Out of My League

How many people do you know that have broken up with someone and later wanted them back because they were jealous of their new girlfriend? Or perhaps, have you ever lacked the confidence to approach someone? Well the movie She’s out of my League is all about that. The movie is about a guy name Kirk who is played by Jay Baruchel. He is an average Joe who can't believe his luck. Although he's stuck in a seemingly dead-end job as an airport TSA security agent, against all odds, Molly which is played by Alice Eve, a successful and outrageously gorgeous babe, has fallen for him. Not only is Kirk stunned, but his friends, family and his ex-girlfriend, too. Now he has to figure out how to make the relationship work, even though he'd be the first to admit she's totally out of his league. She’s out of my League was a well-structured film in my opinion. This film was unified around a central theme. The theme of the film is that it is ridiculous to rate people based on looks and decide that you can't be with someone based on some rating of 1 to 10. In the beginning of the movie, Kirk is having a confrontation with is ex-girlfriend Marine. Marine had ended her relationship with Kirk for more than 2 year and she was extremely contemptuous of his continued romantic interests after his latest pursuit. The producers of this movie couldn’t have thought of a better way to open the movie. The plot and the events, conflicts, and characters that constitute it must be carefully selected and arranged so that their relationship to the theme is clear (Boggs, & Petrie, 2008). This was the most important scene of the movie because it leads the way for other events to happen naturally and logically. In this scene, the producers wanted to get the viewer to see two points. One point making it clear that Marine didn’t want to be in a relationship with Kirk and that it was over. Another point being that Kirk was really crush about the break up so his self-esteem is really low at this point. This also made an early impression of what type of person Kirk was called characterization thought appearance. He seems to be a fairly dorky and dumb type of person. Later in the movie, one morning while Kirk was at work, a beautiful woman name Molly arrives at the passenger terminal for her flight to New York. While she was proceeding through security, her striking looks attracted unwanted attention and harassment from several male employees. Kirk is the only employee to treat her courteously. I really like this part because Kirk was just being himself and Molly saw the him for the person that he really was. In this scene, the producers wanted us to believe that Kirk didn’t have a chance with Molly because it seems that she was out of his league. But, who would have thought that Molly would be the one to be coming on to Kirk. After Kirk finally hooks up with Molly, the successful and outrageously gorgeous babe, Marine finds herself jealous and wants Kirks back. The only reason that Molly has this sudden interest in Kirk again is because she feels upstaged by Molly’s looks. In this scene, it makes the saying, â€Å"a woman doesn’t want a man until someone else has him† a true statement. With those two senses that were mentioned, it gives you a lot to think about. One being that you really don’t appreciate something until it’s gone. In this movie Kirk was a type of person that needed to be with a person that would help and motivate him to achieve his goals. Marine wasn’t that type of person. When Molly came along, she really brought out the best in Kirk. As Kirk begins the better himself, Marine begins to see all the things that Kirk was capable of, but by this time it was too late. Personally, I really did find this movie meaningful. There were a lot of points that could have been taken from this movie. The two points that I retrieve from this movie is that it is ridiculous to rate a person based on looks and decide that you can't be with that someone based on some rating and it is true that you don’t see what you have until its gone.

Best practices in project quality management/leadership for IT Essay

1. 0 Introduction Most people simply accept low quality from many information technology (IT) products. So what if ones laptop crashes a couple of times a week? Just ensure there is back up for data. So what if one cannot log in to the business intranet or the internet right now? Just attempt a little later when it is less busy. So what if the latest version of word-processing software was shipped with several bugs? One may like the software’s new features, and all new software has bugs. Is quality a real problem with information technology projects? Yes, it is! IT is not just a luxury available in some offices, homes, or schools. Firms throughout the world provide employees with access to computers. The majority of people in the US use the internet, and usage in other countries continues to expand rapidly. It took only six years for 60 million people to use the internet compared to 20 years for 60 million to use cell phones (Kathy, 2008, p. 292). Many issues of individual and or group lives depend on high-quality IT products. Food is produced and distributed with the help of computers; vehicles have computer chips to monitor performance; students use computers to aid them learn in school; organizations depend on technology for many business functions; and millions of people depend on technology for entertainment and individual communications (Kathy, 2008). Many IT projects develop mission-critical systems that are utilized in life-and-death circumstances. Such as navigation systems on aircraft and computer components built into medical equipment. Financial institutions and their clients also depend on high-quality information systems. Clients get very upset when systems present inaccurate data or display information to unauthorized people that could result to identity theft. When any of these systems fails, it is much more than a mere inconvenience (Taguchi, 2004). 1. 1 Definitions Before one can enhance the quality of IT projects, it is good to understand the fundamental concepts of project quality management. Indeed, it is hard to define project quality management. According to the international organization for standardization (ISO) quality can be defined as the totality of features of an organization that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied requirements (Kathy, 2008). It can also be defined as the extent to which a set of inherent features fulfils needs (ISO9000). Other professionals define quality based on adherence to needs and fitness for use. Adherence to needs means project’s products and processes meet laid down specifications. Fitness for use implies a product can be used as it was intended. The purpose of project quality management is to make sure that the project will fulfill the requirements for which it was undertaken. Project management involves among others things meeting or surpassing stakeholder requirements and anticipations. The project group must initiate good relationships with core stakeholders, especially the primary client for the project, to comprehend what quality implies to them. Many technical projects fail because the project management group aims only at meeting the written requirements for the project (Juran and Frank, 2002). Quality, therefore, must be on an equal basis with project scope, cost, and time. If the project’s stakeholders are dissatisfied with the quality of the project management or the end products of the project, the management group will require adjusting time, cost, and scope to fulfill stakeholder needs. In which case meeting only documented requirements for time, cost, and scope is not sufficient. To attain stakeholder fulfillment, the project group must come up with a good working relationship with all stakeholders and comprehend their implied or stated requirements. Best practices: over the years, organizations have become mesmerized with the term-best practice-but after continued use, experts began scrutinizing the expression and now better definitions exist. A best practice starts simply with an idea. Knowing that there is a process, tool, activity, or method that can deliver results effectively than any other method and provides one with the desired results with less barriers and predictable complexities is a welcome. As a result, one apparently ends up with an efficient way of completing a task by use of a repeatable procedure that has stood the test of time for quite a large number of IT projects (Kathy, 2008). As project quality management evolved, so did the meanings of best practices. Some definitions of best practices are complicated while others are somehow simple. Yet, they both address the same aim of encouraging project quality management throughout the organization. Firms must decide on the depth and extent of their best practices. Must it be at high level and generic or at a low level and detailed? A generic best practice may not attain the desired efficiencies whereas a detailed one may not have unlimited applicability. Basically, any firm can decide to have own definition of best practices and there might even be company quality requirements on the definition of such best practices. For example, a best practice can be defined as something that: works, works well, works well on a repetitive basis, leads to a competitive advantage, can be identified in quest to improve business, and prevents the firm from problems.

Abused and Abusive Adolescents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Abused and Abusive Adolescents - Essay Example   Barnett, Miller- Perlin, and Perrin (250), I totally differ with parents who are not human in their form of instilling discipline to their teenagers. Some parents overdo it and as a result, cause a permanent effect on their teenagers causing them to develop long-term effects. For instance, a parent decides to discipline his child to sleep outside on the dog mat because he or she could not finish up his homework. It is unlawful for any parent to administer discipline to his or her child which in the long run will result to the child being with problematic effects. This parent is prune to facing the law. It makes sense when a parent politely corrects his or her child and shows him the consequences of his actions rather than a parent who inhumanly punishes his or her child with frustrations or ego oriented mindset. Importance of the topic I have realized that in a family setting there exist all forms of family violence and abuse. Through this, one requires an adequate know-how on to deal with any form of family abuse and how to provide long-term solution to any difference that may arise in the family. This is facilitated by putting in place mechanisms and channels that are to be followed in order to solve issues either in a short run or long run perspective. Through reading this course i have been in a position to embrace self-control in decision-making processes. This is because the decision made can have an intense impact if the judgment is not correctly made (Barnett, Miller- Perlin, and Perrin 275).

Responses to classmember Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Responses to classmember - Assignment Example It is also surprising as to how indifferent most people are on how to conduct an Internet search. Without the tips laid down in this Chapter on how to find online information, most of us would still be conducting Internet searches incorrectly. Therefore, these tips help in efficiently conducting Internet searches and finding valuable information that would be important in writing a research paper. Indeed this Chapter explains how an effective research needs to be supported by reliable information; Bovee and Thill have laid out a process on how to get better results when searching for information. This informative Chapter describes the most effective way to conduct a research as well as explains how to evaluate the credibility of any source of information. An analytical report is important for analyzing, understanding or explaining a problem or opportunity and drawing conclusions from the research. Therefore planning for an analytical report is crucial since it minimizes the chances of wasting time and improves the results of the research. Analytical reports can be used to assess the risks, opportunities and the decisions and actions that are required to be undertaken. By so doing through analytical reports, one can be able to analyze a risk or opportunity and come up with the decisions that will be of benefit to the organization. A research has to contain information that is collected first hand even though regrettably most research papers nowadays only contain secondary information. I concur with you that one of the best ways to collect primary information is through interviewing the appropriate parties. Interviews offer the researcher the opportunity to interact with the interested party and acquire information that is directly related to the research being conducted. This is particularly important since most secondary information that can be obtained does not relate to the topic of research and is therefore not of benefit.

Master Dissertation Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Master Dissertation Proposal - Essay Example (Jablonski, 1991) This dissertation proposal is about implementation of a TQM structure through information technology. The industry I have decided to choose for this particular proposal is customer service centers/call centers. Call centers are part of the business where workers answer queries of customer regarding products, services, customer service, etc. nowadays these call centers are outsourced to different organizations and in many cases they are located in different countries to save organization costs. (Bateman et al., 1999) Developed countries have seen rise of call centers outsourcing to other organizations and other countries in the past decade. However there are still loads of issues that the call centers need to overcome in terms of quality of service. (Batt and Moynihan, 2002) A lot of research has been carried out on implementation of TQM in the service industry, however little emphasis has been on use of IT in implementation of TQM. Research has confirmed that implementation of TQM and effective use of IT is far from execution in the service delivery sector. (Yasin et al., 2004) The aim of this research is to identify quality issues in call centers delivery of service and also to recommend a total quality management structure though information technology. The call centers are run and they deliver services which are very much based on IT. However little has been done to bring improvements in the structure. (Au and Choi, 1999) The IT structure is scattered and knowledge sharing is an issue in the industry. (Davenport, 1993) The above mentioned problems come from general perception and experience that customers have from call centers. The aim of this research is two sided; it will focus on both customers and staff of call centers to identify the real problems. The objective is to come up with problems that exist on both sides and then suggest a total quality

Environmental Science IP2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environmental Science IP2 - Essay Example High birth rates are due to lack of family planning as methods such as the use of contraceptives are discouraged or people lack information about them. The stage is further characterized by high mortality rates which normally arise from the prevalence of communicable diseases. Poor hygienic conditions which are marked by lack of clean water and improper means of waste disposal is another key factor in this stage. The second phase is marked with a decline in death rate due to improved medical care, proper sanitation and increased availability of food while birth rates still remain high. This stage is also referred to as early expanding stage. Improvement of food capacity backed up by proper storage equipment enables people to live longer until they attain adulthood. There is high fertility rate especially in rural areas where people give birth to very many children hence increased birth rates. This stage is marked by a decreasing trend in the rate of births while mortality rate tends to remain constant. The decrease in birth rate arises when people begin to take up birth control measures such as the use of contraceptives so that they can be able to cope up with the rising standards of living especially in the urban centers. This period is also termed late expanding owing to the fact that the economic status is on the rise. The phase is marked by stabilization in the population in which an equilibrium level between birth rate and death rate has been achieved. This is a typical case of developed economies that have attained low stationery economic growth. The death rates are extremely low due to proper health care while the birth rates are low due to population policies that have been set up by the government to control population. Factors that lead to decline in crude birth rates includes the acceptance of birth control measures, enactment of legislations that are aimed at controlling birth rates while those that lead to decrease in

The Hotel Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Hotel Industry - Essay Example the customers. For any commercial organization it is then a people versus people equation for its survival. Unlike other resources which an organization deploys people or its staff are live resources that think, have feelings, aspirations, motives and emotions which get nurtured, developed ,frustrated or stunted every now and then. No human would be willing to work with frustrated aspirations or stunted and suppressed feelings. Thus it becomes incumbent on an organization to nurture and develop the feelings, aspirations, emotions of its employees. This is the traditional function of the human resource management function in any organization. Present day literature, however lays more emphasis on strategic human resource management wherein the human resource management function is aligned in such a manner that fulfilling human resource management function automatically ensures reaching strategic objectives of the organization. In short the human resource management function is woven wi th in the overall strategy of the organization. ... tivities that are undertaken consciously or unconsciously, internally or externally to an organization whereby human resources of the organization are developed and utilized in a manner to maximize achievement of organizational goals. One important precept of entire human resources' management exercise is the recognition of the fact that the most valuable resource for any organization is its human factor; it is the only live factor and thus the only truly mouldable factor. Therefore human resource management (HRM) is a term used to represent that part of an organization's activities concerned with the recruitment, development and management of its employees (Wood & Wall, 2002). Employee empowerment is an important piece of strategic initiatives in human resource management in any hotelling organization. Empowerment if adopted as a conscious strategy has important implications for employee motivation, performance and the quality of the service offered by the hotel. This paper seeks to examine the issue of employee empowerment in some star hotels in Jordan in the back drop of a comprehensive literature review. The Hotel Industry Parks (2003) states with abundant clarity the role of human interface in hotel industry in following words," The hospitality industry is obviously customer-service driven. If your employees aren't satisfied in their jobs, their unhappiness is bound to spill over into their attitudes and behaviors toward clients and guests. Most hospitality positions require people to be in constant communication with the public while servicing guests. Because of this, employee satisfaction is vitally important to the success of your business. Everyone knows that it costs much more to hire and train a new employee than it does to keep an existing employee.

You can chose one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

You can chose one - Essay Example The customer lodged a claim on us that the art we shipped arrived with sags in the canvas. This may not be our fault, neither is it the customer’s. You therefore ought to have appreciated the customer feedback first and the fact that the customer contacted us with a claim. You can also show the customer that we care about the products we send and that their satisfaction is our priority. Then accept the liability and responsibility to re-stretch the art on behalf of the customer. Our customers are important for our business, and hence kindly make efforts to understand the customer situation and address the solution not the problem. We at Manhattan Galleries value your kind efforts to address customer needs and keep constant contact with them. As we appreciate our employees so are our customers and every feedback matters to us. Your letter to the customer is well written, and with the changes annotated, it will serve the customer perfectly well. Thanks for your efforts at Manhattan

Motivation. What is Motivation Students' Motivation Essay

Motivation. What is Motivation Students' Motivation - Essay Example It also drives them to study new things regularly – it best explains the reason behind individuals devoting a lot of time doing something, at times going to the extent of spending a lot of money and energy to achieve the result (Cherry, 2011). In most cases, rewards and reinforcement are used in motivating people and consequently influencing their behavior so that they can get an assurance of the future. Students who are motivated for instance will always take their studies seriously and excel over and above completing their course in the required time. This does not mean that each of these students is fully interested in the study but it means that they have an inner persuasion that they must complete their assignments and courses in time even when the task seems uninteresting. According to Tilestone (2010), learning begins in the self-system with or without input and the students usually get motivated when they are directly involved in the process of learning. Students who w ork on the goal, which they have set for themselves, are usually more motivated, efficient and they achieve better results as opposed to when their tutors have set goals for them.

Country lovers Essay Example for Free

Country lovers Essay copy and paste method Screen-reader users, click here to turn off Google Instant. About 2,640,000 results (0. 56 seconds) Search Results country lovers Web definitions The Country Lovers is a 1911 short silent comedy film directed by Mack Sennett and starring Blanche Sweet. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/The_Country_Lovers Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer, an Analysis lee custodio leecustodio. hubpages. com †º Books, Literature, and Writing? Mar 5, 2012 Country Lovers (1975) is a story of forbidden love between a black woman—Thebedi and Paulus, the son of her white masters. It was a story of Country Lovers College Essays StudyMode. com www. studymode. com †º Home †º Literature? above being a line of strung together sentences and give the story meaning. Recently I have had the pleasure of reading the short story â€Å"Country Lovers†, Country Lovers Meaning Free Essays 1 20 StudyMode. com www. studymode. com/subjects/country-lovers-meaning-page1. html? 20+ items Free Essays on Country Lovers Meaning for students. Use our Country Lovers 737 Words 3 Pages. Country Lovers 980 Words 4 Pages. Response to Country Lovers Research Paper Hamdez8 www. studymode. com †º Home †º Linguistics Human Languages? The first thing that captured my interest about the story â€Å"Country Lovers†, by Nadine Literature exists only when it is read; meaning is an event (versus the New Reading Reflection on the short story by Nadine Gordimer, Country www. scribd. com/ /Reading-Reflection-on-the-short-story-by-Nadine-G? Jun 29, 2013 Finally, I had to evaluate the meaning of the selected literary work, which in this case is Country Lovers, by Nadine Gordimer, once again Country Lovers flashcards | Quizlet quizlet. com/5228536/country-lovers-flash-cards/? Vocabulary words for Quotes and Meanings. Includes studying games and tools such as flashcards. Country Lovers Essays Justew53 PaperCamp. com www. papercamp. com †º Literature? Jun 18, 2012 In Nadine Gordimers story, Country Lovers she uses many different methods to describe the meaning behind this story;; An Analysis Of Country Free Country Lovers Vs The Welcome Table Essays 1 30 Anti Essays www. antiessays. com/topics/country-lovers-vs-the-welcome-table/0? Get access to Country Lovers Vs The Welcome Table Essays only from Anti The Welcome Table: discover different human experiences and the meanings. Essay | Analysis of Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer www. bookrags. com/essay-2003/3/6/115012/5149/? Mar 6, 2003 Essays from BookRags provide great ideas for essays and paper topics like Analysis of Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer. View this student Patriotism Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/patriotism? pa ·tri ·ot ·ism. noun ? pa-tre-? -? ti-z? m, chiefly British ? pa-. : love that people feel for their country. Full Definition of PATRIOTISM. : love for or devotion to ones

Analysing A Struggle To Maintain Faith Religion Essay

Analysing A Struggle To Maintain Faith Religion Essay Eliezers battle with his faith is a commanding conflict in Elie Wiesels Night. In the introduction of the work, his faith in God is unconditional. On page 4, when asked why he prays to God by Moishe the Beadle, Elie answers, Why did I pray? . . . Why did I live? Why did I breathe? His belief in a supreme, compassionate God is unconditional, and he cannot imagine living without faith in  a divine power. However, this faith is shaken by his experience during the Holocaust. Initially, Eliezer truly believes that god is everything and that nothing could be possible without god, but his faith is challenged by the traumatic events that cross his path during the holocaust. After the hanging of the pipel on page 65 in the end of Segment Four, Wiesel writes: Where is God? Where is He? someone behind me asked. ..For more than half an hour the child in the noose stayed there, struggling between life and death, dying in slow agony under our eyes. And we had to look him full in the face. He was still alive when I passed in front of him. His tongue was still red, his eyes were not yet extinguished. Behind me, I heard the same man asking: Where is God now? And I heard a voice within me answer him: Where is He? Here He is-He is hanging here on this gallows. . . . The Holocaust and its traumatizing images put Elie Wiesels faith into question through the end of the novel. Initially, Eliezers faith is a result of his studies in Jewish mysticism, which teach him that God is everywhere in the world, that nothing could exist without God, that in fact everything in the physical world is a reflection of the divine world. In other words, Eliezer has grown up believing that everything on Earth demonstrates Gods divinity and strenth. His faith is put into the idea that God is everywhere, all the time, that his divinity touches every aspect of Eliezers daily life. Since God is perfect, his studies teach him, and God is everywhere in the world, the world must therefore be perfect. Eliezers faith in the goodness of the world is hopelessly destroyed by the cruelty and evil he beholds during the Holocaust. He cannot imagine that the concentration camps inconceivable, revolting brutality could possibly reflect divinity. He wonders how a compassionate God could be part of such debauchery and how an all powerful God could permit such savagery to take place. His faith is also shaken by the mercilessness and greed he sees among the prisoners. He might have been able to maintain the belief that humankind is essentially good if he didnt see that the Holocaust exposes the selfishness, evil, and cruelty which everybody-not only the Nazis, but also his fellow prisoners, his fellow Jews fall victim to. If the world is so wicked, he feels, then God either must be equally wicked, he or must not exist at all. Though this awareness suggests a massacre his faith, Eliezer manages to retain some of this faith throughout his affairs. In moments during his first night in the camp and during the hanging of the pipel, Eliezer does grapple with his faith, but his struggle should not be confused with a complete desertion of his faith. This struggle does not belittle his belief in God, but it is actually crucial to the entity of that belief. On page 4, When Moshe the Beadle is asked why he prays, he replies, I pray to the God within me that He will give me the strength to ask Him the right questions. Questioning is also crucial to the idea of faith in a higher power. The Holocaust forces Eliezer to ask terrifying questions about the nature of good and evil and about whether God exists, but the very fact that he asks these questions reflects his commitment to  God. Only in the lowest points of his faith does he turn his back on God. Even when Eliezer says that he has given up on God completely, Wiesels constant use of religious metaphors undermines what Eliezer says he believes. Eliezer even refers to biblical passages when he denies his faith. When he fears that he might loose his father, he prays to God, and, after his fathers death, he expresses regret that there was no religious memorial. At the end of the book, even though he has been forever changed by his Holocaust experience, Eliezer emerges with his faith intact, so according to Wiesel, without a faith in God, there is no faith present at all. According to him, without God there is no faith and without faith there is no God. I agree with Elie Wiesel completely, because the ideas of God reside in our ability to be good outright people and to make right decisions. We can still do that without a belief or faith in God, but we cannot justify our actions without the faith that in return for our actions we will be rewarded when our time comes. Without that, o ur lives have little meaning during our lives and no meaning at all after that.

An Inspector Calls - Synopsis Essay -- English Literature

An Inspector Calls - Synopsis It's a comfortable night in springtime and the Birling Family and Mr.Croft are celebrating the engagement on their daughter Sheila to Mr.Croft. Its all going so well the whole family are wallowing in their self pride. There is a knock an the door, an inspector calls. As the inspector starts to break down the party, we start to understand more to the story. The inspector tells the group that there has recently been a suicide; by a girl name Eva Smith. He explains to the group how together it was of their doings that forced this girl to commit suicide. Mr Birling, a prosperous manufacturer employed Eva Smith at his factory. While working at his factory Eva Smith started a strike asking for higher pay rise which resulted in her sack. She managed to get a new job in a shop that was very popular among the Birling family. Sheila being the stuck up child that she is was shopping in there one day when she was trying on a certain garment and believed this Eva Smith was smirking at her. She complained to the shop resulting in Eva's second sa...

Medicine River :: essays research papers

Medicine River By Thomas King In the novel, Medicine River, Thomas King creates a story of a little community to reflect the whole native nation. A simply return of Will's makes the little town seem to be more colourful. "Medicine River makes non-native readers think a little longer and harder about the lives of the first people they live among and the places they inhabit." As a non-native reader, it is extra difficult to feel and understand the book because we didn't go through all the steps. Although Will starts like a foreigner, he becomes part of the unique community eventually. Medicine River shows the past history of Canada and teaches readers to learn from the past experience in order to become better people. Will is the main character in the novel, Medicine River. The whole story starts with a native photojournalist returns to his reservation for his mother's funeral he discovers the strength of his background. Will does not live in the reserve, Medicine River, because his father is a white person. After 20 years, Will returns. After he opens the photo studio in the reserve, he feels like home again. Doing business and playing basketball makes Will become a member of the little Indian town. The people who help Will the most are Harlen, Louise and Joyce. Harlen is the one who always wants to make Will feel better. The photo studio & basketball team are Harlen's idea. Louise is the true love that Will falls for. When Joyce asks Will to be in the photo, that really impresses Will a lot. Finally, Will finds his career, love and friends in the reserve after 20 years. Harlen is Will's friend and he is a very easy going man. He is always running around helping people to solve the problems. He runs the coach position on team Medicine River Friendship Centre Warriors" after no body wants to do the job. In order to make Will feel home, Harlen forces Will to play some basketball on the team although Will is not a good player. Leadership is the main idea that Harlen is trying to pass to Will.

George Dawes Greens The Juror: Annie :: essays research papers

George Dawes Green's The Juror: Annie I have sustained some of the most appalling trials of this century. Over me I have felt distress, bleakness, sorrow. However none of them were as smashing as Annie's. Have you ever heard about Annie? Oh yes Annie Laird, one of the most kind jurors I have ever met. In George Dawes Greens The Juror, He sumarized the events and, thoroughly explained the pain and anguish Annie had to go through. The woe in which her life revolved after mentioning those lousy words  ¨I need a little excitement in my life  ¨1, well, if Annie needed to add a touch of excitement to her life she should have tried Disneyland not jury duty. What I am about to air is what happened in our little run with the mob. Truly that has a bit of foul humor because I can't run. If you keep on reading you will understand the risks of serving for jury duty  ¨Who will protect you? ¨2 Before I met her, Annie was an unadorned artiste who had just transferred out of Manhattan and into the country. To a small cottage by a lake. Her child, Oliver, who loved to ride his bike, moved in as well. I have to say that when I met Annie for the first time it was as Juror N ° 224. She was a sparkling maid. Who would have thought a rotten soul such as the teacher would try to harm her? I confess that her recoil in the following days impressed me. This time the trial was against Louie Boffano. He was the head of the mob. He and his right hand The Teacher were as bad as they come. The case was the murders of Salvadore Riggio and his grandson. Mr. Boffano was being accused of ordering them. By this time Annie and I already knew the teacher, but we acknowledged him as Zach Lyde. He had a very piquant approach toward Annie; he bought three of her artworks for twelve thousand dollars each. Nevertheless, how were we to imagine that he was part of the mob? By the time that night had come, Zach Lyde was having dinner at Annie's house. Oliver stayed at a friend's house; Juliet's house. Then came those frightful words from the teacher  ¨Annie, listen to me now, you're in danger and your son is in danger ¨3 After this, disaster struck Annie's life. From this moment on Annie would feel disquietude and distress. Her house was bugged, her friend's house was bugged, and she could not tell anyone.

An Interview With a Relative

Welcome to the blue collar city of Buffalo, New York. I find myself in my great Uncle Wills old brick home in the center of South Buffalo. The house has the familiar smell of old people, in the foyer are a pair of work boots the leather old and worn, the soles nearly depleted. A layer of dust has formed on the boots that have remained untouched for decades. As I move closer to the kitchen I can hear the recognizable sound of stainless steel clinking on ceramic, the rhythmic noise can only be one thing; Uncle Will’s stirring his ever present cup of joe. I know this interview is going to take a bit so I head to the fridge to find a cold beverage. Inside the fridge, prune juice I thought â€Å"ugh†, tap water will do. My Uncle begins by interviewing me. Uncle Will is curious to know how I’m doing in school and if I like living in Kansas. We talk about family, cars and pets(he has a very fat cat). I don’t want this interview to be formal and stiff so I casually guide the conversation to his earlier years. I want to ask him about WWII but this is not what I want to focus on. I do ask about his service in the United States Army just to get an idea of how his time in the army prepared him for entering the job market. In his tour of duty he saw himself promoted three times, eventually to the rank of Captain and led a company of sixty men. This is all I want to know of his brief military service. I ask about his homecoming and the first thing he mentions is the excellent growth the economy in Buffalo has made, â€Å"it was as if the depression never happened† he says with a half smile and a look of satisfaction. The best thing is not only was the city of Buffalo prospering the entire nation from the Atlantic to the Pacific was too. I sit quiet and attentive just letting him talk. It’s like a history lecture only it’s just me front and center, completely interested in the subject. I want to know more about Buffalo and the jobs available to him so I implore. â€Å"You could just see the smiles on everyone’s faces, people walking with a bounce in their step† he tells me. The reason for the smiling faces was that Buffalo was home to Bethlehem Steel the second largest steel producer in the nation. Bethlehem Steel employed tens of thousands of the city’s people they offered good wages and a unionized work force, these things kept the grins ear to ear. The steel was mainly sent to Detroit to fuel the auto industries record sales. The primary means to transport the steel was the railroad and this is where Uncle Will found his calling. He was hired for the job almost immediately. His time leading troops in combat made him the top choice for the conductor position. Old Will describes his new job as â€Å"Love at First sight†. Will adored the sound of the methodic turning of the locomotives wheels, the hustle and bustle of the train yard and the fact that he had the privilege to literally drive the economy in a 200 ton, 7000 horsepower machine. â€Å"The most efficient means of transportation, steel on steel,† he says proudly. He now commanded trains with at least sixty box cars just like the company of soldiers he led just a short while ago. Uncle Will informs me that though the job often kept him away a lot with trips to Chicago and other mid-western cities he was proud to be transporting the materials to help the U. S prosper. He coveted every moment he spent with his locomotive the diesel powered Dual-Service Erie-Built Train Master, â€Å"I called her Audrey after Audrey Hepburn, they showed her movies to us in the service† Uncle Will laughs as he finishes his statement. Audrey was navigating her way through the extensive network of railways across the country and with that even I feel a bit of admiration of the industry. His devotion to the train industry is fascinating. I ask him to tell me more about his duties as a conductor. The conductor has the duty of accelerating, breaking, changing tracks and supervising the crew, pretty important,† he adds with a chuckle. His days on the helm of the locomotive began to blur together days became months and months turned to years but he says â€Å" every time I pushed the accelerator I still had that goose bump sensation I felt the first time I pushed her to full speed. † Buffalo was still enjoying economic growth through the sixti es still thriving on America’s appetite for steel. In the late sixties as my Uncle explained he noticed a change, less noise at the rail yard the sound of wheels turning was less prevalent the methodic rhythm slowing down just like buffalo’s economy. Everyone could sense the change and the smiles began to fade. I want to know the reason for this change in demand. Uncle Will proclaimed with anger in his voice â€Å"Foreign steel was being imported from places like China and Korea. It was much cheaper and industry wants to save money. † The lack of demand for Buffalo’s number one export closed the doors of Bethlehem and Republic Steel. Thousand lost their jobs. â€Å"You could call this moment in time the death of our city â€Å"he adds. This was and is the beginning of the continual decline of the Queen City. Uncle Will was right unemployment rates were 6% and today is 9. 6% according to the New York State Department of Labor (www. labor. state. ny. us). This downturn affected all subsequent history. Unemployment caused crime rates to rise, drug use was rampant on the east side of town and it was spreading at a rapid rate. Today buffalo is littered with abandoned homes even ornate Roman Catholic churches have seen their doors and windows boarded up. â€Å"The city as I knew it was gone† with these words I hear a solemn sigh. I wanted this interview to be about how the railroad industry affected his life however by the way it started I should have known the interview was just a means for Uncle Will to tell me about the city he watched grow to greatness and the sadness it brings him to watch its decline. I peer out the window there is a light blanket of snow covering the concrete and the small bush he has in his front yard. It looks pretty and peaceful but looks can be deceiving. Uncle Will mention’s that even in his neighborhood crime was creeping in â€Å"the house just two doors down was burglarized just a week ago† he proclaims with a deep sadness in his eyes. I look closer at Uncle William’s face tired and worn like the work boots in the front hall, his soul wearing away. This man has done so much in his life he volunteered when his country needed him and guided trains on the veins of Buffalo, pumping its blood of steel around the fledging nation. Without sadness there cannot be joy and without depression there cannot be growth. Unfortunately this weary old man is still sitting in his old red recliner coffee cup in hand staring out the window at the city streets once home to the laughter of playing children now quiet and desolate. He says â€Å"I’d leave this place but there are too many memories in this old house, too many memories in this old city. †

Mesopotamian and Egyptian Culture

The main scripture that holds the Christian faith is the Holy Bible. It has existed for a very long time already that it is already considered as an â€Å"institution† when it comes to its teachings and the values that it imparts on the readers. Some religions have even sprung from Christianity itself, and the basis of their teachings is also the Bible. But there are some who dispels the notion as the Bible being an institution of knowledge by saying that some parts of the Old Testament has been copied or patterned to other writings from other cultures. This has greatly affected the formation of the Old Testament, since it has to incorporate some materials and information from other cultures. It could also just be a coincidence that they have similar points, other than that, neither one of them copied the contents of the other. The Epic of Gilgamesh/Gilgamesh as the Babylonian Noah One of the great literary pieces to ever exist was the Epic of Gilgamesh. It talks about how the great Sumerian King Gilgamesh lived is life. Even though epic was compiled into written form a very long time ago, it has existed way back in 2100 B.C. in another form which is through word of mouth. This just show how long it has already been in circulation, in order to establish a comparison with the existence of the Christian’s Moses, if he ever existed. Moses, when he came into the scene through the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament, is said to be 800-900 years younger than the Epic of Gilgamesh. With this information at hand, it is clear to see that the Epic of Gilgamesh came first, with a head start of 900 years before The Book of Exodus in the Old Testament came into existence. One of the arguable points in the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament was Great Flood that the Lord had given the lands of man. It was done in order to cleanse the earth of the sins of man. However, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, we can see that there was also a great flood delivered to cleanse the world of sinful people: same content, but different stories. It was Ut-Napishtim who told him about the gods giving such punishments to people. He told Gilgamesh to take down a house and make a boat out of it. He would spare Gilgamesh’ family and relatives; he was also instructed to gather as all the animals and living things that he can spare. Gilgamesh was vey much like the famous Noah who built the Ark on God’s bidding for them to be spared, along with pairs of different animals he can gather. But considering the time frame, it is more like, Noah was very much like Gilgamesh who built a large boat, and God was very much like Ut-Napishtim, who cleansed the lands with a great flood to get rid of sinful people. Gilgamesh and Noah are two different people coming from two different cultures in different time frames. They are very similar in a lot of aspects, especially in the matter of the Great Flood. If it was merely a coincidence that they both constructed a great water vessel and rounded up all the animals in the world, no one knows. It is just that These two men were both heroes and icons of their own times, and have made their marks in their own different cultures. The Code of Hammurabi and the Laws of Moses One of the most notable law maker/leader would be King Hammurabi of the Babylonian Dynasty. He was noted for his Code of Hammurabi, a very influential set of laws and corresponding punishments to its violators. He existed around 1792 B.C. to 1750 B.C., 300 years before Moses is said to have existed. The point of comparison that is being built-up here is that Hammurabi came before Moses. Most people know that Moses is noted to be the bearer of the Lord’s 10 Commandments. This is because of some claims saying that even the 10 Commandments, as well as the laws set by Moses or the Mosaic Laws were patterned to the Code of Hammurabi. There are several concepts that would attract one’s attention if he’s looking for similarities. One of these concepts is with regards to the respect for parents. For Hammurabi, a son who strikes his father should have his arm cut off. In Mosaic law, if someone curses his parents or is very rebellious, then death is the right punishment. Another would be on marriage. For Hammurabi, if a man wishes to leave his family, then he should prepare a fraction of his property and wealth in order for the mother to raise their children. On the other hand, Mosaic law says that divorce will only be allowed if a spouse becomes indecent or unfaithful. Both Hammurabi and the Mosaic law agreed that death should be the appropriate punishment for both man and woman committing adultery. Incest for them is also unacceptable, and should be dealt with sever punishment, and if necessary, it should be death for those who have committed the crime Theft is also another aspect of similarity, where both of them condone the act of stealing and robbing from other people. In the Mosaic law, whatever living property is stolen and has been killed, should be returned five folds. If it is alive, it should be returned immediately. On the other hand, Hammurabi states that it depends on the social position of the thief, whether he should pay ten-folds or thirty times the original. But for those caught in the act of robbing someone else or stealing someone else property, no matter how valuable it is, the punishment to be given should be death. Finally, the one that showed relevant similarity was on inflicting physical injury in another person. In Mosaic laws, it depends on the weight of the damage done by the offender. Injuries which are not serious should be given necessary fines, where the offender would pay this fine for the damages he has done to the victim. But for those who have committed serious injury on somebody else, then it would be necessary to exercise taking a life for a life, or a limb for a limb. The Hammurabic code is the source of the line â€Å"an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.† The Hymn to Aton Not only did the Bible borrowed from the early Mesopotamian societies, they have also extracted some from early Egyptian cultures. Praise worship for the Lord which is found in several verses of the Bible can be traced back to tomb scriptures of some of the great men of Egypt, rulers who have made a great impact on their constituents. They are revered even after their deaths, with poems, songs and hymns being written for them as a form of praise-worship. This has been adopted by some verses in the Bible, showing how the Lord is miraculous, powerful and merciful. Not many of the people know that these verses were patterned from some dead guy’s tomb scriptures. The Sinai Covenant The Sinai covenant has been the primer of what seemed to as periodic worship, which is timely, for it was allotted a day in a week for worship. However, there are also other religions that follow this day of the Sabbath, where they would do nothing else but worship their gods all throughout the day. This is in relation to what the Bible claimed to be the day of worship for its followers. References: Anonymous. â€Å"Egyptian & Old Testament Scriptural Correspondences.†Ã‚   http://www.mystae.com/restricted/streams/thera/egypt.html. Caroll, Robert Todd. â€Å"Noah's Ark.†Ã‚   http://skepdic.com/noahsark.html. Latoundji, David Paul. â€Å"God at Sinai: Covenant and Theophany in the Bible and Ancient near East.† Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society ( Mar 1999). Nosotro, Rit. â€Å"Comparing the Content of Hammurabi's Code, Mosaic Law, and Justinian Law.†Ã‚   http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/comp/cw03hammurabijustinlaw.htm. Tolerance, Ontario Consultants on Religious. â€Å"Comparison of the Babylonian and Noahic Flood Stories.†Ã‚   http://www.religioustolerance.org/noah_com.htm. Worldwide Church of God. â€Å"Did Moses Steal the Ten Commandments? .† Worldwide Church of God, http://www.wcg.org/lit/bible/law/steal10.htm.      

History of the Fornication Pants Essay

Jeans today are much more than a simple item of clothing; they are a staple, a comfort and an identity. They are not a piece of clothing that is unique to one culture or society; jeans are jeans no matter where you are. Jeans have transcended nationality, race and even war, and yet they are still one of the most ordinary parts of our lives. What many people take for granted is that Jeans have become such a part of their everyday lives that they never stop to think about where they come from, and what they have done for people. Jeans had a humble beginning, a colourful and influential life and have a bright future. They are a part of North American history and culture and have defined many people’s lives. Cotton denim started being produced in North America in the eighteenth century and with the American cotton industry came slave labour. Plantation owners relied on slaves to keep prices down, and in 1860 there were almost four million slaves in the southern United States. (Kyi p.10) Denim got its name from a French fabric woven of silk and wool. The fabric was made in Nimes, France, and as a result it was dubbed â€Å"serge de Nimes†, but when the fabric began being stocked in English stores, it was shortened to â€Å"deNimes† or â€Å"denim†. (Sullivan p.12) At the time, denim was the strongest fabric and was even thought to have been the fabric of choice for the sails of the ships that Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World. (Sullivan p.14) Jean manufacturers buying denim from mills requested dark blue cloth rather than the pale beige offered as it was a colour that would show less dirt and wear. So denim cloth began to be dyed using indigo, but because of the time needed to make the dye it was one of the most expensive dyes in the world. That changed in the 1880’s, when a German scientist by the name of Johann von Baeyer discovered a way to create the same colour in a lab. The colour blue was now much more accessible and cheaper to achieve using the new synthetic indigo dye. (Kyi p.10) There are two Jean companies that played a major part in the production and distribution of the pants at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Levi Strauss & Co. and Lee Company. Levi Strauss was born Loeb Strauss in 1829 in Bavaria. After immigrating to the San Francisco, he opened up a whole sale business selling high quality fabrics. He struck it rich during the California gold rush in the 1860’s, but not by finding gold, but by selling his heavy duty work pants. (Kyi p.15) Around the same time in Nevada, a tailor named Jacob Davis, an immigrant from Latvia, was trying to figure out how to make his work pants stronger. Miners were constantly ripping the seams of their denim work pants. Finally while in his barn Davis realised that the copper rivets that were used to reinforce the seams of horse blankets could be used to reinforce pants as well. (Kyi p.18) His pants were a hit, so he contacted his denim supplier, Levi Strauss, to see if he would consider going into business with him and help him purchase a patent. Strauss was convinced and the two applied for a patent in 1873. This was the birth of blue jeans, although they were not called jeans yet. They were still being called high waist overalls or waist overalls. (Kyi p.21) The first cloth called â€Å"jean† was made in Genoa, Italy, and was worn by sailors. In Italian, Genoa is pronounced â€Å"Genes†, but Strauss did not use the Italian fabric and his pants were not worn by sailors so he never used the term â€Å"jeans†. It was not until years after his death that Levi Strauss & Co. Began using the word. (Contini p.158) It did not take long for the riveted jeans to catch on, and production began to soar and Strauss invited Davis to move to San Francisco, where the two hired dozens of seamstresses to work in their new factories. To distinguish which pants were his and to demonstrate how strong they were, Strauss had a leather label designed for the back waistband, that showed a pair of jeans tied between two draft horses going in opposite directions. The horses were trying to rip the jeans apart, but the fabric was too strong. The label worked so well that for decades the jeans were known as the Two-Horse brand. (Kyi p.23) In the 1890’s a pair of Levi Strauss’ jeans cost about one dollar US, about the equivalent of twenty dollars US today, which was enough to make Strauss rich. (Sullivan p.18) When he died in 1902, his company was left in the care of his three nephews, who were eager continue the company’s success, but they were facing competition. The patent on riveted pants expired in 1891, and in the early 20th century, a new clothing manufacturer appeared, Henry David Lee. Lee opened H.D. Lee Mercantile Company in Kansas City in 1899, selling fabric and furniture. Soon he opened up his own factory and began producing what would today be recognized as overalls. (Kyi p.25) He then came up with the idea to sew a denim shirt onto a pair of jeans to form a denim coverall. The Lee Union-All was first marketed to men who loved cars as it could be worn over other clothes to keep them clean. In 1913 it was popular with farmers, engineers, and factory workers, and soon became available for women and children. When the American Army was preparing to join WWI, thousands of Lee Union-Alls were ordered for the soldiers as they were found to be more durable than any other clothing. (Kyi p.26) In 1926, the Lee Company revolutionized jeans, by putting a zipper in place of the buttons in the fly to â€Å"ease access†. During the depression Lee Company managed to convince people that Lee jeans would last twice as long as other pants, making them a good investment. The Company even opened up a new factory in 1936. (Kyi p.31) During WWII, wartime rationing led to shortages of blue jeans, and owning them became a status symbol. At that time jeans were only available in North America, but when soldiers set sail for Europe and Asia, jeans were introduced to the rest of the world. (Kyi p.35) For women working in factories during the war, jeans or coveralls with a bandanna became their dress code, partly because of the famous portrait of Rosie the Riveter proclaiming â€Å"We Can Do It† while wearing a denim shirt. (Sullivan p.70) After the war, the young soldiers who came home became the first teen rebels. They no longer wanted coveralls but pants that fitted snugly around the waist more suited to motorcycle riding than farming. (Kyi p.39) This developed a style that was popularized by Hollywood and stars such as James Dean in Rebel without a Cause. (Sullivan p.92) Marilyn Monroe began wearing hip-hugging jeans that became popular for women in the 1950’s, making jeans sexy for women as well as men. (Sullivan p.96) Jeans were now something that you could wear while hanging out with your friends; they were no longer just for working on the farm or in a factory. Parents began to worry that their children were running wild, and jeans were banned in US schools and in churches in England. (Kyi p.41) It seemed as though Brigham Young could see into the future when in the 1830’s he called jeans the â€Å"fornication pant†, appalled at the button fly. (Sullivan p.9) Denim had left behind its army reputation and had become the newest style trend. Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Bridget Bardot began wearing them for press appearances and parties, and that’s when the worldwide love affair with denim began. (Sullivan p. 98) Jeans are now a staple of pretty much everyone’s wardrobe in the 21st century. No matter what ethnicity or social class, everyone wears jeans. You see them on movie stars, your teachers, Presidents and Princes, and when you see news footage of a peace rally in Israel; the protestors are wearing jeans. They now come in over 200 sizes and countless styles and washes, with some made for wear on the farm and others perfect for a date on a Friday night. In the 19th century a pair of Levi’s would set a buyer back about $1.50 US, but today the sky is the limit. Jeans vary in price (for adults) from around $20 US at Wal-Mart to a pair of diamond and gold studded jeans that were sold in 2001 in Italy for $500,000 US. (Kyi p.13) Light wash or dark wash, boot cut or flare, diamond studded or embroidered, jeans are jeans, and are a North American icon. Jeans are one of the only pieces of clothing that have survived over ten decade’s worth of styles, and have always looked pretty much the same, and will be around for many more years to come. Works Cited 1.Kyi, Tanya Lloyd. The Blue Jean Book: The Story behind the Seams. New York, New York: Annick Press, 2007. 2.Sullivan, James. Jeans: A Cultural History of an American Icon. New York, New York: Gotham Books, 2006. 3.Contini, Mila. 5000 Years of Fashion. Secaucus, New Jersey: Chartwell Books, Inc., 1977.

Drama and Literacy in the classroom Essay

The widespread saturation of non-literary narrative forms with which students interact in modern society has resulted in a distinct change in the methods and means of literacy skills and education. Researches have discovered that advantages exist for students who are enrolled in cross-discipline curriculums and specific evidence exists to show that the use of drama within a classroom setting provides and ample boost to the educational experiences and efficacy of students. The TES has reported on research from Durham University which found that primary pupils’ academic performance may improve if their schools devote time to drama. Children from inner-London primaries achieved better than expected results in maths and reading tests after their schools took part in an outreach project run by the National Theatre. † (Literacy Trust) Such a boost is the result of the multifaceted levels of engagement and interactivity that drama provides for students. In addition to boosting literacy and math skills, researches have discovered that drama also enhances speaking and listening skills, which, in turn, enhance performances across the spectrum of scholastic activity: â€Å"drama can be a powerful tool to develop children’s speaking and listening skills: National Theatre children learned to speak more clearly and listen more attentively than their matches. † (Literacy Trust) Other cited benefits are: children who participated in drama in the classroom reported an increased enjoyment of school, higher self-esteem and self-confidence, a clearer ability to set and meet goals, and an enhanced understanding and interest in the creative arts: â€Å"When drama is used in literature-based reading programs, it often remains as simulated role play to recall and/or provide an alternative ending for all or part of a story. In order for a drama activity to enhance both literary and literacy development, the activities must engage the children in a thorough reading of the story. † (Hertzberg, 1998) The success of drama-enhanced curriculums may be connected to human brain function, thus demonstrating an organic merit to the dramatic form as a teaching technique and educational aid. â€Å"Education is now beginning to take account of recent research into the way the brain works and the ways in which children learn and to relate this to the teaching and learning of today’s curriculum. The result is likely to be an increase in creative and multi-sensory approaches to teaching, linked to clearly defined learning objectives. â€Å"(Neelands, Baldwin & Fleming, 2003, p. 4) Because drama requires participation in group-work and interaction with sets of individuals all working toward a shared goal, text-work through dramatic readings and performances, â€Å"creates a sense of shared ownership through which children can investigate and develop characters, fill the gaps left in the text, reveal the subtext, and use their imaginations to bridge the divide between writer and reader, integrating and encompassing all aspects of literacy. (Neelands, Baldwin, and Fleming 5) Perhaps most importantly of all, the participation in drama encourages students to engage with texts emotionally, intellectually, and with a vested interest and connection to the material which seems to be absent from traditional learning methods. â€Å"Drama creates motivation for students to participate and facilitates students’ responses in reading instruction[†¦ ]dramatization is a source of scaffolding for emergent readers by providing rich background experiences for future reading[†¦ ] dramatization leads students to develop symbolic representation, which is the same concept children require in order to understand the alphabetic principle. † (Lin,2003). Other benefits certainly exist within the drama enhanced curriculum; only practice of the theoretic techniques and research will fully disclose the potential for this type of dynamic educational process. References Hertzberg, M. (1998). Theory into Practice: Using Drama to Enhance Literacy Development. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 21(2), 159+. Neelands, J. , Baldwin, P. , & Fleming, K. (2003). Teaching Literacy through Drama: Creative Approaches. London: RoutledgeFalmer. www. literacytrust. org. uk 3-31-07, accessed 4-9-07. http://www. literacytrust. org. uk/Database/drama. html#test Lin,Chia-Hui. â€Å"Literacy Instruction through Communicative and Visual Arts† The Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication Digest #186 12-03, Accessed 4-10-07. http://reading. indiana. edu/ieo/digests/d186. html

Week2 BUSFIN Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week2 BUSFIN - Assignment Example This profitability ratio also shows the declining performance of Las Vegas Sands Corporation. However, the performance on the company is dependent on economy’s performance therefore we cannot conclude that this lackluster performance will continue in the future. As for the solvency is concerned, the company has experienced a declining debt to equity ratio which implies that shareholder’s still place trust on the company and they hold great expectation from the company in the future. Although a D/E ratio greater than 1 is not desirable but Las Vegas Sands Corporation should consider on reducing this ratio to increase its credit worthiness. The financial leverage ratio is similar to Debt to Equity ratio except the fact that it takes equity into the account. These ratios are implying that the company is solvent and can sustain the business in the future through its financing capabilities. The interest coverage ratio shows that the number of times a company’s EBIT can cover its interest expense. In year 2008, the company had a positive EBIT but they were not sufficient to cover the interest expense which implies that they were facing a liquidity crisis. Furthermore, in year 2009 the interest coverage ratio further reduced to -0.089 due to its operating expenses being greater than its gross profit. The company needs to concentrate on controlling its operating expenses in order to be

China241 - Chiense language analysis (homework) Case Study

China241 - Chiense language analysis (homework) - Case Study Example for males and females in rhotacization (85%,83%), lenition (63%, 57%), interdental (ts) (39%, 0%) and realization of neutral tone as full tone (0%, 1%). The state professionals use these local Beijing features frequently except full tone variant while Waiqi professionals use non-local variants and a foreign language like English and German. Sharp gender differentiation for Waiqi professionals is due to value of language in producing cosmopolitan professional identity, company image projection and decline of state feminism due to new market economy (Zhang, 405). Use of linguistic features shows this difference for males and females: rhotacization (64%, 235), lenition (47%, 27%), interdental (ts) (15%, 0%) and full tone (10%, 31%). Language and gender related characteristics are resources or symbolic capital for Waiqi as they are used to project company image. Having foreign language skills is crucial for Waiqi as means for interpretation and communication with Chinese businesspersons but women are more constrained to use it than men do due to work requirements. Language and gender have great impact on professional access to opportunities and career trajectories. Unlike state enterprises where there are no front desks or need to present company face, Waiqis value company image in the competitive market hence employ women to represent the face of the company. These women must have foreign language skills and be presentable and firm employs them as receptionists and secretaries. Regardless of their area of expertise, they begin as secretaries, move up the ladder, and sometimes continue performing administrative duties whilst men begin with doing real business such as marketing (Zhang, 411). According to Zhang, â€Å"this has to do with gendered practice in parent corporations† and political and economic circumstances (413). The Chinese language is not â€Å"gender language† like European or other languages in order to avoid sexism. It therefore has no grammatical

Medicare vs. Medicaid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Medicare vs. Medicaid - Essay Example It covers inpatient expenses such as rooms, meals and tests. Part B, known as supplementary medical insurance pays for necessary doctor, laboratory and some outpatient medical costs. It is financed by premiums paid by enrollees. Part C is the Medicare Advantage Program through which private plans provide benefits to enrollees. Part D is a prescription drug plan that covers some costs of drug and is extended to anyone eligible for Medicare. Taxes collected through the Federal insurance Contributions Act and Self employment Contributions fund the program. The government uses this to refund the services providers (Stanfield, Hui & Cross 2011). On the other hand, Medicaid is the second largest health insurance program that serves low income citizens. Each state has its own Medicaid eligibility criteria. Recipients include children under 6years and family income is at or below 133% of Federal poverty level, adults, elderly (over 65 years) and disabled persons who have no or no income and receive state assistance such as foster care assistance (Stanfield, Hui & Cross 2011). As mandated by the Federal government, Medicaid covers the cost of outpatient and inpatient care, family planning services, laboratory tests, X-rays, transportation, rehabilitation and physical therapy services. Payments by the State are made to the healthcare providers based on a fee for service terms or through health maintenance organizations. Then each state is reimbursed for a share of their Medicaid expenditure. Beneficiaries are exempted from copayments from family planning and emergency services. Both Medicaid and Medicare have had an impact on all stake holders. These programs have increased the number of citizens seeking medical and health services, therefore, is predicted growth in employment in the health sector. Demand for primary care is on the rise especially from physicians and nurses with advanced degrees. According to Stanfield, Hui & Cross (2011), as more

Phantom of the opera Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Phantom of the opera - Essay Example In the book, the Phantom is described as a ghostly figure that did not have a nose and had a dressing resembling that of an undertaker. In addition, in the book, he is described as a very thin person, in fact a comparison is made to a skeleton. The Phantom possesses an ugly yellow skin, together with deep set eyes that glow in the dark (Leroux 13). The book denotes the Phantom to have been having 3-4 long black hairs which hung down from his forehead. In addition, the books describe the Phantom as having a head that constantly changed at will. In comparison to the movie, the Phantom is seen as a seemingly genuine and caring person. In contrast to the book, the movie brings out the Phantom as not that scaring and demon like (Joel). In addition, instead of a disfigured person, in the movie, the Phantom is seen as handsome shaped man that wore a beautiful white mask. In regard to the lair, in the book, it is described as being a dark area except for some area on the floor which had a shaded lantern. The lantern in the book shines on a gushing fountain set positioned in the wall (Leroux 19). The wall had water splashing down it, and the water disappeared under the floor. Furthermore, it also had black demons that stirred fires in the book. It is described as having a nightmarish darkness, including tapestries on furniture, walls, vases, candlesticks and flowers (Leroux 21). In the book, Daae is seen as seen to be in a chaise lounge, which is a simple bedroom that contained a mahogany bed plus cretonne hangings existing on its walls. In the book, the room basically looked like a funeral room. In comparison to the lair in the movie, it is portrayed as a beautiful place. The walls of the lair in the movie are seen as gray, though had candles placed everywhere that cast glow on the existing brick (Joel). In addition, the antique candlesticks plus the candelabras had been placed everywhere, books placed all around, silk curtains draped about, plus also had the art

Creating the Constitution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Creating the Constitution - Research Paper Example The bill of rights is a vital constituent of American law and the government. It symbolizes culture and freedom of the United States of America (Beeman,23). The first three articles of the constitution are important in the land. They outline the three branches of the government, and states a set of regulations and rules these branches must follow. This ensures smooth running of the federal government. The American constitution was refined from the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. It was initially ratified by the nine states only. The final draft was then penned by Jacob Shallus. The penned draft is found and displayed in the Records of Administration and National Archives of Washington, D.C. Creation of American constitution was a long process. It was difficult to persuade the 13 states of America to ratify the constitution. The draft was based on the separation of powers, federalism and provision of checks and balances (Riemer, 55). The details of blue print of the new government under the new constitution and which bound all the American states were: The article I of the constitution provided for the functions and separation of the congressional powers. The legislation created here is bicameral. It also outlined the qualification for one to hold an office. It also set methods of selection both the senators and the representatives. It also stated powers such as declaring wars and regulating interstate commerce. Article II provided the power to the president of United States to execute laws. The article II also limited the president’s term to four years a maximum of two terms in office. It stated the mechanisms of removing the president from the office. The constitution also set the modest powers of the president. The powers include negotiator of foreign treaties, ambassadors’ appointment, judges and other high rank officers. The most important power vested on him is the power of being the commander-in chief of the armed forces.

Finance research project Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Finance project - Research Paper Example To do the analysis about the current situation of the company a ratio analysis has been performed over the 3 years financial data of the companies. The various ratios that have been calculated are Profitability Ratios, Asset utilization Ratios, Liquidity (Solvency) Ratios, Debt Utilization Ratios and Market Value Ratios. We shall now discuss the various ratios in detail. These are the ratios which show the ability of a firm to earn profits (Profitability Ratios, 2010). It helps to calculate the profit earning capability of a company with respect to the sales, assets and other such expenses. The various ratios under this are: This calculates the amount of earnings for a company from every dollar of sales (Peaveler, 2010). This is calculated as net profit divided by the revenue or sales (Profitability Ratios, 2010). The higher the profit margin the better the company and its operations (Profitability Ratios, 2010). This ratio basically calculates the efficiency with which a firm uses its fixed assets to generate profits (Peaveler, 2010). This can be calculated by dividing the net profit by the total amount of fixed assets (Peaveler, 2010). The higher the ROA the better the company and its management are (Profitability Ratios, 2010). This ratio calculates the profit that a company is earning over the investment of shareholders (Peaveler, 2010). This can be calculated by dividing the net profit by the total shareholders equity of the firm (Peaveler, 2010). The higher the ROE the better the company is (Profitability Ratios, 2010). These ratios tell the management how well they have been using their assets to generate sales (NIMS, 2010). They give valuable insight about the internal operations of the firm and thus the management could take the required steps to improve the same. The various ratios have been discussed hereunder: This ratio indicates as

Human and Animal Interrelationships from Domestication to Present Term Paper - 2

Human and Animal Interrelationships from Domestication to Present - Term Paper Example Also, Romans relied on various provinces they had acquired after wars for agriculture yet most of their focus was on Italy which was quite suitable for a wide variety of crops (Jhonston 55-56). Also, many Romans during the era were fond of purchasing Italian crops. Furthermore, land ownership was the means to constitute a part of the aristocracy in Rome; the more land a person acquired to higher his esteem in society and politics was. Even the brave soldiers were allocated land as rewards for their services. Land was also the sole factor behind slave labor since men were enslaved to work of these fields. Thus, agriculture was the dominant factor behind every aspect of Roman life and the paper aims at exploring how the Romans farmed to understand their values more. In order to understand how the Romans farmed, it is significant to study the phases in which these Romans evolved. Back in the 5th Century, there were small pieces of land owned by families in Rome. However, by that time the technique of crop rotation had become popular and Romans were indulged in estates to further enhance their wealth. Furthermore, the interactions amongst Romans and other advanced nations like Greece had improved already which also contributed towards perfecting the agricultural techniques to reap better crops. During the early empire era, the agricultural practices in Rome were at its peak and there was immense efficiency in the crops yield. Studies indicate that farms in Rome can be classified in three different forms. Smalls farms constituted an area of 18-108 iugera while medium range farms were around 80 to 500 iugera in size. However, large estates constituted an area as large as 500 iugera (Jhonston 33-34). Thus, those peasants who owned small sized farms didn’t have the technology or the resources to earn a living via their lands. The wealthy land owners saw it as an opportunity and bought lands from the

Media and Entertainment Essay Example for Free

Media and Entertainment Essay The importance and popularity of media is ever growing. Media has become indispensible in everyday life, be it personal life or business, trade or work. Conventional media like cinema, television, radio and print are modifying themselves to play their roles effectively in the current market. Technological innovations and discovery of new media like cable television, Direct To Home (DTH), Mobile Technology, Internet Podcasting and FM Radio Channels have created immense competition in the entertainment and media field. Video games and portable audio – video devices have intensified the competition. Entry of foreign TV broadcasts, 24*7 broadcasting and the exponential growth of new media call for impressive content creation for catering to every segment of the population. The escalating economic growth in India with a remarkable percentage of youth in the population who have high earning capacity and more disposable incomes and the upwardly mobile middleclass make the entertainment and media sector more promising and demanding. Profile of the current youth with lesser attention span and the easy availability of affordable entertainment have created the challenges of attracting and retaining audience and clients. Multiplex cultures, variety of entertainment choices available, profitability and potential of space-selling in media houses, embedded advertising, marriage of animation and visual technologies are all signs of the advanced state of development in media and entertainment. New Technologies and the high costs involved in production and distribution of media content have justified corporate entry into cinema production and ntertainment production. This has given â€Å"Industry Status† to this field. This paper recognises the status of entertainment and media as a powerful service sector and highlights the need for adopting unique content creation and marketing strategies for enriching and enhancing the experience of the audience and clients. Moreover, the paper identifies the potential of these services that could be exploited for the benefit of the customers as well as to promise high returns for the Investors and Media and Entertainment houses. Content Creation and Entertainment Quotient in the current Media Scenario Introduction: â€Å"And in my opinion, entertainment in its broadest sense has become a necessity rather than a luxury in the life†¦ † -Walt Disney The very purpose of human life boils down to fulfilling the humane needs which include both physical and psychological needs. Media and Entertainment is the field that caters to the psychological or cognitive needs of the media customers. The importance and popularity of media is ever growing. Media has become indispensible in everyday life, be it personal life or business, trade or work. The Media and Entertainment industry consists of the creation, aggregation and distribution of content, products and services, news and information, advertising and entertainment through various channels and platforms. Conventional media like cinema, television, radio and print are modifying themselves to play their roles effectively in the current market. Technological innovations and discovery of new media like cable television, Direct To Home (DTH), Mobile Technology, Internet Podcasting and FM Radio Channels have created immense competition in the entertainment and media field. Video games and portable audio – video devices have intensified the competition. Entry of foreign TV broadcasts, 24*7 broadcasting and the exponential growth of new media calls for impressive content creation for catering to every segment of the population. The Indian Entertainment and Media (EM) industry has outperformed the Indian economy and is one of the fastest growing sectors in India. However, the future of this industry depends largely on the growth of Indian Economy. The Indian Economy is growing at a fast rate, with increased personal income of people who are spending more on their entertainment and leisure activities. Media and Entertainment Customers: Media and entertainment customers have no inhibitions to switch over their sources of entertainment and information, if they feel that their current entertainment provider does not stand up to the mark. Winning customer confidence and support becomes all the more crucial for this industry which could create deeper impressions and have greater impact on the inerasable minds of the customers. Radio, Television, Internet, Print, Movie, Music, Novels and News Media should live up to the fantasy, expectations and requirements of the viewing, listening and reading masses, who seek these media to fulfil their individualistic needs, based on their specific lifestyles, backgrounds and mood swings. The escalating economic growth in India along with a remarkable percentage of youth in the population who have high earning capacity and more disposable incomes and the upwardly mobile middleclass make the entertainment and media industry more promising and the demand for entertainment is going to steadily see an upward trend. Profile of the current youth with lesser attention span and the easy availability of affordable entertainment have created the challenges of attracting and retaining audiences and clients. Success totally depends on how original, quick and entertaining the content offered by these media is comparatively less. In media and entertainment, only the content that provides the highest degree of gratification can win over the media customers. Media Content and Entertainment Quotient: In media production and publishing, content refers to information and experiences that may provide value for an end-user or audience. Content may be delivered via any medium such as the internet, television, audio CDs, cinema, newspapers and magazines as well as live events such as conferences, stage performances and interactive audio video platforms. â€Å"Content† is the word used to identify and quantify various formats and genres of information as manageable value-adding components of media. Entertainment Quotient is the degree of gratification the customers receive or experience through the content provided by Media. Better the quality of content provided, higher will be the degree of gratification experienced. Hence, media content and entertainment quotient are directly related to each other. Media Production and delivery technology potentially enhances the value of content by formatting, filtering and combining original sources of content for new audience with new contexts. Media must understand its responsibility to spread optimism and hope in all aspects of life, especially during times of natural disasters like floods, tsunami, earth-quakes or man-made disasters like terrorist attacks, economic meltdowns, political crisis or any such critical situation apart from its vital role in offering information, education and entertainment. It is very essential for media to realize that its content on such events are just not a focus on the problems, but on the possible ways for prohibition, prevention and rescue. The fact that media can and should make such shift is reflective of its evolution globally. Content provided by media should be of value, relevance and provide entertainment to the ultimate customers. Contemporary Role of Media and Entertainment: Media is changing from being an informer to being a companion. Right from children to elders, people of all ages and classes have something to look for in all the media. All have started looking at media, be it the television, radio, newspaper or the internet as a source of not only entertainment, but also as a source of knowledge and exposure. Media have got themselves into the roles of friend, philosopher and guide and recently as an activist. This being the status, there is a vital need for the highest quality of the content that are provided by these media to be at par with the expectations of all segments of audience and provide high entertainment quotient to them. In many areas, media content is already playing a very active role in providing prescriptions to consumers. From being just a provider of news, the media today is a source of knowledge and offers forums of interaction where consumers can seek advice on health, beauty, home care, decor, travel etc. All these play a major role for their life style changes, and hence we have a majority of the people following a commonly seen style and changed culture. The viewer becomes the consumer who modifies his or her life to go with the characters portrayed by them. Audio-visual medium do have a salutary impact on the knowledge, attitude and acceptance of the viewers. Media do influence people as much as home, neighbourhood, peers in school / college / office etc. The Media and Entertainment industry is moving from the well known status of Mass Media to Mass-personal Media. Future of Indian Media and Entertainment Industry: The FM radio sector was opened up for foreign investment with 20 percent FDI being allowed. As a result the radio sector is expanding rapidly with forecasted growth rates of 32 percent per annum. In the print media segment, 100 percent FDI is now allowed for non-news publications and 26 percent FDI is allowed for news publications. Internet advertising is expected to go up from one percent to three percent of the total Media and Entertainment revenues by 2014. Music and Gaming are expected to grow at 32 percent in the next five years. With multiplex culture, watching film has become a status symbol. Television is witnessing a steady in growth and is likely to go further in future. Indian Television market is likely to grow at an average annual rate of 16% to reach 46,922 crore rupees by 2012. The historical data and the current trend in media industry imply a definite surge of demand and healthier competition in the days to come. Exciting new developments in the technologies used in this industry are taking place. Animation, Multiplexes, new distribution channels and the use of Internet are redefining the entertainment industry. All these factors will favour further growth of this industry in India. India is poised to enter the period of immense growth in this industry. Strategies for Success in Media and Entertainment Industry: The Mantra for attracting and retaining audience for all media is â€Å"provide quality content and increase the entertainment quotient†. Updated, contemporary, relevant, creative and informative content can take the media a long way. This is the basis for establishing, surviving, growing and conquering in the dynamic media industry. Competition is high and tough. The sources available for entertainment and information are many and easily accessible. This being the status, â€Å"survival of the fittest, fastest and the most creative† is the lifeline of media content at present. The challenge for communicators and marketers is to create and identify opportunities that can make the content all the more impressive. Today more and more battles are not as much for market share as for a share of the consumers’ wallet. Media consumers are very vulnerable and prone to be poached by more innovative and consistent content providers. Media products, being intangible can have only cognitive and psychological impact on their consumer. Hence, it becomes more important to provide high quality content which is much better than the competitors’ and thus ensure high entertainment quotient, which is the ultimate aim of any entertainment content. This in turn will aid in attracting, maintaining and enhancing the audience for the particular media. Further, this will ensure the growth potential of the media. Media are not averse to content tie-ups to create media multiplier effect by increasing the touch points. Media observers agree that cross-media tie-ups have become a compulsion, rather than a choice. Thus, convergence of media has become indispensible and is the most plausible route for reaching out to more audience or end-users. Mobile telephones, 3G wireless services, DTH (Direct To Home television), HDTV (High-Definition Television) and the Web, all require content to be converted to multiple formats in order to be offered to a multitude of consumers from various national, cultural, economic and social backgrounds. Media companies agree that tie-ups are not a cost-saving mechanism, rather, it is more about expanding the visibility and pooling the strengths of the two mediums. The content synergy assures prospective audience. There has also been a change in the mindset of publications, be it in print or internet or television. They have realized the importance of providing news and information to the audience, without worrying about the source. Earlier, media houses would stress exclusive reportage. Now, they are willing to give due credit to the source publication as well as the journalist. This is a welcome transition, since it is an optimistic way to reach out to the dedicated and loyal audience who seek out entertainment and information only from certain specific media which they prefer. Stereotyped, mundane and pessimistic content are likely to reduce the entertainment quotient apart from having negative impact on the audience. Ultimately, customers carry along only experiences and memories and satisfaction along with them when they make use of any media for entertainment or information. Only carefully crafted content can enhance these experiences, satisfaction levels and entertainment quotient of media consumers. Conventional cinema and television media had been providing slow paced, socially relevant content to target audience comprising of all economic strata. The amounts of money and marketing involved were small and the industry had been more of monopolistic. The scenario now is entirely different with resurgence of widescreen, stereo, surround sound and digital cinema becoming better and affordable by all. Currently, big production budgets and expensive equipments are being used as the recipe for creating quality entertainment, capable of reaching millions of audience. Especially in India, the entry of Hollywood films has created intense competitions and also has enhanced and diversified the expectations of the local viewers. Dubbing and releasing of Hollywood and other foreign movies in vernacular languages has intensified the entertainment quotient sought by the consumers. The degree of challenges in newer technology adoption, costs and risks involved are higher as far as cinema and television are concerned. Television content production venture is top venture in the media world.

Events Management Report on Fan Expo - Canada Essay Example for Free

Events Management Report on Fan Expo Canada Essay This report has been commissioned by James Armstrong of Hobby Star Marketing to critically analyse and evaluate the Fan Expo Canada event. A general overview of the event will be provided as well as the event category it falls under and the implications of this. The event will then be analysed in terms of its social impact, the stakeholders involved and economic implications. This report is limited to the event information available on the internet and in the prescribed text for theory based arguments. This report aims to advise Hobby Star Marketing on the current and future states of their event and as related to tourism theory, what impact this may have on social and economic factors, as well as impact on event stakeholders as a whole. In conclusion recommendations will be put forward as to the best approach for event organisers to take in the future to ensure all stakeholders are kept satisfied as well as the wider community. 2.0 Description of EventFan Expo Canada is held annually at the end of each summer in Toronto Canada and features three days of non-stop festivities in the areas of video games, anime, science fiction, horror and comic books. The expo has been running for 12 years with its name recently being changed from the Canadian National Expo. Fan Expo is held primarily in the Toronto Metro Convention Centre and last year boasted over 37 000 admissions. Fan Expo is a unique event targeted to a specific range of markets. Having been dubbed in the past the Nerd Prom, the Fan Expo draws visitors from all around the globe to Toronto Canada, enhancing awareness of the region and its status in gaming, anime, science fiction, horror and comic book realms. Due to these factors it is suitable to classify this expo as a Hallmark event. This type of event is typically defined as a major one time or recurring event of limited duration developed primarily to enhance awareness or appeal and profitability of a tourism destination in the short or long term. In order to obtain success such events rely primarily on their uniqueness, status or timely significance to create both interest and to attract attention (Ritchie, 1984, p.2; Getz 1997 pp.5-6 in Allen et al. 2005). Fan Expo is highly significant to its target markets and provides the host venue, community and destination as a whole with a competitive  advantage over other conventions of a simu lar nature in North America (third largest event of its kind in this region) (Hobbystar 2006). 3.0 Social Impact 3.1 Social BenefitsAll events have a direct social and cultural impact on their participants and sometimes on the broader host communities (Hall, 1989; Getz, 1997 in Allen et al. 2005). In terms of the Fan Expo, the social impacts are expansive and many benefits come to fruition as a result of the event taking place. One in particular is the validation of community groups associated with the event. A positive impact can be seen here through the acknowledgment of local comic book artists, with the talents of the normally ostracised minority being recognised and applauded at an international level. As the community is one of the major event stakeholders, not only are these groups validated but further encouragement of community participation also results due to the overwhelming achievements of specific community members. Social constancy and community pride are again other factors that result in benefits to the community of Toronto. Fan Expo brings tourists from all over the world to one epicentre of likeminded people. Through this experience the local community may volunteer and band together to present their city in the greatest state possible to expo visitors. The impact this effect has on the tourists is also significant as it encourages migration attractiveness as well as an increased positive image tourists have about the city of Toronto. This has a two fold effect as the community also notes the economic gain of for example encouraging a major video game expert to relocate to Toronto (stronger and more competitive local economy). In retrospect the community is more socially aware of itself and its visitors and is more likely to retain and develop higher visitor rates due to its strengthened welcoming culture. The convergence of these likeminded industry experts also facilitates an arena for the development of new ideas and partnerships both within the industry and between expo visitors. Tourists that bring already existing ideas to the expo then can have that idea realised through the resources of local and visiting industry experts (i.e. a gaming designer that wants to  sell his or her idea to a major video game corporation). The potential for economic growth due to this convergence is quite extraordinary. 3.2 Social Costs Of the research conducted about what social cost Fan Expo has had to the local community, one common theme that was realised was the apparent facilitation of strongarm tactics. In an overview of what was discovered, local comic book retailers were being forced by expo organisers either feature solely in their expo (not other competing expos) or not feature at all. The local community backlash from this decision was quite significant with many key industry leaders in the community moving to boycott the Fan Expo event. The ramifications of this monopolistic type approach on the community can cause not only resentment towards event participants and tourists, but also commodification of the event because of the lack of attendance of original industry leaders and pioneers (eg. instead of the creator of the comic book The Phantom attending in person, Fan Expo constructs a video montage of the comic book creator and his work instead). This can cause dissonance between fans and organisers as what was once expected and a major highlight of the event is now replaced with a display that for most fans, the information presented is not uncommonly found on say the internet. On a whole, community resentment for the event taking place in their city can occur but also tourist resentment for the visiting the destination in the future is also a possibility. Social consequence such as criminal activity may occur as a result, specifically if some visitors have travelled a significant distance to attend the event. 4.0 Stakeholders In regards to the stakeholders for Fan Expo Canada, a number of categories can be used to separate the role and objectives of each. In terms of the host organisation, the Toronto City Council is a major figurehead as the support from local government for funding and other regulatory and staffing concerns is vital to the success of this event. Hobby Star Marketing as a corporation is also another obvious stakeholder as they are the primary event organisers and have substantial amounts of  resources injected into fate of this event. The Toronto Metro Convention Centre is also another key stakeholder as the event is being held at their premise. Their objectives for the event will be to ensure their function areas function as they should throughout the expo as well as working closely with Hobby Star to ensure all logistical requirements are executed without delay or error. Toronto as a community is also a primary stakeholder as its involvement and expectations for the event are additionally significant. For Hobby Star, their understanding of the local community is a key factor for the event to be a success. Specifically in this case, the understanding of local community comic book or gaming groups and societies will enable event organisers to develop the event to cater for the needs of these groups. Furthermore representatives from these groups could provide recommendations and assistance for future event ideas. In doing so the community expectations can be more accurately met and overall dissonance of the event significantly reduced (Allen et al. 2005). In terms of the media, local television, radio and print associations are also termed stakeholders as they have been invested in and have also dedicated resources to either cover the event progress or advertise the event in the weeks leading up. Due to the events widespread appeal, web media would also be considered an important stakeholder as accurate information needs to be communicated to tourists planning on attending. Web media is also important to monitor because as noted earlier, backlash or community opinions are not contained within the community when the web is involved, and negative impacts can occur quickly through use of the internet. Other stakeholders include event staff, volunteers and centre management and staff. Their role is to ensure the event plan is executed effectively and their presence as a required resource must also be nurtured through not only being catered for and looked after during the event, but also recognition for their contributions once the event has ended. One way this is performed is by volunteers being given free access to any event over the three days before and after their allotted shift time (Happy Star 2006). For any event  to be truly effective, the vision and philosophy of the event must be shared by all of the team (Allen et al. 2005). The participants of the event which include guest speakers, retailers, performers, industry professionals and the general public are also significant stakeholders. To make the event memorable and meaningful, the event manager must ensure all of these figureheads are satisfied in terms of what they want to get out of the event, which includes their physical needs of comfort, safety and security. At Fan Expo in 2006, it is the 40th anniversary of the birth of Star Trek and the key guest speakers are two famous stars from the original television series. Their involvement and satisfaction of how the event is run and managed will be reflected on how well they address the audience and subsequently the level of enjoyment the spectators receive. 5.0 Economic Analysis The economic standpoint in regards to events is the make or break factor events must generate revenue to be successful. Therefore one of the most important impacts is the tourism revenue generated by an event (Allen et al. 2005). External visitors not only spend money on the event itself such as tickets and merchandise but also on items such as travel, accommodation and other goods and services available in the host city. This economic influx is sometimes depended on in many smaller communities however in the case of Toronto, effective tourism can result in visitors that are in town for the event to extend their stay and consequently increase spending (Allen et al. 2005). As described in Section 3.1, many business opportunities are possible through the interaction of local and visiting industry members. Furthermore their interaction with the local community and its economy may also give way for tourists to increase stay or indeed make a bid to stay permanently. For the expo, this could mean opportunities for more qualified industry leaders to be a part of the planning process for the following years expo. The overall benefits for Fan Expo could include for example the cast voices for the latest Star Trek game to be sourced and recorded in Toronto due to Microsoft Games setting up headquarters after negotiations. In hindsight whilst the  majority of the Fan Expo is based around a market and display type setup, there are also many exclusive forums and networking conferences that occur over the weekend to further facilitate the creation of business opportunities (Hobby Star 2006). Higher rates of employment can also result from this event employment requirements for Fan Expo itself but also local industry members showcasing their talents then being offered work at a major firm. This can also have a negative effect as the local talent is snapped up and shipped out to other cities or countries, possibly damaging the part of the local economy they were once involved in. On the other hand if nurtured the community member could leave to gain more knowledge then return to the city, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and experience that could significantly increase the economy of the city and region. On the agenda of negative economic impacts, opportunity cost can clearly be linked to the issues described in Section 3.2 in regards to strongarm tactics allegedly being used by Hobby Star Marketing. With retailers being forced to choose between festivals, the chance for economic gain is lost. Spectators that cannot attend the Fan Expo are left with no alternatives to view and purchase expo items and retailers in general loose out because of reduced exposure. This consequently forces retailers to ascertain which festival would be more financially beneficial to them, hence reducing exposure and possible loss of business opportunities. As stated in Section 3.2 this can generate a negative reputation for Happy Star and the Fan Expo in general and have many negative social and economic impacts. 6.0 Conclusions This report has provided an overview of the Fan Expo Canada event and classified into the Hallmark event category. The event was then analysed in terms of its social impact, the stakeholders involved and economic implications. This report has found that Fan Expo appeals to a unique market and draws visitors to the town of Toronto. It has outlined relevant stakeholders and their goals and found that increased integration of local community groups with the planning process of the expo could be beneficial to future success and reduced dissonance. This report described the importance of economic planning and how decisions that are made in the best interests of the event may not be in the best interests of the wider community. This report aims to advise Hobby Star Marketing on the current and future states of their event and as related to tourism theory, what impact this may have on social and economic factors, as well as impact on event stakeholders as a whole. In conclusion recommendations will be put forward as to the best approach for event organisers to take in the future to ensure all stakeholders are kept satisfied as well as the wider community. 7.0 Recommendations In hindsight to this report, the following recommendations are made:Increase communication with community industry leaders to ascertain the best approach in organising the event so maximum exposure can be generated. Further develop networking events at the expo and facilitate the creation of business opportunities and discovery of new talent in the local community. Promote to industry leaders the benefits of setting up operations in the community and tie this in with a major showcasing of their products at the following years expo. Work closer with Toronto City Council to further promote local and regional tourism to increase longer stays and increased economic activity. Reduce dissonance by operating competitively and ethically with other expos. List of References Allen, J OToole, W Harris, R McDonnell, I 2005, Festival and Special Event Management, John Wiley Sons, Milton. Hobby Star 2006, Fan Expo Canada, viewed 20 August 2006, Getz, D 1997, Event Management and Event Tourism, Cognizant Communication Corporation, New York. Wikimedia Foundation 2006, Fan Expo Canada, viewed 6 August 2006,