University of Phoenix Material

1. If you find errors on your credit report, what steps would you take to correct them? You would need to contact the consumer reporting company and the information provider like right away when you see something not right with your report.. When you are contacting the consumer reporting company in writing you need to explain to the person on the other line what information you believe to be is true that is inaccurate. When you are contacting the information provider in writing that you dispute on the item.They might ask you some questions like an address or etc. 2. There are many organizations that claim they will repair your credit for a fee. From your readings, should someone use a credit repair service? Why or why not? What are some actions these organizations can take that should be a red flag? 3. Have you, a family member, or a friend been a victim of identity theft? How did it happen? Describe the resolution process- ex. how much time did it take, what credit damage was correc ted?Well this actually just happen to me when I went to file my taxes. After I went and filed my taxes online it said that someone already had filed them. SO I waited two hours to actually talk to someone through the IRS and they hung up not one not twice but three times and I was very angry. I explained to them my situation. So they had to send me forms that I have to fill out and send back t0 the IRS. They told me this whole process is going to take 180 days.I don’t see how because, they should have like all the proof but, I guess it a waiting game now for me to sit back and just wait for my taxes. 4. Using the FTC site, what can you do to minimize the chance of your identity getting stolen? Ways you can protect your identify would be when you are going out into the public you only want to take your drivers license and the credit card you are going to need to go shopping or whatever you case might be. You never want to do your banking through and unsecure website always one to make sure it a secure site you are sure of.You always want to keep you social security card and birth certificate lock up when going away in case if someone would ever break into your home they won’t be able to rob you for your social and birth certificate. You always want to keep your pin numbers and your password to yourself. Don’t ever give them out because then anyone can access your stuff anytime they would want from where they want to. Never give anyone your credit or bank card to purchase or go get money because they could get your information. Post the Credit Protection and Identity Theft worksheet as a Microsoft ® Word attachment. University of Phoenix Material What were the major developments in the evolution of mass media during the 20th century? During the 1900’s magazines along with newspapers became the leading literature for media. When the 1940’s rolled around radio was invented and became the new way to get in touch with the masses. Folks often tuned into to get the news on what was going on during the war. Even though radio was new there was still a high demand for the newspaper as a way to get and stay informed on different things.Then in the1950’s television became the new source for information and resources for mass media. Television was everything all rolled up into one and the people loved it. In 1962 technology grew and they came up with the Satellites which gave the masses or the American Culture access to news all around the world. Today we can all just see how far technology has came and how endless the possibilities may be for the future. There are many forms of communication and it just continues to grow and communication has become almost instant these days.There is a never ending demand for more speed, more apps and new computers with high performance and so many other ways to communicate and relay information to the masses. People want instant answers to their questions and concerns and mass media makes it happen for the people. Technology only seems to grow more and more as the demand for new ways to communicate grow with it. There is always the next best thing right after the next best thing to have and buy in way of, phones, computers, and I-pads for social networks and so on.How did each development influence American culture? Mass media has developed strongly over the past years. The development of mass media has had a big influence on the American culture in many ways. It seems today, that mass media has endless possibilities to reach people. Initially in American culture we only communicated orally. In the past people depended on teachers and story tellers to obtain knowledge. One of the beginning developments in mass media was the ability to print.As far back as the 1400’s there were books in the starting stages of becoming available to people the mass media audience. Then we had the development of the Telegraph as a way of communication that was instant, and it did away with the need to transport written information. The creation of the telegraph opened the doors to cell phones, radio and fax machines. In the Twentieth century we entered the phase of electronics. This new age of information brought television to the American culture and lead to other resources like satellite and computers.Then we moved into the digital phase which gave a wealth of power to a common person. So as we can see mass media has had a profound affect on American culture in ways we have evolved in communication. No longer relying on one certain source to gain knowledge or information, we now have many avenues of media and communication that are instant and avai lable and will only continue to become better, which allows the American culture to stay in touch, get informed, and help them better and faster with communication and recourses.

Lin Article Questions

If any differences are statistically significant and small have the researchers notes that they are small? The researchers share with their readers that the sample sizes were collected at both the pretest, posttest, and the follow up. Is the results section a cohesive essay? 3. Does the researcher refer back to the research hypothesis, purposes, or questions originally stated in the introduction? 4. When there are a number of related statistics, ave they been presented in a table? . If there are tables, are there highlights discussed in the narrative of the results section? 6. Overall, is the presentation of the results comprehensible? Critique of discussion -ch. 12 1 .In long articles do the researchers briefly summarize the purpose and results at the beginning of the discussion session? The researchers begin the discussion section by 2. Do the researchers acknowledge specific methodological limitations? a. Sample size 3. Are the results discussed in terms of their literature cited in the introduction? . Are the results discussed in terms of any relevant theories? 5. Are suggestions for future research specific? Critique of entire article -Ch. 13 1 . In your Judgment, has the researchers selected an important problem? a. Use research to express how full the US Jails are. 2. Is the report cohesive? 3. Does the report extend the boundaries of the knowledge on a 4. Is the research likely to inspire additional research? a. Yes- there was previous research that they extended on.They did not do a large sample group. Potentially future researchers will extend on the theories used, sample size and/or demographics. 5. Is the research likely to help in decision making? -Discuss potential follow up study that has some changes in the design that would add meaningful to this subject area. -adopt basic design of the first study, only with some modification to make it better. :::Sample size and demographics Lin Article Questions By statsisnofriendofmine

Generative Grammar

FOUNDATIONS IN GENERATIVE GRAMMARAny native speaker of a language can be said to know the grammar of his/her own language, they know how to form and interpret any expression. However, this grammatical knowledge is subconscious. Native speaker have grammatical competence in their native language. This means that they have tacit knowledge of the grammar of their own lang. We have to make a difference between competence (the fluent native speaker's tacit knowledge of his lang) and performance (what people actually say and understand, the use of the language). Criteria of adequacyBasically, the criteria of adequacy are 2: descriptive adequacy (universality) and explanatory adequacy. 1. A grammar is descriptively adequate if it correctly describes whether a sequence of words is or isn't grammatical and also correctly describes what interpretation(s) this sequence has. 1. 1. The goal of a descriptive linguist is to devise particular grammars of particular languages, while that of a theoret ical linguist is to devise a theory of grammar. This is a set of hypotheses about the nature of possible and impossible grammars of natural languages and about the inherent properties that natural langs do and don't possess.An adequate theory of grammar must satisfy the criterion of adequacy known as universality. This means that a theory of grammar must enable us to devise a descriptively adequate grammar for every natural lang. The main goal of Generative Grammar is to build a theory of Universal Grammar. 2. This theory of UG will not only list the universal properties of natural lang grammars, but also explain the relevant properties –i. e. why grammar have the properties they do. This requirement is referred to as explanatory adequacy. Language FacultyAccording to Chomsky, the most plausible explanation for uniformity and rapidity lies in that the course of acquisition is determined by a biologically endowed innate language faculty within the brain, which provides childre n with a genetically transmitted set of procedures for developing a grammar on the basis of their linguistic experience (the speech input they receive). The hypothesis that the course of lang acquisition is determined by an innate language faculty is known as the innateness hypothesis. The major tenets of this hypothesis are: 1. The innate language faculty is unique to humans. . All humans possess this ability of lang acquisition. 3. The uniformity character suggests that children have a genetic guidance in the task of building a grammar of their native lang. 4. Despite performance errors in the input, children acquire a competence grammar, which again points to the fact that the acquisition ability must be genetically determined. 5. Although no special care is taken to teach them, children acquire languages successfully, which again supports the genetic character of lang acquisition. Principles We have claimed that children have a genetically endowed language faculty.If so, what ar e the defining properties of the language faculty? The lang faculty must include a set of principles of Universal Grammar, in the sense that the lang faculty must be such as to allow the child to develop a grammar of any natural lang on the basis of a sufficient speech input. If these principles are universal their application in one language should reveal evidence of their application in other langs. The underlying rule to construct a particular structure in one language will be part of a general principle of UG. (1) a. Mary will tell me the truth. b. Will Mary tell me the truth? Move the second word in a sentence in front of the first word) (2) a. The girl in the corner will tell me the truth. b. *Girl the in the corner†¦.? | | |STRUCTURE DEPENDENCE PRINCIPLE | |All grammatical operations are structure-dependent. | To explain grammaticality and ungrammaticality we should rely on general principles such as the Structure Dependence Principle, although in each language this prin ciple will be turned into something more concrete:Move an auxiliary in front of a preceding noun expression which functions as its subject. This rule makes use of structural information which is subconsciously available to all humans, although people don't know what an auxiliary is. Also this rule accounts for the contrast in (3): (3) a. Mary told me the truth. b. *Told Mary the truth? as we have applied inversion to a non-auxiliary. A theory of grammar which posits that the internal structure of words, phrases and clauses in natural lang is determined by innate UG principles minimizes the burden of grammatical learning imposed on the child.This is quite important given the learnability criterion of adequacy for any theory of grammar. The UG theory accounts for the rapidity of the child's grammatical development by positing that there is a universal set of innately endowed grammatical principles which determine the nature of grammatical structure and the range of grammatical operati ons found in natural lang. Since these UG principles don't have to be learned, the UG theory minimizes the learning load placed on the child and as a consequence maximizes the learnability of natural language grammars. ParametersAlthough the lang faculty involves a set of UG principles, all aspects of the grammatical structure of language are not determined by innate gramm. principles. Otherwise all languages would have the same structure and there would not be any structural learning in lang acquisition. So although there are universal principles which control the overall structure of a lang, there are also language-particular aspects of grammatical struct which children have to learn as part of acquiring their native lang. Acquisition involves structural learning, which is limited to a set of parameters.Parameters are those aspects of grammatical structure which are subject to lang-particular variation. Examples of parameters: 1. Null subject parameter: languages which permit omis sion of the subject of a finite verb and langs that do not. (4) a. Maria come pasta. b. Come pasta. (5) a. Mary eats pasta. b. *Eats pasta. 2. Wh-parameter: languages which permit fronting of the wh-phrase or not. (6) a What do you think he will say? b. ?Que piensas que el dira? c. Ni xiangxin ta hui shuo shenme you think he will say whatEnglish and Spanish Wh-phrases move to the beginning of the interrogative clause, but Chinese Wh-phrase remains in situ. 3. Head position parameter: the relative positioning of heads with respect to their complements. Head-first languages and Head-last langs. (7) a. Close the door b. Moonul dadala. door close (8) a. desire for change. b. byunhwa-eadaehan kalmang change-for desire 4. Discourse/Agreement Prominence: Miyagawa (2005) claims that languages can be classified according to whether they are focus or agreement prominent.On the basis of his classification, there are languages which overtly instantiate the notion of topic (Korean or Japanese), there are also languages which put a special emphasis on agreement marking (English), but additionally there are languages which show both (Spanish). >>> Jimenez (2008, 2009) 9) a. Taroo-ga hon-o katta. Taro-NOM book-ACC bought ‘Taro bought a book’. b. Hon-o Taroo-ga katta. Book-ACC Taro-NOM bought ‘A book, Taro bought’. 10) a. Mary likes syntax. b. *Syntax Mary likes. (11) a.Susana corto los tulipanes. (S-V-O) Susana cutpast3sg the tulips ‘Susana cut the tulips. ’ b. Los tulipanes(,) los corto Susana. (O-cl-V-S) The tulips, CL3pl,masc cut Susana ‘The tulips, Susana cut’. Parameter-setting Parameters involve binary choices, so structural variation between langs is constrained. The only structural learning that children have to face is the task of setting the appropriate value for each of the relevant structural parameters >>>>> Metaphor of the switch in the up or down position.

Questions for Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Questions for Discussion - Essay Example Essentially, some companies believe that if they tell applicants the realistic job information, the applicants will not want the job. This approach of hiring employees without giving them a through understanding of what they are getting themselves into can backfire (Jean & Stanley 2011, p.121). When employees are hired and later find out that the job information was unrealistic, most of them will eventually leave the job. The costs of filling these positions include the cost of employing new employees, training costs, advertising costs and labor hours lost, thus making this process expensive. Giving realistic information about a job will attract only the interested candidates, thus reducing the staff turnover and in the long run reducing the costs of filling vacant positions. Companies need to focus on both the skills and motivation of the job applicants; an individual may have the job skills, but without motivation, he/she may not be interested with job (Packard, 2001). This approac h will enable the recruiter to get the suitable applicants by observing and listening to their reactions and responses; once the hiring team presents the realistic information about the job. An applicant may see the job as a source of experience and after sometimes he/she will move into another career; such an applicant may not be the best for the job. There are applicants who will respond positively about the job; it will be wise to choose prospective employees from this group (Packard, 2001). Employers expect the applicants to give realistic information about their qualifications, skills, and work experience and use various ways to get the information from the applicants. Employers also need to give realistic job information to the applicants; honesty and trust will be the best policy (Jean & Stanley 2011, p.122). A well structured and transparent recruitment system may significantly reduce the rate of staff turnover, which are experienced within the first three months of employme nt, the period where both the employee and the company are typically on a probationary period. For example, Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, has 55,000 employees and hires an average of 200 people per day; while hiring, the firm employs realistic job previews. Applicants view a film illustrating the working conditions at Disney, before completing an application or an interview. After viewing the film, 10 percent of applicants eliminate themselves from the hiring process. Disney observes this as a good thing, as those self-selecting themselves out most likely would not have been an excellent fit with the organization. Honesty in the recruitment process may result to positive remarks about the company; the applicants will regard the company positively thus enhancing the company’s public image (Jean & Stanley 2011, p.124). # 2 There are key disadvantages of this recruitment approach. First, provision of realistic job information may prompt candidates to eliminate themselves voluntarily from consideration for a certain job. For this reason, it is normally assumed that such information will decrease the number of prospective employees who eventually accept the job. However, stiff competition for new workers may diminish the probability that realistic job information will become an essential part of a company’s recruiting efforts. Despite the confidence that this approach will reduce the probability of job acceptance, various analysis and reviews, of the literature of realistic job pre

Empirical Evidence - the Evolution of Consolidated Financial Reportin Essay

Empirical Evidence - the Evolution of Consolidated Financial Reporting Can Be Explained By Contracting Cost Variables - Essay Example At the extreme, some researchers have titled their studies as examining the 'determinants' of economic choices (Hagerman and Zmrjewski, 1979; Lekme and Page, 1992; Aitken and Loftus 1994; Whittred and Zimmer, 1994)" Studies carried out by Whittred n 1987 have in fact mistook to analyze the set of amended rules of the Sydney Stock Exchange which was evidently an optional norm. However regulatory requirements regulatory requirements since 1921 have progressively encouraged the presentation of the consolidated statements. A meagre number of companies have voluntarily presented consolidated statements of their own under the regulatory influence. Statutory requirements were found influential than listing rules of the stock exchange leading a vital role in disseminating knowledge about the techniques of consolidated statements through a seminar, professional literature and public examinations. Whitted's study further highlights the speculative assumptions of data where high levels of debt were assumed to mean there had been incidents of contractual arrangements between lenders and beneficiaries as minimum agency cost. The study albeit failed to explain the use of consolidated statements based on cost variations. Many of the practitioners were not familiar with the techniques of consolidations even when the Institute of Chartered Accounts and the Australian Society of Accountants made their first pronouncements on the subject of consolidation in 1946 and 1956 respectively. The accounting literature hereafter included more discussions about the virtues of consolidated statements as a means of reporting to a range of stakeholders. Nevertheless, changes in regulations were associated with the changes in practices in accounting education. This hypothesis yields an evidence of a mere causal relationship between accounting writers and its regulatory practices. Doubtlessly consolidation evolved in the demand of necessity for monitoring performance in compliance with the contracts between the firms and their suppliers of debt and equity capital aimed at reducing agency cost. The characteristic difference of early consolidators with more subsidiaries than non-consolidators disappeared in 1950 following the introduction of taxation incentives. Institutional requirements were ruled out by the sample selection criteria promoting the growth of holding company form and thus it gradually established the necessities towards the descending towards the extent of political cost. G. Whittred gives us a solid ground of its existence as follow According to Clifford W Smith as described in the Incentives for Unconsolidated Financial Reporting says â€Å" We provide a positive analysis of Firms decision to report the operations of a financial subsidiary on a consolidated versus unconsolidated basis.†Ã‚     

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Strategic Management - Essay Example GM has a brand name with Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab, and Saturn. Trucks, sport cars, sedans, and SUVs are made by GM. The recognition of the GM brand sets it above new automotive company competition. Another asset is GM’s resources. Money, automotive parts, factories, and stock allow GM to remain competitive worldwide. GM has spent millions on research for hybrids and other cars that run on alternative fuel, lower emissions, and safer products. This creates confidence in the GM product for the consumer population. External Analysis---The remote environment is promising for GM. The resources available to GM allow the company to comply with economic, social, political, technological, and ecological demands. The industry environment is no problem for GM. Entry barriers, supplier power, buyer power, substitute availability, and competitive rivalry are handled by GM’s strong foundation and brand name in the auto industry. The operating environment is more unstable. Customers, creditors, competitors, labor, and suppliers can be affected by a recession or high oil prices. GM will need to take this into consideration and make necessary changes accordingly. As long as GM continues to change in the face of adversity, produce quality products, and research alternative fuel sources, the company will make it through tough times and

Interconnectedness & Complexity Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Interconnectedness & Complexity - Coursework Example Woodrow Wilson (1887) meant that the consideration of politics and administration as separate elements they serve different roles. For instance, politics deals with the laws governing the planning of an area while administration is the execution and maintenance of the plans (Rosenbloom, 2015). Despite the two should be separated, they still interact with the urban planning practices because of the laws and administration. In reality, politics control urban planning to promote the interests of the parties and this should not be used in the administration of the urban centers. The concepts of interconnectedness and complexity compare with the theory posited by Woodrow claiming that the administration is separate from politics through the principles involved when executing the concepts (Rosenbloom, 2015). This implies that the two concepts are separate but must be incorporated to produce the desired outcomes. This is because of the usefulness of the separate variables used to determine the traffic flow and enhance time saving. Woodrow claims that the two should be separated to influence distinctiveness and inclusivity (Levy,

Week 7 dq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 7 dq - Essay Example It would be wise to therefore disarm him as Attfield recommends that saving human life should not be bargained. 2. I should be tested before getting intimate in the new relationship. From previous relationships, I could have been infected with HIV/AIDS but have never known because I have never been tested. The results could determine the destiny of the relationship and I do not know whether I would continue if found to be HIV positive. My partner would also have to prove with rightful documentation that she has been tested and found to be free of HIV before we get intimate. 3. I would do as the instructor asks me to do and respond as being in New York and not Bridgeport, Connecticut. With every job comes regulations and rules and for one to be successful, these have to be followed to the latter even if they do not make sense or go against one’s moral ethics. After all, so much effort had been put to learn the job and the people calling would not know my location. In case of a situation getting beyond my capacity to handle, then the instructor would advice on the way forward. 4. I accept the arrangement because it gives solutions to the main problem, lack of finance in the family. In as much as the solution goes against moral standards, my family would be saved from financial stress and I would get to go to the school of my desire, Ivy League School. Whatever decisions are made, Attfield argues that there would be costs and

International Financial management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Financial management - Term Paper Example Although international banks offer their services to both individuals and organizations, they tend to prefer conducting business with organizations and relatively wealthy individuals. On its part the money market was primarily introduced for the sake of trading in currency rate futures contracts as well as options. Essentially, currency futures were intended to realize a liberally traded exchange market that would promote trade across national borders. Therefore, the money market serves a number of functions that include lubricating central bank policies, financing trade, enhancing the self-sufficiency of commercial banks and facilitating profitable investments. From their roles and functions, it can be seen that international banking and money market are inextricably linked. With the opportunities and challenges presented by globalization and the global market, there are also benefits and hazards associated with international banking and money market. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the concept of international banking and money market focusing on the reasons for international banking, how international banking and money market functions and also highlight the hazards associated with the concepts. International banks provide certain services that make a distinction between them and domestic banks. Most significantly, they facilitate export and import services for their clients through their role of arranging trade financing. Further, they not only play the crucial role of arranging the necessary foreign exchange multinationals use to carry out international transactions but also assist in making foreign investments by hedging exchange rate risk. This is typically in foreign currency payables and receivables options and forward contracts. However, the international banks are mainly distinguished from domestic banks by the types of loans they give, investments they make and deposits they accept. From the perspective of international money market,

Physician Assisted Suicide in the United States Research Paper

Physician Assisted Suicide in the United States - Research Paper Example The question then can turn to the reason for the action, whether passive or aggressive, that will end in death. One must contemplate whether or not it is always considered suicide if an action will inevitably end in death. If this is true, as Durkheim points out, then a soldier who bravely enters into a situation that is likely to end in death, but will save others, would also be committing suicide. However, the nature of the outcome is also not a part of the definition or the result of an action. In order to define a death a suicide, then, it is important to consider the intent of the action that will come to the result in death. In considering the different frames of action and thought when suicide is approached, it then shifts to consider the differences that can be appreciated in the reasons that one might wish to end their life. According to Holmes and Holmes, suicide is defined by taking an action that ends one’s life. They do not embellish or extend the discussion in th e way that Durkheim does, but they simply define the term as an active pursuit of the outcome of death. They further clarify the ambiguity of the term by saying â€Å"suicide is a behavior that differs from one person to another and from one time to another and has different motivations and anticipated gains† (2). Therefore, in defining suicide, one must understand that no clear definition applies, but that it is fluid and flexible depending on the variables involved in the event or events that lead to death. Every year, an approximate 30,000 people commit suicide within the United States. Suicide is the 11th most common cause of death, with homicide ranking at 14th. Suicide is the third leading... According to Hendin and Foley, â€Å"the World Health Organization recommendation (is) that governments not consider the legalization of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia until they have demonstrated the full availability and practice of palliative care for all citizens† (2). This perspective of the argument does not completely deny the use of such assistance, but does suggest that because of inadequacies in the current system, the potential for abuse of assisted suicide does not allow for its use as a treatment.   Doctor Jack Kevorkian became the symbol for the other side of the debate in which the idea of helping people to pass more quickly when faced with a long term illness with no hope found a leader and a face in which to center the debate. In 1990, his first assisted suicide was conducted in which an Alzheimer’s patient named Janet Adkins was helped by Dr. Kevorkian to die. His methods were centered on devices that he built that made it easy for patient s to push a button and deliver a dose of medications that would end life. Therefore, when he was charged with murder tin the death of Adkins, Michigan, which had no laws against suicide at the time, had to release him as he did not, himself, deliver the medications that killed her (Nicol and Wylie 151).   Dr. Kevorkian aided more than 130 people towards self directed deaths and became known as ‘Dr. Death’ because of his activism and participation in assisted suicide (Nicol and Wylie 24). Dr. Kevorkian often become an adversary to the opposing opinion on the topic.

The Home Front in World War One Essay Example for Free

The Home Front in World War One Essay Why do the sources show different attitudes to recruitment? Source A is a recruitment poster from 1914 which tries to encourage men to sign up for the war effort. It shows what I assume to be a wife, daughter and son gazing out the window as the man of the house walks out to join the war. This is obviously issued b the government and therefore is used as propaganda. It would no doubt have been effective as many people soon joined up. Source B is yet another poster, meant to encourage people to join up. However this time it is not meant to be out of heroism, it is meant to be out of revenge. It describes a battle which took place in Scarborough. The poster shows that many people were killed and in a brutal way. This is meant to strike deep in the hearts of the British soldiers, making them want to pay back the Germans for what they did to their family and friends. It also makes out the Germans as heartless barbarians. It is again, obviously a propaganda poster issued by the government. Source C is a picture of queues of people waiting outside a Army Recruiting Office waiting to enlist. However I do not think this picture is very accurate as all the people in it are looking at the camera. Personally I believe this picture was set up to show other men how many people were signing up for the war and hopefully make them feel bad about not doing it. I also think this is proven by the obvious sign on the top that says Army Recruiting Office. If this picture was not set up, the sign might not be so obvious but it is made to stand out to show the viewer what it is and to make sure u know. Therefore I think this source is very unreliable. Source D is an extract from the text book Modern World History by the historian, B. Walsh, published in 1996. It states that the recruitment campaign was very successful and by 1916 two million people had signed up. This was written for textbook for people to learn from so it was probably correct and if it is not, it was unintentional. Obviously the historian is working from other sources that have been found and written but there is nothing that would mean it is incorrect. He would have no motive to lie. It is also quite reliable as it is statistics and therefore cant lie as easily as for example a soldiers diary extract. Source E is an extract from the tribunal testimony of Clifford Allen in 1916. He firmly states that he does not belief in war and clearly shows that he will not be a part of it. This source is different from sources A, B and C as it is against conscription whereas the others have all been for it and encouraging to sign up willingly. However I think this source is very reliable as he would have reason to lie, because as he was against conscription he would have been imprisoned. But in fact he said the very thing that got him imprisoned, therefore I think it is the honest truth. I think the sources show a different attitude to recruitment because as the war went on, people saw how bad the war was and knew that the really didnt want to sign up for it. Therefore the government had to try a lot harder to encourage people to join through propaganda. Part B Explain the effects of World war One on the way people lived in Britain between 1914 and 1918 People were affected by World War One in many ways at home. Most of these changes were made by the government. The immediate task was to get the people at home behind the war. They did this by trying to make them hate the Germans. This was successfully achieved by posters, some true, some not. Dora (Defence of the Realm Act) also changed many things at home. Dora was basically a set of rules that told people what they could not do. These rules included things like: Do not fly a kite, light bonfires or fireworks, use invisible ink when writing abroad. As the war continued the government brought in many other measures such as not letting people but rounds of drinks in a pub and that beer should be watered down. Another big change brought on by the war in Britain was food shortages. Food supply was alright until 1916, but towards the end of that year and beginning of 1917, German Submarines were stopping supply ships from getting through. Because of this, food prices shot up dramatically. Dora was used to try and prevent food shortages, but it became obvious that these measures were not enough to reduce the amount of food being eaten or change the amount of food being produced. A voluntary ration scheme was introduced. People were asked to try and limit themselves to four pounds of meat and three quarters of a pound of sugar each week. The King and Queen themselves followed this ration. However the campaign failed and shortages continued. Poorer people could not afford to buy meat and sugar and their diet usually consisted of just bread before the rationing, while the rich were able to buy food as they wanted off the black market. Due to the shortages, people tried to grow their own food. Parks and tennis courts were turned into allotments where they could grow food. Eventually compulsory rationing was introduced. This once again, limited the amount of food people had, making it even harder to stay out of hunger. Soon factories suffered from lack of workers as the men went off to fight in the war. The government in the end had to accept that women had to do the job. This was the first time it was acknowledged that women would play a vital role in winning the war. Women were soon employed in munitions factories, textile factories and dress making factories. When conscription was introduced this forced the factories to be solely run by women. This I think shows a great difference in life before, during and after the war. The war changed many things that could not be changed back. Women gaining their independence is just one of many changes stemming from the war.

Mcmaster Children’s Hospital Essay Example for Free

Mcmaster Children’s Hospital Essay â€Å"Mcmaster Children’s Hospital is a caring for our future, one child at a time. † It was distinguished as one of the hospitals who provided the best care for patients and is also awarded with Profiling Excellence in Family-Centered Care in 2008. Aside from receiving various awards and recognition for the quality of their services it is also one of the largest pediatric hospital in Canada and ranked second busiest in Ontario. It also has 40 pediatric clinics with diverse specialization which can treat illness of almost any kind. It is like a one stop shop wherein all that you need in child care treatment, child care specialists and medicines are all there. In addition, it has also specialization on child care disorder. Because of its size and specialization a number of clients and patients can be accommodated immediately once they approach the lobby area. Superior care can be given to children because of it advocates the â€Å"inherent worth of youth and children†. Another characteristic of Mcmaster that set it aside from other hospitals is that it does not surpassed the opinion of patients (the youth and the children) as well as their families in deciding for their welfare. Before deciding for a certain treatment and the like they consult first the concern people. As it is best for children it is also recommended for babies because of its newly installed intensive care units for neonatal. It best fits pregnant women for the superior caring of their unborn children because it can give thorough care to the pregnant women beginning from pre-natal stage to post-natal stage. As it advocates innovation, one may experience an extraordinary hospital treatment because of its innovative facilities. As it advocates quality service, a patients, clients, or visitors are surely to experience a comfortable stay in the hospital. The nurses and medical practitioners are all very accommodating and are very helpful in any way possible. For the families, the Mcmaster hospital is an absolute safe alternative haven for your children and relatives who happened to visit or to be confined in the hospital. All of the staff has proper identification and name tags, likewise, the patients, have identification bands. In case that someone needs assistance whether in rooms or bathrooms, call bells are available to inform nurses. As for the hospital’s organization, the structure is formal with moderate degree of bureaucracy. The decision making process is participative, with the patients, clients and residents as partner in decision making. Although, the Mcmaster organization is generally stable and the functions can be considered as highly effective and efficient there are also some improvement that can be done to the organization for superior achievement of goals and better-quality satisfaction of customers. First, the Mcmaster organization may opt to post more and detailed information on their websites regarding their facilities and services. The customers can generate more information and knowledge about their services if this can be done. Another change that can be implemented is the adaptation of modern medical record technology. Several years ago, technology adaptation in medical recording has hailed a tremendous welcome from medical practitioners and health care providers. The goal of this is to ensure a secure exchange of health matter information through out the national system. The basic assumption of the electronic medical record directive is to secure accessibility to patients’ health information, whenever and wherever needed. Improving the quality of service requires a change in the system that will also bring forth efficiency which is the very heart of the so called EMR. The modern way of recording can be more protective for patients’ information. It will serve as a tool in promoting a more secure environment. Even the staff is assigned to l00 patients; he/she will be able to enjoy a hassle free recording because of the automatic commands in computer that will speed up the process unlike the manual recording. The EMR will help decrease errors in medical recording. The medical attendants to patients’ time will be also increase because there is no longer need for checking on the time consuming paper records and correcting on the misreported patients information and diagnoses.

The Low Cost Airline Air Asia

The Low Cost Airline Air Asia The low-cost concept became a moneymaker in the United States, where it was pioneered in the 1970s by Southwest Airlines, the model for budget carriers elsewhere like Ryanair and easyJet in Europe. Definition of low cost airlines A low cost airline generally has many features that differentiate it from the traditional carriers. These features include ticketless travel, online ticket sales, no international offices, no frequent flyer points, no free food and beverages, no inflight magazines, no club lounges, use of secondary city airports. Not all low cost airlines have these features, and not all airlines that have some of these features are low cost airlines. For example, Virgin Express is a low cost airline, but it still offers complimentary coffee and inflight magazine, and they are based at Brussels primary airport. Case Study-AirAsia Story of AirAsia Air Asia, as the second Malaysian National Airline, provides a totally different type of service in line with the nations aspirations to benefit all citizens and worldwide travellers. Such service takes the form of a no frills low airfares flight offering, 40%-60% lower than what is currently offered in this part of Asia. Their vision is Now Everyone Can Fly and their mission is to provide Affordable Airfares without any compromise to Flight Safety Standards. The story of emergence of AirAsia is similar to Ryanair, since both carriers underwent a remarkable transformation from a money-losing regional operator to a profitable, low cost airline. AirAsia was initially launched in 1996 as a full-service regional airline offering slightly cheaper fares than its main competitor, Malaysia Airlines. Before 2001, AirAsia fail to either sufficiently stimulate the market or attract enough passengers from Malaysia Airlines to establish its own niche market. The turnaround point of AisAsia is in 2001, while it was up to sale and bought by Tony Fernandes. Tony Fernandes then enrolled some of the lending low-cost airline experts to restructure AirAsias business model. He invited Connor McCarthy, the former director of group operation of Ryanair, to join the executive team. In late 2001, AirAsia was re-launched in Malaysia as a trendy, no-frills operation with three B737 aircraft as a low-fare, low-cost domestic airline. Opportunities faced by AirAsia in light of external development Low fare of Indonesia-Malaysia trip The fare for a Jakarta-Johor Baru trip costs Rp 100,000 (RM 88.88 one way). And charge Rp 150,000 for a Bandung-Kuala Lumpur flight, and Rp 300,000 for a Surabaya-Kuala Lumpur trip, whereas a Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur air ticket from Malaysia Airlines available at travel agents cost Rp 1.4 million. Meanwhile, Lion Air on the same route, charged Rp 1.05 million. The low fare provided by AirAsia helps it open the Indonesia market. Low fare of Singapore-Bangkok service AirAsia will increase its services between Singapore Bangkok by introducing a 2nd daily flight to its existing schedule. This recent development came barely a month after Thai AirAsia operations started its first international flight to Singapore in early February this year. AirAsia is offering its guests promotional fares to/from Singapore- Bangkok from SGD$23.99 (THB 499) one way from the 28th March to 30th Oct, 2004. It is much lower than the lowest fare SGD$56 offered by full-service carrier. This helps it open the Singapore market. Political connections AirAsia hold 49% of Thai AirAsia with 1% being held by a Thai individual. The remaining 50% is held by Shin Corp. which is owned by the family of Thailands prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. Shin Corp. has financial strength, synergy in ingormation technology and telecommunications, which support AirAsia Internet and mobile phone bookings. Shin Corp. allows subscribers of the Shin mobile phone flagship, Advanced Information Service, being able to reserve tickets through its short-messaging service (SMS). AirAsia with its politically powerful backer may well grow up to bite. This helps it open the Thailand market. Malaysian government support The Malaysian government supported the establishment of AirAsia in 2001 to help boost the under-used Kuala Lumpur International Airport. AirAsias flights from Senai are meant to develop Johor into a transport hub to rival Singapore. AirAsia, therefore, can provide an alternative route to travel to Bangkok, by using Senai Airport in Johor Bahru, in southern Malaysia. Opportunities faced by AirAsia in light of internal development Issue of IPO Kamarudin Meranun, AirAsias Executive Director announced the appointment of Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) and RHB Sakura Merchant Bankers (RHB) as the bookrunners for the companys upcoming Initial Public Offering (IPO). The IPO strengthens AirAsia balance sheet, further cuts its existing low costs at 2.5 US cents per ASK and accelerates our growth plans throughout Asia. The IPO also allows AirAsia to expand its fleet of 18 Boeing 737-300s. Political connections Thai AirAsia is a join venture established by AirAsia with Shin Corp. Shin Corp. is owned by the family of Thailands prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, and about 900 million baht will be invested in Thai AirAsia over a five-year period. Shin Corp. oversees the finance and administration of Thai AirAsia while AirAsia shoulders the responsibility for marketing and operations. Shin Corp. has financial strength and supports AirAsia to grow. AirAsia with its politically powerful backer may well grow up to bite. Challenges faced by AirAsia in light of external development Indonesian habit Preferences of Indonesian passengers are quite different from the concept of cheap air travel without extra service for the passengers (free snacks and drinks), and also their reluctance to bring light baggage. AirAsia prefers passengers with very light and minimum baggage. If this is the case, it may not last long. But Indonesian domestic airline companies are able to provide value-added extras like food and beverages as part of their service to the passengers, although at a relatively higher cost. The comparative edge of Indonesian domestic airline companies compared to AirAsia concerns habit (culture). Furthermore, Indonesian domestic airlines were already trained with the low-cost air travel concept, known as tariff war. They have proved themselves as immune, and managed to survive. Last but not least, the Indonesian government or domestic airline companies had never announced the availability of a low-cost airline company of the country. All these affect AirAsia growth in Indonesia. Singapore government rejection Initially, AirAsia wanted to start flights from the southern state of Johor, near Singapore, it hoped to attract passengers by running a convenient bus service to the city-state. However, Singapore quickly quashed that idea. The Singapore government said it would not approve a bus link for AirAsia because it was not in her national interest, reflecting fears that Singapores Changi airport would lose business to Johors new Senai airport. This makes AirAsia cannot abandon the use of Changi airport, and therefore suffer from a higher cost. This is because AirAsia flying to Singapore needs to suffer from flight congestion of Changi. Changi has drawbacks of flight congestion that could prevent the quick turnarounds essential to keeping down costs. AirAsia finds it stuck between big planes and circling to wait for a slot to open up, which means extra fuel costs. Moreover, the SGD$21 departure and security tax of Changi is too high for AirAsia low-cost operation. AirAsia had asked the Singapore government to waive the fees, however, a request that was not only rejected but also criticized. Besides Singapore Bangkok, AirAsia now provides an alternative route to travel to Bangkok, by using Senai Airport in Johor Bahru, in southern Malaysia. Seeking to cater to the different markets, fares for Johor Bahru- Bangkok are generally 20 % lower in comparison to Singapore Bangkok. AirAsia currently operate daily flights to Bangkok from Johor Bahru. However, the choice proved unpopular, as the route failed to attract Singaporeans because of the additional cost and inconvenience of having to travel in and out of Malaysia by road. All these affect AirAsia external growth. Minimum air-fare rates AirAsia faces challenges finding open takeoff and landing slots at opportune times, and Thailands regulation that sets minimum air-fare rates. Although Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said the current minimum air-fare regulations will be scrapped to open up the market, he couldnt name a date when this will be done. This seems to be favoritism toward Thai Airways Internationals domestic operations, and affects Thai AirAsia to compete in the Thailand market. External Changes which have impact on AirAsia Asias middle class growth Low cost airlines are anticipated to have greater potential in Asia as there are many Asian cities with a population above one million people each as well as a rising middle class population. This growth of middle class in Asia provides a huge market potential for AirAsia to grow. However, as the market is becoming larger, more airlines or new comers would like to get a piece of the action. For example, Budget airlines, it is estimated, will capture at least 25% of Asias air travel market within next 10 years and a lot of that will be new, not diverted, traffic. Therefore, AirAsia will face more competitions at the same time. Besides the low cost airlines, AirAsia still needs to compete with the conventional carriers. Although extra passengers of the low cost airlines will be coming from the new demand to be created by the low fares, the growth may not be entirely stolen from big flag carriers. Actions of Changi and nearby airports The growth of low cost airlines in south-east Asia has a significant effect on which airports will dominate the regional aviation market. Low cost airlines are seen as helping funnel more passengers to airport hubs. Therefore, there is a realization among regional governments that they need smashing airports and feisty carriers or they are going to miss out big time. Therefore, these governments are more willing to support low cost airlines. For example, the Malaysian government supported the establishment of AirAsian in 2001 to help boost the under-used Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and Thai premiers Shin Corp. forms a join venture with AirAsia that would benefit Bangkoks new airport and create a new hub at Chiang Mai. Therefore, under this situation, it helps AirAsia grow in Asia. Moreover, as there is a growth of several south-east Asian airports, this poses a challenge to the status of Singapores Changi airport as a regional aviation hub. These airports include Johors new Senai airport in southern Malaysia, Bangkoks new Suvarnabhumi airport which will be able to handle 45 million passengers when it opens in 2005, Bangkok Don Muang which recently overtook Changi in passenger numbers, etc. To maintain Changis position as the air hub in the region, Singapore is proposing a budget airline terminal at Changi by 2005 and lower passenger taxes to attract low cost airlines. This helps AirAsia grow and lower the cost. Actions of existing airlines The existing airlines in south-east Asia have several actions to compete with AirAsia, for example, some have launched a low cost airline to fight with AirAsia. Singapore Airlines launched a low cost airline subsidiary, Tiger Airways, in the second half of 2003, only months after the scheduled launch of ValuAir set up by one of its former executives. Orient Thai Airlines launched a new low cost airline subsidiary, One-To-Go. One-To-Go operates with a fleet of six Boeing 757-200s and match any fares that Thai AirAsia offers. Thai Airways have frequency and capacity to offer to their 13 domestic destinations. They also have, during the past two years, worked to improve operational efficiency, slashing unprofitable domestic routes, increasing flights on busy routes, strengthening yield management and controlling costs. All these make AirAsia face a huge competition. Critical success factors in the Low cost airlines in Asia Reduction in operational cost Low cost airlines strive to achieve the lowest possible price for their products and services. Low prices cannot sustain unless the company maximizes its operational efficiency. The success factors of Asian low cost airlines in reducing their operational cost include: Service savings (no frills cabin service and extensive use of outsourcing) NO-frills include: NO drinks, NO food, NO headphones, NO newspapers, NO movies, NO VIP lounges, NO expensive offices, NO mileage programs, NO seat allocation, NO childrens fares, NO paper tickets (Electronic tickets only), NO connecting flights (All flight-legs must be booked independently) Operational savings (point-to-point services and uniform fleet) Overhead savings (internet sales and streamlined bureaucracy) We can compare the operational cost in terms of costs per available seat kilometer (ASK), a measure of the running cost of the airline. For instance, Ryanair in Europe is almost half of the ASK price comparing with the full services airline. The average fare offered by Air Asia in Malaysia is 40-60 % lower than its full-service competitor. Competitive Ticket price against traditional full-service airline Low cost airlines begins with two initial cost advantages arising from the very nature of their operation: higher seating density and higher daily aircraft utilization. By removing business class and reconfiguring their aircraft, low cost airlines can increase the number of seats on their aircraft. Seat pitch of a low cost airline is usually 28 inches, compared to a traditional conventional economy class pitch with 32 inches. Doganis (2001) calculates that should be able to operate at seat cost that are only 40-50 % those of mainline rival. Combining the load factor benefit and beneficial distribution cost, low cost airlines cost per passenger can reduce price by one-third of conventional airline. Flying out of secondary airports Many low-cost airlines keep expenses down by flying out of secondary airports, avoiding major hubs where takeoff and landing fees are much higher while still getting passengers close enough to their destinations. The travel distance is short As the routes offered by low cost airlines are mainly short, domestic routes which may only take one to two hours, travellers might be fine with no amenities on flights Success factors in AirAsia Absolute Cost Advantage Low cost per average seat kilometer AirAsia focused on ensuring a competitive cost structure as its main business strategy. It has been able to achieve a cost per average seat kilometer (ASK) of 2.5 cents, half that of Malaysia Airlines and Ryanair and a third that of EasyJet. AirAsia can lease the B737-300s aircraft at a very competitive market rates due to the harsh global market conditions for the second-hand aircrafts because of the September 11th event in 2001. On the other hand, the operating cost of the company is also dropped drastically. Low distribution cost AirAsia focus on Internet bookings and ticketless travel allowed it to lower the distribution cost. Attractive ticket price With the average fare being 40-60 % lower than its full-service competitor, AirAsia has been able to achieve strong market stimulation in the domestic Malaysian air market (Thomas 2003). For instance, the fare for the trip from Kuala Lumpur to Penang on AirAsia starts from 39 ringgit. Comparing to trip by bus charge 40 ringgit and 80 ringgit by car. The effect of attractive low fare is more travelers switching from bus to air, similar case as Ryanair in Europe. Good Management Team AirAsia value proposition is more sophisticated than Ryanair placing equal emphasis on brand reputation and customer service/people management, by a senior advisor to AisAsias top management team. AirAsia pursue a Ryanair operational strategy, Southwest people strategy and an Easyjet branding strategy. Weakness Fair availability The availability of AirAsia is not good as traditional airline as it only provide unique aircraft. However, it cannot be the cost leader if it offers customized features or comprehensive support which will result in increasing operational cost. However, focus on a specific customer may avoid straddling. Case of straddling A Japanese low cost airline, Skymark, trying to be everything to everyone targeting the broader customer and offering limited special features (satellite TV, Business class and charter operations). The result is failing to both cost efficient and price competitive rendering it vulnerable to market forces and customer demand (porter1996; Lawton 1999). Major strategic directions recommended Open more Asian market Low cost airlines are anticipated to have greater potential in Asia as there are many Asian cities with a population above one million people each as well as a rising middle class population. It is time for AirAsia to exploit the potentials of affordable air travel by Asias growing middle class. Besides starting services to the Pearl River Delta in south China in 2004, AirAsia can expend its services to the coastal cities in China. Besides the growth of Asian middle class, the liberalization of aviation sector of India is another reason for AirAsia to open more Asian market. The Indian government has liberalized the aviation sector long dominated by the national carriers. Now, only a few low cost airlines, e.g. Air Deccan, Airone Feeder Airline Pvt Ltd, Crescent Air, have launched their services there. Moreover, the national carriers, Indian Airlines or Air India, despite their domination of the Indian skies, do not seem to be much interested in operating low-cost services. Therefore, it is a good chance for AirAsia to open the Indian market. Join venture with Virgin Group AirAsia should put more effort to set up a pan-Asian low cost airline with Virgin Blue, which is a low cost carrier of Virgin Group serving Australia and New Zealand mainly. Virgin Blue has suggested it may extend services to south-east Asia. Therefore, setting up a join venture with Virgin Blue can help AirAsia to grow in Asia even further, and help Virgin Blue to extend services to south-east Asia. Recommendations to maximize competitive advandages of AirAsia 1. Enforce Political advantages AirAsia established a join venture, Thai AirAsia with Shin Corp. Shin Corp. is owned by the family of Thailands prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, and about 900 million baht will be invested in Thai AirAsia over a five-year period. Shin Corp. has financial strength, synergy in ingormation technology and telecommunications, which support AirAsia to grow in Thailand. AirAsia with its politically powerful backer can well grow up to bite, and therefore it should enforce such political advantages in order to extend the growth in Thailand. Furthermore, AirAsia should use its Thai subsidiary, Thai AirAsia, to claim the use of Thailands open skies agreements to fly to Singapore, Brunei and Cambodia, overcoming the barrier of bilateral aviation pacts that threatened to limit its growth. Induction of smart cards AirAsia can issue a smart card which is compatible with the existing ticketless booking. It can offer 2 kinds of smart cards. The first kind of smart card, aimed at ordinary travellers, will offer instant rewards when topped up, offering greater value than its purchase price. For example a Bt5,000 card may be worth Bt5,500. The card can also be used by other people with the same family name as the cardholder. The second kind of smart card will offer unlimited travel for frequent flyers. Priced provisionally at Bt20,000, cardholders will be allowed make as many trips as they want within a specified period. Conclusion A study by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (2002) confirms that Asia continues to offer attractive conditions for the air transportation industry. With thirteen out of worlds top twenty-five major urban centres located in the Asia Pacific region and a rapidly increasing urbanization trends, the Asian air travel market is bound to continue to grow. Urbanization is highlighted as one of the key drivers for the growth in air travel. It is estimated that Asia would account for 30% of the world market by 2019, or one third of growth between now and then. While the impact of SARS is going to slow down the growth of Asian regional demand, the long-run forecast continues to be very positive. These enable low cost airlines to grow even further.

Armand Fernandez :: Armand Fernandez Artists Painters Essays

Armand Fernandez Born as Armand Fernandez in 1928 at Nice, the son of an antique dealer. His first lessons in painting were given him by his father. He took his Baccalaurà ©at in philosophy and mathematics in 1946 and began to study painting at the École Nationale d'Art Dà ©coratif, Nice. In 1947 he met Yves Klein and Claude Pascal in Paris and accompanied them on a hitch-hiking tour of Europe. Completing his studies in Nice in 1949, he enrolled as a student at the École du Louvre, where he concentrated on the study of archaeology and oriental art. His pictures at this time were influenced by Surrealism. In 1951 he became a teacher at the Bushido Kai Judo School. He completed his military service as a medical orderly in the Indo-Chinese War. He did abstract paintings in 1953. He took part in actions with Yves Klein, with whom he had been discussing subjects such as Zen Buddhism and astrology since 1947. He married Eliane Radigue. He was impressed by a Kurt Schwitters exhibition in Paris in 1954 which inspired him to begin his work with stamp imprints, the Cachets. He earned his living during this period through occasional jobs, selling furniture and harpoon fishing. He had his first one-man exhibitions in London and Paris in 1956. In 1957 he travelled in Persia, Turkey and Afghanistan. In 1958 he dropped the "d" in his name, inspired by a printer's error. He started his monotypes using objects, his Allures. In 1959 he did his first Accumulations and Poubelles. The Accumulations were assemblages of everyday objects and similar consumer articles displayed in boxes. The Poubelles were similar, but used collections of rubbish. In 1960 he became a founding member of the Nouveaux Rà ©alistes. Through this group he made contact with members of the Zero group. H e showed in New York and Milan in 1961 and made his sliced and smashed objects (Couples, Colà ¨res). In 1962 he showed in various European cities and also in Los Angeles, where he was assisted by Edward Kienholz. He started his so-called Combustions, or burned objects, in 1963. He also took up part-time residence in New York. In 1964 he had his first museum retrospectives at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, and at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. Polyester now became his most important material. In 1965 and 1966 he was given large retrospective exhibitions in Krefeld, Lausanne, Paris, Venice and Brussels.

Anatomy of a Love Letter :: essays research papers

Anatomy of A Letter, Part I   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You’re right Sandra. A letter from you is the very last thing that I want right now. We have been together for so long and I know you feel that I am throwing it all away as some sort of â€Å"over reaction† but you fail to see the bigger picture. Just put yourself in my shoes for a moment and stop thinking about you and maybe you’ll see the reason why our relationship is beyond repair.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I understand that our relationship was, as you put it, â€Å"stalled† due to a lack of concern about our future together. What I don’t get is that you didn’t come to me once to tell me how you were felling about that huge step in our lives. I had no idea how important it was to you that our careers coincide. You are a very independent woman and I didn’t want my aspirations to hinder your progress in the corporate world. You see, that’s one of our problems, we have a lack of communication. We have known each other since we were children and yet you still find it hard to come and talk to me whenever something upsets you. Instead you found Mr. â€Å"lovedoc† and talked to him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And another thing, this whole situation is not about you. Do you know how many times you mentioned yourself in your letter? 33 times!! This is supposed to be about US and how we can get past this together. You know, You didn’t even say your were sorry. Not once did you even apologize. You kept talking about YOU, and what YOU had to sacrifice and what YOU have to give. There is no such thing as a one sided relationship. I gave my all in this relationship too. And unlike you I didn’t need another woman to run to when things got rough. I stayed faithful to you through the goodtime and the bad.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I don’t think you will ever know the pain that I am going through right now. You will never know the heartache I felt when I read those e-mails, one after the other, each spoken with such lust and desire.

Educational Philosophy :: Education Educating Teaching Essays

Educational Philosophy Today’s educators are setting the pace for their students’ tomorrow. Educators are expected of so much more today than they were twenty years ago. It is the teachers’ responsibility to provide their students with an education as well as a personal identity, and a sense of comfort. Every student that walks into a classroom contains a different set of needs that their teacher must meet. The educational aspect of teaching is a given, but the teacher must also aid their students in being individuals and appreciating who they are and where they come from. Teachers must also provide comfort and security for their students. The more comfortable that a student feels with their teacher, the more apt they will be to share issues they are struggling with in their lives. One of the reasons that I want to be an educator is because I want to fill every one of my students with confidence. I intend to pack the minds of my students with an endless supply of knowledge as well as e ncouragement in every aspect of their life. They will be taught to love themselves and appreciate their background. Another reason that I want to be an educator is because I truly love spending time with children. I was born the third of six children. I have experienced the role of being the baby sister and the big sister. I feel that I can relate with children very well because I spent so much time with my family. My final reason for wanting to be an educator is to explore different teaching style. I have been especially interested in creating a classroom for cooperative learning and Existentialism. My classroom will be the perfect learning environment. I will paint the room in light pastels and place carpet on a section of the floor. The carpeted section of the room will contain couches and beanbags. This area will be used mainly for group discussion. I will fill the walls with inspirational quotes and artwork provided by the students. I will have tables in my room instead of desks. I encourage cooperative learning because I feel that group work improves problem-solving and reading skills. Students will be graded on their participation inside of the group as far as working together and assisting group members. When it is time for the class to be evaluated, I will ask the students to leave their groups and select a special place in the room where they can go and work independently.

Angels Demons Chapter 55-57

55 Langdon and Vittoria exploded onto the courtyard outside the Secret Archives. The fresh air felt like a drug as it flowed into Langdon's lungs. The purple spots in his vision quickly faded. The guilt, however, did not. He had just been accomplice to stealing a priceless relic from the world's most private vault. The camerlegno had said, I am giving you my trust. â€Å"Hurry,† Vittoria said, still holding the folio in her hand and striding at a half-jog across Via Borgia in the direction of Olivetti's office. â€Å"If any water gets on that papyrus – â€Å" â€Å"Calm down. When we decipher this thing, we can return their sacred Folio 5.† Langdon accelerated to keep up. Beyond feeling like a criminal, he was still dazed over the document's spellbinding implications. John Milton was an Illuminatus. He composed the poem for Galileo to publish in Folio 5†¦ far from the eyes of the Vatican. As they left the courtyard, Vittoria held out the folio for Langdon. â€Å"You think you can decipher this thing? Or did we just kill all those brain cells for kicks?† Langdon took the document carefully in his hands. Without hesitation he slipped it into one of the breast pockets of his tweed jacket, out of the sunlight and dangers of moisture. â€Å"I deciphered it already.† Vittoria stopped short. â€Å"You what?† Langdon kept moving. Vittoria hustled to catch up. â€Å"You read it once! I thought it was supposed to be hard!† Langdon knew she was right, and yet he had deciphered the segno in a single reading. A perfect stanza of iambic pentameter, and the first altar of science had revealed itself in pristine clarity. Admittedly, the ease with which he had accomplished the task left him with a nagging disquietude. He was a child of the Puritan work ethic. He could still hear his father speaking the old New England aphorism: If it wasn't painfully difficult, you did it wrong. Langdon hoped the saying was false. â€Å"I deciphered it,† he said, moving faster now. â€Å"I know where the first killing is going to happen. We need to warn Olivetti.† Vittoria closed in on him. â€Å"How could you already know? Let me see that thing again.† With the sleight of a boxer, she slipped a lissome hand into his pocket and pulled out the folio again. â€Å"Careful!† Langdon said. â€Å"You can't – â€Å" Vittoria ignored him. Folio in hand, she floated beside him, holding the document up to the evening light, examining the margins. As she began reading aloud, Langdon moved to retrieve the folio but instead found himself bewitched by Vittoria's accented alto speaking the syllables in perfect rhythm with her gait. For a moment, hearing the verse aloud, Langdon felt transported in time†¦ as though he were one of Galileo's contemporaries, listening to the poem for the first time†¦ knowing it was a test, a map, a clue unveiling the four altars of science†¦ the four markers that blazed a secret path across Rome. The verse flowed from Vittoria's lips like a song. From Santi's earthly tomb with demon's hole, ‘Cross Rome the mystic elements unfold. The path of light is laid, the sacred test, Let angels guide you on your lofty quest. Vittoria read it twice and then fell silent, as if letting the ancient words resonate on their own. From Santi's earthly tomb, Langdon repeated in his mind. The poem was crystal clear about that. The Path of Illumination began at Santi's tomb. From there, across Rome, the markers blazed the trail. From Santi's earthly tomb with demon's hole, ‘Cross Rome the mystic elements unfold. Mystic elements. Also clear. Earth, Air, Fire, Water. Elements of science, the four Illuminati markers disguised as religious sculpture. â€Å"The first marker,† Vittoria said, â€Å"sounds like it's at Santi's tomb.† Langdon smiled. â€Å"I told you it wasn't that tough.† â€Å"So who is Santi?† she asked, sounding suddenly excited. â€Å"And where's his tomb?† Langdon chuckled to himself. He was amazed how few people knew Santi, the last name of one of the most famous Renaissance artists ever to live. His first name was world renowned†¦ the child prodigy who at the age of twenty-five was already doing commissions for Pope Julius II, and when he died at only thirty-eight, left behind the greatest collection of frescoes the world had ever seen. Santi was a behemoth in the art world, and being known solely by one's first name was a level of fame achieved only by an elite few†¦ people like Napoleon, Galileo, and Jesus†¦ and, of course, the demigods Langdon now heard blaring from Harvard dormitories – Sting, Madonna, Jewel, and the artist formerly known as Prince, who had changed his name to the symbol Angels & Demons causing Langdon to dub him â€Å"The Tau Cross With Intersecting Hermaphroditic Ankh.† â€Å"Santi,† Langdon said, â€Å"is the last name of the great Renaissance master, Raphael.† Vittoria looked surprised. â€Å"Raphael? As in the Raphael?† â€Å"The one and only.† Langdon pushed on toward the Office of the Swiss Guard. â€Å"So the path starts at Raphael's tomb?† â€Å"It actually makes perfect sense,† Langdon said as they rushed on. â€Å"The Illuminati often considered great artists and sculptors honorary brothers in enlightenment. The Illuminati could have chosen Raphael's tomb as a kind of tribute.† Langdon also knew that Raphael, like many other religious artists, was a suspected closet atheist. Vittoria slipped the folio carefully back in Langdon's pocket. â€Å"So where is he buried?† Langdon took a deep breath. â€Å"Believe it or not, Raphael's buried in the Pantheon.† Vittoria looked skeptical. â€Å"The Pantheon?† â€Å"The Raphael at the Pantheon.† Langdon had to admit, the Pantheon was not what he had expected for the placement of the first marker. He would have guessed the first altar of science to be at some quiet, out of the way church, something subtle. Even in the 1600s, the Pantheon, with its tremendous, holed dome, was one of the best known sites in Rome. â€Å"Is the Pantheon even a church?† Vittoria asked. â€Å"Oldest Catholic church in Rome.† Vittoria shook her head. â€Å"But do you really think the first cardinal could be killed at the Pantheon? That's got to be one of the busiest tourist spots in Rome.† Langdon shrugged. â€Å"The Illuminati said they wanted the whole world watching. Killing a cardinal at the Pantheon would certainly open some eyes.† â€Å"But how does this guy expect to kill someone at the Pantheon and get away unnoticed? It would be impossible.† â€Å"As impossible as kidnapping four cardinals from Vatican City? The poem is precise.† â€Å"And you're certain Raphael is buried inside the Pantheon?† â€Å"I've seen his tomb many times.† Vittoria nodded, still looking troubled. â€Å"What time is it?† Langdon checked. â€Å"Seven-thirty.† â€Å"Is the Pantheon far?† â€Å"A mile maybe. We've got time.† â€Å"The poem said Santi's earthly tomb. Does that mean anything to you?† Langdon hastened diagonally across the Courtyard of the Sentinel. â€Å"Earthly? Actually, there's probably no more earthly place in Rome than the Pantheon. It got its name from the original religion practiced there – Pantheism – the worship of all gods, specifically the pagan gods of Mother Earth.† As a student of architecture, Langdon had been amazed to learn that the dimensions of the Pantheon's main chamber were a tribute to Gaea – the goddess of the Earth. The proportions were so exact that a giant spherical globe could fit perfectly inside the building with less than a millimeter to spare. â€Å"Okay,† Vittoria said, sounding more convinced. â€Å"And demon's hole? From Santi's earthly tomb with demon's hole?† Langdon was not quite as sure about this. â€Å"Demon's hole must mean the oculus,† he said, making a logical guess. â€Å"The famous circular opening in the Pantheon's roof.† â€Å"But it's a church,† Vittoria said, moving effortlessly beside him. â€Å"Why would they call the opening a demon's hole?† Langdon had actually been wondering that himself. He had never heard the term â€Å"demon's hole,† but he did recall a famous sixth-century critique of the Pantheon whose words seemed oddly appropriate now. The Venerable Bede had once written that the hole in the Pantheon's roof had been bored by demons trying to escape the building when it was consecrated by Boniface IV. â€Å"And why,† Vittoria added as they entered a smaller courtyard, â€Å"why would the Illuminati use the name Santi if he was really known as Raphael?† â€Å"You ask a lot of questions.† â€Å"My dad used to say that.† â€Å"Two possible reasons. One, the word Raphael has too many syllables. It would have destroyed the poem's iambic pentameter.† â€Å"Sounds like a stretch.† Langdon agreed. â€Å"Okay, then maybe using ‘Santi' was to make the clue more obscure, so only very enlightened men would recognize the reference to Raphael.† Vittoria didn't appear to buy this either. â€Å"I'm sure Raphael's last name was very well known when he was alive.† â€Å"Surprisingly not. Single name recognition was a status symbol. Raphael shunned his last name much like pop stars do today. Take Madonna, for example. She never uses her surname, Ciccone.† Vittoria looked amused. â€Å"You know Madonna's last name?† Langdon regretted the example. It was amazing the kind of garbage a mind picked up living with 10,000 adolescents. As he and Vittoria passed the final gate toward the Office of the Swiss Guard, their progress was halted without warning. â€Å"Para!† a voice bellowed behind them. Langdon and Vittoria wheeled to find themselves looking into the barrel of a rifle. â€Å"Attento!† Vittoria exclaimed, jumping back. â€Å"Watch it with – â€Å" â€Å"Non sportarti!† the guard snapped, cocking the weapon. â€Å"Soldato!† a voice commanded from across the courtyard. Olivetti was emerging from the security center. â€Å"Let them go!† The guard looked bewildered. â€Å"Ma, signore, e una donna – â€Å" â€Å"Inside!† he yelled at the guard. â€Å"Signore, non posso – â€Å" â€Å"Now! You have new orders. Captain Rocher will be briefing the corps in two minutes. We will be organizing a search.† Looking bewildered, the guard hurried into the security center. Olivetti marched toward Langdon, rigid and steaming. â€Å"Our most secret archives? I'll want an explanation.† â€Å"We have good news,† Langdon said. Olivetti's eyes narrowed. â€Å"It better be damn good.† 56 The four unmarked Alpha Romeo 155 T-Sparks roared down Via dei Coronari like fighter jets off a runway. The vehicles carried twelve plainclothed Swiss Guards armed with Cherchi-Pardini semiautomatics, local-radius nerve gas canisters, and long-range stun guns. The three sharpshooters carried laser-sighted rifles. Sitting in the passenger seat of the lead car, Olivetti turned backward toward Langdon and Vittoria. His eyes were filled with rage. â€Å"You assured me a sound explanation, and this is what I get?† Langdon felt cramped in the small car. â€Å"I understand your – â€Å" â€Å"No, you don't understand!† Olivetti never raised his voice, but his intensity tripled. â€Å"I have just removed a dozen of my best men from Vatican City on the eve of conclave. And I have done this to stake out the Pantheon based on the testimony of some American I have never met who has just interpreted a four-hundred-year-old poem. I have also just left the search for this antimatter weapon in the hands of secondary officers.† Langdon resisted the urge to pull Folio 5 from his pocket and wave it in Olivetti's face. â€Å"All I know is that the information we found refers to Raphael's tomb, and Raphael's tomb is inside the Pantheon.† The officer behind the wheel nodded. â€Å"He's right, commander. My wife and I – â€Å" â€Å"Drive,† Olivetti snapped. He turned back to Langdon. â€Å"How could a killer accomplish an assassination in such a crowded place and escape unseen?† â€Å"I don't know,† Langdon said. â€Å"But the Illuminati are obviously highly resourceful. They've broken into both CERN and Vatican City. It's only by luck that we know where the first kill zone is. The Pantheon is your one chance to catch this guy.† â€Å"More contradictions,† Olivetti said. â€Å"One chance? I thought you said there was some sort of pathway. A series of markers. If the Pantheon is the right spot, we can follow the pathway to the other markers. We will have four chances to catch this guy.† â€Å"I had hoped so,† Langdon said. â€Å"And we would have†¦ a century ago.† Langdon's realization that the Pantheon was the first altar of science had been a bittersweet moment. History had a way of playing cruel tricks on those who chased it. It was a long shot that the Path of Illumination would be intact after all of these years, with all of its statues in place, but part of Langdon had fantasized about following the path all the way to the end and coming face to face with the sacred Illuminati lair. Alas, he realized, it was not to be. â€Å"The Vatican had all the statues in the Pantheon removed and destroyed in the late 1800s.† Vittoria looked shocked. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"The statues were pagan Olympian Gods. Unfortunately, that means the first marker is gone†¦ and with it – â€Å" â€Å"Any hope,† Vittoria said, â€Å"of finding the Path of Illumination and additional markers?† Langdon shook his head. â€Å"We have one shot. The Pantheon. After that, the path disappears.† Olivetti stared at them both a long moment and then turned and faced front. â€Å"Pull over,† he barked to the driver. The driver swerved the car toward the curb and put on the brakes. Three other Alpha Romeos skidded in behind them. The Swiss Guard convoy screeched to a halt. â€Å"What are you doing!† Vittoria demanded. â€Å"My job,† Olivetti said, turning in his seat, his voice like stone. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, when you told me you would explain the situation en route, I assumed I would be approaching the Pantheon with a clear idea of why my men are here. That is not the case. Because I am abandoning critical duties by being here, and because I have found very little that makes sense in this theory of yours about virgin sacrifices and ancient poetry, I cannot in good conscience continue. I am recalling this mission immediately.† He pulled out his walkie-talkie and clicked it on. Vittoria reached across the seat and grabbed his arm. â€Å"You can't!† Olivetti slammed down the walkie-talkie and fixed her with a red-hot stare. â€Å"Have you been to the Pantheon, Ms. Vetra?† â€Å"No, but I – â€Å" â€Å"Let me tell you something about it. The Pantheon is a single room. A circular cell made of stone and cement. It has one entrance. No windows. One narrow entrance. That entrance is flanked at all times by no less than four armed Roman policemen who protect this shrine from art defacers, anti-Christian terrorists, and gypsy tourist scams.† â€Å"Your point?† she said coolly. â€Å"My point?† Olivetti's knuckles gripped the seat. â€Å"My point is that what you have just told me is going to happen is utterly impossible! Can you give me one plausible scenario of how someone could kill a cardinal inside the Pantheon? How does one even get a hostage past the guards into the Pantheon in the first place? Much less actually kill him and get away?† Olivetti leaned over the seat, his coffee breath now in Langdon's face. â€Å"How, Mr. Langdon? One plausible scenario.† Langdon felt the tiny car shrink around him. I have no idea! I'm not an assassin! I don't know how he will do it! I only know – â€Å"One scenario?† Vittoria quipped, her voice unruffled. â€Å"How about this? The killer flies over in a helicopter and drops a screaming, branded cardinal down through the hole in the roof. The cardinal hits the marble floor and dies.† Everyone in the car turned and stared at Vittoria. Langdon didn't know what to think. You've got one sick imagination, lady, but you are quick. Olivetti frowned. â€Å"Possible, I admit†¦ but hardly – â€Å" â€Å"Or the killer drugs the cardinal,† Vittoria said, â€Å"brings him to the Pantheon in a wheelchair like some old tourist. He wheels him inside, quietly slits his throat, and then walks out.† This seemed to wake up Olivetti a bit. Not bad! Langdon thought. â€Å"Or,† she said, â€Å"the killer could – â€Å" â€Å"I heard you,† Olivetti said. â€Å"Enough.† He took a deep breath and blew it out. Someone rapped sharply on the window, and everyone jumped. It was a soldier from one of the other cars. Olivetti rolled down the window. â€Å"Everything all right, commander?† The soldier was dressed in street clothes. He pulled back the sleeve of his denim shirt to reveal a black chronograph military watch. â€Å"Seven-forty, commander. We'll need time to get in position.† Olivetti nodded vaguely but said nothing for many moments. He ran a finger back and forth across the dash, making a line in the dust. He studied Langdon in the side-view mirror, and Langdon felt himself being measured and weighed. Finally Olivetti turned back to the guard. There was reluctance in his voice. â€Å"I'll want separate approaches. Cars to Piazza della Rotunda, Via delgi Orfani, Piazza Sant'Ignacio, and Sant'Eustachio. No closer than two blocks. Once you're parked, gear up and await my orders. Three minutes.† â€Å"Very good, sir.† The soldier returned to his car. Langdon gave Vittoria an impressed nod. She smiled back, and for an instant Langdon felt an unexpected connection†¦ a thread of magnetism between them. The commander turned in his seat and locked eyes with Langdon. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, this had better not blow up in our faces.† Langdon smiled uneasily. How could it? 57 The director of CERN, Maximilian Kohler, opened his eyes to the cool rush of cromolyn and leukotriene in his body, dilating his bronchial tubes and pulmonary capillaries. He was breathing normally again. He found himself lying in a private room in the CERN infirmary, his wheelchair beside the bed. He took stock, examining the paper robe they had put him in. His clothing was folded on the chair beside the bed. Outside he could hear a nurse making the rounds. He lay there a long minute listening. Then, as quietly as possible, he pulled himself to the edge of the bed and retrieved his clothing. Struggling with his dead legs, he dressed himself. Then he dragged his body onto his wheelchair. Muffling a cough, he wheeled himself to the door. He moved manually, careful not to engage the motor. When he arrived at the door he peered out. The hall was empty. Silently, Maximilian Kohler slipped out of the infirmary.

Asch Study Research Paper

The Asch Study, done by Solomon Asch, was done to study conformity by using a test consisting of lines, and today there is a lot of information that can be used from this study when learning about conformity. There are a lot of people who will conform to anything no matter what it is just to fit in. Asch created this experiment to actually see how much people are pressured to conform no matter how obvious it is. Conformity is â€Å"the tendency for people to adopt the behavior and opinions presented by other group members† (Zimbardo, 571).Solomon Asch finally conducted the experiment in 1951 on a group of male participants. Asch created two cards, the first card had a line that the participants had to match up with another line on the second card, this card had three lines that the participants could choose from. Asch first gathered eight confederates, â€Å"actors posing as participants† (Pastorino, 512). All eight of these confederates where told to purposely say the obvious wrong answer. So asch took eight confederates and one participant and asked them which line on the second card was the same length as the line on the first card.The confederates went first so that the participant could hear their answer. After the confederates said their answer the participant was then supposed to give his answer. Seventy-four percent of the time the participant would conform to the confederates answer. Through this experiment Asch found immense information. Those who conformed first obviously showed disbelief, even with all the disbelief they still conformed. Almost three quarters of the people put under the group pressure conformed to the obvious false answer. In psychology this is the Asch Effect.The Asch Effect is â€Å"the influence of a group majority on the judgements of an individual† (Zimbardo, 571). Although the majority of the participants conformed to obvious wrong answer, there were some that stuck with their own beliefs. These people are called Heroes, â€Å"Heroes are people who are able to resist situational forces that overwhelm their peers and remain true to their personal values† (Zimbardo, 572). These type of people challenge the corrupt society and don’t go with the groups beliefs. As well as Heroes, there are Independents who may fall in disbelief of the others, but still go along with their own answers.Solomon Asch created a study to test the powers of conformity by designing a test consisted of line to find research and information needed when learning about conformity. Conformity is when someone adopts a group’s behavior, attitudes, and opinions just to fit in. There were many people who conformed to Asch’s study. Seventy-four percent of the participants put into the study conformed to the group’s false answers. Although the majority conformed there were other that didn’t conform to the answers of the group, these people were the Heroes and the Individuals.In con clusion the majority of the people put into this study conformed to the group’s answers. Panarchy. â€Å"Solomon Asch : Opinions and Social Pressure (1955). † Panarchy – Panarchie – Panarchia – Panarquia. 2001-2010. Web. 16 Jan. 2011. . Pastorino, Ellen, and Susann Doyle-Portillo. What Is Psychology? Australia: Thomson Wadsworth, 2009. Print. Zimbardo, Philip G. Psychology: AP* Edition with Discovery Psychology. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2010. Print.

Food Fair Essay

The food industries are considered as one of the most important Arabic & Foreign Industries in the world. Over the years, these industries have developed in various degrees technologically and economically and have over the last 5 decades incorporated many international changes. Their productions have had spread throughout the Arab world and internationally. The products of these industries have grown as well as the raw materials used in the production process, leading to a diverse development in the food industries. The Basic Workings of a Food Fair: Before we can begin planning a fair, we must envision a general idea about the event so that our planning can be organized, efficient, and effective. Because such a wide variety of activities can be part of a fair and because a fair can emphasize any number of topics related to anything, it’s important to think about the kind of fair you want to hold before you jump in and begin sending out media alerts. Her we decided to do a food fair on the fair grounds near the Damascus airport high way which will take place in the following: Days from 06/06/2008 > 09/06/2008. From 5 o’clock until 11 o’clock Determining the features of a food fair: Once our organization decides to hold a food fair, you should begin planning by determining the kind of event you want to hold. The central considerations are the following: †¢Location †¢Time of year †¢Length †¢Purpose †¢Activities Location: A food fair can be held indoors or outdoors, and there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Outdoors, the enjoyment of attendees is affected by the weather, be it precipitation or temperature. The event itself may also be affected, so we will need a convenient rain site if we decide to hold our event outside. Furthermore, our organization’s displays as well as the displays of vendors, booths, or demonstrations will need to be securely anchored in case of wind and protected from rain if the event is rain or shine. Holding the fair indoors virtually frees us from weather concerns (barring bad weather that would prevent people from attending the event), but attendance may be limited by the size of the building and the availability of parking or other access at the event. Access to indoor facilities may also require the payment of fees, whereas parks and other public areas are often available for free if we give advance notice. An indoor venue may provide ready access to electricity, water, and restrooms, which may not be as convenient in some outdoor locations (but which we may need to provide for an event that focuses on food). An outdoor event may more readily attract the attention of passers-by and may draw curious people who just happen to see the banners or an assembly of people. In many cases, the location of the event may be dictated by the purpose and activities of the fair Time of year: A food fair can be held during any season of the year, but spring, summer, and fall offer the best opportunities for a good turnout. Spring is often a good choice because the event could coincide with the Earth Day (April 20). Summer is a good choice as well because of warm weather and because many fruits and vegetables are in season. People often have more free time during the summer, too, because of the long days. Autumn often offers the best weather, and the focus on the harvest also creates a nice context for festivals that focus on food. Length: food fairs can be held for any amount of time ranging from an afternoon to a weekend to a three-day or a week-long event. When determining the length of time and day(s) of the week we hold our food fair, bearing in mind the following: Availability of volunteers and other resources A fair held on a weekday or that extends beyond the weekend may create conflicts with the work schedules of many willing volunteers. Similarly, our organization may have limited resources (including brochures, handouts, merchandise, and money), which restrict the length of the event. Conflicts with community observances Although holidays usually guarantee days off for volunteers and attendees, they may be less-than-ideal times to hold a food fair given the frequency of community events that may be held on those days. We want our event to be one of only several events to ensure media coverage and full participation by the community. Availability of vendors In small communities, vendors who become involved as sellers at a food fair may be able to spare staff for an afternoon, day-long, or weekend event but will need to limit their participation if the fair lasts too long. Similarly, they may have a limited amount of merchandise to sell or may be limited by suppliers in other ways that would affect how long they can participate. If we choose to have vendors and plan to hand out information or make merchandise of our own available, we will want a wide variety of materials that can meet the demands of attendees. Better to have a shorter event that lives up to its billing than to have a longer event in which there is a steady decline in vendors and information available for interested individuals. Purpose: Food fairs do have a built-in focus: the event is a celebration of the Food lifestyle, and the focus is on food. For some fairs, education about Healthy Food through food sampling, cooking demonstrations, nutrition booths and lectures, may be the purpose of the event. For other events, however, education about human health through food-related activities may be the focus. The purpose of our event will shape the kind of fair we ultimately want to hold and the kinds of activities we want to include in the event. A food fair can also have a general purpose and include elements of many different aspects. We can combine booths, varied displays, and vendors to create a fair that addresses many interests. A quick survey of the many food fairs that are already taking place in the World reveals that there is no prescription for a successful food fair. But having a purpose in mind will assist us in determining the activities for the fair and prevent us from becoming overwhelmed by the sheer variety of activities that can be part of a food fair. Activities: Preliminary thoughts about the type of fair we want to have should include consideration of the kinds of activities we will include to attract the public to our event. The range of activities that are appropriate for a food fair is limited only by imagination. Cooking demonstrations cooking demonstrations are a great addition or centerpiece to a food fair. The demonstration could show attendees how to create quick meals or how to use popular Herbal ingredients. The demonstrations could focus on themes, such as main courses, holiday meals, or desserts, or we could create a series of demonstrations that take place throughout the day. A local chef or cookbook author might be interested in putting together such a demonstration. We might also try to book a well-known chef or cookbook author to attract people to our fair. We will need to plan ahead for a cooking demonstration. WE may need to prepare ingredients ahead of time, especially if the site lacks access to running water. We should find out whether our site will have access to electricity and ask about other methods of cooking that may be allowed (for example, gas grill or open flame) before we make other plans for the demonstration. Speakers A well-known local or national vegetarian advocate will attract many people to a food fair because many people will come specifically to hear the speaker or purchase his or her book. Having a speaker highlight the food fair is also a good way to kick off or complete an event. Another option is to have a panel of speakers discussing specific issues or taking questions from the audience. Speakers usually charge a fee for speaking, and there may be other details (for example, travel and accommodations) that factor into whether we have a speaker at our food fair. A speaker will need a sound system, and we will need to organize the fair so that a crowd can gather in one place to see and hear the speaker. If an event involves vendors, exhibits, and booths that are going to continue operation during the speaker, we’ll likely need a separate adjacent area for a speaker. An event with a set itinerary, or an event that is held in a large building with access to different rooms or partitioned areas, however, will not pose this problem. We want to provide the speaker with an opportunity to address a crowd of listeners, so if we plan more than one speaker, we should arrange the food fair and its schedule to highlight each speaker and try to ensure that there will be an appropriately sized audience for each. If we are uncertain whether each speaker will get a crowd of participants, we should organize the speakers into a panel instead, and highlight that as the center point of the fair. Music Music can be a focal point or a backdrop during a food fair. Fairs and music seem to go hand in hand: the presence of singing or instrumentalists adds a festive touch to a food fair and alerts passersby that the fair is taking place. Exhibits Free-standing, self-explanatory exhibits or staffed booths can provide a variety of information for fair attendees. These booths may offer free samples or free information. A variety of booths widens the appeal of the food fair, and exhibits can include: †¢Conserved food products. †¢Oil and ghee produces. †¢Canned and conserved products. †¢Dairy and cheese products. †¢Meat products. †¢Sugar, sweets, biscuits, and chocolate products. †¢Ice cream products. †¢Coffee – Tea – Herbs. †¢Poultry and fish products. †¢Mineral, carbonated water and juice products. †¢Vegetable and fruit products. †¢Pasta and cereal products. †¢Production lines. †¢Packing and packaging machines and related materials. †¢Raw materials for food. †¢Cooling and freezing equipment. †¢National Arab and international supervisory boards and companies. Once well established, a food fair may even attract national or international makers of foods we will certainly want to set up an exhibit that features our own organization, with information about meetings, plenty of handouts and literature, and a sign-up sheet for our organization’s mailing list. Creating a marketing plan: Once we have a general idea about the kind of fair we want to have, we need to create a marketing plan by taking an inventory of the skills and resources we have within our group and our community. This assessment gives us a starting point for assigning organizational tasks and generating publicity for the fair. We have to be sure to consider media, organizations, and businesses in our country as well as in other countries and cities. Media: Local radio and television stations, newspapers, and other publications will be key for generating publicity for our event. We should plan on creating public service announcements, placing advertisements, and arranging interviews not only to provide details about the event but also to generate interest about the fair. We might also consider contacting and placing ads in larger publications in order to advertise in the countries and cities that are around us because we want our fair to be local and world wide. We have to be sure to note the deadlines for submission of public service announcements and advertisements in relation to our fair to ensure that our efforts are timely. Community resources: Our advertisement is going to be mostly for investors, industrialists, merchants, business men and officials. Through intensive campaigns by mail, e-mail or through the internet. Including direct phone calls with the people that are interested in this kind of fairs and the official and concerned bodies that are Arab and foreign. At the same time we will be printing flyers for the fair which will help advertising for it. Also printing invitation cards for some governmental bodies like the prime minister or his deputy or the minister of industry, also for VIP business men and industrialists. Skills: Early on in the planning of our fair, it is helpful to find out what skills the members of our group or other participants have that can be put to use when organizing the fair. An artistic member might be interested in creating a logo, banners, and signage for the event and determining where to display them, or we could simply use a professional assistance from any graphic and advertising company. Creating a budget: Budgeting is one element of food fair brainstorming that we should think through fully before planning begins. We have to be sure to take an inventory of what our group already has (merchandise, literature, signs, for example) to avoid unnecessary budgeting and spending and to help us determine what we need to order. The following is a checklist of items that we may need to pay for to successfully organize and hold a food fair: †¢Advertisements. †¢Cooking demonstration expense. †¢Courier and flyer-posting expenses. †¢Demonstration supplies. †¢Lecture expense. †¢Merchandise expenses. †¢Office supplies. †¢Parking fees. †¢Permit fees. †¢Photocopies. †¢Portable toilets. †¢Postage. †¢Posters, flyers, and stickers. †¢Programs. †¢Printing. †¢Rentals (Equipment [tables, chairs, tents, tools, video or sound equipment, fire extinguishers, etc. ]; Space). †¢Trash removal/recycling fee. Creating an overview of planning details: Planning a food fair involves the coordination of many details and the combining of different elements to create a whole event. Failure to keep track of even one of these details or elements will leave holes in our planning and gaps at the event itself. Keeping track of details and creating a planning schedule that prompts us to take care of specific tasks. A general rule of thumb is that planning for a food fair should begin 8 to 10 months or even a year before the actual event. Food Fair Planning: Now that we have determined the purpose of our fair and the activities we want to include, we are ready to start booking a site, sponsors, vendors, and other participants. For our site we will be using the fair ground in Damascus at the airport high way in order to set a date for the exhibition and visiting hours. Now during the process of advertising for the fair we will be asked about many things from the exhibitors and they are either direct or through e-mail, of course our answers must be logical and convincing: Examples of our clients questions: 1. What are the things that this fair refers to? †¢Canned and conserved products. †¢Conserved food products. †¢Oil and ghee products. †¢Dairy and cheese products. †¢Meat products. †¢Sugar and sweets products. †¢Chocolate and biscuit. †¢Ice cream products. †¢Coffee – Tea – Herbs. †¢Poultry and fish products. †¢Mineral, carbonated water and juice products. †¢Vegetable and fruit products. †¢Pasta and cereal products. †¢Production lines. †¢Packing and packaging machines and related materials. †¢Raw materials for food. †¢Cooling and freezing equipment. †¢Banks, investment and finance institutions. †¢National, Arab, and international supervisory boards and companies. 2. What are the services that the fair will deliver for participating companies? †¢There will be a mobile center for business men which will offer (phone, fax, e-mail) services to help and aid them with their supplies. †¢There will be a set of meetings between the exhibitors by a special program so they can know each other. †¢There will be a media center for business men, representatives and delegates either form the press or the T. V and Arabic and Foreign news agencies. †¢Transportation will be provided for exhibitors and visitors concerning their requests and for a special fee for exhibitors. †¢We will offer all the fair’s accommodation and services. From setting booths and stands to every single need for the exhibitors which include: 1. Flight reservation and hotel accommodation. 2. Putting the name and address of the company in the fair guide. 3. Including the name of the company in the list of participants in the fair’s website. 4. Offering help and support in building the sections of the fair (special needs). 3. Where and when is the fair going to take place? It will be held on Damascus fair grounds: From 06/04/2008 > 09/04/2008 From 5 o’clock until 11 o’clock 5. What are the laws and regulations that the will be applied on the exhibitors? There are a set of rules and regulations exhibitors are required to do, and the most important rule is that for accepting a participant in the fair, rental of the stand and ending the contract. It also can contain information about the dimensions of the stand and other services. Also one of the important points that should be focused on when participating in an exhibition is cancellation, we mean by that if some company wanted to cancel its participation there will be an amount of money to be deducted from its payments and that amount is decreased whenever that cancelation was sooner. 6. Prices for participating? To know how much a square meter costs we have to know how much the fair would cost: 1st. from organizational aspect: -We have rented a hall that is 1000 square meters: 560 square meters for stands and booth and 460 square meters for passages. -The hall costs 1000,000 SYP after we agreed with the fair grounds and international markets company. -equipments costs: 1. Carpets: 600000 SYP. 2. Setting and preparing the stands: 400000 SYP. 3. Lighting: 250000 SYP. 4. Sound equipments: 200000 SYP. 5. Heating and A/C’s: 250000 SYP. -Employees for the fair: 200000 SYP. -Hiring Guards: 150000 SYP. -Decorations for our company: 300000 SYP. -The opening: 200000 SYP. 2nd. Managerial aspect: Media: 1. Magazines and news papers: 300000 SYP. 2. Radio and T. V: 115500 SYP. 3. Road Ads: 300000 SYP. Office work: -Mail-internet-fax-salaries-transportation-stationary: 300000 SYP. Printing costs (brochures, booklets, Fair Guide): 300000 SYP. Total = 4865500 SYP. Organization profit approximately 41% = 2014500 SYP. Final Total = 6880000 SYP. Now by dividing the Total on the part that the booths and stands are going to be which is 560 square meters = 12285 SYP. Now for the price in USD we divide on 50 SYP. It becomes: 245 USD per square meter. Studying the financial feasibility for this fair: We have decided a price for each type of stand we have (Stand with one side, Stand with two sides, stand with three sides and a stand with four sides): 1. Stand with one side including its corners they are 43 stands in total and each one is 8 square meters: 43X8X200=68800 USD 2. Stand with two sides which are 18 stand costs 300 USD each: 18X8X300=43200 USD 3. Stand with three sides which are 8 stands costs 350 USD each: 8X8X350=22400 USD 4. Stand with four sides (island stand) which are 1 stand costs 400 USD: 1X8X400= 3200 USD Total: 68800+43200+22400+3200=137600 USD. 137600X50=6880000 SYP. To the profit: 6880000-430000=2580000 could just transfer it to our bank account. 8. Is there any travel agent which we can trust on our reservations and transportation and any other services that we might need specially if there was VIP’s? We have decided at the beginning of our fair planning that there should be a travel and tourism agent which will do the following: Confirm hotel reservations, insure that there are transportations from the hotel to the airport and vice versus specially for VIP’s, do all the necessary shipping for the organization, making sure to do all the reception and farewell’s for the participators, booking restaurants, doing tours in the city, confirming travel tickets, making that there are guides during the tours and booking cars or buses. Our merchandise to offer: Space which has to be at least 8 square meters Including: switches, carpet for passage ways and inside the stand, lighting, a board with the company name, electricity, cleaning and guarding, a table, 2 chairs, 3 shelves, plastic name badges for managers or company owners, carton badges for exhibitors. Also we will include information about the company in the fair guide and CD in both languages Arabic and English. During the days of the fair: The organizing company should follow up with the exhibitors during the days of the fair through a sales man in the company because the follow up is a very important way in gaining the clients trust. And in order to know if the fair is a success or a failure we distribute a questionnaire showing how they benefited from the fair and if they are satisfied with the results. After that we collect the questionnaires to determine the points of strength and weaknesses to avoid in the next fair. After the fair: The follow-up: Its considered one of the most important process, and successful organizing for it Is one of the factors in a successful fair, so that the organizing company should not delay any check for the interviews that occurred in the fair because it’s the first step for building long term public relationships. At a fair clients are divided into categories and they are: -actual customers. -possible customers. -regular customers. -important customers. The follow-up consists of: -sending a thank you note for visiting. -sending the information that both sides have agreed on. -attending all the meetings and dates that have been discussed before. -studying the expenses as a hole. -studying the contracts that has taken place at the fair. -comparison between the basic plan and actual activity. -studying the answers about the survey.