Animal Euthanasia

To Kill or Not To Kill In the past few decades, there has been a big uproar regarding the topic of euthanasia in dogs. Euthanasia used to be a term used to end the suffering of a life by putting them in a painless and permanent state of sleep. I believe that today, the term ‘euthanasia’ when referred to dogs has transformed to a word used to justify the mass murder of dogs across the world. Most people will agree that the only time a dog should be put down is when it is sick or suffering from pain. I believe that if a dog is euthanized for any other reason, the person in control is guilty of committing an abominable act.They do not call dogs â€Å"mans’ best friend† for nothing. With proper training, every single dog has the potential of making a good house pet and becoming an important part of an owner’s life. Most dogs that are being euthanized each year are not even suffering from any illnesses and are not aggressive either. They are just unlucky. The reasoning that is given by these shelters committing these vile acts is that there is an overpopulation of dogs in their shelters and not enough homes for all of them so they have no choice.The problem with this picture is the fact that many of these shelters breed dogs for the sole purpose of having them sold. Many of these dogs are being sold for sums well over a thousand dollars. The dogs that they are not able to sell are sent to shelters. These shelters fill up quickly because of these breeders who can’t sell their dogs and can only take what they have room for and can manage which leads to these breeders euthanizing their extra dogs, many times in the convenience of their own backyards.They figure that it costs them a lot less to murder their unsold dogs then the expenses they pay to take care of them while they wait for them to be sold. In the United States, an estimated 4 to 6 million dogs are euthanized in shelters each year. Pete Wedderburn, editor of Small Ani mal, says â€Å"It’s very disappointing that after all the noise that is made about how appalling it is, nothing changes. † Unfortunately, not everyone will agree with the fact that euthanasia amongst dogs should only take place when the dog is suffering from pain or terminally ill.Joy Leney and Jenny Remfy mention in their book Dogs, zoonoses, and public health why dog population management is necessary and very important. In their book they say â€Å"Some people love dogs. Some people hate them. Some dogs are man’s best friends. Others, or sometimes the same ones, are sources of injury, accident, disease and pollution. † (299) Dogs can breed and multiply their numbers very quickly but the breeding is not their fault. It is the fault of the breeder for breeding them in order to sell them.Once they are not sold, they either become stray dogs and usually end up being killed in the future or are sent to be killed right away. I believe that this is very inhu mane. Leney and Remfy continue to speak about the methods used to kill these dogs are beginning to be too costly because of transportation and drugs needed so kill shelters and breeders have come out with cheaper ways to get rid of their extra dogs. These new methods include ovens and gas chambers where they throw in large amounts of dogs at a time to be killed in order to save time and money.It makes me shiver how anyone who is responsible for these mass murders can live with their despicable acts. A simple solution to lower these rates of dogs being euthanized and to take control of the overpopulation of dogs is to alter the majority of dogs. Most shelters and animal organizations neuter dogs for no charge as well as give vaccines needed to prevent diseases from being transmitted. By altering dogs, the rate of dogs reproduced each day will drastically decrease. Each day 10,000 humans are born in the U. S. – and each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born.As long as these b irth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all the animals. Early age altering of dogs (6-14 weeks) has been practiced for over 25 years in North America. The perceived high cost of altering is not the problem since many shelters will happily do it for free. The problem is the lack of education dog owners have about altering their dogs. If the benefits were understood, more people would be altering their dogs. Euthanasia should be thought upon and observed very carefully before being put to use.It used to be a treatment but is now mostly used as a weapon to kill. . In the Irish Veterinary Journal, Pete Wedderburn believes â€Å"†¦the government ought to proceed with compulsory micro chipping, a license for life and a discounted license fee for neutered pets† (Wedderburn 530). This is one way to really help lower the number of dogs being euthanized. Furthermore, it will be thought upon twice before euthanizing a dog since the dog is now neutered and will not b e able to produce more dogs. Not allowing a dog to reproduce may be a bit cruel but a big step towards lowering the kill rate.Having the dog micro chipped and placed inside a database will also help influence the decision of a shelter or breeder of whether or not to put down a dog. There are numerous pet owners surrendering their dog due to personal reasons and inadequacy in taking responsibility for their dogs. This also adds to the overpopulation of dogs. According to a survey conducted by the American Humane Association, out of the 1000 shelters who responded to the survey, 2. 7 million of 4. 3 million animals (64 percent) are being euthanized. Out of this euthanized number, 56 percent are dogs.Majority of the animals in shelters were being euthanized since there is a standard period of time, ranging from several days to weeks, for unclaimed stray animals. However, there are â€Å"no kill† shelters run by private and animal welfare organizations. This alone is part of the solution to end the overpopulation of dogs. These â€Å"no kill† shelters make it an official policy never to euthanize animals unless it’s for medical reasons. If overcrowding is really an issue, then it may be necessary to send dogs to other shelters instead of murdering them.I am sure there are many animal cruelty prevention organizations that will be willing to take these dogs in and finding them a foster home until they are adopted into a permanent household. This will lower the rate of dogs being killed, give the dog a better life, and be a much more humane thing to do. In the book Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America, the author Nathan J. Winograd writes â€Å"The decision to end an animal’s life is an extremely serious one, and should always be treated as such.No matter how many animals a shelter kills, each and every animal is an individual, and each deserves individual consideration. And finally, to meet the challenge that No Kill entails, shelter leadership needs to get the community excited, to energize people for the task at hand. By working with people, implementing lifesaving programs, and treating each life as precious, a shelter can transform a community. † (Winograd 22-31, 229) The programs Winograd is referring to include free spay/neuter, rescue groups, foster cares, pet retention, medical and behavioral programs, ommunity involvement, volunteers and a compassionate director to control the friendly shelter. Winograd calls this the No Kill Equation. I don’t quite agree with Winograd that this equation is the key solution to lower the rate of dogs euthanized each year. I think that there are much easier and more efficient ways to lower the rates. It will take too long for all community shelters across the country to set up these programs in their communities. The right way to do this is to hire lobbyists to fight for the no kill shelters and animal welfare organiza tions and push the passing of a law against euthanasia on healthy dogs.All dog owners should be taught the benefits of neutering their dogs. The usage of microchips should be implemented by all shelters in order to manage the population of dogs. For every single animal euthanized in a shelter, there is a person outside of that shelter responsible for it. The responsibility to keep shelters from euthanizing animals lies with each of us as pet owners. If we adopt through rescue, choose a good match, spay and neuter, and keep our animals for their lifetimes, the shelters will be near empty, not overfull, and euthanasia can become a tragedy of the past.

Analysis of poem “Muliebrity” by Sujata Bhatt Essay

The poem muliebrity by Sujata Bhatt, talks about the power women possess and the character of women, who take pride in what they do, even if it is just picking cow-dung. The poet speaks of a girl, who is a representation of village women, who does the tedious job of picking cow-dung outside a temple and the girl is described in a very reverential manner. The title of the poem muliebrity, suggests womanhood. The connotation of the title, status and power of a woman, is reflected in the poem where the author uses the words greatness and power. The poet talks about her imperative childhood experiences through her poems, using an optimistic tone, to make it more affective. With a delightful tone, she describes the scenery at the village. There is use of enjambment in the poem, to stress on how long ago the poet saw the girl and it could also suggest a feeling of nostalgia. A very simple tone and language is used in the poem, to indicate the simplicity of the situation. The poet says that she has thought so much about the girl, suggesting that the poet respects the girl and is in awe of the way the girl holds her head high, despite the fact that she does a menial job of picking dung. The poet ponders on why the girl does something that isnt usually expected to be done by her and stresses on the dignity of labour showing how, even though it is an undermining task, she does it happily. She is impressed by the girls commitment and dedication to her work. A very positive approach is shown towards the work done, as expectations do not stop the girl from doing what she wants to do. The poet, very intricately describes the feminine movements and attitude of the girl toward her job. she talks about the way she moved her hands and waist, indicating the presence of womanhood in the girl, and even though her job is to scoop dung, which is considered as a very demeaning job, she has retained the femininity in her and still has pride in herself. Even further in the poem, the author depicts the independence of the girl, as she says power glistening through her cheekbones. The poet also describes the stench of the atmosphere in which the girl has to work, as she says smell of cow-dung and smell of monkey-breath. On the contrary, the smell of freshly washed clothes and of canna lilies is also  mentioned, which tells us that though the girls job is not very dignified, the poet approaches the girl very positively. The girl picks up dung outside a temple, which shows that she is serving the society. The poet interprets this job as one which is very respectful. She uses visual imagery, as she describes the surroundings of the girl and the repulsive smells in so much detail, that the audience would be able to imagine the situation. The smells besiege the poet separately and simultaneously, which tells us that though all these smells are present together, she describes them individually so that it has a deeper impact on the readers. The poet says that she doesnt want to use the girl as a metaphor, and as a role model for every other woman, but she doesnt want to forget the girl, who retained the womanhood in her, irrespective of her job. The poet explores all the feminine qualities of a woman through this poem, elegance, pride, dignity, independence and the way a woman presents herself to the world, having a strong and powerful personality. The poet indirectly conveys to her audience how an ideal woman should be, possessing all the above qualities, and even though the poet mentions that she doesnt want to use the girl as a metaphor, she subtly expresses that every woman should exhibit such traits. Even as the girl picks up cow dung, she feels good about herself, as she is doing this job for her living, and she takes pride in it, which is what the poet tries to tell the audience. The image of the girl is portrayed very well, and the author uses the girl effectively to explore womanhood. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muliebrity

Structure of the Nucleus, Endoplasmic Reticulum, Ribosomes, Assignment

Structure of the Nucleus, Endoplasmic Reticulum, Ribosomes, Mitochondria, Golgi Dody, and Lysosomes - Assignment Example The main function of the cell is to control the expression of proteins (as directed by DNA and RNA). The nucleus itself is a membrane-bound organelle, which means that it is slightly separated by a thin membrane from the rest of the cell components (Tortora & Derrickson, 2008). However, this poses a challenge as messages need to be carried from the enclosed DNA found in chromosomes to the rest of the cell, which is why there are nuclear pores to allow the passage of water-soluble molecules (Campbell & Reece, 2005). The chromosomes themselves are mostly found tightly-packed as chromatin (except during replication), and this function allows the huge amount of human DNA to be contained within each cell (Campbell & Reece, 2005). The structure of these chromosomes changes throughout the cell cycle, particularly relating to cell division. During mitosis or meiosis (cell division), chromatin structures become more condensed and as a result of this change in structure, transcription stops. D uring mitosis, structures known as microtubules form, anchoring the chromatid to the cell wall. This attachment is what allows the cell to divide, splitting sister chromatids in two to form two haploid daughter cells (Campbell & Reece, 2005).... The ER itself is generally split into two sections, known as the rough endoplasmic reticulum and the smooth. The rough ER plays a part in the synthesis of proteins, which is why its surface is covered in ribosomes involved in the process (Tortora & Derrickson, 2008). The ribosomes themselves are bound to the rough ER on a transitory basis, depending on the signal from the nucleus (Tortora & Derrickson, 2008). In fact, the reason that the rough ER is so-called is because the fact that it is studded with these ribosomes makes it look rough under an electron microscope (Tortora & Derrickson, 2008). The ribosomes themselves only bind to the rough ER as required by the cell, and are associated with the initialization of protein-synthesis for part of a secretory pathway (Tortora & Derrickson, 2008). The smooth ER is involved in the synthesis of lipids required by the cell. It is the increased surface area created by the smooth ER that allows the action of enzymes involved in lipid and ster oid synthesis. Each part of the ER thus has a distinct function in regulating cell behavior. Ribosomes Ribosomes are found within all living cells and are primarily involved in protein synthesis, also known as translation (Tortora & Derrickson, 2008). To do this, the ribosomes link together amino acids (found within the cell) to a template specified from messenger RNA (mRNA). This message, in turn, has come from the DNA code found within the nucleus. There are two subunits which comprise a ribosome; the small unit which reads the mRNA template, and the larger unit which anchors small amino acid units together to create a larger, fully formed protein (Campbell & Reece, 2005).

HOW ARE FASHION AND APPEARANCE CENTRAL TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL Essay

HOW ARE FASHION AND APPEARANCE CENTRAL TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL IDENTITIES DISCUSS, WITH REFERENCE TO SPECIFIC EXAMPLES - Essay Example In understanding beauty and the sacrifices that are made for representing what is beautiful, it can be seen that most cultures have supported alterations of the body in order to attain the essence of beauty as it is defined within the social construct, creating identity and status through those sacrifices. The value of beauty is so high that great pain has been endured in order to attain that representation The concept of beauty would seem a simple concept to define, however beauty is sociologically relevant to the culture that defines it and has an evolving meaning that changes through time. At the center of modern Western society is the beauty salon. According to Black (2004), â€Å"The beauty salon stands at the intersection of a number of techniques of the body, which in turn relate to gender, the body, sexuality, class, commodification, leisure practices, consumption, and so on† (p. 7). Current Western society also supports the use of painful surgical remedies to alter th e physical form and create a more beautified appearance. However, pain has been collateral to many of the ways in which beauty has been chased throughout the centuries. While contemporary society may frown upon some of the methods that have been used throughout history, the current trends are actually a continuation of culturally accepted concepts of the discomfort and pain that can be experienced in the pursuit of what is physically beautiful. The Beauty Salon in Western Society The core of the creation of beautiful through physical change within contemporary Western society is the beauty salon, a place where the hair, skin, and nails are attended to in order to project a more beautiful exterior presence. The salon is a social center, as much as it is a utilitarian entity. According to Black (2004), as she quotes Yvette, an owner of a salon, â€Å"Ordinary people come through here The desire of these ‘ordinary people’ is for pleasure and escapism† (p. 2). While what is done there occurs in order to emerge into society with the intention of the results having an impact on the way in which one is viewed, what happens within the salon is as much a part of the identity as the effect of the result. A relationship is developed between the staff and the client, a connection that is made in order to form a social contract where the professional expertise of the staff member becomes the center of the development of an intimacy with the client, the commodified relationship as emotional as it is purposeful. Often the relationship that one has to their beauty professional is as much emotionally therapeutic as it is physically therapeutic (Black 2004, p. 7). What occurs within the salon is often uncomfortable, if not painful, that level of suffering helping to form the bond between the beauty professional and the client. What is experienced and sacrificed in order to attain the result helps to create the intimacy through which the social contract is es tablished. Furthermore, there is a sexuality that is established within the confines of the experience. The salon professional often must inflict pain in a very intimate way in order to achieve the goals of the session. The pain is endured, the recipient developing a dependency on the one inflicting pain as the release of that sensation is within the control of the professional. This pain can become a deep resource of connectivity between the one inflicti

The Role of Family in Uprising of a Child Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Role of Family in Uprising of a Child - Essay Example A questionnaire or survey is a popular tool for retrieved data due to its simplicity and a short time to implement the technique. Questionnaires consist of a series of the question asked to respondents on an individual basis to obtain their opinions, attitudes, perceptions and/or description related to a particular situation (Schermerhorn & Hunt & Osborn, 2003). The subjects that participate in a questionnaire which can be administered in various setting such person to person, mail, or virtual setting return the answers back to the researcher directly. The questionnaire design can follow an open-ended format or a structured format that utilizes T/F or multiple choice type questions. The questionnaire design by the researcher writing this report uses the open-ended question to be answered by the subjects participating in the research study. Appendix A illustrated the questionnaire to be administered to the subjects. The results of the survey can help an educator provide consulting on how to improve the scholarly performance of the subject matter. The adults must get involved in the child’s learning process. One of the first things the parents must do is to have a one on one conversation with all the teachers that give the class lesson to the child in order to know if the child has any behavioural problems in class or any learning deficiencies that need immediate attention. Hiring a tutor is the great way to establish a health study habit routine for the child. In our new technologically advanced age there are companies such as Brainfuse that provide online tutoring services for to children in their home (Brainfuse, 2008). Feedback is very important in the educational process. Knowledge is the key to create an effective education plan. If a child has problems learning something a dual program should be in place to provide direct assistance from the parents or professional tutor on the defi cient area, while at the same time giving the child educational project that are challenging in his area of expertise to challenge the child as well as raising his self-esteem by giving him the opportunity to get involve in educational activities the child can master.  Ã‚  

Worldview Beliefs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Worldview Beliefs - Essay Example This essay demonstrates and shows that what a person looks like at the present does not matter because as we age, our looks also change so that although we may have once been physically beautiful, with time, this beauty is eroded by age and what is left behind is a shadow of what we once were. However, I believe that inner beauty lasts forever because our character and our actions tend not to change as fast as our physical beauty does. An example of this is the way people care for others and one of these is my best friend who has influenced my worldview on this matter. She is a kind, loving, and helpful person and she has the ability to make others feel better, which makes her a treasured friend to have. In conclusion, I believe that the world would be a better place if only all of us could treat each other with respect and tolerance. We should seek to understand and appreciate that people have diverse opinions due to their backgrounds and experiences in life before passing any judgm ent, as this would stop many of the prejudices which some of us have against others. In addition, I am of the opinion that for people to experience greater success in life they have to develop the virtue of perseverance considering that every undertaking has its challenges. In addition, inner beauty, as opposed to the physical outer beauty, is very important since it outlasts the later. Moreover, inner beauty concerns inherent good characters other than the outward impression, which is often deceiving.... Doing so has also helped me to develop very close friendships with people who I would otherwise have not have had any time for and this has ensured that I have developed friendships which have filled my life. It has enabled me to develop the necessary social skills to interact confidently with people from different backgrounds on an equal basis without any feeling of superiority on my part. Many people consider the ability not to give up or perseverance a virtue and in fact, the majority of the world religions encourage it in their followers. Perseverance, from ancient times, has been one of the keys to success and it is very difficult to achieve any level of success without it. I believe that it involves the ability to be committed to a task that one has set for him or herself, to be able to work hard towards it, and to have the patience and endurance to make sure that this task is fulfilled satisfactorily. Never giving up also involves the ability to be able to bear the difficultie s that one is facing calmly and without any complaint because these tend to explain why many fail to succeed in whatever they are doing. A good example of perseverance is the one that the Wright Brothers had when they were attempting to make a flying machine. Many people had no faith that they would be able to make it and in fact, some even tried to discourage their attempts. Despite all this, the Wright brothers became even more determined to achieve their goal, it is this ability of never giving up that made them create the first airplane, and that is why we are able to travel by air today. There are many definitions of beauty but one of the most of these definitions tends to be based on the physical

Health Care in America, the Incurable Debate Essay

Health Care in America, the Incurable Debate - Essay Example (Klein, 2012). Republicans question the figures but can pretty much live with the rest or watered-down versions of it. The individual mandate is at the heart of the debate. It is this part that sent the law to the High Court and, depending on which side characterizes it, is an egregious infringement on liberty or a fair and necessary part of the legislation. The individual mandate, which legally obliges all who can afford it to buy health care insurance based on a sliding income scale, was conceived during the 1990’s version of the health care debate. First Lady Hillary Clinton was tasked with the immense issue of health care reform in an attempt to design a bill that would cover more people while curbing costs. During this contentious, highly partisan debate the Republicans demanded that individual responsibility was written into the law and favored the individual mandate. Democrats hesitated at first but relented in an effort to pass something, even a much smaller version th an they initially envisioned. Fast forward 15 years. Tea Party Republicans have made the mandate a centerpiece of their argument against reforming the overly costly system. They claim the ACA is a â€Å"government takeover of health care.† (Goozner, 2010). Republicans also claim the mandate is unconstitutional. They contend states have the authority but not the federal government. That’s why people can be forced to carry auto insurance. It’s a state requirement. Democrats might say they didn’t take that position when they conceived it themselves just a few years ago and point to the Interstate Commerce Clause as legal justification for the mandate. Americans’ opinion of the mandate has changed along party lines, of course,... Health care reform is literally a life and death issue both for people and the economy. The present system, prior to the full implementation of the ACA, is costing citizens their health and contributing to the National Debt. Something must be done. If not the ACA then what? If the country is waiting on Republicans to fix the system they have a long wait. Health care is not their priority as evidenced by the previous administrations complete failure to address the topic at all. It is difficult for Washington to tackle a complex issue such as health care and seldom politically advantageous. The Democrats tried but failed during the 1990’s and have tried again, each time struggling to pass a bill against a concerted and organized campaign to defeat it, a campaign of obvious lies and propaganda, the â€Å"death panels’ to kill your grandmother misinformation for example. Because of this scare tactic health care reform, so essential to people and the nation, may again go do wn in defeat and must wait for another Democratic administration to try yet another time.

None Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 17

None - Assignment Example As matter of fact, the Hindu community must have moved from somewhere. Secondly, Hindu religion traces its origin sometime just before the onset of modernization (Bryant, & Patton, 2005). Notably, the timing of the start of Hinduism and Aryan migration rhyme; supporting the AIT arguments. Moreover, the immigration is assumed to consist of different ethnic groups who after settling united to make a common language and culture. Every theory must be criticized by at least one scholar given that people make different opinions. The critics of AIT are not strong enough to question its viability. For instance, the Aryan inversion theory is based on existence of dead bodies found in a cave (Bryant, & Patton, 2005). However, there is no precise evidence that these bodies were massacred, hence terming the whole theory a weak critique. Though, its not clear whether the Aryans found natives in the region, no invasion evidence exists either. Moreover, the invasion theory was meant to protect colonizers. Culture and social setups differ and may sometimes irritate. Public relations advocate for understanding and accommodating every person’s culture in order to coexist. However, the understanding ought to be two-way, otherwise one party will be humiliated. Non- western cultures are complicated. To me Japanese culture irritates. Though the shame culture has build their reputation, consulting before their tribesmen before making any decision irritates. Secondly, treating strangers with excess suspicion retards their socializing

Lawyers Working With Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Lawyers Working With Business - Essay Example to consideration include the identity of the business, which should have distinguishable factors in the market place such as trademarks and service marks. It is also essential to protect the identity of the business by registering the trademarks and service marks. Experience is also a decisive factor as it shows the viability of the business concept as well as provides credibility among the franchises. Profitability is also essential as the main goal in business is to make money profitable businesses are, therefore, attractive. Furthermore, the franchisee requires to submit royalties to the parent company based on the revenue. It is essential to, therefore, to ensure that the franchisee is capable of running a sound business in order for the parent company to benefit. Business plans as well as marketing plans are essential components in this process as they ensure that the prospective franchise businesses have an operational framework.2 Other factors that are essential in setting up franchise include the training necessary for the franchises. Significant amount of training in necessary in these instances so that the franchises operate on the same standard as the parent company and training plays a crucial role in this respect. The concept of franchising faces some drawbacks that must be put into consideration by any business contemplating the concept of franchising. These drawbacks include the reduced amount of control over the franchise in terms of products and services which may subsequently lead to a variety of quality across stores. The potential of earning revenue also reduces as the parent company entitlement is only a portion of the revenue from the franchisee. It is, however, noteworthy that there is a higher potential for growth and success of franchising... This paper stresses that leasing eases the budgeting process of the company as the lease payments fixed initially and forecasting the cash and budgeting requirement becomes easier. The lease cost can be incorporated into the business budgets more easily due to the regular occurrence and allows a better control into the business cash flow. Seasonal or skip payments can be arranged in this scenario to reduce the time and financial constraints. Leases also facilitate tax benefits as it establishes flexibility in gaining tax benefits from various situations, therefore, facilitating a reduced cost in the equipment. Leases usually considered as operating costs and often deducted from the taxable profits of the business. When properly structured, a lease agreement allows for tax benefits passed on to the Lessee due to competitive rates and lower fees. This report makes a conclusion that that leasing provides an out of the balance sheet financing where the business obligations to pay the lease in not included in the balance sheet. This obligation, which is a liability to the business, does not reflect on the balance sheet and affects the solvency of the business as the liability of the equipment not included. Because this lease liability does not reflect in the business balance sheet, the measure of financial leverage according to the balance sheet improves. The ratio of total l liabilities to equity improves, therefore, resulting in better credit ratings and ultimately low interest rates on finances towards the business.

Idioms in Bilingual Dictionaries Essay Example for Free

Idioms in Bilingual Dictionaries Essay A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more languages, and it reflects the vocabulary of a language. Its purpose is to provide information on the meaning of words, combinations with other words, sometimes also pronunciation and other aspects of a language. Dictionaries can be classified by many different aspects – for example, a dictionary can be monolingual, bilingual, bilingualised or even multilingual. If the dictionary is bilingual, it can be either unidirectional or bidirectional. Dictionaries can deal with general language, with special terms or specific area of a language and dictionaries vary for their purposes. Thus, dictionaries can also be classified according to their size. Usually the most popular dictionaries are monolingual and bilingual, and this essay aims at exploring the usage of multiword expressions, idioms in particular, in bilingual dictionaries. Burkhanov (1998) defines a bilingual dictionary as â€Å"a work of reference whose word list is organized in the following way: L1L2, which means that lemmata of one language usually referred to as an object of language, are explicated using another language – a target language† (Burkhanov, 1998: 29). Bilingual dictionaries have a longer history than monolingual, and their position is already well-established. Typically bilingual dictionaries are translation dictionaries, and at this point the treatment of idioms and other multiword expressions should be seriously considered. Bilingual dictionaries can be general or specialized, encyclopaedic or linguistic, alphabetical or thematic, diachronic or synchronic, in print or electronic format and they also vary according to various user groups and various sizes. Bilingual dictionaries can be divided according to their purpose – if your native language is the SL, then the dictionary is for encoding needs (also called an active dictionary), but if your native language is the TL, then the dictionary is for decoding needs (also called a passive dictionary). This active-passive parameter is â€Å"often equated with encoding vs decoding or productive vs receptive parameters† and â€Å"is used to classify bilingual dictionaries with respect to tasks for which they are employed by their users† (Podolej, 2009: 25). Dictionaries are organised in word entries or lexical items, and â€Å"a lexical item is any word, abbreviation, partial word, or phrase which can figure in a dictionary (often as the headword of an entry)† (Atkins, B. T. and Rundel, M. , 2008: 163). As the authors point out, â€Å"it is important to be aware of the various kinds of lexical item, as there are important differences in the way each is handled in the dictionary† (ibid. ). Lexical items are grouped as the single items and multiword expressions (ibid. ). Among multiword expressions there are classified fixed and semi-fixed phrases, phrasal idioms, compounds, phrasal verbs and support verb constructions, and the authors have raised a question of â€Å"which multiword items should be treated as ‘multiword expressions [ in our dictionaries? † (ibid. : 166). Multiword expressions, including idioms, constitute a very important part of the vocabulary and need to be included in both monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, but it is of particular importance to include them in bilingual learners’ dictionaries, since â€Å"language learners may not recognize them as significant units of meaning, cannot usually compose them, and will often have proble ms understanding them† (ibid. : 167). The authors have provided several types of multiword expressions, the first of them being fixed and semi-fixed phrases, for example, transparent collocations (to risk one’s life), fixed phrases (ham and eggs), similes (white as snow), catch phrases (horses of courses), proverbs (too many cooks), quotations (to be or not to be), greetings (good morning), and phatic phrases (have a nice day) (ibid. ). Other type are phrasal idioms that are â€Å"the most difficult [ ] to handle in lexicography† (ibid. : 168). The third type that the authors provide are compounds that â€Å"belong mainly to three word classes: nouns (the most frequent case, e. . , lame duck, civil servant), adjectives (e. g. , sky blue, stone deaf), and verbs (of which by far the most common are the phrasal verbs† (ibid. : 169). The fourth type is a phrasal verb – â€Å"a multiword expression consisting of a verb plus one or more particle(s)† that can â€Å"function either as an adver b (away, out) or as a preposition (with, to), or both (in, through)† (ibid. : 171). The fifth type is the support verb construction, of which the most frequent are make, take, have, give, and do (ibid. : 175). Other authors have made this classification in a more simple way – they argue that there are five types of multiword expressions distinguished, and they are idioms, collocations, phrasal verbs, compounds and support verb constructions (Atkins, B. T. and Rundel, M. , 2008: 359). In order to distinguish between different multiword expressions, the difference between a collocation and an idiom must be stated. Cruse (1986) has argued that collocations are â€Å"sequences of lexical items which habitually co-occur, but which are nonetheless fully transparent in the sense that each lexical constituent is also a semantic constituent† (Crude, 1986: 41). Idioms, on the contrary, are expressions â€Å"whose meaning cannot be inferred from the meaning of its parts† (ibid. : 37) and they are usually translated in bilingual dictionaries not with lexical, but semantic equivalents. According to Online Etymology Dictionary, the word â€Å"idiom† is derived from late Latin idioma, meaning â€Å"a peculiarity in language† and Greek idioma, â€Å"peculiarity, peculiar phraseology† (Online 1), but â€Å"with a passage of time this word has acquired quite different denotations† (Cruse, 1986. : 176). Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English provides the following explanation for the word â€Å"idiom†: â€Å"a group of words that has a special meaning that is different from the ordinary meaning of each separate word† (Online 2). Oxford online dictionary provides quite similar explanation â€Å"a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words† (Online 3). One more interesting definition of an â€Å"idiom† is that it is â€Å"a meaning where the sum’s meaning is different from that of the parts† (Jones and West 1992, Johnson and Schlichting, 2004, quoted in Fuste-Hermann, 2008:4). Dictionaries have existed for hundreds of years and they have been developed to meet practical needs of people. The language evolution throughout centuries has been â€Å"towards more idiomatic usage and more lexicalized combinations† (Yong and Peng, 2007: 175). Idioms are â€Å"a unique part of the lexicon and have proved to be the most difficult part in vocabulary acquisition for both native learners ad foreign language learners† (ibid. ). Each language contains a large number of idioms, and consequently, â€Å"the treatment of idioms in dictionaries, particularly in bilingual dictionaries, has become an essential issue in dictionary compilation and research† (ibid. ). As the authors argue, idioms started to attract the focus of language researchers only quite recently, and a lot of work still has to be done in this field, â€Å"either from the position of compiling a dictionary of idioms or from the position of treating idioms as an essential part of the process of making a dictionary† (ibid. . Idioms â€Å"are not a separate part of the language which one can choose either to use or to omit† (Seidl and McMordie, 1978:1, quoted in Yong and Peng, 2007: 175). Idioms form â€Å"an essential part of the general vocabulary of language, thus accounting for a large proportion of the dictionary text in both monolingual and bilingual dictionaries† (Yong and Peng, 2007: 175). Both monolingual and bilingual dictionaries should â€Å"decide where in the ordering of the entry should go compounds, phrasal verbs [ ] and other MWEs, if they are to be included within the entry of one of their component words† (Atkins, B. T. and Rundel, M, 2008: 253). Usually they are considered as secondary headwords or they can be located in a separate section, entitled ‘Compounds’ or â€Å"Phrases’, but there is another option of giving them a separate entry distinct from any related entry (ibid. ). In general there are five most common options of handling the multiword expressions, including idioms, in dictionaries – there is a possibility to make each multiword expression as a headword; to make selected types of multiword expressions in their own right; to put all multiword expressions within the same entry, at the very end in separate blocks for each type; to put all multiword expressions within the same entry, within the ‘appropriate sense’ in separate blocks and there is an option of putting all multiword expressions within the same entry, within the ‘appropriate’ sense, but without differentiating the multiword expression type (ibid. : 254). However, according to Atkins, B. T. and Rundel, M. â€Å"the tendency nowadays is to avoid secondary headwords if possible, as embedding one entry (however reduced) within another simply makes it more difficult for the user to find anything† (Atkins, B. T. and Rundel, M. , 2008: 493). Idioms should be covered to some extent in general bilingual dictionaries, but usually they are found in subordinate parts of entries. When compiling a bilingual dictionary, the question of classification of idioms must be decided according to a key word in idiom. For example, the idioms pigheaded person and to eat like a pig could be found together under one entry word pig. In practice most of bilingual and monolingual dictionaries use this approach that seems the easiest way to decode a language. However, the second possibility involves â€Å"identifying the underlying function expressed and recording idioms under this category; for example, the previous two examples would be classified under the function to insult someone† (Akbarov, 2010: 137). Idioms do not co mply with other aspects of language that can be more easily explained â€Å"in terms of rules and semantic characteristics† (ibid. : 140). As idioms and other multiword expressions are quite hard to treat in dictionaries, the compilers of bilingual dictionaries have to be very careful towards this question because we all know how annoying it is to open a dictionary and fail to find a word that we were looking for. There is no dictionary that could include all words, and therefore lexicographers have to make decisions on selection of words in it, including idioms. Dictionaries are often regarded as a basic tool in the process of foreign language learning. Bilingual dictionaries have been the traditional lexical resource for learning a new language. Change is not something that dictionaries undertake very easily as their purpose and place is indisputably significant. Of course, modern dictionaries come in different formats – they can be monolingual, bilingual, paper or electronic dictionaries, but when it comes to defining the meaning and giving definitions or equivalents in other languages, the dictionary is the same. There are many problems the lexicographer has to deal with when compiling a bilingual dictionary and the main problem is the basic lack of equivalence which exists between different languages. According to Nida (1958: 279), the semantic problems that occur in compiling a bilingual dictionary are different from and also more complicated that those problems that occur in the compilation of a monolingual dictionary. The reason for that is the fact that monolingual dictionaries are compiled mostly for users who participate in and understand the culture being described, whereas bilingual dictionaries describe a culture that differs from that of the users. Baker and Kaplan (1994: 7, quoted in Gauton, 2008: 108) argue that â€Å"equivalence is nebulous in nature, and cannot be represented by way of neat translation equivalents†. The perfect translation in a bilingual dictionary where the SL word is translatable perfectly is very rare, and in the case of multiword expressions and idioms compilers have to be ready to face problems. As Atkins, B. T. and Rundel, M argue, â€Å"the equivalence relationship between a pair of words, SL and TL, varies from exact to very approximate, from perfect to just-adequate† and the factors that play a role in evaluating SL-TL equivalence are the semantic content (single words and multiword expressions), collocational context (mainly single words), vocabulary type (single words and multiword expressions), message (of phrases, including idioms and sayings) and function (Atkins, B. T. and Rundel, M, 2008: 468). Thus, there no right and wrong about how to present the various types of multiword expressions (ibid. : 491). As Yong and Peng (2007) argue, â€Å"idioms are the evolutional product of national culture and social life† (Yong and Peng, 2007: 176), thus â€Å"they are conventionally lexicalized linguistic units and ‘ready-made utterances’† (Crystal,1985: 152, quoted in Yong and Peng, 2007: 176). â€Å"Structurally, the elements in idioms are usually bound together† and they â€Å"often do not permit the usual variability they display in other contexts† (ibid. ). Thus, â€Å"from the semantic point of view, idioms must be interpreted in connection with the historical and cultural contexts from which they emerged† (Yong and Peng, 2007: 176). Idioms are unified and the meaning cannot be guessed without knowing its â€Å"sociocultural context† even though the meaning of separate words is clear (ibid. ). However, â€Å"some idioms are historically traceable with translations in several languages† (Fuste-Hermann, 2008:5). The sociocultural context is of extreme importance in dealing with idioms in bilingual dictionaries as there are the so-called â€Å"culture-bound† words that denote objects or concepts peculiar to some particular SL culture (Gauton, 2008: 110). It means that for these culture-bound items there are no translational equivalents in the TL and in order to overcome this lack, lexicographers use the explanatory equivalent in their illustrative sentences (ibid. : 110-111). Mtuze (1990, quoted in Gauton, 2008: 111) illustrates that â€Å"cultural issues could create problems for lexicographers because they might not comprehend certain concepts foreign to their own culture†. As Fuste-Herrmann argues, â€Å"there are three major factors affecting idiom comprehension: semantic transparency, familiarity and context† (Fuste-Hermann, 2008: 6). The first one, the semantic transparency, deals with â€Å"the relative correspondence of an idiom’s literal and figurative meanings† (Nippold and Taylor 1995, quoted in Fuste-Hermann, 2008: 6). There can be a transparent and an opaque idiom, â€Å"a transparent idiom’s meaning matches closely with the image conjured up by that idiom† and in contrast â€Å"an opaque idiom conjures up an image that is not helpful in interpretation† (Fuste-Hermann, 2008: 6). For example, the idiom a piece of cake could associate with some enjoyable task, whereas beat around the bush has nothing to do with its meaning (ibid. ). Therefore â€Å"the previous studies have concluded that transparent idioms are generally easier to decipher than opaque idioms† (Nippold and Taylor 1995, quoted in  Fuste-Hermann, 2008: 6). The transparency of idioms can be also discussed â€Å"in terms of their decomposition† (Glucksberg, 2001, quoted in Fuste-Hermann, 2008: 6). Idioms that are decompositional â€Å"are able to be modified† – for example, â€Å"he broke the ice, she breaks the ice, after the ice was broken etc† (Fuste-Hermann, 2008: 6). Therefore â€Å"the noncompositional idioms cannot survive the same alterations† (ibid. ). In general â€Å"decompositional idioms are likened to transparent idioms, and less decompositional idioms are equated with opaque idioms† (ibid. ). The other factor is familiarity – â€Å"the frequency with which an idiom occurs in a language† (ibid. : 7). It is â€Å"relative and depends on such factors as geographical location, linguistic background [ ], culture and age† (Nippold and Rudinski 1991, quoted in Fuste-Hermann, 2008: 7). The main idea is that the more frequently the idiom is used, it becomes more familiar (Fuste-Herrmann, 2008: 7). The third factor is context – â€Å"contextual cues are imperative for comprehension of unfamiliar idioms in either the written or oral modality, particularly if idioms are more opaque in nature† (Qualls et. al. , 2003, quoted in Fuste-Herrmann, 2008: 8). According to Fuste-Herrmann, â€Å"in the last several decades many researchers have speculated about how idioms are interpreted† (Fuste-Herrmann, 2008: 8). The first hypotheses that she advances is the â€Å"Early Hypotheses† that implied the idea of idioms when encountered for the first time in spoken or written language, â€Å"the listener or reader tries to interpret the idiom literally†, thus, â€Å"when the literal meaning fails to make sense, the listener/reader hen accesses a mental idiom list, described as a sort of a mental idiom dictionary, in order to determine the figurative meaning† (Searle, 1979, quoted in Fuste-Herrmann, 2008: 9). Swinney and Cutler (1979) have â€Å"challenged the existence of a mental idiom list† and also proposed that â€Å"the meaning of idioms were processed simultaneously as figurative and literal† and â€Å"the most appropriate interpretation wins† (Fuste-Herrmann, 2008: 9). Idioms are quite hard to acquire when learning a second language and it is considered that their arbitrary nature makes it difficult for learners to learn them, thus they are not easy to translate. Translating multiword expressions requires that they are not the exact word-to-word translation, but a translation of semantic equivalence should be offered. Traditionally idioms are perceived as rather fixed expressions that learners have difficulties with, but more and more modern dictionaries include idioms as well as other multiword expressions in their word lists that facilitate the language comprehension. As idioms can be found in either separate or sub-entries, sometimes it could be quite hard to find its location in a dictionary. For this purpose electronic dictionaries could be more useful than paper ones as it is more easy to locate the necessary idiom. Bilingual dictionaries are meant for learning a new language, and as idioms constitute a substantial part of any language, they should be treated properly and with care.

Impact of E-business on the Economy

Impact of E-business on the Economy The Impact of E-business on the Economy Introduction Electronic business also known as E-business is the conduct of business on the internet and other computer networks, not only does it involve buying and selling of products but also customer servicing and collaboration with business partners. In recent years, e-business has developed rapidly and the e-purchasing is becoming more popular over the world. Electronic business (e-business) is a general concept covering any form of business transaction or information exchange executed using information and communication technologies (Whiteley, 2000). E-business may take place between firms (B2B), between firms and their customers (B2C), or between firms and the government (B2G). According to Whiteley (2000), e-business operations can be grouped into three categories; Electronic categories, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Internet business. E-business has been recognized as an important contributor in the economy of many countries. In the emerging global economy, e-business has increasingly become a very important and a necessary component of business strategy and a strong catalyst for economic development. This report will be analysising the impact of e-business on the economy (EU) and the importance of e-business, stating the critical issues and challenges involved in e-business. Impact of E-business on business organisations To assess the economic impact of e-business in an organisation, I will concentrate on the important sectors in the European union which are the Retail industry, Banking industry and the Travel and tourism industry. Retail sector Retailing is one of the most important industry sector in the world, with no exception of the EU. In 2004 the EU retail sector, the industry comprised of approximately 17 million firms that employed people in the EU27 (e-business watch 2007) In the retail sector, e-business has had great impact on the value chain. It has made a great difference in terms of shelf life of products and stock rotation time. It also highlighted the relevance of inter-business exchanges. In fact, retailers, beside their relationship with suppliers and consumers, have significant impact on intercompany exchanges through CEDI (centre of distribution). In essence, retail companies will want to rationalize and reduce costs of supply and management of the supply chain, starting with purchasing cost. They will also want to differentiate their own offers from the competitors, exploiting customer relation management techniques as to communication, sales and customers loyalty (e-business Watch 2000). The UK figures released by the Office of National Statistics in February 2009 showed that internet retail sales, as a percentage of total retail sales, rose by 13.2% (average weekly value of  £167 million). These figures closely match figures released by the IMRG/Capgemini Sales Index which showed that the e-business retail market rose by 17% in July compared to July 2008, this increase has been driven by the clothing, accessories and electrical goods online retail sales. Banking Industry The introduction of E-business (ICT) in the European banking system has had a significant impact on banks operating system and their operations within physical branches. The most important form of e-business used by banks is the online banking which has help cut down cost. E-business has enabled banks to redefine their boundaries and also gained competitive advantage through it. Internet banking is nowadays supported by advanced ICT solutions which enable most everyday banking services to be conducted online (www.ebusiness-watch.org). Studies also shows productivity growth rose in the EU from year 2000 onwards, while average working hours per employee has decreased subsequently, this study tells use e-business investment is largely substituting labour particularly in retail banking. Travel and tourism Industry In the last few years travel pattern has changed in the EU. The travel sector in the EU is so large that even a small share of it produces a major online market. Taking the internet for example, it has had a very high impact on the air travel industry. It can provide a direct connection between airlines and customers without the need to use travel agents or Computer Reservation Systems (CRS), thereby leading to cost savings in the distribution of air tickets (Law and Leug, 2000) the internet has become very extensive in the travel industries and its impact has been particularly significant on the distribution channel for air travels and the use of the Internet for searching and purchasing airline tickets has become common in travel markets. The introduction of e-business to the airline industry has enabled most travellers to bypass travel agents alltogether, with most agreeingthat the most current air market will shift form traditional travel agents to internet based agents like www. opodo.com. Recent studies shows that firms that have reinforced their e-business strategy in the airline industry has had an increase in sales volume for airlines website. The internet has contributed strongly to the growth of most budget airlines taking easy jet as an example. Easy jet has never used the travel agent network, they rely on the internet because all their flights are booked online by customers. (Journal of Air Transport Management Volume 12, Issue 5, September 2006, Pages 253-260) Impact of E-Business on the economy Over the past decades e-business has helped and provided various methods in which buyers and sellers can transact In the decades to come, exploiting the full potential of developments could have profound impacts in individual sectors of the economy as well as for macroeconomic performance and economic policies. At the aggregate level, productivity and economic growth could rise, at least for some time, as a result of more efficient management of supply and distribution, lower transaction costs, low barriers to entry and improved access to information. In the business-to-business context, higher efficiency can be gained from B2B e-commerce and B2B exchanges via lower procurement cost and better supply chain management. Many companies claim that putting their supply chains online has led, or will lead, to major cost savings. According to Goldman Sachs (2000) study these gains range from between 2 and 40 percent of total input cost depending on the industry which may subsequently reduce the price in the overall economy.

Comparing Gertrude and Ophelia of Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- compar

A Comparison of Gertrude and Ophelia in Hamlet  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet features two female characters in main roles, Ophelia and Gertrude. They are similar in a surprising number of ways. This essay proposes to elucidate the reader on their likeness or similarity.    It is quite obvious that both Gertrude and Ophelia are both motivated by love and a desire for quiet familial harmony among the members of their society in Elsinore. Out of love for her son does Gertrude advise:    Dear Hamlet, cast thy nighted color off, And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. Do not for ever with thy vailed lids Seek for thy noble father in the dust. (1.2)    Likewise does she ask that the prince remain with the family: â€Å"Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet, / I pray thee stay with us, go not to Wittenberg.† Later, when the hero’s supposed â€Å"madness† is the big concern, Gertrude lovingly sides with her husband in the analysis of her son’s condition: â€Å"I doubt it is no other but the main, / His father’s death and our o’erhasty marriage.† She confides her family-supporting thoughts to Ophelia: â€Å"And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish / That your good beauties be the happy cause / Of Hamlet’s wildness,† thereby attempting to keep a loving relationship with the young lady of the court, even though the latter is of a lower social stratum. When Claudius requests of Gertrude, â€Å"Sweet Gertrude, leave us too; / For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither,† Gertrude responds submissively, â€Å"I shall obey you.†    Familial love is first among Gertrude’s priorities. When, at the presentation of The Mousetrap, she makes a request of her son, â€Å"Come hither, my dear Hamlet, sit by me,† and he... ...ossary of Literary Terms. 7th ed. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999.    Boklund, Gunnar. â€Å"Hamlet.† Essays on Shakespeare. Ed. Gerald Chapman. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1965.    Burton, Philip. â€Å"Hamlet.† The Sole Voice. New York: The Dial Press, 1970. N. pag. http://www.freehomepages.com/hamlet/other/burton-hamlet.htm    Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. Lectures and Notes on Shakspere and Other English Poets. London : George Bell and Sons, 1904. p. 342-368. http://ds.dial.pipex.com/thomas_larque/ham1-col.htm    Kermode, Frank. â€Å"Hamlet.† The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1974.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nos.      

Pain: Understanding the Subjective, Objectively Essay -- Biology Essay

Pain: Understanding the Subjective, Objectively Pain is a universal element of the human experience. Everyone, at some point in their lives, experiences pain in one form or another. Pain has numerous causes, effects, and is itself a highly complex biological phenomenon. It also carries with it important emotional and social concerns. Pain cannot be entirely understood within the context of any one field of scientific inquiry. Indeed, it must be examined across a range of disciplines, and furthermore considered in relation to important non-scientific influences, such as emotional responses and social determinants. I conducted my explorations regarding pain with the following question in mind: to what degree is pain subjective? I found several avenues of inquiry to be useful in my explorations: they are (1) the expanding specialty in the medical profession of pain management; (2) pain in individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and (3) pain experiences of children. Examining these issues led to the conclusion that pain is in fac t a highly subjective phenomenon. "The philosophy that you have to learn to live with pain is one that I will never understand or advocate," says Dr. W. David Leak, Chairman & CEO of Pain Net, Inc. (1). Indeed, the notion that pain is an essential element of life, and that one must endure pain to achieve something positive (as conveyed in the omnipresent athletic mantra "no pain, no gain") has informed our sense as a society of how pain is to be dealt with. Only recently, with increasing awareness in the health care community that managing a patient's pain is a complex, yet crucial aspect of their care, has society's view of pain and its management begun to change. "Pain Management" is itself a ne... ...duality as there are other factors that must be taken into consideration. An examination of the emergence of the field of pain management, pain in individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs), and the dynamic of the childhood experience with pain provides evidence that the emotional, psychological, and social aspects of pain require that it be considered a subjective phenomenon. Refences This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. Contribute Thoughts | Search Serendip for Other Papers | Serendip Home Page http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/cgi-bin/comments

Love, Choreography and Passion in The Movie Step Up :: essays research papers

In the summer of 2006, a movie by the name of â€Å"Step Up† came out. This movie soon would change the meaning of the teamwork, dedication and passion. Millions of dedicated fans from different age groups attended â€Å"Step Up† at its opening weekend. The plot plays out that a guy loves to dance, but is not involved in any professional groups. One day he gets into trouble with the law and has to complete his community service hours at an Art School. There he meets a girl and seeks his passion of dancing professionally. Love, choreography and passion are three qualities about the movie which moved and interested me. Tyler comes from a poor foster family who is always in arguments. On the other hand, Nora comes from a high class family whose parents urge her to giving up oh her dreams of dancing and pursuing a career in law. When Tyler takes the blame for the destruction he caused fooling around in the school, he receives community service as a punishment. One day while he is completing his duty, he meets Nora. Sparks fly as she auditions him for the main role in her dance. The love interest in this movie makes it all the much better to watch. Furthermore, the choreography in â€Å"Step Up† makes it so interesting and lively to view. Watching them perform the choreography they have been taught is just so amazing. As the saying goes, ‘Practice makes perfect!’ Throughout this movie, the audience noticed how much of a drive each character has to perform to their absolute fullest. The way the characters move and dance draws the viewer’s attention even more. Lastly, the passion all the characters exude is spectacular. Tyler comes from a beat down home and strives for success after seeing his potential in the world of art. His passion for dance makes him all the better at what he does. With the help of Nora, he is well on his way to victory. While Nora comes from a formal family whose father passed away, her mother thinks she knows what is best for her. However, her father always encouraged her to purse her dreams of dancing. But her mother is very skeptical about this, thinking that she cannot get anywhere with dance alone, when her mother realizes Nora’s passion for dance, she easily gives in and wants what makes Nora happier. Love, Choreography and Passion in The Movie Step Up :: essays research papers In the summer of 2006, a movie by the name of â€Å"Step Up† came out. This movie soon would change the meaning of the teamwork, dedication and passion. Millions of dedicated fans from different age groups attended â€Å"Step Up† at its opening weekend. The plot plays out that a guy loves to dance, but is not involved in any professional groups. One day he gets into trouble with the law and has to complete his community service hours at an Art School. There he meets a girl and seeks his passion of dancing professionally. Love, choreography and passion are three qualities about the movie which moved and interested me. Tyler comes from a poor foster family who is always in arguments. On the other hand, Nora comes from a high class family whose parents urge her to giving up oh her dreams of dancing and pursuing a career in law. When Tyler takes the blame for the destruction he caused fooling around in the school, he receives community service as a punishment. One day while he is completing his duty, he meets Nora. Sparks fly as she auditions him for the main role in her dance. The love interest in this movie makes it all the much better to watch. Furthermore, the choreography in â€Å"Step Up† makes it so interesting and lively to view. Watching them perform the choreography they have been taught is just so amazing. As the saying goes, ‘Practice makes perfect!’ Throughout this movie, the audience noticed how much of a drive each character has to perform to their absolute fullest. The way the characters move and dance draws the viewer’s attention even more. Lastly, the passion all the characters exude is spectacular. Tyler comes from a beat down home and strives for success after seeing his potential in the world of art. His passion for dance makes him all the better at what he does. With the help of Nora, he is well on his way to victory. While Nora comes from a formal family whose father passed away, her mother thinks she knows what is best for her. However, her father always encouraged her to purse her dreams of dancing. But her mother is very skeptical about this, thinking that she cannot get anywhere with dance alone, when her mother realizes Nora’s passion for dance, she easily gives in and wants what makes Nora happier.

Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 11

The next few hours were the worst of Phil's life. First and foremost was his mother. As soon as shewalked in, Phil's priorities changed from wanting herto comfort him to wanting to comfort her. And ofcourse there wasn't any comfort. All he could do was hold on to her. It's too cruel, he thought dimly. There ought to be a way to tell her. But she would never believe it, andif she did, she'd be in danger,too†¦. Eventually the paramedics did come, but only afterDr. Franklin had arrived. â€Å"I called him,† James said to Phil during one ofthe interludes when Phil's mom was crying on Cliff. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"To keep things simple. In this state, doctors can issue a death certificate if they've seen you withinthe last twenty days and they know the cause ofdeath. We don't want any hospitals or coroners.† Phil shook his head. â€Å"Why? What's your problemwith hospitals?† â€Å"My problem,† James said in a clipped, distinctvoice. â€Å"is that in hospitals they do autopsies.† Phil froze. He opened his mouth but no sound came out. â€Å"And in funeral homes they do embalming. Whichis why I need to be around when they come to pick up the body. I need to influence their minds not toembalm her, or sew her lips shut, or-â€Å" Phil bolted for the bathroom and was sick. Hehated James again. But nobody took Poppy to the hospital; and Dr.Franklin didn't mention an autopsy. He just heldPhil's mother's hand and spoke quietly about how these things could happen suddenly, and how at leastPoppy had been spared any pain. â€Å"But she was so much better today,† Phil's motherwhispered through tears. â€Å"Oh, my baby, my baby.She'd been getting worse, but today she was better. â€Å" â€Å"It happens like that sometimes,† Dr. Franklinsaid. â€Å"It's almost as if they rally for a last burst of life.† â€Å"But I wasn'ttherefor her,† Phil's mom said, andnow there weren't any tears, just the terrible gratingsound of guilt. â€Å"She was alone when she died.† Phil said, â€Å"She was asleep. She just went to sleepand never woke up. If you look at her, you can seehow peaceful it was.† He kept saying things like that, and so did Cliff andso did the doctor, and eventually the paramedicswent away. And sometime after that, while hismother was sitting on Poppy's bed and stroking herhair, the people from the mortuary came. â€Å"Just give me a few minutes,† Phil's mother said, dry-eyed and pale. â€Å"I need a few minutes alonewith her.† The mortuary men sat awkwardly in the family room, and James stared at them. Phil knew what wasgoing on. James was fixing in their minds the factthat there was to be no embalming. â€Å"Religious reasons, is that it?† one of the men saidto Cliff, breaking a long silence. Cliff stared at him, eyebrows coming together.†What are you talking about?† The man nodded. â€Å"I understand. It's no problem.† Phil understood, too. Whatever the man was hearing, it wasn't what Cliff was saying. â€Å"The only thing is, you'll want to have the viewingright away,† the other man said to Cliff. â€Å"Or else a closed casket.† â€Å"Yes, it was unexpected,† Cliff said, his facestraightening out. â€Å"It's been a very short illness.† So nowhewasn't hearing what the men were saying. Phil looked at James and saw sweat trickling down his face. Clearly it was a struggle to controlthree minds at once. At last Cliff went in and got Phil's mother. He ledher to the master bedroom to keep her from seeing what happened next. What happened was that the two men went into- Poppy's room with a body bag and a gurney. Whenthey came out, there was a small, delicate hump in the bag. Phil felt himself losing rationality again. He wantedto knock things down. He wanted to run a marathonto get away. Instead, his knees started to buckle and his visiongrayed out. Hard arms held him up, led him to a chair. â€Å"Hangon,† James said. â€Å"Just a few more minutes. It's al most over.† Right then Phil could almost forgive him for being a bloodsucking monster. It was very late that night when everyone finallywent to bed. To bed, not to sleep. Phil was one solid ache of misery from his throat down to his feet, andhe lay awake with the light on until the sun came up. The funeral home was like a Victorian mansion,and the room Poppy was in was filled with flowersand people. Poppy herself was in a white casket with gold fittings, and from far away she looked as if shewere sleeping. Phil didn't like to look at her. He looked insteadat the visitors who kept coming in and filling theviewing room and the dozens of wooden pews. He'd never realized how many people loved Poppy. â€Å"She was so full of life,† her English teacher said. â€Å"I can't believe she's gone,† a guy from Phil's football team said. â€Å"I'll never forget her,† one of her friends said,crying. Phil wore a dark suit and stood with his motherand Cliff. It was like a receiving line for a wedding.His mother kept saying, â€Å"Thank you for coming,†and hugging people. The people went over and touched the casket gently and cried. And in the process of greeting so many mourners,something strange happened. Phil got drawn in. Thereality of Poppy's death was so real that all the vampire stuff began to seem like a dream. Bit by bit, hestarted to believe the story he was acting out. After all, everybody else was so sure. Poppy hadgotten cancer, and now she was dead. Vampires were just superstition. James didn't come to the viewing.- Poppy was dreaming. She was walking by the ocean with James. It waswarm and she could smell salt and her feet were wetand sandy. She was wearing a new bathing suit, thekind that changes color when it gets wet. She hoped James would notice the suit, but he didn't say anything about it. Then she realized he was wearing a mask. That was strange, because he was going to get avery weirdtan with most of his face covered up. â€Å"Shouldn't you take that off?† she said, thinkinghe might need help. â€Å"I wear it for my health,† James said-only itwasn't James's voice. Poppy was shocked. She reached out and pulledthe mask away. It wasn't James. It was a boy with ash blond hair,even lighter than Phil's. Why hadn't she noticed hishair earlier? His eyes were green-and then they were blue. â€Å"Who are you?† Poppy demanded. She was afraid. â€Å"That would be telling.† He smiled. His eyes wereviolet. Then he lifted his hand, and she saw that hewas holding a poppy. At least, it was shaped like apoppy, but it was black. He caressed hercheek withthe flower. â€Å"Just remember,† hesaid, still smiling whimsically.†Bad magic happens.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Bad magic happens,† he said and turned andwalked away. She found herself holding the poppy.He didn't ‘leave any footprints in the sand. Poppy was alone and the ocean was roaring. Clouds were gathering overhead. She wanted towake up now, but she couldn't, and she was aloneand scared. She dropped the flower as anguish surged through her. â€Å"James!† Phil sat up in bed, heart pounding. God, what had that been? Something like ashout in Poppy's voice. I'm hallucinating. Which wasn't surprising. It was Monday, the dayof Poppy's funeral. In-Phil glanced at the clockabout four hours he had to be at the church. Nowonder he was dreaming about her. But she had sounded so scared†¦. Phil put the thought out of his mind. It wasn'teven hard. He'd convinced himself that Poppy wasdead, and dead people didn't shout. At the funeral, though, Phil got a shock. His fatherwas there. He was even wearing something resembling a suit, although the jacket didn't match thetrousers and his tie was askew. â€Å"I came as soon as I heard†¦.† â€Å"Well, wherewere you?† Phil's mother said, thefine lines of strain showing around her eyes, the way they always did when she had to deal with Phil's father. â€Å"Backpacking in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Nexttime, I swear, I'll leave an address. I'll check my messages†¦.He began to cry. Phil's mom didn't sayanything else. She just reached for him, and Phil'sheart twisted at the way they clung to each other. He knew his dad was irresponsible and hopelesslybehind in child support and flaky and a failure. But nobody had ever loved Poppy more. Right then, Philcouldn't disapprove of him, not even with Cliff standing there for comparison. The shock came when his dad turned to Phil beforethe service. â€Å"You know, she came to me last night,† he said in a low voice. â€Å"Her spirit, I mean. She visited me.† Phil looked at him. This was the kind of weird statement that had brought on the divorce. His fatherhad always talked about peculiar dreams and seeingthings that weren't there. Not to mention collecting articles about astrology, numerology, and UFOs. â€Å"I didn't see her, but I heard her calling. I just wishshe hadn't sounded so frightened. Don't tell yourmother, but I got the feeling she's not at rest.† Heput his hands over his face. Phil felt every hair on the back of his neck standup. But the spooky feeling was drowned almost immediately in the sheer grief of the funeral. In hearingthings like â€Å"Poppy will live on forever in our heartsand memories.† A silver hearse led the way to ForestPark cemetery, and everyone stood in the June sunshine as the minister said some last words overPoppy's casket. By the time Phil had to put a rose on the casket, he was shaking. It was a terrible time. Two of Poppy's girlfriendscollapsed in near-hysterical sobs. Phillip's motherdoubled over and had to be led away from the casket.There was no time to think-then or at the potluckat Phil's house afterward. But it was at the house that Phil's two worlds collided. In the middle of all the milling confusion, hesaw James. He didn't know what to do. James didn't fit intowhat was going on here. Phil had half a mind togo over and tell him to get out, that the sick jokewas over. Before he could do anything, James walked up and said under his breath, â€Å"Be ready at eleven o'clock tonight.† Phil was jolted. â€Å"For what?† â€Å"Just be ready, okay? And have some of Poppy'sclothes with you. Whatever won't be missed.† Phil didn't say anything, and James gave him an exasperated sideways look. â€Å"We have to get her out,stupid. Or did you wantto leave her there?† Crash. That was the sound of worlds colliding. For a moment Phil was spinning in space with his feeton neither one. Then with the normal world in shards around him, he leaned against a wall and whispered, â€Å"I can't. Ican't do it. You're crazy.† â€Å"You're the one who's crazy. You're acting like itnever happened. And you have to help, because I can't do it alone. She's going to be disoriented at first, like a sleepwalker. She'llneed you.† That galvanized Phil. He jerked to stand up straightand whispered, â€Å"Did you hear her last night?† James looked away. â€Å"She wasn't awake. She was just dreaming.† â€Å"How could we hear her from so far away? Evenmy dadheard it. Listen.† He grabbed James by thelapel of his jacket. â€Å"Are you sure she's okay?† â€Å"A minute ago you were convinced she was dead and gone. Now you want guarantees that she's fine. Well, I can't give you any.† He stared Phil down with eyes as cold as gray ice. â€Å"I've never done this before, all right? I'm just going by the book. And there are always things that can go wrong.But,†he said terselywhen Phil opened his mouth, â€Å"the one thing I doknow is that if we leave her where she is, she's goingto have a very unpleasant awakening. Get it?† Phil's hand unclenched slowly and he let go of thejacket. â€Å"Yeah. I'm sorry. I just can't believe any ofthis.† He looked up to see that James's expressionhad softened slightly. â€Å"But if she was yelling last night, then she was alive then, right?† â€Å"And strong,† James said. â€Å"I've never known a stronger telepath. She's really going to be something.† Phil tried not to picture what. Of course, Jameswas a vampire, and he looked perfectly normalmost of the time. But Phil's mind kept throwing outpictures of Poppy as a Hollywood monster. Red eyes,chalky skin, and dripping teeth. If she came out like that, he'd try to love her. Butpart of him might want to get a stake. Forest Park cemetery was completely.different at night. The darkness seemed very thick. There was a sign on the iron gate that said, â€Å"No visitors after sunset,† but the gate itself was open. I don't want to be here, Phil thought. James drove down the single lane road that curvedaround the cemetery and parked underneath a hugeand ancient gingko tree. â€Å"What if somebody sees us? Don't they have aguard or something?† â€Å"They have a night watchman. He's asleep. I tookcare of it before I picked you up.† James got out andbegan unloading an amazing amount of equipmentfrom the backseat of the Integra. Two heavy duty flashlights. A crowbar. Some old boards. A couple of tarps. And two brand-new shovels. â€Å"Help me carry this stuff.† â€Å"What's it allfor?†But Phil helped. Gravelcrunched under his feet as he followed James on oneof the little winding paths. They went up some weathered wooden stairs and down the other sideand then they were in Toyland. That was what somebody at the funeral had calledit. Phil had overheard two business friends of Cliff'stalking about it. It was a section of the cemetery where mostly kids were buried. You could tell without even looking at the headstones because therewere teddy bears and things on the graves. Poppy's grave was right on the edge of Toyland. Itdidn't have a headstone yet, of course. There was only a green plastic marker. James dumped his armload on the grass and thenknelt to examine the ground with a flashlight. Phil stood silently, looking around the cemetery.He was still scared, partly with the normal fear that they'd get caught before they got finished, and partlywith the supernatural fear that they wouldn't.Theonly sounds were crickets and distant traffic. Treebranches and bushes moved gently in the wind. â€Å"Okay,† James said. â€Å"First we've got to peel this sod off.† â€Å"Huh?† Phil hadn't even thought about why therewas already grass on the new grave. But of course itwas sod. James had found the edge of one strip and was rolling it up like a carpet. Phil found another edge. The strips were about sixfeet long by one and a half feet wide. They wereheavy, but it wasn't too hard to roll them up and off the foot of the grave. â€Å"Leave 'em there. We've got to put them on againafterward,† James grunted. â€Å"We don't want it to lookas if this place has been disturbed.† A light went on for Phil.†That'swhy the tarpsand stuff.† â€Å"Yeah. A little mess won't be suspicious. But if weleave dirt scattered everywhere, somebody's going towonder.† James laid the boards around the perimeterof the grave, then spread the tarps on either side.Phil helped him straighten them. What was left where the sod had been was fresh,loamy soil. Phil positioned aflashlight and picked upa shovel. I don't believe I'm doing this, he thought. But he was doing it. And as long as all he thoughtabout was the physical work, the job of digging a hole in the ground, he was okay. He concentrated on that and stepped on the shovel. It went straight into the dirt, with no resistance. It was easy to spade up one shovelful of dirt and drop it onto the tarp. But by about the thirtieth shovelful,he was getting tired. â€Å"This is insane. We need a backhoe,† he said, wiping his forehead. â€Å"You can rest if you want,† James said coolly. Phil understood. James was the backhoe. He wasstronger than anyone Phil had ever seen. He pitchedup shovelful after shovelful of dirt without even straining. He made it look like fun. â€Å"Whydon't we have you on any. of the teams atschool?† Phil said, leaning heavily on his shovel. â€Å"I prefer individual sports. Like wrestling,† Jamessaid and grinned, just for a moment, up at Phil. It was the kind of locker-room remark that couldn't be misunderstood from one guy to another. He meantwrestling with, for instance, Jacklyn and Michaela. And, just at that particular moment, Phil couldn't help grinning back. He couldn't summon up anyrighteous disapproval. Even with James, it took a long time to dig thehole. It was wider than Phil would have thought necessary. When his shovel finallychunkedon somethingsolid, he found out why. â€Å"It's the vault,† James said. â€Å"Whatvault?† â€Å"The burial vault. They put the coffin inside it so it doesn't get crushed if the ground collapses. Get outand hand me the crowbar.† Phil climbed out of the hole and gave him thecrowbar. He could see the vault now. It was made ofunfinished concrete and he guessed that it was just a rectangular box with a lid. James was prying thelid off with the crowbar. â€Å"There,† James said, with an explosive grunt as he lifted the lid and slid it, by degrees, behind the concrete box. That was why the hole was so wide, toaccommodate the lid on one side and James on theother. And now, looking straight down into the hole, Philcould see the casket. A huge spray of slightly crushedyellow roses was on top. James was breathing hard, but Phil didn't think itwas with exertion. His own lungs felt as if they werebeing squeezed flat, and his heart was thudding hardenough to shake his body. â€Å"Oh, God,† he said quietly and with no particular emphasis. James looked up. â€Å"Yeah. This is it.† He pushed theroses down toward the foot of the casket. Then, inwhat seemed like slow motion to Phillip, he began unfastening latches on the casket's side. When they were unfastened, he paused for just aninstant, both hands flat on the smooth surface of thecasket. Then he lifted the upper panel, and Phillip could see what was inside.

Alcohol’s Effects on Teenagers

The number of teenagers who are into â€Å"alcohol† nowadays is increasingly alarming. The physiological effects, as well as, the physical and behavioral consequences are equally disturbing as well.â€Å"Permanent brain damage, depression, poor school performance, psychological distress / serious behavioral problems, and attention deficit disorder† are some of the physiological effects on teenagers who drink alcohol (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.). On the other hand, the physical and behavioral consequences include the following: â€Å"in-denial, self-pity, excessive anger, blaming others, and hurting oneself & other individuals† (Garrett, 2002, n.p.).Physiological Effects Teenagers who are into too much drinking may experience â€Å"permanent brain damage† (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.). This claim is backed up by an expert named â€Å"Dr. John Nelson†, a member of the American Medical Association (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.).Moreover, according to the â€Å"National Health and Nutrition Survey† girls who drink experience depression â€Å"four times more likely than those who do not engage in drinking† (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.).Furthermore, teenagers who drink also suffer from low grades; in fact, according to the â€Å"American Medical Association†, those who drink get lower scores on â€Å"vocabulary, visual-spatial, as well as, memory tests† as compared with those who do not engage in drinking (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.).In addition to that, some teenagers who drink develop â€Å"psychological distress†, as well as, â€Å"serious behavioral problems†; this is according to the statistical information gathered by the â€Å"Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration† (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.).Last but not least, a study conducted by the â€Å"Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration† confirms that teenagers who are regularly drinking may develop â€Å"attention-deficit disorder† (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.).Physical and Behavioral EffectsTeenagers who engage themselves in alcohol drinking may also suffer from the following physical and behavioral effects:First of all, teenagers may develop problems accepting unfortunate occurrences in their lives (Garrett, 2002, n.p.). They may turn â€Å"in-denial† and make use of alcohol as a â€Å"defense mechanism† every time he or she is reminded of the truth especially in cases where he or she gets offended (Garrett, 2002, n.p.).Second, some teenagers may feel pity for themselves while some tend to get excessively angry which may actu ally result in severe drinking (Garrett, 2002, n.p.).Third, some teenagers drinking severely may experience troubles accepting their faults (Garrett, 2002, n.p.). Thus eventually, they blame somebody else for the untoward incidents that occurred to them (Garrett, 2002, n.p.).Finally, some teenagers who drink too much may experience hurting other people or even oneself (Garrett, 2002, n.p.).Summary / ConclusionIndeed, teenagers who engage themselves in drinking alcohol are faced with dangers including physiological and behavioral/physical ones (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.). â€Å"Physiological effects† include the following: â€Å"permanent brain damage, depression, poor school performance, psychological distress / serious behavioral problems, and attention deficit disorder† (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.). Meanwhile, physical ones include: â€Å"in-denial, self-pity, excessive anger, blaming others, and   hurting oneself & other individuals† (Garrett, 20 02, n.p.).ReferencesGarrett, F.P. (2002). Excuses Alcoholics Make. Retrieved April 1, 2009 fromhttp://www.bma-wellness.com/papers/Excuses_Alcoholics.htmlThe Marin Institute. (n.d.). Physiological Effects of Alcohol on Teenagers.Retrieved April 1, 2009 fromhttp://www.marininstitute.org/Youth/teen_alcohol_use.htm   

Course Project Decision Management 530 Essay

Executive Summary The course project provide me an opportunity to define a decision problem that focus on how to better position and market a new develop hotel product offerings into a matured competitive market. The problem emanates from the action of the stakeholders that revokes a signed contract with Royale Regale Properties a consulting group supposed to manage the hotel for ten years and decide moving into franchise with Marriot Hotels. The revocation came  amidst the consulting group preparation to host the city festival in launching the hotel products into the competitive market. To justify stakeholder’s decision, the senior management applies a systematic decision making process of properly defining the problem, clarify objectives, identify alternatives, understanding consequences and constraints. In evaluating the alternatives with concern on costs as cause of revocation, develop three objectives to select the best solution. The objectives focus on operating costs, advertising costs, contract fees and marketing strength becoming twice as important as other objectives. The options focus on management capabilities thus decide on management by contract, moving into franchise, going into partnership with a chain operator or independently manage the hotel by its owners. The management selects the best option, management by contract, considers consequences dealing with uncertainties, applies the company risk attitude, implements the solution, monitors and plan ahead of decisions linked over time. The senior management decides consulting group hosting the city festival will be a better way to position and market the hotel product offerings, seeks to meet the stakeholders for approval to proceed with proper implementation to assess the effectiveness of the decision. Introduction – Overview of Decision Problem This project centers on how to launch Royale Resort Hotels with its new recreational facilities and opulence service into a mature competitive market. The company’s product is the state of art amenities and excellent services to satisfy the leisure and business travelers. The market have the hotel competing with other well-established rivals in the fast changing market place but intend to position itself with its unique features and quality service to differentiate and leverage its competitive edge. The newly developed hotel is centrally located in Stockton city, CA. and ready to be launch into the market in a grand style by hosting the city’s yearly festival slated for July 4, 2013. The hotel is on contract to Regal Properties Group to lead the management team along other hotels managed by the group. Regale Properties has a record of accomplishment of managing hotel chains, based on their experiences is ready to launch the hotel products by officially hosting the festi val as a good marketing strategy. The group resumes its contract six months prior to the grand opening with its management team trained and ready to take off as official sponsor and host of the city festival. Preparations are in top gear with all hotel rooms booked, advertisement and publicity in place, invitations send out to special guests while mementos and brochures already printed. The stakeholders suddenly meet over the turnout of events, revoked their contract with Regal Properties Group to move into franchise with Marriott Hotels to proper position and market the hotel product offerings. Revoking contract has its legal and financial implications. The senior management feels hosting the festival at this time is the best way to position the hotel into the market and fear that changing consulting group now to move into franchise will disrupt present arrangements and not portray a good image for the new hotel. Problem Statement Since the stakeholders revokes their contract with Regale Properties whose strategy is to host the city’s festival as marketing strategy to launch the hotel product offerings into the market and prefer moving into franchise with Marriott for best reasons known to them. The decision problem becomes â€Å"How do we better position and market the hotel product offerings into the mature competitive market?† To better define the problem at hand, we need to identify key decision elements surrounding the problem such as: The general nature of the problem: There is a sudden revocation of an existing contract with a consulting group (Royale Regale Property) to move into franchise with another group (Marriot Hotels). Royale Regale Property already entered into a deal to launch the hotel into the market by being the official sponsor and host of the city’s festival schedule to open soon. Preparations and arrangements are already in top gear as adverts, publicity are on while invitations already send out to special guests or the events. Reservations and bookings of hotel rooms for guests, attendees are in progress, as the hotel rooms are booked. Hosting the event is imminent to the consulting group and its management team. Not holding the event is tantamount to bad image for the new developed hotel while transitioning to franchise is critical to hosting the festival. What event triggered the situation? Launching the hotel products into the competitive market so far will have been ideal but the sudden revocation of contract by the stakeholders resulting from their deliberation after the turn out of events prior to the festival gets everyone panicked. Are we imposing constraints on the situation? There are serious concerns that can pose as constraints regarding the situation at hand. The first concern is the cause of sudden revocation of contract. There is need to ascertain why the contract is revoked. There is need to ascertain when the revocation takes effect, immediately or right after hosting the festival. Confirm the possibility of the management hosting the city’s festival or handing over to new management group. Consider the impact of the contract revocation on the festival and the present management team. Consider the impact of rescinding to host the festival. Consider the response of the city organizers knowing about the recent revocation. Envisage the fears of all invited guests, visitors and attendees. There are other concerns as to ways to handle the publicity, confirmed bookings and reservations. Consider transition into franchise, cost effect of moving into franchise. Consider the possibility of hosting the event before transition into franchise; ascertain the cost of hosting the events if that might be the cause of revocation. Consider Marriott Hotel taking over the events to transcend into franchise, or consider other options. Engage the senior management to brainstorm how to better position and market hotel products into the competitive market. What are the underlying elements of the problem? Positioning and marketing the hotel products centers on people, market share and profit. Hosting the festival is a success factor to better position hotel products in the market by creating awareness, penetrates the market to achieve good market share, enhance revenue and yields more profit. Rescinding to host the festival might leads to guests moving to other competitors within the city, special guests, visitors and other invitees might cancel their bookings and reservations, which might lead to loss of revenue as all hotel rooms have been booked. To rescind the hotel as the  official sponsor of the festival might damage the image of the hotel as advertisement and publicity are currently running. The hotel image is important in creating a product brand. Dependencies on other decisions The probability of hosting the festival or moving into franchise to better position the hotel product offerings depends on the outcome of senior management meeting. The success of the festival will better position and market the hotel product offerings. Rescinding to host the festival will damage the hotels image and results in loss of revenue. Moving into franchise after the festivals enhances better positioning and marketing the hotel product offerings. Summary of Key Objectives: The objectives are sub-divided into fundamental and means objectives. The fundamental objectives will help in evaluating and comparing alternatives while the means objectives will assists in generating alternatives and deepens our understanding of the decision problem. Fundamental Objectives| Means Objectives| Objective 1To penetrates the competitive market to achieve good market share.| Means Objective AEstablish a brand. Consider how to build quality product offerings.| | Means Objective BEstablish procedures for hiring experience staff and training to give quality services.| | Means Objective CMaximize management capabilities in operating the business. Consider operation through managed contract or franchise affiliation with high-level brand recognition for the owner.| Objective 2Create awareness by communicating the target market.| Means Objective AEstablish marketing committee to decide on identifying the target market and create brand awareness.| | Means Objective BEstablish committee to consider attracting people to the hotel. Consider different methods of communication, advertising and publicity, holding events in which hosting the festival is a factor or move into franchise.| | Means Objective CEstablish committee to consider the cost of designing a media mix, cost of hosting the festival, cost of moving into franchise.| Objective 3Enhance revenue to yields more profit.| Means Objective AEstablish committee to ascertain cost of hosting the festival and cost of moving into franchise.Establish committee to  ascertain the average room rate, occupancy percentage and revenue per available room (RevPar).| | Means Objective BEstablish committee to confirm profits accrue from room sales in hosting the festival and revenue loss that might accrue in rescinding to host the festival.| | Means Objective CEstablish franchise fees, operating costs, marketing costs. Committee review event costs with franchise costs to decide which better profits the business.| Alternatives Description of Alternatives: Identifying alternatives involves the senior management brainstorming and other group members as committees identify ideas and feasible options to defined problem. The feasible options are: Alternative| Description of Alternatives| Alternative 1Management rescinds to sponsor the event and cancel the festival.| Canceling the event is not an option. This alternative does not meet the objectives. Refunding costs for booked rooms will result to great loss of revenue. Image of the hotel is at stake.| Alternative 2Management revoked the contract and move into franchise.| Revoking contracts has its legal and cost implications. The impact on not hosting the event is enormous. Staffs are train and prepare to host the event. Adverts, publicity, brochures, fliers, banners printed, the cost affect is enormous. The alternative does not meet the objectives.| Alternative 3Management revokes the contract after the festival and move into franchise.| Hosting the event is the best option. There is great opportunity in this alternative as adverts, publicity better position the hotel products, create a brand image, attracts people to the hotel, guests will experience quality service. The hotel penetrates the competitive market to have a share.Hotel image creates easy transition into franchise. Reduces operating costs, marketing costs, needs only technical assistance.Helps build a brand that will facilitate franchise negotiations. Hosting the event helps in creating awareness, gives the opportunity to penetrate the market, with hotel rooms fully booked provides profitability to the owner. The alternative fully meets the objectives.| Alternative 4Management revokes the contract approves Marriott to host the festival and transcends into franchise.| Marriott’s fees will increase. Familiarize with management team and other employees will be time consuming. Setting standards in terms of creating logo, design and style will forestall events date. This will lead to incurring additional operation costs. Hosting the festival and transitioning into franchise can be cumbersome. Retraining and rehiring staff to their standards can be stressful.This alternative is not a good option to take.| Selection From the outcomes of the senior management meetings and other group deliberations, it is observe that the stakeholders’ concern were more on costs incurred so far in preparations for hosting the festival. Based on the management decision, the objectives to select the best way to market the hotel product offerings is to review operating costs, advertising costs, contact fees and all agreement terms while determining marketing strength is twice as important as other objectives. The contract with Regale Properties is to manage the property for ten years, 3 – 4% total revenue, 2% incentive fees, high lender’s reputation in providing loan, and high penalty impose on party that initiates cancellation. The managed contract gives owner greater control over physical and operational quality of the hotel thereby protects owner’s trademark and reputation. Franchise agreement will be for twenty years with non- refundable initial fees, fixed monthly fee ranging from 3 -6.5% of room sales, advertising fees, loan assistance, training fees, with owner loss of autonomy and contract terminates when not meet standards. Other options arrived at are maintaining the managed contract with Regale, moving into franchise, going into partnership with a reputable chain operator or independently managed by owners as a liability company. (Retrieve from Allan Stutts, & James Wortman. (2006). Management Contract and Franchise Agreement: Hotel Lodging Management, second edition, p247 – 266). Consequence Table with Original Values: | Alternatives| | Managed Contract| Franchise Affiliation| Partnership| Independently Run by Owners| Operating Costs| $80,000| $200,000| $120,000| $150,000| Advertising Costs| $15,000| $50,000| $20,000| $60,000| Contract Fees| $1.5million| $5million| $1million| No Contract Fees| Marketing Strength| 2| 1| 3| No Marketing Strength| Scoring Model: The table shows the ranking of all objectives with one as the lowest value, four as the highest value. | Managed Contract| Franchise Affiliation| Partnership| Independently Run By Owners| Operating Costs| 4| 1| 3| 2| Advertising Costs| 4| 2| 3| 1| Contract Fees| 2| 1| 3| 4| Marketing Strength| 3| 4| 2| 1| Score| 13| 8| 11| 8| Legend: 4 = Best Option, 3 = third best, 2= Second best, 1 = Worst.| Weighted Scoring Model: | | Alternatives| | Weight| Managed Contract| Franchise Affiliation| Partnership| Independently Run by Owners| Operating Cost| 20%| 0.8 | 0.2| 0.6| 0.4| Advertising Cost| 20%| 0.8| 0.4| 0.6| 0.2| Contract Fees| 20%| 0.4 | 0.2| 0.6| 0.8| Marketing Strength| 40%| 1.2 | 1.6| 0.8| 0.4| TOTAL| 100%| 3.2 | 2.4| 2.6| 1.8| Legend: 1 = Lowest Value, 4 = Highest Value.| Eliminate dominated alternatives After more deliberations with all appointed committees to deliberate on the necessary objectives by the senior management, the available options to better position and market the hotel product offerings zero down on management team capabilities of managing the hotel products. However, when apply weight to the values, franchise dominates the idea of independently managed by owners hence eliminates the idea. Identifying Tradeoffs Using Even Swaps Swapping the available options, managed by contract exceeds all other options and appears to be the best alternative. Consequence Managed by contract appears the best alternative to position and market the hotel products as having a brand name is paramount in having a market share. The contracted group will bear all costs and expenses but attains its  profit through gross revenue; the brand image of the chain operator will be of more advantage. The senior management continues to battle with several issues as risks, uncertainties and probabilities to better position the hotel products into the competitive market or move into franchise affiliation. Their objectives are to achieve a good market share, create a brand image and maximize profitability. Some of the consequences envisage are: * Management holds festival before revoking the contract. Can this help in penetrating the market to have a good market share. Based on relevant information from the senior management, there is high possibility of hosting the event to attain good market share. * Stakeholders rescind to host, sponsor the festival and therefore cancel the festival. Canceling the festival creates bad press that might affect the hotel’s image. With the available facts, it is highly observed that the city festival will not be cancel. * Stakeholders might move into franchise affiliation. Reviewing the budget costs, moving into franchise involves additional fees as training fees, advertising fees and monthly fees. Based on the management analysis, there is likelihood that it might affect the profitability. Thus highlights a risk profile to identify uncertainties and probabilities. Risk Profile: Uncertainty: Uncertainty 1| Outcome:| Chance| Consequences: | Host/Sponsor City festival| 90%| Achieve Good Market Share| Not hosting/Sponsor City Festival| 10%| Achieve no Market Share| Uncertainty: Uncertainty 2| Outcome:| Chance| Consequences: | Cancel City Festival| 10%| Lead to bad press| Not Cancel City Festival| 90%| Lead to Good Press| Uncertainty: Uncertainty 3| Outcome:| Chance| Consequences: | Move into Franchise| 80%| Increase Operating Costs| Not Move into Franchise| 20%| Decreases Operating Costs| Risk tolerance High Risk: Outcome| Gain| Probability| Expected Value| Host /Sponsor the City Festival| $9, 000 | 90%| $8, 100| Not Cancel City Festival| $9, 000| 90%| $8, 100| Not move into Franchise| $2, 000| 20%| $ 400| Total| | | $16, 600| Low Risk: Outcome| Gain| Probability| Expected Value| Not Host /Sponsor the City Festival| $1, 000| 10%| $ 100.00| Cancel City Festival| $1, 000| 10%| $ 100.00| Move into Franchise| $8, 000| 80 %| $6, 400.00 | Total| | | $6, 600| By using this concept, the management is able to evaluate which of the three alternatives will yield best result while factoring uncertainties that exists. In this case, the high risk has the best expected value. To ascertain the risks and probable of uncertainties, management will have to picture the risk profiles with a decision tree and decide to hedge likeable risk and insure the hotel products against future risks. Decision Tree Host Festival Host Festival 90.0% 0.9 9000 8100 Cancel Festival Cancel Festival High Risk High Risk True 90.0% 0.9 16,600 9000 8100 Franchise Franchise 20.0% 0.20 How to better position and market hotel product offerings How to better position and market hotel product offerings 2000 400 Host Festival Host Festival 10.0% 0 1000 100 Cancel Festival Cancel Festival Lower Risk Lower Risk False 10.0% 0 6, 600 1000 100 Franchise Franchise 80.0% 0 8000 6400 (Retrieve from Week 5: Group Decision Making – Lecture. http://vizedhtmlcontent.next.ecollege.com/ (NEXT (a4f7ff0b65))/Main/Course Linked Decision To better position the hotel product offerings, management will have to leave all options open by operating a flexible plan. The immediate problem is to launch the products into the competitive market, communicate the products to the target market and create a brand image. Consequent plans will be to move into franchise after attaining a brand; this will boost sales revenue and automatically improve profits. (Retrieve from John, Ralph & Howard. (1999): Smart Choices). Implementation, Monitoring and Control To implement the chosen decision, senior management will brief all parties  involved with up to date information. The senior management meets with all committee heads to assess the chosen option against foreseeable risks or bias. In this case, senior management feeds back the stakeholders as per the research, outcomes, consequences and benefits of the chosen option. To better clarify issues, opinions of legal experts will be inquire to put management at a desired advantage. Hosting the festival is imminent in launching the products into the competitive market, thus stakeholders will honor Regale Property Group to host the city festival as the official sponsor for the event date 4 July 2013. The trained team from the operation managers, middle managers and supervisors will oversee the trained personnel to deliver best services to guests by turning guest services into a memorable experience that will bring about a repeat visit. Senior management is to review subsequent plans, ensure proper communications, effective supervision and proper accountability to ensure success of the plan. Summary Making tough decision problems poses few difficult problems, while applying a systematic approach helps focus on tough elements to resolve problem easily. The decision of revoking the contract to move into franchise poses a tough decision problem on the management but save for the senior management ability to resolve issue by applying a rational approach. The management was able to address the right decision problem, clarify the objectives, develop creative alternatives and ascertain consequences of their decisions. They eliminate poor alternatives, deal with uncertainties, consider their risk – taking attitude and develop flexible plan to deal with linked decisions ahead of time. (Retrieve from Frumi Rachel (2010). A Practical Guide to Making Better life Decisions: Smart Choices). Conclusion With great success of hosting the city festival holding on Fourth of July, the quality of guest services will attract customers to bring about a repeat visits. Their standard rooms, food services and recreational facilities with quality service exhibit by the trained staff will create the brand to attain expected market share. The quality service and product will leverage the hotel edge in the competitive market. As the hotel becomes well known and attain more sales the precedent to future plans in maximizing profits is foreseeable. References Allan T. Stutts. & James F., Wortman (2006). Management contract and Franchise Agreements: Hotel and Lodging Management, second edition, p.247 – 266 Frumi Rachel (2010). A practical Guide to Making Better Life Decisions: Smart Choices John S. Hammond, Ralph L. Keeney, Howard Rafia (1999). Smart choices, Harvard Business School Press Culled from Week 5: Group Decision Making – Lecture: Decision Tree. http://vizedhtmlcontent.next.ecollege.com/