Causes of the Reign of Terror

The reign of terror was a period of violence in which occurred from 1793- 1794 after the strong onset of the French Revolution. It was a time of fierceness and anger, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people living in France at that period of time. The terror followed the trial and execution of King Louis XVI in 1793 and was incited by the conflict between the Girondins and Jacobins. Soon after, King Louis’ wife, Marie Antoinette, was executed in the guillotine- the new form of constitutionalist justice.Many of the people who were executed during this period of time were not aristocrats, but ordinary people who may have only stated a critical thought or judgment going against the revolutionary government. Many believe that once Robespierre became leader of the Committee of Public Safety, he overpowered France and dominated the public, leading to the terror. Some believe that the terror occurred to stop counter-revolutionaries, such as the War in Vendee, and happened beca use of the factions between the Jacobins and Girondins.The Reign of Terror was the governments reaction’s to counter-revolutionary threats occurring particularly in the Vendee region of France in 1793. Here the public armed themselves in order to attempt to overthrow the Republic and restore the monarchy to the way it was. The counter-revolutionaries in this region were strongly against Robespierre and upset he had launched a movement to de-Christianize the nation and persecute the Church- massacring priests, destructing churches and destroying religious images.During this time all of the people of Vendee loyally stood by the Church and the Catholic monarchy of France and could clearly be distinguished wearing Rosaries around their necks at all times and the symbol of the Sacred Heart of Jesus sewn onto their hats. The people of Vendee fought hard against the French revolutionary government, many calling the War in Vendee the first modern ‘genocide. ’ A French ge neral of the time, Francois Joseph Westermann, stated â€Å"We are shooting them non-stop†¦Mercy is not a revolutionary sentiment,† exaggerating the intensity of the situation in Vendee and the success of the revolutionary government against the West region, supposedly leading to the ‘Reign of Terror’ in France. A number of people living in France, including nobles, priests and the bourgeoisie fled the country during the French Revolution, abandoning the struggle the country was going through. Emigrating, they formed armed groups and moved to neighboring countries, acquiring the name of emigres.In 1791, legislation against the emigres was passed by the King stating that anyone caught emigrating would be punished with a death sentence, namely the guillotine. Due to the politics of the time period, France was inevitably drawn to War with Austria and its allies, including Prussia, declaring War against them on 20 April 1792. Robespierre opposed the occurrence o f War due to the fact that it would strengthen the monarchy and the military as well as attract the anger of ordinary people in Austria and its neighbouring countries.The Jacobins increased the size of the army, determined to have more soldiers who demonstrated their patriotism and trained ability effectively. The Republican Army of France dominated the battles and were able to overcome the Austrians, Prussians, British and Spanish- the countries against the revolutionary government, and the strong violence was a large part in why the Reign of Terror began. Factional disputes in the Convention caused for the replacement of the Girondins with the Jacobins as they desired for a centralized government in France. This dispute could have been one of the main causes of the Reign of Terror breaking out.They wanted to keep Paris as the national capital city and to have the temporary government of the time to take control of the economy as a whole. The Jacobins were able to utilize their pow er of the sans-culottes and gained much of the public’s support opposed to the Girondins. On June 22, 1793, 80000 armed sans-culottes gathered and surrounded the National Convention halls and demanded the arrest of the Girondin party, resulting in the immediate arrest of 29 Girondin members. The Jacobins then had firm control of both the National Convention and France as a nation, left to deal with the violence and repression on the streets of France.Robespierre became leader of the Committee of Public Safety in 1793, causing a shift in power from Georges Danton to Maximilien Robespierre, Danton being an implausible public speaker and having a stronger physical presence while Robespierre less passionate about the public in general and their needs. He encouraged violence in France during the political deterioration and the fact that the attempt to set up a workable constitutional monarchy under King Louis XVI‘s reign failed made him passionate about politics. He wished t o create a temporary dictatorship in order to save the Republic from falling completely.He believed that it was â€Å"One’s duty to punish traitors, to help the needy, respect the weak, defend the oppressed, do good to one’s neighbour and behave justly,† meaning he wanted to punish those who were against the government in any way and act justly- not something that he achieved. He believed that the â€Å"Terror is nothing but quick and hard justice,† granting that he wanted the terror to be something which was handled quickly and only for those who acted against their choices in any way. Robespierre was a large influence in the Reign of Terror and wanted the people who acted out to be punished for their actions.Many people believe that he was the reason why the Reign of Terror originally began. Many dispute that the Reign of Terror simply does not exist due to the fact that there was already violence occurring before this supposed period of time. The Storm ing of Bastille was a violent period in which happened on July 14, 1789 where a mob of people marched to the Bastille, a large structure in which was previously an eight-towered castle, in search for prisoners and gun powder that had been taken by the unpopular King, Louis XVI.The building was being used as a prison at this period of time and only guarded by 30 Swiss guards, making it easy for the mob to get through in possession of canons and 3000 rifles under their belt. This shows that before the Reign of Terror strong violence was already occurring and was a large part of the nation. The Reign of Terror was not a significant change of violence to what was already occurring in France at the time, causing people to argue that the ‘violent Reign of Terror’ never existed in reality; it was simply a continuation of the violence already taking place.The Reign of Terror began in order to repress counter-revolutionary groups, which forced the Committee of Public Safety, led by Robespierre, to use the ‘humane’ form of execution- the guillotine. This resulted in external enemies being executed and anyone living in France who was under suspicion or was overheard stating a critical judgment against the government put under the guillotine. Through these executions the Revolutionary government ained momentum against their political enemies and had confidence with all of the power they were given. The mentality of violence had built up gradually from the very beginning of the revolution, not particularly when the Reign of Terror supposedly begun in 1792; the strong violence and destruction progressively increasing and the death toll reaching to new heights in this time period. By 1794, the Jacobins’ power was overbearing as they started to become unpopular with the public and media- those with accepted opinions.Their bloodshed result of power and recognition in the nation caused the bourgeoisie and former Jacobins to prompt propaganda aga inst them, aiming to destroy the monarchy. The Reign of Terror impacted the people of France and forced them to conform to what was accepted by the Committee and the Jacobins, allowing for them to have no say or judgment in the events of the time. There were many causes of the terror, some in which included strong violence, others strong leaders, yet they all marked the same thing- the end and beginning of France again.

History of the Beer Growler Essay

Introduction I. Attention-getter: Does anyone know what the term â€Å"Growler† means and how it relates to beer? (merriam-webster. com) A container for beer bought by the measure (can, pitcher, bottle, etc) II. Thesis statement: Beer is drank everyday in the United States, without a single consideration of the vessels they come in or how they came to be. III. Preview of Main Points: Today were going to discuss, when the growler first emerged, how it got its name, and the common day growler. Transition: Starting with my first point, when growlers first appeared. 1. The first growlers are believed to have emerged in the mid 1800s. A. The consumer wanted to drink beer at home, and during lunch breaks at work. B. They were the only way to have beer outside of the saloon or local tavern C. Growlers varied from glass, to pottery, to the most popular being a 2qt galvanized pail with lid. D. (focusonthebeer. com) they were sold as a pint, and filled 1/2 beer, and 1/2 foam. . Transition: Now that we have discussed when they emerged, let’s talk about how they got their name. 2. The term growler is actually up for some debate. A. Some believe it was sound of CO2 escaping from the lid of the pail. B. Others believe it was rumbling of the stomachs of workers waiting to have beer during lunch. C. (bottles. net) Many also believe it was conflict between the bartender, and the customer. The customer was â€Å"growling† about not having a full pail, and the bartender was â€Å"growling† about only having to charge for a pint. Transition: Lastly we are going to discuss the common day growler. 3. It wasn’t until 1989 when it emerged again, in what we are familiar with today in terms of the growler A. (beeradvocate. com) In 1989 Charlie Otto is being credited for what we see in today’s growler B. (grandtetonbrewing. com) formerly â€Å"Otto brothers brewing company† Otto wanted to allow his customers to take beer home and enjoy it. C. After discussing this with his father, his father told him he needs a growler, which his father remembers getting filled for his father. D. Common day growler is a glass jug with a small handle. Often times with the Brewery label silk screened on the bottle Conclusion A. Review of Main Points: Today we have went over when the growler emerged, how it got its name, and the common day growler. B. Residual message: Today the growler is particularly popular with the craft beer breweries; it is believed to have stopped over 1 billion bottles, and cans going into the trash each year. References: Source 1 Merriam-Webster, 2013. Definition of the word Growler. Available from Merriam-Webster via internet (http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/growler). Source 2 IGrind, November 12, 2011. The Growler: Part 1 The Past. Available via the internet (http://www. focusonthebeer. com/2011/11/growler-part-1-past. html) Source 3 Jess Kidden, 2013. History of the Growler Available via the internet (http://www. bottless. net/The_History_of_The_Beer_Growler_s/605. htm) Source 4 BeerAdvocate, July 31, 2002. The Growler: Beer-to-Go! Available via the internet (http://beeradvocate. com/articles/384) Source 5 Grand Teton Brewing, Growler History. Available via the internet (http://www. grandtetonbrewing. com/Growlers. html).

Jealousy and Isolation in Beowulf

Jealousy and Isolation in Beowulf When one has been excluded from a group for a long time, it can often lead to feelings of contempt, and a need for revenge. This is the case with the monster, Grendel, in Beowulf, by John Gardner. Grendel feels excluded from humans in general, because he cannot understand them. He feels as though he does not belong to a community, because he has been living alone with his mother for such a long time. Overall, it is the combination of many different types of exclusions that pushes Grendel to become such a cruel, hideous beast with a hardened heart and a thirst to kill.Grendel is where most of the description of this monster is located. It is said that Grendel swam across a lake of fire snakes to reach human civilization. Here, he observes human civilization from up close, and he does not understand what he sees. He feels very different from those living in that society. In addition, Hrothgar becomes king and is given power and riches. He even builds a giant meadhall called Hart. Grendel is drawn in, discovers the Shaper, and becomes more curious. However, after a visit to the dragon, also an outsider, Grendel’s mind is changed because the dragon makes all these things sound so undesirable.Talking to the dragon was the turning point for Grendel, and soon after, he becomes filled with rage and starts raiding Hart and harming the people inside. â€Å"His misery leaped / The seas, was told and sung in all / Men’s ears: how Grendel’s hatred began, / How the monster relished his savage war / On the Danes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (lines 64-68). This proves that it was Grendel’s original longing to belong that made him this way. It is very likely that Grendel would not have become such a horrible monster if it had not been for his feelings of jealousy.It is always hard to feel different and not accepted, and that is exactly how Grendel feels. Throughout the rest of the story, Grendel takes out his anger and wrath on se emingly innocent people, but there may be more to the story than what appears on the surface. These peope could have helped and included him, instead of letting him watch from the outside looking in. Jealousy drives people to do crazy things, and in Grendel’s case, jealousy of power, money, and acceptance are what make him change into a terrifying, cold-blooded killer that needs to be stopped, eventually, by Beowulf.

Flight Operations Quality Assurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Flight Operations Quality Assurance - Essay Example He further said that the collection and availability of the data is of little use unless the problems, which were previously identified, are corrected. It is his recommendation that questions should be understood and answered by acting upon it accordingly. describes the activity tracking methodology of the CATS or Crew Activity Tracking System. CATS immediately identifies the error on commission and omission that leads to deviation. It is also useful in detecting procedural deviations that were not detected before. Moreover, CATS performance. CATS improve safety measures by using FOQA flight data to improve feedback. Should CATS have access to data regarding aircraft state, clearance constraints and pilot actions it could determine nuances in detail for efficient data analysis. immediate maintenance rather than performing maintenance at a schedule time interval. So, if an aircraft part needs to be changed after a flight then it must be done as soon as possible and does not need to wait for the part to be changed within the following week for its supposed regular schedule for maintenance check-up. This study by Stolzer (2002) recommends the use of a FOQA data-driven fuel consumption model to be use to find out why an aircraft uses a higher quantity of fuel than the actual amount prescribed by the air craft manufacturer. Since fuel is one of the major expenses of an airline company, it is imperative to consider whether the more than normal fuel consumption of fuel could be attributed to airframe or engine abnormalities. Whatever good results derived from the FOQA data-driven fuel consumption model to improve the safety of air travel must be incorporated within the overall quality system. According to Stolzers (2002) previous volume of this study, abnormal fuel consumption should be critically analyzed and data must be preserved within the ongoing quality assurance program of the air carrier. In this

The Communication Revolution, Entertainment , and the Arts Essay

The Communication Revolution, Entertainment , and the Arts - Essay Example The issue of surveillance has not eluded the American public and mix reactions pertaining to the matter continue to bombard the political system. Proposed bills such as Total Information Awareness would have granted the government access to the most promiscuous details in the life of any American they deem a threat to democracy. The setup of the internet creates questions of whether or not those who use it are really protected. The cookies that websites place in the computer systems can be vehicles in meddling with personal privacy. Alongside this, the internet can also serve the purpose of hacking credit card information and emails that has been recorded to incite cases such as identity theft. The availability of these technologies has introduced a number of different social phenomena that are almost incomprehensible years ago. Things like googling yourself has surfaced and has even become a colloquially accepted verb. All the other networking websites like MySpace, Friendster, Multiply, Facebook, etc. compels people to communicate with acquaintances and strangers. In 2003 the American congress prevented the Pentagon in its planned project designed to allow surveillance of any American through accessing their e-mail and other databases that contain information regarding finances, health and travel. Had the project been allowed, it would have allowed Army intelligence to use any of the information they have gathered against anyone. Luckily, both Houses agreed that this is a direct threat to personal privacy and the Total Information Awareness project was put into question (Clymer, 2003). The Pentagon concept would have given analysts who are highly trained in Intelligence to accumulate and perceive information linking any citizen to any group, enabling alerts and allowing shared data among individual computers to be viewed. They would have had

Journal entry #7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal entry #7 - Essay Example experience as a previous ESL student, the responses were gathered and evaluated addressing the specific research question, to wit: â€Å"On their own, outside of the structure of ESL classes, to what degree do International students use technology to practice English language and communication skills?† (KasapoÄŸlu-Akyol, 2010, p. 231). The findings revealed that all students relayed manifesting problems in at least one language skill from the identified speaking, writing, reading or listening skills. Further, all those interviewed confirmed that they used diverse technological tools such as software programs through the Internet, their laptops, digital cameras to record lip movements, and electronic dictionaries, among others. Finally, when asked how technology assisted them in improving language and communication skills, the participants responded that these tools facilitated learning enabling them to save time and effort and providing opportunities for practicing and learn ing in a more conducive and interesting environment. The article is useful for educators of ESL students in terms of enhancing awareness on the crucial role that technology plays in improving both communication and language skills. Through the experience of six ESL students from diverse cultural orientations, the study illumined academic practitioners in identifying which specific technological tools are instrumental in providing opportunities to practice and learn outside the classroom

Value and Ethical Position Related to the Case Coursework

Value and Ethical Position Related to the Case - Coursework Example The term, ‘Ethical Dilemma’ refers to a position where a person faces difficulties for conflict between principles and responsibilities. A person is likely to face problem in terms of taking decisions regarding the concerned situation. From the provided case, it has been evaluated that the ACME medical center has faced damages owing to a hurricane. To rescue the local people, a helicopter was sent, which got crashed and exploded in a building leading to fire. The building was the location of a pediatric unit. Margaret, who is the Registered Nurse (RN) of the ACME medical center with five people made their way towards the roof and waited for rescue. In this context, Margaret faces a conflict situation of choosing over her duty and values for the safety of the people trapped in the building. Margaret moves downstairs and helps the people, as she is a nurse and cannot let the people die. The other people, who were with Margaret, stopped her from going downstairs and not to risk her life. Despite this, Margaret comes out from the conflicting situation and goes downstairs to help the needy people (Lo, 2013).

Network Societies and the Implications for their Privacies Essay

Network Societies and the Implications for their Privacies - Essay Example The popularity of the SNSs is quite evident when we find in a 2009 report, which stated that globally almost 38% internet users are a member of one or many of the SNSs, and maintain regular profiles in the social networking sites (Wray, Social Networking Booming with Doubling of Online Profiles, 2009). Facebook, at present is the most popular SNS, with a rise of nearly 86.1% in user percentage (ibid). One major characteristic of these SNSs is that the users can upload their personal data on these sites on a daily basis. As per the recent study made by OfCom in 2010, â€Å"Social networking accounts for nearly a quarter of all time spent on the internet (23 per cent compared to 9 per cent in 2007).   This has been driven by the rapid growth of Facebook, which grew by 31 per cent. The average Facebook user spent 6 and 30 minutes on the site during May 2010,† (OfCom, Consumers spend almost half of their waking hours using media and communications, 2010. The 2008 OfCom report no ted that an adult user, on an average, maintained his/her profile on around 1.6 SNSs, while enter their profiles at least once, every two days (OfCom, Social networking: a quantitative and qualitative research report into attitudes, behaviours & use, 2008). This expeditious rise in the usage of social networking sites in the past decade, has created new problems, where there are increased instances of user personal data being misused through identity theft and cyber stalking, for various commercial activities related to unauthorised searching for employees, or fishing for prospective clients (Brown, Edwards, and Marsden, Staking 2.0: privacy protection in a leading social networking site, nd). The internet and SNSs being open to all, the uploaded user information (even personal information) becomes accessible to a much wider user spectrum, besides the intended user group. Often user inexperience and a general unawareness coupled with inappropriate SNS website designing, unintentiona lly help in the misuse of private information by various commercial organisations. These misuses and the future potentiality of fraudulent activities using the obtained personal information have raised questions and concerns over the issue of creating a stronger security system that would assure SNS user privacy, and the inaccessibility of the uploaded information outside the targeted viewer group. As for example, a member of the medical SNS PatientsLikeMe, may opt to discuss his/her condition only with a specific group of people (like those sharing similar medical problems), thus making it imperative that the site gives the user his/her right to privacy. In this context, we will discuss network societies and the implications for their privacies, focussing on Facebook, as it is the leading SNS now. Discussion What is a SNS? Boyd and Ellison, defined SNSs as services provided that are internet-based and allow its users to: Create user profiles which can be kept partially public or co mpletely public, within the provide domain of the site; Create a ‘friends’ list and a group where they can upload and share private information; Have an access to the friends’ profiles, and to these friends’ ‘friend list,’ where the user can view all the connections made by their friends and often by ‘other users’ (who are not direct friends, but may have common friends or common interests) within the domain of the same SNS (Boyd, and Ellison, 2007, 210-211). The ‘

Research on Author Bram Stoker Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

On Author Bram Stoker - Research Paper Example To be specific, the amalgamation of history, imagination and horror raises the novel Dracula to new heights of readership, and the novelist to popularity. Thesis statement: Bram Stoker’s writing style, with unique themes, symbols, metaphors, imagery, and character types, is symbolic of the Gothic horror genre in English Literature (special references to the novel Dracula). Short biography Bram Stoker was born in the year 1847, Clontarf in Ireland. His childhood was not so happy because he was forced to be bedridden due to sickness. Sue L. Hamilton states that Bram Stoker’s experiences (say, sickness) in his childhood helped him to be imaginative and creative as a writer (Hamilton 8). When he entered the Trinity College, he was able to overcome the past troubles. For instance, he proved himself as brilliant in athletics and academics. After graduation, Stoker entered the Irish Civil Service and remained as a civil servant for the next 10 years. His entry to the civil ser vice did not hinder him to make progress in his literary career. Besides, his relation with Henry Irving helped him to be in the limelight of Lyceum Theatre in London and his contribution to drama criticism was noteworthy. But Stoker was not ready to give up his ambition to be a writer and he decided to write novels. As pointed out, ill health in childhood and family influence in the early stages of life deeply influenced him and he was attracted towards horror novels. Carol A. Senf opines that Bram Stoker’s curiosity in learning science and horror maybe deeply rooted in his family background (Senf 50). For instance, one can easily identify that Stoker’s novels represent the horror (Gothic) novel genre in English Literature. Some of his novels are: The Snake's Pass (1890), Dracula (1897), Lair of the White Worm (1911), etc. After the marriage with Florence Balcombe in the year 1878, Stoker moved to London and worked as the manger of Lyceum Theatre, London. In London, S toker was able to be in the elite circle of writers. This relationship with writers like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle helped him a lot to fulfil his ambition to be a writer. Meanwhile, Stoker decided to conduct a world tour and visited the United States of America. The world tour boosted Stoker’s craftsmanship as a writer. For instance, in the United States of America, Stoker was able to meet Walt Whitman, one of his favourite writers. Besides, the American tour inspired him to select the same nation as the background of later works. Generally, Bram Stoker’s short stories and other novels apart from gothic novels are less appraised by critics. For instance, the novel Dracula is praised as one of the most important gothic novels in English Literature. Due to stereotyped characterization and less importance given to vividness, Stoker’s other works are generally less accepted. In addition, the high content of melodramatic elements that can be seen in Stoker’s nove ls and short stories reduce the scope of vivid characterization. But the craftsmanship shown by Stoker in describing places proves his craftsmanship as a novelist and short story writer. Bram Stoker passed away in 1912. Bram Stoker’s life history and his journey from Scotland to England are noteworthy because his profession as a theatre manger did not harm his ambition to be a writer. Instead, his profession boosted his ambition to b

T847CA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

T847CA - Essay Example I was lucky to be able to help students whom patient did not show up or did not have a patient because there were two new patients from downstairs. The next most important thing about clinical assistance was listening to detail with different other tasks. I wrote down on the paper each task given, so that I could remember what Irma said. In the meantime, my task was to update appointment on the Axiam. I noticed by adding the code in the treatment plan for group 2 was simple as well as scheduling the patient on Lunex. The students should be able to reschedule their appointment in the Lunex without going through Irma. As a result, Jackson can save her overload work. Because I was cheerful in a calmly manner, everyone we helped went smoothly through the process. For me, this clinical assistant rotation was a great experience as a learner because I realized that Jackson had to work in the office by herself. I was also able to update the entry record in the Lunex which was also a great experience. I would recommend this rotation to everyone especially for this purpose, because one can gain more knowledge and admiration aspect of being in the clinic office. I did not encounter any negative incident and I am happy to conclude that generally, the whole rotation experience was not only wonderful but also

UK employee relations have seen significant changes over the last 30 Essay

UK employee relations have seen significant changes over the last 30 years. Evaluate the importance of these changes and how the - Essay Example One of the other changes that have occurred since 1980 is the growth of non-standard employment, which includes short fixed-term contract, temporary employment, freelance work, outwork, homework and part-time work (Millward et al., 2000, p. 44). As far as part-time employment is concerned, 25% of firms had part-time workers in 1980, while 44% of the firms had part-time workers in 1998 (Millward et al., 2000, p. 44). The ever-increasing use of part-time workers has implications for unions, as part-timers are much less likely to be a part of a union, and workplaces that employ a substantial number of part-time workers are less likely to recognize trade unions (Millward et al., 2000, p. 45). With regards to workers with short fixed-term contracts, this number rose from 19% of all firms answering they had at least one employee with a short fixed-term contract in 1980 to 35% answering this question in 1998 (Millward et al., 2000, p. 46). With regards to temporary employment, the percentag e increased from 20% of all firms answering in the affirmative whether they had at least one temporary worker in 1980 to 28% answering this same question in 1998 (Millward et al., 2000, p. 47). With regards to free-lance workers, the data is unclear as to whether this number has risen or fallen between the years 1980 and 1998 (Millward et al., 2000, p. 48). Employee relations have also undergone a big shift since 1980. One of the shifts is in regards to whom manages the employees – in 1980, employees were managed by a generalist; in 1998, the shift was towards management by a specialist in employee relations and line managers. In 1980, generalists accounted for 75% of all managers; in 1998, they accounted for only 46% (Millward et al., 2000, p. 52). One of the reasons for this shift is the increased prevalence of foreign firms, as they rely more upon employee relations specialists, such as human resource managers than domestic workplaces (Millward et al., 2000, p. 54). What t he shift towards employing ER specialists for employee relations shows is that firms increasingly see employee relations as a position that requires a professional with formal credentials (Millward et al., 2000, p. 81). Another major change is that more women are managing employee relations – just 12% of employee relations positions were held by women in 1980, while 39% of employee relations positions were held by women in 1998 (Millward et al., 2000, p. 59). Another of the broad changes has concerned unionism. In particular, unionism has fallen considerably since 1980. In 1980, 73% of workplaces had one or more union members; that number fell to 54% in 1998 (Millward et al., 2000, p. 84). Moreover, the density of union members fell from 47% in 1980 to 36% in 1998, with the fall most steep in the private sector, with the public sector showing much less of a decline (Millward et al.., 2000, p. 103). With the decline in numbers came an attendant decline in clout, with collectiv e bargaining coverage declining during the period between 1984-1998 (Millward et al., 2000, pp. 180-181). In 2004, around 34% of all employees were union members, and there were still roughly 36% of workplaces with a union, mainly in the public sector (Kersey et al., 2004). However, the decline of unions did not mean that employees lost their voice – there simply was a shift from union representatives being the voice of employees to the implementation of channels where employees can communicate directly with

Study Is Bitter but Its Fruits Are Sweet Essay Example for Free

Study Is Bitter but Its Fruits Are Sweet Essay My journey started about 6 years back and is still developing to this day. Six years ago I weighed in at approximately 270 pounds, or that is when I stopped getting on a scale! My outward image was on a larger scale, but in my opinion, not a 270 pound scale. I was an active teenager who participated in all sports. I loved the sport atmosphere, but hated to put in the hard work, so I paid in many other ways. My weight increased and my performance went down. After sports, my activity level steadily declined with many excuses in tail. Jobs, school, and friends seemed to take precedence over my health and weight. Then the big life changing moment came for me, I got married. Married life took a toll on me personally, you get comfortable as well as my schedule, which was no longer just about me. About a year in to my new life, I was finding myself unhappy at times and even dissatisfied with myself. I knew this feeling was in relation to my weight gains so I decided to try a new regime which included some exercise and changed eating habits, or what some call a â€Å"diet.† Well like most people who set out to loose weight with an improper mind set, I slacked off here and there and eventually dropped the entire workout, eat healthy scenario! It wasn’t until I had my son that it all made sense to me. Yes, I needed to be healthy for myself, but I also had someone else depending on me to be healthy. With this new found motivation, I started walking. That was all I could physically do at the time, but you have to start somewhere. I progressively added on to my normal walking routine, and even challenged myself to do the unthinkable, run! I never thought of myself as a runner, partially because I never wanted to work that hard. With small goals of either weight loss or the addition of laps ran, I progressively started to see a change. This routine continued for about a year, in which I took off about 70-75 pounds. This was a great accomplishment for me personally, but I wanted more for myself physically. With my plateau in full force, I decided to add in weights to my routine. I even added a variety of aerobics classes to my workout to give it diversity so that boredom did not set in. I found out through trial and error that things have to be changed up every now and then or your body stays where it is at and the results you desire are no longer coming. With this new found lifestyle, I managed to drop about 100-110 pounds and gain a more positive outlook on life. With all of the changes that I made to my outer appearance, I made many to my inner self too. I feel that loosing the weight was a stepping stone, a very steep stepping stone, which allowed me to venture out into a foreign location, the â€Å"healthy world† and discover a new life. With the weight loss I was able to do many more physical activities for myself and for my family. I once considered myself an inner athlete, this being when I was sedentary. I knew in my heart that I could be active, but did not want to try, due to the fear of failure. I set small but achievable goals along the years, as well as some that were pretty large. Never thinking of myself as a runner, I completed 1 full marathon and 2 half marathons along with becoming a certified aerobics instructor. Looking back at who I was and who I am now, we are two different people who needed each other to create the end product. I personally feel that I had to experience the weight gain to appreciate who I am now and to help drive myself to stay this way. Everyone is different in this area. Some may never experience weight gains of 100 pounds or more, but whatever the weight gain may be, that addition to one’s body can be damaging to physical activity and appearance as well as your health. My goal with telling my personal weight journey is to show other people that it can be done at any weight or age if it is something you truly want. I also want to show that it doesn’t matter how long it takes or the many tries you may encounter along the way, you have to persevere through the hardships to reach success, just as everyone does with life. Take your own personal journey to discover and appreciate who you are and who you want to be!

Analysing Regeneration Of Newcastle Upon Tyne Tourism Essay

Analysing Regeneration Of Newcastle Upon Tyne Tourism Essay Urban tourism has, in one form or other, been with us since Mesopotamia and Sumeria were spawning the phenomenon of urbanization. People with the means and inclination to do so have been drawn to towns and cities just to visit and experience a multiplicity of things to see and doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦These (towns and cities) were the melting pots of national culture, art, music, literature and of course magnificent architecture and urban design. It was the concentration, variety, and quality of these activities and attributes that created their attraction and put certain towns and cities on the tourism mapà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Karski, 1990 A. Karski, Urban Tourism: A Key to Urban Regeneration?, The Planner 76 (13) (1990), pp. 15-17. View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (7)Karski 1990, p. 15). Newcastle Upon-Tyne played a great part in the industrial revolution the period between the eighteenth and nineteenth century where there was major change in Western Europe, changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining and transport had adverse impacts on the social economic conditions, Newcastle was prominently dominated by chemical, iron and steel industries.  [1]  (LAW 1993) cites In the last 15 years or so urban policy-makers have sought to develop tourism in an attempt to compensate for the contraction of those economic activities, such as traditional manufacturing industry, which have undergone a structural crisis in many West European and North American cities. In order to compete in the new environment created by the process of economic restructuring, urban policy-makers have created new, or enhanced old, tourist attractions and facilities. State ownership, although originally conceived as a means of safeguarding These provided the ground work for a new approach, in whic h towns and cities were regarded as multi-functional areas, meeting the demand generated by urban tourists and, indeed, stimulating some of that demand themselves (Page et al., 2001, p336-7).g employment, had become a mechanism of retrenchment and restructuring. Privatization of the basic industries, as part of the Thatcherism free-market policies of the 1980s and 1990s signalled the final run-down of these industries (e.g. Hudson, 1989; Robinson, et al, 1987; Tomaney, 2003; Tomaney, et al, 1999). Today tourism is one of the largest consuming industry consuming substantial amounts of space within the urban destination with Gospodini 2001 stating that large attractions e.g. theme parks/ museums contribute to this consumption. Urban tourism is distinguishable from other forms of tourism by a number of features which, while they are not applicable to all urban destinations and may be applicable to some non-urban destinations, characterize urban tourism destinations as a whole. Significant numbers of tourists in urban areas are visiting for a primary purpose other than leisure, including business, conferences, shopping, and visiting friends and relatives. Local residents (and commuters) are also significant (often majority) users of attractions and of infrastructure which has generally been developed for non-tourism purposes within urban destinations often the number; variety and scale of primary and secondary attractions are large. Men make their own history, according to Karl Marx, but they do not make it just as they please; they do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under circumstances directly encountered, given and transmitted from the past. Newcastle like many European Cities has seen terrible time with high levels of unemployment in the 1970s in the context of increasing national economic difficulty there was a great decline in the manufacturing industry in the North, demographic trends resulted in a huge influx of young people on to the labour market and the labour force employed in manufacturing continued to decline there were other contributing factors for the decline for example de-industrialisation and technological advancement, the growth of manufacturing in low-cost countries, the outcome was raising unemployment. De-industrialisation The term de-industrialisation has come into common usage in recent years to describe (and perhaps emotionally charge) what is perceived as Britains manufacturing decline. As the volume of the employed population engaged manufacturing declined, technological advance served to alter the occupational composition of remaining employment by reducing the number of manual tasks required in production while simultaneously increasing the number of employees in non-production functions, concerned with the processing, compiling and communication of information (CRUM and GUDGIN, 1978; STEPHENS and HOLLY, 1981) Technological advancement As the volume of the employed population engaged in manufacturing declined, technological advance served to alter the occupational composition of remaining employment by reducing the number of manual tasks required in production while simultaneously increasing the number of employees in non-production functions, concerned with the processing, compiling and communication of information (CRUM and GUDGIN, 1978; STEPHENS and HOLLY, 1981). This growth in information related activities in manufacturing may be related to both substitution of information for non information labour arising from changes in labour cost differentials, and the substitution of capital for non-information labour (OECD, 1981). Thus technological change may be conceptualised as requiring a rise in skill levels and a technologisation (TOFT JENSEN et af., 1983) of the workforce as the remaining jobs become increasingly specialised and technical in nature. However, at the same time as new technologies have led to a shif t towards jobs with a high technological content (which we may expect to see reflected in an increasing proportion of employees in managerial and professional occupations), Manufacturing in low-cost countries The threat of competition from many of Asias manufacturing countries has been a growing concern for many European and Western countries since the early 70s with the decline of the manufacturing industry in the UK, politicians and policy-makers, and CEOs and line employees have all focused on the perception that Asias competitive advantage is based on low wages and an undervalued currency, and that this Juggernaut is overwhelming, leaving small European manufacturers with no chance or ability to Compete against them, Asia has various cost advantages:- Asias ready access to cheap labour enables Chinese companies to pay on average 76 cents per hour (1/36th the average labour rate of the E.U.) With nearly 1500 million inhabitants in Asia seeking a better way of life in the East, manufacturing plants provide improved pay and living conditions, including free housing, food, and medical care. This nearly inexhaustible supply of labour is bound to keep wages low for many years. Low cost of materials and components, stemming from the low labour rates of local suppliers, companies producing in Asia benefit, in some cases, from lower cost of materials and inputs. Undervalued Asias aggressive currency policies have kept the currency artificially low, not allowing it to float freely compared to foreign currencies. The result is that goods exported from Asia to the U.S. or EU is artificially low in price. Government incentives and less regulation. An example of Asias competitiveness is the Chinese government who offer tax breaks and other financial incentives to multinational corporations (MNCs) that engage in joint ventures in China. These MNCs are also often attracted by the opportunity to do business while being subject to little or no environmental, health or safety regulations. Newcastles revival and mechanisms used for this. The emergence of a state managed region, the strengthening of regional policy aimed at tackling the problems of industrial regions like the North East included restrictions on development in efforts to shift investment to development areas and meant that the region became a focus for mobile forms of manufacturing investment, especially for labour intensive forms of investment from UK and US companies. Alongside the restructuring of manufacturing, the North East also participated in the general growth of service industries which emerged as the most important provider of employment. The growth of services in the North East (when compared to other regions of the UK) rested disproportionately on the expansion of the public sector (often through state-directed relocations of civil service jobs) while business services, for instance, tended to be under-represented (Robinson,1987 and Marshall, 1982). The physical regeneration of some parts of the region, notably the Newcastle-Gateshead quayside area, was a significant development at the turn of the 21st century. Property development and culture-led regeneration in the urban core helped to alter the image of the region, but such developments tended to divert attention from the chronic underlying weakness of the regional economy (Byrne and Wharton, 2004; Robinson, 2002). Tourism can be placed high on the list of impacts that have helped the North East to revitalise itself, from the last decade investment in the regeneration of the inner city, the West End and East End. The Citys reputation as a regional shopping centre has been enhanced by the development of shopping precincts such as Eldon Square (opened in 1976), Eldon Gardens (1989), Monument Mall (1992) and pedestrianisation of Northumberland Street, upper Grainger Street, Blackett and Grey Street (1998). In the 1990s and through in to the 21st century Newcastle has been underg oing regeneration to re-establish the city as a vibrant and stylish regional capital and halt the population decline. The local councils and forming bodies published a regeneration strategy for fifteen year the regeneration strategy gave a flavour of the broad remit of regeneration these included:- Strengthening the economy Improving transport and connectivity Providing the right choice of homes Transforming education and skills Ensuring wellbeing and health Promoting inclusion and social cohesion Newcastles councils overall aim was to create a vibrant modern, safe, inclusive European City by building on the heritage, cultural and economic strengths of Newcastle plus improving the quality of life all people and communities in Newcastle and playing a leading role in the sustainable growth and prosperity of the region. Between 1970 and early 1980 the inner city was declared an industry improvement area (the first in Newcastle) in response to change in government policy to revive derelict areas through industry i.e. creating business opportunity around the region engineering, import on construction material and tourism industry, there was a large emphasis with the local council on improving local infrastructure to support local businesses with upgrading local roads and highways plus ensuring that business awards were granted in 1982 the metro bridge was opened by Queen Elizabeth II the metro bridge links the metro light railway systems on each side of the river metro trains ran from Haymarket to Gateshead and Heworth later to Sunderland plus South Shields the metro system allowed both sides of the Tyne to better connected enabling a far greater experience for visitor and residents allowing easier access to the town centre the hub of business services in Newcastle, Grainger Town which is considered t he historic heart of Newcastle Upon Tyne between the 80 and early 1990, this once prosperous area which was on the decline was taken over by a new centre of retail and commercial activity the area has had an investment of  £120 million poured into it from both public and private investment. The region also embraced its emergence as a party city heavily promoting the leisure opportunities available at the city most of which revolved around the nightlife and social consumption of alcohol (Newcastle City Council, 2008). Indeed this fame reached international levels with US travel consultants Weissmann Travel rating Newcastle as the eighth best party city in the world (Nayak, 2003: 66), the major investment associated with the NewcastleGateshead Initiative has seen a number of iconic cultural projects materialize in recent years. The BALTIC which opened in 2002 was a  £50 million project which saw the conversion of a disused 1950s flour mill into an international centre for contempo rary art. This was followed in 2004 by the Sage Gateshead a  £70 million music and performance centre located on the Gateshead Quayside. The Gateshead Millennium Bridge, which opened in 2001 at a cost of  £22 million, is a pedestrian and cycle bridge which gained international fame as the worlds first tilting bridge. The NewcastleGatesHead Initiative was established in 2000 to develop a regeneration strategy for the area the river Tyne provided the focal point for a variety of iconic culture-led flagship regeneration programmes and projects one of many famous culture lead land marks that the NewcastleGatesHead Initiative made possible was the 65 foot high sculpture done by Antony Gormley the angel of the north which brought great publicity to Newcastle and changed consumer perception of the region. For the Conservation and regeneration of this region funding from both public and private finance was invested into the region from various sources, some are identified below; Gateshead Council The ERDF The heritage lottery fund Public funding Single regeneration budget Challenge fund Private sector Learning and skills council From the regeneration over the last 3 decades Newcastle has improved on all primary elements of tourism (Figure 1) especially additional elements and secondary as a result of tourism development in the region other industries are attracted to Newcastle for business Tourism has helped to enhance the physical, economic and social regeneration of the region (Figure 2) Figure 1urb036 Figure 2 law Conclusions to enable to you to make a critical appraisal of applicability of Laws model Newcastle upon Tyne is defiantly a city which can be sold as a product on the Tourism market, since the 1980s there has been increasing recognition of the importance of tourism to UK cities (Law, 1993). The growing emphasis on urban tourism as an area of economic growth for cities has come about through realisation that urban tourism acts as an important catalyst for the economic, social and physical regeneration of the city, creating benefits for residents of the city as well as for industries located there. Moreover, tourism is perceived as an environmentally friendly, yet labour intensive, industry which can benefit cities through income and job creation, particularly in the wake of the decline of traditional economic activities (Law, 1993) . The localism model proposed by the Tories in the 80s and early nineties gave way to New Labours regional development plans and the establishment of the regional development agencies (RDA). As Deas Ward (2000, p.279) state the aim of the RDA programme was to provide effective and properly coordinated regional economic development by managing land assembly, physical regeneration, local economic development and inward investment. These provided the ground work for a new approach, in which towns and cities were regarded as multi-functional areas, meeting the demand generated by urban tourists and, indeed, stimulating some of that demand themselves (Page et al., 2001, p336-7). It was in such an era of change that Law (1993, p. 24-31) drew up what could be called a strategy for urban tourism, constructing a model whose various component parts were interlinked and crucial to the physical, economic and social regeneration of the urban environment it is a complex of activities that are interlinked in a particular milieu and enables cities to attract tourists (Law, 2000, as cited in Thomas, 2004, p.241. Key elements in current urban policy, as he noted, involved an emphasis on economic policies; an emphasis on obtaining private investment; an emphasis on property development; public sector investment in infrastructure; a focus on the city centre and finally, the creation of flagship projects whose scale and impact generate a positive public image of the new urban landscape. This idea of image, although it may sound somewhat vague and theoretical is regarded by a number of commentators as of crucial importance as negative perceptions can undermine regeneration and destroy the confidence of local communities leading to the idea of a lost city with no clear identity or brand (Trueman, et al., 2007, p.20) Law took the view that tourism provides an over arching framework which involves the provision of a physical environment and infrastructure conducive to the development of facilities and the generation of activities which will be of benefit to the local community, but will further involve the projection of the city as an area suitable for industrial and commercial activity. Those elements which may be termed primary attractors are museums, art galleries, concert halls, conference centres, exhibition halls and other ancillary elements. A city, however, must also be a place which attracts not just tourists, but those who want to live and work there on a permanent basis; as such, it must persuade potential residents, business professionals and executives that it is capable of providing a lifestyle in keeping with their tastes and needs, to con clude Newcastle upon-Tyne has managed through its regeneration to comply to Laws 1993 book Urban Tourism attracting visitors to large cities.

Sustainable development of Caribbeans tourism industry

Sustainable development of Caribbeans tourism industry The research topic of this paper is Sustainable Development of the Caribbeans tourism industry through proper environmental planning. The research question is the Caribbeans vulnerability and its ability to survive within a global landscape is an ongoing concern. Research was conducted via the internet and articles. Information was gathered covering the various related topics of this paper. This paper will discuss three main objectives. The first objective will deal with the benefits of the Caribbeans tourism industry making mention to two Caribbean islands. In addition to this it will look at the disadvantages and advantages of the tourism industry in the Caribbean. Next it will look at environmental planning and its impact on tourism. This area will make mention to role of the environment in the tourism industry and ways of preserving and conserving our environment. It will also make mention of the adverse effects of tourism on the environment and actions that have been taken to reduce these negative impacts. Finally, the opportunities for the Caribbean as it relates to tourism with their existing resources and make recommendations that may bring the Caribbean tourism industry to a wider world. The paper is intended to give an overview of the Caribbeans tourism industry and how the Caribbean can reach sustainable development by overcoming all negative environmental problems. The Caribbean on a whole has suffered economically, socially and environmentally. Governments seek to improve the quality of life through the existing industries but how can we reach to a point where we have sustainable development in our islands. The aim is to build this through tourism and the environmental planning. Sustainable development can be defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Another key term would be that of environmental planning (International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009). Environmental planning as defined as any planning activity that with an aim to preserve or enhance environmental resources. It looks at how society at present can affect the natural environment both current and in the future. Considerations include, water, land, pollution and other natural resources (The Environmental Education Directory, 2004). The tourism industry has been the driving force for most islands in the Caribbean for the past twenty years. In Grenada for instance, Agriculture was once the driving industry but due to natural disasters and damaging of the Agricultural properties, tourism has taken over as the major driving force in the country but how beneficial is this industry really. Tourism has contributed towards the economy, social lifestyle and ecology and the sustainability of each in the Caribbean (World Trade and Tourism Organization and International Hotel and Restaurant Association (WTTC and IHRA, 1999). Tourism has proven to be a good source of income for many islands. The tourism industry is divided into five different sectors namely accommodation, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, transportation and travel services all of which plays an important role in the industry. Others include telecommunications, and manufacturing. With this in mind, tourism is a large provider for jobs for the people of the Caribbean. It has been forecasted that in 2010 Tourism will contribute approximately 11.7% of the worlds GDP and employment for approximately 255 million world-wide (WTTC, 1999) The tourism industry has also fostered improved infrastructure in many Caribbean islands which in turn attracts more foreign investments for foreigners. The need for improved infrastructure is to facilitate tourists. The quality of roads and buildings are very important. In islands where both are not at high standards this may pose problems to the many sectors within industry such as accommodation, that is, the hotels and resorts. In addition, there are many tourists that travel to the Caribbean by cruise ships so it is important the ports can accommodate the large numbers at any given time with efficient service as well (Ellen, Karen WTTC, 2009). It has played a significant role in the Caribbeans up bring. For instance, look at Jamaica, Bahamas, and Trinidad. Tourism in Trinidad accounts for 10.6% of the countrys Gross Domestic Product that is, 14,116.9 Trinidadian dollars and 14.7% of total employment that is, 88,000 jobs. These figures are also expected to rise by 2019 (WTTC, 2009). The same applies for Jamaica where tourism contributes 45% of Jamaicas foreign income and employs 300,000 Jamaicans directly and indirectly (Jamaica Economy, 2008). As it relates to Bahamas, one of their biggest drivers is Tourism. In Bahamas, tourism and other tourism driven sectors account for 60% of their GDP. It employs approximately 50% of their population (The Bahamas, 2009). Overall in 2008, Tourism has accounted for 14.8% of the Caribbeans Gross Domestic product and 12.9% of employment (Nurse, Keith, 2008). Whilst accommodating tourism and its benefits to the Caribbean, the impact of the tourism industry on the environment but be taken into consideration. In other words, how are the related on what impacts do they have on each other. For most tourist destinations, what attracts tourists to the country is the quality of the environment, the many reasons existing in the Caribbean. For this reason, the environments sustainability and preservation is vitality important to the industry. The environment usually provides attractions and sight-seeing for tourists. The resources available in a country both natural and man-made are essential to industry. Combined with infrastructural developments such as roads and airports, the hotels, resorts and marinas, the environment plays a very significant role in the tourism industry. A country lacking proper tourism facilities may negatively impact the economic growth in this industry. In eco-friendly Caribbean islands the marina which is home to many sea creatures must be preserved (WTTC, 1999). Water as a natural resource is highly demanded by the tourism industry in aid of facilitating and accommodating tourists. Tourists rely on water for consumption and personal use. Restaurants use water for cooking and many resorts have pools as an enhancing feature for the tourists. Land area is utilized as well for building hotels and restaurants. Despite the fact that tourism seems to rely heavily on the environment, there are many adverse impacts that tourism has on the environment. Tourism attracts many tourists to the islands of the Caribbean and in effect leads to the overuse of the resources of the environment. For instance, in order to facilitate tourists, accommodation must be provided. One negative impacts of this is deforestation where forests are cut or burnt down to facilitate the building of the hotels and resorts. Another negative impact would be that of increased pollution. Tourist travel around the island sight-seeing increases the chance of land, air, sea and noise pollution. Often times waste is improperly disposed off harming the surroundings and in many cases marine life. In addition to this the marine life as it relates to the coral reefs have been greatly affected by tourism. They are often overused and damaged as a result (WTTC, 1999) Another impact is the increase in diseases. Many of the tourists come to the islands with air-borne diseases from their environment posing a threat to the Caribbean (Anonymous, 2009). In many instances some natural resources are depleted. This occurs when there is an increase in the consumption of any particular resource that is scarce. Water is one of the many resources that when overused results in shortages and possible degradation. This can also increase water pollution since more and more water is able to settle allowing for static water and possible growth of bacteria contaminating the environment. In order to reduce the negative impacts that tourism is having on the environment considerable planning must take place. The hotel industry has implemented certifications in their hotels. One main certification on stream is the Green Globe 21 certification. With this certification hotels are required annually to conduct their business practices in such a way that the environment is being protected. They aim at reducing the amount of water consumed through recycling and conserving energy. Introducing awareness programs about the endangered environment is very important. Many persons are unaware of the consequences of their actions and educating the public on these will give them that drive to protecting the environment. One example of how the public can help protect the environment is through car pooling where persons group up and travel using one vehicle as opposed to the three individuals vehicles. This would help reduce the amount of gas emission into the atmosphere (Sapayan, Maria, 2009). In 2005, Antigua Barbuda, the Sustainable Island Resource Management Mechanism (SIRMM) project was introduced to reduce the problems they experience with over exploitation of the natural environment. It covers are land degradation, poor water quality, loss of biodiversity and many other factors and areas affected (SIRMM Project, n. d.). In many islands, actions have been taken against over harvesting of the marine life. Fishermen often times remove to many of the marine animals in their quest to make a profit, hampering further growth for the future. This has been a threat to the ecosystem of the Caribbean. Governments have implemented close seasons for hunting and fishing in many of the islands. There is need for improvement in this area since many fishermen use this as their source of income by providing fish for hotels and restaurants (Anonymous, 2006). Ecotourism is another means of eliminating the negative impacts of tourism on the environment. Ecotourism is a tourism aimed at preserving the environment. Any island that focuses on ecotourism as their income earners places more emphasis in the preservation of their environment (Mader. C, Pemberton. K Carlisle. A, 2005). The Caribbean aims at expanding and finding a place in the Caribbean and there are many opportunities in doing so. One major opportunity is diversity. The Caribbean for many years has focused on their beautiful beaches, their warm weather, and their white sand. In other words, the three Ss, Sun, sand and sea, the main resources available on the islands. Diversity will not only bring a new look to the experience for tourists but it will boost the Caribbean economy. Many larger tourist destinations have diversified their products and services. They have utilized many of their resources and stepped away from traditional. In the Caribbean stepping away from the traditional is an opportunity for further growth in the tourism industry (Hoschtialek. R, Nov 24 2009). In Grenada for instance, we advertise our white sandy beaches with clear blue waters but what about our ecosystem. How often is our coral reefs made mention of in the Caribbean. For the past decade or so there have been improvements in the products and services which have proven to cause an increase in the number of visitors to the islands (Hoschtialek. R, Nov 24, 2009). There are however many more areas to tap into for instance in Grenada, Levera beach is the Caribbeans third largest turtle nesting area. The tourism industry can develop more into these areas as added attraction for tourists visiting the islands. Also in Grenada, an underwater sculpture museum was built being the first of its kind in the Caribbean. This opens up to diversity. Tourism can use their many resources to introduce innovate ways of entertaining their visitors (Hoschtialek. R, Nov. 24, 2009). Another opportunity lies in Montserrat where the islands volcanic background can be used as a sight-seeing attraction where tourists get the opportunity to see the volcanoes and the remnants of it (Hoschtialek. R, Nov. 24, 2009). Dominica is one island that have tapped into the opportunity of making their environment more eco-friendly. They have invested much into eco-tourism more so than any other island. They place emphasis on enhancing the marine life and use that to their benefit for tourists visiting the island. This is an opportunity present for all islands and is sure to increase the number of investors in the islands since more and more persons are becoming environmentally friendly. This can therefore boost our economy with the foreign direct investments that these may offer (Caribbean Land and Property, 2008). From this report, when looking at the vulnerability, sustainability and the Caribbeans place in the World it is evident that through the tourism industry and environmental planning that the Caribbean can engage into a wider world. The tourism industry has proven to pose both advantages and disadvantages to the Caribbean. In many cases it has been beneficial to the Caribbean by creating job opportunities and boosting the economy. However, with it relying so much on the environment, it has had some negative impacts on the environment. With aims of improving the ways of preserving and conserving the environment, the tourism industry can invest in actions that would bring the environment to a more stabilized one. Environmental planning will decrease the risk associated with tourism because all of the negative impacts are addressed before hand. With this combination of the tourism industry in the Caribbean and proper planning in preserving the environment the Caribbean can have sustainable development and bring a brighter and safer future for individuals all through the cooperation of those now. The Caribbean will grow into a more open place and reap from the benefits while seeking more opportunities for further development. References Anonymous, (2006). Environmental Planning: Educational and Career Outlook. Retrieved on November 24th, 2009 from http://www.enviroeducation.com/majors-programs/env-plan.html Anonymous, (2006). SIRMM Project, A step forward in conserving the environment. Retrieved on November 24th, 2009 from http://www.environmentdivision.info/?q=node/168 Anonymous, (n.d). Caribbean Ecotourism Yields Economic Rewards for Investors, Real estate for ecotourism Supports Caribbean Sustainable Development. Retrieved on November 22nd, 2009 from http://www.prlog.org/10127079-caribbean-ecotourism-yields-economic-rewards-for-investors.html Babu, N. (n.d.). Environmental planning as a tool for environmental protection the need and the possibilities. Retrieved on November 23rd, 2009 from (http://www.gisdevelopment.net/application/environment/overview/envo0002pf.htm Charles. M, Pemberton. K, Carlisle. A, (2005). Ecotourism as a Means of Conserving Wetlands. Retrieved on November 22nd, 2009 from http://www.allbusiness.com/finance/1166294-1.html CTV Canada am. (2009). Loren reveals why you should reconsider the Caribbean. Retrieved on November 24th, 2009 from http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091123/loren_blog_091123/20091123/ Ellen. K (n.d.). EHow, What are the Benefits of tourism in the Caribbean? Retrieved on November 20th, 2009 from http://www.ehow.com/about_5234349_benefits-tourism-caribbean.html FAS Productions, (2008). Jamaica Economy. Retrieved on November 23rd, 2009 from http://www.all-jamaica.com/jamaica/economy.html Hoschtialek. R, personal communication, Nov. 24th, 2009 Nurse, K, (2008). International Centre for Trade and sustainable development, Climate change, tourism and services in small islands. Retrieved on November 19th, 2009 from http://ictsd.org/i/news/bioresreview/34826/ Sapayan, M. (n.d.). Ezine articles, Ways in Preserving the Environment. Retrieved on November 22nd, 2009 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Ways-in-Preserving-the-Environmentid=2463133 Schultz. E, (2009). Caribbean Construction Digest, Preserving our environment. Retrieved on November 23rd, 2009 from http://www.cariconstruction.com/?p=174 U.S Department of State, (2009). Background Note : Bahamas. Retrieved on November 23rd, 2009 from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1857.htm World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), Our common future. Retrieved on November 23rd, 2009 from http://www.iisd.org/sd/

Birthcontrol and the Work Of Margaret Sanger Essay -- History Historic

Birthcontrol and the Work Of Margaret Sanger Works Cited Missing "A free race cannot be born" and no woman can call herself free who does not own and control her body. No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother"(Sanger A 35). Margaret Sanger (1870-1966)said this in one of her many controversial papers. The name of Margaret Sanger and the issue of birth control have virtually become synonymous. Birth control and the work of Sanger have done a great deal to change the role of woman in society, relationships between men and woman, and the family. The development and spread of knowledge of birth control gave women sexual freedom for the first time, gave them an individual identity in society and a chance to work without fearing they were contributing to the moral decline of society by leaving children at home. If birth control and Sanger did so much good to change the role of women in society why was birth control so controversial?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although birth control and other forms of contraceptives did not fully become legal until the 1960’s they had been developed nearly seventy years earlier in the forms the are still prevalent today (Birth Control in America). The modern condom, or â€Å"...rubber was invented in 1870, but [it] was not the thin latex type†¦Ã¢â‚¬  that is currently prevalent in our society (Hoag Levins 2). An early form of the birth control pill, which Margaret Sanger advocated, was also in existence in the very late 1800’s (Birth Control in America). Contraception was considered an ethical issue, in that the majority of Americans believed it was a form of abortion and therefor it was considered amoral (Birth Control in America). The laws of Sanger's day â€Å"...forced women into celibacy on one hand, or abortion on the other" (Sanger B 3). Why did it take so long to spread and legalize something with the potential to better the lives and life styles of women a nd families in the early 1900’s? It could be partially attributed to the attitude of politicians of the time. President Theodore Roosevelt said "...that the American people would be committing racial suicide"(Birth Control in America). Roosevelt shared a belief, held by the majority of politicians at the time, that families of America should act, as Roosevelt put it "servants of the state; and should provide Children to build national st... ...mple of liberty" for women in America (Sanger).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is true that birth control may not have been the sole factor in the women's movement and freedom of self, but without this key element the struggle would have been longer and harder. Birth control changed family size and structure. It gave women a new sexual freedom with their own body. It gave women a voice and their own identity, which in turn allowed them to have an identity that separates from their spouses. Birth control helped shift slightly the balance of power from only being masculine to shared between the sexes. Margaret did so much to bring the issue of birth control and its benefits in to the for fount in her time. Her writings and actions better the lives of women in America then, and today more then ever. Margaret Sanger wrote the woman "...must emerge from her ignorance and assume her responsibility..." of her own body and "...the first step is Birth Control. Through Birth Control [the woman] will attain voluntary motherhood. Having attained this, the basic freedom of her sex, [the woman] will cease to enslave herself†¦[the woman] will not stop at patching up the world; she will remake it" (Sanger A 36). Birthcontrol and the Work Of Margaret Sanger Essay -- History Historic Birthcontrol and the Work Of Margaret Sanger Works Cited Missing "A free race cannot be born" and no woman can call herself free who does not own and control her body. No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother"(Sanger A 35). Margaret Sanger (1870-1966)said this in one of her many controversial papers. The name of Margaret Sanger and the issue of birth control have virtually become synonymous. Birth control and the work of Sanger have done a great deal to change the role of woman in society, relationships between men and woman, and the family. The development and spread of knowledge of birth control gave women sexual freedom for the first time, gave them an individual identity in society and a chance to work without fearing they were contributing to the moral decline of society by leaving children at home. If birth control and Sanger did so much good to change the role of women in society why was birth control so controversial?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although birth control and other forms of contraceptives did not fully become legal until the 1960’s they had been developed nearly seventy years earlier in the forms the are still prevalent today (Birth Control in America). The modern condom, or â€Å"...rubber was invented in 1870, but [it] was not the thin latex type†¦Ã¢â‚¬  that is currently prevalent in our society (Hoag Levins 2). An early form of the birth control pill, which Margaret Sanger advocated, was also in existence in the very late 1800’s (Birth Control in America). Contraception was considered an ethical issue, in that the majority of Americans believed it was a form of abortion and therefor it was considered amoral (Birth Control in America). The laws of Sanger's day â€Å"...forced women into celibacy on one hand, or abortion on the other" (Sanger B 3). Why did it take so long to spread and legalize something with the potential to better the lives and life styles of women a nd families in the early 1900’s? It could be partially attributed to the attitude of politicians of the time. President Theodore Roosevelt said "...that the American people would be committing racial suicide"(Birth Control in America). Roosevelt shared a belief, held by the majority of politicians at the time, that families of America should act, as Roosevelt put it "servants of the state; and should provide Children to build national st... ...mple of liberty" for women in America (Sanger).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is true that birth control may not have been the sole factor in the women's movement and freedom of self, but without this key element the struggle would have been longer and harder. Birth control changed family size and structure. It gave women a new sexual freedom with their own body. It gave women a voice and their own identity, which in turn allowed them to have an identity that separates from their spouses. Birth control helped shift slightly the balance of power from only being masculine to shared between the sexes. Margaret did so much to bring the issue of birth control and its benefits in to the for fount in her time. Her writings and actions better the lives of women in America then, and today more then ever. Margaret Sanger wrote the woman "...must emerge from her ignorance and assume her responsibility..." of her own body and "...the first step is Birth Control. Through Birth Control [the woman] will attain voluntary motherhood. Having attained this, the basic freedom of her sex, [the woman] will cease to enslave herself†¦[the woman] will not stop at patching up the world; she will remake it" (Sanger A 36).

Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay: Inability to Love

Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock - Inability to Love    T. S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is not a poem about love, at least in any traditional sense. Rather It is a collection of the fragmented thoughts of a man without self-esteem. Far from being about love, it is about one man's inability to love (himself or the world around him.) It is the cynical statement of a man who does not believe good things will ever happen to him, or that the world has anything to offer him. The title is bitterly ironic; Prufrock does not love any body, least of all himself, (no matter how much he might aspire to the ideal of romance and passion), nor does he believe that any one could ever love him. His own life is devoid of love, so in his bitterness he brands his work a "love song". Although the poem addresses the reader directly, saying, "Let us go then, you and I,"1 Prufrock is really just talking to himself. His is a tale of shame and insecurity that he would never dare share with another human being. The epigraph graphically illustrates this; being a passage from Dante's "Inferno".... "If I thought my reply would be to someone who would ever return to earth, this flame would remain without further movement; but as no one has ever returned from this gulf, if what I hear is true, I can answer you with no fear of infamy."2 When one considers the poem in the light of this prologue, one must see that Prufrock is basically telling the tale of his isolation and living hell, but without shame because he believes his words will never be heard. He speaks to himself, and poses questions to himself as many do when they are grappling internally with issues and problems of their own. I wish to discuss two main thread... ...nse it is indeed a song about love, but it is not a "love song" in the traditional sense. "The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock" is not radio friendly mainstream love. Bibliography Eliot, T. S., "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock", in Leonard, John, Ed., Seven Centuries of Poetry in English, Third Ed., Melbourne: Oxford, 1994, pp.128-31. End Notes 1 Eliot, T. S., "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock", in Leonard, John, Ed., Seven Centuries of Poetry in English, Third Ed., Melbourne: Oxford, 1994, pp.128-31, l. 1. All subsequent line numbers refer to this text. 2 Leonard, p. 128. 3 ll. 13-14, 35-36. 4 ll. 32-33. 5 ll. 38, 45, 122. 6 ll. 45-46. 7 l. 122. 8 ll. 97, 110. 9 l. 55. 10 ll. 73-74. 11 l. 34. 12 l. 51. 13 l. 60. 14 l. 81. 15 l. 85. 16 l. 84. 17 ll. 87, 99. 18 ll. 129-131.

Observing Animals And Documenting Specific Animal Behavior Patterns

Introduction: The broader context of this lab was aimed at observing animals and documenting specific animal behavior patterns. Specifically, we were trying to determine if squirrels applied snakeskin randomly to certain areas of their body or if there was a specific technique to it in relation to escaping their predators. After an animal has determined that a predator is nearby, it must then take action to avoid encountering this threat.Encounters are most easily avoided by preventing predators from detecting prey in the first instance (Rosier & Langklide, 2011), for squirrels this type of behavior is known as SSA, â€Å"snake scent application†. In this lab we wanted to study two different species of squirrels, S. beecheyi and S. variegatus, in order to evaluate if SSA can be deemed as a species specific type of behavior. My hypothesis was that squirrels applied the snake skin scent to specific parts of their body in an organized manner. The null hypothesis is that squirrels apply the snake skin scent randomly to parts of their body.My prediction of my hypothesis was that squirrels apply the snake skin scent to body parts that they find prove to be advantageous when trying to escape their predators. Methods: We watched videos of both species S. beecheyi and S. variegatus applying the SSA to their bodies. We were allowed to choose four videos from each species. Each video showed a squirrel applying the snake skin to their body within their own natural habitat. Some videos had more squirrels while others showed just one individual squirrel.In this lab we were given a table where we had to record how many times SSA was applied to a specific part (flank, head, front leg, hind leg, tail) of the squirrel’s body. My partner and I chose to assign one person to tally the frequencies to each part of the body while the other watched the video and observed the application. I chose to do the observing, while my partner recorded. Every time a squirrel appeare d to be licking or touching a certain body part was considered a tallied frequency, however, the squirrel had to be doing so for at least three seconds in order to be recorded.Results: The table below (Table 1) shows the recording of the total frequencies that were tallied after seeing the squirrels apply the SSA to the respective specific body part. I included the total data in order to clearly show what I used for my calculations. In order to interpret our results we had to use the chi-squared test. This test compares the observed behaviors to the expected behavior if it was randomly distributed, also considered to be the null hypothesis where SSA is applied randomly on the squirrel’s body.From using the chi-squared equation (shown to the right), I calculated the expected frequency for each species, 12. 6 per area for the S. beecheyi and 10 per area for the S. Variegatus. The chi-squared values for both the S. beecheyi and S. variegatus were 70. 13 and 65, respectively. For this lab experiment there were 5 independent pieces of data, therefore 4 degrees of freedom. Given that piece of information we were able to look up the critical values at a confidence of 0. 05 and 0. 01, which were 9. 488 and 13. 277, respectively.The chi-squared value for both species exceeds these values and therefore we can reject our null hypothesis that states SSA is applied randomly. Discussion: Although we were able to accept our hypothesis, there is always room for improvement. The process of observing the squirrels and recording the amount of times SSA was applied may have greatly affected the results if not done properly. It was important to determine if the squirrels were in fact applying the SSA, this proved to be difficult during the experiment.In addition, determining whether it was flank or hind leg also proved to be difficult. Since we were able to reject our null hypothesis, we were able to accept our hypothesis that SSA is applied non randomly. The values that we derived from the chi-squared test helped support our hypothesis; we can then conclude that squirrels have a specific technique and process when applying snakeskin to their body. As I predicted these areas that they are constantly applying the snake skin scent proves to have a certain preference to them.We can imply that their preference is based on the idea that certain body parts are more vulnerable or do a great job at masking their scent, therefore hiding well from their snake predators. This is something that has evolved over time, snake-scent application is likely a product of natural selection. Squirrels that had the genetic instinct to use the ploy might have had increased survival and reproductive success, thus passing the trait to following generations (Goudarzi, 2007). I think it would be really interesting to look at different age groups within the squirrel population and their application process.This can help us find out whether squirrels at different stages in their l ife (young and old) find themselves to be more or less vulnerable and hence apply a lot or little of the SSA to specific areas of their body. It is also important to study different species of the squirrel population. I believe that different environments lend to different processes and techniques. If given the opportunity, I would do research on at least 8 more species that are completely different in their geographical regions and environment (dry vs moist areas) to each other.

I and Thou Essay

Present essay engages in critical examination of basic concepts, observations and ideas, created by famous Jewish writer and philosopher Martin Buber in his book ‘I and Thou’. Buber’s book is often mentioned as one of the major influences in Western philosophical literature of the 20th century. Specifically, the philosophy of dialogue, promoted by Buber resonated with and influenced similar contribution of such philosophers and critiques, as Levinas, Bakthtine, existentialist philosopher (Sartre) and others. Based on the analysis of Buber’s ideas and their general philosophical context of the time, present essay defends the thesis that Buber’s philosophy should be regarded as a utopian project, characterized by the idealist vision of human society and nature and inability to find solution to real social contradictions. I and Thou In his analysis of ‘I’ in contemporary world Buber focuses on classic tradition of the philosophy of consciousness, derived from Descartes and Kant. In this tradition ‘I’ is understood as pure subject of autonomous reason and ethical actions. The novelty of Buber’s contribution is that he tries to dialectically link individual ‘I’ with Other (Thou). Unlike earlier attempts of Hegel and Husserl, Buber’s attempt is characterized by deep influences of Judaism religious tradition. Basically, Buber conceptualizes the binary opposition of I and Thou as the source of any human relationships in the real world. In contrast to ‘I’ relationship with ‘It’ (an object), ‘I’ –‘Thou’ pair is characterized with intersection and exchange between different consciousness, both individual (human) and objective (God). God is referred to by Buber as Eternal Thou, one that constructs the firmest tie with ‘I’. ‘It’ – ‘It’ relationship is regarded by Buber as the relationship which may be measured by the quantity of the objects we have in our daily life (Buber, 34). This relationship is not intimate and conscious. In contrast, â€Å"I†-‘Thou† is a living relationship between people lasting as long as another person is present in physical proximity and consciousness. The presence of an individual near another individual automatically results in the exposition of ‘I’-‘Thou’ relationship even if it not perceived consciously. Spiritual relationship between different subjects (‘I’ and ‘Thou’) is the basic law of human existence in general. Buber tries to interpret this law using hermeneutic method. He argues that even in language, saying ‘Thou’ implies addressing your words and feelings to a given person and hence, ‘Thou’ can not be detached from consciousness – it constitutes its distinct part. Using example of a tree, Buber shows that notwithstanding our perspective, a tree would always be an Object for us, because it lacks consciousness: â€Å"I can subdue its actual presence and form so sternly that I recognize it only as an expression of law. † (Buber, 51). Buber argues that I-Thou relationship can not be properly explained – it is best explicated by the concept of Love, reflected in God. God become ‘Thou’ when he is directly spoken too. According to Buber, God is present in every aspect of human consciousness including arts, culture and music. Therefore, I-Thou relationship finds its outmost realization in the link between God and an Individual. Critique of Buber’s ideas Notwithstanding positive role of Buber’s ideas in the formation of 20-th century existentialism and humanist philosophy of Dialogue, one should point to crucial drawbacks and deficiencies of Buber’s ideas and approach. As it was noted in the introduction, it seems to us that Buber falls into the trap of idealism and utopianism in the explanation of real human relations. Moreover, his use of religious doctrine of Judaism in addressing real world relationships may also seem to modern researchers problematic. First of all, human relationships in Buber’s book are conceptualized through the prism of individual consciousness, an approach that was revolutionary in 18 and 19-th centuries, but significantly fell behind modern developments in social psychology, social and political sciences. Buber treats human relations at the level of individual consciousness, however, it contradicts empirical facts, which argue that individual behavior is mediated and influenced by cultural codes, traditions, institutions, such as family, law, working organization, education etc. To say that human relationships may be reduced to abstract notions of ‘I’ and ‘Thou’ means avoiding difficult issues of social roles, positions other factors. To say it plainly, in Buber’s concept ‘I’ is an abstract notion – it is not a real, historical human being, but rather a certain philosophical concept. Moreover, it seems problematic to argue that ‘I’ is pure in its will and thoughts. Psychoanalytic approach to human subjectivity vividly demonstrated that human consciousness is influenced by sub-conscious destructive forces, often unknown by an individual. There is no denying the importance of the fact, that Buber’s interpretation of ‘I’ –‘Thou’ relations as the concentration of love, attachment is also idealist in essence. Such interpretation fails to see national, class and gender contradiction, which divide different human beings. Religious interpretation of God as ‘Eternal Thou’ also seems controversial from scientific point of view. Buber argues that God is present in every sphere of human life, including literature, music and culture. However, these are created by men and hence, no role of God in their formation is evident. Moreover, it seems problematic to argue that God as perceived in Judaic tradition is the expression of love and intimateness. As Old Testament suggests, God was rather a protector of eternal laws, who punished people for non-abidance, rather than was a center of universal love. Notwithstanding these evident drawbacks and contradictions, one should point to crucial contribution of Buber’s book to Western philosophy. No matter how utopian and idealist, Buber’s philosophy proved to be particularly instrumental in the development of French existentialism and Russian school of literary critique. Buber’s perspective on world as an inter-subjective relationship found its further development in the philosophy of Sartre, Kamu and other French philosopher. Levinas used Buber’s philosophy of dialogue in the analysis oral speech and narrative language. Paralleling this development, Russian literary critique Bakthtine used Buber’s ideas in his analysis of Dostoevsky’s protagonists through the prism of their dialogical relations at the level of consciousness. The last, but not the least, it should be mentioned, that Buber’s concepts were the paramount of humanist philosophy in the 20th century. Notwithstanding their idealist and utopian nature they served as regulative ideas of behavior for several generations of intellectuals, including such renowned as Erich Fromm and Herbert Marcuse. To sum it up, Buber’s book â€Å"I and Thou’ provides modern researcher with new concepts and ideas, many of which seem controversial and paradoxical. Basic deficiencies found in Buber’s philosophy are linked with his utopianism and idealism and lack of attention to modern developments in social science, social psychology. The unnecessary reduction of human society to individual level makes it impossible to see a broader picture of inter-group relations and general social institutions role in human behavior. Notwithstanding these deficiencies, Buber’s book provides a source of interesting and thought-provocative reading.

Review

Here you have another twenty something ungrateful Hollywood raised female woman-child, in another typically ungrateful for celebrity-family with parents who are so self absorbed and ungrateful towards themselves, that you wonder how they can have time left to be ungrateful towards the children under their roof/in their lives. But oh, they find time. So what keeps you watching? The 15 minute ‘clinique' beauty of the twenty something self described â€Å"socialite†? The little â€Å"naughty-bits† they sneak in of T&A just under the radar of standards and practices?The self-absorption of the parents? The back-talk and snotty attitudes the children are allowed to give to these parents? The unruliness of a blended family? Or just the idea of taking a peek into the life of â€Å"folks with celebrity† and then taking a look at your own life and realizing that mom and dad †¦. maybe aren't SO bad. The beauty of freedom is that there will always be something for everyone. And in that freedom, you can take a look and decide if it's good or bad. For me, this show is bad, meaningless.This is not to say that all TV must be 20 hours of â€Å"Leave it to Beaver† or the â€Å"Brady Bunch†. That's unrealistic. We've got to be exposed to real family dysfunction to see that that the world isn't always sugary sweet and pristine perfect. Not parents, not kids, not even our pets. But programs like this are getting to be a standard. There isn't anything warm or exciting about viewing the life of a young woman who's already hit her peak – mentally, educationally, sexually – and is heading downward fast.Or her mother who IS allowing it – even if it is only due to her own self-absorption. And a father who couldn't care less because he ISN'T her father particularly, just another man in a long line of men that the mother has luckily hooked her claws into. And the household siblings – the siblings to whom you have a b et going that they will either run out of the home screaming for real love, acceptance, stability, boundaries – or end up just like their older sibling on a YouTube edited soft porn segment or even worse – a real one. Is this entertainment? Depends on you.It is a train wreck that you may stop to see for a minute or two – but there are so many OTHER train wrecks to see in â€Å"reality TV† these days from music television to classic television channels, why stick with this one? Even if its only for a minute? Well†¦ maybe to hug mom and dad and thank them that you're not ever going to end up as dull, lifeless, and boring as this family no matter how much money, TV cameras or publicity there is in the world. This shows that fame, money — the appearance of it or the chasing of it — isn't all it's cracked up to be, but obviously will crack those who have it.Here you have another twenty something ungrateful Hollywood raised female woman-child , in another typically ungrateful for celebrity-family with parents who are so self absorbed and ungrateful towards themselves, that you wonder how they can have time left to be ungrateful towards the children under their roof/in their lives. But oh, they find time. So what keeps you watching? The 15 minute ‘clinique' beauty of the twenty something self described â€Å"socialite†? The little â€Å"naughty-bits† they sneak in of T&A just under the radar of standards and practices?The self-absorption of the parents? The back-talk and snotty attitudes the children are allowed to give to these parents? The unruliness of a blended family? Or just the idea of taking a peek into the life of â€Å"folks with celebrity† and then taking a look at your own life and realizing that mom and dad †¦. maybe aren't SO bad. The beauty of freedom is that there will always be something for everyone. And in that freedom, you can take a look and decide if it's good or bad. For me, this show is bad, meaningless.This is not to say that all TV must be 20 hours of â€Å"Leave it to Beaver† or the â€Å"Brady Bunch†. That's unrealistic. We've got to be exposed to real family dysfunction to see that that the world isn't always sugary sweet and pristine perfect. Not parents, not kids, not even our pets. But programs like this are getting to be a standard. There isn't anything warm or exciting about viewing the life of a young woman who's already hit her peak – mentally, educationally, sexually – and is heading downward fast.Or her mother who IS allowing it – even if it is only due to her own self-absorption. And a father who couldn't care less because he ISN'T her father particularly, just another man in a long line of men that the mother has luckily hooked her claws into. And the household siblings – the siblings to whom you have a bet going that they will either run out of the home screaming for real love, acceptan ce, stability, boundaries – or end up just like their older sibling on a YouTube edited soft porn segment or even worse – a real one. Is this entertainment? Depends on you.It is a train wreck that you may stop to see for a minute or two – but there are so many OTHER train wrecks to see in â€Å"reality TV† these days from music television to classic television channels, why stick with this one? Even if its only for a minute? Well†¦ maybe to hug mom and dad and thank them that you're not ever going to end up as dull, lifeless, and boring as this family no matter how much money, TV cameras or publicity there is in the world. This shows that fame, money — the appearance of it or the chasing of it — isn't all it's cracked up to be, but obviously will crack those who have it.