Controversial issues of traditional arts Essay

â€Å"Ulek Mayang† could be haunted. – it is a Malay traditional dance from the state of Terengganu in Malaysia accompanied by a unique song called Ulek Mayang – the lyrics were changed (no one knows the real lyrics) – the song remains popular and there are several contemporary interpretations of the song – the original dance is to honor the spirit of the sea. The modern dance has no elements of worship, it’s more to music and dance. – After the arrival of Islam, such practice has been stopped and the Ulek Mayang dance is only preserved to be part of the Malay culture. – Even now, Ulek Mayang is nicknamed the ‘Most Haunted Culture in Malaysia’.- However, some fishermen still practice this ritual. Agree: – Some people claim that the song is haunted because it gives goosebumps and creepy feelings especially when it is performed at sunset by the beach – People tend to avoid practising it nearby any beaches around the world, as according to the ancients’ beliefs; those 7 Sea-Princesses shall always guard the 7 Seas. Whoever that breaks certain rules, no matter where they are, will pay the price. There has been cases of tourists jumping into the sea for no reason after they performed Ulek Mayang along the north-eastern beaches of Peninsular Malaysia. Some cases happen on land too. Going missing and receiving ‘visits’ were the greatest fear whenever one performs Ulek Mayang. Disagree: – According to ustaz, Ulek Mayang is not a ghost or jin. It’s a popular song in Terengganu and is a type of â€Å"lagu rakyat†. – The Ulek Mayang song used nowadays has been shortened as Malays count the full song as ‘worshipping spirits’ which is syirik in Islam. – The Malaysian rock diva, Ella once sung the song in a rock version Poco poco – dance choreographed with sequence of steps. – it is a type of aerobic dance – believed to originated in Indonesia more than 20 years ago – Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Fatwa Negeri Perak banned poco- poco because they believe it is derived from Christianity. Agree: – The dance originated from Jamaica and is actually a cult dance – There are many Christian rituals to it as the moves reflect the making of a cross and so is unacceptable in Islam Disagree: – The Malaysian Muslims are confused. – There is no any literature or practical evidence showing that poco-poco is derived from Christianity either in Indonesia, Philippine or Jamaica. – Poco poco movements with cross design can not be a sufficient justification because movement of left and right sides is a natural human movement. Even when human stretch his hands, it can be considered illegal if the method resembles the cross. Mahsuri’s curse: Myth or Legend? Summary: One day while Mahsuri’s husband was away fighting a war, Mahsuri offered shelter to a wandering minstrel. For that, Mahsuri was accused of committing adultery by the village chieftain’s wife. The village chieftain who was still smarting over Mahsuri’s rejection of his earlier marriage proposal, ordered Mahsuri to be condemned to death. It was said that at her execution Mahsuri bled white blood signifying her innocence. At her last breath, Mahsuri was said to utter a curse on Langkawi for which the island will remain barren for seven generations. Agree: – Many locals of Langkawi believe the legend to be true due to failed crops after Mahsuri’s death. – According to recorded history, the Siamese invaded Langkawi not long after Mahsuri’s death and razed the island to the ground with a scorched earth policy. And coincidentally, Langkawi did not become a major tourist hotspot until the birth of Wan Aishah bt Wan Nawawi, the seventh generation descendant of Mahsuri. Disagree: – Some people think Mahsuri’s story most likely is real and the killing of Mahsuri most likely took place, but the curse of Langkawi and her white blood must be a part of myth because there is no prove or evidence. – in this modern and science world, people think it’s logically untrue for a normal human being to have white blood

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn- Analysis Essay

All children have a special place, whether chosen by a conscious decision or not this is a place where one can go to sort their thoughts. Nature can often provide comfort by providing a nurturing surrounding where a child is forced to look within and choices can be made untainted by society. Mark Twain once said â€Å"Don’t let school get in the way of your education. † Twain states that this education which is provided by society, can actually hinder human growth and maturity. Although a formal education shouldn’t be completely shunned, perhaps true life experience, in society and nature, are a key part of development. In the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain throws the curious yet innocent mind of Huck Finn out into a very hypocritical, judgmental, and hostile world, yet Huck has one escape–the Mississippi River constantly flowing nearby. Here nature is presented as a thought provoking environment when experienced alone. The river is quiet and peaceful place where Huck can revert to examine any predicament he might find himself in: â€Å"They went off, and I got aboard the raft, feeling bad and low? Then I thought a minute, and says to myself, hold on,- s’pose you’d a done right and give Jim up; would you felt better than you do now? No, says I, I’d feel bad? † (p. 127). Only a few weeks with Jim and still feeling great ambivalence, Huck returns to the river to think. Twain tries here to tell the reader how strong the â€Å"mob† really is, and only when totally alone is Huck able to make the morally correct decision. The natural flowing and calm of the river cause this deep-thought, show! ing how unnatural the collective thought of a society can be. The largest and most obvious test of Huck’s character is his relationship with Jim. The friendship and assistance which he gives to Jim go completely against all that â€Å"sivilization† has taught him; at first this concept troubles Huck and causes him a great deal of pain, but over time, through his life experiences and shared times with Jim, Huck crosses the line upheld by the racist South and comes to know Jim as a human being. Huck is at a point in his life where opinions are formed, and by growing on the river, Huck can stand back from society and form his own. Eventually he goes as far as to risk his life for Jim:†And got to thinking of our trip down the river; and I see Jim before me, all the time, in the day, and in the night-time, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a floating along, talking, and singing, and laughing. But somehow I couldn’t see no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind? I studied a minute sort of holding my breath, and then I s! ays to myself: ‘All right, then, I’ll go to hell’? † (pp. 270-271). After a long and thought-provoking adventure, Huck returns to the raft one final time to decide the fate of his friend. Symbolically, Huck makes the morally correct decision away from all others, thinking on the river. Although it might not be evident to himself, Huck causes the reader to see that â€Å"sivilization†, in their treatment of blacks especially, is not civilized at all. Every person Huck and Jim come across seems to just be following someone else blindly, as the whole country were some sort of mob. In the last few chapters, Tom Sawyer is re-introduced and the reader is left to examine how different environments: â€Å"sivilization† and nature (the river), have affected the children’s growth. It is distinctly evident that Huck has turned out to be the one with a clear and intelligent mind, and Tom, although he can regurgitate worthless facts about Louis XVI and Henry VIII, shows no real sign of maturity. â€Å"The first time I catched up to Tom, private, I asked him what was his idea, time of the evasion? – what it was he planned to do if the evasion worked out all right and he managed to set a nigger free that was already free before? And he said, what he had planned in his head, from the start, if we got Jim out, all safe, was for us to run him down the river, on the raft, and have adventures plumb to the mouth? † (p. 360). Huck has always thought of Tom as more intelligent than himself, but he cannot understand how Tom could toy with Jim’s life in such a way. For much time, Huck is! without the river and it is though his mind clouds; he follows along with Tom playing a sick game until the end when he is once again threatened with being â€Å"sivilized†. â€Å"But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me and I can’t stand it. I been there before† (p. 362). Huck’s adventure, if nothing else, has given him a wary eye towards â€Å"sivilized† society. When the prospect of settling down with Sally is presented he light’s out for the Territory to distance himself from a restrictive, formal education. Twain ends his novel by setting Huck up for a new experience and personal growth. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn taught an important lesson, one that showed the importance of the self in the maturing process. We saw Huck grow up by having the river as a place of solitude and thought, where he was able to participate in society at times, and also sit back and observe society. Through the child’s eye we see how ignorant and mob-like we can all be. Then nature, peace, and logic are presented in the form of the river where Huck goes to think. Though no concise answer is given, the literature forces the reader to examine their surroundings, and question their leaders.

PESTLE analysis for John Lewis and Marks and Spencer Essay

PESTLE analysis for John Lewis and Marks and Spencer - Essay Example higher level of political scrutiny over food retail outlets because it is the second largest employer in the UK; with public health assuming a more important focus, there has been a tighter regulation of food stores for this Company. Transition from the traditional supply chain management system to a system of vendor managed inventory, which in conjunction with a tailor made forecasting package, has produced gains for Marks and Spencer and made it one of the most profitable and efficient retailers. (Storey et al, 2003). The Company rarely needs to sell its products at discounts because the supply side is well managed. The percentage of revenues accruing from international sales has increased to 7.1% of group turnover.(2007 Annual report), however maintaining this is a challenge in the face of increased competition in the European Common Market, the development of the common currency – the Euro and changes in VAT Marks and Spencer started off primarily as a clothes retailer; however it has now expanded into food and home products to compete effectively in the global market. British retail competitors of Marks and Spencer are also large corporate chains, which may have their headquarters outside the country, hence outsourcing activities and knowledge management becomes a key element affecting operating as well as long term profitability. Marks and Spencer staff have mostly been recruited young and continued within the organization for many years; as a result, there are some set procedures and routines in operating which have become integral to the staff and has produced resistance among employees to changes within the organization.(Mellahi et al, 2002) Existing markets for Marks and Spencer have expanded beyond UK and has produced a change from the traditional focus of London as the major retail center to a more diffused network of customers and stores across the globe. Companies are required to improve corporate governance in accordance with the Turnbull

Educational Philosophy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Educational Philosophy - Research Paper Example From all of the theories presented about pre-service teacher, the most common and well known theories are that of Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934). Lev Vygotsky was an educational theorist, who has presented numerous theories about the impact of culture on child’s mental and behavioural development. He also presented ideas about pre-service teachers. According to him, students should be inspired and motivated enough to present their own creativity and knowledge in their writings. He further states that the person who is interacting with child has most of the responsibility for problem solving but slowly and gradually his responsibilities transfer to the child. Example: If the theory of Lev Vygotsky is implemented in the premises of today’s classrooms, then it can bring profound changes. Children must be allowed to utilize their own thoughts and creativity, be it in art work, writing or any other intellectual activity. In extra-curricular activities, children should be encouraged to bring those projects which reflect any notion of their immediate culture or background in order to value diversity in classroom. Kolb (1984) stated that effective pre-service teachers need to have ability in four different areas; observation, experience, conceptualization and experimentation. Kolb (1984) states that teachers need to openly and fully involve themselves in providing new experiences to the students. Teachers need to present and reflect these experiences from several different perspectives, in other words, teachers should provide reflective observation. They must also conceptualize those observations with supportive logics and facts. At the end, they should use these concepts for problem solving and decision making which is the fourth component, namely experimentation. Example: After the students bring in projects or related material about their respective culture, the duty of teachers start. Teachers should acknowledge other students about each student’s culture.

Sociological factor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sociological factor - Essay Example They were housewives and their sole purpose in life was to please their man and do as he pleases. They essentially lacked basic rights and chained to the circumstances of their lives. They usually did not even get a say in who their husband is going to be, as their husband was chosen for them by their husband. A change has happened in the 20th century, when in the 1920s millions of people in the US migrated from the countryside to cities, where more modern views were held and practiced. This was a pre-step in getting more acknowledgement, freedom and equal treatment. Later on, in the 1930s and 1940s, as World War 2 raged on and resources and manpower were low, women were incorporated in the labor, preparations, assistance of the soldiers in the frontlines and at home. They were given primary positions which were very important to the remainder of the war. Their positions were mainly those of nurses, seamstresses, food suppliers and many other positions traditionally associated with women, but it was a big leap when they were incorporated in the war effort because until then it wasnt allowed. The totality of the war actually brought about their incorporation in the war, and sometimes even in crucial positions. After the war had ended, women realized that if they were good enough to help th e war effort and do their jobs just like men did, why shouldnt they be able to do these things and other things in their everyday lives? The movement of the liberation of women began to sprout. Women claimed that if they were good enough to participate in the war effort and do their jobs exactly like men, they should also be able to do any job in real life and be acknowledged as equal to men. They also stated that without their help, the soldiers wouldnt have their supplies, their clothing, their medical assistance and so on. This notion of gender equality continued

Impact of the French Revolution on Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Impact of the French Revolution on Women - Essay Example Demographically, mortality rate was higher than the fertility rate which was a result of the agricultural production that was at high demand but low on manufacturing. Economically, the French Revolution started the organization process of the production and distribution of goods to improve on the efficiency of business activities. In the area of agriculture, this was a time where a lot of people had to leave their lands mandatorily to provide more labor opportunities that would encourage urban industrialization. Industrially, new machinery and the making of new roads were introduced to make transportation easier and faster. Lastly, ideological revolution took place as total freedom of thought, speech, and at the same time reliance on scientific method were embraced to improve education that was believed to be the key to a successful society (History 1C: The French Revolution and Women's Rights, n.d.). With the French Revolution being summed up into a list of ideals and movements that would seek to improve society as a whole, it was able to solve the inequality that existed between men and women. Before, the French embraced the mindset that women’s primary role would be to support and nurture their families while intellectual and political matters belonged to the authority of men. However, the French Revolution became the bridge that started empowering women’s natural and moral rights. Because of Mary Wollenstonecraft, who challenged French leaders to rethink the unequal educational opportunities for men and women where the latter were only allowed to get access to them in the confines of their own homes that limit learning, women are now able to enjoy freedom in education (Women and the Revolution, n.d.). She was able to convince the French leaders to believe in women’s capacity at par with that of men’s by asking them to prove first that women lack reason as compared to men. Another impact of the French Revolution on women would be earning them to be seen as fit as men to be involved in juridical proceedings. Women started being able to voice out what they think and feel in as simple as forming groups to protest against the high bread prices or the shortage of food (Women and the French Revolution, n.d.). A perfect example of which would be the case of Marie-Rose Barre, a twenty year old lace worker who was one of the hundred women who went to Versailles to ask for bread from the king because there was a limited resource of food made available to them. Though there were guards who watch the palace, they allowed the women to express their distress directly to the king which only the men were able to do before the French Revolution. Also, in this occasion, these women were also able to voice out what they think would be able to solve this worsening situation when they suggested that the king would arrange companions during flour transports in Paris to speed up the process and make sure the delivery intended for Paris are exactly provided as only a few wagons make it to the delivery at the bridge of Sevres (Levy, D.G., Applewhite, H.B., & Johnson, M.D., 1979). This single incident led to the opportunity of examining the relations between men and women. Men, who were seen as higher or of more value than women were now being seen to have certain attributes that are considered as their strength yet at the same time recognizes some of their weak points in which women are strong at. One of which would be in dealing with management of the house. However, the French Revolution did not only earn women’s rights to form groups and perpetrate a riot to fight for their grievances but they started to be seen as significant in political undertakings. A concrete example where the relations bet

Year round schooling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Year round schooling - Research Paper Example But many parents prefer sending their kids to summer schools or course programs offered by the schools because most of them think it’d do their kid good. NAYRE has reported that now â€Å"3,181 public schools† are up and running all year round, compared with â€Å"408 schools in 1986-87† (2011). Year-round schooling is both good and bad, bringing with it both positive and negative. In a report published in 1994, â€Å"Prisoners of Time,† it was suggested that the schools which had moved on from the traditional schooling to the year round one, â€Å"better met the needs of contemporary society† and â€Å"resulted in an increased student achievement†. NAYRE was among the groups which pushed for a year round schooling system. Whereas groups like â€Å"Summer Matters†, remain convinced that the traditional calendar serves the need of the society best. Students in year round schools do not have the usual three-month like their peers in scho ols with a three-month summer vacations. But what do they have instead? Better education? Do they have better education? Are they less trouble for the parents? Is there a financial raise on house taxes that are needed to cover the funds for lunches and schools? Cut down on the time that could be spend learning other things like karate, or camping? The report answers these questions with the help of 6 reference news paper articles, which are: â€Å"The Case of Summer School.† By Linda Roberts, San Francisco. Jun. 2011. â€Å"Chief Proposes Year-Round Classes to Aid Programs.† By V. Dion Haynes, Washington Post. 04 Sept. 2006. â€Å"Parents circulating Petitions Against Year-Round Schooling.† By Lan Nguyen, Baltimore Sun. 12 Feb 1995. â€Å"We need Year-Round School to compete Globally.† By LZ Granderson, CNN. 10 May.2011 â€Å"The Case of Year-Round School.† By Bridge Schutle, Washington Post 7th June 2009. â€Å"Administrative Problems Related to the 11 or 12-month School Year.† By Childress R. Jack and Philippi A. Harlan, University Of North Carolina. Mar 1964. JSTOR. 14th July 2011. â€Å"Year-round School gains ground around U.S.† by Alex Johnson, MSNBC news. 27th Oct 2010. A number of districts allow parents to choose to send their kids to schools with year round schedules. Some have strict policies for the students to come to schools. All the parents are charged for the increased house taxes. So they might as well just go ahead and send their kids to school in the summers. But are these summers beneficial? If the kids stay at home what would they do instead? Indulge in fights. Do drugs. Watch wasteful undulating TV programs. It is true that a lot of students go to summer camps, or karate classes, or swimming lessons. But not all parents can afford to send their children to such places and so the children indulge in Huckle Berryfinn like activities. Summer vacations were first introduced when the kids were n eeded in the farms to help their parents cut the wheat and go fishing. But now a day’s most of the population lives in the big cities. Where there is nothing to do in the farms. So instead they waste their time. And to top it off, when they do get back to school after the three month vacation, they are so brain washed that the teachers have to spend an extra four to six weeks in revising what they did before summers and then bring the class on track. By that time most of the students are tired again and want another vacation. Many of the American students lack in most of the subjects these days. Granderson brings down American education by calling the kids â€Å"dumb† and unable to compete against the world’s smartest. The statistics that he presents state that most of the American children

Analysis of novels and their films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Analysis of novels and their films - Essay Example For example, Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, the 1984 film directed by MiloÃ… ¡ Forman and adapted from Shaffer’s stage play, differs greatly from the original version of the story and the character development in the play and the film differs to the highest degree. The story of the movie and the film based loosely on the lives of two composers who lived in Vienna, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, has significant variations between the film version and the play. Similarly, the character development in the movie and the play fluctuates hugely mainly due to the adaptation technique, and Shaffer’s further revisions of his text. In a reflective analysis of the changes that the character of Salieri undergoes on his way from stage to screen, it becomes evident that the director of such a film version of a literary piece often brings about drastic changes by reason of the adaptation techniques of the film. Thus, the screen Salieri is Shaffer’s final and most ingenious version of this dark and tragic character, the Oscar-winning F. Murray Abraham superbly casts this character. it has been maintained that the character of Salieri remains the motivating force at the core of the action in the film, although Mozart’s personality has been considerably expanded. Significantly, the changes made in the film can be comprehended as the logical continuation of the changes that Shaffer had already made between the London and New York productions of his play. â€Å"The most important of those changes was the removal of Salieri’s servant Greybig who played the part of the masked figure in place of Salieri.† (The characters in the play and the film) As Shaffer recognized that the presence of Greybig meant more disadvantages than benefits, changes were made in the film version Salieri himself replaces this character as the agent of destruction in the film. Therefore, there are several marked alterations made by the film version of the play which

Science Reaction Rate Between an Acid and Metal Investigation Essay Example for Free

Science Reaction Rate Between an Acid and Metal Investigation Essay PROBLEM/RESEARCH QUESTION In this investigation, a controlled experiment will be conducted to determine whether the varying concentration of an acid alters its reaction rate with a metal substance and if so, what is the resultant relationship between the rate of reaction and the concentration of the acid. In particular, we will be reacting Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) with Magnesium metal (Mg) and collect data based on the resultant hydrogen gas produced by the reaction. Word Equation: Magnesium + Sulfuric Acid → Hydrogen gas + Magnesium Sulfate Balanced Equation: Mg (S) + H2SO4 (aq) → MgSo4 (aq) + H2 (g) Research will be formulated by conducting a controlled experiment in which we will react 0. 05g of Magnesium metal ribbons (Mg) with 10mL of four different H2SO4 (Sulfuric Acid) solutions varying in concentration and determine the time it takes for the reaction to produce 20mL of Hydrogen gas with each varying concentration. HYPOTHESIS I hypothesise that as the concentration of the H2SO4 solution increases/strengthens (measured in molarity mass), it will correspond to an increased/quicker rate of reaction with Mg metal. Hence, I also hypothesise that based on the above premise- the 2M solution of H2SO4 would be the quickest to produce 20mL of H2 gas when reacted with magnesium, as it is the strongest of the four concentrations being trialed. My hypothesis is based upon the scientific reasoning that a more concentrated solution has more particles of the altering reactant (in this case H2SO4) present in a specific volume/amount of space than those present in a more dilute solution. Hence, at a higher concentration, particles are more likely to collide and react with one another, forming a larger number of new bonds between the two reactants. The â€Å"Collision Theory† (which summaries the previous sentences) infers that the rate of reaction is impacted by how often molecules collide with one another. This can be applied to my hypothesis to suggest that with the occurrence of more collisions in the reaction- due to a higher percentage of particles in the more concentrated H2SO4 solutions- it will result in the formation of more bonds and hence, lead to a quicker rate of reaction between two reactants, leading to a quicker production of 20mL of H2 gas. Macintosh HD:Users:160161:Desktop:Screen Shot 2015-03-22 at 2.41.05 pm.png VARIABLES The independent variable (the variable being changed): The independent variable is going to be the varying concentration- measured in molarity mass (M)- of Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) solution. Four different concentrations will be trialed- 0.5M, 1.0M, 1.5M and 2.0M- each three times and then averaged out so that we achieve a more accurate result. We will alter this variable by changing the concentration of the H2SO4 solution in order to determine a relationship between the strength of an acid and its rate of reaction with a metal substance (in this case: Magnesium metal). The different concentrations have been prepared in the laboratory before the experiment and hence, we do not have to self-prepare the concentrations in class. The dependent variable (the variable being measured): The dependent variable is going to be the varying rate of reaction between a magnesium metal ribbon (Mg) and different concentrations of sulfuric acid (H2SO4). In particular, we will measure and record the time taken by the reaction to produce 20 mL of hydrogen gas in an inverted measuring cylinder. This will indicate the rate at which each concentration reacts and allow us to draw conclusions on how altering the concentration affects the rate of reaction between an acid solution and metal substance. We will measure this variable through the application of a stopwatch and gather recordings/data in seconds. The stopwatch will start when 10mL of H2SO4 is poured into the test tube, reacting with the magnesium ribbon, and will stop timing when the volume of water in the inverted measuring cylinder has decreased by 20mL- indicating that it has been replaced with an equivalent amount of hydrogen gas. The control variables (the variables kept the same): The other variables, which we need to keep constant, are: * The volume of H2SO4 being added to each reaction. This will be kept constant throughout the investigation by accurately measuring 10mL of H2SO4 solution for each trial in a measuring cylinder. This is vital for a fair test as varying it would mean that reaction rate is not only being altered by the effects of varying concentration but also that of volume. * The same climatic conditions present around the experiment. The climatic conditions, in particular temperature will remain the same throughout the experiment to prevent natural processes and disturbance from impacting the experiment. These will be kept the same as no windows will be opened or closed and the air conditioning will not change in temperature or switch on/off after the experiment has started. Temperature, itself, possesses the ability to change the rate of reaction and hence, it is vital to keep it controlled and constant so that the results only reflect the impact of varying concentration. * The same mass of Magnesium (Mg) ribbon to be reacted with the H2SO4 solution (0.05g). The laboratory technician will keep this constant beforehand, as they will provide us with the pre-cut ribbons for our experiment. This mass has been chosen, as it is a sufficient for a distinct reaction to be witnessed in a suitable period of time. * Preventing cross contamination from occurring between trials and different concentrations of H2SO4 solution. To prevent cross contamination, we will clean the two measuring cylinders and test tube with distilled water before each trial, ensuring that no residue from previous trials remain in either of the instruments. * The target volume of H2 gas to be produced by the reaction in each trial- 20mL. This will be kept constant by first determining the ideal amount and then clearing calculating on the measuring cylinder 20mL less than the water level inside it so that it is clear during the trial when to stop the stopwatch. Pre-determining a target volume is vital for us to be able to effectively compare and form a relationship between the concentrations of H2SO4 and time taken to produce the same amount of hydrogen gas. * The same person handling the stopwatch during the experiment. Identifying one group member to handle and use the stopwatch before the experiment and then ensuring that he only handles it during each trial will control this variable. It is vital to reduce the impact human error and keep the experiment as accurate as possible. ALL EQUIPMENT IS TO BE KEPT CONSTANT TROUGHT THE EXPERIMENT TO OBTAIN CONSISTENCY EXPERIMENTAL PLAN Materials/Equipment: * 1x Test Tube * 1x Delivery Tube * 1x Rubber Stopper * 2x 50mL Measuring Cylinders * 1x Plastic Container * 1x Retort Stand and Clamp Set * 1x Laptop * 1x Desk * 1x Stopwatch * 2x Distilled Water Bottles * 12x 0.05g Magnesium Ribbons * 2500mL of water (H2O) * 30mL of each H2SO4 Solution (0.5M, 1M, 1.5M 2M concentrations) Macintosh HD:Users:171321:Desktop:Screen Shot 2015-03-16 at 8.27.40 pm.png Setup Plan: Independent Variable Control Variable Control Variable Control Variable Dependent Variable Concentration of H2SO4 solution (M) Total volume of H2SO4 solution per trial (mL) Mass of Mg ribbons added to reaction each trial (g) Amount of Hydrogen gas produced per trial (mL) Method: 1. Collect all necessary equipment from the equipment table- all equipment should be in one tray. 1. Setup the retort stand and clamp on a stable desk. The clamp should be fixed approximately half way up the stand. 1. Open up Photo Booth or a similar video/image-capturing program on a laptop so that evidence of the experiment and setup can be visually shown. 1. Place the plastic, ice-cream container on the desk adjacent to the retort stand and fill it 2/3 of the way up with water from the tap. 1. Fill one of the measuring cylinders with 100mL of water and place inverted into plastic container. Ensure to cover top with hand until fully submerged into container so to prevent leakage of water. 1. Take delivery tube (with rubber stopper attached to one end) and place through inverted cylinder (side without rubber stopper). This should not be difficult, as water pressure of plastic container will keep 100mL in measuring cylinder whilst tube is being inserted. 1. Measure out 10mL of the 0.5M, H2SO4 solution in second measuring cylinder and pour into large test tube. 1. (Start of trial) Place one strip of magnesium ribbon (0.05g) into large test tube and immediately cover top of tube with rubber stopper end of delivery tube. Ensure that it is firmly attached and air tight. As soon as reaction begins with H2SO4 solution already in test tube, start timing the rate of reaction using the stopwatch. 1. Measure and record the time it takes for the water level in the inverted measuring cylinder to decrease by 20mL. This will indicate that it has been replaced by 20mL of hydrogen gas. 1. Reset the experiment by rinsing the measuring cylinders and test tube with distilled water; refill the inverted measuring cylinder with 100mL of water and carefully place back into plastic container with delivery tube passing through it. 1. Measure another 10mL of 0.5M, H2SO4 solution in second measuring cylinder and pour into test tube. 1. Repeat steps 8 and 9 again, adding the 0.05g, Mg ribbon to the reaction in the test tube, cap of the test tube with the rubber stopper end of the delivery tube and time until 20mL of H2 gas has been produced in inverted measuring cylinder. 1. Rinse all equipment with distilled water once trial 2 is completed and measure out another 10mL of 0.5M, H2SO4 solution. Reset experiment like in step 10 and pour measured solution into clean test tube. 1. Begin trial 3 and repeat steps 8 and 10 again. If the previous two trials yielded similar results, trial 3 should also be of similar time length. If at the end of three trials, there is an anomaly within them, it may be required to complete a fourth trial to clean up data. 1. Repeat steps 7-14 again with the 1M, 1.5M and 2M H2SO4 solutions. The process is the same with the only variable changing being the concentration of H2SO4. 1. Once finished, record gathered results onto laptop and return all equipment. Ensure to clean all test tubes and measuring cylinders with distilled water before returning. 2. Write up report, ensuring to include a marked-scattered graph and results table with averages established for each concentration of H2SO4 tested. If required, process the data to achieve a desired relationship between the two variables. *NOTE: Capture pictures throughout experiment with the laptop and remember to write down all observations. RESULTS Results Table: Time Taken To Produce 20mL of Hydrogen Gas (sec) From a Reaction Between Magnesium Metal (Mg) and Different Concentrations (M) of Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4) Concentration Of H2SO4 (M) Time Taken to Produce 20mL of Hydrogen Gas (sec) Graph: I think the best kind of graph to use to display these results would be to create a marked line graph with a line of best fit (Trendline): Observations Throughout the investigation we collected and gathered observations using our five senses, with the sound of the reaction, the sight of the reaction and the heat of test tube all extending our knowledge and understanding of this phenomenon. The fizzing sound that the reaction was creating was because of the chemical bonding taking place between the metal and acid. The fizzing was also visible to the eye, as when the magnesium was added to the reaction in the test tube, it combined with the H2SO4 and produced bubbles. Furthermore, particles of higher concentration H2SO4 collided and reacted with the magnesium particles to produce magnesium sulfate and hydrogen gas at a quicker rate. The heat developed in the test tube also varied significantly with more concentrated solutions radiating warmer temperatures due to higher levels of friction and energy in the reaction. DATA PROCESSING The relationship achieved in the above graph between the two variables is of a quadratic, inverse relationship with no modifications made to the data. To achieve a linear relationship between the independent and dependent variable, me must process and modify the results. This is outlined in the table below: Concentration Of H2SO4 (M) Modification Rule New Value of Independent Variable (graphed) Time Taken to Produce 20mL of Hydrogen Gas (sec)- Average Modification Rule New Value of Dependent Variable (graphed) 0.5M 1/r Graph: I think the best kind of graph to use to display the modified results would be to create a marked line graph with a line of best fit (Trendline): DISCUSSION Our results show a wide range of relationships between the data. For instance, the shape of our initial graph shows an inverse, quadratic relationship between the concentration of H2SO4 and time required to produce 20mL of H2 gas from its reaction with Mg metal. The polynomial trend line displays this relationship in the first, raw data graph with an equation of y = 602 254x + 350, creating a â€Å"minimum† parabola. From here, we were able to deduce a set of modified results- taking into account two specific rules required to develop a linear relationship from an existing inverse relationship (represented in the table above). Macintosh HD:Users:160161:Desktop:Screen Shot 2015-03-23 at 7.03.05 pm.png Hence, the second graph provides us with a linear relationship between the two variables in that it possesses a straight line with the equation: y = x + 350. The value of the modified gradient is one, signifying that for every additional 1/0.5M rise in concentration of H2SO4; an equivalent ratio of decrease is experienced for the time taken to produce 20mL of H2 gas. In relation to the research question, our data collected clearly shows that the rate of reaction between an acid and metal substances is quickened by an increase in concentration of the acid substance. The data looks fairly reliable as there are no anomalies or outlier’s present- with the data plotted on the marked scattered graph all being located along the trend line which intersects each mark near-perfectly, suggesting the data’s accuracy with the rule. However, there was slight variation between the three trials of each concentration, suggesting slight variation between the conditions for each trial. CONCLUSION The results gathered are sufficient and clearly show a distinct relationship detailing that the stronger the concentration of the H2SO4 solution, the quicker/faster its rate of reaction with magnesium metal, proving my hypothesis valid as I had hypothesized that â€Å"as the concentration of the H2SO4 solution increases/strengthens (measured in molarity mass), it will correspond to an increased/quicker rate of reaction with Mg metal†. Evidence from the data collected shows that the strongest concentration of H2SO4 (2M) only required an average of 80secs to produce 20mL of H2 gas, where as the most dilute solution trialed (0.5M) required an average of 240secs- more than any other trialed concentration. There is enough evidence to show that unless the data is modified and processed, a linear relationship is not formed between the two variables, indicating that there is no direct proportionality between the increase in concentration and time taken to produce 20mL of hydrogen gas. This occurs because the reaction between H2SO4 and Mg is an exothermic reaction so a small amount of energy has been released/transferred out of the experiment as the reaction progressed. EVALUATION Our experiment went quite well and we were able to collect all the necessary readings required. We encountered very few problems during the course of the experiment and were able to conduct three trials for each H2SO4 concentration, thus improving the reliability of our data and deeming the experiment fair and valid. We had a sufficient sample size of four different concentrations at equal intervals of 0.5M-adequate for this experiment and allowing for a conclusive relationship to be established. The extensive range of data collected through the conduction of three trials for each concentration of H2SO4 allowed us to obtain an accurate trend line and formulate justifiable conclusions. Furthermore, our results for each concentration of H2SO4 were similar each trial with no major outliers in the data, implying that our control of the constant variables was successful, all data was precise and accurate averages were deemed. Analyzing our results, we were able to achieve the phenomena (affects of concentration on the rate of reaction between a metal and acid substance) we were interested in and hence were able to answer our research question in the affirmative that the concentration of an acid (in this Sulfuric acid) does effect its reaction of rate with magnesium metal, with the relationship being that an increase in concentration (molar mass) equates to an increased/quicker rate of reaction- evidenced by the time taken to produce 20mL of hydrogen gas. Our method was fairly clear, concise and allowed us collect our data in a fairly orderly way, doing so for most tests. It allowed us to complete the experiment with accuracy excluding the effects of the one, major problem (mentioned above) that were inevitable based on the way the experiment was conducted. Although our method and experimental plan were quite accurate, easy to understand and allowed us to achieve our target of determining a distinct and logical relationship, there are still many improvements that could be made to it to improve the validity of our results and further experiments could be carried out to extend this investigation. These include: * Completely eliminating human impact in the experiment by a valve of some sort to add the magnesium ribbons to the reaction in the test tube with the rubber stopper already firmly attached to the test tube. This will mean that the slight deviation in data is not experienced. * Using a larger sample size- (i.e. 8-10 different concentrations of H2SO4) so that the relationship gathered can be further strengthened and backed up by more evidence. * Investigate whether changing the concentration of H2SO4 has an impact on the time it takes for the reaction to reach equilibrium (the end of the reaction) and form a relationship from there. * Use different types of acids and metals with different properties to investigate if the rate of reaction is similar to that between Sulfuric acid and magnesium or it is quicker/slower. * Trialing different factors that affect the rate of reaction such as temperature or agitation and evaluating their influence compared to that of altering the concentration.

Teaching Assistant’s Essay Example for Free

Teaching Assistant’s Essay Teaching Assistants work in Primary, Secondary and Special Needs Schools. Individual duties and responsibilities can vary greatly but will be outlined in their job description. A TAs role is to support – this can be in a classroom situation, with groups or individual pupils and can often be all three. Support in the classroom (Classroom Assistant) involves more general duties helping the teacher with tasks in the classroom and pupils learning and development. TAs can be assigned to children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) who will benefit from help on a one to one basis or in smaller groups. Responsibilities can be as a Learning Support Assistant, supporting children with learning difficulties or as a Personal Care Assistant those needing help with day to day personal care. In 2003, the National Workforce agreement was established which acknowledged the need to raise standards in schools and address workloads. From this Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs) evolved. This higher level status gave additional responsibilities that previously only teachers could do, for example, developing support materials and assisting in lesson planning. Some schools, especially large or special needs schools, have TAs with additional, more specific roles. This ensures that all pupils and members of the team are supported adequately. Although there are many different roles a TA can have there are fundamental aspects of the job which will be the same. These can be categorised into four areas. 1. Supporting the Pupil. Support for the pupil is support for all pupils the TA comes into contact with in the school. Even if they are assigned to an individual child they will still interact with other pupils whilst in the school environment. It is the responsibility of a TA, as all members of staff, to maintain safe and healthy surroundings for children endorsing equal opportunity for all pupils to learn and grow. TAs must not show prejudice and be alert to, and aware of, discrimination within the school, encouraging non prejudicial attitudes. It is equally important to show appreciation and acceptance of the differences between people and help children understand that everyone has different qualities. Another aspect of a TAs job is to aid the development of pupils life and social skills. They should encourage inclusion and integration of pupils particularly when children have been taken out of class for extra help or after long periods of absence, due to illness for example. Listening to pupils and showing interest in what they do in and out of school, lifting their self esteem and building confidence, therefore encouraging independence. Whatever job description a TA has they should set a good example to pupils and be a good role model. 2. Supporting the Teacher. TAs need to be able to forge good working relations and work within structures that the teacher has outlined. Whatever specific role they have been employed for it is of great importance to be fully aware of the lesson aims and learning targets to enable the pupils to achieve their best. A TA is in a strong position to help the teacher observe, assess and record pupils learning and behavioural progress and offer feedback on these issues. 3. Supporting the School. All members of staff, including Teaching Assistants, are part of a team and when working effectively together can only benefit the school and consequently the pupils. TAs need to be aware of and work within school policies and procedures. These policies will include matters relating to Child Protection, Health Safety, Confidentiality and the Curriculum. It is essential to work within these policies procedures to ensure issues, such as bullying, are reported correctly and dealt with quickly and effectively. It gives a consistent framework to deal with issues fairly and equally. TAs support the school by acknowledging and using their skills and being prepared to learn and develop new ones. 4. Supporting the Curriculum. To support the Curriculum TAs need to have knowledge and understanding of ways in which children think and learn, progression of expected development and factors that inhibit learning. The National Literary and Numeracy Strategies have given TAs more involvement in these aspects of the curriculum, especially in primary schools. They are frequently engaged to work in other areas of the curriculum such as Physical Education (PE) and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). With these increasing responsibilities it is helpful to have knowledge of National Curriculum documents and planning processes. A Teaching Assistant, as the name suggests, is there to help pupils achieve results whilst attending school. This is where the most differences in roles can be seen. In primary schools, a Teaching Assistant assigned to a class is responsible for assisting all pupils in that class. There are many tasks this involves including: †¢ Checking work and encouraging pupils to correct mistakes. †¢ Listening to reading.   †¢ Helping with practical work e.g. Crafts, outdoor activities/outings. †¢ Repeating instructions the teacher has given and ensuring the children understand what they need to do. †¢ Working with smaller groups of children.

The Operations Management Strategy Of Hard Rock Cafe Tourism Essay

The Operations Management Strategy Of Hard Rock Cafe Tourism Essay Hard Rock Cafà ©, the originator of theme-restaurant dining, provides a complete rock experience through cafes, hotels, casinos, memorabilia and music venues. .Since the first opening on 14 June, 1971 in London, England, Hard Rock Cafà © has rapidly expanded and succeeded and now Hard Rock has over 171 venues in more than 52 countries, including 134 cafes and 15 Hotels, Casinos across the globe. How has a small pub become such a success? Lets evaluate the operation management strategies of Hard Rock by using the theory of Operation Management. As an industry leader, Hard Rocks strategy has changed from times to times to meet customers demands, HARD ROCK CAFEs operation strategy now is designed to be a part of the globalise experience economy, and to achieve this aim, all ten operations management decisions like Goods and Service Design, Managing Quality, Process and Capacity Design ,location strategies, layout strategies, human resources, supply chain management, inventory management, scheduling, and maintenance-are all taken into good consideration by HARD ROCK CAFEs operation management team 1. Lets first starting with Products and Service Design With the slogan Love all-Serve all, HARD ROCK CAFE welcomes all type of customers with enthusiastic attitude regardless of sex, age of class. At HARD ROCK CAFE, customers can feel the atmosphere of their providing experience with Rock world which nowhere else they can feel it. The foods at HARD ROCK CAFE are analysed and tested by the Chiefs and Operations personnel constantly review menus, and food research is ongoing.to fit the local taste. For example, fish and lobster are focused more at HARD ROCK CAFE Britain, and Thai Snack Combo is added into the menu at HARD ROCK CAFE Bangkok. At HARD ROCK CAFE, customers are provided a dining event that includes a unique visual and sound experience not duplicated anywhere in the world. Because the brand is so strong, 48% of sales are from merchandise of memorabilia one of the largest HARD ROCK CAFE restaurants in the world is in Orlando, Florida where provides over 3500 custom products, in this case meals each day with more than 1,500 seats. 2. Managing Quality Quality is the heart of the enterprise and HARD ROCK CAFE is not an exception, every single water/meal is important to HARD ROCK CAFE. They conduct numerous surveys on Quality, Food research and Suppliers research to get an honest assessment from their stakeholders, especially their customers. Their surveys are on a scale from 1-7, and anything less than a 7 is considered a failure. Then, according to customers surveys and feedback they update their menu, music, memorabilia, service and strategy accordingly to meet the quality as customers expectation. 3.Process and Capacity Design HARD ROCK CAFE uses an existing domestic model globally but also in certain instances, when necessary, uses franchises in some locations to produce a more customised experience HARD ROCK CAFE is a very big chain with capacity of providing 100,000 meals per day (including starters, sandwiches, salads, burgers, sides, entrees, desserts ..) within the U.S. this fact prove how efficiently HARD ROCK CAFE organizes its employee schedules, material, inventory.. Task 2: In the light of the above, discuss the operations management challenges and opportunities for Hard Rock when considering an expansion of its business into Hanoi. 4.Location Strategies Location can make or break business strategy and it is a major long time decision. At HARD ROCK CAFE, When considering a new location, a careful decision making process is used, it systematically narrows the search from country to city and then precise street corner for the new restaurants. To go into the right location at the right time, HARD ROCK CAFE start with a global view and look at several factors such as: political risk, currency risk, social norms, brand fit, social cost, business practices through market research, then levelled with very further details and marked for each Hard Rock now aims to the area of Europe, Latin America and Asia. Not all Hard Rock businesses are operated by itself but franchised because of political risk, economic challenges such as inflation, exchange rate, culture may affect its development. Franchises are used when it is decided that local ownership will bring a unique capability, or local conditions suggest there will be an unusual or difficult implementation. For examples, HARD ROCK CAFE in Vietnam is franchised to local partner-Viet Thai International, the owner of Highland coffee shops. 5.Layout Strategies In each location, HARD ROCK CAFE is carefully considered whether they should purchase, lease in a long term, or a new construction should be set up or remodeling the existing site In preparation for each restaurant and bars lay out, HARD ROCK CAFE always consider food protection, the kitchen flows for food preparation for maximum revenue. All the lightings, sound, screens, contemporary music, and circulation paths are designed to show off memorabilia and expose customers to merchandise for sale. The retail shops generate close to half the companys profit and are carefully integrated into restaurant layout, flow, and work stations. 6.Human resource and Job Design HARD ROCK CAFEs employees have not only job skills but also a passion about music and love to serve, convey the experience to customers. According to Jim Knight, Manager of Corporate Training: When you start talking about a human resource department that really is a true support center for such a big, international company, you kind of have to realize that the cafes and the individuals that work within can probably stand on their own when we were much smaller, but I think theres a role that human resources now plays to sort of be the conscience of the company and make sure that were doing the right thing by the people, so I dont mind us being a voice for them, and doing what we can to help recruit, maintain, to truly train them, to develop them, to grow them. Anything that we can do to support the individuals-I think thats really what human resources is all about.    Hard Rock Cafe carefully develops of their fleet to excite customers and provide entertainment. The enthusiasm of all staff members when they engage in client is one of the reasons people continue to go back Before starting to work for Hard Rock Cafe, they are trained for 2 days and received a Hard Rock value card. It is not just a card but shows the experience of Hard Rock through years. All Hard Rock employees will be proud to work in a unique working environment with its own culture which appreciates the substantial diversity and individuality, personal and professional manner. Moreover, this training also allows Hard Rock staff to undertake different positions or duties, that means one can be a waiter, retailer, front-of-the-house server or even can cover kitchen.Some Mottos of HARD ROCK CAFE: spread the spirit of rockn rollà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦contributing member of our communityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Hard Rock has the internal promotion policy as well to encourage their employees loyalty, 60% managers of Hard Rock Cafe are promoted from hourly workers Managers performance is evaluated by a target which is based on the 3-year-weighted moving average, and they will receive bonus when exceeding this target All of this human resource policy helps Hard Rock take a competitive advantage, earn more revenues and saving costs by deciding which items would be replaced. 7.Supply chain Management Outsourcing is a popular method that a big-scale organization, like Hard Rock, applying for its supply-chain management  . Qualified suppliers or vendors are chosen to ensure enough, fresh and quality meals.   Hard Rock in 2003 announced the successful participation of Avicon architect of the new supply chain and provided expertise in logistics for Hard Rock. This project led to practical results, warehouse space in North America was decreased 44%, reduced operational costs by 20%, service levels were improved by 22%, the site offered real time based on their sequence visibility, transportation cost optimization, distribution network optimization, optimized contract terms and the responsibility to protect, improve operational efficiency. Menu item selection depend on supplying right amounts of ingredients on qualified suppliers on time. Inventory Management   Innovative methods, such as Just-in-Time inventory control, can save costs and move products and services to customers more quickly. The good management of supply-chain helps Hard Rock to keep a safe and effective inventory. Foods need to be fresh and provided on time. There is not only food and merchandise, but Hard Rock also has over forty million dollars invested in one of the worlds largest collections of rock-and-roll memorabilia inventory which has over 60,000 pieces. Most of them are on the walls of his cafà © in the world. Inventory Management is responsible for cataloging the entire inventory of all the cafes. They developed inventory system through technology that tells them exactly what is in every cafe where it was in this cafe, and what is the story behind each item Every 5-6 years, Memorabilia of all cafes around the world are renewed by being brought back to Orlando to be refurbished, and then be replaced with new gear. 9.Scheduling   Scheduling for Bartenders, kitchen and wait staffs, hostesses, and retail employees is based off of sales tracking. Y When preparing and planning work schedules, they look at the sales last year and the trend for the last couple of weeks. Y They will also consider any event in the area and seasonality . We also take a look at sales trend for the past couple weeks, and then what we do from that is we come up with a sales forecast. The sales forecast is basically that nucleus that we write the schedule from. This allows Hard Rock Cafe managers can predict the volume of people may get in and enjoy in its restaurants and prepare a pretty right human, foods and services Just-In-Time to save the costs.   With successful scheduling the good reputation of the Hard Rock Cafe is enhanced. Considerations Employee preferences Changing sales forecasts Scheduling Software Profitable for both employee and the cafà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡ 10.Maintenance   Maintenance for Hard Rock is based mostly on food preparation and storage. They have to make sure food is stored and prepared correctly. Quality and Control are key to success. At HARD ROCK CAFE, they review menu and music time by time based on the surveys done. All kitchen, bar, retail shop, lay out and equipment are maintained regularly   regarding Memorabilia,   Maintenance of inventory is done every 5-6 years, when the memorabilia was removed from a coffee shop, and refurbished. The cafe, which is then filled with new items In order to strengthen the brand recognition, Hard Rock Cafe creates its own website: www.hardrock.com and maintain a cable television program weekly on VH-1. More than 100,000 hits received through Hard Rock website and 92% of recognition is a truly great result repaying for Hard Rock efforts Question 2: In the light of the above, discuss the operations management challenges and opportunities for Hard Rock when considering an expansion of its business into Hanoi. As mentioned in above Location Strategy, HARD ROCK CAFE in Vietnam is franchised to local partner. Viet Thai International Joint Stock Company,   owner of the famous coffee shop chain Highlands Coffee, last 2009 signed a franchising agreement with UK-based Hard Rock International to develop four Hard Rock Cafe, location in Vietnam. Besides, the first newly opened coffee shop on January 22, 2010 in commercial and residential Kumho Asiana Plaza in the heart of the city, District 1, they are planning to open three new stores in the capital of Hanoi, northern Hai Phong city and central Da Nang city in 2012. according to director David Thai: The expansion of the Hard Rock Cafe, franchising in Vietnam to tap the potential of a growing economy and expanding young population, the target customers of the chain. Lets look at the operations management challenges and opportunities in detail that HARD ROCK CAFE/Viet Thai may face with when considering an expansion of its business into Hanoi Demographics   Population of Area:   not like Starbucks cafà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡ which using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to help location analysis of population, Hard Rock Cafà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡s customers mostly tourists and business visitors who come from another locations, so Hard Rock Cafà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡ doesnt concern much on Hanois population. However, the opportunities Hard Rock may have is that more and more people in Hanoi love Rock Roll music, and the labor cost is cheap . on the other hand , local people are not familiar with high-intensity work, style and culture of unique business like Hard Rock Cafà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡ and they may not meet the service standard requirement, furthermore, the Vietnamese is very modest, so they may not feel confident to show their personality as expected by Hard Rock Cafe.   Economic Indicators  . Hanoi has the highest  Human Development Index among the cities in Vietnam According to a recent ranking of PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hanoi will be the fastest growing cities in the world in terms of GDP growth in 2008-2025. [17] The non-State economic sector is expanding rapidly, with more than 48,000 enterprises are operating under the Enterprise Law (up to 3 / 2007). [18] Trade is a powerful sector of the city. The economic structure has undergone significant changes, with tourism, finance, and banking now playing an increasingly important role. Along with economic growth, Hanoi appearance has changed dramatically, especially in recent years. Infrastructure is constantly upgraded, with new routes and an improved system of public transport According to General Statistics Office in 2010, the total domestic product (GDP) of Hanoi increased by 11% compared to 2009. . total revenue and social services at 30.5% compared with 2009, in which the total retail sales increased 31.2%. Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 9.56% in 2010 compared with 12 months of last year, the gold price index rose 37.02%, the U.S. dollar price index rose 7.44%. The average growth rate a month in 2010 is 0.95%. Visitor Market Tourists/business visitors:   In 2010, international visitors to Hanoi is 1227.5 thousand,up 20.5% over the same period, domestic tourists is 7392.4 thousand visitors, up 10%, revenue from hotels increased 26.9% Hotels   According to figures in 2007, Hanoi had 511 hotel accommodation establishments with more than 12,700 operating rooms. Of these, only 178 rated hotels with 8424 rooms. Luxury room shortage is one of the reasons that the amount of foreign visitors to Hanoi is not high. With rates are considered quite expensive in Vietnam, about $ 126.26 a night for 5 star hotel room. In addition to nine 5-star hotel is  Sofitel Plaza  , Daewoo, Hilton Hanoi Opera, Horison, , Melia, Nikko, Sheraton, Metropole, and Inter Continental, the city also has six 4-star hotel and nineteen 3-star hotel. According to the newly licensed projects and the recently approved investment, by 2011, Hanoi will have about 2,000 luxury hotel rooms. Entertainment Retail many options for entertainment in Hanoi can be found throughout the city. Modern and traditional theaters, cinemas, karaoke bars, dance clubs, bowling alleys, and a rich opportunity to shop provides recreational activities for both locals and tourists . Hanoi has been named one of top 10 cities for shopping in Asia by Smart Travel Asia. [12] The number of art galleries art galleries has soared in recent years. A popular form of entertainment is the traditional water puppetry, is shown at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre Sports There are several gyms and stadiums throughout the city of Hanoi. The largest is the National Stadium My Dinh , Hanoi Water Sport Athletic Complex and the Hanoi Stadium. In 2009, the 3rd Asian Indoor Games was held in Hanoi. Transportation Hanoi is served by Noi Bai International Airport, located in Soc Son district, about 40ykm north of Hanoi. Noi Bai International Airport is unique to the northern regions of Vietnam. Hanoi will have 1 more international airport, which will cost $8 billion, the highest foreign investment to date in the history of Vietnam [16] It will become the largest and most modern airport in Asia .. Construction will be done in three phases, the first phase will start in 2011 until 2015. Taxis are a lot in Hanoi and often trip meters, although it is usually to agree on price before taking a taxi trip from the airport to downtown. Cyclos tour in the Old Quarter is also attracted tourists. Hanoi is also the starting point for many of the original Vietnam railway train in the country. The Reunification Express runs from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, with stops in other cities and provinces along the line. Trains also depart Hanoi frequently for Hai Phong and other northern cities. The main means of transportation in the city are motorcycles, buses, taxis, and bicycles. Motorcycle is the most common way to move around the city. [Citation needed] the public buses that run on many routes and fares can be purchased on the bus. For short trips, xe à ´m (literally: hug vehicle) motorcycle taxis are available Restaurants and Nightclubs ( a selection in key target market areas) Political Risk:   Vietnam is considered one of the most stably politic regimes. This allows Hard Rocks management board to feel secure to invest the business in Hanoi. Vietnam government is establishing a system of open policies, encouraging foreign investors to invest, develop Vietnam economy and create jobs for local people.   Social Risk Hanoian has the habits to drink coffee in a street-cafe with a very cheap price, processed by the traditional method, read newspapers or see people passing by. Not many people are willing to spend about VND 80,000 on drinking a small coffee that Hard Rock may apply that average price for its items. Furthermore, the local peoples taste of coffee is different. They normally drink stronger taste than the other countries. Robusta coffee here is more popular than Arabica, not as in Europe or America. However, the main targeted customers of Hard Rock Cafà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡ are from tourist and business visitors not from local people. So these challenges are not really the one Hard Rock Cafà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡ cares of. Real Estate Market:   location is a very important element for a cafe to be successful in Hanoi. The cost for a centre position (around Hoan Kiem Lake) is very high and most of them are dominated by both foreign and local cafe brands, such as Highland, Illy, Trung Nguyen (famous coffee exporter with the trademark G7). There are also potential competitors like Coffee Bean, Subway, Gloria Jeans Coffee, etc.   Hoan Kiem Lake. Similar to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi is enjoying extremely fast development of real estate market [19]. Economic growth of urban areas does not seem to correspond to its infrastructure. Overpopulation requires a source of much larger accommodations [20] Not surprisingly,. As an effect of this problem, the apartment and real estate fever occurs during the time seriously. [21]. So, its really a big operation management challenge for Hard Rock Cafà © to consider whether renting or building the new one during the period of at least 10-15 years. Hard Rock Cafà © Comparable Market Analysis In summary, all of these elements create difficulties but also open promising opportunities for Hard Rock to decide the suitable plan when studying the business expansion into Hanoi. It always be the concern for all Operations Managers to make the right decisions, not only for Hard Rock Cafe.

The Madness of Ophelia Essay -- Essays on Shakespeares Hamlet

  Ã‚   In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince Hamlet may act like he is "mad north-northwest", but it is his lover, Ophelia, who is truly mad.   Both lose their fathers at the hands of others and both have loved ones that seem to have turned against them.   Unlike Hamlet, who has revenge, Ophelia ends up having nothing to hold onto.   Her sanity breaks and sends her into a downward spiral, while Hamlet's remains intact.   In this paper, I will show that it is the manipulation by and loss of the two men Ophelia loved most-Hamlet and her father, Polonius-which leads to her madness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There have been many theories offered-especially by psychoanalysists-concerning the cause of Ophelia's madness.   Freudian theorists like Theodor Lidz attribute it to Ophelia's incestuous feelings for her father and her desire for Hamlet to take her away from, or even kill him.   When this actually does occur, Lidz says Ophelia's incestuous feelings drive her mad.   Victorian theorists claimed that Ophelia was a hysteric.   They defined hysteria is a mental breakdown during adolescence, when a girl suffered from sexual instability.   This mental illness was applied to anyone who showed what psychiatrists thought were "Ophelia-like" behaviors, "the same young years, the same faded beauty, the same fantastic dress and interrupted song" (Shakespeare, 230).   Modern day theorists have attributed Ophelia's madness to schizophrenia, which puts the madness into a biochemical framework.   Schizophrenia has been argued to be "an intel ligible response to the experience of invalidation with the family network, especially to the conflicting emotional messages and mystifying double binds experienced by daughters" (Shakespeare, 236).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These theories are lackin... ...ne to hold onto.   What made everything fall apart, and what completely ruined her, was her love for them.      Works Cited Partridge, Eric.   Shakespeare's Bawdy.   New York:   E.P. Dutton & Co., 1969. Shakespeare, William.   Hamlet.   Ed. By Susanne L. Wofford.   Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, 1994. Wilson, J. Dover.   What happens in Hamlet.   Cambridge: University Press, 1960. Works Consulted Ronk, Martha. "Representations of Ophelia." Criticism 1: 21-43. JSTOR. Web. 22 May 2015. "Hamlet." William Shakespeare: The Tragedies. Paul A. Jorgensen. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1985. 47-57. Twayne's English Authors Series 415. Twayne's Authors on GVRL. Web. 22 May 2015. Goddard, Harold. "Hamlet to Ophelia." JSTOR. National Council of Teachers of English, 23 Oct. 2007. Web. 23 May 2015. .

edmundlear Edmunds Soliliquy in Act 5 Scene 1 of Shakespeares King L

Analysis of Edmund's Soliliquy in Act 5 Scene 1 in King Lear The portion of `The Tragedy of King Lear' I chose begins on line 55 of act five scene one and continues to line 64. I chose this selection because it includes much information about plot and character. Prior to my selection Regan questions Edmund closely about his relationship with her sister, Goneril, because Regan suspects they have been intimate. Edmund denies these accusations at the beginning of act five scene one, but states his true intentions in his soliloquy starting on line 55. Shortly afterwards at the beginning of act five scene three Cordelia and King Lear are captured and held prisoner. In the selection I chose, Edmund expresses his true feelings about the love triangle he and the sisters Goneril and Reagan are in. "... Neither can be enjoyed, If both remain alive: to take the widow Exasperates, makes mad her sister Goneril; And hardly shall I carry out my side," (V, i, ll 58-61) Edmund conveys how though both sisters are vying for his love and eventually his hand in marriage, he does not love either, and is only playing them for his own benefit; he just wants to increase his power. "Stands on me to defend, not to debate." (V, i, ll 69) The selection I chose develops character in the play. Edmund's soliloquy shows how foolish the sisters really are, competing for the love of someone who is repulsed by the thought of them. Also it is ironic their rivalry that helped them get their land from Lear by outdoing each other with flattery for him is that what kills them, while their sister who didn't compete with false flattery against the two and got no ... ... Exasperates, makes mad her sister Goneril; And hardly shall I carry out my side, Her husband being alive." (V, i, ll 58-62) This also reveals that Edmund is incapable of loving anyone because he is so overwhelmed with attaining power. Goneril and Regan's characters are also developed in this selection. Both of the sisters are blinded by their `love' for Edmund to the point where they put all other things aside to get his love, and ironically the one they both love so much kills them, as Goneril poisoned Regan because she feared Regan would steal Edmund from her. After finding out that Edmund is defeated, she takes her own life as well. Without this soliloquy, a great void would be left in the play. Goneril, Regan and Edmunds characters would not be fully developed, the plot would not be as complex or entertaining.

Analysis of I Sit and Look Out by Walt Whitman Essay

I sit and look out† by Walt Whitman echoes all miseries and atrocities of life that rose to the surface in the wake of capitalism. 19th century witnessed a sea change in the lives of people as rat race for materialistic possession became more prominent and principles were relegated, concerns and emotions were sidelined from inside of human beings. The poet pen pictures such a sad tale of human life by attempting to pose as onlooker who watches everything but does nothing to alter situations. In this analysis of â€Å"I Sit and look out â€Å"by Walt Whitman, the capitalization of the verb â€Å"sit†denotes the action of an onlooker. It is also symbolic of the speaker who sits idle and shows no sign to do anything. His constant position is also indicative of his complacent confinement which is miles away from suffering multitudes. On the other hand, the idea of â€Å"I Sit and look out† is expressed through the term ‘look out’ that speaks of his own position which is safe and secure, away from the sufferings of the mundane world. In ‘I sit and look out† by Walt Whitman, the usage of free verses is abundant which serves to denote a never changing situation. All throughout the poem, the poet keeps an undermined toned of pessimism and paints an apocalyptic imagery that hits the readers as they progress in the poem. â€Å"I Sit and look out â€Å"by Walt Whitman is also a fine instance of the author’s disillusionment with the world that is evident through the first two lines of the poem and it continues to the point where he exclaims; â€Å"I SIT and look out upon all the sorrows of the world, and upon all oppression and shame; I hear secret convulsive sobs from young men, at anguish with themselves, remorseful after deeds done; I see, in low life, the mother misused by her children, dying, neglected, gaunt, desperate; I see the wife misused by her husband-I see the treacherous seducer of young women; The poem is more of a study of this dystopian world where oppression and shame rule the roost of the society. The theme of â€Å"I Sit and look out â€Å"draws upon an image of seclusion as the poet feels that he is located and placed at an altitude that is way higher and away from the episodes of sufferings and misery. The paroxysmal sobs of youth stifled in World War, having an albatross around their neck is an imagery that speaks of their remorseful actions. Walt Whitman talks about children who have taken advantage of their own mothers and now she lies all alone distressed, her solitude beckons her children every moment. The poet speaks of a distressed time where wives are put to misuse by their husbands,  cheated, abused and tortured. The husbands are pen pictured as â€Å"callous lovers’ who picks up young women and deceives them without a shade of remorse or guilt. The theme of â€Å"I sit and look out†points at the jealousy of the human race among themselves, unrequited love that is seemingly impossible to hide. The angst and the anxiety of the poet, the fear and the tension that rumbles up the poet’s mind while he sits comfortably in his place is an awakening call for the readers to rise up and take a step in altering the situation. Walt Whitman’s agony and meanness are justly defined in the lines; â€Å"I observe a famine at sea, I observe the sailors casting lots who shall be kill’d to preserve the lives of the rest, I observe the slights and degradations cast by arrogant persons upon laborers, the poor, and upon Negroes, and the likes; All these–all the meanness and agony without end I sitting look out upon,See, hear, and am silent.â€Å" The poet seeks to demarcate emotions in his poemby introducing camouflage to pertain jealousy and unrequited love behind the mask of smiles and affability. The ego is hosted and the sufferings are subdued and the speaker is never at rest although he doesn’t move from his position. Perhaps, the process of being an onlooker is more painful than being the victim. In other words, the poet calls one and all to rise and do what is right to free themselves from the shackles of pain and liberation and pacify their ego. It is the onlooker who sits silent through the dangerous aftermaths of war, the deaths of millions and autocracy that causes dents within the state. He has to bear the pain as he beholds the sight of prisoners-tortured and tormented-the most terrible byproduct of wars and battles fought. The pen picturisation is horrific, where sailors are thrown into the sea to fight the waves and survive to the shores. The poor workers, the Negros are subjected to slavery in the hands of the capitalist world where nothing prevails but oppression and penury. â€Å"I Sit and look out ‘transforms itself to be a worthy satire of troubled times where agony and not beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. It’s good to know: †¢Walt Whitman has been claimed as America’s first â€Å"poet of democracy†, a title meant to reflect his ability to write in a singularly American character †¢Whitman’s poetry has been set to music by a large number of composers; indeed it has been suggested his poetry has been set to music more than any other American poet except for Emily Dickinson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Essay on Prop 37

The Right To Know†¦ Proposition 37 November 2012 Elections American Government †¢ Professor James Cema Proposition 37 is regarding labeling Genetically Engineered (GE) Foods. GE Foods is the name given to the food that consists of genetically engineered ingredients that are used to develop new plant and animal varieties that are later used as a source of foods by the general public. Typically the modification is done to create a protection of the crops from pests. Proposition 37 is known as the â€Å"Right to Know† act.This labeling process would be useful to consumers. The process would also create a level of responsibility among mass producers of corn, alfafa, soy, sugar beets and certain baby formulas commonly used by consumers so that the consumer can make an informed decision about what consumers are feeding themselves and their families. (Attorney General, 2012). For example, Wal-Mart is now selling a brand of sweet corn that has been genetically modified to pr oduce pesticides in its own tissue.Genetically Modified corn is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency as an insecticide but there is NO LABEL requirement to let the consumer know that the corn has been modified at all. (League of Women, 2012) Proposition 37 would also prohibit foods labeled â€Å"natural† to use any of the previously mentioned ingredients of GE Foods. Certified organic foods would be considered exempt from the labeling, foods that were â€Å"unintentionally† produced with genetically engineered material are also exempt as are foods sold for immediate consumption including restaurant foods and alcoholic drinks.Pros for this proposition include raising the consumer’s level of awareness of what is going into their bodies which could help to avoid certain allergic and ongoing adverse health reactions in some consumers. The proposition would cost food producers very little to add or change the wording on the label of the foods that are pro duced. Cons for this proposition are that the mandatory labeling would open the food manufacturers to frivolous lawsuits by consumers.There is also concern among food producers regarding the cost of switching to non-genetically modified ingredients to comply with the labeling requirement. The fear is that the food would become far too expensive to the consumer. (The truth about prop 37. 2012) I support the labeling of genetically modified food and here is why, I believe that we, as consumers, have the right to know what is being done to our food before our food is placed on our table to feed our family.I believe that government has placed so many rules and regulations on many of the products that we consume including calorie count on certain items for sale in restaurants, warning labels on the side of cigarettes, nutritional labels on most of our food†¦ etc. There is an obligation that the government should mandate, that would allow the consumer to make an informed decision abo ut what he or she is feeding her family. I am not for this proposition because I believe 100% that Genetically modified foods are bad for us, I don’t believe there has been enough research in the department to make that informed of a decision.I just don’t want to unknowingly eat genetically modified foods. I support this measure because as it states, I feel I have the â€Å"right to know. † The opposition states that the labeling would open â€Å"frivolous† lawsuits, this is suspicious, because if, the GM Foods are not causing a health risk, why would there be a fear of frivolous lawsuits? It seems to be that the food manufacturers are aware of some sort of risk and unwilling to share that risk via a label that lets the consumer know the risks involved.The other argument that the process to label the food would be costly! I think they are scared that given a choice, consumers would not knowingly consume genetically modified foods, which would hurt their w allets. I also think that there is a big business agenda in the forefront of the opposition of this bill which is backed by MILLIONS of dollars to stop this bill from being passed which alarms me into supporting the bill. Companies like PepsiCo. , Coca Cola, and Nestle which are HUGE producers of highly processed foods are supporting the negative campaigns behind prop 37.Each company contributing over a million dollars to stop this bill. Can’t they just use the money to change their labels and be done with it? Bibliography The truth about prop 37. (2012). Retrieved October 29, 2012 from http://www. carighttoknow. org/ League of women voters of California Education Fund. (2012). Retrieved October 29, 2012 from http://cavotes. org/assets/forprint/2012Nov-ProsCons-bw. pdf Proposition 37 Genetically Engineered Foods. Labeling. Initiative Statute. (Attorney General, 2012). Retrieved October 29, from http://www. californiapropositions. org

What is it to be Homeless?

Homelessness, it carries strong connotations of poverty, abandonment, and despair, yet it is still a major problem in American society with no end in sight for the people who find themselves in its midst. In 2004, over 7% of Americans found were defined as homeless, a number which continues to grow in connection with job losses and housing unavailability (Donohoe, 2004). Growing up in an upper middle class family, homelessness is something I’ve never had to experience firsthand but have witnessed time and again in people pandering for money in parking lots and on street corners. I have seen men, women, and children huddled together as they brace themselves for a night on the streets but until this point had largely kept myself separate. Through my field work and research for this project, I have come to a better understanding of the causes and effects of homelessness not only on the individual but on the family and society as a whole. Defined as sleeping in shelters, on the street, in cars, abandoned buildings, train or bus stations, homelessness is a constant reminder of the inequalities of society (Donohoe, 2004). In Kentucky, where the homeless rate has climbed steadily, it is a growing problem. In 2005, the number of homeless persons seeking assistance in Kentucky was 19,908 – a noticeable jump from the previous year when the number was 15,226 (Kentucky Statistics). The question is posed in viewing these statistics, as to what happened to cause such a high increase in individuals and families finding themselves without a home during a time when the economy was in an upturn. Now, in recent light of the recession and overall jobless problem in the United States, the outlook does not seem promising. The primary causes of homelessness range from domestic abuse, lack of housing, poverty, low wages, post-traumatic stress disorders, etc (â€Å"Factors Contributing to Homelessness†). The causes are as varied as the people who find themselves in this situation. Annually there are anywhere from 2. 3 million to 3. 5 million people nationwide who are homeless, 39% of which are children (â€Å"How Many are Homeless,† 2006). Their day to day lives center around finding food and shelter for themselves, of which are becoming scarcer as public assistance continues to decrease. As part of my research I conducted several interrelated field studies, each meant to give me a better understanding of the homeless in Kentucky and to better ascertain the reasons behind their homelessness. The best way to understand this, I reasoned, was to place myself in their shoes. My experiments involved viewing the public’s response to homelessness. Dressing down in jeans, a t-shirt/sweatshirt combination, and a pair of old gym shoes with an old baseball cap borrowed from a friend, I set out to downtown Lexington to try and pander for loose change. As this had been my most common experience with the homeless, I sought to dispel my own stereotypes as well as experience through action what it means to be reduced to these circumstances. Standing on the corner of S. Broadway and Main streets, I scanned the area and saw a man farther down the street dressed in rags and holding a cardboard sign. I momentarily regretted my decision to forego the sign myself as it would be helpful in drawing people to me. However, I reasoned that as this was meant as a means of interacting with the public as a homeless person I had a better chance at verbal communication without the sign. Having chosen both a high traffic area and a busy afternoon, I was soon watching people pass me without so much as a backward glance. Unsure of myself, I tried to remember my own experiences with being asked for money. It had seemed almost an effortless endeavor, lending to the stereotype I have heard most commonly thrown about that people begged no out of necessity but laziness. I soon discovered that pandering was no easy task. Seeing an elderly woman, who reminded me of my grandmother, I called to her, asking the standard question, â€Å"can you spare some change? Maybe I called it too loud in my nervousness or possibly the dirt I had purposely smeared and worked into the fabric of my clothes and my general appearance of disarray but she moved away from me seeming to hold her breath. I smiled, trying to dispel her unease but it was too late. Surprising me with her speed and agility, she quickly made her way past darting between other ongoing pedestrians. Trying not to lose my ner ve, I quickly turned my attention to the other people crossing in front of me. A man in a business suit, out of place himself on a Saturday afternoon, stopped in front of me as I called to him trying this time to temper my voice and not appear over enthused or worse disingenuous. â€Å"Why don’t you get a job? † he asked. â€Å"I work 50 hours a week to support my family, and you can’t go to McDonald’s and flip burgers for some cash? No! You expect me and all of these other hardworking people to give you theirs! † and with that he dug in his pocket, tossing a handful of pennies and pocket lint on the sidewalk in front of me. This was not easy. Pandering required that you have not only a tough skin but also that you set aside your pride. I found myself struggling with tears, wanting to call out to the man as he plowed his way down the street that I wasn’t really homeless. I wanted to call, but I’m a college student, I have a job, I have a home but this would only stunt any further work I wished to accomplish in this area. I needed to blend. A young woman, not much older than myself, stopped in front of me as I struggled with my own ego trying to reconcile the humiliation of the research with understanding I knew I would gain. I looked up and she appeared the very opposite of the man in the business suit. Dressed similarly to me, though clean with freshly washed hair and fashionably distressed jeans and a bright green sweater, she held a cup of coffee in one hand and a few dollar bills in the other and on her face was a sympathetic smile. â€Å"Don’t let him bother you,† she said handing me the coffee and forcing the bills into my hand. â€Å"I know where you are coming from. I lost my job two years ago and was in the exact same spot as you. I was evicted from my apartment and lived in my car and the shelter for 2 months before I was able to get back on my feet. Just be happy you don’t have kids, I still feel guilty that my daughter had to go through all of that with me. † With this, she smiled and waved to me before crossing to the other side of the S. Broadway. Within minutes of each other, I had experienced the two extremes of the human interaction side of pandering. Though the man in the business suit had almost discouraged me to the point of blowing my cover, the kind young woman’s kindness made me feel a new kind of guilt. She did not seem a financially well off woman but she had still tried to help. Even more than the embarrassment and loss of pride at the man in the business suit judging me all from a simple request, â€Å"can you spare some change† I felt guilt at having taken money from this woman and her daughter. I made a mental note to try and ask the homeless people I encountered how they felt at asking for money from strangers. First, I had the day to worry about. I had purposely set off on my research without money or other means of procuring food and drink. For the moment, if I wanted to eat, I would have to continue to pander for a little more cash. As it went from morning to afternoon, I had no repeat encounters with the anger of the businessman but also did not experience any more of the kindness of the young woman. Many people either ignored my call for spare change or reach into their pockets without looking in my direction. One man asked why I needed the money. I tried to reply that I just needed enough to get a meal or two, at which he laughed before tossing some loose change my way, â€Å"Sure. Last time I checked, crack wasn’t a meal. The audacity of the man completely surprised me. Did I look like a drug addict? Did he think people only became homeless because of personal mistakes? I realized I was taken aback because he had asked a question aloud that I had only thought in my own head as I gave spare change to people in the past. Though drug addiction is a major problem for the homeless community, it is not the root o f the problem. Given the discrepancies in statistics though it is understandable that this would be associated with and even blamed for the continually growing rate of homelessness. In information published by the National Coalition for the Homeless in 2005, it is noted that early statistics for substance abuse and addiction among the homeless were incorrectly calculated leading to an assumption that over 60% of the homeless suffer from one form of substance addiction of another. However, recent statistics from US Conference of Mayors in 2005 puts the number as being closer to 30% (â€Å"Who is Homeless† 2005). The question is though, did their drug addiction lead to their homelessness or is it a result? After collecting almost $15 dollars, I set off to find a homeless person or people who would talk to me about the circumstances that led to their current state. Walking toward the man with the cardboard sign, I thought at first to speak with him as I had grown to feel a certain kinship with the man having worked the same street this morning. As I approached him, I saw a group of teenage boys stopped in front of him. They were laughing as one of them tore the man’s sign from his hands and proceeded to tear it in half. The man, obviously angered, kept his head down to the verbal abuse that rained from the teens mouths. No one it seemed was in the least concern. Pedestrians kept a wide breadth of the scene and kept their eyes to the ground. Finished with their fun, the boys threw the sign at the man’s feet and continued walking, still laughing at the humiliation of the man. Seeing the anger of the man, I decided that now would not be a good time to speak with him. Instead, I continued walking past him knowing that while his pride may be hurt, he had been spared any actual physical violence. I knew that this man had been one of the lucky ones. From 1999-2005 there were 472 acts of violence committed against homeless individuals (â€Å"Hate Crimes. † 2006), targeted specifically because of their homeless status. Of that number, 169 were murders. Shelter workers and advocates have heard increasing stories of harassment, beatings, being set on fire, and even decapitation (National Coalition for the Homeless. â€Å"Hate Crimes. † 2006) as the years have gone by. After walking for several blocks, I stopped in a corner store to buy myself some water. Walking to the back of the store where the refrigerators were, I could feel the clerk’s eyes follow me. I guess, making sure I was not shoplifting. With this, I understood yet one more stereotype and misconception of homelessness – namely the role of criminal. Though I had the money to buy the water, though I had spent a day being verbally abused and ignored in order to scrounge together the change for this very water, the clerk assumed I would steal it. I walked to the counter, feeling his eyes on me, I assume checking my body’s silhouette for bulges of pilfered food. 1. 47† he said, simply, still not taking his eyes off of me, his nose curling at the smell he assumed must be wafting off of me. Counting the change onto the counter, I saw my hands with the fingernails lightly ingrained with dirt and the grime of the street. Reaching forward to hand him the change, I saw him recoil slightly and I instead placed the change on the counter where it was carefull y counted. Expecting the â€Å"have a nice day† I had come to rely on as part of the retail experience, I was surprised when after processing my order, I received no more than a nod. Later that afternoon, I found myself sitting on a park bench beside a young homeless man, trying to find his life story in the sometimes incoherent ramblings. John was an Iraq War veteran who after returning from his stint in the Army, found himself increasingly anxious and unable to forget the bloodshed. Now a methamphetamine addict, he is thin to the point of starvation. Under his beard, I could see sores where the meth was surfacing and his front teeth were rotted to nothing. John is just one of many veterans who make up the homeless population. With approximately 11% of the total homeless population veterans, comprising 40% of the total male population of homeless persons (National Coalition for the Homeless, â€Å"Who is Homeless,† 2005), John is the embodiment of the what happens to veterans when resources become limited and their problems too big to be handled effectively by the system. â€Å"A lot of the guys you see out here who are veterans were in ‘nam, they’ve been back and forth between the veterans hospital, group homes, and the street. When I first came back, I went back to working in my uncle’s garage fixing engines and changing oil. I hadn’t really had many plans before I signed up following 9/11. When I came back, my mom and girlfriend were pushing me to go back to school. Use the G. I. bill, you know. But I just couldn’t concentrate. I couldn’t sleep at night. When I did sleep, I had bad nightmares, bodies piled to the ceiling, blood everywhere. I started drinking, so I could sleep but it just made things worse. I slept but when I was awake nobody wanted to be around me. I went to the V. A. and they diagnosed me with post traumatic stress, gave me a couple prescriptions and a list of counselors and sent me on my way. For a little while the pills helped, but I was still drinking and had started to smoke meth. It kept me awake a lot but I thought I was getting things done. But then I lost my job, my girlfriend left me and I was stuck living in my parents’ basement. I started snorting meth and then shooting up,† with this, John pulls up his sleeves to show me the track marks running along his forearms. â€Å"Eventually, even my parents had enough. I wrecked their car, stole $4,000 worth of jewelry and computer equipment that I pawned for half that to buy more meth and booze. This is where I ended up. I told John about my earlier experience pandering and asked him if he ever felt bad for asking strangers for money. To this he shrugged and smiled, showing blackened gums above where his two front teeth once were, â€Å"You must be new. When I first started asking, sure I felt bad. I never thought I’d be asking for handouts. I wasn’t raised that way. Shit, if my dad saw me o n a street corner begging he’d probably kick my ass. But you gotta do what you gotta do. I mean, come on, who is going to hire me? I stink, I’m paranoid, I have a meth addiction and no teeth. If I want to eat or get more drugs, I have to beg or steal. I’d rather beg than steal any day. I still have some scruples,† he laughingly explained. Had he ever tried rehab or contacting on the programs that helps the homeless? â€Å"Sure. I’ve gone down to the shelter and filled out the paperwork but they don’t have a whole lot of money either so I couldn’t stay forever and the rehab program they tried to get me into was full. I tell myself everyday that this will be the last. Once I’ve shot up the last of my bag, I just won’t buy anymore but it never works out that way. I start jonesing and the nightmares come back. I sat over in there one night,† he said, pointing to a pavilion on the other side of the park, â€Å"and cried because I thought I was back in Iraq. I could hear the mortars exploding around my head and the screams of children in my ears. My friend found me after a couple of hours and offered me his needle and it all melted away. Of course, I found out a couple months later that he had hepatitis and had passed it onto me but he was just trying to help, I guess I can’t blame him too much. I’ll die sooner than later anyway. † When I asked him what he meant, he shrugged again. â€Å"Look at how I live. I’m lucky to eat every other day. I’ve shot up so much meth that it’s coming out my pores and am lucky to find a vein anymore. I’ve been beaten up, pushed in front of cars, spit on. I had pneumonia last winter, almost died from that. And I want to die. I should have died in Iraq, I think of that every day. If I knew then what my life would become, I would have shot myself when I still had a gun. The day I don’t wake up, will be the best day of my life. † Shaken, I thanked John for talking to me and tried to make sense of what he had told me. Before talking, he had taken a quick dose of meth to loosen his tongue but what he let loose was more than just his own story. Between John’s veteran status, gender, drug addiction, and mental illness he is unfortunately a prime example of homelessness in America. Approximately 22% of the homeless population suffers from one form of mental illness or another (â€Å"Why Are People Homeless,† 2006). Though it has been said that the increase in mentally ill homeless people is due to the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill, this is false. Most of this was done between the 1950s and 1960s but homeless rates did not begin to reach their current rates until the 1980s. According to a 2003 report from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, many of the mentally ill homeless could and can live within the community and receive treatment from outpatient facilities. Many however, are unable to receive treatment or housing because of the lack of availability (â€Å"Why Are People Homeless,† 2006). As John noted, with waiting lists and the unpredictability of street life, finding ones next meal is hard enough. Finding help with housing and medicine is even more of a challenge. Having been shaken by my experiences at pandering, moving through regular daily activities like making a small purchase at a convenience store, and John’s own tales I knew I was neither prepared nor willing to spend my night as a homeless person. Before going home, I ventured to the bus station, where I had originally planned to spend the night. Walking towards the entrance, I saw a man holding a cardboard sign. Thinking he was the man from earlier, I hurried forward to try and see how he had fared after his run in with the teenagers. I was wrong. Though similar in dress and situation, this was a new man. Much older, appearing to be in his sixties or seventies. I braced myself for a request for spare change, forgetting my own appearance, but he ignored me. I knelt down to ask him some questions, figuring that this would be my last chance as I was now determined after my brief experience before returning to my normal life. No one, I now knew would knowingly choose homelessness. Asking his name, he eyed me warily, â€Å"you ain’t a cop are you? † Deciding to blow my cover, such as it was, I explained that I was a college student trying to understand what it means to be homeless. â€Å"Why would you do that? You think this is a game? Just go home, at least you have one. I been sleeping on park benches and in bus stations for 5 years, count your blessings. † With this he turned away from me, his eyes fixed on a couple walking along the sidewalk. Speechless, I left him to his pandering. Regardless of my experiments, I had still only had an outsider’s experience of his daily life. I could, as he put so bluntly, go home. I had a home. Even as I begged on the street, I knew that I had a bank account across town with more money in it than this man would see in a week. I would finish my education and get a job, buy a home and build a family. For this man, that kind of life must seem a dream. I now knew, however, that the future I have so long imagined and planned for can just as easily be taken from me. It can start with something as seemingly changeable as losing a job and spiral into a hopelessness that left some dead, others wishing for death. For John the tipping point had been a combination of factors: mainly his drug use and trying to cope with post-traumatic stress. The causes, I now realized were encompassing of us all in one form or another. I now was able to understand through my experience that just like the woman from that morning find myself living in a car one day and begging on a street corner for real next time.