Dividend Policy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dividend Policy - Case Study Example The 1970s was the decade of the two great oil price shocks (1973 and 1979/80) that were to have serious effects on the world's economies. It was also a decade when the major oil companies saw a decisive change in their old concessionary relationships. Like its major competitors, BP lost direct access to most of its supplies of OPEC oil as the OPEC countries took control of production and prices. The 1973 price explosion had a dramatic effect on demand. BP's oil sales started falling for the first time since 1952 (with the exception of 1957, the year of the Suez crisis). By 1978, sales had recovered somewhat; but then came the Iranian revolution and another major rise in the price of oil. In 1979, BP suffered further blows when its assets in Nigeria were nationalised and its supplies from Kuwait cut back. By 1980, its sales were down again. The entire oil industry was affected by the events of the 1970s. But thanks to BP's large investment programme in areas outside the Middle East, the company showed, as it had done in Iran in 1951 that it could survive. As noted, of key importance were the developments of its oilfield discoveries in the North Sea and Alaska. In the autumn of 1975, BP pumped ashore the first oil from the North Sea's UK sector when it brought the Forties field on stream. This field development was financed by a bank loan of 370 million, then the largest wholly-private bank advance ever arranged. At its peak, Forties produced half a million barrels a day, equivalent to one-quarter of the UK's daily oil requirement. Today, BP's other oil- and gas-producing countries include Abu Dhabi, Australia, Colombia, Norway and Papua New Guinea The spirit of enterprise continues (mid-1970s - today) Diversification and a new structure The upheavals of the 1970s led BP to conclude that it should broaden its activities so that it could operate in the future with more balanced sources of income. Accordingly, from the mid-1970s there was increased emphasis on diversification into new areas of activity. BP's entry into the nutrition business originated in the 1950s, when the company's French researchers began to develop a process for converting oil into protein. Although the process was later discarded, BP developed other interests in nutrition. From the mid-1970s, it became involved in animal feed, animal breeding and consumer foods and related products. As a result of the purchase in 1986 of the US company, Purina Mills, BP Nutrition became one of the world's largest feed millers. In 1990, it also took responsibility for BP's household cleaning and personal care products -- successors of the old detergents business. Another industry which BP entered in the mid-1970s was minerals. BP expanded its minerals interests considerably in 1980, when, in what was then the London stock market's largest-ever takeover bid, it bought Selection Trust, the British-based mining finance house. In the following year, Standard Oil

In-class essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

In-class - Essay Example There are those people who interest rests in chemistry and will be content reading materials that delve in bombs, cyanides and other dangerous elements and chemicals. There are others whose interests’ rests in cookbooks, horror novels, politics of the day, and sports amongst other genres. However, it is upon the writer to pen down their writings in coherent, cohesive and accurate manner that does not show a whim of bias. A writer has the ultimate responsibilities to pen down their pieces in an accurate and sober manner without any undue influence from any person or institution. Ultimately, a writer should pen down written pieces to change their readers into better human beings. The writer through their writing should advocate living within the reality and nature of the present existence. Importantly every piece penned down by a writer should be ultimately geared towards inspiring readers, without necessarily being taking sides in competing situations. In fact, it is often said that writers should be the referees of the present world, pointing out wrongs and rights amongst us. Writers provide their readers with wisdom and strength to confront and fight potential troubles. In a way they should help their readers to learn how to have a control over their own destiny. They create and build onto the legacy of the world through writing, through showering tem with hope, love and joy. Writings may have a me ssage that entertains, informs, promotional, educative, ultimately the message needs to be sincere to the ears and eyes of their readers. The real responsibility of a writer out there is to have their message written is inputting the message in a cohesive and coherent manner. At least, good writer should live by this maxim, how else would a writer pen down their piece if it is intended to gather dust in a shelf and rot a way. Poorly written work discourages intuition of the messages intertwined in them, and they end up performing the extreme opposite of

Episodic Memory: Definition and Theories

Episodic Memory: Definition and Theories FRITZ Claudia KRENN Nora SCHALLEHN Anna Episodic memory is defined as a memory for personal unique past experience. Experimental approaches with diverse species were done in order to test for the â€Å"what where and when† of some unique recent event. These experiments provide convergent evidence that processes similar to episodic memory occur in animals, which is the main focus of this essay. The memory in general is divided into two parts – procedural and declarative memory. Declarative memory is further divided into semantic and episodic memory. Episodic memory is the latest kind of memory to develop and the first to degenerate with age. When it was first discussed by Tulving in 1972 he proposed a distinction between episodic and semantic memory, knowing versus remembering. Episodic memory was defined primarily as a memory for personal unique past experience that is what happened, where and when, also known as the WWW theory. According to Tulving â€Å"episodic memory receives and stores information about temporally dated episodes or events, and temporal-spatial relations among these events.† In contrast, semantic memory is the knowledge of general facts, a structured record of details, concepts and skills that we have acquired. It is used as an aid in placing episodic events in time. Semantic information is derived from accumulated episodic memory. Episod ic memory can be thought as a map that ties together items in semantic memory. For example, memory for the experience of dinner at Luigi’s Restaurant last Saturday night is episodic whereas knowledge about what was involved in having dinner at a restaurant in general is semantic. Furthermore supported by evidence that some people with hippocampal damage have semantic but not episodic memory, the definition of episodic memory evolved to emphasize its conscious component, a feeling of re-experiencing the remembered event which is also known as autonoetic consciousness (Tulving 2002). It enables an individual to be aware of the self in a subjective time. It is further claimed to be part of a uniquely human faculty of â€Å"mental time travel,† the ability to mentally project oneself into the future as well as into the past. How does mental time travel the reconstruction of past events work? Imagine the last presentation you gave? Do you remember the audience’s rea ction? You might have snapshots of what the scene looked like. But this imagery does not tend to unfold in an orderly fashion from start to end. Extensive research on episodic memory clearly shows that we do not simply press the rewind button – we actively reconstruct past events from the gist or from visual snapshots, but draw heavily on our general semantic knowledge. We tend to reconstruct in ways that help justify our current attitudes. Let us get back to Tulving’s proposal. Do we agree on the aspect that humans are alone in their ability to recall about the past and imagine the future? Some argue that language is the key difference between humans and animals and that episodic memory can only emerge in an organism that possesses language. However, there have been efforts to demonstrate episodic memory in animals. In one attempt pigeons were taught a language in order to respond to an unexpected question. Furthermore, a fundamental question in comparative cognition is whether animals remember unique personal past experiences. It has long been argued that memories for specific events, known as episodic memory, are unique to humans. We know that animals from dolphins to monkeys can learn from single events. But do they revisit the events that shaped their past? Innovative work by Clayton and Dickson has produced perhaps the strongest case yet for the WWW memory in animals. The animals’ memory is referred to as episodic-like because it satisfies the original definition of episodic memory for what, where and when but without any evidence of autonoetic consciousness. Clayton and Dickinson (1998) where the first ones who tried to demonstrate the discrimination of WWW in scrub jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens). The birds got to cache perishable peanuts on one side of a storage tray and non-perishable wax worms on the other side. Two caching phases were separated by 120 hours. The birds either cached peanuts followed by worms or the other way round. After four hours they were allowed to recover the stored items. Before the actual test phase, one group of the birds learned that worms decay over time, thus after the four hours gap they directed their first inspection to the worm side. After the 124 hours gap the worms had already perished and the birds turned to the peanut side first. To validate that the preference for the peanuts on the longer trial was not because the scrub jays simply forgot where the worms were, the group was compared to a second group. This group learned that the worms never decay as they where removed immediately after caching and replaced by fresh ones. As a result all birds of this group inspected the worm side of the tray in both the short and the long trial first. In conclusion the switch from worm side to peanut side by birds in the first group can only be explained by recalling what items were cached, where they were stored and when they were cached, which is evidence for episodic-like memory. Not only scrub jays but also rats were used for experiments for testing the â€Å"WWW†-theory. This was done by Babb and Crystal (2005), using the circadian rhythm. Critics stated however, that this could not be seen as a proof for â€Å"when† since the rats’ biological rhythm is responsible for the â€Å"when†. As a consequence Babb and Crystal (2006) modified the experiment, controlling for the time of day. The rats however could still accomplish the trials. It is therefore called episodic-like memory. In an experiment by Roberts et al. (2008), rats were tested if their memory is based on when or how long ago a specific event occurred. The results clearly displayed that rats use elapsed time as a cue for when an event happened. In terms of the definition of episodic-like memory the conditions for â€Å"what-where-when† were fulfilled in these types of experiments. However in terms of the definition of episodic memory the evidence of autonoetic con sciousness is missing. Subsequently one can argue that those experiments had long training phases and the animals learned therefore rules on how to behave in certain situations. This could be declared as semantic memory. A different approach to test episodic-like memory in animals was done by Zentall et al. (2001). In this study, the aim was to avoid the possibility for the tested animals to solve the task because of a lot of experiences with the â€Å"rules† of the task and thus form semantic memory. This was done by asking them nonverbally unexpected questions. Therefore the eight tested pigeons were forced to travel back in their minds. To test the pigeons, Zentall et al. used a study design with multiple phases. At first, the pigeons had a language training where they learned to respond to the question â€Å"did you just peck?† They were shown one of two different symbols. At the symbol with vertical lines they would peck and at the one with horizontal lines they would refrain from pecking. The demonstrated symbol was followed by a red and a green light. After pecking the choice of the red light was reinforced. After refraining from pecking the choice of the green light was reinforc ed. Now the red light can be seen as the answer â€Å"yes† and the green light as the answer â€Å"no† to the question â€Å"Did you just peck?† In the next phase they learned to peck at one of a new pair of symbols without being asked about what they had just done. However in the test phase they were confronted for the first time with the red and green comparisons after the interaction with a new symbol. They were also tested with a symbol where they would spontaneously peck at and the absence of a symbol, so that they would not peck. And again they were asked whether they had just pecked. In both cases they chose the right answer in about seventy percent of the first four test trials, which is above chance. This study outcome speaks in favor of episodic-like memory in pigeons. Zentall et al. (2001) could demonstrate, that the pigeons were able to retrieve knowledge of recent experiences on unexpected request. Additionally, further research displayed, that the pigeons did not solve the task through proprioceptive cues (Singer and Zentall 2007, as cited in Crystal). However the pigeons had to remember only their actions for a few seconds, while humans are able to remember episodes for a long time or even a lifetime. So studies on what-where-when memory with integration of unexpected questions could lead to stronger evidence (Crystal 2010). Experiments testing for episodic-like memory in animals were moreover done with Dolphins. Mercado et al. (1998, as cited by Zentall et al.) demonstrated that these animals were capable to remember their actions by asking them to perform a certain behavior they had done most recently or a performance they had not recently done. Studies with pigeons as well as with dolphins indicate therefore that processes similar to episodic memory occur in animals. Since the tests were done with diverse species, it might be that this form of memory represents a general capacity in animals. All the experimental approaches discussed in our presentation involve testing for the what where and when of some unique recent event. As discussed, these experiments provide convergent evidence that processes similar to episodic memory occur in animals. This kind of memory is now known as â€Å"episodic like† memory rather than episodic memory because it satisfies the original definition of episodic memory defined by Tulving as a memory for what where and when of a unique experience but without any evidence of autonoetic consciousness. Additionally, the series of studies raised doubt about the claim, mental time travel being unique to humans. Therefore the variety of approaches that have developed might be taken as a welcome evidence of a search for convergent data but they also reflect the fact that no one approach to date has captured all aspects of human episodic memory in another species. Knowing now all the definitions and experimental approaches one could come up with t he question â€Å"why is it important to have the ability of episodic memory?† The answer is that there is no selective advantage to reconstruct the past per se, unless it matters for the present or future. It is proposed that episodic reconstruction is just an adaptive design feature of the future planning system such as building a nest. References Babb, S. J., and J. D. Crystal. 2005. Discrimination of what, when and where: Implications for episodic-like memory in rats. Learning Motivation 36: 177-189. Babb, S. J., and J. D. Crystal. 2006. Discrimination of what, when, and where is not based on time of day. Learning Behaviour 34(2): 124-130. Clayton, N. S., and A. Dickinson. 1998. Episodic-like memory during cache recovery by scrub jays. Nature 395: 272-274. Cognition, Evolution and Behavior (pp. 249-256) Crystal, J.D. (2010). Episodic-like memory in animals. Behavioural Brain Research, 215 (2), 235–243. Mercado E. et al. (1998). Memory for recent actions in the bottlenosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): Repetition of arbitrary behaviors using an abstract rule. Animal Learning Behavior, 26, 210-218. (cited in Zentall, T.R. et al. (2001). Roberts, W. A., M. C. Feeney, K. MacPherson, M. Petter, N. McMillan, and E. Musolino. 2008. Episodic-like memory in rats: Is it based on when or how long ago?. Science 320: 113-115 Suddendorf T. and Busby J. Mental time travel in animals? Early Cognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane Singer, R.A. and Zentall, T.R. (2007). Pigeons learn to answer the question ‘where did you just peck?’ and can report peck location when unexpectedly asked. Learning Behavior, 35, 184–189. (cited in Crystal, J.D. (2010) Tulving, E. 1972. Episodic and semantic memory. In Organization of memory, ed. Tulving, E., and W. Donaldson. New York: Academic Press. Zentall, T.R. et al. (2001). Episodic-like memory in pigeons. Psychonomic Bulletin Review, 8 (4), 685-690.

Health :: science

Health Twenty-five years ago, the great Athenian doctor Hippocrates believed that balance is health and that imbalance is the cause of all illness and pain. For more than three hundred years, this concept has been in disfavour. Now, clinical experiences with Phen/Fen suggest that Hippocrates was right. While both phentermine and fenfluramine have been available since the mid-seventies, patients were generally reluctant to use them because of the always present fear of addiction. During many instances when people did try either one of these new drugs, they could not tolerate the side effects. The pills in fact do work, because they trick the brain into thinking that the stomach is full. But they also seem to affect the brain in other, less desirable ways. The thought process behind creating a ‘superdrug’ such as Phen/Fen, was that by combining the two medications, one could take advantage of their different pharmacologic actions getting, in essence, better effectiveness while hopefully minimizing the "mild" side effects (Michael D. Myers. 1997). Despite the side effects that are still present, drug companies are making lots of money off of Phen/Fen. It is the second fastest growing drug in the country. In 1996, it earned about $191 million for its maker, Wyath-Ayerst (CNN. 1997). Obesity, poor nutrition, and inactivity are estimated to contribute to about 300,000 deaths a year (National Institution of Health. 1996), thus there is an increased demand for such pills as Phen/Fen. In this paper, I will discuss the two drugs that make up Phen/Fen, Fenfulramine and Phentermine, and discuss the side effects for each of the pills. I will introduce Serotonin and Dopamine, two of the brain’s neurotransmitters and the effect of Phen/Fen on them. I will also discuss who should and who shouldn’t use this potentially dangerous diet. Finally, I will look at a case study from Michael D. Myers which makes some very important conclusions about the diet. Fenfluramine Fenfluramine was discovered at approximately the same time as it’s cousin, Phentermine. Fenfluramine has always been strongly associated with many side effects. The most prominent of it’s side effects is Primary Pulmonary Hypertension which is a life threatening complication (Michael D. Myers. 1997). An estimated 1 in 17,000 patients that are treated for longer than 3 months will develop this condition (New England Journal of Medicine. 1996). The symptoms may be vague chest discomfort of development of an insidious feeling of shortness of breath (Abenhaim, L.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 39. TheHappily EverAfter

â€Å"So it was a combination of things there at the end, but what it really boiled down to was†¦ Bella,† Edward was explaining. Our family and our two remaining guests sat in the Cullens' great room while the forest turned black outside the tall windows. Vladimir and Stefan had vanished before we'd stopped celebrating. They were extremely disappointed in the way things had turned out, but Edward said that they'd enjoyed the Volturi's cowardice almost enough to make up for their frustration. Benjamin and Tia were quick to follow after Amun and Kebi, anxious to let them know the outcome of the conflict; I was sure we would see them again – Benjamin and Tia, at least. None of the nomads lingered. Peter and Charlotte had a short conversation with Jasper, and then they were gone, too. The reunited Amazons had been anxious to return home as well – they had a difficult time being away from their beloved rain forest – though they were more reluctant to leave than some of the others. â€Å"You must bring the child to see me,† Zafrina had insisted. â€Å"Promise me, young one.† Nessie had pressed her hand to my neck, pleading as well. â€Å"Of course, Zafrina,† I'd agreed. â€Å"We shall be great friends, my Nessie,† the wild woman had declared before leaving with her sisters. The Irish coven continued the exodus. â€Å"Well done, Siobhan,† Carlisle complimented her as they said goodbye. â€Å"Ah, the power of wishful thinking,† she answered sarcastically, rolling her eyes. And then she was serious. â€Å"Of course, this isn't over. The Volturi won't forgive what happened here.† Edward was the one to answer that. â€Å"They've been seriously shaken; their confidence is shattered. But, yes, I'm sure they'll recover from the blow someday. And then . . .† His eyes tightened. â€Å"I imagine they'll try to pick us off separately.† â€Å"Alice will warn us when they intend to strike,† Siobhan said in a sure voice. â€Å"And we'll gather again. Perhaps the time will come when our world is ready to be free of the Volturi altogether.† â€Å"That time may come,† Carlisle replied. â€Å"If it does, we'll stand together.† â€Å"Yes, my friend, we will,† Siobhan agreed. â€Å"And how can we fail, when /will it otherwise?† She let out a great peal of laughter. â€Å"Exactly,† Carlisle said. He and Siobhan embraced, and then he shook Liam's hand. â€Å"Try to find Alistair and tell him what happened. I'd hate to think of him hiding under a rock for the next decade.† Siobhan laughed again. Maggie hugged both Nessie and me, and then the Irish coven was gone. The Denalis were the last to leave, Garrett with them – as he would be from now on, I was fairly sure. The atmosphere of celebration was too much for Tanya and Kate. They needed time to grieve for their lost sister. Huilen and Nahuel were the ones who stayed, though I had expected those last two to go back with the Amazons. Carlisle was deep in fascinated conversation with Huilen; Nahuel sat close beside her, listening while Edward told the rest of us the story of the conflict as only he knew it. â€Å"Alice gave Aro the excuse he needed to get out of the fight. If he hadn't been so terrified of Bella, he probably would have gone ahead with their original plan.† â€Å"Terrified?† I said skeptically. â€Å"Of me?† He smiled at me with a look I didn't entirely recognize – it was tender, but also awed and even exasperated. â€Å"When will you ever see yourself clearly?† he said softly. Then he spoke louder, to the others as well as to me. â€Å"The Volturi haven't fought a fair fight in about twenty-five hundred years. And they've never, never fought one where they were at a disadvantage. Especially since they gained Jane and Alec, they've only been involved with unopposed slaughterings. â€Å"You should have seen how we looked to them! Usually, Alec cuts off all sense and feeling from their victims while they go through the charade of a counsel. That way, no one can run when the verdict is given. But there we stood, ready, waiting, outnumbering them, with gifts of our own while their gifts were rendered useless by Bella. Aro knew that with Zafrina on our side, they would be the blind ones when the battle commenced. I'm sure our numbers would have been pretty severely decimated, but they were sure that theirs would be, too. There was even a good possibility that they would lose. They've never dealt with that possibility before. They didn't deal with it well today.† â€Å"Hard to feel confident when you're surrounded by horse-sized wolves,† Emmett laughed, poking Jacob's arm. Jacob flashed a grin at him. â€Å"It was the wolves that stopped them in the first place,† I said. â€Å"Sure was,† Jacob agreed. â€Å"Absolutely,† Edward agreed. â€Å"That was another sight they've never seen. The true Children of the Moon rarely move in packs, and they are never much in control of themselves. Sixteen enormous regimented wolves was a surprise they weren't prepared for. Caius is actually terrified of werewolves. He almost lost a fight with one a few thousand years ago and never got over it.† â€Å"So there are real werewolves?† I asked. â€Å"With the full moon and silver bullets and all that?† Jacob snorted. â€Å"Real. Does that make me imaginary?† â€Å"You know what I mean.† â€Å"Full moon, yes,† Edward said. â€Å"Silver bullets, no – that was just another one of those myths to make humans feel like they had a sporting chance. There aren't very many of them left. Caius has had them hunted into near extinction.† â€Å"And you never mentioned this because†¦ ?† â€Å"It never came up.† I rolled my eyes, and Alice laughed, leaning forward – she was tucked under Edward's other arm – to wink at me. I glared back. I loved her insanely, of course. But now that I'd had a chance to realize that she was really home, that her defection was only a ruse because Edward had to believe that she'd abandoned us, I was beginning to feel pretty irritated with her. Alice had some explaining to do. Alice sighed. â€Å"Just get it off your chest, Bella.† â€Å"How could you do that to me, Alice?† â€Å"It was necessary.† â€Å"Necessary!† I exploded. â€Å"You had me totally convinced that we were all going to die! I've been a wreck for weeks.† â€Å"It might have gone that way,† she said calmly. â€Å"In which case you needed to be prepared to save Nessie.† Instinctively, I held Nessie – asleep now on my lap – tighter in my arms. â€Å"But you knew there were other ways, too,† I accused. â€Å"You knew there was hope. Did it ever occur to you that you could have told me everything? I know Edward had to think we were at a dead end for Aro's sake, but you could have told me.† She looked at me speculatively for a moment. â€Å"I don't think so,† she said. â€Å"You're just not that good an actress.† â€Å"This was about my acting skills?† â€Å"Oh, take it down an octave, Bella. Do you have any idea how complicated Ms was to set up? I couldn't even be sure that someone like Nahuel existed – all I knew was that I would be looking for something I couldn't see! Try to imagine searching for a blind spot – not the easiest thing I've ever done. Plus we had to send back the key witnesses, like we weren't in enough of a hurry. And then keeping my eyes open all the time in case you decided to throw me any more instructions. At some point you're going to have to tell me what exactly is in Rio. Before any of that, I had to try to see every trick the Volturi might come in with and give you what few clues I could so you would be ready for their strategy, and I only had just a few hours to trace out all the possibilities. Most of all, I had to make sure you'd all believe that I was ditching out on you, because Aro had to be positive that you had nothing left up your sleeves or he never would have committed to an out the way he did. And if you think I didn't feel like a schmuck – â€Å" â€Å"Okay, okay!† I interrupted. â€Å"Sorry! I know it was rough for you, too. It's just that†¦ well, I missed you like crazy, Alice. Don't do that to me again.† Alice's trilling laugh rang through the room, and we all smiled to hear that music once more. â€Å"I missed you, too, Bella. So forgive me, and try to be satisfied with being the superhero of the day.† Everyone else laughed now, and I ducked my face into Nessie's hair, embarrassed. Edward went back to analyzing every shift of intention and control that had happened in the meadow today, declaring that it was my shield that had made the Volturi run away with their tails between their legs. The way everyone looked at me made me uncomfortable. Even Edward. It was like I had grown a hundred feet during the course of the morning. I tried to ignore the impressed looks, mostly keeping my eyes on Nessie's sleeping face and Jacob's unchanged expression. I would always be just Bella to him, and that was a relief. The hardest stare to ignore was also the most confusing one. It wasn't like this half-human, half-vampire Nahuel was used to thinking of me in a certain way. For all he knew, I went around routing attacking vampires every day and the scene in the meadow had been nothing unusual at all. But the boy never took his eyes off me. Or maybe he was looking at Nessie. That made me uncomfortable, too. He couldn't be oblivious to the fact that Nessie was the only female of his kind that wasn't his half-sister. I didn't think this idea had occurred to Jacob yet. I kind of hoped it wouldn't soon. I'd had enough fighting to last me for a while. Eventually, the others ran out of questions for Edward, and the discussion dissolved into a bunch of smaller conversations. I felt oddly tired. Not sleepy, of course, but just like the day had been long enough. I wanted some peace, some normality. I wanted Nessie in her own bed; I wanted the walls of my own little home around me. I looked at Edward and felt for a moment like I could read his mind. I could see he felt exactly the same way. Ready for some peace. â€Å"Should we take Nessie †¦Ã¢â‚¬  ‘That's probably a good idea,† he agreed quickly. â€Å"I'm sure she didn't sleep soundly last night, what with all the snoring.† He grinned at Jacob. Jacob rolled his eyes and then yawned. â€Å"It's been a while since I slept in a bed. I bet my dad would get a kick out of having me under his roof again.† I touched his cheek. â€Å"Thank you, Jacob.† â€Å"Anytime, Bella. But you already know that.† He got up, stretched, kissed the top of Nessie's head, and then the top of mine. Finally, he punched Edward's shoulder. â€Å"See you guys tomorrow. I guess things are going to be kind of boring now, aren't they?† â€Å"I fervently hope so,† Edward said. We got up when he was gone; I shifted my weight carefully so that Nessie was never jostled. I was deeply grateful to see her getting a sound sleep. So much weight had been on her tiny shoulders. It was time she got to be a child again – protected and secure. A few more years of childhood. The idea of peace and security reminded me of someone who didn't have those feelings all the time. â€Å"Oh, Jasper?† I asked as we turned for the door. Jasper was sandwiched tight in between Alice and Esme, somehow seeming more central to the family picture than usual. â€Å"Yes, Bella?† Tm curious – why is J. Jenks scared stiff by just the sound of your name?† Jasper chuckled.†It's just been my experience that some kinds of working relationships are better motivated by fear than by monetary gain.† I frowned, promising myself that I would take over that working relationship from now on and spare J the heart attack that was surely on the way. We were kissed and hugged and wished a good night to our family. The only off note was Nahuel again, who looked intently after us, as if he wished he could follow. Once we were across the river, we walked barely faster than human speed, in no hurry, holding hands. I was sick of being under a deadline, and I just wanted to take my time. Edward must have felt the same. â€Å"I have to say, I'm thoroughly impressed with Jacob right now,† Edward told me. â€Å"Thewolves make quite an impact, don't they?† â€Å"That's not what I mean. Not once today did he think about the fact that, according to Nahuel,Nessie will befully matured in just six and a half years.† I considered that for a minute. â€Å"He doesn't see her that way. He's not in a hurry for her to grow up.He just wants her to be happy.† â€Å"I know. Like I said, impressive. It goes against the grain to say so, but she could do worse.† I frowned. â€Å"I'm not going to think about that for approximately six and a half more years.† Edward laughed and then sighed. â€Å"Of course, itlooks like he'll have some competition to worry about when the time comes.† My frown deepened. â€Å"I noticed. I'm grateful to Nahuel for today, but all the staring was a little weird. I don't care if she is the only half-vampire he's not related to.† â€Å"Oh, he wasn't staring at her – he was staring at you.† That's what it had seemed like†¦ but that didn't make any sense. â€Å"Why would he do that?† â€Å"Because you're alive,† he said quietly. â€Å"You lost me.† â€Å"All his life,† he explained,† – and he's fifty years older than I am – â€Å" â€Å"Decrepit,† I interjected. Heignored me. â€Å"He's always thought of himself as an evil creation, a murderer by nature. His sistersall killed their mothers as well, but they thought nothing of it. Joham raised them to think of the humans as animals, while they were gods. But Nahuel was taught by Huilen, and Huilen loved her sister more than anyone else. It shaped his whole perspective. And, in some ways, he truly hated himself.† â€Å"That'sso sad,†I murmured. â€Å"And then he saw the three of us – and realized for the first time that just because he ishalf immortal, it doesn't mean he is inherently evil. He looks at me and sees†¦ what his father should have been.† â€Å"You are fairly ideal in every way,† I agreed. He snorted and then was serious again. â€Å"He looks at you and sees the life his mother should have had.† â€Å"Poor Nahuel,† Imurmured, and then sighed because I knew I would never be able to think badly of him after this, no matter how uncomfortable his stare made me. â€Å"Don't be sad for him. He's happy now. Today, he's finally begun to forgive himself.† I smiled for Nahuel's happiness and then thought that today belonged to happiness. Though Irina's sacrifice wasa dark shadow against the white light, keeping the moment from perfection, the joy was impossible to deny. The life I'd fought for was safe again. My family was reunited. My daughter had a beautiful future stretching out endlessly in front of her. Tomorrow I would go see my father; he would see that the fear in my eyes had been replaced with joy, and he would be happy, too. Suddenly, I was sure that I wouldn't find him there alone. I hadn't been as observant as I might have been in the last few weeks, but in this moment it was like I'd known all along. Sue would be with Charlie – thewerewolves' mom with the vampire's dad – and he wouldn't be alone anymore. I smiled widely at this new insight. But most significant in this tidal wave of happiness was the surest fact ofall: I was with Edward. Forever. Not that I'd want to repeat the last several weeks, but I had to admit they'd made me appreciate what I had more than ever. The cottage was a place of perfect peace in the silver-blue night. We carried Nessie to her bed and gently tucked her in. She smiled as she slept. I took Aro's gift from around my neck and tossed it lightly into the corner of her room. She could play with it if she wished; she liked sparkly things. Edward and I walked slowly to our room, swinging our arms between us. â€Å"A night for celebrations,† he murmured, and he put his hand under my chin to lift my lips to his. â€Å"Wait,† I hesitated, pulling away. He looked at me in confusion. As a general rule, I didn't pull away. Okay, it was more than a general rule. This was a first. â€Å"I want to try something,† I informed him, smiling slightly at his bewildered expression. I put my hands on both sides of his face and closed my eyes in concentration. I hadn't done very well with this when Zafrina had tried to teach me before, but I knew my shield better now. I understood the part that fought against separation from me, the automatic instinct to preserve self aboveall else. Itstill wasn't anywhere near as easy as shielding other people along with myself. I felt the elastic recoil again as my shield fought to protect me. I had to strain to push it entirely away from me; it took all of my focus. â€Å"Bella!† Edward whispered in shock. I knew it was working then, so I concentrated even harder, dredging up the specific memories I'd saved for this moment, letting them flood my mind, and hopefully his as well. Some of the memories were not clear – dim human memories, seen through weak eyes and heard through weak ears: the first time I'd seen his face†¦ the way it felt when he'd held me in the meadow†¦ the sound of his voice through the darkness of my faltering consciousness when he'd saved me from James†¦ his face as he waited under a canopy of flowers to marry me†¦ every precious moment from the island†¦ his cold hands touching our baby through my skin†¦ And the sharp memories, perfectly recalled: his face when I'd opened my eyes to my new life, to the endless dawn of immortality†¦ that first kiss†¦ that first night†¦ His lips, suddenly fierce against mine, broke my concentration. With a gasp, I lost my grip on the struggling weight I was holding away from myself. It snapped back like stressed elastic, protecting my thoughts once again. â€Å"Oops, lost it!† I sighed. â€Å"I heard you,† he breathed. â€Å"How? How did you do that?† â€Å"Zafrina's idea. We practiced with it a few times.† He was dazed. He blinked twice and shook his head. â€Å"Now you know,† I said lightly, and shrugged. â€Å"No one's ever loved anyone as much as I love you.† â€Å"You're almost right.† He smiled, his eyes still a little wider than usual. â€Å"I know of just one exception.† â€Å"Liar.† He started to kiss me again, but then stopped abruptly. â€Å"Can you do it again?† he wondered. I grimaced. â€Å"It's very difficult.† He waited, his expression eager. â€Å"I can't keep it up if I'm even the slightest bit distracted,† I warned him. â€Å"I'll be good,† he promised. I pursed my lips, my eyes narrowing. Then I smiled. I pressed my hands to his face again, hefted the shield right out of my mind, and then started in where I'd left off – with the crystal-clear memory of the first night of my new life†¦ lingering on the details. I laughed breathlessly when his urgent kiss interrupted my efforts again. â€Å"Damn it,† he growled, kissing hungrily down the edge of my jaw. â€Å"We have plenty of time to work on it,† I reminded him. â€Å"Forever and forever and forever,† he murmured. â€Å"That sounds exactly right to me.† And then we continued blissfully into this small but perfect piece of our forever. the end

Environmental Factors Essay

The Coca-Cola Company was established in 1886 in the United States. Today, the Coca-Cola Company’s products are available in over 200 different countries. Each country contains its own demographics and other factors that influence the marketing planning and promotions for the Coca-Cola product lines. These factors vary by location and can include culture, customs, and even legal matters. The Coca-Cola Company has been able to successfully examine these factors and create marketing campaigns that have allowed the company to grow in leaps and bounds over the past 100 years. Global economic interdependence Global economic interdependence is when different economies rely upon one another and can include goods and service exchanges. Coca-Cola is one of the most famous soft drink brands in the world because they have successfully marketed their products across the globe. These foreign economies rely upon Coca-Cola products to stock their shelves to meet the consumers demand. With such a strong demand, countries would want the company’s product in local stores to increase sales and thus taxes collected. In order to get products to foreign markets, Coca-Cola is faced with trade restrictions and agreements. Restrictions can include tariffs which impose taxes on imported goods or quotas that limit the amount of certain product that is brought into the country (Kotler, Keller, 2012). These restrictions can lead to questions as to whether entering that foreign market is profitable. A high tariff could cut into profits while other trade restrictions may not allow a product to enter the market at all. A stiff market to enter may require a very detailed and successful marketing plan in order to reach the most potential consumers. A failed plan could result in the company paying more for the product to enter that market rather than the amount of money being made. Demographics and infrastructure Demographics must be examined prior to entering a foreign market. Household income, population, and age can all play a factor in a marketing plan. Poor  countries such as those in Africa may not be able to afford to purchase a product and therefore, would not be included in a marketing plan for a high priced item. Also, if there is a limited amount of infrastructure the product may not be able to be transported. Countries that lack infrastructure such as paved roads or electricity would become difficult markets for Coca-Cola to enter. Without roads or railroads, Coca-Cola would not be able to deliver their product to the consumers. Electricity is typically needed in order to keep the beverage chilled and to record sales transactions. A country lacking infrastructure will have a difficult time getting popular goods to their consumers. Cultural differences Cultural differences play a role in the marketing process. Different cultures will have different ideals and may even use products for different reasons. What may be acceptable in the American market may be a sign of disrespect in another. Knowledge of cultural differences can make or break a marketing campaign and also the entire company. For example, the Japanese commercials tend to have more animation and songs in the commercial. Also, the culture is also more advanced in technology so vending machines are more advanced in Japan than the ones we see here in America. Finally, different cultures may see certain products or ingredients as unhealthy. What may be delicious to consumers in China may be horrid to the taste buds of those in America. Social responsibility and ethics versus legal obligations Social responsibility and ethics are values that should be followed but not necessarily obligated to do so. On the other hand, legal obligations force a company to perform certain actions. For example, Coca-Cola is not legally obligated to set a certain price on their product. However, they are legally obligated to place nutritional and ingredient information on the product. As previously mentioned, different cultures play a role in marketing. What one culture may see as a social responsibility may be a legal obligation in another. As many know, Coca-Cola once contained the drug cocaine. Legally, cocaine is outlawed in the United States but may not be in other countries. What some may not know is that Coca-Cola still contains an extract from the coca leaves that is not classified as illegal (New York Times, 2013). In some cultures, it may be unethical to sell a product that has any  derivatives from any mind altering plants. Political systems and the influence of international relations Political systems can decide whether to allow a product to enter their market or impose extreme conditions that must be met. In addition, international relations can play a part as to where a product goes. Currently, the United States has a trade restriction with Iran that limits what can be exchanged between the two countries. Iran, once considered an ally, is now an evil and thus trade restrictions are in place. Coca-Cola may find it difficult to get their product into this market through a legit trade agreement. If Coca-Cola was faced with the fact that nobody would be allowed to import their product, they would be able to develop a marketing plan for domestic use that would portray that they are the only country who gets to receive the product. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 prohibits bribes being paid to foreign officials to assist in obtaining or keeping business (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, n.d.). This Act would prohibit Coca-Cola from bribing an Iranian official to allow them to export their product to the country. Because of this Act, large corporations can no longer pay foreign officials to keep their products in stores of countries that have banned them either by local or international law. These different laws and stipulations create barriers for a product to be introduced into foreign and domestic markets. Technology Advancements in technology have made marketing both easier and more difficult at the same time. Social media sites such as YouTube now promote products before the user can watch the video they intended to view. As technology advances, previous innovations become cheaper and open the doors for new consumers to obtain these products. As the amount of people who are able to access the internet increases, so does the amount of people that can view advertisements. One of the newest fads for technology is making more products â€Å"green†. Environmental friendly products are now the big rage and consumers will pay more for a product if it is deemed â€Å"green†. Advances in technology will eventually lead to more products being green and thus  creating a decline in the demand. Conclusion The Coca-Cola Company was established in 1886 in the United States. Today, the Coca-Cola Company’s products are available in over 200 different countries. Each country contains its own demographics and other factors that influence the marketing planning and promotions for the Coca-Cola product lines. Factors such as political influences, technology, and cultural differences all play a part on marketing. Differences in these factors can determine whether a product should be entered into the market. It is the responsibility of the manufacture, such as Coca-Cola, to perform their due diligence and evaluate its findings. References New York Times. (2013). How Coca-Cola Obtains Its Coca. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/01/business/how-coca-cola-obtains-its-coca.html U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (n.d.). Spotlight on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Retrieved from http://www.sec.gov/spotlight/fcpa.shtml

No-No Boys & Japanese Internment essays

No-No Boys & Japanese Internment essays In 1943 all Japanese American over the age of seventeen held in interment camps were forced to respond to a questionnaire (except those who had already requested repatriation to Japan) intended to separate those loyal from those disloyal to the United States. Two of the most significant and well known questions that appear on this would be the two loyalty questions number 27 and 28. They read: No. 27: Are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty wherever ordered? No. 28: Will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States of America and faithfully defend the United States from any or all attack by foreign or domestic forces, and forswear any form of allegiance or obedience to the Japanese emperor, to any other foreign government, power or organization? (Note: For female citizens, question 27 was reworded, asking if they were willing to volunteer for the Army Nurse Corps or the Women's Army Corp.) (Iritani) Internees were broken up based on there response to these questions. Japanese Internees who answered no to both questions were nick named as No-No Boys, and were sent to Tule Lake Relocation Camp (A much harsher camp). These two loyalty questions were extremely hard for internees to answer both yes too, and many soon found themselves being sent to the worse camp of all Tule Lake. For instance, question 27 which asks if you would join the U.S. Army seemed ridiculous to many Japanese Americans, because almost none of these internees wanted to fight for a country which had stripped them of their rights and dignity. Additionally, question 28 posed the issue of abandoning your allegiance to the Japanese Emperor. Many Japanese internees felt if they were to do that they would be unwelcome back into Japan, and because they are already unwelcome in America, would consequently have absolutely no place to go ...

Every Tourist Is A Voyeuring Gourmand Tourism Essay Essays

Every Tourist Is A Voyeuring Gourmand Tourism Essay Essays Every Tourist Is A Voyeuring Gourmand Tourism Essay Paper Every Tourist Is A Voyeuring Gourmand Tourism Essay Paper This chapter will go on on from chapter two and purposes to discourse in item the culinary tourer. The research worker will specify the term culinary tourer and explicate how these types of tourers can be categorised. This chapter will besides sketch the issues confronting sustainable touristry and genuineness in relation to nutrient touristry and the culinary tourer. Furthermore, the research worker will foreground the Travel Activities and Motivation Survey ( TAMS ) which is considered to be the most comprehensive profiles available of culinary tourers. Finally, the research worker will look into the culinary tourer in Ireland. Although information is scarce in relation to the Irish culinary touristry industry, a Mintel study which was published in 2009 provides some cognition into both the international and Irish tourers who holiday in Ireland. Eating is one of our most basic physiological demands even when outside our usual environment ( Tikkanen 2007 ) . Yet, information on nutrient touristry and the culinary tourer appears rare. Chapter two outlined the fact that nutrient is a really much overlooked component of touristry literature ( Selwood 2003 ) . As a consequence of this deficiency of direct research into nutrient touristry, there are few penetrations into the demographic and psychographic features of nutrient tourers ( Wolf 2006 ) , and those penetrations that do be are considered by Hall et Al ( 2003 ) to be mostly superficial. Murray ( 2008 ) agrees and states that footings such as nutrient touristry or the culinary tourer could be used in ways which are misdirecting and, as a consequence, may do inappropriate determinations to be made by touristry contrivers and operators. Murray ( 2008 ) suggests that one time culinary touristry has been identified as a possible avenue to prosecute, the natural inclination is t o place the market, and that leads instantly to cleavage. However, some tourers may be culinary partisans instead than culinary tourers, and although interested in nutrient, culinary activities are non the chief intent of travel for these types of tourers ( Murray 2008 ) . In malice of the acknowledgment that small is still known about either the nutrient buying-behaviour of tourers or of the function it plays in the overall travel determination, finishs are progressively utilizing nutrient as a agency to distinguish themselves and broaden their market base ( Hall et al 2003 ; McKercher, Okumus, and Okumus 2008 ) . As antecedently discussed, nutrient is an of import tourer attractive force and enhances or is cardinal to the visitant experience ( Henderson 2009 ) . For many, nutrient becomes extremely experiential ( i.e. much more than functional ) when it is portion of a travel experience, it can go sensuous and animal, symbolic and ritualistic, and can take on new significance and significance ( Hall et al 2003, p.61 ) . Long suggests that the culinary tourer anticipates a alteration in the foodways experience for the interest of sing that alteration, non simply to fulfill hungriness ( Long 2004, p.21 ) . Longs definition implies that intentionali ty is required whereas Wolf ( 2006, p.2 ) proposes a more indulgent definition ; the true culinary tourer is non a prig, but instead an adventurer who besides happens to be an ardent aficionado of nutrient and drink . Therefore, the culinary tourer could be defined every bit slackly as person who appreciates local nutrient or person who spends clip in a food market shop in a foreign state. Due to wide definitions such as this, one could admit why research on culinary tourers is rare. The Culinary Tourism in Ontario ( 2005-2015 ) Strategy and Action Plan makes a really baronial effort to distinguish between tourers with intentionality and those who are better described as partisans. The Action Plan illustrates culinary touristry markets being broken down by an apprehension of what motivates the traveler: Primary Travellers whose chief focal point and purpose is for a culinary touristry experience. Secondary Travellers whose focal point on culinary touristry is shared with another touristry incentive such as golf, shopping, sing household and friends. However, culinary touristry is portion of their path. Third Travelers whose itinerary or incentives does non include culinary touristry. Culinary touristry experience is ad-lib or ad hoc to their original purpose ( Culinary Tourism in Ontario ( 2005-2015 ) Strategy and Action Plan, p.21 ) . 3.3 Location, Sustainable Tourism and Authenticity Sims ( 2009 ) comments on the turning organic structure of research which is get downing to turn out that esthesiss of gustatory sensation, touch, sound and odor can play an of import function within the vacation experience, adding that holiday nutrient is going of peculiar importance to research workers ( Sims 2009, p.321 ) . Crotts and Kivela ( 2006, p.355 ) agree and citation that our centripetal perceptual experiences play a major psychological and physiological function in our assessment and grasp of nutrient, as they do for other experiences at a finish . Dining out is a enjoyable centripetal experience, hence, the experience good factor which tourists experience as a consequence of nutrient ingestion at a finish is a pull factor and a selling and trading tool that can non be underestimated ( Crotts and Kivela 2006, p.355 ) . For this ground, one can reason that tourers frequently place considerable accent on how they feel at a finish, and how they experience what the f inish offers, by carefully choosing that particular eating house and/or nutrient that might carry through a peculiar personal desire ( Crotts and Kivela 2006 ) . Although many surveies identify and address factors that affect finish pick and image, really few empirical surveies address the function that nutrient dramas in the manner tourists experience the finish. Dining wonts can besides supply an penetration into ways of life, assisting tourers understand the differences between their ain civilization and those with which they come into contact with ( Hegarty and OMahoney 2001 ) . However, it must be acknowledged that the assortment of nutrients on offer at a finish can hold major deductions for the economic, cultural and environmental sustainability of that touristry location, with research workers reasoning that a focal point on locally sourced merchandises can ensue in benefits for both the hosts and the culinary tourers ( Clark and Chabrel 2007 ; Sims 2009 ) . Sims ( 2009, p.3 22 ) argues that local nutrient and drink merchandises can better the economic and environmental sustainability of both touristry and the rural host community through encouraging sustainable agricultural patterns, back uping local concerns and edifice a trade name that can profit the part by pulling more visitants and investing . Furthermore, Sims ( 2009 ) explains that local nutrient can play an of import function in the sustainable touristry experience because it entreaties to the visitant s desire for genuineness within the vacation experience. At present, there is a tendency towards cosmopolitan standardization and homogenization, which is demonstrated by the spread of fast nutrient ironss ( Henderson 2009 ; Keel 2010 ) . Concurrently, tourers are going more adventuresome and are unfastened to new nutrient experiences ( Daniele and Scarpato 2003 ; Henderson 2009 ) . Many culinary tourers are besides seeking genuine and reliable which can be found in local nutrients and eating-places ( Henderson 2009 ) . Therefore, one can reason that tourer finishs could successfully distinguish from other locations through local reliable nutrient. As explained above, reliable nutrient ingestion at a finish creates a pull factor for the consumer ( Crotts and Kivela 2006, p.355 ) . Furthermore, increasing tourer ingestion of local nutrients can bring forth a multiplier consequence that will profit the local economic system and supply a encouragement to rural finishs looking to develop a sustainable touristry industry ( Sims 2009 ; Torres, 2002 ) . In add-on, concerns about the environmental effects of transporting nutrient across the Earth have led research workers to reason that purchasing local nutrient merchandises is critical if the touristry industry is to cut down its C footmark ( Mitchell and Hall 2003 ; Sims 2009 ) . In Rebecca Sims ( 2009 ) article tit led Food, topographic point and genuineness , she studied how local nutrient has the possible to heighten the visitant experience by linking consumers to the part and its sensed civilization and heritage. She focused on two UK parts for her study, the Lake District and Exmoor. Her consequences illustrated that over 60 % of the tourers interviewed said that they had intentionally chosen to devour nutrients or drinks that they considered local while on vacation which suggests that, tourers are seeking merchandises that they feel will give them an penetration into the nature of a topographic point and its people Sims ( 2009, p.329 ) . However, this demand for local nutrient could besides be viewed as a hunt for genuineness. Over 50 % of the tourers interviewed in this survey said that they had bought, or were decidedly be aftering to purchase, nutrient and drink as keepsakes of their vacation, with less than 10 % stating that they were non interested in making so ( Sims 2009, p.328 ) . The keepsake buyers varied in their degrees of enthusiasm, from loath purchasers who felt compelled to purchase little gifts for household or co-workers, to one enthusiastic twosome who, while sing Exmoor, had spent ?60 on specializer tea and java by a celebrated local tea merchandiser in add-on to the usual material like fudge ( Sims 2009, p.328 ) . Tikkanen ( 2007 ) concurs with Sims ( 2009 ) and relates nutrient touristry to Maslow s hierarchy. Tikkanen ( 2007, p.725 ) identifies five attacks to nutrient with regard to motive for a visit. These five attacks are nutrient as a tourer attractive force , groceries as a tourer merchandise constituent , nutrient experience in touristry , the function of nutrient in civilization and linkages between touristry and nutrient production . This attack to the theory environing the culinary tourer demonstrates that nutrient ingestion is regarded as one of the most of import factors in the selling of a finish ( Tikkanen 2007 ) . Hence, nutrient and touristry are progressively combined. Food can pull a individual towards or back to a vacation finish, plus more and more nutrient merchandises are now bought as keepsakes, which, if managed right could ensue in benefits for both the hosts and the culinary tourers. 3.4 Travel Activities and Motivation Survey While few demographic and psychographic informations exist to pull a comprehensive image of the typical culinary tourer, one major survey conducted in Canada can supply some penetration. In April 2001, the Canadian Tourism Commission ( CTC ) released the Travel Activities and Motivation Survey ( TAMS ) , Wine and Cuisine Profile Report which is considered to be one of the most comprehensive profiles available of culinary tourers. This study offers a comprehensive appraisal of travel behavior and incentives and provides a rich and important database by which to develop future selling schemes. Harmonizing to this study, both immature and mature singles along with immature and mature twosomes were most likely to exhibit an involvement in vacation activities associated with nutrient and vino ( TAMS 2001 ) . Interest in such activities besides increased as the degree of instruction and household income increased ( TAMS 2001 ) . While this information represented Canadian travelers, the co nsequences for US travelers were highly similar. The study did non interrupt down travelers by specific age groups but instead categorises travelers as immature or mature. The study found a high correlativity between culinary tourers and geographic expedition ( TAMS 2001 ) . This concurs with Wolfs ( 2006 ) definition above and suggests that culinary tourers are adventurers. Those who exhibit an involvement in holiday activities associated with vino and culinary art were well more likely to hold sought out holiday experiences associated with geographic expedition ( e.g. , sing historical sites, natural admirations ) , personal indulgence ( e.g. , to see the good life, sing a casino, sing metropolis life such as dark life ) and love affair and relaxation ( e.g. , experience familiarity and love affair, relax and recuperate ) ( TAMS 2001, p.19 ) . A more recent TAMS, based once more on the Canadian and US markets was published in 2007. The study revealed that 37 % ( or 7.7 million ) of Canadian travelers and 33 % ( or 58.6 million ) of American travelers were wine and cuisine partisans, exhibiting either a moderate or high involvement in vino and cuisine-related activities while on trips during the old ages 2005-2007 ( TAMS 2007a ; TAMS 2007b ) . Similar to the 2001 study mature ( 35-64 old ages old ) twosomes and households ( those with childs ) were more likely to be interested in vino and cuisine-related activities. Young twosomes ( less than 35 old ages old ) and senior twosomes ( over 64 old ages old ) , though to a lesser extent, were besides actively engaged in activities associated with vino and culinary art ( TAMS 2007a ) . Once once more the 2007 study shows a strong association between tourers with an involvement in vino and culinary art with increasing degrees of instruction and household income ( TAMS 2007a ; TAMS 2007b ) . Besides interesting to observe is the fact that vino and culinary art partisans were frequent travelers, taking an norm of 4.1 trips between 2004 and 2005 versus 3.2 trips for other travelers ( TAMS 2007a ; TAMS 2007b ) . Relative to other travelers, vino and culinary tourers had a higher inclination to confer with a big figure of information beginnings when they were be aftering trips. Using the cyberspace ( 86 % ) , sing their ain yesteryear experiences ( 63 % ) and taking advice from friends and relations ( 55 % ) were the most popular information beginnings ( TAMS 2007a ) . They were besides more likely to read the travel subdivision of day-to-day and weekend newspapers and to surf travel-related web sites than other travelers ( TAMS 2007a ; TAMS 2007b ) . It must be noted that this study evaluated the demographic behavior of Canadian and American culinary tourers ; hence, an chance exists to look into whether culinary tourers from other states portion similar demographic and psychographic traits. 3.5 The Culinary Tourist in Ireland As explained above, surveies into the demographic and psychographic features of nutrient tourers are in the minority. While the TAMS provide an penetration into American and Canadian tourers, a Mintel study which was published in 2009 provides some cognition into both international and Irish tourers who holiday in Ireland. Among Irish tourers, quality is the most of import factor for nutrient. Availability of local green goods is besides important, it is nevertheless recognised that these factors result is a premium monetary value for nutrient and so are most appealing among the older and more flush consumers ( Mintel 2009 ) . Mintel ( 2009 ) reported that younger grownups and those from lower socio-economic groups were more monetary value medium while vacationing in Ireland, hence, low cost fast-food entreaties to this section, doing them less of import for the nutrient touristry market. This survey stated that the most likely consumers to see all right dining and local independent eating houses, and those most likely to demo a acute involvement in nutrient while vacationing in Ireland are those elderly 35 to 64, and those that fall under the upper in-between category, in-between category, lower in-between category ( ABC1 ) age bracket. These age groups are fortuitously the fastest turning in Irish society and forecasted to do up the largest section of the Irish population for the following decennary. In footings of broader touristry tendencies, it is consumers from these age and socio-economic classs that are most likely to see Ireland from abroad, and are the most likely to remain in Ireland from the Irish population. Irish culinary tourers have become of peculiar importance during the current economic clime as many Irish consumers are now sing vacationing at place instead than traveling abroad. Furthermore, this study stated that the cyberspace is the most widely used beginning by tourers for both engagements and seeking information prior to taking a vacation or short interruption within Ireland. This presents a strong portal for the publicity of the Irish nutrient touristry industry through tourer authorization web sites such as Failte Ireland and Tourism Ireland. At present, these web sites provide small or no information about nutrient in Ireland. However, it should be noted that many older consumers have been slow to follow to the cyberspace, and given that these consumers form the key groups for nutrient touristry, traditional channels should non be abandoned. Besides mentioned in the study was Ireland s a‚Â ¬200 million festival sector, another cardinal channel for the nutrient touristry industry, which has a big part dedicated to nutrient and drink. Ushers such as the Michelin usher, the Michelin Pub Guide, and the Bridgestone Guide are seen as exceptionally influential on consumers picks. Positive online reappraisals besides have an influence as more consumers than of all time utilize the cyberspace. Mintel ( 2009 ) acknowledge a the tendency that Irish and UK consumers have a turning affinity with nutrient, with broadening gustatory sensations and a renewed grasp for local ingredients and modern takes on traditional dishes, as seen with the growing of husbandmans markets and artisan nutrient manufacturers. Much of this resurgence and new involvement in nutrient has been driven by the media with channels like Channel 4, the BBC and RTE utilizing primetime slots for cookery and nutrient involvement programmes. Evaluations figures from the Broadcasters Audience Research Board for the first one-fourth of 2009 show that some of the more popular cookery programmes are among the top five highest viewed shows, peculiarly Masterchef on BBC and programmes having famous person chefs like Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay on Channel 4. However, due to the current economic crisis, a turning figure of people are eating and entertaining at place, and telecasting has become a extremely influential forum for advancing good quality nutrient. Although this may hold taken slightly from the eating house industry, this is in bend making possible for cooking schools. With the turning involvement in nutrient, and the turning figure of people entertaining at place there are positive signals for cookery schools, peculiarly within the domestic touristry sphere. However, the cookery classs at these Centres are comparatively expensive compared to other vacation activities and in recessive times, luxuries such as these may be less accessible if pricing schemes are non reviewed. Although this study portrayed a positive position for the Irish nutrient touristry market, value for money remains a major factor impeding the development of culinary touristry in Ireland. As discussed in Chapter 2, there are issues sing the perceptual experi ence that Irish nutrient is expensive, service related issues, Irish nutrient cost issues and the deficiency of invention among nutrient manufacturers ( Coughlan 2009 ) . The study suggests that the authorities has dedicated a important sum of funding toward advancing touristry ; nevertheless, high revenue enhancements are impacting fight. Failte Ireland found that although about 98 % of tourers would urge sing Ireland, 19 % of these had some reserves. Of this 19 % , 26 % stated that their chief reserve was the high monetary values in Ireland ( Failte Ireland 2010 ) . In add-on to this is the concern that non adequate accent is being placed on advancing Ireland as a nutrient touristry finish ( Mintel 2009 ) . These issues must be addressed if Ireland is to be perceived as a coveted finish for the culinary tourer. 3.6 Drumhead The literature reveals that there are few penetrations into the demographic and psychographic features of nutrient tourers. Yet, eating is one of our most basic physiological demands even when outside our usual environment. Hence, everyone demands to eat. Therefore, it is hard to specify and depict the culinary tourer. Furthermore, some tourers may be culinary partisans instead than culinary tourers, and although interested in nutrient, culinary activities are non the chief intent of travel for these classs of tourers. However, for some tourers, nutrient becomes extremely experiential and consumers are progressively cognizant of the benefits ( economic, environmental and wellness related ) of local green goods, and there is an increased desire to try local dishes, groceries and drink. Although, there is small known about either the nutrient buying-behaviour of tourers or of the function it plays in the overall travel determination, finishs are progressively utilizing nutrient as a agency to distinguish themselves and broaden their market base. From this treatment of the literature, it can be seen that local nutrient has the potency to play a cardinal function within the touristry experience. There is a renewed involvement in local nutrient and drinks festivals, every bit good as an increased involvement in local markets as tourers seek out reliable nutrient experiences. These local nutrient and drink merchandises can better the economic and environmental sustainability of both touristry and the rural host community. This chapter besides discussed TAMS which is considered to be one of the most comprehensive profiles available of culinary tourers. This study offers a comprehensive appraisal of travel behavior and incentives and provides a rich and important database by which to develop future selling schemes. Furthermore, an penetration into the both the international and Irish tourers who holiday in Ireland was provided utilizing a a Mintel study which was published in 2009. As suggested in the above subdivision, nutrient touristry is a possible competitory advantage and it can be a nucleus component in the stigmatization of a state or finish by sellers. Domestic and international visitants are going more adventuresome and unfastened to new experiences overall and with specific mention to nutrient. Many are besides looking for the echt and reliable, which, it is believed, can be found in local nutrients and eating-places ( Reynolds, 1993 ) .

California Architecture for the Casual Traveler

California Architecture for the Casual Traveler California and the long Pacific coast of the Western United States is a territory of changing landscapes and wild diversity- in both lifestyles and architectural styles. California is a land of fire and rain and of tsunamis and drought.  Although from north to south its climate changes dramatically, California has a constant element that affects all building codes- the San Andreas Fault. In the links and resources on this page, you will find simple adobe homes of early Spanish colonists, glitzy homes of Hollywood movie stars, groundbreaking modernist architecture, playful amusement park buildings, wacky googie structures, historic bridges and stadia, and many other interesting and unusual building types. Visiting the San Francisco Area Marin County Civic Center by Frank Lloyd WrightSan Francisco Museum of Modern Art by Mario BottaUnited States Federal Building by Thom MayneCalifornia Academy of Sciences by Renzo PianoThe Golden Gate Bridge Along the Coast of California Historic Monterey Houses in MontereyBixby Bridge in Big SurSea Ranch Chapel in Gualala, by James HubbellHearst Castle in San Simeon, designed by Julia MorganHigh Style Spanish Revival Architecture in Santa Barbara Visiting the Los Angeles Area Los Angeles is an architectural kaleidoscope. As you explore the warm, southern California city, youll find odd contrasts. No matter. The sun of Southern California has attracted odd bedfellows, both in the movie industry and architectural practices. Here is just a taste of LA architecture: Disney Concert Hall by Frank GehryEmerson College Los Angeles by Thom MayneBinoculars Building in Venice by Frank GehryDiamond Ranch High School in Pomona by Thom MayneLA Museum of Contemporary Art by Arata IsozakiCase Study House #8  by Charles and Ray EamesThe Getty Center by Richard MeierEnnis Brown House by Frank Lloyd WrightHollyhock House by Frank Lloyd WrightThe Schindler Chace House by Rudolf SchindlerGeorge D. Sturges House by Frank Lloyd WrightTheme Building at LAXCentral Public Library by Bertram Grosvenor GoodhueCaltrans District 7 Headquarters by Thom Mayne Visiting the Palm Springs Area Within two hours of Hollywood, Palm Springs became the famous getaway for the movie elite. Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, and other movie stars built homes here in the 1940s and 1950s, the height of Mid-Century Modernism. Richard Neutra, Albert Frey, and others invented what became known as Desert Modernism. Midcentury Modern Architecture in Palm SpringsAlexander Homes: Houses by the Alexander Construction CompanyThe Elvis Honeymoon HideawayThe Annenberg Residence, Sunnylands by A. Quincy Jones in Rancho Mirage Visiting the San Diego Area Balboa Park, site of the influential Panama-California Exposition of 1915.  San Diego architect Irving Gill carried out the Mission Revival and Pueblo styles decided on by the organizers, but it was New Yorker Bertram G. Goodhue who gave the buildings the Spanish Baroque detailing known as Churrigueresque.  Exposition buildings such as Casa de Balboa and Casa del Prado ignited a Spanish Renaissance throughout the American Southwest. Well-Known Sports Venues in California Rose Bowl Stadium in PasadenaLevis Stadium in Santa ClaraLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum Architects of California Many of todays larger architectural firms have multiple offices, which often include California. For example, Richard Meier Partners Architects LLP has an office in Los Angeles. The following list of architects, however, are often associated with beginning their careers in California. They made their mark and settled in California. Julia MorganPaul WilliamsRichard NeutraDonald WexlerFrank GehryCharles and Ray EamesRudolph SchindlerWallace NeffA. Quincy JonesThom MayneBernard MaybeckIrving GillCharles and Henry GreeneCraig EllwoodJoseph Esherick Learn More with these Books Wallace Neff, Architect of Californias Golden Age by Alson Clark, 2000Toward a Simpler Way of Life: The Arts and Crafts Architects of California by Robert Winter, University of California Press, 1997Irving J. Gill: Architect, 1870 - 1936 by Marvin Rand, 2006Five California Architects by Esther McCoy and Randell Makinson, 1975On the Edge of the World: Four Architects in San Francisco at the Turn of the Century by Richard Longstreth, University of California Press, 1998California Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright by David Gebhard, 1997California Modern: The Architecture of Craig Ellwood by Neil Jackson, Princeton Architectural Press, 2002Spanish Colonial Style: Santa Barbara and the Architecture of James Osborne Craig and Mary McLaughlin Craig by Pamela Skewes-Cox and Robert Sweeney, 2015

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Critical Thinking Questions - Essay Example The use of this method will provide different ways of making sense of ideas, developing product, attaining content, and processing information so as to promote effective learning. Question a (ii) The six-column framework highlights the basics of an individual. Everyone must employ these questions to be complete. In addition, scopes of the framework classification technique, the abstractions, and perspectives are complete and can categorize any concept or knowledge. An individual can utilize the what, who, how, where, why, and when questions to classify students. This is because the differentiated instruction understands every student is unique. This framework will assist the teacher to instruct according to student’s learning style and needs. The framework will also determine the students’ skills, level of knowledge, and comprehension in a unit of study. Question a (iii) The leader may employ the framework to assess the readiness and growth level of students. This will help improve instruction. The leader may use the framework to retrieve information on different aspects, for example; the leader may ask the instructor â€Å"how can below average students improve?† or â€Å"how are the students coping with the new teaching techniques?† The different responses will guide the leader on areas that need Improvement or change. The leader may also employ the framework to ensure students are responsible and active. This framework will make both the instructors and students fill challenged whenever they are engaged in an activity, in class (Caine & Caine, 1994). This will help improve instruction or change instruction. Question b (i) Concept formation is an inductive educating technique that assist learners establish an apparent understanding of an idea or concept by examining a small number of examples of a concept. Concepts may be presumed to be fittings in the mind. A mind that is well fitted provides lifelong learning, joy, career satisfa ction, citizenship, and academic satisfaction. When the teachers create a concept from its example, they know more exists to a practice or concept. For example, if they see a student is underperforming in class, they know there is more to it than lack of understanding or grasping of ideas (Tomlinson, 1999). Step 1 allows the teachers examine their preferred or presumed comfortable learning environment. Step 2 permits the teacher compare their findings on suitable learning environment and enable them device the most suitable environment. Step 3 enables the teachers categorize the learning environment in terms of the most suitable. Question b (ii) The steps will act as a pre-assessment to the extent to which the teachers have established their concepts. This is because the proof is not in the decisions they have reached, but the reasons they will provide. In addition, each step provides the leader a chance to understand the backgrounds, interests, weaknesses, strengths, and the dissim ilarities between the teachers in several areas. The pre-assessment will also allow the teachers become extra purposeful in conducting class activities. Question c (i) The factors include cooperative learning groups, ability grouping of learners, class size, and the instructor. Cooperative groups have learners with strong class cohesion, positive perception, adequate degree of social support, and high scores of achievement. The ability grouping

The US Supreme Court Docketed Case No 06-1006 Essay

The US Supreme Court Docketed Case No 06-1006 - Essay Example The case number under the consideration in the Texas Court (Harris County) was PD-0436-05. It is necessary to trace the progress and the real causes of the case, to understand the reason of it being submitted to the Supreme Court and to analyze if there were any mistakes performed legally by the preceding courts. The case started in 2002, when the grand jury of Harris County returned an indictment, and charging the defendant with the felony, which had been committed under the paragraphs 31.03(a) and 31.09 of the Texas Penalty Code. In 2003, August, the defendant (already being an appellant, as it will go further) appeared in trial for the plea of being non-guilty, and having presented eight witnesses. The State was able to establish, that through the period of 1997-2000, the appellant was working as a bookkeeper in a private residential community for mentally disordered children, called Hope Village. Among the duties which the appellant had at work was the responsibility for the fina nces together with the payroll. During the notified period, and using the opportunities which the appellant had due to her obligations, she had substantially raised her own salary without superior notification and permission, the numerous additional paychecks were found besides those which she was regularly receiving; she was also able to reimburse the expenditures which had never been made. The deductions for the health insurance and federal taxes were also improper. The total sum of damage for the Hope Village was about $50,000. The appellant was resisting to admitting her guilt, but failed to explain the bigger portion of evidence against her. The jury found the appellant guilty and assessed her punishment in nine years imprisonment and $2,500 fine. The appellant was sure that the Fourteenth Amendment had been violated through sustaining, which was conducted by the district criminal court in relation to the State's objection of the innocence presumption. The Court of Appeals was in agreement with the appellant in terms of presumption of innocence used, but it found this error to be harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. It is stated, that 'any harm from the trial's error with regard to the presumption of innocence would have been lessened, if not altogether erased, both by the jury charge and by the presumption that the jury followed the instructions in the jury charge. Taking into account both the evidence presented and the fact that the jury had already been charged as to the presumption of innocence, we can say beyond a reasonable doubt that the error committed by the trial court did not contribute to the appellant's conviction.' The appellant, on the other hand viewed the errors of the court of appeals in the following ways: 1. The error which the district court committed should not have been considered as harmless error, but was better related to the so-called 'structural defect'; 2. The fact that the error was admitted to be harmless beyond reasonable limits was also erroneous for the fact that it had caused the jury not to suppose the appellant to be innocent anymore; 3. The court of appeals also failed to use the so-called 'totality of circumstances'. The discussion of the utilized notions and the similar cases of use Totality of circums

Trends in the workplace Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Trends in the workplace - Assignment Example It achieves this objective through career mapping, trainings, and performance management. The aim of this process is to impart the necessary skills to employees, for purposes of achieving efficiency in their work. Furthermore, the development of the human resource staff is a motivating factor that can improve the quality of work an individual does (Mondy and Noe, 2005). Evaluation, designing and implementation of compensation benefits is another important function of human resource management. This includes salaries and bonuses that employees get for their services to the organization. A fair and good remuneration package will most likely attract workers to the organization (Chandler, 2006). The organization will therefore have an opportunity to choose the best talents, from the high number of people who have applied in it (Mondy and Noe, 2005). Companies that do not pay their employees according to the living standards of the region will experience a high labor turnover. This in turn is expensive to the company, mainly because it will have to recruit employees again, which is an expensive process. Retention of workers is therefore an important strategy for an organization, and it cannot achieve this, with poor pay, and bonus system (Chandler, 2006). The employee-employer relationship is very important for the success of the organization. This is because the organization will manage to communicate its goals, aspirations, and mission to the employee. Furthermore, the employee will feel as if he or she is part of the organization, and hence work hard to achieve the objectives of the organization. Through compliance, collective bargaining, and a number of initiatives, human resource management is able to create a positive relationship between employees and the employer. Finally, risk management is another important function of human resource management. The HR

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U02d1 Research and Discuss Rationing - Essay Example The term rationing is one where the United States is not faced with a shortage of service as the level of goods and services of the country are not used, or are out of demand. This generally tends to happen when there is a limit that is implemented on the goods and services and is based on the ability to pay. Considering the general public here in the case, there is a huge misbelieve that if there is a medical condition and a possible treatment for it, then the insurance companies are liable to pay irrespective of the costs. This however is never the same if a person needs to pay for the treatment from their own pockets. This is simple human nature. However there is always rationing that happens when a person is not covered by insurance. Here the individual or even the practitioners would consider whether it is useful to allow the treatment on the person and whether the outcome might be useful or not. The first article by Newt Gingrich is one which describes the current day situation where there is a clear level of rationing. The author states a very interesting point, ‘if you are a single male with no children, the legislation still requires you to have maternity benefits and well-baby and well-child care coverage. You dont want or dont need that coverage? Sorry, you have to pay for it anyway’. This is the current situation among all Americans and the perspective of the citizens is clear from the title of the article: ‘Healthcare rationing: Real scary’ (Gingrich, 2009). The second article by Floyd on the other hand discusses the issues faced by the government. It is clear that in the current situation the health care systems are very costly and the Americans expect to receive the best without the will to pay for it. This leads the author to set down three important questions which have been answered here in the document. The author has set down the following: ‘The current debate over healthcare rationing surrounds three key

Climate change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Climate change - Essay Example My interest grew stronger in this specific topic because it is that in one way or the other, it has an influence on other earth systems and it has an even greater impact on human beings. Our atmosphere is composed of gasses that play an important role in life. Oxygen, for instance, is considered as a vital gas to support life; it is the air that we breathe. Other than life, our atmosphere is responsible for reflecting away harmful sunrays from reaching the surface of the earth. The general theme of my essay is the effects of atmospheric change on life forms. It is an important subject of interest because as I had stated earlier, it is of great importance to life. We should study its changes and work on how best we can conserve it in order for it to keep supporting life. In relation to earth systems, the atmosphere also gives us weather. The wind, rain, and snow are all dependent on the atmosphere. Plant life directly depends on the atmosphere of carbon dioxide, which is a vital component of plant growth and development (Harington). In addition, let us not forget the good old air we breathe as living organisms comes from the atmosphere. The composition of the gasses in the atmosphere which gives the gasses, 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and a 1% of other gasses and dust. The atmosphere sticks to the surface of our planet thanks to its gravitational field. The atmosphere is divided into five layers; ii. The thermosphere is the second outermost layer, which sits at about 80 to 700 kilometers above sea level and is separated from the exosphere by a layer called thermopause. The layer is completely cloudless, and the molecules are in extremely low densities and its temperatures can rise as high as 1500 `c but it would not feel hot to a human in direct contact because of low density of molecules (Nolt). iii. The mesosphere sits at the third highest level of the atmosphere at about 50 to 80 kilometers above sea level. Temperatures here drop with

How globalization changes Canadas urban development after World War 2 Essay

How globalization changes Canadas urban development after World War 2 - Essay Example These are guided by the primary political objectives of the ruling power and the intricacies of welfare culture’s regional disparities (McBride & Mcnutt, 2007, p. 194). â€Å"Neo-liberalism is a set of economic policies that have dominated politics for the last 25 years. Essentially, neo-liberalism contains many elements. The foundation of neo-liberalism is a free-market economy, where there is as little government intervention as possible (Abu – Jazar, 2009).† In addition, it is one of the primary objectives of neo – liberalism to effect the privatization of public services. It is contended by its votaries that the private sector, being better equipped in this context, will provide these services in a much more optimal manner. Moreover, the proponents of neo – liberalism argue in favor of reduced expenditure on social services. The aim of this reduced spending being the minimization of intervention by the government (Abu – Jazar, 2009). The reduction of governmental intervention and promotion of individuality, ensures that a neo – liberal state is peopled by individuals who compete against all the other residents of that state. This promotes tremendous economic growth, as every individual is compelled to fend for himself, without relying upon the state to lend him anything more than the most basic support. A major criticism that is levelled against neo – liberalism is that it generates socio – economic disasters. An instance being the vast disparity between the poor and rich of the developed nations (Abu – Jazar, 2009). From the perspective of the competition state, the cardinal objectives are to promote economic growth and synchronize policy in a manner that complies with the requirements of the global market. Neoliberals are furnished a useful reference, in achieving these goals, by the global hegemonic ideology and the national policy experiments (McBride & Mcnutt, 2007, p. 194). Furthermore, a

Climate change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Climate change - Essay Example My interest grew stronger in this specific topic because it is that in one way or the other, it has an influence on other earth systems and it has an even greater impact on human beings. Our atmosphere is composed of gasses that play an important role in life. Oxygen, for instance, is considered as a vital gas to support life; it is the air that we breathe. Other than life, our atmosphere is responsible for reflecting away harmful sunrays from reaching the surface of the earth. The general theme of my essay is the effects of atmospheric change on life forms. It is an important subject of interest because as I had stated earlier, it is of great importance to life. We should study its changes and work on how best we can conserve it in order for it to keep supporting life. In relation to earth systems, the atmosphere also gives us weather. The wind, rain, and snow are all dependent on the atmosphere. Plant life directly depends on the atmosphere of carbon dioxide, which is a vital component of plant growth and development (Harington). In addition, let us not forget the good old air we breathe as living organisms comes from the atmosphere. The composition of the gasses in the atmosphere which gives the gasses, 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and a 1% of other gasses and dust. The atmosphere sticks to the surface of our planet thanks to its gravitational field. The atmosphere is divided into five layers; ii. The thermosphere is the second outermost layer, which sits at about 80 to 700 kilometers above sea level and is separated from the exosphere by a layer called thermopause. The layer is completely cloudless, and the molecules are in extremely low densities and its temperatures can rise as high as 1500 `c but it would not feel hot to a human in direct contact because of low density of molecules (Nolt). iii. The mesosphere sits at the third highest level of the atmosphere at about 50 to 80 kilometers above sea level. Temperatures here drop with

Internet Gambling Essay Example for Free

Internet Gambling Essay The technoculture related topic that I am going to explore is the phenomenon of Internet gambling. With the emergence and explosion of gambling on television such as the World Series of Poker of ESPN or The World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel, online gaming has quickly become a major player in the technoculture of contemporary society. I feel it is important to explore this issue because of American societys fascination and obsession with gambling. Gambling can and has become a very serious and damaging activity to many people in this country. According to CNN. com, studies have shown that people who gamble on the Internet tend to have more serious addictions than people who wager through more traditional venues. Through my research, I hope to further explore why Internet gambling has the potential to be more dangerous than traditional casinos and how younger generations of Americans and the government are responding to this ever-growing phenomenon. Literature Review The research I discovered on Internet gambling is fairly recent and comprehensive. Since online gaming is a reasonably new trend, the material written on the matter was rather current. Furthermore, there was a substantial amount of information within these three sources. It was evident that the three authors conducted high-quality research, and it showed with the use of graphs, charts, and case studies. Also, the three sources had a very similar outlook on the present and future situation of online gaming. With that being said, given that online gaming is at the peak of its existence, it is imperative that further exploration and examination within the subject be carried out. Because of the instant access one has to a gambling venue and the privacy factor of the Internet, online gaming has become a risky undertaking for many. According to David Schwartz (2003), Internet gambling presents new problems for individuals and society (p. 214). Instead of driving to an actual physical casino, problem gamblers can enjoy betting in the comforts of their own home. At home, they are not monitored by other gamblers and/or casino personnel which results in the ability to set their own limit. The Internet also allows the gambler to maintain a level of privacy not found in real casinos. If there are no friends or family around to supervise, then the gambler can engage in irresponsible betting without any time constraints. Finally, unlike real casinos, Internet casinos are readily available at the click of a button. If an online gaming organization will not accept ones money, one can bet that there are thousands of others that will be happy to take ones funds. The demographics of gambling are interesting to investigate within the subject. According to Rachel Volberg (2001), adults ages 18 to 29 are substantially more likely than older adults to have gambled privately (p. 34). Young adults are also more likely to gamble for excitement compared to older adults (Volberg, 2001). This is not a difficult concept to grasp. Normally, young adults have a less appreciative concept of money because they do not have as great of a responsibility as older people in regards to providing for family, paying bills, and spending money on expenses that are traditionally not familiar to a younger person. Furthermore, young people are usually unsupervised, especially in the collegiate demographic. Without the approval from mommy and daddy, young adults all across America are enjoying the financial freedom to do whatever they want with the money they have. In addition, according to Thomas Barker and Marjie Britz (2000), many college students have deep pockets ? Mom and Dads (p. 139). With this new found autonomy and fiscal assistance from parents, college kids are engaging in online gaming for fun and excitement. However, if left untreated and unsupervised, the fun and excitement can soon turn into a dangerous addiction with serious consequences and ramifications. With the possibility of Internet gambling becoming a serious problem, the government has been asked to step in and legislate the situation. According to Volberg (2001), The fact that Internet gambling is conducted in a networked, data-intensive environment offers opportunities for regulation and oversight in several critical areas, including licensure, testing for game integrity and site security, auditing and oversight, taxation, and consumer protection (p 97). Basically, Volberg is supporting a regulatory system that will be able to monitor the activities not only of the individual gambler, but of the gambling website as well. If the government actually does get involved, certain problems can be remedied. For example, every transaction made by a player can be closely followed and tracked. If a player indicates behaviors that suggest irresponsible decision-making, the player can be flagged and possibly suspended from a gambling website. However, all in all, Internet gambling will most likely always have its problems. Just like alcohols are with minors, people will get their hands on something they probably should not be touching. Internet gambling is an intensifying activity in American culture. With all the limitless possibility and endless potential of the Internet, online gaming will continue to be a major player in the world of technoculture and the information society. Nevertheless, what is important within this public sphere is to be able to responsibly deal with the world of Internet casinos. We need to come to a positive middle ground between the two sides of the spectrum; the fun and excitement of gambling and the spiraling addiction. Current Trends Like anything in life, when you create stimulus you are going to yield a response. In regards to online gaming, the stimulus that was created was the buzz generated by the constant bombardment of gambling programs on television. ESPN annually televises The World Series of Poker during the summer in which thousands of people descend upon Las Vegas to gamble in all types of events including poker, blackjack, craps, etc Many times they tell the story of some average Joe who enters a tournament and eventually ends up winning thousands of dollars. This false sense of hope has grabbed millions of Americans into thinking that they too, have the ability to win a substantial amount of money. The response to this stimulus has been the emergence of online casinos. However, instead of people winning money, crime has actually been the fallout of this risky behavior. According to ABCnews. com (2006), a Lehigh University student by the name of Greg Hogan Jr. attempted to rob a local bank in order to pay off his gambling debts. He was eventually caught and pleaded guilty to the offense and now faces up to three years in jail. During his interview with Good Morning America, Mr. Hogan blamed his addiction to online gambling websites for his setback, and cautioned the American public to the dangerous power of Internet gaming. In addition to his story, according to ABCnews. com (2006), 2. 9 million Americans between the ages of fourteen and twenty-two gamble with cards online at least once a week, and fifty percent of male college students and twenty-six percent of female college students gamble on cards at least once a month. To combat this growing epidemic, the House of Representatives took a proactive stance on the matter by passing legislation that would make it illegal to use credit cards on gambling websites and make it significantly more difficult to access these sites. Whether it gets passed by the Senate and the Executive Branch is another matter, however, at least the government is recognizing the problem sooner rather than later. In conjunction with this theory of crime, many Internet scammers have found opportunity within this growing trend. An article on ABCnews. com (2006) describes an elaborate scheme where bookies took sports bets through an Internet gambling site. The insecurity of the website allowed these thieves to launder millions of dollars and corrupt the free enterprise system of the Internet gaming business. Fortunately, these criminals were caught. Nevertheless, it makes you wonder how frequent this sort of thing exists in the online world. Some have argued, nonetheless, that Internet gambling has its benefits. According to Tom W. Bell (1998), the inclusion of the Internet has fostered competition to a business that has long enjoyed the sanctuary of restraining licensing practices. Rather than having to fly out to isolated casinos in Vegas or Atlantic City, you can enjoy the experience of gambling in the comforts of your own home. Bell (1998) also supports the belief that gambling in your home allows an individual to escape the traps found in real, physical casinos. A person does not have to be surrounded in a windowless structure while being harassed by cocktail waitresses carrying a tray of free booze. Because of online gaming, the business world has more free enterprise and has given the individual a sense of security not found in traditional locales. In terms of my own personal experience, I actually signed up to one of these gambling websites to investigate how they attract and seize the public. The website was www. gambling. com and in order to register, all I had to give them was a current e-mail address. I found it sort of comforting to know that they pledged that they would not pass any of my information on to any other company and/or website because I did not want my stagweb to become flooded with junkmail from these websites. Immediately after becoming a member, I was granted 400 Ludos. I had no clue as to what Ludos were, but after some probing, I discovered that they were basically a form of Internet currency. For every twenty five Ludos, I received a dollar. That equals sixteen dollars. But, heres the catch. For me to actually receive the Ludos and use them to gamble, I would have to give them my credit card information and pay a montly fee which was actually just about as expensive as the Ludos themselves. Brilliant. Moreover, the website contained links in which I could learn how to play games by reading tutorials, and then, actually play those games. I conducted a little experiment of my own to see how many times I won during one of the games. Out of twenty-five spins on one of the slot machines, I ended up winning sixteen times. That is a sixty-four percent average of winning. Now, anyone who understands anything about gambling knows that the absolute best percentage of winning is fifty percent. However, most of the games are not even close to that percentage. My suspicion leads me to believe that these websites give a false sense of hope to their members. If they succeed in tempting people to try these games, and these games yield a winning percentage better than fifty percent, more often than not, someone is going to believe that they actually have a great chance of making money. It actually is a genius scheme to lure in the public. Make them believe. Once they have accomplished that, these websites have them right where they want them. Conclusions The effects of online gaming are now becoming more clear and transparent to technoculture and the information society. It is apparent that online gaming has become a microcosm of the digital divide that exists within society. According to one of our readings during the semester written by Oscar H. Gandy, Jr. (2002), the differences that make up the digital divide are more than just social constructions. The actual construction is molded due to the new systems of communication that have surfaced within the last twenty years. In relation to online gaming, Internet gaming websites are now competing to display the flashiest, most hypertextual sites in order to attract customers. Due to this competition, better bandwidth and enhanced software will result, thus highlighting the digital divide. Data mining and this notion of surveillance has also entered the conversation regarding online gaming. Because an individual has to present private information about ones self on a website to facilitate gambling, the possibility of gambling website selling personal information in return for financial gain is a distinct possibility. As aforementioned, the site I visited before pledged that they did not engage in data mining. Yet, this seems to suggest that other sites do exercise this right which effectively gives companies useful information about yourself. Moreover, whenever someone uses the Internet, especially in a situation where one willingly submits personal information such as credit card and phone numbers, the possibility of third party surveillance is always present. It really conveys the authentic risks one undertakes when participating in the latest innovation. Another theory that online gaming illustrates is the constant tension between structure and agency. The government represents structure. As a stable entity, it looks to control the path of Internet gambling by establishing rules and regulations in hopes of creating some order. Internet gambling, on the other hand, is the perfect example of agency. Gambling, in and of itself, is the exact definition of what agency represents: the ability of uncertainty and chaos to influence the parameters through which we live. However, as much as these two concepts seem unrelated, there is an interdependence that spurs the creation of new technologies, not only in the world of online gaming, but throughout the technological landscape. Annotated List of Relevant URLS 1. http://www. playwinningpoker. com/resources/sites2. html : This website is a resource for gamblers.It allows the user to learn new games, find new games, and contact certain people involved with gambling. 2. http://www. gambling. com/best/online-gambling-sites. htm : This website directs users to the best gambling websites on the Internet. It has a list on the left hand side with about sixty different links to other gambling sites. 3. http://www. out-law. com/page-6655 : This website is about illegal activities on the Internet. It contains a few articles on illegal mishaps that have occurred through Internet gambling websites. 4. http://www. becker-posner-blog.com/archives/2006/08/on_internet_gam. html : Blog that contains articles about Internet gambling. Website constructed by Gary Becker and Richard Posner. 5. http://www. cardplayer. com/blog/entry/179 : Blog that is pro-Internet gambling. Players write their feelings on why they think Internet casinos are fun and exciting. 6. http://www. istoppedgambling. com/ : Website founded to help people with gambling problems. Includes personal stories, how-to instructions, and negative articles about gambling. 7. http://www. nomoregambling. com/ : Website founded to help people with Internet gambling problems. Has a hotline and other medias to help combat irresponsible Internet betting. Works Cited Barker, Thomas Britz, Marjie (2000). Jokers Wild: Legalized Gambling in the Twenty-first Century. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Schwartz G. , David (2003). Suburban Xanadu: The Casino Resort on the Las Vegas Strip and Beyond. New York, NY: Taylor and Francis Books, Inc. Volberg A. , Rachel (2001). When the Chips Are Down: Problem Gambling in America. New York, NY: The Century Foundation, Inc. http://www. cato. org/testimony/ct-tb052198. html.