection is very important and the Internet helps a lot. Staples, which is an American office that supplies store chain uses the Internet in a effective way and helps the customer to order various office supplies. Staples have also created their own customized supply catalogs which can run even in the intranet of the customers. All these catalogues will contain various items and their prices which are negotiated in the contract with each company. Using some of the eProcurement technologies, the customers are able to reduce cost of purchase order processing dramatically and also helps them to search and order items electronically (Ghosh 1998). 5.3 Information gathering The Internet can also be used to gather information easily and faster. Many companies use the Internet to gather data and information which can be used as an additional resource, especially companies that are involved in research and development. Almost most of the information and data are available over the Internet free of charge which helps the company to reduce their overall operating costs. One such example is Magna International, which is a leading global supplier of automotive components, systems and also complete modules. The company has created a database of their own which stores all the information about several of their competitors, rivals and partners. Information about their activities, development and future plans are stored in the Internet, most of which are extracted from the Internet. 5.4 Direct marketing and advertising The Internet and worldwide web is a useful resource which most of the companies use to improve their overall performance and profitability of the company. The Internet is an ideal medium in the business world that helps to promote the company as well as their services and products. The Internet marketing is one way of promoting the hospitality industry to the entire world which is also flexible and interactive. It helps to deliver all the required information to the consumers or the customers. Most of the companies in the hospitality industry have created their own homepages on the web which helps to get in contact with millions of people all over the world. It is helpful in one way or the other for the small companies to compete with larger ones. 5.5 Direct online selling Nowadays people are not required to go to some shopping centres or malls to do their shopping. They can do all that at the convenience from their house, companies have got their virtual experience into the web, where the customers can browse through the entire range of catalogs, and also examine their products more in detail. Whereas in the hospitality industry, customers are able to order food, book air tickets, rail tickets, browse through the events, and books the hotels with all the customized options. One good example of online selling will be the companies like Dell and Amazon. Dell sells their computers online, where the customers can choose their required configuration and they sell computers online at the rate of about $1 million a day. The travel platform Tiscover has almost initiated about 500,000 reservations and bookings in the year 2008. Different Forms of eCommerce CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE OF HOSPITALITY The hospitality industry has started realizing gradually that the revolution of ICT has changed all the operational practices and various paradigms; it has also altered the competitiveness of all the major hospitality actors in the market. In order to take advantage of the capabilities of the Internet, the hospitality industry has integrated the front office as well as the back office in a framework. Greater speed, connectivity, information-sharing and transparency is achieved by the convergence of all the technological devices. Because of which, all the organisation in the hospitality industry are focusing more on knowledge-based competition and are in the need for continuous innovation. The management are also under pressure and are forced to stay abreast on all the developments that occur in the market (Connolly et al., 2000). The organisations in the hospitality industry are focussed on increasing their online booking and online services by promoting their presence in the web more aggressively. The organisations have also capitalised on various collaboration and partnership marketing. In order to help the organisations connect to the wide range of distributors in the market, a multi-channel strategies are used. Some of the reports say that there are almost 35,000 websites where the consumers are able to book rooms in various hotels. All these developments have given way to wide range of challenges, integrity of rates, perception of brand, customer value and also segmentation. Because of the advancement in technology, the consumers are able to contact various organisations constantly which in return increase the transparency. The increase in transparency has made the entire organisation in the hospitality industry to rethink about their pricing strategies. The Internet has come up with many new tools for communicating with partners and consumers, which has implication on the distribution of the industry. The personalisation of products, information and processes has resulted in the emergence of high-tech and high-touch opportunities which the industry itself has to appreciate. The industry now has the opportunity to create a relationship with the customers and basically makes it to adopt the customer-centred approach. The organisations are able to add value at each and every stage of consumer interaction just because all the departments in the organisation are coordinated using ICT-enabled processes. In order to demonstrate the benefits and to illustrate the innovation of small properties, the ICTs are utilised strategically. The organisations are also enhancing their virtual size and compete with larger players by developing links with other properties. Whereas, all larger organisations are benefitted from the multi-channel distribution strategies, economies of scale and also from streamlining their operations through e-procurement. Globalised agenda are developed and are ensured that their operations and strategies are coordinated throughout the world by all the larger chain of organisation. In any case, ICTs and the Internet will be critical for the competitiveness of both large and small hospitality organizations. CONCLUSION The aim of the research is to explain the various uses of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the hospitality industry. ICT has been already used by all the key players in the industry which gives them the required competitive advantage, whereas small organisations are at a lower level. However, the Internet can be used as a powerful instrument to overcome all the disadvantages and helps to establish a competitive advantage in the market. Using ICT will not offer a competitive advantage, because the entire world is well aware about the technology and its usage. So the organisation should focus on using the right technology more effectively and efficiently. Basically, there are three objectives which the industry as well as the organisations in the industry has to focus on: Define a framework with which competitive advantage can be gained, and make the process systematised and evaluated from eCommerce solution Consolidating the business values of the Internet Explore the ways in which the competitive advantage can be enhanced and improved The advantages of the internet can be classified into two main categories: one as a primary tool for distribution, reducing the overall costs and by increasing the occupancy rate, and secondly it can be considered as a tool to increase the direct contact with the consumers or the customers. To extend the success factor in the hospitality industry, the internet can be used in product development, online surveys, online booking and also for various personalisations.

Summary of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn One and Two :: Huckleberry Finn American Literature Essays

Summary of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn One and Two "You don't know about me, without you have read a book by the name of â€Å" The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," but that ain't no matter. that book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There were things which he streched, but mainly he told the truth. That ain' nothing. I never seen anybody but lied, one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly, or the widow, or maybr Mary. Aunt Polly-Tom's Aunt Polly, she is-and Mary, and the Widow Douglas, is all told bout in that book-which is mostly a true book; with some, as I said before.†(Twain 1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Any way I am here to tell you somethings bout this man that has write all these things bout our adventures. So listen an maybe you might even learn a little something bout this man. Now let me think....oh ya, now I recall it. I reckon it was a warm November ju's like any other, the 30th to be exact. But that ain't how Sam's Pa spoke of it. He had to go maki'n big, fancy speeches and things of that sort at the party. But after all that mubl'in we had a purdy good time. As a matter of fact as I recall that day it was almost pur'fect. If it warn't for me drunk Pa gettin arrested by the Sheriff that morn, it woudda' been real pur'fect. Course I reckon a boy's gota have a good time at his best friend's bert'day party. I was at Sam's house. Course I warn't de only one dare. His Pa, Judge Clemens and Ma, Miss Jane Lampton, till she married of course, was dare and I reckon his whole 'tire family must da been at dat house, can't barely remember it was only his fourth birthday back in 1839 (Howard 1). Ya, me and Sam been friends ever since he moved here, best friends too, he was born an lived in Florida, Missouri prior to now. He moved here at the start of this year. See lots of people don't give me much thought cause me bein uneducated and havin a Pa like I do an all. That all changed though, Sam was the type dat even liked the niggers, so I be surprised if he thought of me differently than any other (Paine 4). Sam's family had'nt got that much money either but his Pa sure was one of them educated types. He was a lawyer and a judge and people looked up to him

Importance of Group Essay

According to Social Boundaries and Adherence to a Special Set of Norms Some sociologists do not consider these kinds of organization per se as mentioned in the succeeding section while other sociologists classify them as types of organization based on social boundaries and their adherence to a special set of norms (Zulueta, 2002). 1. Categorical Group A categorical group refers to a social grouping where members tend to share certain characteristics and interests and are aware of their similarities with other in their own social category. Ex. Students, teachers, farmers, senior citizens, fish vendors and other related groups. 2. Aggregate Group An aggregate group denotes a social grouping whose members stay in one place, but do not necessarily interact with each other. The members of this group are concerned only with their own feelings and attitudes. Ex. People forming a single line in the Araneta Center to buy tickets for the basketball game of their favorite player in the Philippine Basketball Association. 3. Collective Group A collective group refers to a crowd whose members are not governed with laws or norms, but share the same beliefs that motivates them to action. Examples are the EDSA People Power 1 and 2, a mass demonstration for a common cause and others. 4. Associational Group An associational group is composed of a group of people who organize themselves to pursue a common interest with a formal organizational structure such as the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Philippine Association for Teacher Education (PAFTE) and many others. In an associational group, there is a set of officers elected by its members which is responsible for running the association. According to Interaction and Relationship General classifications of groups according to their manner of interaction and relationship are: 1. Primary Group A primary group refers to small, informal group of people who interact in a more personal, intimate manner and who always have direct and face-to-face communication with each other. It includes the family, neighborhood and play groups. The primary group is characterized by Cooley as the nursery of human nature because it is the group where the child is socialized, acquires and experiences love, affection, sympathy, kindness, tolerance, fairness, loyalty and justice. The individual learns the meaning of personal worth and dignity of a person. 2. Secondary Group A secondary group involves indirect, impersonal interaction where members are forced to interact because of business transactions and the like. The business-like, impersonal and formal interactions of secondary groups allow the members to focus on their special skills. The members of secondary groups can function effectively because of the absence of the touch of familiarity where subjectivity comes in. According to Membership Other classifications of groups which are more specific as to membership are as follows: 1. In-group An in-group refers to a group of people whose sense of belongingness is strong. The members have a strong â€Å"we-feeling†, share common orientation, come from the same background, roots and origin and adhere to the ideology. An in-group is further characterized by a feeling of companionship and a great sense of loyalty. 2. Out-group The out-group is exactly the opposite of the in-group. This group is made up of people whose feelings are antagonistic to the group itself. There is physical membership but in mind and heart, the members dislike the group because of the concept that another group is superior to their group. An out-group is a stereotype where members of the group have specialized trademarks. 3. Reference Group A reference group is a group where people identify themselves physically and psychology to which other people refer in evaluating their behavior and actions. The group becomes the individual’s frame of reference in relation to his/her motivations, aspirations, experiences, attitudes and social affiliations. Oftentimes, a reference group tends to give an impression to a particular person as to his/her social, economic and even political status in the community. Sometimes, individual try to identify themselves with groups whose standing is well-known regionally, nationally or even internationally to demand high respect and special treatment from others. 4. Peer Group A peer group refers to a small kind of grouping whose members have the same level, interests and economic standing in the community. This is exemplified in school among students. Consciously and unconsciously, the members group themselves because they share the same interests and talents and perhaps their parents also share the same. There is also a sense of belongingness, sympathy and loyalty among themselves. 5. Voluntary Association A voluntary association, as the name suggests, is an organization where membership is free and voluntary. Though voluntary in nature, members follow some sets of rules or policies. Examples are civic-oriented groups whose primary purpose is to deliver some social benefits to the deprived, depressed and underserved (DDU) sectors of our society. Voluntary associations are found in some relatively simple societies composed of members with varied and competing interests. Here are some voluntary associations: * Military Associations Military associations are noncommercial societies whose goals are to unite members through their common experiences. * Secret Societies Secret societies are characterized principally by limited membership and by secret rituals generally believed to increase the supernatural powers of its members. * Regional Associations Regional associations are clubs that bring together migrants from common geographical backgrounds. Regional groupings actually give rise to out-groups, particularly when in a foreign milieu. According to Their Nature, Form, Objectives and Interaction Some sociologists have identified other social groupings based on their nature, form and objectives and how members relate with each other. These are the formal and informal groups. 1. Informal Group The informal group is the most common type of grouping based on nature, form, objectives and interaction. It occurs when two or more people interact with each other on issues affecting their welfare. An informal group can be a product of an impulsive act but later on grows into a partnership endeavor with the constant sharing of emotions and sentiments of the members. The group ensures cooperation from each member because of their sense of belongingness and self-confidence. 2. Formal Group A formal group is an organization where the specific organizational structure is constructed to achieve specific goals and objectives. This group has to fulfill a variety of specialized social and personal needs that influence one’s personality. Regardless of its nature, a formal organization has established philosophy, mission, vision and goals as its guiding premises in the discharge of its function. It is in this concern that formal organizations meet their fundamental needs to continue their collaborative efforts to attain these aspirations in a highly complex, industrial and business society.

Identifying Potential Risk, Response, Recovery

In this paper I have just been hired as an Information Security Engineer for a video game development company. I have previously identified all of the potential Threats, Vulnerabilities and Malicious Attacks for the videogame development company. The CIO have reviewed my report and has now requested that I draft a report analyzing and assessing any potential Malicious Attacks, Vulnerabilities and Threats that may be carried out against the company’s network. I will then choose a strategy for dealing with risk, such as mitigation, assignment, risk and avoidance.Next I will develop controls that will be used to mitigate each risk. Now let’s begin by discussing the threat of the Web/FTP server, some servers, or hosts, must be open to the internet. Web servers are examples of such hosts. You want any user to be able to access your web server- but you don’t want everyone to be able to get to your internal network (Fundamentals of Information Systems Security). The sim ple solution for this is just to isolate the host that is connected to the internet from the internal networks and then create a demilitarized zone.The risk mitigation for the Web/FTP, the FTP is very useful for working with remote systems, or to move files between systems. On the other hand the use of FTP across the internet or other untrusted networks, exposes you to certain security risk. Your object authority scheme might not provide enough protection when you allow the FTP on your system. The next risk for FTP is a hacker can mount a denial of service attack with your FTP server to disable user profile (FTP Security). This is usually done by repeatedly trying to logging on with the incorrect password for a user profile, generally until the profile is disabled.This kind of attack will disable the profile if it reached the maximum sign on count of three. If the company use a FTP server logon exit program to reject logon requests by any system user profile and those user profiles that the company designate will not be allowed FTP access. Now we will discuss the NIDS, the primary purpose of a network-based intrusion detection system is to identify attackers trying to expose vulnerable network services. The NIDS can respond to the attack or alert personnel, who can take the necessary and appropriate actions for this type of attack.NIDS allows administrator to respond to attacks with actions appropriate to their security policy. To properly analyze false alarm reduction strategies, it is necessary to quantify risk and the NIDS role in risk reduction. The NIDS uses two formulas, one formula assumes that risk is roughly equivalent to single loss expectancy. This formula for this quantification is SLE= (Asset Value x Exposure Factor) (Fundamentals of Information Systems Security). The next formula states that risk is equal to exposure multiplied by threat. Risk= Exposure x Threat.This equation determines threat and the type of threat. For example there are threats of port scans, automated scans and sweeps, Denial of Service and Service attacks and compromises. Now we will move on to Windows 2008 Active Directory Domain Controllers (DC), because domain controllers provide critical services to their clients, it is crucial to minimize the risk of any disruption of these services that may be caused by malicious attacks. Antivirus Software can be used to mitigate the risk of malicious attacks in Windows 2008 Active Directory Domain Controllers.Make sure that you verify the antivirus software you select is confirmed to be compatible with your domain controllers. Do not use domain controller systems as general workstations. Another way to prevent malicious attacks on domain controller systems is to not allow users to use domain controllers to surf the web or to perform any other activities that can allow the introduction of malicious code. Only allow browsing on sites that are known to be safe, this will be did strictly for the purpose of supportin g server operation and maintenance.Another practice to keep in mind is to make sure that all of the company’s files, including the shared ones, should be ran against a virus scanning software. This bring me to the file servers, have the potential to receive different viruses such as worms, Trojan horses and logic bombs. To allow an end user to upload files to your website, is like opening another door for a malicious user to compromise your server (acunetix. com). File uploads are permitted in social network applications. File uploads are also allowed with blogging, e-banking sites and you tube.All of these network sites allow users the opportunity to efficiently share files with corporate employees. Users are allowed to share files with corporate employees, through uploaded videos, pictures, avatars and many other types of files. The best way to prevent malicious attacks through the company’s file servers is to make sure that the file that is being uploaded is validat ed. This will prevent a hacker from uploading files with malicious codes that can lead to a server compromise. Another way to prevent a malicious attack on the file server is for the company to block all dangerous extensions.In cases like this, there would be a blacklist, the list will show the dangerous extensions and there access will be denied if the extension of file they are trying to upload is on this list. The best practices to follow when uploading files onto websites and web applications. The first risk mitigation in a file server is to estimate the size of programs, files, and transaction. Then you will need to prevent deviation in size of the files as well as the amount of users that have access to the files. Now we will move forward the Wireless access point (WAP), this is the connection between a wired and wireless network.This is also a wireless security protocol designed to address and fix the known security issues in WEP. WAP’s are radios, sending and receivin g networking information over the air between wireless devices and the wired network wireless (Fundamentals of Information Systems Security). The best way to prevent malicious attacks on a WAP is to increase security. Presently WPA provides users with a higher level of assurance that their data will remain protected by using Temporal Key Integrity Protocol for data encryption.If the data is not encrypted then it is considered as fair game, because it would be very easy for anyone that have access to a radio to access this data. The mitigation risk for a Wireless access point is to make sure your technology is updated. Failure to upgrade to newer, more advanced technologies could potentially impact productivity and lead to significant downtime, security vulnerabilities, and non-compliance issues. Older wireless technology do not support new features and functions that are proving to be so valuable.Next you will need to choose the right carrier, ensuring information is secure within t he supply chain, complying with all the latest government and retailer mandates and taking advantage of all the latest features and functions to save time and money can seem like a daunting task ( Wireless technology Migration: Mitigating risk and increasing supply chain efficiency). Now we will discuss the 100- Desktop/Laptop computers, both of these computers are subject to viruses such as worms, hoaxes, Trojans and other security vulnerabilities.The best way to prevent these from occurring is to install and use a firewall. Always make sure you are installing and updating the latest critical security software. Add a virus software scanner, to allow the software to scan your computer for potential viruses. Next we will discuss the VOIP telephone system, this is one of the newest technologies that is being rapidly embraced by the market as an alternative to the traditional public switched telephone network. The malicious attacks that can occur with this system is denial of service, impersonation or spoofing or toll  Ã‚  fraud.The best way to prevent this from happening is to add port security, cisco secure access control server, DHCP Snooping, Cisco firewall solutions and intrusion prevention. Data transit can also be used to protect the voice traffic over the wireless LAN’s. The risk mitigation for desktop/laptop is as followed is to target malware with automated defenses. One of the first line of defenses for any PC or laptop is to block or eliminate viruses, worms, spyware, and other malware, including Trojan downloaders and keystroke loggers, both on endpoints and at the gateway.Deploy anti-malware and filtering software for all email gateways, to prevent malware and spam from ever reaching the PC’s. Next you would want to patch your vulnerabilities as quickly as possible, create a password to access your PC or laptop. To really maximize security in a minimal amount of time, as part of the â€Å"acceptable use† policy, prohibit users from installing unauthorized software on PC’s or laptops (10 Ways to mitigate your security risk).