Computer network Essay

The Internet is network of networks, linking computers to computers sharing the TCP/IP protocols. Each runs software to provide or â€Å"serve† information and access and view information. The internet is the transport vehicle for the information stored in files or documents on other computers. It is sometimes compared to a giant international plumbing system. The internet itself does not contain information. What it was found in is one of the computers linked to the internet. The Internet, A global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of academic, government, private, business, public networks and, of local to global scope, that are linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical networking technologies. The internet can have many services, like Electronic mail(e-mail) that permits you to send and receive mail, Telnet(remote login) that permits your computer to onto another computer and use it as if you were there, FTP(File Transfer Protocol) allows your computer to rapidly retrieve complex files intact from a remote computer and view or save them on your computer, etc. To access the internet by computer, you need a computer, a modem or other telecommunications link, and software to connect to an Internet Service Provider. The internet is indeed a wonderful, amazing and brilliant gift that has been given by science to humans. Presently in this modern era, the Internet plays a significant role in our daily human life. Whereas, we are seriously addicted to using the Internet in this century. Moreover, people like to spend plenty of our human lives. Ten years ago, the Internet was practically unheard of by most people. Today, the Internet is one of the most powerful tools throughout the world. The Internet is a collection of various services and resources. According to Russ Brock, a director and consultant at the Center for Innovation and Inquiry, the Internet is main components are E-mail and the World Wide Web. There’s a lot more to the Internet than E-mail, search engines, celerity web sites, up-to-the-second sports scores, and chat rooms full of risk discussions. The Net also ranks as one of today’s best business tools – if it’s used adroitly. Almost all households contain the Internet; however, before people connect to the Internet, they need to be aware of its disadvantages and advantages. Many fear the Internet because of its disadvantages. They claim to not use the Internet because they are afraid of the possible consequences or are simply not interested. People who have yet connected to the Internet claim they are not missing anything. Today s technological society must realize, it is up to them to protect themselves on the Internet. Half of U. S. adults, or 94 million Americans, aren’t online. Children using the Internet have become a big concern. Most parents do not realize the dangers involved when their children log onto the Internet (Children and the Internet). When children are online, they can easily be lured into something dangerous. When children talk to others online, they do not realize they could actually be talking to a harmful person. As a result, there have been many cases where children have been convinced to meet people they have talked with online. In fact, stories seem to come out every week: a child or teenager lured into something foolish, dangerous, or even deadly on line. Cathy Cleaver of the Family Research Council claims that it is against the law for a molester to even attempt to find children online In addition, children may also receive pornography online by mistake; therefore, causing concern among parents everywhere. Whether surfing the Web, reading newsgroups, or using email, children can be exposed to extremely inappropriate material. Pornographic sites tend to make sure they are the first sites to be listed in any search area; thus, children come across such sites easily. A man from Pearl, Mississippi was arrested in 1996 for downloading pornographic images of children from the Internet. He was charged with 290 counts of child pornography). Some critics say that parents are responsible for their own children on the Internet because there are available services to protect children. To keep children safe, parents and teachers must be aware of the dangers.

Stealing within an organization Essay

Cons of Stealing Introduction Business Ethics            One of the issues that have raised concerns in business nowadays is stealing within an organization. Stealing is taking an organization’s asset without the consent of the owners, and using it for your own personal benefit. There are many cases of missing items and money within most organization especially where there are many people working. Stealing is the most common immorality in most organization since it runs across all levels of management. Both the senior and junior employees in organizations have been accused of stealing, but it is always very difficult to determine who the actual person responsible in the theft is. Stealing is one of the most difficult problems which are very difficult to control or prevent. Most organizations have incurred many losses due to this problem. There are many mechanisms that have been put in place to help prevent the vice, but it is all in vain. The methods of stealing are evolving day after day and, therefore, so diffic ult to prevent.            Stealing reduces the productivity of an organization. Most of the items stolen from an organization are valuable things, which are used on a daily basis in organization’s activities. There are very many things which are stolen from most organizations, and this will greatly affect the organizations’ operations. There is a lot of financing that is used in replacing the stolen items, and this increases the organization’s expenditure, thus reducing the profit(Singer, 1994, p.11).Stealing leads to poor relationships amongst the employees. When there are many employees in an organization, it is very difficult to know the person responsible for stealing anything in the organization. The employees will always speculate about the potential person who is responsible for the act. This has brought a lot of hatred amongst the employees since it ruins the reputation of the accused person. It is very difficult for the organization to know the exact person who is responsible in stealing. The organization should, therefore, come up with clear procedure of conducting their investigation so as not to ruin the relationships of the employees (Bonhoeffer, 1955, p.21).            Stealing affects the relationship between the organization and the employees. In most organization, stealing is considered a security problem instead of a moral problem. The organizations have invested a lot to protect the property of the organization from theft by the employees. Most of the items of an institution are marked, and security personnel employed to ensure that the employees do not steal any of the company’s. When the organization does not trust its employees, it portrays a bad picture against the employees, and this will influence the employees to act in bad faith towards the organization. The organization must create a good relation amongst all the employees so as to minimize stealing. The business should give the employees to use most of the company’s items without limit. When employees are limited to access certain things in an organization, there is some negative feeling which influences them to steal. The organization should also sen sitize all the employees of the negative impact of stealing in the organization. Stealing is a moral problem and employees should get guidance and counseling session which help them not engage in such activities.            Stealing lowers the credibility of an organization. In some organizations, there have been many cases of stealing by the employees, and this greatly ruined the reputation of the organization. In most cases where an organization has experienced a series of theft which are inside-job organized, investors and other stakeholders reduce their association with that organization. There have been some situations where stakeholders have withdrawn their funding fro an organization because they feel that their money may be stolen.            Stealing increases an organization’s expenditure due to high security costs. An organization spends a lot of money to prevent stealing of its properties. There are many security personnel who are employed. There is also expenditure for security items such as cameras. These expenditures are so high and affect the net profit of an organization (Singer, 1994, p.14).It leads to closure of some organization. There are some organizations which have been closed due to continuous stealing of key assets. Most organizations, which handle bulky cash, are the most affected. When employees steal a lot of money from an organization, the organization will no manage to fund all its debt and will be declared bankrupt (Bonhoeffer, 1955, p.25).In conclusion, stealing has had very negative impact on the organization. The employees should take care of the properties of the organization and should not steal because it is their source of income. The organization on the other shoul d compensate the employees well, and introduce guidance and counseling seminars so that the employees do not steal anything from the organization. When stealing is eradicated in an organization, there will be good performance and the welfare of all the stakeholders will improve. References Bonhoeffer, D. (1955). Ethics. New York: Macmillan. Singer, P. (1994). Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Source document

Business Management Practice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Management Practice - Assignment Example Firm sizes is a big factor to consider in employing the management structure since bigger company size entails a more complicated management structure. In a company where it employs an estimated 100 individuals in the workforce, it will most likely have a president that will be n top of the structure. There will be vice presidents that will aid the president with the improvements of the different departments like growth in sales, increase in administrative costs, changes in marketing strategies, financial reports, and other information essential in strategizing the company’s next move. On the other hand, a firm with employees lower than ten would mean a simpler management structure. There will be a manager, secretary, a bookkeeper and administrative help in the least. There are three assumptions to be considered according to the classical management theory established by F.W. Taylor (Alajloni, M.M., Almashaqba, Z.M.S., Al-Qeed, M.A.N., 2010). From this study, it is set that first, it is assumed that to avoid conflict in relationships, management and employees have defined sets of tasks and responsibilities, formal procedures and well structured communication. This is where an organization sets the border line between the lower and middle tier and the upper tier which are members of the management. Formal communication among the superior-subordinate relationship should be established as this will be a tool in defining respect and boundaries between the management and the workers. Second, that these workers in a company are economical, that all of them are motivated by monetary means only. It is assumed that workers are after the Third, and last, that these workers are there for production purposes; that they are responsible for the production mech anism of a company. Essentially, these assumptions and the classical theory were

Democracy and capitalism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Democracy and capitalism - Research Paper Example More importantly, it was argued, this entrepreneurial class would enforce democratic structures in the localities in which they operated. In other words, â€Å"by producing economic wealth and an entrepreneurial class, capitalism inevitably produces democracy. And since democracies don't start wars or have expansionist proclivities--forget, for the moment, Theodore Roosevelt and imperialist Britain--capitalist-democratic development contributes to security and to world peace.† (Foulkes, 2006, p.22) There is evidence from recent political history to support this benign linkage of capitalism and democracy. For example, â€Å"Entrepreneurial capitalism became more dominant in the America of Ronald Reagan than it had been before, and job growth and record-breaking prosperity followed. In Britain, Margaret Thatcher reversed almost four decades of socialism and changed her country from the sick man of Europe into one positioned for long-term, non-inflationary growth. Meanwhile, the Soviet economy was shown to be like the Wizard of Oz--an imposing facade, but impotent and powerless at its core. Put these events together and you have an unassailable proof that capitalism produces a level of economic welfare that a planned economy simply cannot emulate.† (Stelzer, 1994, p.32) And, when we scan the performance of capitalist regimes in other parts of the world, the links between capitalism, prosperity and democracy becomes incontestable. After all, in recent times, capitalism in countries such as Chile, Taiwan and South Korea have resulted in both economic progress as well as democracy establishment. In the newly remodeled Russian political system too, we see the formation of glasnost (democratization) and perestroika (economic restructuring) marching hand in hand. (Friedman, 2007, p.46) Nothing exemplifies the successes of capitalism than the recent developments in India and China. By participating in financial globalization, countries with abundance of che ap labour such as India and China are primed to assume leadership position in another 10-15 years. While Mao Zedong was the father of the Communist China, his successor Deng Xiaoping must be credited for the nation’s progress toward prosperity. It was under his leadership that the party ratified and implemented the ‘Four Modernizations’ program that would propel China onto the global stage, where it is fast approaching leadership position. This ambitious program of sweeping economic reforms opened China to the outside world in more than strictly economic sense. In the case of India, it’s huge pool of skilled workers, who have the added advantage of proficiency in English language, have been the engine of economic growth. The re-election of Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister is also a positive development from an economic perspective, for it was he who initiated India as a participant in globalization in 1991. China, on the other hand, started participati ng in the process of globalization much before India did. As a result, its economy is more than twice that of India and is catching up fast with that of the United States and Japan. Some of the South American countries such as Venezuela and Russia (rich in oil resources) and Brazil (rich in natural resources) also pose a threat to American domination of global economy. In fact, American media believes that the threat

Fashion and consumer science Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 2

Fashion and consumer science - Term Paper Example The essay "Fashion and consumer science" discovers the consumerism and fashion. The research question would be primarily based on the present consumer perception of the fashion counterfeit industry and the factors influencing their purchase decisions. The research objective would seek to present the benefits which the research would result in. The literature review would throw insight into the global trends in the sector and its implications on society. This is complemented by exploring the impacts of the business in the job market. The research would then conduct a hypothesis testing for the project. The research methodology chosen for the purpose would include both qualitative and quantitative methods. The several contributions that the dissertation would contribute to the literature would be presented as managerial and theoretical contributions or implications. Finally the major learning points from the research would be presented in the project. The project brings forth a compreh ensive view of the counterfeit fashion industry and the menace that it creates across the world. This is not a problem which is limited to few product and product categories, rather it has emerged a global phenomena affecting numerous industries. It can also have devastating effects on the society and its people. The report presents the menacing effects that this phenomenon has on society, the factors influencing the same and the means that may be adopted by the genuine fashion brands for protecting it. The clandestine nature of the activity makes it hard to obtain any accurate statistics on the same. However, copyright industries in USA have claimed that this sector remain subjected to huge losses. Counterfeit clothing and other items in the fashion world have predominantly prevalent in Europe. The most common technique of counterfeiting is by importing clothing and then attaching labels in one of the states which is followed by releasing the product for sales in some other state. The process gains from the goods freely moving across the borders. Most nations have demonstrated transactions in the sector and some of them have even evolved notorious in the field of production and exporting of fake products. Information provided by the European Union and United States have shown insight into the extent of such transactions and their impacts on society (Vithlani, 1997, p.4). Research Questions Since the project seeks to explore the factors influencing consumer’s behavior towards buying counterfeit fashion products, the research question has been developed based on the above idea. Even after having complete knowledge of the counterfeit fashion business, consumers are tempted towards buying the products. Moreover, such behavior of consumers also influences his preference for buying luxury brands. The project tries to explore both of the above aspects of consumer behavior. The research questions are as follows: Why consumers purchase the counterfeit fashion p roducts even after having knowledge of the same? When and how do counterfeits influence the genuine item consumers’ preference for luxury brands? Research Objectives This research would demonstrate that consumers’

Homework for Eco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Homework for Eco - Essay Example It is only through capital investment and not capital consumption that growth can be experienced in the economy (Callum). In the Chinese and Middle East context, Faber notes that the Chinese economy is a growing economy due to its investment and increased production rather than consumption. Additionally, China exports to the developing and emerging economies totally by passing the old world order. However, its overdependence on the raw materials such as oils from the Middle East could be an undoing in the future. Middle East is known for its instability and therefore the overdependence on their oil for production could greatly affect the economy (Callum). The approach reduces the moral hazard by ensuring that the creditors do not experience losses. This is due to the fact that losses on the creditors’ side have more detrimental effect on the institution than the loss of Equity by the institution. Creditors impact more on the company than the equity holders. The Creditors can easily cause more losses in case they themselves incur losses. It is ideal than a rescue that protects both creditors and equity holders (Mark). This approach eliminates the problem completely due to the fact the owner who has all the liberty to invest on behalf of the creditor and who has access to more information acts responsibly. This is due to the fact the owner incurs charges and possible losses in case of poor investment options. Senator Lincoln proposed that the commercial banks be forbidden to trade derivative securities in 2010. This is with the intent of preventing the banks from using the cheap deposits to subsidize risky derivative businesses. The proposal also prevents banks from using emergency banking facilities. This proposal encourages financial intermediaries to divest their derivatives by forbidding the government from giving these banks assistants such as tax breaks (Yves). Despite the fact the

Impact of Media on the Society Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Impact of Media on the Society - Term Paper Example This paper explores different theoretical approaches on the media’s influence on society. In addition, this paper attempts to explain how the media can be used constructively with limited harm to society. Perhaps every child in the western world has been exposed to cartoons. Carton networks are so prevalent in the society that they have become an essential requirement for children’s upbringing. While cartoons play active roles in children’s development, they also have negative influences on the child’s welfare. Cartoon networks operate under animated programs that provide visual images. Cartoons Networks are the most preferred TV entertainment programs for children by adults because of their moral stories and family friendliness. However, the family friendliness of cartoon network has been a matter of intense criticism contemporarily owing to their increasing permissive nature of the programs. Using Cartoon Network as an example, this paper focuses on soci al learning theory and cultivation theory as possible explanations for Cartoon Network ‘s increasing impact on children’s cognitive development and how this has influenced the society. Social learning theory states that people learn new behaviors from one another by copying. Proposed by Albert Bandura, social learning theory is perhaps the most influential theory for learning and development. Because Cartoon Network’s effect on children’s development is huge, it is perhaps a good idea to explain the Cartoon Network’s impact on children’s development using social learning theory.Social learning theory focuses on direct support of ideas. The strengthening of ideas is perpetuated when people watch other people do things. Observational learning is a key component of social theory as well an dire need of repetition and redundancy (Ormand, 1999). It is therefore evident that Cartoon Network is repeating of stories, capture of children’s imag inations an indicator of social learning theory. Cultivation theory is another theory that explains the significance of Cartoon Network on children’s development. Cultivation theory asserts that substantial viewing of the television changes individual‘s perception about the world. The TV becomes the reality and TV’s portrayal of the world becomes engrained in the viewers mind. If a cultivated mind is challenged to think outside the TV’s life, that mindset can change (Evra, 2004). One cultivated experience is violence. Because of TV’s violent images, one could be easily influenced to belive that the TV’s portrayal of violence is the fact, which is not the case many times. (Donals, p. 5, 2005 ). The impacts that television programs like cartoons have on children cannot be underestimated but rather should be changed for positive outcomes. Many researchers have found that certain characters used in cartons have negative impacts on children. For i nstance, a research conducted by (Smith, 2011) found â€Å"SpongeBob† character have negative impacts on children as it interferes with their executive functioning. Executive functioning involves problem solving, planning, thinking from abstract and working memory. This is because of the social learning theory. Social learning theory makes acquiring information and digesting information easy. According to Shanahan and Michael Morgan (1999), cultivation theory gives weight and credibility to selected part of each

Unacceptable governance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unacceptable governance - Research Paper Example In many circumstances refused to assent to laws.â€Å"He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.†2. He forbids his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance.A head of state must encourage governors to pass important laws.The king of Great BritainDuring governors meetings, he has always forbidden governors to pass laws.â€Å"He has made it inadmissible for his Governors to legislate on delicate issues unless he assents to it, and even when he permits, he neglects them.†3. He refuses to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people.A good government must derive its powers from the consent of the governed.The King of Great BritainMany people allege that The King of Great Britain passed laws for his own interest.â€Å"He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of districts with high populations unless the populations would not a representation in the Legislature, a right unfat homable to them and only suitable to tyrants.†4. He calls together a legislative body at unusual, uncomfortable, and distant places in order to fatigue members and make them comply with his measures.A common comfortable meeting place for legislators symbolizes good government.The King of Great BritainLiterature provides enough evidence of the King calling meetings at remote places.â€Å"He has assembled legislative bodies surprisingly at unusual places, deplorable, and away from reach to their documented public Record.

Week1 Knowledge paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Week1 Knowledge paper - Essay Example In addition to the need for goods and services, there was a high demand for housing. This demand spawned the creation of the subdivision. With the proliferation of the automobile, better highways, and television people began to move west as they left the rust belt for the sun belt. While women had been instrumental in working in the wartime factories, after the war women left the factory jobs and became more domestic. This period transformed America into the single wage family headed by a male that became the middle class. The shift in demographics created even more desire and need for products in the marketplace. The economy was growing due to the increase in employment opportunities, more leisure time, and the advertisers ability to reach the public through the new medium of television. The information that I have about the economy during this era comes from older family members who have related their stories to me. In addition, I have picked up images and impressions from television and the Internet. I have always been interested in culture and like to watch some of the old post war movies or 1950s sitcoms. Though I know they are only stories, you can sometimes glean some facts from good fiction. The relationship between the US and the USSR had always been somewhat tense due to the claims of communist infiltration in the US that went back to the 1930s. However, the war against Germany had necessitated that they become allied in their goal of defeating Hitler. Russia endured a heavy burden and paid a great cost during the war. As such, Stalin felt that they were owed the spoils that go to the victor in war. The US, though cautious, was willing to accommodate the Soviets by giving them control of the countries on their western border that would serve as a buffer against Germany and would become their satellite states. After the defeat of Japan, Truman once again

Event Response Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Event Response Plan - Research Paper Example ef Executive may declare a â€Å"state of emergency† at the local level in line with formal activation of response and recovery efforts by local agencies. If the event surpasses the capability of the local jurisdiction, the state emergency management is notified in order to inform the governor to declare a â€Å"state of emergency† and initiate the state assistance. The state agencies get a notification of the emergency and mobilized to initiate a collaborative approach towards managing the event. Proper coordination strategies including organization by function and application of appropriate technologies are important in allowing for proper coordination of the governmental, faith-based, and non-governmental agencies towards mitigating threats posed by emergencies (Pinkowski, 2008). After the floods emergency has been deemed to be beyond the local jurisdiction’s control, the Local Emergency Management Director may forward a request to the Governor. This is to allow for declaration of a â€Å"state of disaster† or â€Å"state of emergency† in order to facilitate activation of the state assistance according to the set forth provisions (Federal Emergency Management Agency, U. S. Fire Administration, 2012). The request is forwarded to the District Emergency Management Coordinator before it is passed on to the State Emergency Management Director, who informs the Governor of the emergency. Before seeking the state assistance, it is important for the local jurisdiction to have utilized all the appropriate emergency relief forces such as the mutual aid, local contractors, and regional or any other reachable resources. For the state assistance to be authorized, the State Emergency Management Authority will verify the proper use of and exhaustion of any local resources. It is important to note that state assistance only supplements the local resources and efforts towards relieving any extraordinary burden that are attributable to imminent threats to public safety, health, and

Convince Catherine Essay Example for Free

Convince Catherine Essay Rodolfo started singing for Catherine, but Eddie intercepted him when he says â€Å"Hey kid – hey, wait a minute –â€Å"showing that he’s surprised and also suggests that Eddie thinks it is not masculine for a guy to be singing. Eddie also says to Marco â€Å"They got guys all over the place, Marco. I mean.† A masculine guy to Eddie is a guy who protects loved ones and a man that works and keeps a family together. This says that Eddie thinks the normal masculine guys in the area will not approve or like the fact that a guy enjoys singing. Catherine also takes pleasure from the singing of Rodolfo which gets Eddie jealous making him increasingly agitated. When Eddie notices the heels that she is wearing he orders her to take them off, because they appear to him as though they would attract other men. She felt embarrassed and anger maybe displaying that she feels embarrassed, because Rodolfo was witness to Eddie’s orders. It also shows the protective and possessive side that Eddie has for Catherine. Jealousy is what makes Eddie so protective over Catherine and he goes to extreme measures whether it means betraying his loved ones to stop the relationship between her and Rodolfo. Firstly Eddie tries to convince Catherine that she should not get too close with Rodolfo. By the stage directions Miller uses we see an evil side to Eddie as his eyes glare at Catherine and he tries to fake a smile. â€Å"Why don’t you talk to him, Eddie? He blesses you, and you don’t talk to him hardly†, Eddies eyes are described as enveloping and replies to Catherine â€Å"I bless you and you don’t talk to me† which shows he is trying to make her feel guilty about her spontaneous interests in Rodolfo. He also tells Catherine that Rodolfo don’t respect her and that he doesn’t bless him, trying to persuade Catherine to stay away from him. When this does not change Catherine’s interests in Rodolfo, Eddie feels like he has been defeated and takes his p roblems to Alfieri. This is where Eddie’s downfall begun. Eddie was losing control of his emotions, making him become crazy. He approached Alfieri to report Rodolfo and stated that he was only after Catherine to get papers. Alfieri described Eddie’s eyes to be like tunnels showing that he was already feeling defeated and described his jealousy as a passion that was controlling his body. â€Å"Eddie, I’m a lawyer. I can only deal in what’s provable. You understand that, don’t you? Can you prove that?† asked by Alfieri. Eddie replied â€Å"I know what’s in his mind, Mr Alfieri!† The italics show desperation as well as the exclamation mark showing that he is gradually losing his temper. Eddie also describes Rodolfo to Alfieri saying that â€Å"you could kiss him he was so sweet.† Eddie had revealed to Alfieri that he thought Rodolfo was homosexual using it as an excuse to convince Alfieri that he wants papers. You are kept reminded by Eddie’s death throughout the play by the use of foreshadowing and help from Alfieri narrating Eddie’s actions and the play. Alfieri said â€Å"I knew where he was heading for, I knew where he was going to end.† This reminds an audience of the opening scene where we knew from the start, Eddie’s ending. Also Alfieri includes a metaphor to warn Eddie of what he will face if his jealous ways get the better of him. â€Å"A river will drown you† spoken by Alfieri indicating that it will become too much for him to handle and he won’t be able to face the consequences he faces of breaking the law. Eddie has an impenetrable wall of denial and during the play if someone tried to shatter it, he would fill with fury. Anger is shown multiple times with the use of punctuation such as exclamation marks. When Alfieri says to him, â€Å"She can’t marry you can she?† Eddie infuriately responds, â€Å"I don’t know what the hell you’re talkin’ about!† Also when Beatrice screams at him, â€Å"You want somethin’ else, Eddie, and you can never have her!† These words got Eddie so angry they could have been the words that lead to his death. This was probably Eddie’s biggest problem. He just couldn’t face the truths that made him lie resulting in his crashing downfall. I think the way Arthur Miller presents the character Eddie Carbone allows the audience to understand the message far easier. Eddie shows what can happen if you allow yourself to be too known. Really there are desires and secrets that are best to be kept to you in order for the protection of others that is. And this is explained in the ending when Alfieri said, â€Å"most of the time we settle for half and I like it better.† This means that you should compromise and allow justice, be fair and don’t be greedy. Also I think that the play teaches you about the psychology of relationships and that you shouldn’t betray your friends which Eddie did and look where he ended up. But there is a side to me that does feel sympathy for Eddie as it can become quite hard to release a daughter figure into the open world, especially when it comes as sudden as it did.

Chemometric Technique to Determine Rice Types

Chemometric Technique to Determine Rice Types CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1Â  Background of Study Rice (Oryza Sativa) is a type of cereal food in which most people consumes. As acereal grain, it is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the worlds human population, especially in Asia [1]. Rice is perhaps the most remarkable of cultivated crops, for although possessing the roots of a dry land plant, it flourishes in swamps or under irrigation, and in Asia has produced one or more crop annually for centuries (Grist, 1965). Commercially available rice is distributed in different varieties in the market. Classification of product brands and type of products is a very active area for the application of chemometric classification procedures [2]. The use of specific sensors for characterizing foodstuffs or in this case rice is being replaced by a trend to draw on the wealth of information available from the data provided by current analytical instrumentation. The extraction of useful information from an amount of data and the optimum use of this analytical information are important objectives of chemometrics [3]. Since the infrared spectra contain significant information about all the components of a complex mixture, FTIR is a very powerful and general technique for investigating the structure of rice components. In association with chemometric treatments such as principal component analysis (PCA), vibrational spectroscopy allows classification of foods (rice) to be undertaken without any chemical analysis [2]. The main advantage is that no prior information on the sample is needed since the significant information is extracted during statistical treatment. The spectral information will constitute the experimental data which are analysed by PCA and HCA. 1.2Â  Problem Statement Research on rice till this date mostly focused on its genome in order to increase the nutritional values. An example of product that has made it through this kind of research is Golden Rice. There is very little research on focusing in determination of types of rice using combination of spectroscopy and chemometrics technique let alone combination of Infrared Spectroscopy and chemometrics. Due to this, little is known about which or what variables is responsible in the types of rice grouping when pattern recognition is applied. Hence, this research is important in identifying what variable is responsible for the grouping of samples. 1.3Â  Research Objective The aim of this study is to apply chemometric technique to determine the types of rice that will be analyze through Infrared Spectroscopy in order to assess the potential relationship between the element content and types of rice. 1.4Â  Significance of Study This study is important to determine the variables that responsible in differentiation and variety types of rice. With the combination of Infrared Spectroscopy spectra of the samples prior to grouping of samples using pattern recognition, this is a quick method to classify rice compared to the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy with pattern recognition or other instruments. 1.5Â  Scope of the Research In this research, type of rice to be samples is based on definition of rice’s type in Malaysia by Padi Beras Nasional Berhad [4]. There are 7 samples to be test which all of them are to acquire at local stores. Analysis of the sample will be done through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and pattern recognition which include Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster analysis. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1Â  Rice in History Humankind progression in term of social and cultural was partly due to the discovery of agriculture. This development gave a massive impact on the way human been living their life by choosing to settle down in one place instead of constantly moving around looking for places with new food sources. Archeological evidence founds all over Asia proposed that rice must be at least eight thousand years old, thus eliminating theory that rice was among the first cereal to be cultivated due to general believed that agriculture first started around the Mesopotamian region in the valley between Euphrates and Tigris [5]. One of these is related to the extraordinary concentration of rice production in a small part of the world. Approximately 90% or more of the world’s rice is produced in the relatively tiny area in south, southeast and northeast Asia which often be refer to as ‘rice country’ [6]. Rice is produced in a wide range of locations and under a variety of climatic conditions, from the wettest areas in the world to the driest deserts. It is produced along Myanmar’s Arakan Coast, where the growing season records an average of more than 5100mm of rainfall, and at Al Hasa Oasis in Saudi Arabia [5]. Rice plays a major role economically, especially in countries where rice is considered as the main food. This is more accurate in most countries in Asia, because not only they consume rice daily, but also Asia is the main producer of rice [1]. Country like China, India and Thailand have long played major role in the development of rice, economically. The success of the crops not only important to the grower, but also affect the community either directly or indirectly [1]. 2.2Â  Types of Rice There are dozens of different ways to classify the scores of types of rice from all over the world, but rice is generally described as being long-, medium- or short-grained [5]. These are some of the most common types youll find in supermarkets andgourmet stores, as well as a few specialty rices that were seeing more and more often. In the world market as well as in Malaysia, much emphasis is placed on grain length and whiteness as a criterion of grade and quality. Other factors such as palatability characteristics (appearance, cohesiveness, tenderness and flavor) also constitute as important considerations in quality grading [4]. In Malaysia, the main varieties of rice found in retail outlets are ordinary local and imported white rice, brown unpolished rice and specialty rice such as fragrant rice, Basmati, parboiled and glutinous rice. The main criteria in the classification are length of grain, content of head rice, content of broken rice and milling degree [7]. 2.3Â  Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) provides specific information about chemical bonding and molecular structure, making it useful for analyzing organic materials and certain inorganic material. It can be utilized to quantitative some components of an unknown mixture. It can be applied to the analysis of solids, liquid and gasses. The term FTIR spectroscopy refers to a fairly recent development in the manner in which the data is collected and converted from an interference pattern to a spectrum [8].When the material under investigation is put into an FTIR spectrometer, it will absorb the radiation emitted and the successful absorption will display the uniqueness or fingerprint of the material under investigation [9]. Samples for FTIR can be prepared in multiple ways depending on its physical state. For solid samples, it will be ground into a fine powder with an agate mortar and pestle with an amount of the suspending salt, which usually be KBr due to it being transparent to infrared radiation. This powder is then compressed through a bench top hydraulic press into becoming a thin pellet which can be analyzed [10]. Another method to prepare solid samples is by dissolving it in a suitable solvent such as methylene chloride and the solution is dropped onto a salt plate. After the solvent evaporates, a thin-solid film of the compound remains on the plate [11]. Meanwhile, liquid samples can be examined directly as a thin film between two sodium chloride plates. 2.4Â  Chemometrics The term chemometrics was coined in the 1970s and is defined as the chemical discipline that uses statistical and mathematical methods for selecting and optimizing analytical and preparative methods, as well as procedures for the analysis and interpretation of data [12]. 2.4.1Â  Pattern Recognition The overall goal of pattern recognition is classification. Developing a classifier from spectral, chromatographic, or compositional data may be desirable for any number of purposes including source identification, presence or absence of disease in a patient or animal from which the sample has been taken, and food quality testing to name just a few [13]. The classification step is often accomplished using one of several techniques that are now fairly well established including PCA, HCA, KNN, statistical and regularized discriminant analysis. Techniques of pattern recognition are applicable to data drawn from virtually any physical process. The data may be qualitative, quantitative, or both which is they may be numerical, pictorial, textural, linguistic, or any combination thereof. Meanwhile, one of the most important and oft-used data analysis methods is the eyeball technique, Subjective assessment of data patterns has long been a method accepted by many traditional data analyzers. Statistical analysis proceeds slowly by hand, more rapidly with hand calculators and can be quite fast with modern computers [14]. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1Â  Samples A total of 7 different samples of rice will be use for this study. All of the samples will be obtain from various supermarkets and grocery stores in Johor Bahru and Seremban area. Various brands and types of rice are selected in order to get as much variation as possible. 3.2Â  Analysis of Sample Spectra of the rice samples will be acquired using (model number) instrument with KBr disc. The wavelength is set up to range from 4000cm-1 to 400cm-1. 3.3Â  Software Chemometrics analysis is the main part in this research as the data obtained from spectroscopic analysis will be analyses so that the important data can be identified and useable information can be deduced from the data. The key to chemometrics is to understand how to perform meaningful calculations on data. In most cases these calculations are too complex to do by hand or using a calculator, so it is necessary to use some software. Three softwares will be use for the data analysis as listed in table below. 3.4Â  Procedures CHAPTER 4 RESULT 4.1Â  Expected Result It is expected that Principal Component Analysis (PCA) will reveal multiple grouping due to different types of rice being used as samples. Furthermore, by comparing the score plot with the loading plot, the unknown variable that causing the samples to be group as it is will be identify. REFERENCES Calpe, C. (2006). Rice: International commodity profile.Rome: Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Brereton, R. (2009). Introduction. InChemometrics for pattern recognition(pp. 1-24). Chichester, U.K.: Wiley. Brereton, R. (2002). Intro. InAn introduction to chemometrics: Data analysis for the laboratory and chemical plant(pp. 1-12). New York: Wiley. RICE TYPES IN MALAYSIA. (2011). Retrieved October 16, 2014, from http://www.bernas.com.my/index.php/rice-types-in-malaysia Bhattacharya, K. (2011). An Introduction to rice: Its Qualities and Mysteries. InRice Quality a Guide To Rice Properties And Analysis.(pp. 1-18). Burlington: Elsevier Science. Wong, L. C., Emrus, S. A., Bashir, B. M., Tey, J. Y. (2010, June). Malaysian Padi Rice Industry: Applications of Supply Chain Management Approach. In National Rice Conference Swiss Garden Golf Resort Lumut(pp. 28-30). Grist D. H. (1986). Tropical Agricultural Series. Rice, 6, 3-12, Longman Group Limited. Introduction to Infrared Spectroscopy. (2011) Fundamentals of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Second Edition (pp. 1-17): CRC Press. King, PL, Ramsey, MS, McMillan, PF, Swayze, G. (2004). Laboratory Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy methods for geologic samples. Infrared Spectroscopy in Geochemistry, Exploration Geochemistry and Remote Sensing, Mineralogical Association of Canada, Short Course, 57-91. Hauser, Martin, Oelichmann, Joachim. (1988). A critical comparison of solid sample preparation techniques in infrared spectroscopy. Microchimica Acta, 94(1-6), 39-43. Stuart, Barbara. (2000). Infrared Spectroscopy Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Beebe, k.R, Pell, R.J., Seasholtz, M.B. (1998). Chemometrics: A Practical Guide. New York. John Wiley Sons, Inc. 61-65. Lavine, B., Workman, J. (2010). Chemometrics.Analytical chemistry,82(12), 4699-4711. Theodiridis, S., Koutroumbas, K. (2006). Pattern Recognition, Third Edition. Amsterdam, Boston. Academic Press. 1.

Trends In Hospitality: Boutique Hotels

Trends In Hospitality: Boutique Hotels This paper is a research on the factors that have influenced growth in the boutique hotel sector, demonstrating that boutique hotels have become a popular alternative to five star properties. The study methods included a review of the literature and surveys of boutique hotel guests. Location, high quality, uniqueness, services provided and the personalized levels of service offered the top five attributes attracting guests to these hotels. The growth of the boutique hotel sector may be because of hotel clients looking for alternatives to standard and more traditional accommodation. This paper will investigate the growth of the boutique hotel sector and the factors that influence the consumers decision to purchase this type of accommodation. Introduction. Origin of boutique hotels. 1980s were the time of the construction boom in the hotel business. Thus, only during 1980-87, the number of hotel rooms in the USA increased by 40%. Economic globalization has not bypassed the hotel industry: nowadays, mergers and acquisitions no longer involve just individual hotels, but the entire hotel chains. Huge international hotel groups are created, such as Bass Hotels Resorts, Starwood Hotels Resorts, and Carlson Hospitality Worldwide (Keeps 2006). At the same time, hotels are becoming more and more comfortable, offering guests new services that previously simply did not exist or were accessible only to guests of 5-star hotels spacious apartments, cable TV, high speed internet access, recreation complexes, and guaranteed security. But it turns out that the modern consumer is not enough satisfied with what traditional hotel give him; he needs now more than reliability and the program of earning points (Bender, 2009). While the giants of the hospitality industry excelled themselves in the struggle for the customer, constructing mega-hotels the most spacious, highest, most expensive, with a set of all conceivable service, they have lost the most perspective clientele: relatively young business travelers aged 25-45, rich and tending to everything unusual. Hotel giants are now challenged by small privately-owned hotels, each of which has its own unique style. By analogy with small shops, selling things from well-known designers, these hotels received the name of boutique hotels (Bender, 2009). The first hotel of this format appeared only in the early 80-ies of the 20th century. It is believed that the first boutique hotels sometimes referred to as design hotels (design hotels or lifestyle hotels) opened their doors in 1981 on two continents simultaneously: The Blakes Hotel was opened in London, South Kensington, sponsored by a former actress, now a famous designer and hoteliers Anouska Hempel, and Bedford in San Francisco, located on Union Square. Subsequently, this hotel has become a part of a network of boutique-style hotels exclusively under the administration of one of the most famous players in the market Kimpton Hotels Restaurants (Boutique Hotels On The Rise). In 1984, three years later, the first object named Morgans which officially gained the status of a boutique hotel was opened in New York by the famous hotelier, developer and designer Ian Schrager, who is now considered a trendsetter on the market of boutique hotels (Bell 2008). Definition and Features of a Boutique Hotel A boutique hotel is a type of accommodation which can be called the embodiment of a design idea of modernity. Taste, luxury and exclusivity are the basic ingredients for the success of a boutique hotel. Further, the paper covers the main components, making up the notion of a boutique hotel (Boutique Hotels Defined). First of all, a boutique hotel is usually a small hotel, the number of rooms in which rarely exceeds one hundred. The average number of rooms usually reaches 20-30 apartments. According to some experts, the maximum number of rooms in a boutique hotel should not exceed 150, because only in this case, the service may be personalized. They believe that the main feature of a boutique hotel is its chamber character and some mental connection between the clients of the hotel and its staff (for example, in some hotels the staff should know all the guests staying at the hotel by name). Others, including the founder and CEO of Ian Schrager Hotels Ian Schrager, believe that the key to the boutique hotel is not a small number of rooms and personified service, but the opportunity to involve the guests into a special atmosphere, influencing all their senses through architecture, design, colors, light and music. For example, these are the main peculiarities of Schragers boutique hotels Paramount H otel (597 rooms) and Hudson Hotel (1000 rooms) (Bell 2008). The word boutique also determines the degree of comfort and uniqueness of the hotel service. A boutique hotel is primarily a unique interior design. A boutique hotel is not necessarily trendy, but is always stylish. The design of a boutique hotel is often strictly kept within one theme: English aristocratic gloss of the late 19th century or ultra-minimalism, for instance. Nowadays, certain interiors for boutique hotels are developed by the leading representatives of the worlds design art, from Philippe Starck to Christian Lacroix (Craig, 2010). Special services offered today by boutique hotels form another quality that makes them special. Services provided by various boutique hotels are typically exclusive. For example, the boutique hotel Benjamin in New York takes care of guests domestic animals; Manor at Ngorongoro at the foot of the volcano Ngorongoro in Tanzania offers an exciting excursion to Maasai tribes encampment. Classic services of VIP-tourism and boutique hotels also include helicopter transfer or jacuzzi with champagne. The main task of a boutique hotel lies in bringing individuality, sometimes at the maximum level. The style, intimacy familiar to the guests, and palpable contrast to other hotels these are the characteristic features of a boutique hotel, which is an ideal place for customers looking for a hotel where they can relax and all their wishes will be fulfilled quickly and accurately (Craig 2010). That is why sometimes boutique hotels are based on old castles or old hotels, i.e. places which have their own history and heritage, providing special individuality of boutique hotels. For the same reason, boutique hotels can often be located in places not originally intended for tourists. Today, they are opened on the territory of former factories, abandoned farmsteads and even aircraft hangars. At the same time, while creating a hotel, designers often try to preserve the atmosphere of the previous premises in order to make the guest feel special. Thus, the customer of a boutique hotel can feel like a character of a fairy-tail, adventure novels, detective or love story (McIntosh Siggs, 2005). All the boutique hotels in the world can be divided into 2 groups: urban and resort hotels. Having much in common, these groups still have significant differences. For example, in urban boutique hotels, one of the key factors for success is the location. The hotel must be located in a landmark city and preferably in the most popular part of it. The location is determined not only by the concept of convenience, but also by the presence of stylish and trendy neighbors. That is why lots of boutique hotels are located in cities like New York, Miami, London, Paris, and Los Angeles, although recently there emerges a trend of opening boutique hotels in smaller cities with the great potential for future development (Hachisu 2008). Another situation concerns resort boutique hotels. The hotels location is also important here, but fashion placements are often hidden from prying eyes and seek to create a chic and exceptional comfort far away from the civilization, e.g. on remote islands or in wild jungle. Moreover, the more difficult is the road to the hotel, the more stylish and fashionable it is considered. While urban boutique hotels are often full of technical gadgets, from banal DVD-players to exotic electronically controlled beds, resort boutique hotels tend to provide recreation in isolation from technologies; and the lack of phones or TV-sets in the room is not some sad omission, but the deliberate technical asceticism. And this is not a complete list of differences (Lim Endean 2009). Another feature of a boutique hotel is that its main target audience is represented by people aged 20-50 with average or high income. The cost of living in a boutique hotel due to its uniqueness is often really quite high. Typically, each room of a boutique hotel is unique and each one has its own price. Today the lowest level of prices per room in a boutique hotel is about 200 Euros per day. This price level is valid for the boutique hotels of Europe, particularly Paris, Barcelona, Florence, Moscow, Istanbul or Rome, as well as for hotels in New York, Mexico City and Buenos Aires (Aiemens 2008). Thus, by analogy with the trading format, a boutique hotel should be small, should offer high quality services, and provide individual service. Therefore, it should be classified as a five-star or luxury hotel. In addition, such hotels, obviously, should be unique and have impressive interiors. At the same time, there are no single international standards managing the procedure of designation of an object to the class of boutique hotels, so each operator interprets the word in its own way. Today, one can find five-star (ecological Vida Sol e Mar in Brazil) and three-star (Rockhouse villas in Jamaica) hotels, as well as hostels (Rooms Deluxe in Valencia, Spain) among the boutique hotels (Parker, 2006). However, there still exist some characteristics allowing hotel owners to refer to the status of designer or boutique hotel. For example, when selecting objects for the Mgallery network, the hotel chain Accor outlines the following conditions: 1) the building and (or) the hotel should have its own history, 2) it should have an outstanding location, known for its unique concept, 3) it should be exclusive in its interior design and (or) the exterior (architecture), 4) it should prove personalized services (The Complete Guide To: European boutique hotel). It seems that the absence of strict standards, allowing the inclusion of an object to the boutique format, opens up great opportunities for operators. Each hotel with small number rooms and apartments should strive to become a boutique hotel, which would sound nice and expensive. In addition, the individuality, which is perhaps the only more or less general criterion for this format, can hide the mismatch with the classical standards of hotels in relation to the amount of apartments and range of services (The Complete Guide To: European boutique hotel). But for some reasons, the hoteliers do not hurry to declare their objects as designer or boutique hotels. In fact, the status of a boutique produces too many obligations, and it is sometimes easier to position the hotel as a mini-hotel and get free of special obligations to guests. In general, it is rather expensive to build a boutique hotel and it is rather difficult to create a special atmosphere. Thus, boutique is a complex of feelings the hotel wants to give to its guest. The service and staff form the desire to always return to this hotel. At the same time, every privilege entails responsibility (Parker 2006). Difference between Boutique Hotels and Hotels That is true, that the majority of population has already got used to the term of hospitality industry, and the contemporary hotel business is really a powerful industry. But the question is if the contemporary industrial approach compatible to the very notion of hospitality, the warmth which is so necessary for the guest exhausted by the current stressful life and willing to feel the same comfort and convenience far from home. And though the competitors accuse boutiques in the aggressive behavior on the market and even give them the nickname boutique terrorists (the term belongs to John Jarvis, the Head of Jarvis Hotels), the secret of their success is rather in their capacity to revive the forgotten art of hospitality (Keeps, 2006). A little more than a decade passed since the time when the American hotelier Ian Schrager first formulated the concept of the boutique hotels, and now boutique hotels can be found in major business centers in the world New York, London, Paris, Sydney, Los Angeles. In the vast metropolis, where life is humming 24 hours a day, they are the oasis of peace and comfort (McGinnis 2004). Generally, boutique hotel differ from the dull monotony of branded hotels with their creativity and imagination both in interior design and style of service. But returning to the previously given distinctive features of the boutique hotels, it is worth noting that sometimes everything regarding them is mistakenly reduces only to the design, but boutique hotels are not only design. Surely, exclusive design primarily determines the individuality of the hotel, but it is designed to help sell the hotel once or twice; later the guests will need something more. And this something more is individuality, distinguishing these hotels from just branded ones (Lea). Saying boutique hotel, one always involves the notion of individuality in everything: not only and not so much in service and personification of the customer, but rather in architecture, staff, and atmosphere. According to Ian Schrager, boutique hotels are subversive. The idea is to do something contrary, something that violates the status quo, and as long as it is well executed it works. If its not well executed, then its just trendy (Boutique Hotel Resort Trends). Compared with other hotels, boutique hotels have one more difference, but rather an advantage in terms of economy. Sometimes, boutique hotels may not spent money on the creation and maintenance of such expensive components, as a restaurant or conference hall. Despite the fact that the boutique hotel may successfully exist without them, the establishment of such services can bring significant additional income to the hotel. So the hotels sometimes rent such premises themselves or provide rent to some other organization (Yanos, 2008). Besides, the statistics of visits of boutique hotels shows that they have a considerably higher percentage of customers return, compared with industry averages. This allows them to better survive in the hard times of economic crises and recessions. Nevertheless, boutique hotels have to constantly monitor the changing market, consumer tastes, fashion trends in the field of hospitality, in order to maintain their competitive advantage and continue to be in the forefront of the market (ONeill Mattila, 2010). Reasons for growing popularity of Boutique Hotels Experts believe that one reason for the stunning success of boutique hotels are the changes in the customer base of hotels: with the rising living standards the number of rich young clients who travel a lot has increased; they get bored of the monotony proposed by standard hotels and are looking for hotels, which would give them a sense of not only physical but also spiritual comfort (Boutique Hotels Magazine, 2009). Of course, all of the above does not mean at all that the era of large branded hotel is coming to an end. This is evidenced by the success of giant companies like, for example, Hilton London Metropole, which focuses on the congress market, having 1,073 rooms and 39 halls, 2 of which can accommodate 1900 people each, and another 1300. Its competitor for the title of Europes largest hotel is Berlin Estrel Residence Congress Hotel. These hotels, built in the late 1990s, in no way resemble a conveyor for sleeping. Elegantly eclectic, they are different in functional comfort and technological perfection. And the results are explicit their load rarely falls below 90% (Bender 2009). The success of such hotels suggests that the needs of the people are changing, and those who want to succeed in the hospitality business of the 21st century, must take into account that the marketing approach to identification of potential customers by demographic characteristics (age, sex, nationality, socio-economic status) is out-of-date now, since these characteristics do not determine the persons inner world, his desires and needs (McKinney, 2008). Psychography, which studies the values a certain person is committed to, the feelings that he experiences, his vital interests, and all the things that truly characterize a person, must now form the basis of marketing strategy. According to Chip Conley, the president the chain of 16 boutique hotels Joie de Vivre Hospitaliry, hotel owners should realize that their task is not just to provide people a place to sleep, but to help them implement their dreams. Three days stay in our hotel makes a customer feel a bit more refined, artistic, and intelligent; it even changes ones manner of speaking. And we win the competition, because we give our guests a unique opportunity to experience their personal uniqueness (Bell, 2008). The growth of supply always, including the hospitality market, leads to increased competition. The ruined hotels have been acquired by more successful competitors; some of them have themselves asked for that. Surely, in sharp competition for independent hotels it has been more difficult to survive. Life has pushed hoteliers to chain reaction (Bender 2009). Today, fans of the worlds most famous chains can find their favorite hotel in any corner of the world and be at the same time sure that the facilities and furnishings, a set of services, the food, and even the staff uniforms are almost identical in all the hotels of the chain whether in New York or London, Mexico City or Paris, Moscow or Singapore (Bender 2009). The unification surely gives the brands significant advantages in the fight for the customer compared to independent hotels, which keep their individuality. Many people are afraid of the unknown. Using the services of a hotel with a famous name, the client having lived in the hotel of the chain is quite aware of what awaits him, and as a consequence, the choice of the hotel is based on the previous positive experience (Bell, 2008). Originating as small independent companies, managed by private entrepreneurs or small companies, boutique hotels have changed over time and are now represented among the major hotel operators. First separate chains appeared consisting solely of boutique hotels (for example, Bvlgari Hotels and Resorts, created with the participation of Luxury Group, a division of Marriott International Company that also managers hotels Ritz-Carlton; networks of SLS Hotels and Joie De Vivre hotels), and then the majors of hospitality market, seeing the success of these hotels and noting the faster growth of income, including rate RevPAR, as compared to conventional network hotels, decided to enter the market of boutique hotels and recapture market share themselves. Among the most striking examples of the recent period are W Hotels managed by the well-known international operator Starwood Hotels and Resorts (McIntosh Siggs 2005). Design Hotel, originally conceived as an alternative to the standard objects of classical hotel chains, today themselves unite in networks: Boutique Hotels Resorts International, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Select Hotels Resorts International, Relais Chateaux are just some of them (Lea). Investors and Boutique Hotels Researches carried out by audit firms show that the niche of boutique hotels is very promising from a commercial point of view. Thus, for 6 years, from January 1995 to November 2000, the demand for the rooms in boutiques has increased by 14%, whereas in the traditional branded hotel deluxe it grew by only 4%. The average load in boutiques in 2000 was 74%, which though slightly, only by 1-2% but exceeded the load of luxe hotels. The average room prices (ADR) in the boutiques by the end of 2000 was $ 210 compared with $ 150 in luxe hotels. And RevPAR (Revenue per average room) in the boutique in this case was $ 160 versus $ 118 in luxe hotels (Craig, 2010). Hotels, owned by Ian Schrager and Bill Kimpton, a chain of hotels Joie de Vivre (Joy of Life a meaningful name), and finally the hotels W, created by Starwood Hotels Resorts, are rapidly filling America, going beyond its borders recently, the first W boutique appeared in Sydney. Interestingly, the hotel was rebuilt from the former wool storing warehouse. Today, the W chain includes 16 hotels, 5 of which are in New York. Hotels of the chain are characterized by rather small size for America, unique architectural and design solutions, and exquisite service, which allows them to attract a variety of important clients including the stars of show business (Boutique Hotels On The Rise). The services proposed to the guest deserve a special mention. Apart from conventional high-quality hotel services like round the clock room service, guest parking, strong rooms for storing valuables, health center and meeting rooms, they offer a service which is not found anywhere else, except W hotels the so-called Whatever/Whenever service, which implements literally any desire from a ticket to a fashion show to champagne bath (McKinney 2008). Life has confirmed the correctness of the chosen strategy of Starwood in 2000, 12 W hotels gave 15% of all incomes of the giant group, and it was not due to gaining over the clients from Westin and Sheraton, also included in the Starwood Group. The nearest plans of Starwood include bringing the number of W Hotels to 50-70, going beyond North America (McKinney 2008). Boutique hotels have become a very fashionable trend in the hospitality industry. Investors want to build them, travelers want to stay there, travel news commentators praise their advantages. But how popular are they among owners? How profitable are boutique hotels compared to other hotels of the class? To answer this question, the company PKF Hospitality Research (PKF-HR) conducted an analysis of revenues, expenses and profitability of boutique hotels that provided their annual reports to the annual study of trends in the hospitality industry. The sample involved only hotels that provided data for all years from 2000 to 2006 (Lea). For the analysis the boutique hotels of famous brands and independent hotels were selected. In 2006, selected boutique hotels had an average of 166 rooms with occupancy 77.3% and the average price $ 223.23. For comparison, independent hotels were taken by an average of 244 rooms with occupancy 71.8% and the average price $ 140.84 (Yanos, 2008). From 2000 to 2006, boutique hotels showed a steady growth of the following indicators: occupancy, average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per average room (RevPAR). For seven years, boutique hotels achieved the increase in RevPAR by 162.6%. This was the result of occupancy increasing by 106.1% and ADR by 154.4%. In 2006, income from hotels restaurant service was 23.5% of the total income. This is lower than the average number for the industry 26,7%. Nevertheless, the total revenue of boutique hotels was by the record 56.1% higher than the average for the United States. It should be noted that some of the boutique hotels rent restaurants to other companies, which reduces their share in total income. But the expenses of boutique hotels are also higher. From 2000 to 2006, the expenses of boutique hotels were about 55% higher than the average in the U.S. (Yanos 2008). Despite the high rates in the period from 2000 to 2006, the profitability of this segment varies widely from year to year. In good times boutique hotels reach record levels, but the decline in the industry in 2001-2003 affected them more seriously (Yanos, 2008). From 2000 to 2003 the average U.S. hotel revenues decreased by 15,1% and return by 36,2%. Boutique hotels had the same indicators decreased by 25% and 52.9% respectively. On the contrary, from 2004 to 2006, boutique hotels recover from the recession quicker than the rest of the industry. Their income increased by 36,6% and operating profit by 75,5%. Restoration of most ordinary hotels was more gradual: 26,7% and 45,8% respectively. Unstable rates of boutique hotels may be partly related to their predominantly urban location. Largest cities suffered most from the recession, but recovered quicker. Boutique hotels have to pay for their high performance by its instability (Yanos 2008). The first generation of boutique hotels had many similar characteristics. They were often housed in historical buildings a few blocks from downtown. Thanks to tax rebates for the restoration of historic buildings they could keep costs at a manageable level and redirect most of the money to the interior design. Moderation in construction costs, along with outstanding market performance creates opportunities for return of investment (Hachisu, 2008). But in recent years, boutique hotels have mainly been built anew without the charm of antiquity, which is associated with boutique hotels. On the contrary, they thrive because of their modernity, fashionableness, style and technological equipment. As a result, construction costs increase, but get balanced by traditionally high rates in this sector (McGinnis, 2004). The new wave of boutique hotels makes emphasis on the modern surrounding, high-tech electronics, thought-out selection of works of art and fashion individual features, such as living-rooms in the network of W Hotels. An example of a new generation of hotels may be the W Hotel under construction for the 225 rooms in Hoboken, New Jersey, located on the bank of the Hudson River opposite to Manhattan (McGinnis, 2004). The project appeared back in 2001 when brothers Michael and David Barry from Applied Development proposed to build a hotel and residential building of the W in Hoboken, which was then just beginning to develop. And now the construction of 26-storey building is at full swing. In December, when the hotel opens, visitors will see the beautiful panorama with views of Manhattan, a bar with fireplaces and room for parties for 500 people. Occupancy perspectives now seem more serious than before five Manhattan W hotels are often overcrowded. Hoboken is only the beginning. It is planned to open W Hotel in Oak Brook, Illinois, in La Jolla and Huntington Beach in California and in the Coconut Grove in Miami (ONeill Mattila 2010). The largest independent network of boutique hotels Kimpton, which appeared in 1981, has recently opened Palomar Hotel in Arlington; its their third hotel in northern Virginia, in the suburbs of Washington, where they own seven hotels. The plans of Kimpton include the further development of the network in the province, for example, in Chantilly, Virginia, 25 miles from the city. Nine of the forty-two existing hotels Kimpton are located in the suburbs (ONeill Mattila 2010). Recently new hotels have been opened by the brand Hotel Indigo owned by InterContinental in Newton, Massachusetts (near Boston) and in Fishers, Indiana (near Indianapolis). Half of the 17 existing and half of the 62 planned hotels Hotel Indigo are suburban, mostly near the prestigious shopping, business and residential centers. The main reasons for locating design hotels in province are as follows: Tourists are tired of traditional hotels. Business people and young people are especially demanding. For markets where luxury W is not required, Starwood formed a network of mid-market hotel segment Aloft. The first one will open this year in Lexington, Massachusetts, 10 miles from Boston. Suburbs are developing. Local business is developing, and large retail chains such as Ikea, Pottery Barn and Target are helping to clear the way for democratization of design. The cost of land in major cities is growing. It is more profitable to open hotels in the suburbs, where land and construction are cheaper. In addition, there is less competition (Yanos, 2008). So far, these hotels are mainly being opened in the suburbs of the 25 largest U.S. cities, where one can raise the price higher. And most of these hotels belong to the networks with limited services and no restaurants, such as the Holiday Inn Express, Fairfield Inn, Hampton Inn and La Quinta (ONeill Mattila 2010). In promoting and advertising boutique hotels, it is necessary to remember that these hotels are visited not because they are convenient or comfortable, but, primarily because they are fashionable and prestigious. Therefore, promoting a boutique hotel, like in the case of many other products on the market, where it is not the product but an image which is sold, should be done appropriately. The main task is, as marketing expert say, sending a message. This message in the case of boutique hotels is more important than ever. No matter what it would be: the formation of a special aura of the hotel connected with its location or atmosphere, or a beautifully presented history of the hotel; the main thing is to create a smart and unique product that is then necessary to properly convey to the audience, using various channels: direct marketing, media and public relations, profile travel agencies (ONeill Mattila 2010). Conclusion Thus, small exclusive boutique hotels have become more popular among affluent travelers, than the major hotel brands. In contrast to the well-known and comfortable hotels, peculiar with their uniformity, boutique hotels can offer an individual approach to the customers interests. In addition, nowadays there is a growing demand for luxury and extra comfort among the tourists, while each boutique hotel is the only one of its kind, allowing guests to feel their uniqueness and belonging to the higher strata of society (Parker, 2006). The owners of hotel chains do not disregard such a promising market. Furthermore, according to findings by researchers from the hotel school at Cornell University, independent hotels have practically no chance to compete with hotel chains. Nowadays, realizing the dominant advantage of boutique hotels, the hoteliers have started creating chains of boutique hotels, which are supposed to have promising future (Aiemens, 2008). PKF Hospitality Research predicts a relatively stable situation for the next few years. No significant jumps up or down in the hotel industry as a whole, occupancy rates and tariffs is not expected. Given the mobility of economic indicators of boutique hotels, it will be interesting to see how they will show themselves in a stable situation. According to PKF-HR, boutique hotels will continue to demonstrate high levels, but without previously observed strong deviations (Parets 2004).

The Effect of Music on Psychology and Behavior Essay -- A Level Essays

The Effect of Music on Psychology and Behavior There have always been discussions of the effects music has on ones behavior, and how it’s related to Psychology. The truth has never really been verified among common knowledge, but it’s usually something that intrigues people. They say heavy metal and rap can make teenagers violent, sad and depressing music can make teenagers sad and depressed, and some say it’s best to listen to classical music when doing schoolwork because it makes your brain more active. There have been many people that reported how music has effects on their behavior. It can lift their mood, â€Å"fuel the fire† when they’re angry, or even make it easier for them to fall asleep. People never really get the chance to research the actual science of music, and how it changes people attitudes. It’s also interesting to think about how music plays a role in someone’s identity. Many articles found discuss the Social Identity Theory, and the people who conduct these experiments always keep this in mind, â€Å"Social identity theory (SIT; Tajfel, 1978; Tajfel & Turner, 1979) maintains that individuals gain a social identity from the groups to which they belong. The theorists claim that members have a desire to evaluate their own group positively and that they achieve positive evaluations through social comparisons with relevant other groups along valued dimensions. One maintains positive social identity and self-esteem through in-group favoritism, positive distinction from the out-group, and, occasionally, out-group derogation (e.g., Noel, Wann, & Branscombe, 1995)† (Tarrant, North, Hargreaves, 2001). Towson’s online database is an excellent place to research what has been found on music’s effects on psychology, and ... ... also determines their place in society. Ones place in society can then determine how their life will develop because you associate with the people and characteristics of that group. If one were to listen to rap and become associated with the people in that group, it’s likely that they will become sexually active and become involved in illicit drug use. This could then determine their education (whether or not they drop out of school) and eventually what they end up doing for a living. Music has a very strong influence on the lives of adolescents. It seems almost as if music has a stronger role than things like religion and politics. People usually think that music just determines how adolescents act, but after researching in depth you find that music determines much more than that. Music can be a determining factor in their education, social status, and their future.

Buddhism: The Three Characteristics of Existence Essay -- essays resea

There are three characteristics of existence. This is an important part of the teaching of Buddha. The teaching of the three characteristics is part of what we might call the doctrinal contents of wisdom. In other words, when we talk about the knowledge and the understanding that is implied by wisdom, we have this teaching in mind. The three characteristics of existence that we have in mind are the characteristics of impermanence (Anitya), suffering (Duhkha) and not-self (Anatma). These three characteristics are always present in or are connected with existence, and they tell us about the nature of existence. They help us to know what to do with existence. What we learn to develop as a result of understanding the three characteristics is renunciation. Once we understand that existence is universally characterized by impermanence, suffering and not-self, we eliminate our attachment to existence. Once we eliminate our attachment to existence, we gain the threshold of Nirvana. This is the purpose that understanding the three characteristics serves. It removes attachment by removing delusions, the misunderstanding that existence is permanent, is pleasant and has something to do with the self. This is why understanding the three characteristics is part of the contents of wisdom. The first of the three characteristics of existence is the characteristic of impermanence (Anitya). If we look at our own personality, we will find that our bodies are impermanent. They are subject to constant change. We grow thin. We grow old and grey, our teeth fall out, and our hair falls out. Similarly, our mental states are impermanent. At one moment we are happy, and at another moment we are sad. As infants, we hardly understand anything. As adults, in the prime of life we understand a great deal more. And again in old age we lose the power of our mental faculties and become like infants. Our minds are also characterized by impermanence. This is true also of the things that we see around us. Everything we see around us is impermanent. Not one thing will last forever - not the office blocks, nor the temples, nor the rivers and islands, nor the mountain chains, nor the oceans. We know for a fact that all these natural phenomena, even those that appear to be the most durable, even the solar system itself will one day decline and become extinct. This process of constant change of all ... ...s understood, once interconnectedness becomes part of the way of seeing the world, then suffering arises from the personal concept of an independent self. Anatta is the view that there is no enduring self. All phenomena are conditioned-have a begging and end-so there is nothing to which they can attach. Suffering arises from the illusion that impermanent conditioned states are permanent and can be possessed by a self. Moreover, there is no self or soul, which carries on after death. Instead we are merely a collection of groups of grasping which are in a continual state of flux. Rebirth is possible only because our desires and volition drive us. Every living being, every living thing in this universe is subject to impermanency. The destruction of the whole universe is very certain. The body will be dissolved and no amount of sacrifice will save it. Looking to life we notice how it is changing, continually moving between contrasts. We notice rise and fall, success and failure, loss and gain, we meet honor and contempt, praise and blame, and we feel how our hearts respond to all that, with happiness and sorrow, delight and despair, disappointment and satisfaction, fear and hope.

Voltaires Candide Through My Present Day View Essay -- essays research

The world as I see it is not perfect. In this present day and age there are some people that like to believe that god created a beautiful planet, but I believe the devil should receive some credit for its creation also. One of the world’s greatest satires, Candide by Voltaire, some characters feel the same way that I do. However others do not. Martin, a skeptic thinks this is not â€Å"the best of all possible worlds† (â€Å"Candide†102), as Dr. Pangloss would say. My present worldview is more close to the view of the eighteenth century character Martin, in the book Candide. Martin, an old philosopher who embarked with candide shows strong pessimistic views. Candide is pretty much a follower and is not a very intelligent man. He looks up to Dr. Pangloss, his mentor. I disagree with candide’s point of view on life, because he is a follower of another man and doesn’t know how to live his own life. Through out the book Candide many of the characters die horrible deaths. The entire book is mainly a satire attacking simple human follies and frailties. The vice being ironically attacked here is optomisticism. Most of the characters are killed brutally or hurt fiercely for some of the most stupid reasons. One incident from the book involves Candide reuniting with his old master dr. Pangloss. Early in the book Candide reunites with Dr. Pangloss scabbed, spitting out teeth, and choking. Pangloss is diseased with syphilis. Pangloss obtained this disease from a slave girl named Paquette. This ...

Cognition, Memory and Perception Essay

Forgetting is the inability of a person to retrieve, recall or recognize information that was stored or still stored in long term memory. (McLeod, S. A. 2008). In terms of short term memory, forgetting is caused by interference between past and new information that most modern accounts that holding on to. In some older models, forgetting is explained using a process of passive deterioration of information. Comparing both accounts, interference seems to have a better explanation of forgetting. Secondly in terms of long term memory, forgetting occurs when one fails to remember and unable to reactivated the memory circuit of given information. In general, forgetting seems to happen in between short term and long term memory. It will occur when information is to be encoded or information is not linked to any memory circuit through interference. (â€Å"What is forgetting in psychology? †, 2008). However, nowadays, there are theories of forgetting in cognitive psychology that are still difficult to test by researches, because one may in fact not forget, but have trouble retrieving information from one’s memory storage. For examples, one forgets about an event such as attending a friend’s birthday party just because the individual were only remembering another event that is more important to him such as a wedding dinner. The examples of the theories of forgetting are encoding failure, decay theory, interference theory, retrieval failure, motivated forgetting and repression. The author of this paper will going to critically asses on the psychological theories on why people forget. According to Freud (1901), the father of the psychoanalytic school, believed that one will forget of what threatens them. For example, experiences that express in abusing, horrifying, hurtful, tense and ego-dissatisfying will pushed back to the unconscious. Based on the opinion of writer on this paper, it is not necessarily that one just forgets about what threatens them but also forgets the information that does not seem important to them. This scenario is similar to the theory of encoding failure whereas the particular information in short term memory that did not manage to encode in the long term memory and the information did not enter to the memory. Besides that, encoding failure also can be result of stress. Based on Yerkes-Dodson Law, too much stress results can cause performance to decline, sometimes sharply if cognitive or nervous breakdown is triggered. A downturn can also be caused by excessive attention to a task such that extra factors that are important get missed. Secondly, the decay theory, this theory suggests that memory traces in the brain will fade over time through lack of use and become inaccessible. Decay theory suggest that forgetting is a psychological process and it is an idea that when a memory has a physical or chemical trace of the experience in the brain when it is laid down. This traces will fade as time passes unless it is reinforced through repeated times of use. For example, when a person meets a new friend, the name of the friend is just like a trace to the brain. But when the person did not manage to meet up with that new friend for a few days, the name of the friend will slowly decay and might not recall it after. However, researchers have not shown that decay theory causes forgetting of something that is stored in the long term memory. In addition, based on the author’s opinion, memory such as driving skills, riding bicycle skills and swimming skills would not decay even though after a period of time, not every memory trace will fade over time. Some studies of the hippocampus have shown a pattern of rapid and then gradual decline of neutral pathways by Anderson (1995).Besides that, there are two types of the interference theory that is, proactive interference and retroactive interference. The definition of the proactive interference is when old information interferes with the new information that cause forgetting. Example of proactive interference theory is when a person who learned many formulas in additional mathematics for a year and learned new sets of formulas for modern mathematics for a month and the person will interfere with the knowledge of additional mathematics while doing modern mathematics. On the other hand, retroactive interference occurs when new information learned interfere with the old information that stored in the memory. Remembering the names of the new students by a lecturer is an example of retroactive interference where the new students name will nterfere with the names that were previously stored. However, researches pointed out that real life interference might not occur so readily. The retrieval failure theory was proposed by (Tulving & Thomson 1973). This theory is known as a cue dependent forgetting that explains forgetting as inability to retrieve material due to an absence of the right cues. In order that one person to retrieve information from the long-term memory, they must depend on the type of cue or prompt which they use and this theory explained that why sometimes that one who unable to remember the material that is certain in our memory. For example, a person cannot remember doing his homework until him or her saw the workbook on the table. This proves that the workbook provide the right retrieval cue. According to Freud (1901), the retrieval of the repressed memories is possible only under special circumstances using a few psychoanalytic techniques. On the other hand, there is a tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon (TOT) that could help one to retrieve forgotten memories. TOT is an example of how we intentionally search for cues that will prompt the retrieval of a specific memory. For example, a person that forgets their neighbor pet’s name and only remembers the dumbbell which hangs around the neck of the pet. By reading the word dumbbell, TOT assists the person to recall that the neighbor pet’s name was Dumble. Furthermore, the motivated forgetting is a case of retrieval failure referred to Freud, (1901). What it actually meant by motivated forgetting? According to Freud (1901), motivated forgetting is that we are motivated to forget the events or actions that is painful that cannot be solve in the memory by pushing it into the subconscious and actively repressing with it. In other words, these experiences are repressed in the unconscious and unable to retrieve when needed. Besides motivated forgetting causes oneself repression of memory, it is possible that one forgets is based on instructions of others and also known as the intentional forgetting or directed forgetting. Anderson, Baddeley and Eysenck (2009) stated that intentional forgetting also refers to forgetting which is initiated by a conscious goal to forget. McNally, Clancy, and Schacter (2001) also stated that loss of autobiographical memories, especially memories for unpleasant or disturbing events has used to explain the intentional forgetting. However, based on the author’s opinion, motivate forgetting on the memories of pain, unpleasant, and disturbing events are unhealthy to one’s body, physically and mentally. What if the capacity of the subconscious has a limit and it cannot continue to repress any more of the memory of negative events, it will causes an unwanted pressure and stress on the individual emotionally and lead to suicide if it reaches the limit. Last but not least, theory of repression, proposed by the psychologist Sigmund Freud. Freud (1901) stated that the unpleasant memories such as sexual abuse, bullying, torture or any traumatic experience which undergoes the psychological process which automatically and unconsciously prevents emotionally distressing memories from coming into our conscious awareness. In the event or experience in the present such as watching a video, hypnosis or hearing music may triggered the repressed memories back into conscious awareness. However, he stated that, repressed memories cannot deliberately bring back unless it was triggered. The memory researches pointed out that the retrieval memories come back into awareness through suggestion by the patient’s therapist in fact are false memories. In the nutshell, all the theories above that have discussed which are the encoding failure, decay theory, interference theory, retrieval failure, motivated forgetting and repression. Overview of this research, readers can determine that every theories of forgetting have relation between one another and it is all related to the short-term memory and long-term memory. If the short-term memory does not exist, there is no long-term memory. In the author’s point of view, some of the theories that have discussed above are too narrow in scope and did not manage to cover all the factors such as emotion of a person that will lead to forgetting. In the author’s opinion, every psychologist that is doing on the same research should investigate and plan the experiments together so that all the psychologists able to brainstorm on their findings and share their thoughts together in order to improve their theories. Besides that, I believe that, all the human being does not want to repress all those negatives events that had ever happened in their lives into their subconscious mind. This is because after repressing or suppressing those memories into the subconscious mind, it would not provide safety precautions in terms of physically and mentally to everyone. What if one day, one person those who suffer from sexual abuse and torture since childhood and triggered that memory back and do the same thing to others. This will lead to even more people suffers.

Gothic Subculture †Sinister or Harmless? Essay

â€Å"What are the worst dangers that threaten our children today? Satanism? Drugs? Homosexuality? A culture of violence? Heat exhaustion? What if there was a danger that included all of these? That danger is here, and its name is GOTH. † 1 Those words, taken from the website hosted by Parents American Religious Organizations Defending Youth which main purpose is to inform and warn parents against dangers related to Gothic subculture, best summarize the confusion around the phenomenon of being ‘Goth’. Is gothdom a sinister cult posing danger to the society or a harmless movement, one among many? The commonly negative reputation of the Gothic subculture, especially among parents and teachers, has its roots in stereotypes. ‘Stereotype’ is defined in the Webster’s New World Dictionary as â€Å"a fixed or conventional notion or conception, as of a person, group, idea, etc. , held by a number of people, and allowing for no individuality, critical judgment, etc. † Stereotypes are usually imposed on the group of people they are applied to by others who are not within the group but are instead critical of them, very often due to lack of understanding or fear. Thus stereotypes are simplified cutouts representing general ideas rather than real living human beings, depriving them of their exceptional individual features. Such attitude easily leads to intolerance, resentment and loss of communication between general society and the subculture, hiding the real truths of alive people behind the stereotypical fiction. Among many stereotypes related to Goths, one of the most common ones is obsession with death. The commonly held view is that they are antisocial outcasts attempting suicide or desiring to kill someone else. In reality, Goths’ fascination with everything related to death is not as superficial as it appears at first sight. Their â€Å"viewpoint on death is one of acceptance of the fate that awaits us all rather than ‘whistling past the graveyard’, denying death and hoping it will just go away. Goths accept death as a natural part of life, part of the natural balance of things. This does not mean, however, that Goths invite death by attempting suicide or homicide – instead they accept and respect death for what it is, and move on. â€Å"2 Although the notion of suicide is fascinating among them, it is not accepted as a solution to their own existential problems, but as an admitted failure to their emotions of despair, loss and loneliness. In this aspect it is the self-awareness and an attempt to overcome the fear of death, an attempt to pursue a critical analysis of their own proximity to death; a different attitude towards this problem, contrary to the one shown in tabloids and TV programmes, where the idea of dying is either ignored or deprived of its dignity. As Birgit Richard points out: â€Å"The Gothics are one of the most conspicuous subcultures because they work against the suppression of ageing with their deathly pale faces in a time when sun-studio tanned complexions are the epitome of health. They become the terror of a deathless producing and consuming culture which marginalizes the process of dying and bodily decay to be able to proclaim the ideal of perpetual youth. Putting death at the centre of their style and their lives becomes a provocation by a subcultural group of adolescents which cannot be forgiven by society. Youth has to look fresh and ‘tasty’; it is not supposed to walk around ‘dead’. In a society with an ever increasing average life expectancy, dealing with death is suitable only when a certain age has been reached. † Another stereotype commonly associated with Goths is that their culture is anti-Christian with its Satanic motifs, black clothing, occult jewellery and devilish music of Marilyn Manson. They are accused of the worship of Satan, dangerous rituals and blood-drinking. Being attracted to the idea of self-mutilation, they are proud of their scars and occult symbols carved with razor blades all over their bodies. The Gothic movement is considered dark and self-destructive, glorifying everything that is morbid, and degrading everything that is good. The truth hiding behind this stereotype is different. Although the rooms of the â€Å"blacks’ are designed in a special manner, e. g. containing small altars with accessories like grave-ribbons, crucifixes, grave lamps, candles and skulls, their purpose is not to serve as a place for black masses but to â€Å"reconstruct the dark atmosphere of the cemetery, its proximity to death, or serve as a cave that shelters from a threatening outside world. â€Å"3 The colour black which dominates the style of clothing does not stand for their attraction to Satan but expresses a sense of despair, ascetic isolation and is the symbolization of inevitable death. The same meaning is vital for hair dyed black, specific make-up with black eye-shadow, lipstick and nail polish, and a chalky white face. Since Goths are attracted to everything related to death, their favourite motifs in jewellery are skulls, skeletons and bones, which serve as memento more rather than provocative items. Other popular accessories, such as crucifixes, stars of David, ankh, the pentagram and the cross turned upside down, do not serve as symbols of Satanism but as distinguishing feature from the institutionalized church or a protective talisman against evil eye. â€Å"Symbolism rejected by as irrational by other parts of society enables them to express dissatisfaction with the institutionalized church and the completely rationalized modern civilization. â€Å"Also their favourite venue, cemetery, has a completely different function than the stereotypical one, considered as a place for morbid Satanic rituals, since it serves as a symbol of mortality, silence, isolation and mourning. To the majority of society Goths are plain deviants and worshippers of Marilyn Manson and other ‘dangerous’ music which inspired the tragic Columbine shootings 5. â€Å"The titles of the songs alone are enough to show just what kind of music this is: Gloomy Sunday, The Order of Death, Draining Faces, Laughing Pain, Haunted, Movement of Fear. These are dangerous songs, performed by dangerous bands. One band for example is called Type O Negative – a blood type, and clearly a reference to Vampirism. â€Å"6 While it may be true that many Goths enjoy Marilyn Manson’s music, almost all of them agree that he is not Goth as â€Å"the controversial shock-rock star with the satanic leanings and violence-tinged music has never been a part of their [Goths’] community, artistically or philosophically. â€Å"7 Besides, Manson probably borrowed from the media portrayal of the Gothic movement which predates his stardom by at least a decade, as its origin is usually placed in 1979. In conclusion, it must be said that evaluating the whole subculture by means of stereotypes may be more sinister than the community’s rules themselves as it shows no respect for the individual, leads to intolerance and finally creates a deep chasm between the general society and the Gothic community. It should not be forgotten that Goths have to cope with the same pressures that non-Goths encounter: social anxieties, family problems, every day failures and stresses. The only thing that differs is their way of dealing with those problems; a darker one and more introspective version of ‘normal’. Tolerance and understanding is what Goths long for, as is stated by one representative of the subculture: â€Å"One way or another, those of us in the Gothic community demand to exist with as many rights and as much respect as is given to any ‘normal’ human being. Our population are millions worldwide, and we laugh, cry, and live just like anyone else. We are your doctors, your counselors, your grocers, your teachers, your students, your librarians, your favourite authors, your fathers, your daughters, and your friends. We may choose to revel in the shadows, but we smile with those who would rather live in the light of day. Being Goth is not a ‘phase’, it is not dangerous, and it is not going anywhere. Everyone deserves a chance to simply be. This is all we ask: let us be. † BIBLIOGRAPHY Covelo, Benjamin. The Goth Music Death Machine. 28 May 2004:  http://redmusic.com