The History of Deregulation of Aviation in the Airline Industry Research Paper

The History of Deregulation of Aviation in the Airline Industry - Research Paper Example According to Smith & Cox (2007), one decade of airline decontrol implementation led to 35% growths in the airline industry, through increased employment and passenger travel. The two economists say that traveling increased by 55 %, as the real travel cost decreased by approximately 17% in the major routes. They found that by the second decade, ticket prices decreased by 20% in real terms, while passengers served were 324 million. Historically, airline services were partially regulated, because of oligopoly and monopoly concerns, as only a few airlines provided flights that were direct between cities. The aim of the US airline deregulation was to control entries and reduce prices in the transport system in the United States. Since then, many other nations have seen the need to deregulate their domestic airline markets, and this has effectively been applied in European Union airline markets. Today a big number of international airline markets are subject to tight airline regulations. In the United States, airline deregulation was born from the 1925 Air Mail Act and the 1926 Air Commerce Act. Serious commercial aviation economic regulation began in 1938 with Civil Aeronautics Act passage. The creation of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) gave it the power to regulate and control airline routes as well as market entry and exit, and mandate service rates. Later, airline safety regulation was passed together with the 1958 Federal Aviation Act that bore Federal Aviation Administration. By 1938, US government was regulating much commercial aviation in terms of routes, schedules, and fare. The three main functions of the CAB are regulating airline route, limiting new market entrances by air carriers, and regulation  of passenger carriers.

Teacher Handbook Essay Example for Free

Teacher Handbook Essay Deciding to be a school teacher does not mean one has to throw away their rights granted by the United States Constitution. Teachers are required to maintain moral and ethical behavior but their rights as citizens are not taken away. Teachers should understand that they are always teachers and role models whether they are in the classroom or not and should always maintain a professional demeanor when in the public eye. Teachers are held to a higher standard in their actions and behaviors because of their employment position. Teachers influence and mold the ideas and thought of young people. There is an inherent responsibility of being a role model whether the teacher is in the classroom or in the grocery store. Teachers are granted the same personal freedoms as private citizen, but need to make sure their personal choices do not affect their ability to perform in the classroom as a school board employee. The following is a teacher handbook outlining the rights and responsibilities of teachers including: academic freedoms, freedom of association, and freedom of expression, freedom of religion, employment rights and responsibilities, and code of ethics. Academic freedom Teachers are afforded a limited amount of freedom with regards to instruction in the classroom. This comes from a teacher’s right to teach and student’s right to learn (Essex, 2012). The idea of academic freedom is a very limited concept in public schools. Academic freedom is the idea that teachers have the freedom to decide how they teach not what they teach. Curriculums are determined by the State, what teachers have is the opportunity to bring these concepts to life and inspire learning, discovery, research, and inquisition in students. Teachers must keep their instruction within the realm of their subject certification and age level and maturity of students (2012). In the case, Fowler v. Board of Education of Lincoln County, Kentucky, a tenured teacher was terminated because she showed an R rated movie to her student with inappropriate subject matter and nudity (Essex, 2012). The video was not part of the curriculum and it was found that the teacher did not have First Amendment rights in this circumstance (2012). Teachers may not offer students instruction on subject they are not certified in. Teachers will not use their classroom as a platform to promote or persuade their student’s beliefs to their own beliefs. The classroom is not a place for teachers to promote their personal agendas including religious or political beliefs or opinions. Teachers must keep their instruction focused on the curriculum determined by the State. What academic freedom teachers have is in the way they present and teach the provided curriculum. Freedom of association. Teachers have the same rights as other citizens when it comes to freedom of association as provided by the First Amendment. Teachers are free to associate with whatever groups they choose without fear of punishment. It is important for teachers to understand that although they are afforded the same rights as other individual, they do have an inherent responsibility to be cautious of their actions because of the position they hold. Teachers should avoid putting themself in a position where they have to explain their behavior or where its their word against another persons word. Maintain a professional reputation in the community. It is advised that teachers are cautious of the impressions they make in public and how their actions may affect their ability to perform as a district employee. Teachers are role models, and students look to them with respect and for guidance. The Supreme Court stated, â€Å"A teacher serves as a role model for his students, exerting a subtle but important influence over their perceptions and values† (Essex, 2012). Teachers are free to be associated with any group they wish. However, the teacher must make sure that their association with ant particular group does not conflict with their responsibilities of being an employee of the school district and their ability to teach the state appointed curriculum to their students. Freedom of expression Teachers have the rights of freedom of expression and speech within limits. Outside the classroom teachers reserve the freedom of expression like other citizens. It is important to note that teachers are held to a higher standard than average citizens because of the impressionable role the hold and the age of the subjects they teach. Teachers are always role models and it is recommended that teachers express themselves in a professional manner at all times. The limitations on the rights teachers have to free speech depend on not causing â€Å"material disruption† to the school board. In other words, the teacher’s speech cannot interfere with the school board or any other school entity and the education system (Essex, 2012). Use common sense and good judgment. Teacher should ask themselves how someone else could perceive their comments or actions and if they can be taken out of context and/or misinterpreted. When teacher’s wishes to exercise their right to free speech it is highly advised that the teacher states that their statements are those of a private citizen and not an employee of the school board (2012). Although teachers have the right to free speech it is advised that teachers are cautious of statements they make in public because of the nature of their position in the community. Teacher’s statements need to be truthful and not slanderous or defaming in nature. Teacher’s wishing to make personal statements must do so on their personal time and may not use school district property or telecommunications to do so. Teachers may not make public statements during the time period of when they are working as employees of the school district. Teachers may not use school equipment including: computers, phones, cameras, recording devices, or video cameras, to product personal statements. Using the school telecommunication means, like the school board electronic mail system, is prohibited. All email sent through the school boards is property of the school board and can be used in teacher liabilities. Freedom of religion. Teachers reserve the right to practice any religion they choose on their free time and outside of the classroom. The school will not discriminate against individuals based on religion. Due to Title VII, the school must make reasonable accommodations for employee’s religious beliefs (Essex, 2012). Teachers may not bring their personal religious beliefs into the classroom. Teachers may not bring their religion into the classroom in an effort to persuade student beliefs. Teachers may not use their classroom as a platform to preach personal religious beliefs or discuss religion that is not curriculum based. Employment rights and responsibilities Individuals seeking employment with the school district have the right to not be discriminated against based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin (Essex, 2012). It is the responsibility of the individual seeking employment to provide the required documents required for employment including but not limited to, teaching certificates, background check, finger printing and drug screening. Providing false information regarding teacher certification or other documentation will disqualify the application. Teacher Code of Ethics Teachers must maintain a code of ethics. Teachers have an obligation to maintain the ethical code to the students, the public, and the profession of education. The teacher’s first priority will always be the success and development of the student. It is the teacher’s duty and responsibility to provide students with a safe enriching environment where they are free to learn. Teachers will not exploit relationships with students for personal gain. Aware of the importance of maintaining the respect and confidence of one’s colleagues, of students, of parents, and of other members of the community, the teacher strives to achieve and sustain the highest degree of ethical conduct (The Code, 2012). The teacher values the worth and dignity of every person, the pursuit of truth, devotion to excellence, and the acquisition of knowledge (2012). Teachers are private citizens and are afforded the same rights guaranteed by the U. S. Constitution. Teachers should be cautious of the image they portray in the public eye, but they are free to make decisions on what they do, where they do it, and what they say about it. Teachers have the right to teach how they want to teach as long as the method supports the curriculum. Teachers have the right to freedom of assemble and expression, but need to maintain professional demeanor and be moral and ethical and moral in practice. Teachers also have the freedom of religion on their personal time, but may not bring religion into the classroom unless it relates to curriculum. They following handbook provides teachers with an understanding of their rights and responsibilities inherent of being a part of the school district. References Essex, N. L. (2012). School law and the public school, a practical guide for educational leaders. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Fowler v. Board of Education of Lincoln County,Kentucky, U. S. Court of Appeals, 6th Cir. 817 F. 2d 657 (1987). The Code of Ethics and the Principles of Professional Conduct of the Education Profession in Florida. (2012). State Board of Education Rule 6B-1. 001, FAC. www. fldoe. org.

Business Plan For A Child Care Facility Marketing Essay

Business Plan For A Child Care Facility Marketing Essay The ABC Company is a full service child company. It provides child care facility for kids of age three to five. The target of the company will be double income professional parents. Professional parents have been very keen in terms of their childs development and growth in a healthy and learning environment. To attend their children best facilities, they are willing to pay handsome amounts. The ABC company will proved to be a cutting edge in terms of child development, (Smith, 1993) providing services of specialized training staff for toddler development. A low student teacher ratio, coupled with custom designed facility and proposed curriculum ensures high quality service for parents and children. The ABC Company expects to be a profitable service provider by the end of the year and has projected a modest net profit by three years. http://www.bplans.com/child_care_business_plan/images/7dae8e980a9f4c97a74c2bb836c3a9bd.png Mission: The ABC company has mission to deliver top level child care services. We strive to provide maximum satisfaction to our customers. In order to prove this statement, everything else will fell into place. The company is passionate enough to meet and exceed customer needs. Objectives: The objectives of the ABC Company for first three years of operation include: In the first seven months, ABC Company will be utilized by at least 35 different families. Provide high quality services that will lead to exceed the customer expectations Increase in number of served clients by 20% each year Development of a profitable and sustained startup business A brief overview of the company: The ABC Company will offer its services of child care for the children with age of Three to Five. The services will be available between 7a.m to 6 p.m. There will be variety of tasks that children will enjoy to learn. Such activities include, large muscle group activities, arts and crafts, socialization, and tasks (Smith, 1993) related to general learning. There will be low teacher student ratio to ensure the delivery of quality services and also meeting the expectations of customers. The company will conduct its services centers in recently purchased home that have been converted to child care services center. Start up summary of business: Start up cost for ABC Company includes: Procurement cost of a four bedroom house. Renovation expenses of house to make some changes in accordance with requirements of child care service center. Office furniture Computer system and printer photo copier and fax machine Chairs Tables T.V room Mats and pillows for sleeping play ground with outdoor games accessories Laundry facilities Toys First Aid box Cleaning supplies Marketing expenses Legal advisors fee Note: *All long term assets are depreciated using long term depreciation method. http://www.bplans.com/child_care_business_plan/images/5e06f6f2664d40f3b091b667fa5335ed.png Technological needs: Basically the ABC Company does not need any high technology software. As the main concern is high quality child care services for target group of customers and the services will be provided by highly professional teachers who focus on development and effective learning of the children, basic concepts making and involving the children in innovative and creative activities. Services of company: The ABC Company offers high quality services of child care for kids of age three to five years. Its customized facilities, low teacher student ratio and innovative learning programs give the company competitive advantage. To accommodate the working parents, working hours are larger than usual or normal business working hours. In two income families, both parents are working, children care by reliable mean is major concern. The ABC Company s most appropriate and creative solution for this concern. It serves as virtual parents to children and provides the children with innovative learning tasks. Children are not monitored her but they are engaged ( Lindsay Lindsey, 1987) in creative, innovative and useful learning tasks under close supervision of our highly specialized and trained staff. Summary of Market Analysis: As the company is focused to provide services to child group with age of three to five years, the target market of the company will be two income professional families. These professionals, as common practice, ( Lindsay Lindsey, 1987) are not allowed to carry their children with them at work place; care of their children during their working hours is of great concern for these professionals. The ABC Company provides creative solution and best option for the parents who want to have something more than just babysitting facilities. (Smith 1993) Parents will likely to be interested in selecting the child care facility for their children where they will learn many innovative and useful skills such as, reading, writing, art and crafts and socialization etc. Professional parents are keenly interested in ( Lindsay Lindsey, 1987) growth and development of their children in an innovative manner, and they are more willing to pay for the services. Strategy and implementation summary: Delivery of child care services will be provided in safe and secure environment, keeping children safe and secure to avoid any mishap or hazardous incident for children. The mission of ABC Company is to make the parents feel good as well as make the learning fun and secure for children. Competitive Edge: The competitive edge of ABC Company is complete compliance with legal and regulatory requirements while meeting all appropriate certification and licensing requirements. Moreover, all candidates are passed through process of background screening before hiring. All these unique attributes give the ABC Company a competitive edge. Market segmentation: The target of ABC Company is one explicit group of customers, the two income professionals family from middle and top class. Usually this group of customers has money but not time for their childrens care. They try to outsource this task of child care, the ABC company s most reliable option to consider in this regard. (Helburn Howes, 1996) This group of customers has start teaching their children basic concepts and skills as writing, reading, socialization etc. The ABC Company will continue to develop and polish these skills exactly in accordance with customer expectations. (Helburn Howes, 1996) Professionalism is the basic reason for parents group being more ambitious in terms of their childrens learning and they have enough money to provide sophisticated child care.   Market Analysis pie: Strategy for target market segmentation: Segmented market needs some provision for child care of target group. Census by Labor Department indicates that 29% of children of working parents are cared by day care centers and 50% are cared by relatives. This indicates that there is enough potential in the market specifically in context of our target group who is more concerned about and prefers a structures learning environment for their child. It sounds good to visit relatives with children on weekends or for nights, but a structured environment for learning of child cannot be expected there. Instead, formal institutes like ABC Company with passionate services will be a great choice without any doubt. The American society continues to be a society of people working for long hours a day, they need child care services, and this ultimate need will derive the business for ABC Company. Analysis of service business: The ABC Company has to compete in child care industry. There are companies at all levels from basic baby sitter service companies to child development and learning service companies; making the industry fairly broad and populated. Companies in the concerned industry are providing quality services (Helburn Howes, 1996) during business hours as well as night and evening hours services. Price, quality, and gut feeling drive a lot of parental choices. The secret of success for the ABC Company lies in selection of a specific segment of market with enough potential of success and growth opportunities. Management plan: Person 1, the founder of ABC Company, will be closely monitoring daily operations child care centre. He has earned his Post graduate degree in English from XY University. After completion of education, he has been teaching in India for five years, he got a room on rent there, he was taking care of the land ladys children in exchange of rent of the room. Although it was firs time, he was looking after the children in this way, but it was an interesting experience for him. This experience gave Person 1, to think on new avenues and he was thinking about to start his business of child care when he returned to America. No doubt, it as successful experience with children, that led person 1 to consider this business as his career. To gain more knowledge about the subject, he got masters degree n education program to persue toddler development. After this degree he has earned more confidence about starting a child care business with great chances of success. He purchased a house for this pur pose and converted it into child care facility center. There is some key professionals such as Person2, Person 3 ,4 and 5 has also been hired by Person 1, to carry forward child business activities with expert opinion of these professionals. All of these have masters degree in their respective area of specialization and have great experience in their respective fields. Personnel plan: Staff of ABC Company planned to be consisting of person 1, working full time, playing the role of leader and trainer as well. During first three months, two teachers, two assistants and one person for general health, who will help out with custodial, cooking, and laundry tasks. By month seven, two more assistants will be hired. Personnel Plan Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Matt $24,000 $30,000 $36,000 Teacher $30,000 $36,000 $36,000 Teacher $30,000 $36,000 $36,000 Teaching assistant $20,000 $24,000 $24,000 Teaching assistant $20,000 $24,000 $24,000 General help person $15,000 $18,000 $18,000 Teaching assistant $12,000 $24,000 $24,000 Teaching assistant $12,000 $24,000 $24,000 Total People 8 8 8 Total Payroll $163,000 $216,000 $222,000 Financial plan: General Assumptions: General Assumptions Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Plan Month 1 2 3 Current Interest Rate 10.00% 10.00% 10.00% Long-term Interest Rate 10.00% 10.00% 10.00% Tax Rate 25.42% 25.00% 25.42% Other 0 0 0 Break-even Analysis The Break-even Analysis indicates  what is needed in monthly revenue to break even. http://www.bplans.com/child_care_business_plan/images/f07614e9e57840458f6e683d2759c018.png Break-even Analysis: Monthly Revenue Break-even $18,669 Assumptions: Average Percent Variable Cost 2% Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost $18,296 Projected Profit and Loss The following table will indicate projected profit and loss. http://www.bplans.com/child_care_business_plan/images/6867c3b9b3a14652b2e1fe171856300a.png Projected Cash Flow: The following chart and table will indicate projected cash flow. http://www.bplans.com/child_care_business_plan/images/dbee2235438e45678f4ebf4f761411d9.png PresidentOrganizational chart Vice President Teacher Teacher Assistant Assistant Management Team Gap: Although all the members are highly professional and experienced, they have excellent skills to make sure the successful journey of business. There is not gap exist at the side of management of child care service center of ABC company. At the lower level, assistants are the people who need guidance to work efficiently, but under the supervision of our experts, they will soon become able to deliver their services in efficient manner.

Half of a Yellow Sun Essay -- Analysis, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche

To go to war is to engage in a fight with another Nation. Many view war as being an appropriate action that can only solve problems. Others believe that war is a violent action that leads to nothing but casualties. In the article, â€Å"Regarding the Torture of Others† Susan Sontag writes about the torture soldiers are inflicting on prisoners. Some torture was done so brutally that the some of the soldiers deem that acts as correct and in the process seem to try to dehumanize the victims. The bush administration considered torture as being mistreatment not evil. The Blog â€Å"Military Blog† by Zachary Scott-Singley deals with the day by day life and thoughts of a solider at war. Zachary Scott-Singley is a soldier struggling with the wrong of his actions. At one point, he believes that the killing of Iraqis is okay, but he then believes it is not. He was torn between he believes is right and not. The story â€Å"Half of a Yellow Sun† by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche is a story about a young girl and her families struggles during the Nigerian civil war of the 1960’s. Her family has pride like much of the people of Biafra. That all changed when her younger brother Obi died, and the family realizes at that point the war was lost. While Sontag still maintained that war was not bad, she still believed that it was the torture of others that made war such a brutal action. On the other hand, Zachery from military blog was lost trying to find out if War was correct or not. The characters from â€Å"Half of a Yellow Sun† share a belief that war is necessary to defend their nations honor and pride but as the war progresses and it began to affect them they begin to see that the war was not as productive as they hoped it would be. Looking at pictures of war is like l... ...at can come from war. War is seen as a last resource because of all the physical and mental damage it causes. In the story â€Å"Half of a Yellow Sun† war was seen as a way to gain the respect of a nation, but as the story progressed the family became affected, and the war that was supposed to benefit did nothing but badly affect them. In the blog Military Blog the main character saw war as a way of defending is nations pride along with protecting his family, but his continuing struggles with his actions kept him from being comfortable with his actions. In the article "Regarding the torture of others", Sontag saw the war as being a process that was not wrong but that was turned upside down because of the immoral actions of the soldiers. All the characters in each text showed how war changes not just the picture of war but the emotions and reasons that change afterward.

My Papa

Reflective Essay by Liam Shortall Visiting Papa It was March 2011, and my Dad and I had just been to pick up my brand new trombone from the Rath factory in Huddersfield and were heading towards Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital to visit my grandfather. He had just had been through quadruple bypass heart surgery at the tender age of 79. My grandfather, or Papa, had been suffering from acute pain in the heart, and severe exhaustion :the daily stroll to the shop had now become an impossible task. After being examined by his local GP on a regular basis for a few months, he was admitted to Liverpool for this major operation.My grandfather was immensely apprehensive and at one point almost refused treatment. One week into his stay, my Dad went with my Uncle Richard to visit him. He was extremely confused; he didn't know his location and how long he had been there. My Nana had kept my Dad and Uncle informed in regard to his condition but in visiting him they soon realised that she had not revealed the full extent of his ill health. After this particular visit my Dad didn't really seem himself, he seemed anxious and constantly on edge, a complete opposite to his usual joking self. My papa must have been in a dreadful state.Previous to my visit to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital (LHCH) we had been to pick up my new trombone, I was ecstatic. Finally I was getting the instrument that I had being dreaming of for, what felt like forever. And after so many sleepless nights too, the day was finally here! But my happiness was short-lived, I wasn't to know of the severity of Papa's condition and my heart soon sank when we entered the hospital. As soon as I walked though the hospital doors, I seemed to feel even colder than I did outside on this winter day: it was so clinical and unwelcoming.Suddenly I felt very uncomfortable in this new environment; never have I felt so selfish and guilty. After hiking through this never-ending maze of wards, through the different sounds an d noises coming from various wards, we entered the room my Papa was ‘recovering' in. I briefly looked around, noticing my Nana standing in the corner of the room with an exhausted and worried expression on her face, trying to force a smile. We walked over to the bed in which my Papa lay looking still and weak with his eyes closed. He ad all sorts of pipes and tubes entering his frail body, and a never ending metronome of multiple beeping sounds came from various machines that had been plumbed into him. This bruising sight still stays with me today. Gently laying her hand on his arm and shaking him softly, my Nana attempted to wake Papa up. He opened his eyes until they were open just enough to glance over at us. He then muttered something that I couldn’t understand. He seemed to vaguely recognise who his son was, but when he looked me it was as though he hadn't seen my before in his life, as though I was merely a stranger at his bedside.Nana explained to us that as a re sult of his surgery and strong medication he was becoming exceedingly confused and exhausted. My increasingly distressed Nana seemed at an all time low and she had lost all hope for Papa. My Dad had managed to have a half conversation with his Papa, he told me. He said that Papa would say a few words and then stop for breath. Nana then gingerly pulled back the bed sheets that lay on top of him and revealed his chest. There was a large, very noticeable scar surrounded by a sea of black bruises which covered his chest. I stared at my Papa for a while.The Papa I knew so well was so warm hearted, lively and full of humour, so different to the man lying in the bed in front of me . A lump had developed in my throat and my vision became blurry. I blinked and could feel the sting of a single tear run down my cheek. The feeling of not being recognised by someone you know so well and have so many fond memories with, was unfathomable. Knowing there was nothing I could do to help someone that w e loved and cared about so much made us all feel so incredibly helpless. As visiting hours came to a close we said our goodbyes to Papa, hoping for the best for his health, but dreading the worst.He of course was too delusional to reply, which felt so demoralising as he always would make a fuss of us leaving after a visit. Nana then walked us back to the car park. She, understandably wanted to get back to my Papa's bedside. So we awkwardly said goodbye to her and wished her and Papa the very best. Visiting my Papa in hospital affected me in more ways than I ever imagined it would have. Looking back on this experience I realise how important it was and how much of a turning point it was in my life. It made me realise how much we take our loved ones for granted, and how harsh the reality of life actually is, and how precious it is also.I realised how much of an influence my Papa had had on my upbringing. Many of the features of my personality are related to my Papa and his character, which made the worry of something sinister happening so much more awful. It also made me realise the ignorant and selfish attitude I had before this emotional day. And to think how lucky I, and the majority of us actually are. I believe most of us take our good health for granted. And we don't realise how good we have it compared to others who are in dreadful states, when their personalities are often unrecognisable.

The Host Chapter 55: Attached

Jeb cleared a path for me, pushing people aside with his rifle as though they were sheep and the gun a shepherd's staff. â€Å"That's enough,† he growled at those who complained. â€Å"You'll get a chance to dress ‘im down later. We all will. Let's get this sorted out first, okay? Let me through.† From the corner of my eye, I saw Sharon and Maggie fall to the back of the crowd, melting away from the reinstatement of reason. Away from my involvement, really, more than anything else. Both with jaws locked, they continued to glare at Kyle. Jared and Ian were the last two Jeb shoved aside. I brushed both of their arms as I passed, hoping to help calm them. â€Å"Okay, Kyle,† Jeb said, smacking the barrel of the gun against his palm. â€Å"Don't try to excuse yourself, 'cause there ain't no excuse. I'm plain torn between kickin' ya out and shootin' ya now.† The little face, pale under the deep tan of her skin, peeped around Kyle's elbow again with a swish of long, curly black hair. The girl's mouth was hanging open in horror, her dark eyes frantic. I thought I could see a faint sheen to those eyes, a hint of silver behind the black. â€Å"But right now, let's calm everybody down.† Jeb turned around, gun held low across his body, and suddenly it was as if he were guarding Kyle and the little face behind him. He glared at the mob. â€Å"Kyle's got a guest, and you're scarin' the snot out of her, people. I think you can all dig up some better manners than that. Now, all of you clear out and get to work on something useful. My cantaloupes are dying. Somebody do something about that, hear?† He waited until the muttering crowd slowly dispersed. Now that I could see their faces, I could tell that they were already getting over it, most of them, anyway. This wasn't so bad, not after what they'd been fearing the last few days. Yes, Kyle was a self-absorbed idiot, their faces seemed to say, but at least he was back, no harm done. No evacuation, no danger of the Seekers. No more than usual, anyway. He'd brought another worm back, but then, weren't the caves full of them these days? It just wasn't as shocking as it used to be. Many went back toward their interrupted lunch, others returned to the irrigation barrel, others to their rooms. Soon only Jared, Ian, and Jamie were left beside me. Jeb looked at these three with a cross expression; his mouth opened, but before he could order them away again, Ian took my hand, and then Jamie grabbed the other. I felt another hand on my wrist, just above Jamie's. Jared. Jeb rolled his eyes at the way they'd tethered themselves to me to avoid expulsion, and then turned his back on us. â€Å"Thanks, Jeb,† Kyle said. â€Å"Shut the hell up, Kyle. Just keep your fat mouth shut. I'm dead serious about shooting you, you worthless maggot.† There was a weak whimper from behind Kyle. â€Å"Okay, Jeb. But could you save the death threats till we're alone? She's terrified enough. You remember how that kind of stuff freaks Wanda out.† Kyle smiled at me-I felt shock cross my face in reaction-and then he turned to the girl hiding behind him with the gentlest expression I'd ever seen on his face. â€Å"See, Sunny? This is Wanda, the one I told you about. She'll help us-she won't let anyone hurt you, just like me.† The girl-or was she a woman? She was tiny, but there was a subtle curviness to her shape that suggested more maturity than her size-stared at me, her eyes huge with fright. Kyle put his arms around her waist, and she let him pull her into his side. She clung there, as if he were an anchor, her pillar of safety. â€Å"Kyle's right.† Never thought I'd say that. â€Å"I won't let anyone hurt you. Your name is Sunny?† I asked softly. The woman's eyes flashed up to Kyle's face. â€Å"It's okay. You don't have to be afraid of Wanda. She's just like you.† He turned to me. â€Å"Her real name is longer-something about ice.† â€Å"Sunlight Passing Through the Ice,† she whispered to me. I saw Jeb's eyes brighten with his unquenchable curiosity. â€Å"She doesn't mind being called just Sunny, though. She said it was fine,† Kyle assured me. Sunny nodded. Her eyes flickered from my face to Kyle's and back again. The other men were totally silent and totally motionless. The little circle of calm soothed her a bit, I could see. She must have been able to feel the change in the atmosphere. There was no hostility toward her, none at all. â€Å"I was a Bear, too, Sunny,† I told her, trying to make her feel just a little more comfortable. â€Å"They called me Lives in the Stars, then. Wanderer, here.† â€Å"Lives in the Stars,† she whispered, her eyes somehow, impossibly, getting wider. â€Å"Rides the Beast.† I suppressed a groan. â€Å"You lived in the second crystal city, I guess.† â€Å"Yes. I heard the story so many times†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Did you like being a Bear, Sunny?† I asked quickly. I didn't really want to get into my history right now. â€Å"Were you happy there?† Her face crumpled at my questions; her eyes locked onto Kyle's face and filled with tears. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I apologized at once, looking to Kyle, too, for an explanation. He patted her arm. â€Å"Don't be afraid. You won't be hurt. I promised.† I could barely hear her answering whisper. â€Å"But I like it here. I want to stay.† Her words brought a thick lump to my throat. â€Å"I know, Sunny. I know.† Kyle put his hand on the back of her head and, in a gesture so tender it made my eyes smart, held her face against his chest. Jeb cleared his throat, and Sunny started and cringed. It was easy to imagine the frayed state her nerves must be in. Souls were not designed to handle violence and terror. I remembered long ago when Jared had interrogated me; he'd asked if I was like other souls. I was not, nor was the other soul they'd dealt with, my Seeker. Sunny, however, seemed to embody the essence of my gentle, timid species; we were powerful only in great numbers. â€Å"Sorry, Sunny,† Jeb said. â€Å"Didn't mean to scare you, there. Maybe we ought to get out of here, though.† His eyes swept around the cave, where a few people lingered by the exits, gawking at us. He stared hard at Reid and Lucina, and they ducked down the corridor toward the kitchen. â€Å"Probably ought to git along to Doc,† Jeb continued with a sigh, giving the frightened little woman a wistful glance. I guessed he was sad to be missing out on new stories. â€Å"Right,† Kyle said. He kept his arm firmly around Sunny's tiny waist and pulled her with him toward the southern tunnel. I followed right behind, towing the others who still adhered to me. Jeb paused, and we all stopped with him. He jabbed the butt of his gun into Jamie's hip. â€Å"Ain't you got school, kid?† â€Å"Aw, Uncle Jeb, please? Please? I don't want to miss -â€Å" â€Å"Get your behind to class.† Jamie turned his hurt eyes on me, but Jeb was absolutely right. This was nothing I wanted Jamie to see. I shook my head at him. â€Å"Could you get Trudy on your way?† I asked. â€Å"Doc needs her.† Jamie's shoulders slumped, and he pulled his hand out of mine. Jared's slid down from my wrist to take its place. â€Å"I miss everything,† Jamie moaned as he turned back the other way. â€Å"Thanks, Jeb,† I whispered when Jamie was out of hearing. â€Å"Yep.† The long tunnel seemed blacker than before because I could feel the fear radiating from the woman ahead of me. â€Å"It's okay,† Kyle murmured to her. â€Å"There's nothing that's going to hurt you, and I'm here.† I wondered who this strange man was, the one who had come back in Kyle's place. Had they checked his eyes? I couldn't believe he'd carried all this gentleness around inside his big angry body. It must have been having Jodi back, being so close to what he wanted. Even knowing that this was his Jodi's body, I was surprised that he could expend so much kindness for the soul inside it. I would have thought such compassion was beyond him. â€Å"How's the Healer?† Jared asked me. â€Å"She woke up, just before I came to find you,† I said. I heard more than one sigh of relief in the darkness. â€Å"She's disoriented, though, and very frightened,† I warned them all. â€Å"She can't remember her name. Doc's working with her. She's going to be even more scared when she sees all of you. Try to be quiet and move slowly, okay?† â€Å"Yes, yes,† the voices whispered in the darkness. â€Å"And, Jeb, do you think you could lose the gun? She's a little afraid of humans still.† â€Å"Uh-okay,† Jeb answered. â€Å"Afraid of humans?† Kyle murmured. â€Å"We're the bad guys,† Ian reminded him, squeezing my hand. I squeezed it back, glad for the warmth of his touch, the pressure of his fingers. How much longer would I have the feeling of a hand warm around mine? When was the last time I would walk down this tunnel? Was it this time? No. Not yet, Mel whispered. I was suddenly trembling. Ian's hand tightened again, and so did Jared's. We walked in silence for a few moments. â€Å"Kyle?† Sunny's timid voice asked. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"I don't want to go back to the Bears.† â€Å"You don't have to. You can go somewhere else.† â€Å"But I can't stay here?† â€Å"No. I'm sorry, Sunny.† There was a little hitch in her breathing. I was glad it was dark. No one could see the tears that started rolling down my face. I had no free hand to wipe them away, so I let them fall onto my shirt. We finally reached the end of the tunnel. The sunlight streamed from the mouth of the hospital, reflecting off the dust motes dancing in the air. I could hear Doc murmuring inside. â€Å"That's very good,† he was saying. â€Å"Keep thinking of details. You know your old address-your name can't be far behind, eh? How does this feel? Not tender?† â€Å"Careful,† I whispered. Kyle paused at the edge of the arch, Sunny still clinging to his side, and motioned for me to go first. I took a deep breath and walked slowly into Doc's place. I announced my presence in a low, even voice. â€Å"Hello.† The Healer's host started and gasped out a little shriek. â€Å"Just me again,† I said reassuringly. â€Å"It's Wanda,† Doc reminded her. The woman was sitting up now, and Doc was sitting beside her with his hand on her arm. â€Å"That's the soul,† the woman whispered anxiously to Doc. â€Å"Yes, but she's a friend.† The woman eyed me doubtfully. â€Å"Doc? You've got a few more visitors. Is that okay?† Doc looked at the woman. â€Å"These are all friends, all right? More of the humans who live here with me. None of them would ever dream of hurting you. Can they come in?† The woman hesitated, then nodded cautiously. â€Å"Okay,† she whispered. â€Å"This is Ian,† I said, motioning him forward. â€Å"And Jared, and Jeb.† One by one, they walked into the room and stood beside me. â€Å"And this is Kyle and†¦ uh, Sunny.† Doc's eyes bugged wide as Kyle, Sunny attached to his side, entered the room. â€Å"Are there any more?† the woman whispered. Doc cleared his throat, trying to compose himself. â€Å"Yes. There are a lot of people who live here. All†¦ well, mostly humans,† he added, staring at Sunny. â€Å"Trudy is on her way,† I told Doc. â€Å"Maybe Trudy could†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I glanced at Sunny and Kyle. â€Å"†¦ find a room for†¦ her to rest in?† Doc nodded, still wide-eyed. â€Å"That might be a good idea.† â€Å"Who's Trudy?† the woman whispered. â€Å"She's very nice. She'll take care of you.† â€Å"Is she human, or is she like that one?† She nodded toward me. â€Å"She's human.† This seemed to ease the woman's mind. â€Å"Oh,† Sunny gasped behind me. I turned to see her staring at the cryotanks that held the Healers. They were standing in the middle of Doc's desk, the lights on top glowing muted red. On the floor in front of the desk, the seven remaining empty tanks were piled in an untidy heap. Tears sprang to Sunny's eyes again, and she buried her face against Kyle's chest. â€Å"I don't want to go! I want to stay with you,† she moaned to the big man she seemed to trust so completely. â€Å"I know, Sunny. I'm sorry.† Sunny broke down into sobs. I blinked fast, trying to keep the tears from my own eyes. I crossed the small space to where Sunny stood, and stroked her springy black hair. â€Å"I need to talk to her for a minute, Kyle,† I murmured. He nodded, his face troubled, and pulled the clinging girl from his side. â€Å"No, no,† she begged. â€Å"It's okay,† I promised. â€Å"He's not going anywhere. I just want to ask you a few questions.† Kyle turned her to face me, and her arms locked around me. I pulled her to the far corner of the room, as far from the nameless woman as I could get. I didn't want our conversation to confuse or frighten the Healer's host any more than she already was. Kyle followed, never more than a few inches away. We sat on the floor, facing the wall. â€Å"Jeez,† Kyle murmured. â€Å"I didn't think it would be like this. This really sucks.† â€Å"How did you find her? And catch her?† I asked. The sobbing girl didn't react as I questioned him; she just kept crying on my shoulder. â€Å"What happened? Why is she like this?† â€Å"Well, I thought she might be in Las Vegas. I went there first, before I went on to Portland. See, Jodi was really close to her mother, and that's where Doris lived. I thought, seeing how you were about Jared and the kid, that maybe she would go there, even when she wasn't Jodi. And I was right. They were all there at the same old house, Doris ‘s house: Doris, and her husband, Warren-they had other names, but I didn't hear them clearly-and Sunny. I watched them all day, until it was nighttime. Sunny was in Jodi's old room, alone. I snuck in after they'd all been asleep for hours. I yanked Sunny up, threw her over my shoulder, and jumped out the window. I thought she was going to start screaming, so I was really booking it back to the jeep. Then I was afraid because she didn't start screaming. She was just so quiet! I was afraid she had†¦ you know. Like that guy we caught once.† I winced-I had a more recent memory. â€Å"So I pulled her off my shoulder, and she was alive, just staring up at me, all wide-eyed. Still not screaming. I carried her back to the jeep. I'd been planning to tie her up, but†¦ she didn't look that upset. She wasn't trying to get away, at least. So I just buckled her in and started driving. â€Å"She just stared at me for a long time, and then finally she said, You're Kyle,' and I said, Yeah, who are you?' and she told me her name. What is it again?† â€Å"Sunlight Passing Through the Ice,† Sunny whispered brokenly. â€Å"I like Sunny, though. It's nice.† â€Å"Anyway,† Kyle went on after clearing his throat. â€Å"She didn't mind talking to me at all. She wasn't afraid like I'd thought she'd be. So we talked.† He was quiet for a moment. â€Å"She was happy to see me.† â€Å"I used to dream about him all the time,† Sunny whispered to me. â€Å"Every night. I kept hoping the Seekers would find him; I missed him so much†¦ When I saw him, I thought it was the old dream again.† I swallowed loudly. Kyle reached across me to lay his hand on her cheek. â€Å"She's a good kid, Wanda. Can't we send her someplace really nice?† â€Å"That's what I wanted to ask her about. Where have you lived, Sunny?† I was vaguely aware of the subdued voices of the others, greeting Trudy's arrival. We had our backs to them. I wanted to see what was going on, but I was also glad not to have the distraction. I tried to concentrate on the crying soul. â€Å"Just here and with the Bears. I was there five life terms. But I like it better here. I haven't had even a quarter of a life term here!† â€Å"I know. Believe me, I understand. Is there anywhere else, though, that you've ever wanted to go? The Flowers, maybe? It's nice there; I've been.† â€Å"I don't want to be a plant,† she mumbled into my shoulder. â€Å"The Spiders†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began, but then let my voice trail off. The Spiders were not the right place for Sunny. â€Å"I'm tired of cold. And I like colors.† â€Å"I know.† I sighed. â€Å"I haven't been a Dolphin, but I hear it's nice there. Color, mobility, family†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"They're all so far away. By the time I got anywhere, Kyle would be†¦ He'd be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She hiccuped and then started crying again. â€Å"Don't you have any other choices?† Kyle asked anxiously. â€Å"Aren't there a lot more places out there?† I could hear Trudy talking to the Healer's host, but I tuned out the words. Let the humans take care of their own for the moment. â€Å"Not that the off-world ships are going to,† I told him, shaking my head. â€Å"There are lots of worlds, but only a few, mostly the newer ones, are still open for settling. And I'm sorry, Sunny, but I have to send you far away. The Seekers want to find my friends here, and they'd bring you back if they could, so you could show them the way.† â€Å"I don't even know the way,† she sobbed. My shoulder was drenched with her tears. â€Å"He covered my eyes.† Kyle looked at me as if I could produce some kind of miracle to make this all work out perfectly. Like the medicine I'd provided, some kind of magic. But I knew that I was out of magic, out of happy endings-for the soul half of the equation, at least. I stared back hopelessly at Kyle. â€Å"It's just the Bears, the Flowers, and the Dolphins,† I told him. â€Å"I won't send her to the Fire Planet.† The small woman shuddered at the name. â€Å"Don't worry, Sunny. You'll like the Dolphins. They'll be nice. Of course they'll be nice.† She sobbed harder. I sighed and moved on. â€Å"Sunny, I need to ask you about Jodi.† Kyle stiffened beside me. â€Å"What about her?† Sunny mumbled. â€Å"Is she†¦ is she in there with you? Can you hear her?† Sunny sniffed and looked up at me. â€Å"I don't understand what you mean.† â€Å"Does she ever talk to you? Are you ever aware of her thoughts?† â€Å"My†¦ body's? Her thoughts? She doesn't have any. I'm here now.† I nodded slowly. â€Å"Is that bad?† Kyle whispered. â€Å"I don't know enough about it to tell. It's probably not good, though.† Kyle's eyes tightened. â€Å"How long have you been here, Sunny?† She frowned, thinking. â€Å"How long is it, Kyle? Five years? Six? You disappeared before I came home.† â€Å"Six,† he said. â€Å"And how old are you?† I asked her. â€Å"I'm twenty-seven.† That surprised me-she was such a little thing, so young looking. I couldn't believe she was six years older than Melanie. â€Å"Why does that matter?† Kyle asked. â€Å"I'm not sure. It just seems like the more time someone spent as a human before they became a soul, the better chance they might have at†¦ making a recovery. The greater the percentage of their life they spent human, the more memories they have, the more connections, the more years being called by the right name†¦ I don't know.† â€Å"Is twenty-one years enough?† he asked, his voice desperate. â€Å"I guess we'll find out.† â€Å"It's not fair!† Sunny wailed. â€Å"Why do you get to stay? Why can't I stay, if you can?† I had to swallow hard. â€Å"That wouldn't be fair, would it? But I don't get to stay, Sunny. I have to go, too. And soon. Maybe we'll leave together.† Perhaps she'd be happier if she thought I was going to the Dolphins with her. By the time she knew otherwise, Sunny would have a different host with different emotions and no tie to this human beside me. Maybe. Anyway, it would be too late. â€Å"I have to go, Sunny, just like you. I have to give my body back, too.† And then, flat and hard from right behind us, Ian's voice broke the quiet like the crack of a whip. â€Å"What?†

Acute Problems in Regard to Modern Society and Religion

Acute Problems in Regard to Modern Society and Religion Young Pope - Young Religion The religion question is always under active discussion. People argued from the ancient times about different religious trends and beliefs. Our history faced even long and bloody wars, which were started, basing on the religious background. So if you are not from a religious family and came across a course of religion at university, it can become a complicated affair to sort all those things out. As in any matter of such serious kind it is discussed from different points of view and with the providing all kind of various factors. To write an appropriate essay or to prepare an informative report, one should sweat over a large scope of informational resources. Religion as a strong manipulative mechanism Unfortunately, most of the historical events, which humanity have faced and which have more or less relation to religion, were often a speculation of the people being in the pursuit of power and authority. It can be easily understood, if you read original religious literature. Thus, the statements written, for example, in the Bible encourage us not to do murder, not to steal, etc. So, the religion by itself has the peaceable and kind thoughts and beliefs, which are aimed to make a person better and harmonious. But at the same time it can be an effective tool for the manipulation of the hundreds or even thousands of righteous minds. Thus, the modern cinematographic embodiment of the intrigues in the higher religious circles is displayed in the English-language Italian television drama series, called â€Å"Young Pope†. This story can be to some extend disappointing, since if the serving in the church people can undertake such affairs, what we can wait from the ordinary people, who have so many temptations. Nevertheless, the strong and independent pope appears to become a real leader and nipped the desired manipulations in the bud. So if you want to start exploring religious questions, you can begin with the films like â€Å"Young Pope†. Of course, you cannot be able to study this theme in such a way, but through it you can prepare yourself for serious and often contradictory resources and books in religion. Developing brands and branches With every year such religions as Christianity, Islam and Buddhism give a lot of branches and newly created religious groups. People interpret beliefs in some other manner, create their own churches and gather the followers. We should admit that there is nothing bad in this fellowships and groups, if people have peaceful and positive goals, though the main churches often do not confess these branches. Along with the numerous religious filiations, there are a lot of groups and pseudoreligions, arranged by swindlers. They use the religious background and psychological methods for personal profit, most often the financial one. While surfing with an objective to learn about religion more or just receiving invitations to join some religious group, be sure to find out everything at first. Nowadays, there are a lot of examples, when people, who wanted to lead a righteous being, were coaxed out of their money or were trapped into the physical or moral slavery. New age –new problems The life of the society and moral principles differ with each decade. It is hard to imagine our grandmother to talk about the official recognition of homosexual marriage. But for our time such things become more and more common. There is the democracy in the social life of the people, so very often we hear the same question towards religious institutions and representatives. Besides, such questions are also raised in the â€Å"Young Pope† and a lot of other films. Perhaps, it is the question, which disturbs a lot of people and democracy fighters in our society, so that is why it is so relevant. Besides, young pope can better realize all similar problems, since he is a representative of the modern generation and understands the opinions, which are generated by the youth. Thus, you can see that the questions and issues concerning religion are very difficult and ambiguous. Anyway, respect all religions and people, since no matter what religion they adhere, the thing, which really matters, is our human qualities and open-heartedness.

Comparison Of Qualitative And Quantitative Research Approaches Coursework

Comparison Of Qualitative And Quantitative Research Approaches Coursework Comparison Of Qualitative And Quantitative Research Approaches – Coursework Example Running Head: Comparison between qualitative and quantitative research methods Comparison between qualitative and quantitative research methods InstitutionDateComparison between qualitative and quantitative research methodsQualitative research methods are more of interactive methods and seek to expound more on motivating factors, reasons on which various occurrences are based, opinions of the involved parties (Creswell, 2008). When used in problem solving, qualitative methods provide hypothesis and assumptions on which further quantitative research can be based on. The out come of this type of these methods help in establishing trends in thoughts, and opinions and commons of motivating factors the get deeper insight into the problem at hand (Noa, 2010). Qualitatively data is collected using either structured are partial structure techniques such as organized group discussions, individual and/or group interviews, participatory observation. Usually the size of the group involved is sma ll in size. During the process, participants are required to respond to general questions. The researcher probes and explores their responses to identify and define the perceptions, opinions and feelings to come up with the extent of agreement (Noa, 2010).Quantitative research method seek to identify and solve the research issues and problems by coming up with quantitative data. Measurement methods are used in generating the data. The measurement tools are perfectly structured, such as questionnaires (Creswell, 2008). They must be objective, quantitative and provide statistically valid results. There is quantification of behaviors, attitudes and opinions. The data must therefore be expressed in terms of measurable terms so as to assist in establishing quantitative trend. The size of the research group is usually determined by use of already established mathematical formula (Noa, 2010). In summary, therefore, the main differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods are:Qualitative methods are subjective while quantitative methods are objectiveQualitative methods express findings in descriptive form while quantitative methods use statistical data to express findings.ReferencesCreswell, John W, (2008). Research Designs Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Method Approaches SAGE Publishers.Punch, Keith F, (2005). Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative ApproachesNoa.A, (2010). Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods

No topic Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

No topic - Term Paper Example The nurse does not consider Mrs. J’s subjective perceptions and does not hear her complaints. The nurse is convinced that Mrs. J. exaggerates her pain and may develop an anesthetic addiction. In order to solve the problem, both the nursing assistant and the chief nurse must collect all information regarding the physical state of the patient, her diagnosis and possible complications. If possible, the patient will have to pass a test, whose results will create the basis for the development of a more specific pain management strategy. Additionally, the department must test the efficiency and validity of all technologies in Mrs. J’s room. It may happen that the results it shows regarding Mrs. J’s health are not objective. The desired result is providing comfort in Mrs. J.’s relations with nurses and alleviating her pain, without causing any care disruptions or damaging her health (e.g., through the development of anesthetic addiction). Although it will take some time to complete additional tests, this is the best solution to the discussed problem. Nurses need to ensure that all technologies operate appropriately and that additional doses of medications will not damage the patient’s

How creative are the filmmakers when presenting a story Essay

How creative are the filmmakers when presenting a story - Essay Example Memento There is a usual ‘noir and revenge’ narrative behind Memento (Mottram, 2002). A husband seeks vengeance on the individual who killed his wife and left him with his condition. The police force could not be of assistance to him in finding the killer. The only aid he has is his somewhat suspiciously motivated female friend who is a barmaid. In addition, the entire plot plays in a completely ‘anonymous, bleak, and blank setting’ that puts emphasis on the seclusion of the leading role. Distinctive moods of typical film noir, for instance, isolation, loneliness, disappointment, negativity, immorality, guiltiness and mainly mistrust, can be found in Memento. In addition, the film is full of ‘noirish flashbacks’ and it has no ‘happy ending’ (Kania, 2009). It’s exclusively prepared storyline makes this movie so unique and different. Even though the narrative behind the movie is quite easy, the storyline structure is very diffi cult and smart, which requires continuous concentration of its viewers (Mottram, 2002). The memory loss issue of the leading role in addition to his confused and mostly pathetic efforts to slowly place the mystery of his wife’s killing together is cleverly connected to the way the entire story is told. The reverse storyline structure of the key plot with its ending being shown during the initial five minutes of the movie, the replacement of color and black and white sequences, and the fact that a few parts of the movie are displayed more than once, are believed to make the spectators feel as perplexed as Leonard (leading role) is. However, the closer the film gets to the closing part the less the spectators are perplexed as they can remember things that Leonard cannot. Memento is a sign of a movie that may have had a low finances, but came together with a lot of thinking, intelligence and especially persistence (Mottram, 2002). Due to the exceptional and complex approach of n arration, this movie not just ‘needs but also deserves multiple viewings’ (Mottram, 2002). Memento symbolizes an achievement of writing, directing, as well as acting. This movie belongs to the ‘neo-noir and revenge’ movie genre. One of the most significant features of classic movie noir is the plot, since all these movies had some similarities: They were all gloomy, distressed stories and they were all set in current settings of the city, or the inner-city cover. Their tales usually revolve around law and order, with strangers, entrepreneurs as well as criminals’ busy scheming vengeance or killing. The mood constantly stays the same. Classic film noir tales, regardless of their detail, are always gloomy, infatuated and packed with mysterious plan. Part of this gloom is to do with an unavoidable destiny that takes its ill harvest no matter what (Mottram, 2002). Memento has the features of ‘classic film noir’ (Kania, 2009). Frame of mind i n addition to tone, exemplified this genre. One of the methods applied is the very dim lights, which makes it difficult to understand the action. The use of nighttime as well as silhouettes is a persistent aspect of noir movies, putting emphasis on aloofness along with obscurity. In the movies, the world usually appears like a detention center, this is mostly revealed by image metaphors, ‘like sun blinds’

Reading Responses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Reading Responses - Essay Example Due to this paranoia, the women become obsessed with the color yellow. In the end, she becomes so insane that she imagines that a woman is stalking her even though it was a mere shadow of the wall patterns. Thus, she continues to lock herself in the room to protect herself. At the end of the story, she acknowledges that she has to liberate this woman and begins to scrape of the war. She is finally liberated as her husband faints to see her compulsive obsession with the walls. Clearly, this was one of the most vital pieces towards establishing and propagating women. Not only does it point out the major flaw in society’s ideologies at that time era, it also describes the brutal compassion given to individuals that had a mental condition. Female critics often use this to suggest that individuals who are mentally challenged should be able to interact with society instead of being isolated. Without a doubt, I think that extremely vital. The feministic viewpoint completely rejects t he notion that the women should be limited to certain roles in this man-centric society. At the end of the plot, when the narrator scraps the wall off, it shows her struggle to not only liberate the women but herself also.

Response to both students with at least 3 references. each response Coursework

Response to both students with at least 3 references. each response must state the name of the student at the beginning and the reference immediately after the response - Coursework Example Generally, my view is that society and policy must reach some form of consensus in order to avoid conflict of a mismatch between social realities and policy structures. I agree with your opinion that public policy could be used to affect social change just like social change can provide the necessary pressure to create appropriate policy. I base my support on the fact that social change and public policy are connected as causative agents of each other (Den Hond & De Bakker, 2010; Lempert & Light, 2009). Essentially, social change involves the development of visionary structures that would guide the process towards the desired ends. Policy frameworks are built within these structures. The examples of Cesar Chavez of Union Farm Workers and Max Heller’s Greenville 2005, The Journey Forward, are suitable illustrations of the role of policy as the provider of operational mechanism of social change (Greenville Forward, 2012; United Farm Workers, 2012). I also back your view that policy provides the visionary framework that determines the course of social change. In the two cases you have cited, the vision of the two individuals were condensed into meaningful policies that supported the processes of social change. Den Hond, F., & De Bakker, F. G. (2010).Ideologically motivated activism.In G. R. Hickman (Ed.), Leading Organizations Perspectives for a New Era (pp. 618-641). Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC:

Computer Physical Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Computer Physical Security - Essay Example Biometric characteristics are exclusively individual; therefore making such characteristics a basis of user identification provides high reliability of protection. So we may define a biometric system as 'a pattern recognition system which recognizes a user by determining the authenticity of a specific physiological or behavioral characteristic possessed by the user'2. The tests made by the International Computer Security Association (ICSA) have allowed to issue certificates to rather limited number of systems of biometric identification. It is necessary to notice that six products certificated by the ICSA have been selected as a result of the careful analysis from a plenty of models. In the manual 'Biometric Industry Product Guide' issued by the ICSA, there is a description of 170 systems, allowing to make identification of users on basis of their unique physical parameters. Many independent users, including representatives of the ICSA, appreciate certified systems at their true value. The majority of biometric systems operate in the following way: the digital mark of a fingerprint, an iris or a voice is stored in the system database. A person, who is going to get access to a computer network, enters his/her own personal biometric information into the system by means of a microphone, a scanner of finger-prints or other devices. The received data are compared with the sample, which is kept in the database. Let us consider the mostly used biometric systems of computes access control.FINGERPRINT RECOGNITION Recently the dactyloscopy has attracted the attention as a biometric parameter, which quite possibly will become the most popular in the future. Already now the application of this technology has received wide circulation in Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) used by police throughout all territory of the USA and more than in other 30 countries of the world. In the USA devices of access control based on fingerprint identification are established in military institution, including the Pentagon. Among the advantages of fingerprint scanners are simplicity, usability and reliability. Though the percent of erroneous negative identification is about 3 %, a mistake of positive access is less than one to one million. All process of identification lasts no more than several seconds and does not demand any efforts from those, who use the given system of access. Nowadays such systems are made in the size of less than a pack of cards. The certain disadvantage constraining the de velopment of the given method is the bias of a part of people, which do not wish to make the information on their fingerprints available. Thus the counterargument of developers of such equipment is the assurance that the information about papillate pattern of a finger is not stored. What is stored is only short identification code constructed on the basis of prominent features of your finger-print.HAND GEOMETRY RECOGNITION The method of identification of users by hand geometry by it's the technological structure and the level of reliability is quite comparable to the method of ident

Programs for Incarcerated Women Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Programs for Incarcerated Women - Research Paper Example Previously, women in prison were arrested and incarcerated for violent crimes such as murder, poisoning and arson, but the last few decades saw that a growing number of new female inmates were inside a prison for non-violent crimes, meaning these are crimes which are economic in nature. This is not a surprising fact, given that a lot of female inmates belong to racial and ethnic or other minorities such as those belonging to the lower socio-economic classes or being uneducated. The negative effect of incarcerated mothers gave rise to innovative ideas and approaches when it comes to dealing with children whose mothers are in prison. Special attention was paid to their daughters, and that is how the Girl Scouts of the USA came out with their â€Å"Girl Scouts Beyond Bars† program which made a positive influence on people who would otherwise had lost hope. Keywords: daughters, drugs, economic, girl scouts, incarcerated, women in prison Introduction The issue of women in prison is a very sensitive topic for most people. Only lately has it caught the attention of policy makers, politicians and other interested parties because of the so-called women's movement, or feminism. The previous research on this subject was limited to the gender gap among highly visible political issues such as voting preferences between males and females, social equality discussions at the workplace, abortion rights and gender differences in attitudes towards crime and punishment. Some studies showed that most women, who feel that they are more vulnerable to crime due to their enhanced feelings of insecurity, usually favor a harsher and more severe punishment for convicted offenders to serve as deterrence. Female attitudes with regard to appropriate punishments include a longer prison sentence and capital punishment. The prevailing psychology in this regard is that punishment is used as deterrence for potential crime offenders and that the said punishment will somehow reduce crime in society. Women feel particularly vulnerable when it comes to certain crimes in which by their very nature, women are the predominant victims, such as domestic violence and rape. A general perception is that the two sexes have a different attitude towards crime and punishment, with women oriented to more â€Å"ethic in care† while men prefer the â€Å"ethic in equity of justice† by which criminals must be punished immediately with enough severity, sometimes by applying death penalty. Only lately has the issue of women in prison been brought out into the open and included in the public discourse. The feminists have done quite a job in highlighting the problems of women in prison, including the racial and economic differences found to be inherent in the criminal justice system, and in particular, how female prisoners fare. This topic is the subject of this paper. Discussion The previous focus of the women's movement had been on the perceived vulnerability of women to cert ain crimes targeting them specifically. This feeling of fear and insecurity is of a great consequence in terms of their feeling and perception as potential victims. However, a new feminist focus today is one on the problem of women ending up in prisons and all the other issues related to female incarceration. The prior years had been focused on women as victims, but this new tack in public discourse has now shifted to women as

Response to both students with at least 3 references. each response Coursework

Response to both students with at least 3 references. each response must state the name of the student at the beginning and the reference immediately after the response - Coursework Example Generally, my view is that society and policy must reach some form of consensus in order to avoid conflict of a mismatch between social realities and policy structures. I agree with your opinion that public policy could be used to affect social change just like social change can provide the necessary pressure to create appropriate policy. I base my support on the fact that social change and public policy are connected as causative agents of each other (Den Hond & De Bakker, 2010; Lempert & Light, 2009). Essentially, social change involves the development of visionary structures that would guide the process towards the desired ends. Policy frameworks are built within these structures. The examples of Cesar Chavez of Union Farm Workers and Max Heller’s Greenville 2005, The Journey Forward, are suitable illustrations of the role of policy as the provider of operational mechanism of social change (Greenville Forward, 2012; United Farm Workers, 2012). I also back your view that policy provides the visionary framework that determines the course of social change. In the two cases you have cited, the vision of the two individuals were condensed into meaningful policies that supported the processes of social change. Den Hond, F., & De Bakker, F. G. (2010).Ideologically motivated activism.In G. R. Hickman (Ed.), Leading Organizations Perspectives for a New Era (pp. 618-641). Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC:

Programs for Incarcerated Women Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Programs for Incarcerated Women - Research Paper Example Previously, women in prison were arrested and incarcerated for violent crimes such as murder, poisoning and arson, but the last few decades saw that a growing number of new female inmates were inside a prison for non-violent crimes, meaning these are crimes which are economic in nature. This is not a surprising fact, given that a lot of female inmates belong to racial and ethnic or other minorities such as those belonging to the lower socio-economic classes or being uneducated. The negative effect of incarcerated mothers gave rise to innovative ideas and approaches when it comes to dealing with children whose mothers are in prison. Special attention was paid to their daughters, and that is how the Girl Scouts of the USA came out with their â€Å"Girl Scouts Beyond Bars† program which made a positive influence on people who would otherwise had lost hope. Keywords: daughters, drugs, economic, girl scouts, incarcerated, women in prison Introduction The issue of women in prison is a very sensitive topic for most people. Only lately has it caught the attention of policy makers, politicians and other interested parties because of the so-called women's movement, or feminism. The previous research on this subject was limited to the gender gap among highly visible political issues such as voting preferences between males and females, social equality discussions at the workplace, abortion rights and gender differences in attitudes towards crime and punishment. Some studies showed that most women, who feel that they are more vulnerable to crime due to their enhanced feelings of insecurity, usually favor a harsher and more severe punishment for convicted offenders to serve as deterrence. Female attitudes with regard to appropriate punishments include a longer prison sentence and capital punishment. The prevailing psychology in this regard is that punishment is used as deterrence for potential crime offenders and that the said punishment will somehow reduce crime in society. Women feel particularly vulnerable when it comes to certain crimes in which by their very nature, women are the predominant victims, such as domestic violence and rape. A general perception is that the two sexes have a different attitude towards crime and punishment, with women oriented to more â€Å"ethic in care† while men prefer the â€Å"ethic in equity of justice† by which criminals must be punished immediately with enough severity, sometimes by applying death penalty. Only lately has the issue of women in prison been brought out into the open and included in the public discourse. The feminists have done quite a job in highlighting the problems of women in prison, including the racial and economic differences found to be inherent in the criminal justice system, and in particular, how female prisoners fare. This topic is the subject of this paper. Discussion The previous focus of the women's movement had been on the perceived vulnerability of women to cert ain crimes targeting them specifically. This feeling of fear and insecurity is of a great consequence in terms of their feeling and perception as potential victims. However, a new feminist focus today is one on the problem of women ending up in prisons and all the other issues related to female incarceration. The prior years had been focused on women as victims, but this new tack in public discourse has now shifted to women as

A Walk in My Shoes Essay Example for Free

A Walk in My Shoes Essay My name is Jr. I hope you enjoy reading as I take you on a journey and a walk in my shoes. Join me as I walk you through my adolescent years up to adult hood. After reading you will be able to see how I developed socioemotionally and became who I am today and why I am the way I am. I will share some of my favorite memories along with some not so fond memories, which changed who I would become as a Father. I was born and raised on the south side of San Antonio, Texas. I am fourth generation Texan, The Sanchez family settled in Eagle Pass, Texas dating back to before Texas became a Republic in 1836. The south side of San Antonio is predominantly Hispanic. Plus I went to a predominantly all Hispanic Catholic School, mainly due to location. Growing up I had little to no interaction with any other races. I feel this gave my classmates and I a feeling of belonging. As I have learned since we all shared the same race, culture, and religion this also helps young people with identity formation. We not only embraced our Mexican heritage we also embraced our Texan heritage. I grew up learning both Spanish and English. Studies show that youths with a positive ethnic identity who also embrace the American culture have more positive outcomes (Umana-Taylor, 2006). My Family growing up was very close. It seemed we always had aunts and uncles living with us at some point in time. I did not mind as I was always looked after and they were excellent role models and provided emotional stability. I am the oldest of four and we are spaced about 4 years apart. My baby sister, the youngest of my siblings came to us when I was about 15. My Father was very strict growing up. It was the typical wait until your dad gets home of scenario. He was a hard working man, and a great provider to his family. He worked two jobs for over twenty years. He put me and my sister and brother through Catholic private school. My father barely graduated high school and was very proud to have graduated. He wore his High school graduation ring until the day he died. If this does not tell you why he sacrificed working two jobs for twenty years I will tell you. There was nothing more important in my dads eyes than going to school and getting a good education. He did not want his kids to have to work as hard as he had to, he wanted a better life for us. Where would I be without my mother. My mother is truly an amazing woman. I know everyone must think their mom is pretty great; unless you can tell me that your mom can go from working a 8-12 hour day, come home feed the kids, help with homework and finish laundry all in one night, than I would say you have a great mom. What sets my mom apart from other moms is she can Cook, garden, fix you’re a/c unit, retile your floor, install your carpet, change out your oil, alternator, pumps, fix your toilet, you name it my mom can do it. So how about that for some motivation, drive, will to do better. When I say I learned my hard work dedication and will to always strive to be the best from my parents, you can see, I truly mean it. My Father was a great provider and like I mentioned before he wanted the best for his kids. I remember him helping me learn to ride a bike, swim, drive a car and even ride a motorcycle. Which are all key points in a child’s life. My mother also worked very hard and late hours. I was cared for by my grandmother whom I grew very attached to. I know it’s not nice to say but I don’t think it was a big secret, I was her favorite. Going to private school definitely positively impacted my life. It is there I would like to say I met my second family. I went to the same school with practically the same students, teachers, nuns and priests from pre-k to 8th grade. It is there I felt safe, I never had to worry about drugs, fights or any negative influences. I played a few sports growing up, like soccer, baseball, volleyball, and most importantly basketball. I also became an alter boy for about 4 years. The church taught me moral character and to love everyone as we are all children of God. My parents were very lively and loved spending time with each other. They seldom ever left us out, we went right along wit them. So this meant if they were going to a dance, so were we. I loved watching my parents dance. We went to many weddings, quinceaneras, and school dances. Another favorite pass time was going to the lake, or the beach, amusement and water parks. I have a lot of fond memories of growing up with my grandmother. I use to love going to her house in the summers, because that meant great cooking, anything we wanted of course and playing with my cousins. My grandmother did not have a very big yard but it was amazing the things we would come up with playing outside. I mentioned before I played basketball. Well I grew up the shortest in class every year but what I lacked in height I made up for in speed. My dad encouraged me like no other, he taught me not to let the bigger kids beat me, he would always say, do not let them eat your sandwich. I never really understood that until I got older. I think what he meant was if you let people take what is yours you will go hungry. This inspired me some how and I collected a lot of sandwiches, because I was feared on the court, fear I would steal the basketball. I continued to play basketball until my 8th grade year. Our team won City champs two years in a row, plus one first place in every tournament for three years. Talk about building up self esteem. Another memory that sticks out in my head is the day I had enough guts to get up and learn how to dance. My mom taught me well. I enjoyed dancing so much I learned how to swing dance, lindy hop, country dance and tejano dance. My dad bought me my first car, it was a 1972 Volkswagen beetle. It was not in the best of shape but little by little my dad helped me fix it right up. All said and done it had a midnight blue metallic clear coated finished paint job with centerline rims, Pirelli tires and smoke black tented windows. I bought my first Harley Davidson when I was about 25 years old. My father always had a motorcycle until I was about the age of 15. I would say about 1 month after I bought mine, he went and bought himself one. For the first time, in a long time he was back on a bike and we were riding together. As a teenager I was pretty active. We moved from the south side of San Antonio to the outskirts of the southeast side of town. This was about the time I graduated from 8th grade. My life was about to change as I knew it. See, up to this point I only knew and interacted with Hispanics. The High school in my district in our new neighbor hood was well versed and predominately white. It is here I would truly feel and learn what assimilation was. There was a mix of races, homosexuality and people of different religious back ground. I did not fully grasp the concept of racism, to me everyone was equal. This was a very tough adjustment for me, especially since I gravitated to the basketball players, which I had always fit in with. I could not fit in with the basketball players they were much to tall, and a lot better skilled than I was. I did however end up getting picked up for the football team, but stopped playing after my sophomore year. I turned my focus to soccer. By the end of my junior year my dad had his first heart attack and I no longer wanted to play sports. I started working to help pay for things that my parents could no longer support me with. I kept some money and gave some to my parents. Without sports I quickly started falling into the wrong crowd. It was not long until I figured out I was headed on the wrong path and with some guidance from my cousins I snapped back into reality. I enjoyed going to clubs and dancing with girls, showing them all the fancy moves my parents had shown me. I can remember dancing until 2 a. m sometimes. This was not a popular decision with my parents of course. In my lifetime I have held many jobs. My first job was with a pharmacy drug store called Eckards. This introduced me to the cruel world of dishonest people. I eventually had to quit this job as I was accused of taking money from the register. I did not take any money from the register but on camera it looked like I took money from the guy that was over paid and whom owed me money, he took the change from a mystery shopper gave me what he owed me and stuck the rest in his pocket. I was very trusting and naive, I never did question what was going on. So I hit the streets, pizza hut delivery that is. I did that for a few weeks but very quickly was introduced to more than what I care to share about from transvestites to abuse. I did not do that job very long. I went to work for West Telemarketing where I found a comfortable, professional, and challenging job as an ATT representative. I am not going to lie to you this job was boring but I was really good at it, and made a lot of money as a senior in high school. After High school I partied a lot with friends and tried going to a local community college. I also tried to move out of a perfectly good home that I had with my parents. My mother cried for a long time the day I told her I wanted to move out. As it turns out, my mom was right this was not a very good idea and I probably would have done better in community college had I listened to her. I found what I thought was going to be my future in working for Pace Foods. I quickly moved up from learning how to run every machine in the place to being selected as a on the job trained mechanic in about one year. This job found me. I did not choose it. I will never forget my Tio Polo cornering me one afternoon at his house after a night of drinking. He shot it to me strait and gave me the best advise of my life, God Bless His Soul. I joined the Coast Guard at age 20. In the Coast Guard I have had many jobs. I have been a deck hand, a painter, and even a boat rescue swimmer. I really got my calling as I chose to be a corpsman in the Coast Guard. I have done everything from pharmacy, lab tech, x-ray tech, and a physical therapy technician. As I matured in my job I was trained in tactical field medicine and a swat team member. After that I was appointed as a Clinic supervisor. Currently I am running my own clinic as I am the only medical provider for over 60 people. In the Future I would like to make E-7 a rank not easily attained. I would like to finish my degree and retire in San Antonio. I have two kids an ex-wife and the woman of my dreams my wife. My second marriage has worked so well partly because we come from similar religious back grounds and we both believe in making things work. I can honestly say we don’t always see eye to eye, but our Love for each other pushes us past any short falls. I have a son from a previous marriage and she has a daughter from a previous marriage. We currently do not have one together. I hope to instill hardworking ethics and strong leadership to my children. Throughout my life I learned some of the most important things. There are many different walk of people in this world and everyone conforms to whom they were brought up to be. Individually it is our job to note all our differences, along with each persons strengths and weaknesses. I tend to follow my parents footsteps in working hard for what I have and raising my kids with strong moral and respective manners. I hope they grow up to have the respect that I have for my elders. The purpose of such rites is to show society that it has a new adult and to impress on the former youth that he or she is now an adult and expected to act as such. Social scientists like Kottak (2008) believe that rites of passage create new adult identities and allow elders to be looked at as sources of wisdom and role modeling for adult thinking and behavior.

Factors for Visitor Centre Design Effectiveness

Factors for Visitor Centre Design Effectiveness An investigation and analysis of visitor centres and their use with regard to interpretation. Visitor centres are an important component of attractions or sites. Indeed, their purpose is manifold, ranging from information referencing to travel advisement. Architectural design is also a distinguishing visitor centre feature. Designs range from the traditional to the nuance. Discussed here is a comparative visitor centre analysis based on three general themes: i) General Purposes, ii) Design and iii) Information: A How to Guide. General Purposes The primary role of a visitor centre is to convey information regarding a specific or grouped set of attractions within a defined geographical area to a continual visitor stream. In this sense, visitor centres are designed to act as reference guides both through directions and information sourcing to those interested in a particular site or attraction (England 2005, Florence 2006, Petrilli 2004). An analysis of visitor centres both within the UK and around the world reveals that information is presented in myriad fashion based on general site theme. Several secondary roles are also associated with visitor centres. For example, visitor centres may act as a shelter and hospitality (however limited) provider (Wright 2004[1]). These roles may be especially prevalent among outdoor and/or geographically remote centres relative to more urban-set counterparts. Another secondary visitor function may involve travel advisement (Rompf et al. 2005). For example, visitor centres of specific towns or cities may offer services such as road-maps sales, hotel and restaurant directories and weather advisories. These functions exist to minimize the time and financial effort expended by an individual who possesses specific queries regarding personal travel plans. It is important to note that regardless of specific function performed by a given visitor centre, each serves to provide primary informative or logistical services with time and cost-efficiency to individuals. Design There are several elements that contribute to visitor centre design effectiveness. These elements include primary structural design, accessibility and invasiveness. It should be noted that within certain categories there are several variations. For example, primary structural designs may consist of simple, traditional enclosures or complex, nuance architecture. Evaluation of design effectiveness is based not on preconceived notions simply of what is good vs. what is bad, but rather overall appropriateness relative to primary mission of the visitor centre. Discussed below are examples of high vs. poor quality visitor centres. Under each heading, primary examples are listed and discussed. Each example is discussed relative to the main criteria within the design realm (i.e. structural effectiveness, accessibility and invasiveness) that characterizes a visitor centre. High Quality Designs Sydney Visitor Centres, Sydney, Australia Structural designs of the Sydney visitor centres are large and open (see visitor centre, The Rocks, right). The Sydney Visitor Centres are situated in the downtown precinct. Accessibility is excellent given proximity to commercial, entertainment and transportation hubs (i.e. Circular Quay). Also, the centers are well marked to the public. For example, the visitor centre situated in The Rocks (see right) is marked with a large yellow pillar denoting the information symbol. The degree of invasiveness is minimal because the centres exist within already developed commercial areas. Poor Quality Designs Stonehenge Visitor Centre, England The Stonehenge Visitor Centre designs are sound in structure, but poor in accessibility and invasiveness. For example, early renditions of the visitors centre reflect its use as a modern facility wherein visitors can become engaged in Stonehenge’s historical significance. However, a new visitor centre demands motor-based transportation between the centre and Stonehenge monument itself (BBC Online). Critics assert the environmental damage sustained with building of new road infrastructure to facilitate such transfers (BBC Online). Also, the centre is placed such that traffic is bottlenecked along a major interstate motorway (BBC Online). Information: A How to Guide Information presented within a visitor centre is critical to the user’s overall experience and satisfaction. There are three primary elements of information presentation that act not in mutual exclusivity, but in coordination to provide a comprehensive learning experience for a given individual. The first element is information accuracy. Information must be presented with high accuracy to must lucidly inform individuals of what and why a certain site bears historical, cultural or economic significance. The second element is presentation style. Critical to this element is a balance between detail and restrain. Information is most effectively presented if it enables satisfaction among users of a variety of ages, intelligence and general interest levels. The final element involves integration. This refers to the ability to present various different information pieces (i.e. historical accounts, vegetation descriptions[2], maps etc) in context of the site’s general theme or purpose. For example, the Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta, US, hosts an exhibit entitled â€Å"The World Ahead† (CDC 2003). The exhibit incorporates several presentations dealing with real, modern risks and threats to global health such as bioterrorism and infectious disease (CDC 2003). Information integration is highly effective as the exhibit exists on the premises of one of the most advanced health laboratories in the world. Discussed below are two examples of visitor centres that convey information with high effectiveness. Each example is discussed relative to main criteria within the information realm (i.e. information accuracy, presentation style and integration) that characterizes a visitor centre. As well, visitor centres are examined based on inclusion of essential issues – who, what, where, when, why and how – related to a specific site. Sydney Visitor Centres, Information Services Consider this example that uses a template for information services offered by the Sydney Visitor Centres Online. The following is an exert taken from Sydney Visitor Centres Online website (Information Services, http://www.sydneyvisitorcentre.com/content/dyncontent.cfm?pg=100360) that explains the range of services available within or facilitated by each of its two downtown visitor centres: â€Å"Sydney Visitor Centres offer a comprehensive information service, which includes: Conveniently located centres at The Rocks (9.30am- 5.30pm) and Darling Harbour (9.30am- 5.30pm) open every day of the year except Christmas Day and Good Friday Expert Visitor Services Advisers many of whom are multi-lingual Free information brochures and tourist guides A real-time Booking Service for accommodation, day tours, cruises and other activities in and around Sydney Exclusive souvenirs and gifts, postcards, phone cards, travel cards, tickets and passes for purchase† (Information Services, Sydney Visitors Centres 2006) Consider this outline of information services in the context of satisfying the essential criteria behind any marketing piece – answering the Who, What, Where, Why, When and How regarding the visitor centres and their services. First, the ‘who’ is clearly outlined in the heading, avoiding confusion among individuals as to who to consult vis-à  -vis Sydney attractions and sites. The ‘what’ is explained in terms of each service offered by the visitor centres (i.e. service advisers, booking services, amenities such as phone cards, tickets etc). Heritage and Leisure, Cork, Ireland Information and links distributed through the Heritage and Leisure Department of Cork City council highlights the city’s most famous attractions. For example, links are provided to the Cork Museum, Blarney Castle and Cobh Heritage Centre, each of which possesses a unique significance to Irish culture and history (Cork City Council 2006). The Cobh Centre is particularly well advertised and explained as a sea-farers port, in past for Irish emigrants and in present for cruise liners (Cork City Council 2006). This centre also satisfies the essential information criteria regarding the subject of the site – ‘who’ (Cobh Heritage Centre), ‘what’ (past port for Irish emigrants), ‘where’ (Irish southeastern coast), ‘why’ (drought), ‘when’ (mid 19th to mid 20th century) and ‘how’ (via ship). Conclusions Visitor centres are most effective when blended into respective surroundings and when information is most aptly presented and explained based on site theme. Planners and contractors should heed such fundamental criteria such that future visitor centres accentuate, not dominate specific sites. References BBC Online Version. ‘Visitor Centre â€Å"Will Never Happen†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. Undated, Anonymous. Accessed online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/stoned/countess.shtml>, April 17, 2006 CDC Hopes to Draw Crowds of Tourists to New Visitors Center. Anonymous. 2003. Physicians Financial News. 21(13): 25 Cork City Council, Ireland. 2006. Heritage and Leisure. Accessed online at http://www.corkcorp.ie/strategiccorkguide/our_city/heritage_and_leisure.shtml, April 16, 2006 England J. 2005. Historic Wood Used in Nature Preserve. Rocky Mountain Construction. 86(16): 42 Florence B. 2006. ‘Quill Lakes Prepares for Hordes of Spring Visitors’. StarPhoenix, 10 April, p. A3 Information Services, Sydney Visitors Centres. 2006. Accessed online at http://www.sydneyvisitorcentre.com/content/dyncontent.cfm?pg=100360>, April 17, 2006 Petrilli PE. 2004. River of Life. Consulting-Specifying Engineer. 36(4): 48 Rompf P., DiPietro RB and P. Ricci. 2005. Locals’ Involvement in Travelers’ Informational Search and Venue Decision Strategies While at Destination. Journal of Travel Tourism Marketing. 18(3): 11 Sydney Visitors Centres (SVC). 2006. Sydney Visitors Centres. Accessed online at http://www.sydneyvisitorcentre.com/content/dyncontent.cfm?pg=100355>, April 17, 2006 Wright G. 2004. Capitol Visitor Centre Project Nears Halfway Mark. 2004. Building Design Construction. 45(6): 7 Footnotes [1] Note that the Capitol Visitor Centre in Washington, DC, holds a capacity of ~600 for dining events (Wright 2004) [2] See Petrilli (2004) for description of Sandstone Visitor Centre, US, and connection to eco-friendliness