What Was the Space Race What Did it Accomplish Essay

What Was the Space Race What Did it Accomplish - Essay Example It became a huge battle between the two blocks for space exploration supremacy. USSR, in her quest for supremacy built her first exploration machine, soon the US followed suit and were able to built one. In actually space race served to show supremacy in the field of science. These two blocks differed in ideologies and the reason why competition came to be. Both sides were able to acquire relevant knowledge in the field of science and this made a milestone in the same field. Basically space race was a product of two blocks whose political ideologies differed and supremacy in the field of space exploration was all the more important1. Space race became a new battle ground between the communist east and the capitalist west. This race therefore was so important for both sides. It showed which political ideology was better and definitely which one was going to win popularity. Many countries subscribed to communism while others stuck with capitalism. For the US, the pride of achieving a s uper power tag was looming and this was very important then and even in subsequent years. Technological skill was all the more important during this s time and a huge amount of money was spent in making such skills work. The US benefited from this race in many ways communication satellites were installed I the space and thus it became almost evident, everything was looking up communication wise2. The announcement of Neil Armstrong landing on space meant the US were being looked up to by many developing countries, this ensured supremacy just in case the world was in for another war. This supremacy, later played a big role in the formation of UN, where the US controlled major decisions for they were already being perceived as the super powers. Generally for the US Space race confirmed the end of communism an important fete in their history. American societies felt secured for capitalism appeared the right political ideology besides technological abilities being achieved to a greater e xtent3. The Russians on the other hand also got a lot of subscription from countries that thought communism was the best. Russians built their own space exploration machine named sputnik which made her get recognition from all over the world and instilled fear in her rivals most notably the US. This achievement gave the Russians a formidable image and eventually her reputation was held in high regard. Communication became easy and it led to knowledge acquisition in almost every aspect of life. Generally life became more easy and safe4. Nevertheless, the launch of satellite in 1957 by the Russians was a reflection of her technological abilities and a huge part of her history. It should also be noticed that the installation of a satellite in the space is an achievement whose effects are still felt up until now. What with satellite supported cameras and never ending technological innovation that touch on the satellite one way or another. So it is safe to say both this two blocks have b enefitted massively in the space race, from the technological advancements to political supremacy and good economic ties with her subscribing countries. With this entire race coming to effect, many accomplishments were made the US were able to seal her perceived victory. Capitalism was perceived as the best ideology and many countries established both political and economic ties with the US. In the field of science, the universe was explored and such discoveries as existence of the asteroids came to the fore. For Russians political ties were strengthened with those who stuck with communism5. Communication was made easier with the installation

The Negative Consequences of Genetically Modified Food Essay Example for Free

The Negative Consequences of Genetically Modified Food Essay Genetically modified foods (GM foods, or biotech foods) are hazardous to your health. These foods are derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), specifically, genetically modified crops. GMOs have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques. Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are created when a gene from one species is transferred to another, creating something that would not be found in nature. GMOs are present in almost sixty percent of all processed foods including vegetable oil, Soya flour, lecithin, and Soya proteins. GMO maize products make up approximately fifty percent of processed foods including corn, cornstarch, and corn syrups. Beets, sugar, dairy products, and soybeans are also produced through genetic engineering. The six major GMO crops are Soy, Corn, Canola, Cotton, sugar beets and alfalfa. Have you ever wondered what may be causing the food allergies you or your children have? It is most likely due to GMOs. By drawing out proteins from foods and modifying other foods with them, there is a much greater chance of cross contamination of allergens. Without proper identification, this could be devastating if not deadly for those with serious food allergies. For example, a person that is allergic to peanuts (common allergen) may be also allergic to tomatoes that have had the peanut protein injected into them. Without knowing, the person may eat the tomato and have an allergic reaction to it not realizing that the tomato was genetically modified. So now, there will be more people that can develop allergies to tomatoes. Children, especially under the age of two, are more prone to develop allergies to GMO foods because they have the greatest number of reactions to new allergens in foods. They are particularly vulnerable to GM corn, which contains an allergen not found in natural varieties. Over the last several years, the greatest rise in food allergies was to soy products. In fact, â€Å"Soy allergies skyrocketed by 50% in the UK, soon after GM soy was introduced†. (1) Eating a diet with non-GMOs will also help to keep you healthy. GMOs have been linked to existing diseases and new diseases. In particular, genetically engineered corn and soy can wreak havoc on your health by promoting obesity and contributing to diseases. According to an article featured on a health website by Dr. Mercola, a well-known American physician: â€Å"The results show a positive link between GE corn and obesity. Animals fed a GE corn diet got fatter quicker and retained the weight compared to animals fed a non-GE grain diet. The studies were performed on rats, mice, pigs and salmon, achieving the same results. † â€Å"This not only may relate to a rise in obesity, but to increases in many modern diseases. These diseases include diabetes, digestive disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, colitis, autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (ADD), autoimmune diseases, sexual dysfunction, sterility, asthma, COPD and many more. (2) If you are concerned about the plight of starving people in the world, GMOs are not the answer for global food security or for reducing world hunger. Although biotech companies have argued that GM crops grow bigger and produce more food, which can help curb the poverty issue in the world, that is actually not the case. Genetically engineered crops have shown no increase in yield. In many cases other farm technology has proven much more successful, and even Monsanto, the world’s largest GM seed company, agrees that its genetically engineered crops yield less than conventional farming. In fact, when Monsanto attempted to introduce GM hybrid wheat to Europe for its cereal market, it revealed that the growth in hybrid wheat had failed to materialise. Our lack of success in hybrids means this is no longer a good strategic fit for Monsanto. (3). If you do not want to worry about the relationship between GMOs and food allergies and if you are concerned about the health risks associated with consuming GM foods, avoid purchasing GM foods. Here are some tips to help you to avoid purchasing and consuming GM foods. Look for 100% organic products, which means that all ingredients in the product are organic. Look for â€Å"non-GMO† or â€Å"Made without genetically modified ingredients† labels. Avoid at risk ingredients like soy, corn, cottonseed, canola, sugar beets, and alfalfa. In addition, consumers can change the GMO practices of food manufacturers. You can get together with your local community and start a petition to demand that GMOs be eliminated from the food supply. These two methods will help to ensure that all people can stay healthy. SOURCES CITED Audet, M. (2013). Genetically Modified Food and Risks to Human Health. Retrieved from http://organic. lovetoknow. com/natural-organic-food/genetically-modified-food-risks-human-health Smith, J. M. (2003). Genetically Engineered Foods Pose Health Risk to Children. Retrieved from http://www. saynotogmos. org/uoct03a. htm (1) Smith, J. M. (2007). Spilling the Beans. Newsletter. Retrieved from http://www. responsibletechnology. org/gmo-dangers/health-risks/articles-aboutrisks-by-jeffrey-smith/Genetically-Engineered-Foods-May-Cause-Rising-Food-Allergies-Genetically-Engineered-Soybeans-May- (2)Mercola, Dr. (2012). Decade-Long Feeding Study Reveals Significant HealthHazards of Genetically Engineered Foods. Retrieved fromhttp://articles. mercola. com/sites/articles/archive/2012/08/07/genetically-engineered-foods-hazards. aspx (3) Brown, P. and Oliver, M. (2003). Monsanto to Quit Europe. Retrieved from http://www. saynotogmos. org/uoct03b. htm#mquits.

Mythological Realism in Fifth Business :: Fifth Business

Mythological Realism in Fifth Business Spellbinding like his creation Magnus Eisengrim, Robertson Davies is a wizard of the English language. Who says that Canadian literature is bland and unappealing? New York Times applauded Fifth Business – the first of the Deptford triptych – as "a marvelously enigmatic novel, elegantly written and driven by irresistible narrative force." How true this is. Dunstable Ramsay – later renamed Dunstan after St. Dunstan – may be a retired schoolteacher, but what an engaging narrator he is! Shaped by Davies’s colourful writing, Ramsay masterfully relays the story of his role as "fifth business," the unobtrusive yet vital character in life’s drama. Fifth Business, told in the form of a letter to the schoolmaster, begins with a snowball that young Percy Boyd Staunton throws at Ramsay. The stone-in-a-snowball misses Ramsay but hits Mary Dempster, causing the premature birth of Paul Dempster. Paul grows up to be Magnus Eisengrim, a mysterious and graceful magician. Tormented by his guilt of avoiding the snowball, Ramsay makes Mary his personal saint and is weighed down by his conscience until Mary’s eventual death in an asylum. On the eve of becoming the lieutenant governor of Ontario, "Boy" Staunton is found dead in the Toronto harbour with the fateful stone in his mouth. Though the adventures that Dunstan embarks on in Fifth Business are that of the spiritual nature, make no mistake: this is not a occult novel that attempts to lure one into a religion, but a magnificently told tale of maturation. It is a story of revenge, of redemption, of becoming. Told from the perspective of being nearly completed, the novel follows Ramsay in his search for balance in his life – and balance he does find when the grotesque yet intelligent Liesl seduces him. With depth and breadth of knowledge in Jungian concepts, Robertson Davies draws us fathoms beneath the surface of the human personality. The audience is not left grasping for breath, but is enraptured by the rich dualism in this fantastical world of Dunstan Ramsay. Good and evil; illusion and reality; history and myth – the shadows and lights of the world are exposed and explored. These juxtaposing elements are never revealed under a glaring light, however. Davies uses prose that is nothing short of elegant, and weaves a mythical tale that is imbued with much realism. Real-life incidents are transfused with many amazing "coincidences," paving the path to surrealism.

Grief Counselling Essay

Attachment, loss and the experience of grief. Attachment Theory founded by John Bowlby (1977) it explains how we as humans obtain affectionate bonds with others and how when they are threatened how we as humans tend to react. He suggests that these attachments come from a need for security and safety. (P7) when it comes to loss of a loved one it then explains how we as humans are very much the same as the animal world in the way that we grieve a loved one. Grief is the term used to describe the loss that someone has experienced , morning is the process that the person goes through in adapting to the loss bereavement defines the loss to which the person is adapting to. Grief affects people in very different ways it can effect them physically, emotionally and cognitively, all of this can effect the way in which people function and go about there everyday life, this is all very normal and everyone who is grieving will go though this process in one way or another. Chapter 2 25-47 understanding the mourning process. Since mourning is a process, it has been viewed in various ways, primarily as stages, phases, and tasks of mourning. The tasks of mourning are: to accept reality; to experience the pain; to adjust to environment without loved one including external, internal and spiritual adjustments; to relocate and memorialize loved one. The second task in this chapter is that of the counsellor who is helping the client through the grieving process. The counsellor needs to look at the following things; the person who died, nature of attachment, circumstances of death, personality mediators, historical mediators, social mediators, concurrent changes. Chapter 3 51-80 Grief counseling Facilitating uncomplicated grief Grief counselling is not for everyone who has had a loss, most people are able to work though the mourning process on their own without any outside help. Some may just need time to process their loss and time to try and rebuild their lives after the loss this can be done on their own or some ay need the help of a counsellor to walk alongside them. The counsellor then needs to identify weather or not the bereaved fits into the at risk Category, at risk meaning at risk of falling into the category on complicated grief. Some medications can be helpful when going through the grief process, but are mainly helpful in dealing with anxiety issues or insomnia issues. Grief counselling can also be effective in counselling the be reaved as it gives them more support than just the counsellor. Chapter 4 83- 98 Abnormal Grief reactions: Complicated Mourning. This is looking at why people fail to grieve. Many factors can stand in the way as to why people fail to grieve. These are; relational factors, these are what type of relationship did the person have with the deceased. Circumstantial Factor; this relates to the circumstances of the loss they can be a hindrance if there is uncertainty as to how the deceased died. Historical factor; if the person has had trouble grieving in the past they may have trouble grieving in the future. Personality Factors; some are unable to cope with distress and this makes it hard for them to grieve appropriately.

The Sectional Struggle, Reborn: 1848-1854

APUSH Study Guide 17 The Sectional Struggle, Reborn, 1848-1854 Themes/Constructs: The sectional conflict over the expansion of slavery that erupted after the Mexican War was temporarily silenced by the Compromise of 1850, but Douglas’s Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 re-ignited the issue again. In the 1850s American expansion in the West and the Caribbean was extremely controversial because it was tied to the slavery question. The acquisition of territory from Mexico created acute new dilemmas concerning the expansion of slavery, especially for the two major parties, which had long tried to avoid the issue. The antislavery Free Soil Party pushed the issue into the election of 1848. The application of gold-rich California for admission to the Union forced the controversy into the Senate, which engaged in stormy debate over slavery and the Union. After the untimely death of President Taylor, who had blocked a settlement, Congress resolved the crisis by passing the delicate Compromise of 1850. The compromise eased sectional tension for the moment, although the Fugitive Slave Law aroused opposition in the North. As the Whig Party died, the Democratic Pierce administration became the tool of proslavery expansionists. Controversies over Nicaragua, Cuba, and the Gadsden Purchase showed that expansionism was closely linked to the slavery issue. The desire for a northern railroad route led Stephen Douglas to ram the Kansas-Nebraska Act through Congress in 1854. By repealing the Missouri Compromise and making new territory subject to â€Å"popular sovereignty† on slavery, this act aroused the fury of the North, sparked the rise of the Republican Party, and set the stage for the Civil War. Terms/names/topics: Gen. Lewis Cas ‘popular sovereignty’ Zachary Taylor Free Soil Party ‘conscious Whigs’ Martin Van Buren Election of 1848 ‘gold fever’ California Constitution (1849) Texas boundary dispute Underground Railroad‘stations’‘passengers’ ‘conductors’ Harriet Tubman ‘Immortal Trio’—Clay, Calhoun, Webster â€Å"Great Pacificator†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Great Nullifier† Millard Fillmore Nashville Convention Compromise of 1850 Fugitive Slave Law (1850) Franklin Pierce—‘second dark horse’ Winfield Scott (Whig) Election of 1852 Jefferson Davis—Secretary of War ‘slavocrats’ William Walker Clayton-Bulwer Treaty (1850) Cuban â€Å"filibustering expeditions† Ostend Manifesto Crimean War Gadsden Purchase (1853) Stephen A. Douglas Repeal of the Missouri Compromise Kansas-Nebraska Bill (1854) The new Republican Party Past APUSH essay questions from this area of study: 1. Although historically represented as distinct parties, the Federalists and Whigs, in fact, shared a common political ideology, represented many of the same interest groups, and proposed similar programs and policies. Assess the validity of this statement. (FRQ, 1991) 2. Discuss the impact of territorial expansion on national unity between 1800 and 1850. (FRQ, 1997) APUSH Study Guide 18 The Road to War, 1854-1861 Historian’s view: James McPherson, from Ordeal By Fire: The Civil War and Reconstruction (1992) â€Å"The social and political strains produced by rapid growth provoked repeated crises that threatened to destroy the republic. From the beginning, these strains were associated mainly with slavery. The geographical division of the country into free and slave states ensured that the crisis would take the form of sectional conflict. Each section evolved institutions and values based on its labor system. These values in turn generated ideologies that justified each section’s institutions and condemned those of the other. â€Å"For three-quarters of a century the two sections [North and South] coexisted under one flag because the centripetal forces of nationalism—the shared memories of a common struggle for nationhood—proved stronger than the centrifugal forces of sectionalism. But as early as 1787, conflict over slavery at the constitutional convention almost broke up the Union before it was fairly launched. † Themes/Constructs: A series of major North-South crisis in the late 1850s culminated in the election of the antislavery Republican Abraham Lincoln to the presidency in 1860. His election caused seven southern states to secede from the Union and form the Confederate States of America. The 1850s were punctuated by successive confrontations that deepened sectional hostility until it broke out in the Civil War. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin fanned northern antislavery feelings. In Kansas, proslavery and antislavery forces fought a bloody little preview of the Civil War. Buchanan’s support of the proslavery Lecompton Constitution alienated moderate northern Democrats like Douglas. Congressman Brooks’ beating of Senator Sumner aroused passions on both sections. The Democratic Party split along sectional lines, allowing Lincoln to win the four-way 1860 election. Seven southern states quickly seceded and organized the Confederate States of America. As southerners optimistically cast off their ties to the hated North, lame-duck President Buchanan proved unable to act. The last minute Crittenden Compromise failed because of Lincoln’s opposition. Terms/names/topics: Harriet Beecher StoweUncle Tom’s Cabin Hinton R. HelperImpending Crisis of the South New England Immigrant Aid Company â€Å"Beecher’s Bibles† Burning of Lawrence John BrownPottawatomie Creek Lecompton Constitution â€Å"Bleeding Kansas† Charles SumnerPreston Brooks Election of 1856James Buchanan ‘Nativists’ American PartyKnow-Nothing Party John C. Fremont Dred Scott decision Panic of 1857 Abortive Homestead Act (1860) Tariff of 1857 Lincoln-Douglas debates Freeport Doctrine John BrownHarper’s Ferry Charleston Nominating Convention John C. Breckenridge Constitutional Union Party Republican Party platform (1860) Election of 1860 Secession of South Carolina Jefferson Davis â€Å"lame duck† interlude Crittenden Compromise Self-determination Southern nationalism Past APUSH essay questions from this area of study: 1. To what extent was President-elect Abraham Lincoln responsible for the defeat of the Crittenden proposal on the territorial expansion of slavery? (DBQ, 1974—Mr. D has the documents) 2. John Brown’s raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in October 1859, involved only a handful of abolitionists, freed no slaves, and was over in two days. Although many Northerners condemned the raid, by 1863 John Brown had become a hero and martyr in the North. To what extent and in what ways do the views about John Brown expressed in the documents illustrate changing North-South relations between 1859 and 1863? (DBQ, 1982—Mr. D has the documents) 3. Throughout our history, the Supreme Court has acted as a partisan political body rather than a neutral arbiter of constitutional principles. Assess the validity of this generalization for the period 1800-1860. (FRQ, 1984) 4. By the 1850s, the Constitution, originally framed as an instrument of national unity, had become a source of sectional discord and tension and ultimately contributed to the failure of the Union it had created. Using the documents and your knowledge of the period 1850-1861, assess the validity of this statement. (DBQ, 1987—Mr. D has the documents) 5. â€Å"I am not, nor have ever been, in favor of bringing about in any way, the social and political equality of the white and black races. † How can this 1858 statement of Abraham Lincoln be reconciled with his 1862 Emancipation Proclamation? (FRQ, 1988) 6. Analyze the ways in which supporters of slavery in the nineteenth century used legal, religious, and economic arguments to defend the institution of slavery. (FRQ, 1995) . Assess the moral arguments and political actions of those opposed to the spread of slavery in the context of TWO of the following: (FRQ, 2000) Missouri Compromise Mexican War Compromise of 1850 Kansas-Nebraska Act 8. Analyze the effectiveness of political compromise in reducing sectional tensions in the period 1820 to 1861. (FRQ, 2004) APUSH Study Guide 19 Building the War, Fighting the War, 1861-1865 Histori an’s view: James McPherson, from Battle Cry of Freedom (1988)—A view of the Civil War as expanding national power and Northern economic dominance The old federal republic in which the national government had rarely touched the average citizen except through the post-office gave way to a more centralized polity that taxed the people directly and created an internal revenue bureau to collect taxes, drafted men into the army, expanded the jurisdiction of the federal courts, created a national currency and a national banking system, and established the first national agency for social welfare—the Freedmen’s Bureau†¦. These changes in the federal balance paralleled a radical shift of political power from South to North†¦. The accession to power of the Republican Party, with its ideology of competitive, egalitarian, free-labor capitalism, was a signal to the South that Union victory in the war destroyed the southern vision of America and ensured that the northern vision would become the American vision. † Themes/Constructs: Building for War The North effectively brought to bear its long-term advantages of industrial might and human resources to wage a devastating total war against the South. The war helped organize and modernize northern society, while the South, despite heroic efforts, was economically and socially crushed. Lincoln’s skillful political leadership helped keep the crucial Border States in the Union and maintain northern morale, while his effective diplomacy kept Britain and France from aiding the Confederacy. South Carolina’s firing on Fort Sumter aroused the North for war. Lincoln’s call for troops to suppress the rebellion drove four upper South states into the Confederacy. Lincoln used an effective combination of political persuasion and force to keep the deeply divided Border States in the Union The Confederacy enjoyed initial advantages of upper-class European support, military leadership, and a defensive position on its own soil. The North enjoyed the advantages of lower-class European support, industrial and population resources, and political leadership. The British upper classes sympathized with the South and abetted Confederate naval efforts. But effective diplomacy and Union military success thwarted those efforts and kept Britain as well as France neutral in the war. Lincoln’s political leadership proved effective in mobilizing the North for war, despite political opposition and resistance to his infringement on civil liberties. The North eventually mobilized its larger troop resources for war and ultimately turned to an unpopular and unfair draft system. Northern economic and financial strengths it to gain an advantage over the less-industrialized South. The changes in society opened new opportunities for women, who had contributed significantly to the war effort in both the North and the South. Since most of the war was waged on Southern soil, the South was left devastated by the war. Fighting the War The Civil War, begun as a limited struggle over the Union, eventually became a total war to end slavery and transform the nation. After several years of seesaw struggle, the Union armies under U. S. Grant finally wore down the Southern forces under Robert E. Lee and defeated the Confederate bid for independence as well as the institution of slavery. The Union defeat at Bull Run ended Northern complacency about a quick victory. George McClellan and other early Union generals proved unable to defeat the tactically brilliant Confederate armies under Lee. The Union naval blockade put a slow but devastating noose around the South. The political and diplomatic dimensions of the war became critical. In order to retain the border states, Lincoln first de-emphasized any intention to destroy slavery. But the Battle of Antietam in 1862 enabled Lincoln to prevent foreign intervention and turn the struggle into a war against slavery. Blacks and abolitionists joined enthusiastically in a war for emancipation, but white resentment in part of the North created political problems for Lincoln. The Union victories at Vicksburg in the West and Gettysburg in the East finally turned the military tide against the South. Southern resistance remained strong, but the Union victories at Atlanta and Mobile assured Lincoln’s success in the election of 1864 and ended the last Confederate hopes. The war ended the issues of disunion and slavery, but at a tremendous cost to both North and South. Terms/names/topics: Building For War â€Å"Butternut region† â€Å"King Wheat and King Corn vs. King Cotton† Trent Affair (1861) CSS Alabama Charles Francis Adams Laird Rams Southern States’ Rights Lincoln’s arbitrary powerhabeas corpus Federal conscription power New York draft riots â€Å"bounty brokers† â€Å"rich man’s war but a poor man’s fight† Income tax Morrill Tariff Act National Banking System Homestead Act (1862) Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell Clara Barton Dorothea Dix Sally Tompkins Fighting the War â€Å"On to Richmond† Bull Run (Manassas Junction) â€Å"Stonewall† Jackson Gen. George McClellan The Peninsula Campaign Shenandoah Valley â€Å"Jeb† Stuart Seven Days’ Battles â€Å"Total War† â€Å"Blockade running† 2nd Battle of Bull Run Gen. John Pope Antietam Emancipation Proclamation 13th Amendment Fort Pillow, Tenn. Gen. A. E. Burnside Fredericksburg, Va. â€Å"Fighting Joe† Hooker Chancellorsville, Va. Gen. George G. Meade Gettysburg, Penn. Gen. George Pickett Ulysses S. Grant Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, Tenn. Battle of Shiloh David G. Garragut Port Hudson Vicksburg Chattanooga Gen. William T. Sherman Atlantaâ€Å"March to Savannah† Election of 1864 Congressional Committee on the Conduct of the Warâ€Å"Radical Republicans† Copperheads Union Party Andrew Johnson Battles in the Wilderness Hampton Roads, Va. Appomattox Courthouse John Wilkes Booth English Reform Bill (1867) Past APUSH essay questions from this area of study: There have been no DBQ or FRQ questions from this area of study. APUSH Study Guide 20 Reconstruction, 1865-1877 Historian’s view: William A Dunning, Reconstruction: Political and Economic (1907)—A view of Reconstruction as a national disgrace. Few episodes of recorded history more urgently invited thorough analysis than the struggle through which the southern whites, subjugated by adversaries of their own race, thwarted the scheme which threatened permanent subjection to another race†¦. The most rasping feature of the new situation to the old white element of the South was the large predominance of northerners and negroes in position of political power†¦. The most cunning and malignant enemy of the United States could not have timed differently this period of national ill-repute; for it came with the centennial of American independence†¦ Kenneth Stamp, The Era of Reconstruction (1965)—A favorable view of Reconstruction. Finally, we come to the idealistic aim of the radicals to make southern society more democratic, especially to make the emancipation of Negroes something more than an empty gesture. In the short run this was their greatest failure†¦. Still, no one could quite forget that the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments were now part of the federal Constitution†¦. Thus, Negroes were no longer denied equality by the plain language of law, as they had been before radical reconstruction, but only by coercion, by subterfuge, by deceit, and by spurious legalisms†¦. The blunders of that era, tragic though they were, dwindle into insignificance. For it was worth four years of civil war to save the Union, it was worth a few years of radical reconstruction to give the American Negro the ultimate promise of equal civil and political rights. Themes/Constructs: Johnson’s political blunders and southern white recalcitrance led to the imposition of Congressional military Reconstruction on the south. Reconstruction accomplished some good, such as the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, but it left behind a legacy of racial and sectional bitterness. With the Civil War over, the nation faced the difficult problems of rebuilding the South, assisting the freed slaves, reintegrating the southern states into the Union, and deciding who would direct the Reconstruction process. The South was economically devastated and socially revolutionized by emancipation. As slaveowners reluctantly confronted the end of slave labor, blacks took their first steps in freedom. Black churches and freedmen’s schools helped the former slaves begin to shape their own destiny. The new President Andrew Johnson was politically inept and personally contentious. His attempt to implement a moderate plan of Reconstruction, along the lines originally suggested by Lincoln, fell victim to Southern whites’ severe treatment of blacks and his own political blunders. Republicans imposed harsh military Reconstruction on the south after their gains in the 1866 Congressional elections. The Southern states reentered the Union with new radical governments, which rested partly on the newly enfranchised blacks, but also had support from some sectors of southern society. These regimes were sometimes corrupt but also implemented important reforms. The divisions between moderate and Radical Republicans meant that Reconstruction’s aims were often limited and confused, despite the important Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. Embittered whites hated the radical governments and mobilized the Ku Klux Klan to restore white supremacy. Congress impeached Johnson but failed to convict him. In the end, the poorly conceived Reconstruction policy failed disastrously. Terms/names/topics: Exodusters Black Baptists churches African Missionary Association Freedmen’s Bureau 10% Plan—Lincoln Wade-Davis Bill Radicals Johnson’s Reconstruction plans Black Codes Sharecroppers â€Å"whitewashed rebels† Civil Rights Bill Fourteenth Amendment Congressional elections, 1866 Radicals in the Senate Thaddeus Stevens Moderate Republicans Military Reconstruction Act Fifteenth Amendment Ex parte Milligan (1866) â€Å"scalawags† â€Å"carpetbaggers† KKK ‘literacy tests’ Tenure of Office Act Edwin M. Stanton Past APUSH essay questions from this area of study: 1. The unpopular ideas and causes of one period often gain popularity and support in another, but the ultimate price of success is usually the alteration or subversion of the original ideas and programs. For the period 1830-1877, discuss this statement with reference to both (a) the ideas and activities of abolitionism and (b) the policies of the Republican party. (FRQ, 1978). . How do you account for the failure of Reconstruction (1865-1877) to bring social and economic equality of opportunity to the former slaves? (FRQ, 1983) 3. Discuss the political, economic, and social reforms introduced in the South between 1864 and 1877. To what extent did these reforms survive the Compromise of 1877? (FRQ, 1992) 4. In what ways and to what extent d id constitutional and social developments between 1860 and 1877 amount to a revolution? Use the documents and your knowledge of the period 1860 to 1877 to answer the question. (DBQ, 1996—Mr. D has the documents)

What is Work-Life Balance Anyway

What is Work-Life Balance Anyway Work-Life Balance is one of those concepts that was assumed to be valuable up until recent years, when many people are turning the concept on its head and saying â€Å"work-life† balance is really about LIFE balance. While I agree to some extent, I don’t see the reason to toss out the concept of work-life balance altogether. To me, work-life balance is a moment-by-moment experience. I have chosen to own my own business because I have certain things I want in my life: the ability to work remotely so I can visit family and not take â€Å"vacation days†; the option to do yoga or go for a swim in the middle of the day; and the flexibility to work early in the morning or late at night. These things might not be non-negotiable, but they are important to me. For me, they create â€Å"work-life balance† or just plain â€Å"life balance.† Of course they also create challenges for maintaining that balance when things get busy in the business and threaten to infringe upon my â€Å"me† time. You might be examining for yourself what constitutes work-life balance or any sort of balance as you move toward a new job, your first job out of college, getting into college, or any other venture. Are you interested in creating a life where you work less than 40 hours per week, are not stressed out constantly, are fulfilled and have fun? If so, you have a lot of company! I don’t often write blogs based on infographics, but I found this one- Careers with Great Work-Life Balance- to be enlightening. I realize that work-life balance is just one aspect of balance; you can have the right amount of time at work vs. personal life, but then get out of balance taking care of others in your personal life when you need to be taking better care of yourself! Or you can run into challenges in your work life itself in finding balance with the types of activities you do or relationships you create. Nevertheless, here are some of the main points to consider when planning for your quality of life in relation to your work: Flexibility at Work Nine out of 10 Americans feel that their current jobs don’t afford them enough time to attend to their family’s needs: a major indicator that they do not have work-life balance. Furthermore, half of these employees believe that if they were allowed more flexibility in their jobs–with work hours, vacation days, clock management, etc.–they’d be able to perform their jobs better. Flexible schedules, in fact, have become so much in demand that the U.S. Department of Labor has devoted a whole page and many articles to the topic. Consider the things that are most important to you in terms of your working hours. Does your career path provide the flexibility you desire? Are you getting to spend enough time with your family? Can you take the vacations you want to take? Can you work from home when necessary? If you are seeking to change careers, or change the structure of your current work life, it will help to know what you want in terms of schedule flexibility so you can create a structure that provides the work-life balance you need. What are the Indicators of Successful Work-Life Balance? According to the OECD Better Life Index, an organization dedicated to promoting policies that improve economic and social well-being, popular indicators of successful work-life balance include: Total hours worked per week Time devoted to leisure Average pay Growth potential Flexibility Stress Are these barometers of work-life balance important to you? Will considering these factors change the way you pursue your education, your next career, or how you conduct your job search? Perhaps it will be informative to check out the jobs listed in the infographic that make top honors. You might be surprised by some of them! Creating Successful Work-Life Balance is up to You What constitutes work-life balance is subjective: what is most important to you in your work and personal life may be completely different from what matters to your friends, family or even colleagues. So define the non-negotiables in your life, then do your best to create a career path that meets your unique definition of balance. I for one can tell you it’s a constant challenge!

International Educational Week Journal Entry †Creative Writing

International Educational Week Journal Entry – Creative Writing Free Online Research Papers International Educational Week Journal Entry Creative Writing International Educational Week is a great experience in every exchange student’s life. It helps us understand and at least start thinking about things that we would never think about, just living and doing things like we have done before. It helps realize a lot of different things and this is my story. First time when I got papers about International educational week I thought that it will be boring and useless spending of my time. But when time comes, we always improve or change our point of view. This was one of the greatest experiences in my life. When I started collecting information about history and culture of my country, it seemed rather difficult to me. How and what should I do to make my presentation interesting for American students? I had found these answers and even didn’t recognize that. I was spending my time, searching for more and more interesting facts. I couldn’t imagine that it can be so interesting to find information and describe my own country. I learned a lot about the history of my own country, being thousands miles away from it. My host parents were interested too. They asked me a lot of questions about my project, helped me in difficult situations. A lot of students in my school were excited by the coming presentation. Most of them only knew that Russia is the biggest country in the world. I had spent a lot of time, doing this presentation, but it worth that. It is so interesting to learn a lot about your own country and to teach all other people near me. So, it takes time, skills and hard work. And the moment comes. Presentation is ready. You know what you are going to say, you are ready to answer all kind of questions and you are sure that everything will be good . . . Excellent! And you are standing and feeling the moment, you have been waiting for so long. You are standing in front of people that don’t know anything about your country and they will remember all the details of your presentation, they will ask questions. And you are happy, because they like it, they like to learn something about different culture, different people. And after that, they go home, tell everything to their parents. Then you understand that you did a great work. Work that helps us being together and understanding each other on the new level of relationship. The name of this level is â€Å"Friends.† When you start your presentation there is nothing except you and people in front of you. The entire presentation passes like a second, and they applause, because they like that. They want to talk to you. They want to ask even more. Not now. Later. Share it with their friends and relatives. This is the way to peoples’ hearts. I need to tell them about my country, my people, history, my family, friends and my way of life. It is like building a bridge. You can’t do all work doing it from one side. I had learned a lot when we were comparing our countries. Besides, we had found a lot of similarities. That makes us even closer friends. It was interesting and a great experience in my life. As I said before, International Educational Week is not only a great experience in your life. It is also a lot of fun, knowledge, new friends. It seems to be hard at the beginning but then you even can hardly notice hoe quickly it is finished. You share your culture with other people and learn even more because you get knowledge about your own country and United Sates too. This is the best thing that our placement organization can do for us. To make us think wider, so we can use every moment of our life in the United States. This is a big bridge that connects two banks that are far away from each other and make them as close as possible. It helps us understand each other much better. And I feel like a builder. The builder of very good type of relationship called Friendship. Research Papers on International Educational Week Journal Entry - Creative WritingStandardized TestingNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XTrailblazing by Eric AndersonThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsMind TravelAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaThe Project Managment Office SystemInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

Programming a Class to Create a Custom VB.NET Control

Programming a Class to Create a Custom VB.NET Control Building complete custom components can be a very advanced project. But you can build a VB.NET class that has many of the advantages of a toolbox component with much less effort. Heres how! To get a flavor of what you need to do to create a complete custom component, try this experiment: - Open a new Windows Application project in VB.NET.- Add a CheckBox from the Toolbox to the form.- Click the Show All Files button at the top of Solution Explorer. This will display the files that Visual Studio creates for your project (so you dont have to). As a historical footnote, The VB6 compiler did a lot of the same things, but you never could access the code because it was buried in compiled p-code. You could develop custom controls in VB6 too, but it was a lot more difficult and required a special utility that Microsoft supplied just for that purpose. In the Form Designer.vb file, you will find that the code below has been added automatically in the right locations to support the CheckBox component. (If you have a different version of Visual Studio, your code might be slightly different.) This is the code that Visual Studio writes for you. Required by the Windows Form Designer Private components _ As System.ComponentModel.IContainerNOTE: The following procedure is requiredby the Windows Form DesignerIt can be modified using the Windows Form Designer.Do not modify it using the code editor.System.Diagnostics.DebuggerStepThrough() _Private Sub InitializeComponent() Me.CheckBox1 New System.Windows.Forms.CheckBox() Me.SuspendLayout() CheckBox1 Me.CheckBox1.AutoSize True Me.CheckBox1.Location New System.Drawing.Point(29, 28) Me.CheckBox1.Name CheckBox1. . . and so forth ... This is the code that you have to add to your program to create a custom control. Keep in mind that all the methods and properties of the actual CheckBox control are in a class supplied by the .NET Framework: System.Windows.Forms.CheckBox. This isnt part of your project because its installed in Windows for all .NET programs. But theres a lot of it. Another point to be aware of is that if youre using WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation), the .NET CheckBox class comes from a completely different library named System.Windows.Controls. This article only works for a Windows Forms application, but the principals of inheritance here work for any VB.NET project. Suppose your project needs a control that is very much like one of the standard controls. For example, a checkbox that changed color, or displayed a tiny happy face instead of displaying the little check graphic. Were going to build a class that does this and show you how to add it to your project. While this might be useful by itself, the real goal is to demonstrate VB.NETs inheritance. Lets Start Coding To get started, change the name of the CheckBox that you just added to oldCheckBox. (You might want to stop displaying Show All Files again to simplify Solution Explorer.) Now add a new class to your project. There are several ways to do this including right-clicking the project in Solution Explorer and selecting Add then Class or selecting Add Class under under the Project menu item. Change the file name of the new class to newCheckBox to keep things straight. Finally, open the code window for the class and add this code: Public Class newCheckBox Inherits CheckBox Private CenterSquareColor As Color Color.Red Protected Overrides Sub OnPaint( ByVal pEvent _ As PaintEventArgs) Dim CenterSquare _ As New Rectangle(3, 4, 10, 12) MyBase.OnPaint(pEvent) If Me.Checked Then pEvent.Graphics.FillRectangle( New SolidBrush( CenterSquareColor ), CenterSquare) End If End SubEnd Class (In this article and in others on the site, a lot of line continuations are used to keep lines short so they will fit into the space available on the web page.) The first thing to notice about your new class code is the Inherits keyword. That means that all the properties and methods of a VB.NET Framework CheckBox are automatically part of this one. To appreciate how much work this saves, you have to have tried programming something like a CheckBox component from scratch. There are two key things to notice in the code above: The first is the code uses Override to replace the standard .NET behavior that would take place for an OnPaint event. An OnPaint event is triggered whenever Windows notices that part of your display has to be reconstructed. An example would be when another window uncovers part of your display. Windows updates the display automatically, but then calls the OnPaint event in your code. (The OnPaint event is also called when the form is initially created.) So if we Override OnPaint, we can change the way things look on the screen. The second is the way Visual Basic creates the CheckBox. Whenever the parent is Checked (that is, Me.Checked is True) then the new code we provide in our NewCheckBox class will recolor the center of the CheckBox instead of drawing a checkmark. The rest is what is called GDI code. This code selects a rectangle the exact same size as the center of a Check Box and colors it in with GDI method calls. The magic numbers to position the red rectangle, Rectangle(3, 4, 10, 12), were determined experimentally. I just changed it until it looked right. There is one very important step that you want to make sure you dont leave out of Override procedures: MyBase.OnPaint(pEvent) Override means that your code will provide all of the code for the event. But this is seldom what you want. So VB provides a way to run the normal .NET code that would have been executed for an event. This is the statement that does that. It passes the very same parameter- pEvent- to the event code that would have been executed if it hadnt been overridden, MyBase.OnPaint. Using the New Control Because our new control is not in our toolbox, it has to be created in the form with code. The best place to do that is in the form Load event procedure. Open the code window for the form load event procedure and add this code: Private Sub frmCustCtrlEx_Load( ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs ) Handles MyBase.Load Dim customCheckBox As New newCheckBox() With customCheckBox .Text Custom CheckBox .Left oldCheckBox.Left .Top oldCheckBox.Top oldCheckBox.Height .Size New Size( oldCheckBox.Size.Width 50, oldCheckBox.Size.Height) End With Controls.Add(customCheckBox)End Sub To place the new checkbox on the form, weve taken advantage of the fact that there is already one there and just used the size and position of that one (adjusted so the Text property will fit). Otherwise we would have to code the position manually. When MyCheckBox has been added to the form, we then add it to the Controls collection. But this code isnt very flexible. For example, the color Red is hardcoded and changing the color requires changing the program. You might also want a graphic instead of a check mark. Heres a new, improved CheckBox class. This code shows you how to take some of the next steps toward VB.NET object oriented programming. Public Class betterCheckBox Inherits CheckBox Private CenterSquareColor As Color Color.Blue Private CenterSquareImage As Bitmap Private CenterSquare As New Rectangle( 3, 4, 10, 12) Protected Overrides Sub OnPaint _ (ByVal pEvent As _ System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs) MyBase.OnPaint(pEvent) If Me.Checked Then If CenterSquareImage Is Nothing Then pEvent.Graphics.FillRectangle( New SolidBrush( CenterSquareColor), CenterSquare) Else pEvent.Graphics.DrawImage( CenterSquareImage, CenterSquare) End If End If End Sub Public Property FillColor() As Color Get FillColor CenterSquareColor End Get Set(ByVal Value As Color) CenterSquareColor Value End Set End Property Public Property FillImage() As Bitmap Get FillImage CenterSquareImage End Get Set(ByVal Value As Bitmap) CenterSquareImage Value End Set End PropertyEnd Class Why The BetterCheckBox Version Is Better One of the main improvements is the addition of two Properties. This is something the old class didnt do at all. The two new properties introduced are FillColor and FillImage To get a flavor of how this works in VB.NET, try this simple experiment. Add a class to a standard project and then enter the code: Public Property Whatever Get When you press Enter after typing Get, VB.NET Intellisense fills in the entire Property code block and all you have to do is code the specifics for your project. (The Get and Set blocks arent always required starting with VB.NET 2010, so you have to at least tell Intellisense this much to start it.) Public Property Whatever Get End Get Set(ByVal value) End SetEnd Property These blocks have been completed in the code above. The purpose of these blocks of code is to allow property values to be accessed from other parts of the system. With the addition of Methods, you would be well on the way to creating a complete component. To see a very simple example of a Method, add this code below the Property declarations in the betterCheckBox class: Public Sub Emphasize() Me.Font New System.Drawing.Font( _ Microsoft Sans Serif, 12.0!, _ System.Drawing.FontStyle.Bold) Me.Size New System.Drawing.Size(200, 35) CenterSquare.Offset( CenterSquare.Left - 3, CenterSquare.Top 3)End Sub In addition to adjusting the Font displayed in a CheckBox, this method also adjusts the size of the box and the location of the checked rectangle to account for the new size. To use the new method, just code it the same way you would any method: MyBetterEmphasizedBox.Emphasize() And just like Properties, Visual Studio automatically adds the new method to Microsofts Intellisense! The main goal here is to simply demonstrate how a method is coded. You may be aware that a standard CheckBox control also allows the Font to be changed, so this method doesnt really add much function. The next article in this series, Programming a Custom VB.NET Control - Beyond the Basics!, shows a method that does, and also explains how to override a method in a custom control.

Struggles inside the queer community and related struggles in a larger Essay

Struggles inside the queer community and related struggles in a larger society - Essay Example This "misunderstanding ourselves" is necessary to really know what we think of ourselves rather assuming what we are compelled to think by the community. This urge to know ourselves lead to struggle within and resultantly in the community we are living in. The feeling of being "furthest from oneself" leads a person to new grounds which are taboo for the community. Homosexuality is one of such grounds. "Attitudes toward homosexuality are generally in flux, partially as a result of increased political activism and efforts by homosexuals to be seen not as aberrant personalities but as differing from "normal" individuals only in their sexual orientation." (Encyclopedia Britanica, 2007) Still the comfort with which queers would like to move in most of the societies is a far fetched dream. When a queer is subjected to opposition from the community he balks under the pressure and either forfeit his inner desires or tailor them accordingly. Myers compare this with Foucault's concept of reverse discourse and says "the regulation of homosexuality has provoked unanticipated responses and counter representations, unforeseen pictures of difference and self conscious staging of deviance" (Myer 10) Therefore, queers are depicted as someone "different" and due to such an identity most of them tried to deviate from their inner call and join back in the main stream of community.

7.Is the world radically different from how it appears to be Explicate Essay

7.Is the world radically different from how it appears to be Explicate and assess Russells arguments for the distinction between appearance and reality, in Chapters 1 and 3 of his Problems of Philosophy - Essay Example To him, it is essential to clarify: first, if there is an external physical world, or is the world known merely an orderly combination of concepts and ideas; and secondly, the quality of knowledge held about the physical object. In this paper, we aim to provide a concise exploration of Russell’s ideas about reality and perception by going through his process of knowing, and the issues surrounding the authenticity of human awareness. Then, we assess his ideas by evaluating the strength of its logic from the metaphysical point-of-view. The self is able to connect with the external world through the senses. Knowledge, in this regard, starts with the experience of a physical object through seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or touching. What is obtained about the object is called sense-data, and what allows for the capturing of these data is called sensation. For example, in the self’s experience of an apple, its redness and smoothness are regarded to be the sense-data which are captured through sensation—by seeing and touching. Through this thinking, it can be further said that the mere presence of the physical object in the external world allows for the emergence of these sense-data, for if there is no apple to begin with, there would not be any redness or smoothness identified. Therefore, the process of knowing clearly distinguishes perception and reality. In the context of seeing and touching an apple, what appears to be the apple and its features are clearly separate from what the real apple is and its features. Building on the previous discussion, it can be said that the fundamental differences between perception and reality have led to the development of two critical issues: (1) the questioning of reality; and (2) the questioning of the truths obtained about the physical object. In expounding on these issues, we intend to establish, first

Occupational Therapy Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Occupational Therapy Master - Essay Example In the school settings therapists help students with mental or physical or both disabilities and assist them to maximise their skills and abilities to face the 'job of living'. It is important to know how OT can support the children with additional needs and how much support and intervention is necessary. It will also probe the need of customized treatment programmes to improve the abilities, necessity of home/job adaptation and evaluation combined with recommendations, assessment of performance skills and treatment, usage training, equipment adaptation and training to family members, carers, parents, sometimes even to teachers and monitor all the above. It is an important part of disability welfare and recurring research in this field is necessary. The College of Occupational Therapists define it as 'the treatment of physical and psychiatric conditions through specific activities in order to help people reach their maximum level of function and independence in all aspects of daily life'. Report (1990, p.14). "This occupational therapist is now a trained specialist who, through a study of particular aspects of certain sciences, and of practical methods of ability assessment, together with an analysis of the elements of a number of activities and of their value in rehabilitation, guides, under the prescription of the doctor, the occupational treatment of the patients referred to her," Macdonald (1977, p.2). ROLE OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST IN SCHOOL SETTING Occupational therapist can provide a specialised work of prime importance at school by being a warm, receptive person who has an answer to most of the children's problems and show a real understanding of their issues. He could work with subnormal and severely subnormal children, children with brain damage, psychotic children, emotionally disturbed children and emotionally disturbed adolescents. He could imbibe development of play, manual dexterity, sensory perceptions and response to stimuli in his initial training. He can also help in developing abstract through process including concentration, observation, memorisation, using imagination, drawing conclusions and reasonable decision making, self-help and self-expression etc. He can conduct group treatment with psychotic children with facilities of a work or teaching area, a section for messy activities, a quiet room where a child could be given a much closer affection and he would need the understanding and help of school authoritie s. DISCUSSION Prelliwiz (2006) conducted a research on children and arrived at the conclusion that disabled children who are happy in home environment, do not perceive outside environment as friendly or accessible. Sometimes they feel marginalised, threatened; but in their own private environment, they felt secure. "In conclusion the results of this study underscore the challenges of ensuring that children with restricted mobility living in the parental home are able to have an accessible environment and to function independently in their homes. Ergonomic adaptations in the home should support these kinds of activities as the children's needs change with age and interests". This also means that the home atmosphere, to a very large extent, could be created in school too, where the disabled could have a private space and this would definitely increase the attraction of the school in their minds. Sensory integration is

Is democracy taking root in Iraq and Afghanistan Research Paper

Is democracy taking root in Iraq and Afghanistan - Research Paper Example Iraq and Afghanistan--two Muslim countries enthralled to a promising democracy, yet, are still subject under political scrutiny. Particularly, the United States initiated democracy for it believes that such would bring more legitimacy and justice into these nations, and would inspire other countries in the Middle East which are, in themselves, victims of the political, social, and geopolitical strife that caused extremism, global terrorism, and violent conflict. At this point, it is worthwhile to cite the five strongest indicators that democracy is taking root in Iraq and Afghanistan; all of which signifies the importance of freedom of expression in the modern society: (1) separation of religion and state, (2) economic progress, improvement in education and formal training, and improved access to leisure, (3) ability to air out grievances and clarify discrepancies in the system, (4) larger and clearer accountability, and (5) liberalism. Nonetheless, democracy has also posed big challenges for both countries: (1) vulnerability to failure of â€Å"democracy† experiment, (2) non-compromise with extremists, (3) religious and secular conflict, (4) rise of new insurgents and regional terrorists, (5) lack of security and its effects on women voters and political leaders. Pros--Democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan Almost all of the benefits that democracy conveys point out to the expansion of personal freedom. This is, first and foremost, evident in the changes in the electoral processes. In Iraq, for example, the election voting system was changed from tight voting into an open voting process, thereby allowing voters to directly choose particular candidates.

Homework Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Homework - Assignment Example This means that there should be a balance between the cost and benefit of pollution control. If the business is asked to pay more than the benefits it has obtained, this request will become ineffecient for the business and the business will close. 2. Adverse selection is a term used to refer to the outcomes of the decisions that are based on varying information. This outcome is caused because the information available to the purchasers and sellers is not same. Moral hazard is term used to describe a situation when an individual takes an action knowing that it will not negatively impact him but will negatively impact others and the individual himself experiences profitability out of this decision. Moral hazards are experienced by the insurance sector of the health industry, although difference in information exists in different parts of the health industry, but it impacts the insurance sector in the worst possible manner (Taylor 484). Due to asymmetry of information, insurance fail to realize the real risk they are taking in insuring an individual. Adverse selection effects health insurance companies because the best plans offered by the companies are usually purchased by those whoa re terminally ill and such plans cost more m oney to insurance

Is democracy taking root in Iraq and Afghanistan Research Paper

Is democracy taking root in Iraq and Afghanistan - Research Paper Example Iraq and Afghanistan--two Muslim countries enthralled to a promising democracy, yet, are still subject under political scrutiny. Particularly, the United States initiated democracy for it believes that such would bring more legitimacy and justice into these nations, and would inspire other countries in the Middle East which are, in themselves, victims of the political, social, and geopolitical strife that caused extremism, global terrorism, and violent conflict. At this point, it is worthwhile to cite the five strongest indicators that democracy is taking root in Iraq and Afghanistan; all of which signifies the importance of freedom of expression in the modern society: (1) separation of religion and state, (2) economic progress, improvement in education and formal training, and improved access to leisure, (3) ability to air out grievances and clarify discrepancies in the system, (4) larger and clearer accountability, and (5) liberalism. Nonetheless, democracy has also posed big challenges for both countries: (1) vulnerability to failure of â€Å"democracy† experiment, (2) non-compromise with extremists, (3) religious and secular conflict, (4) rise of new insurgents and regional terrorists, (5) lack of security and its effects on women voters and political leaders. Pros--Democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan Almost all of the benefits that democracy conveys point out to the expansion of personal freedom. This is, first and foremost, evident in the changes in the electoral processes. In Iraq, for example, the election voting system was changed from tight voting into an open voting process, thereby allowing voters to directly choose particular candidates.

Service Quality of Hotel Park Inn Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Service Quality of Hotel Park Inn - Assignment Example The growth of these local companies is giving very tough competition to international chain hotels like Pearl Continental, Holiday Inn not only in terms of price but quality of product and services as well. Quality service is a major challenge facing the hospitality sector in this millennium. Competitive advantage and competitive success relies heavily on the service quality in this industry. The delivery of service depends upon various factors and the most important factor is the people or human resources. Every interaction is a service encounter in the hospitality sector and interactions take place at various levels. Assessing the customer expectation and efficiency in delivery of service is a big challenge in this highly competitive and fast moving industry. This paper will attempt to study whether the high or low volume of service encounter affects the overall service quality at Hotel Park Inn, Peshawar. It will try to determine how the contribution of employees, of the managers, technology, innovative ideas, and the consumers themselves help meet the challenge in the new millennium. Hotel Park Inn, Peshawar (PIP) is a 3 start hotel and experiencing rapid growth. Its products and services give the customers a feel of a 4 star hotel. The hospitality sector in Pakistan can be divided into the corporate and the consumer sector, the corporate being a very large and dominating sector. This is especially in view of Afghanistan as the neighboring country which uses Pakistan as the entry and exit point for all its travels. The hotel has 70 rooms on offer apart from conference and wedding facilities. Conferences contribute towards revenue generation but its main revenue comes from rooms sold. The hotel is very strategically located which provides easy access to both the discerning corporate clients as well as the leisure traveler. It also offers wedding facilities for the local people. The PIP's association with recognized tour operators adds to its service quality as it is in a position to offer sightseeing packages to its foreign clientele. During the lean season this also becomes a source of revenue. Hotel Park Inn can boast of a large number of loyal customers. Hotel Park Inn is basically a type of room night segment of the hospitality industry although it provide leisure and conference facilities as well. It is situated in the heart of historical Khyber bazaar Peshawar, in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Its location is very much suitable for targeted segment of market i.e. business visitors/customers. One can get access from the hotel to all the important places of the city like airport, national train, motor highway, historical places and all the business centers. The hotel building consists of six stories, newly constructed which contains 70 double rooms, 2 dining halls, 3 conference rooms and a immense basement car park where 70 cars can easily be parked . This building has been designed and constructed by a renowned architect Mr.Zaheer. The firm is owned by Hajji Group which was founded in 1996.

Industrial facility Essay Example for Free

Industrial facility Essay 1. Describe how the use of a tall smoke stack might improve air quality near a large industrial facility. 2. How can topography contribute to pollution in a city or region? 3. From where do hurricanes derive their energy? What factors tend to weaken hurricanes? Would you expect a hurricane to weaken more quickly if it moved over land or over cooler water? 4. Where is the Bermuda high located during the summer and fall? How might the path of a hurricane, moving toward the west from Africa, be affected by the Bermuda High as the hurricane approaches the United States? 5. How do you think pollutants are removed from the atmosphere? Does this occur quickly or slowly? 1: The smoke coming from a tall smoke stack doesn’t mix with the pollutants below it. When a temperature inversion comes in at night, the smoke from the tall smoke stack is above the top of the inversion and doesn’t get trapped with the air below. The air below doesn’t get polluted as it would with a much shorter smoke stack, and doesn’t affect the air quality. 2: Topography plays a major role in trapping pollutants. Cities like Denver and Los Angeles, that lie in a valley or between mountains get better temperature inversions. Cold air mixing with the polluted air sinks to the bottom of valleys and low-lying basins. The top of these inversions creates a blanket-like effect and traps the pollutants so that they mix with the cold air below. In these poorly ventilated areas winds can’t mix and carry out the cold air or polluted air. In cities like Los Angeles, mountains surround the sides of the city, but the cold air from the Pacific Ocean comes onto land and helps trap pollutants. 3: Several factors are required to create a hurricane. Hurricanes often start off as a Tropical wave from the west coast of Africa. The diverging air moves from east to west with storms behind it with the converging air. Hurricanes come from 5-20 degrees north or south of the Equator and move with the coriolis effect. These storms must have a light wind shear in the upper atmosphere, warm ocean waters (26.5 degrees celsius +), instability in the atmosphere and a trigger (like a tropical wave). They form into a cluster of rotating thunderstorms around a low pressure system and release latent heat from the waters. However, strong vertical wind shears, cold water and land will dissipate a hurricane quickly. A hurricane moving over land will weaken a hurricane  more because hurricanes need the warm moist air that it cannot get from land. 4: Through the summer and fall the Bermuda high is located in the Atlantic, close to Bermuda. Since hurricanes are attracted to the heat and high pressure, the Bermuda high creates a perfect environment for the storm to form. Since the diverging air moving west from the African coast moves in an anticyclonic motion, it moves into the area of the Bermuda high before strengthening. The east coast of the US is very likely to receive hurricanes or the strong storms from the hurricanes rain bands. Hurricanes normally move from west, to north west to northeast. 5: Pollutants can be slowly removed from the atmosphere by various methods. Growing trees naturally filter the air. There are man-made machines to do so as well. These machines filter the air using scrubbers, house filters and other methods. These can also be installed in home air conditioning systems. After the filters are cleaned, they can be easily disposed.

The Increasing Trend In Marriage Halls

The Increasing Trend In Marriage Halls The increasing trend in marriage halls over the years mainly from 2007-2012 is contributed by a number of reasons. The main aim of this thesis is to find out the reasons to the rising trend in marriage halls from 2007-2012 and to gather in depth knowledge of the marriage halls business and industry in Lahore Pakistan. The areas of research are Gulberg and Garden Town Lahore. Marriage is a basic necessary process every human being passes through during their life time. It not only is necessary but a social custom as it is a religious practice that every individual is likely to follow. Marriage halls aim at organizing marriage and wedding functions providing all the services for the convenience of the people under one roof. Marriage halls provide all services including food, cutlery, sitting arrangements, decor, music system, safety, security and parking. The mission of a marriage hall is to sustain customers and increase repeat clientele as there is high competition in the marriage hall industry. Marriage halls aims at providing customers with the best quality and best arrangements in arranging their marriage function and allowing them to be satisfied as much as possible. Marriage halls business has been a glooming business in the past couple of years and has proven to be profitable. There are 20 marriage halls located in Gulberg and Garden Town both registered and un-registered. As a result with the changes in the government regulations, awareness of customers and economical changes in the economy of Pakistan has affected the industry tremendously and has also given way to increase in competition by introducing outdoor catering services, marquees and other catering service providers to meet customer needs. In this paper I will be discussing the trend of marriage halls from 2007-2012 and the reasons as to why they have increased or decreased supported by facts and figures and using both qualitative and quantitative data. I will be focusing on only Gulberg and Garden Town area in Lahore as my target market and sample size. 1.1 Background Increase in the number of marriage halls and the increasing trend over the years have increased in all over Pakistan from 2001-2012. Pakistan having a large population allows a large number of people getting married every now and then. The marriage halls business is increasing day by day and therefore it is of my interest to find out the reasons to the increasing number of marriage halls in Lahore from year 2007-2012. The increase in the number of marriage halls is due to the convenience it provides to the hosts and allows package budgeting and are easily available according to the requirement. Indoor marriage halls provide protection against bad weather conditions and also allow more traditional outlook for marriages the ambiance, the decor as compared to the outdoor marriage events. According to the Punjab Government laws the halls have to be closed by 10pm rather than events held outside. The owners of marriage halls are more pressure and tension to shut down by 10pm if not they are penalized but in case of outdoor marriage events the organizer and host are in less pressure and tension as they have more time to vacating the area. The marriage hall industry is the only industry booming in the past 5 years as it requires converting residential area to commercial marriage halls. I am motivated to research on the rising trend of marriage halls as this research has not been done previously as it requires first hand information. Therefore it allows me to conduct different research methods to find out the increase in the number of marriage halls. The purpose of this research is to gain all the knowledge about the industry and to have in depth knowledge of the industry. 1.2 Industry Overview Marriage halls industry has been glooming in Pakistan from 2007-2012. A rising trend is seen in the increase of number of marriage halls in Pakistan. Investors foresee it as a profitable investment irrespective of the economical challenges, fluctuations in the prices and changing policies of the government. The changes in the government policies have affected the overall industry in Pakistan; therefore investors have made big investments in marriage halls business. Marriage halls are and have been facing different challenges that affect the business including the rules and regulations of wrapping up the function by 10pm, allowing a one-dish policy in food which as a result squeezes the profit margins for the investors but allows them to earn profits. The high rate of inflation strongly contributes to the increase in the number of marriage halls as the purchasing power of customers have reduced and they prefer to arrange their functions as economically as possible. The challenge of load shedding is another major problem faced by the marriage halls which as a result has increased their expenses and decreased their profits. The overall industry in Pakistan has been facing a business slum by the changes in the government frequently over the years with fluctuations of prices therefore marriage halls have been a safe resort for investors to invest and earn profits. As marriage is a necessary process every individual goes through investors foresee marriage halls business as a profitable business in spite of the challenges being faced by them. Recently from 2010, the competition for marriage halls has been increased by different competitors including marquees and outdoor catering which has increased competition for marriage halls to compete with. Though the target market for marriage halls is particularly the upper-middle, middle-middle and lower-middle class therefore it allows marriage halls business to sustain the business as the middle class income group is high in Pakistan. 1.3 SWOT Analysis Strengths Security Marriage halls provide security to the customers as compared to the other competitors. They provide security in situations of danger, fire and secure the properties of the guests in the function. Economical Prices Marriage halls target the middle class and therefore allow middle class income groups to arrange their function with the best facilities in the most economical prices possible. Due to the high inflation rate in Pakistan marriage halls are booming as the purchasing power of consumers have decreased and marriage halls provide the best economical prices to arrange function compares to competitors. Weaknesses Customization A major weakness of marriage halls is that they provide standard format to arrange marriage functions and lack in providing customization the customers according to their needs. Capacity Marriage halls do not have enough capacity to accommodate people more then 500-700. Whereas marquees can accommodate large number of people from 700-1000 number of guests. Opportunities Increase usage and capacity Marriage halls have an opportunity to increase their usage by conducting other functions including seminars, exams, business meetings, lunches to increase their revenue. Marriage halls also have an opportunity to increase their capacity by building halls to accommodate more people. Threats Government Regulations Government regulations pose a serious threat to marriage halls as they can only offer one dish to be served in the main course and the time restrictions that the functions have to be wrapped up by 10pm. The government regulations are a limitation for marriage halls to earn more profit and to offer customers more satisfaction. Increasing Competition The increasing competition in the industry is also a serious threat that the marriage halls have to face a number of challenges and meet different ways of conducting business. 1.4. Research Objectives:- To find out the percentage increase of the marriage halls from 2007-2012 in Lahore. To find out the number of marriage halls in Gulberg and Garden Town Lahore from 2007-2012. To find out the reasons as to why the trend has increased in marriage halls over the years. To conduct primary research and gain knowledge on marriage halls business in Pakistan. To find out the prospects of marriage halls in Lahore Pakistan. To compare the trend of rise in marriage halls in Pakistan with India and China. 2 Theory 2.1 Literature Review:- Marriages take place in every society, community and country. A number of reasons have been highlighted over the years as to the rise of marriage halls. Wedding expenses have increased by 20 to 30 percent this season and are likely to increase in the coming months. Catering and poultry prices are high and wedding hall rates have been raised considerably. This has added to the consumers financial burden but traders in wedding-related businesses are making the best of it. Wedding halls in Gulberg, Garden Town, Johar Town and Faisal Town have increased their rates and blamed the move on inflation.2Inflation plays an important role in decreasing purchasing power of consumers to spend on wedding activities. Increase in prices has increased expenses and therefore there has been a 30 percent increase in the prices of wedding expenses and wedding halls rates. Due to the high inflation rate consumers find places with economical prices to arrange their functions. Marriage halls therefore provide the only means to arrange a wedding function economically that can be easily afforded by the consumers targeting the middle income groups. The trend of conducting marriage ceremonies at banquet halls has decreased in the city in recent days, as people are scared to leave their houses in the prevailing security situation, owners of various banquet halls told Daily Times on Saturday. In addition to a reduction in the total number of reservations, the numbers of guests attending weddings has also decreased, they said, adding this was very bad for business. They said their business was already under tremendous pressure due to rising prices and limited budgets and the recent wave of terror attacks had only added fuel to the decline. Inflation has squeezed the purchasing power of the people, said Mahboob Ahmed, the owner of a private marriage hall.3 In 2009 with the increase of terrorism in the country marriage hall business has been affected tremendously. People instead arranging their functions outdoor or in marriage halls preferred to stay at home and arrange it at their home. Lack of security caused a lot of people to think whether to arrange wedding functions in house or in marriage halls. Terrorism along with inflation posed a serious threat to the marriage halls and increased intense amount of security concerns in order to survive their business. The industry in 2009 faced a number of challenges allowing the business slope to move downwards effecting marriage halls adversely. The LDA concerned is responsible for providing basic facilities to residents, but it seems that the authority has adopted a liberal policy for issuance of NOCs for conversion of residential plots into commercial plots. It is because of this liberal policy businessmen take advantage and are building marriage halls without considering the prerequisites of the by-laws. The residents are suffering from this mushroom growth of marriage halls which are more than from any other scheme in Lahore. 5 The liberal policy of LDA to issue NOC to the marriage halls in one of the major reasons in the rise of marriage halls in the past couple of years. Lahore Development Authority has been converting residential plots into commercial areas providing businessmen to invest in opening marriage halls and serve as a source of generating revenue for the government as well as the marriage hall owners. Marriage halls surrounded everywhere in the residential area cause inconvenience to the residents causing traffic jams and noise disturbance to the residents living in the surroundings. By issuing NOC creates a high opportunity for businessman to open marriage halls and earn revenue more easily as compared to other industry in Pakistan District Coordination Officer (DCO) Noorul Amin Mengal has warned the owners of marriage halls and said they should be closed on the given time and in case of negligence they would have to face consequences as per law. Chairing a meeting at Town Hall on Wednesday, the DCO said in future no case would be lodged against bride and groom and their relatives while the entire responsibility of late closing of marriage halls would be on the shoulder of halls owners and case would be registered against them.6 Government regulations have immensely affected the running of marriage halls business. All marriage halls are strictly advised to adhere to wrapping up of a wedding by 10pm. In providing food items government has also limited the availability of food items to one-dish only which effects the marriage halls reducing their profits. The DCO stated to charge fines to any marriage hall violating the law and the fine solely being paid by the marriage hall owners. Government regulations have limited the profits of marriage halls but on the other hand the government regulations have been made in the favor of the public security and protection. Therefore these laws allow marriage halls to be profitable as the customers pay the full price of a function allowing marriage halls to provide less and earn more money per head. As Pakistani society has grown more overtly conservative, weddings remain one of the few culturally acceptable venues for men and women to meet without restriction and even dance with each other. In other words, a mehndi is simply a substitute for a nightclub. The phrases used to justify the extravagance ranged from people will talk if you dont have an elaborate wedding, to I just want a traditional wedding and there is social capital being built at weddings.7Marriages in Pakistan from the very start have been a source of entertainment and over the years the ritual has become more of a status symbol of having a prestigious marriage. People in Pakistan spend big amount of money on marriages and is known to be one of the biggest expenses in lifetime for every family in Pakistan. Marriages in Pakistan are costly due to the different events taking place in a marriage including dholki, mehndi, barat and walima. Pakistan facing severe economic challenges the higher spending on wedding functions has not declined as marriages in Pakistan is known to be a big event and spending more money is a status symbol to have a status in the society. But Indias burgeoning middle class now 300 million strong are turning weddings into showcases of their growing disposable incomes and newfound appetites for the goodies of the global marketplace. The largesse has spawned an $11 billion wedding industry, growing at 25 percent annually and beginning to rival the US industry valued at $50 billion. Top global luxury brands and local entrepreneurs are learning that the way into the pocketbooks of Indias new consumers is through their nuptials. 8India has a big wedding industry which is overcoming the US industry. Indian weddings are now a show of wealth in the society and wedding service providers are earning large amounts of money by customizing services. The Indian wedding industry is growing with 25% annually which is more than the growth of the US industry. India is an emerging country with people witnessing rise in disposable income. Increasing disposable income renders people to mark this grand event with luxurious celebrations. Wedding at exotic locations, far from the maddening crowd of the city has become a rage and is considered to be a significant driver. Destination weddings continue to increase as it allows the wedding to be unique. In this format of the event, a planner becomes imperative due to the lack of knowledge of the place at which the wedding will take place as well as towards streamlining the entire process. An Indian wedding needs a lot of time and effort towards planning and implementation.9 India has a big wedding industry growing with a high rate every year. Different factors contribute to the increase in the spending on the marriages in India as well as the number of marriages taking place every year. Weddings for higher class in India are an opportunity to show their wealth, for middle class it is an event for which they have to go beyond limits to make it luxurious and for the lower class it is as simple as a normal event. Spending on luxurious locations, places, have given way to wedding planners as wedding in India require a lot of time to plan. Demographic Profile, In 2011, India had a population of 1.21 billion, and with average family size of five members, there are around 242 million families in India. Considering one marriage per family every 20 years, on average India has around 10 million marriages per year. Also,the estimated median age in India as of 2011 in 26.2 years, signifying a large proportion of population in marriage age group.10 India has a large population of 1.21 billion with average families accounting around 242 families. Almost 10 million marriages take place every year in India with the increasing population the number of marriage increases proportionally. In 2011, it was seen that majority of Indias population lies with the marriage age bracket. Availability of wedding loan and wedding insurance, Many banks and financial institutions have started lending marriages loan to ensure hassle free wedding experience. Also, increase in disposable income has encouraged newlywed to opt for wedding loan and make wedding a grand event. This attitude to make the wedding event grand increases the total wedding cost. With high financial stakes, the couples or their families opt to buy marriage insurance that take care of contingencies during marriage like cancellation/ postponement due to fire or natural disaster, accident of bride groom or burglary.11 Another important factor contributing to the increase in the number of weddings and increase on wedding expenditures is the accessibility of marriage loans and insurance provided by the Indian government. Now its easier for people to spend more as they have access to loans and can pay off later. These all facilities provided by the Indian government are provided to enhance the wedding industry in India and to strengthen it. Wedding Insurance is also popular among people as due to natural disasters during wedding functions people have an option of being compensated by the insurance companies in case of different problems including natural disaster. Official figures suggest that 10 million people wed annually and that the industry as whole turns over more than 250 billion yuan (US$30.2 billion) each year. Big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have established well developed wedding celebration markets. Beijing, for example, leads the country with 1,000 wedding related firms. About 50,000 couples get married each year in the capital, a diamond mine for the wedding businesses.12 China wedding industry is rising with an increasing number of marriages taking place each year. The main cities of China including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou contribute to the higher revenues generated from weddings on a larger scale. All cities in China have related business to the wedding business which help generate higher profits and develop its wedding industry. While parents use weddings to cement their status and display their wealth, the bridal couple are experimenting with ways to personalize the experience, drawing not only from the U.S. but also from South Korea and Japan, and usually involving vast sums of money. Whereas Chinese weddings used to be about a dinner banquet and honoring parents, todays weddings feature more exotic fare like fire-dancing, elaborate video presentations and motorcades of luxury cars with nameplates like Bentley, Lamborghini and Ferrari.13 Wedding in old times were entirely different from what they are now in the 21st century. People now focus more on showing of their wealth and status by having a lavish wedding of their children and is more considered as a symbol of honour. Chinese weddings are now arranged more exotically with having large amount of budgets for each step in a wedding arrangement from wedding planners to make up to photography and honeymoon. People in china display their status in a wedding by the prestigious cars they have and the different presentations of showing of their wealth in the society. Excess is in order in all departments of the Indian wedding industry, estimated to be a staggering US$ 25.5 billion (Rs.1,42,596 crore) the economy of a small country and growing at the explosive rate of 20 to 25 per cent a year. The speed of economic growth in India, which is responsible for the creation of overnight fortunes, is also creating a conspicuous, yet almost desperate type of consumption at weddings. The average budget for an Indian wedding ceremony in the middle class is estimated to be US$ 34,000 (around Rs.19.01 lakh). The upper-middle and rich classes are estimated to spend upward of US$ 1 million (Rs.5.59 crore). This doesnt include cash and valuables given as part of a dowry. Companies like GE Money India have introduced an auspicious personal loan, exclusively for weddings. Giant malls like the Wedding Souk in Pitampura, Delhi, spread over one acre and with over 100 shops dedicated to weddings, have emerged14 Indian wedding industry is rising day by day and the Indian government provides loans to provide access to cash for weddings. The average wedding costs around 6 crore. People in India spend large amount of money on weddings therefore wedding in a flourishing business in India and contributes a large chunk to the growing economy. Marriage rates have tumbled over the past few decades, falling from about 10 marriages per 1,000 people in the mid-1980s to 6.8 marriages in 2009. This decline is a result of social influences (fewer couples looking to commit) and attitudinal changes, as consumers hold off for financial and lifestyle reasons. However, the fall in the marriage rate has not resulted in a complete disaster for the industry. In fact, the decline has led to a higher-than-average wedding spend, meaning even greater profits for those involved Coming off of 2005 and 2006, two of the most prosperous years in the wedding industry, the sector plummeted as the economy entered recession. Revenues fell from a high of $67.5 billion in 2005 to $42.9 billion in 2009. Industry performance is expected to improve in 2010, expanding an estimated 10% to $47.2 billion, but still far below the years, so businesses need to put in place appropriate strategies to capture that increasing demand.15 As mentioned above the decline in marriage rate in China has led to increase in spending and earn higher profits. The decline is mainly caused by social influence on people, lack of commitment and difference in lifestyles. The decline has not caused damaged but allows the Chinese government to implement strategies that help to capture the increasing demand and develop wedding related business to enhance the industry and provide more services in order to generate more revenues from the wedding industry. 2.2. Competitor Analysis The competitor analysis focuses on two main competitors including Marquees and Outdoor Catering services that cause a serious threat to the marriage halls. Over the past few years the competition in the industry has increased by the increasing awareness among the consumers and consumer needs and wants. Consumers now like everything their way which imposes a pressure on the service providers to be more efficient and provide customized services to cater to their needs. 2.2.1. Marquees Marquee is a tent used for outdoor functions. Different investors have introduced a new concept of marquee which is basically taken from Saudia Arabia Hajj performance in Mina where there are small marquees for people to reside in for 5 days as a necessary process to perform Hajj. The concept has been introduced in Pakistan to arrange marriage and other functions in the outdoor. This has increased the competition for marriage halls as marquees allow customized services meeting the consumer needs and wants and providing value added facilities that include changing the theme of the set, colors, lighting, sitting arrangements to customize the marriage function to the consumer needs. Though marquees lack in providing few facilities including no kitchen, re-heating food facilities and as everything in a marquee is outsourced by other service providers they cause a threat to the quality of food and food diseases as to being stored for longer hours before it is served. Marquees pose a serious threat to the marriage halls indoor services as consumers are more aware and require more customized services and facilities then the traditional marriages concept in the marriage halls. 2.2.2. Outdoor Catering Services Outdoor catering services are an emerging business that has been posing a serious threat to the marriage halls from past many years. The Pioneers of the outdoor catering services are Nadeem Caterers, Hanif Rajput, Zafar Caterers, Dynasty and many other that have changed the way marriage take place now. They provide a complete package from providing a tent to the food, sitting arrangements, generators, lights, music system and all other facilities according to the customer requirements leaving them satisfied. Outdoor caterers pose a threat to marriage halls as it allows consumers to arrange the function with outsourcing different materials from different people and arranging their function according to their needs and budget. 2.3 Comparative Analysis 2.3.1. Industry Overview of Marriage Halls in India India being rich in its culture, history rituals and customs in all aspects surpasses all countries and is known to have the best lavish wedding ceremonies all over the world. All industries in India have been affected tremendously with the financial slum being faced by India, but somehow the marriage hall industry has been able to survive and people spend more money on marriages and perceive to have a life time experience spending as much as they can. The demand for weddings in India has increased and the numbers show that weddings have increased every year. The Wedding season in India takes place in October and all the marriage halls in New Delhi are booked a month before. Indias wedding industry is flourishing as not just the halls but the wedding planners, designers, jewellers, beauty parlours now cash on the wedding season by providing different ways of organizing weddings. Weddings in India are more taken as a an event t spend large amount not by the upper class but the middle class to project their wealth having a status symbol. Wedding Planners in India provide all services from marriage halls to arranging the whole event within the consumers budget making it a customized service for people to pay high fees. People are now more aware of the changing trends in arranging marriages they do not want a simple five-star hotel wedding but a customized wedding. With the increase in purchasing power of the consumers in India people now have more income and spend more on weddings. Indias wedding industry is growing faster and bigger day by day, with people trying to overdo each other as to whose wedding arrangement is better. According to experts its been stated that a single wedding now normally takes 1.5 crore without jewellery. Indias wedding business is flourishing as now new designers are capitalizing on the opportunities in India. Indias wedding business is the best business to invest as it has large profit margins and because of people increased income, and increase in purchasing power they spend more on weddings allowing wedding related services to earn more. Fewer auspicious days, as marriages are arranged only on auspicious days as Hindus place a lot of emphasis on astrology, the industry faces seasonal revenue. In case of unfavourable planetary combination as per astrology marriages are postponed. This act as a barrier for the growth of wedding planner. Furthermore as large number of marriages across country takes place on few selected dates this give rise to the possibility that wedding planner may not be able to capture additional market share.22Marriages in India take place seasonally as majority of the Hindus believe in astrology. This restricts wedding planners on capturing the market share apart from the seasonal dates. This is a restriction for the wedding planners to earn high revenues and is a challenged faced by them. 2.3.2. Industry Overview of Marriage Halls in China Chinese wedding industry has been glooming from past 5 years with a rise in number of marriages each year. The increase in the spending on weddings in China is attributed mainly because of economic, increase in disposable income and cultural change. Wedding expenditures have increased mainly in the urban areas of China accounting to 70% wedding day expenses. The cultural change has a strong impact on the increase on the wedding expenses due to the different government policies including one child policy. Parents want to spend large amounts of money of their childs wedding as they just have one child and desire to have a dream wedding for their child. Other factors contributing to the increase in the wedding expenses is the traditional arrangements and economic factors. Having a new house, household accessories after wedding has become a necessity as before wedding children live with parents and after marriage live separately. The spending habit of chinese people and the increase in disposable income increase the spending on weddings. 30% of savings are spend on weddings of every person in China. With the rise in the number of marriages each year and the increase in wedding expenditures businesses in China have taken it as an advantage and strengthened the wedding industry by providing specialized wedding services and increasing revenue. 2.4 Research Question Rising trend in marriage halls in Gulberg and Garden Town from 2007-2012 in Lahore Pakistan 3 Methodology:- The methodology I will be using to research and analyze the rising trend in marriage halls in Pakistan is by conducting Interviews Survey Study Questionnaires Examination of Secondary Data To gain in depth knowledge of the marriage halls in Lahore I conducted a survey study following the steps mentioned by Campbell and Katrina (1953) in the book Essentials of research design and methodology. Campbell and Katona (1953) delineated nine general steps for conducting a survey. Although this list is more than 50 years old, it is as useful now as it was then in providing a clear overview of survey procedures. The nine steps are as follows: 1. General objectives: This step involves de ¬Ã‚ ning the general purpose and goal of the survey. 2. Speci ¬Ã‚ c objectives: This step involves developing more speci ¬Ã‚ city regarding the types of data that will be collected, and specifying the hypothesis to be tested. 3. Sample: The major foci of this step are to determine the speci ¬Ã‚ c population that will be surveyed, to decide on an appropriate sample, and to determine the criteria that will be use