The eNotes Blog Mo Yan Wins the 2012 Nobel Prize forLiterature

Mo Yan Wins the 2012 Nobel Prize forLiterature This morning, the Nobel Prize for Literature  was announced.   The committee has granted the prestigious award to 57-year Chinese   author Mo Yan. In its press release, the Nobel Committee says that Mo Yan was selected for his writing that merges â€Å"hallucinatory realism (with) folk tales, history and the contemporary.† The choice, though widely lauded, has its critics as well. Although the subjects Yan typically writes about are non-political, the writer has been embraced by the Communist Party, something that gives dissident writers and others pause. Despite political concerns, few would argue that Mos work is not brilliant. His subject matter typically examines rural Chinese life through magical realism. Mos penchant for narrators like talking animals and his inclusion of elements from Chinese fairy tales has drawn comparisons of his work to that of Colombian author  Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Perhaps Mr. Mos best-known work in the Western world is his novel  Red Sorghum.  Published in 1986 and translated into English in 1992,  Red Sorghum  is a bandit-laced tale about the trials of life for rural Chinese. The novel was made into a  movie in 1987. Born in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong in 1955 to farming parents, Mo Yan is the pen name of Guan Moye.   Mo was a teenager during the Cultural Revolution. For several years, he took various agricultural jobs and then joined the Peoples Liberation Army. His first short story, Falling Rain on a Spring Night, was published in 1981.   Many more short stories and novels have since been published. His latest,  Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out,  was written in 2006 and translated into English in 2008.

Finding Your Writer’s Voice Expert Advice for Developing Your Style - Freewrite Store

Finding Your Writer’s Voice Expert Advice for Developing Your Style - Freewrite Store Whether you write blogs and articles or your focus is on fiction, you need to find your voice. Every writer has a unique voice or style - but sometimes it can take a while for you to actually find your own voice. Especially when you’re first starting out as a writer, you may find that you’re trying to imitate another writer’s voice, and that means your unique voice is hidden. Here’s the thing: you don’t need your writing to sound like another writer’s. In fact, imitating other writers’ style will not help your writing to get noticed. Your readers want something different, not another clone of a popular writer or author. They want to hear your voice - your unique, authentic voice. What Is a Writer’s Voice, and is it the Same as Your Style? Before we dive into the meat of this article, I want to take a moment to define what exactly I mean when I talk about your voice as a writer and how that relates to your overall style of writing. Some people argue that voice and style are two completely different things, but there are so many overlaps it’s impossible to separate them. Your voice as a writer comprises: Your personality Your tone Your choice of words Your use of punctuation Your attitude Your personal preferences or personal style Your approach to sentence structure Your attitude towards strictly following grammatical ‘rules’ Your use of formal or informal language Your use of language when you speak You can see from this list how your true writer’s voice will be unique to you because it’s affected by your personality and your unique way of using language. When it comes to style, there may be some variations in your voice, depending on the audience that you’re writing for. Ultimately, whether you’re writing for an academic publication, a magazine or publishing a blog, your voice should still shine through in your adaptation of a particular style. Your voice will also mean you favor particular styles of writing, too, so there’s no way of completely separating the topics of voice and style. But why do so many writers struggle to use their own writer’s voice? There’s actually a superb explanation. Beating Imposter Syndrome Those self-doubts that you experience every time you sit down to write, and that feeling that your writing can’t compete with all the ‘great’ writers out there, is often referred to as ‘imposter syndrome’. Although you love to write, you’re never satisfied with the results, and you’re constantly waiting for your readers to discover that you’re ‘not really a writer’. Imposter syndrome is a huge barrier to using your own unique voice. While there’s no magic way of getting rid of imposter syndrome, when you focus on developing your own voice instead of copying someone else’s style, you will gradually see the value of using your unique style. Techniques for Unleashing Your Writer’s Voice So, how can you explore your own writer’s voice when you’re so used to imitating your favorite writers? I’ve spent a lot of time researching this topic (since I really struggled with imposter syndrome when I first got started) and have pulled together some of the best advice and exercises that will help you discover your unique writing style. 1. Set Your Voice Free When I first started writing fiction, blogs and articles, I found that I was focusing far too much on ‘doing it right’. I could spend days writing and rewriting an opening sentence or paragraph because I was worried about breaking the ‘rules’. I blame the education system for enslaving me to a long list of grammatical rules that must not ever be broken. I was also too focused on finding stylistic guidelines to religiously follow, even though I hated those self-imposed regulations. The ridiculous part was that I knew that a lot of writers regularly broke both grammatical and stylistic rules, but I couldn’t bring myself to do that in my writing. I was trapped and I didn’t know how to get free. Then I discovered freewriting when I took a creative writing course as part of my college degree. We were instructed to spend at least 15 minutes every day freewriting, and I found it so liberating. So, what exactly is freewriting? Freewriting sets your voice free because you’re deliberately breaking the rules that hold your voice back. It gives you the opportunity to explore your creativity, to express yourself without restriction and stop worrying about ‘what people will think’. Because you’re freewriting just for yourself, there’s some psychological stuff going on that breaks the chains that have prevented your unique voice from truly emerging. 2. Write Even When You Don’t Have to Write If writing is your career, it’s easy to get into the trap of only writing when you have a project to complete (i.e. you only write when you’re getting paid to write). That’s not good for your writer’s voice, because you’re losing that sense of writing for pleasure and your writing can become more formulaic. Malcolm Gladwell, who wrote Outliers: The Story of Success,reckons that it takes 10,000 hours to perfect your craft - and while that figure may be an exaggeration (and has been disputed), I think it’s important to bear it in mind. You will not find your unique voice if you don’t get lots of practice - and that means you need to write for pleasure as well as for profit. Setting yourself (achievable) writing practice goals - for example, to write (for pleasure) for at least 30 minutes every day - can give you the space you need to explore your writer’s voice. When you have a regular writing habit that’s not hampered by guidelines set by other people, it’s easier to get into the flow that will reveal your own unique voice. At the end of each week, set aside some time to read back what you’ve been writing and you should be able to see patterns in your language and how your personality shines through your writing. That’s your writer’s voice, and the more you practice using it, the more comfortable you’ll become with sharing it with the world. 3. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone If you’re the kind of writer that sticks to one kind of writing (for example, you only write blogs, or you only write poetry, or you only write fantasy fiction), then getting out of your writing comfort zone can really help you discover more about your writer’s voice. When you write in a genre or format you’re not used to or don’t read a lot of, you don’t have the same preconceptions about what your writing ‘should’ sound like. That means that when you start writing, your voice is more likely to emerge easier since you’re not trying to make your writing ‘conform’ in some way. Here are some examples of types of writing that may be out of your writing comfort zone and can help you explore the way your writer’s voice emerges when it’s totally free: Creative nonfiction Journalistic-style writing A completely different genre of fiction to what you’re used to reading or writing. Genres include: Historical fiction Romantic fiction Children’s fiction Young adult fiction Science fiction Fantasy Crime Thriller Literary fiction A piece of persuasive writing A political speech Poetry A short play/film script Biographical writing 4. Take A Journey of Self-Discovery A crucial part of exploring your writer’s voice is knowing yourself and understanding how you view and relate to the world around you. If you’re struggling with your writer’s voice, maybe you need to spend some time on a journey of self-discovery. It’s really easy to be swayed by other people’s opinions and views - to the point that you can easily internalize someone else’s way of thinking and being. Because those views and thinking patterns can actually be at odds with your natural (unique) ways of thinking and being, there can be internal conflicts that may affect your writer’s voice. To reconnect with your way of thinking and being, you need to do some deep work in getting to grips with your own opinions, way of seeing the world, and your passions. At the root of self-discovery is paying attention to what makes you happy, what inspires you, what brightens your day, what makes you angry, what causes you’re passionate about. All of these things will impact on your unique writing voice, and so the more you explore them, the more you’ll be able to unleash your writer’s voice. Getting comfortable with you empowers you to take more risks in your writing and your writing voice will thank you for the investment you put into self-discovery. Journaling is an excellent means of self-discovery, and it’s good practice to get into a habit of regular self-discovery journaling sessions. There are guided journals available to buy from places like Amazon if you feel you need help in getting started with journaling. Or you could use these questions as prompts for your self-discovery sessions: My greatest strength is†¦ I can’t stand it when other people†¦ If I had a theme song it would be†¦ When I think about the future, the thing I fear the most is†¦ When faced with a challenge, I†¦ If I encountered a road that had three forks and one path led to a mountain, one led to a forest and the third led to an ocean, I would choose†¦ (explain why) The things I am most passionate about are†¦ The charitable cause I’m most passionate about is†¦ Injustice in the world makes me†¦ If I had an unlimited budget I would... Discover Your Writer’s Voice and Set Yourself Free Discovering and developing your writer’s voice is an adventure that can have a massive impact on the power of your writing. When you’re embarking on the adventure, though, remember that your voice continues to develop as you write. As you mature, for example, you may notice subtle changes to your writer’s voice and even the types of writing you enjoy the most. The goal in discovering and developing your writer’s voice is to get out of the imitation trap and learn to love your own unique voice instead of feeling you need to copy another writer you admire. When you invest in developing your writer’s voice, you’ll gain confidence and your writing will become much more impactful. Every writer has, at some time or other, struggled with their writer’s voice, even bestselling authors like Stephen King. Persevere with your journey of discovery and you’ll get to the point that Stephen King has reached - where your readers can recognize your voice without seeing your name.

Success in college Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Success in college - Term Paper Example As far as using the educational resources are concerned, I need to be apt with how these resources are made use of and what the best foot forward is when one thinks about the work representations. I can gain quite a lot if these educational resources are employed in a sound and positive way because this will mean that I am looking forward to receiving the best of education and academic intelligence which is needed in this day and age. This will also guarantee that I am aligned with how to make the best use of the changing technological facets which have come to the fore and which shall have a very strategic bearing on my growth and development over a period of time. For using the educational resources, I need to make the best use of my university library so that the hidden treasures within it are explored to the hilt. The articles, books and journals need to be discerned for finding out the very basics related with the respective subjects. This shall mean that I am doing my utmost to make sure that the wrong concepts and ideologies are taken care of in an appropriate way and any such apprehensions are also kept at bay within the thick of things (Hess, 2001). When one talks about the academic honesty dictum, I need to make sure that I remain one step ahead of the requirements which exist within the related fore. This can only happen if I know exactly how I will plan things accordingly and how I shall be able to reap rich dividends in the coming times. I would like to be head-on with the plagiarism policies which exist within an academic context. In order to be completely at par with the rules and policies, what I need to know is how I can make the best use of these academic principles, ethical considerations and the like so that I remain in line with the changing need dimensions of the time, more so when it concerns with the academic honesty discussions. Any university would dearly have an academic honesty policy that shall have implications for the plagiarism i ssues which come to the notice of all and sundry. These need to be avoided in order to bring upon success which is hidden beneath academic excellence. It is sound to know that in this day and age universities are undertaking efforts and initiatives to make sure that the dishonest students are removed from their realms because they add nuisance value to its lengths and breadths. Therefore all-out efforts should be in place to remain academically honest about one’s dealings and undertakings. From an educational perspective, it is always significant to know and find out what the long term and short term educational goals and objectives are. This means that these educational objectives need to be achieved over a period of time and proper concentration and attention must be paid towards the same. By this, I need to have clarity as far as comprehending how I can achieve success within the shortest possible time and what I need to do in order to bring out the best within my skills, abilities and competencies (McKenna, 2011). Indeed there would be a host of obstacles and difficulties which would stand in my way but what I must do under such circumstances is to make sure that I remain steadfast about my educational priorities and thus give my very best day in and day out. This shall allow me an understanding that I must always remain supreme as far as achieving my

LLB - UNIT 3 TORT 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LLB - UNIT 3 TORT 1 - Essay Example Violation of absolute right does not require the damage to be proved and it actionable per se, Ashby v. White4. The concept of Damnum5 and Injuria6 in relation to tortuous liability explains the real significance of legal damages. Damnum and Injuria are interrelated and determines act actionable or not actionable. These two factors have close relationship with tortuous liability. The relationship between these two terms is explained in the two maxims i) Injuria sine damno and ii) damnum sine (or obsque) injuria. Injuria sine damno: There are two torts one is actionable per se7 and the other is actionable only on proof of damage. Every person has an absolute right to immunity of his person, to his property, and to his liberty. Infringement of this right is actionable per se. In case of injuria sine damno a person whose rights are infringed has cause of action even though there is no actual loss or damage. Ashby v. White4 In this case a legally qualified vote of a person was refused maliciously causing injuria, but the person for whom voted was elected, causing no loss, held it is actionable applying the maxim injuria sine damno. Damnum sine injuria: In damnum sine injuria, where there is an actual and substantial loss (Damnum) without infringement of legal right (Injuria) no action leis. In a suit for damages based on a tort the plaintiff cannot succeed merely on the ground of damage unless he shows that the damage was caused by violation of his legal right. The following are the instances of Damnum sine injuria: Interception of percolating water:- A landowner and mill owner who had for about six years enjoyed the use of a stream, which was chiefly supplied by percolating underground water, lost the use of the stream after an adjoining owner dug on his own ground an extensive well for the purpose of supplying water to the inhabitants of the district. In

Judgment and the Self Essay Example for Free

Judgment and the Self Essay What upsets people is not things themselves but their judgments about the things. For example, death is nothing dreadful (or else it would have appeared dreadful to Socrates), but instead the judgment about death that it is dreadful—that is what is dreadful. So when we are thwarted or upset or distressed, let us never blame someone [or something] else but rather ourselves, that is, our own judgments. † -Epictetus To say dread is an interior phenomenon is to tread toward tautology, dread wrenches your innards. Here however, there seems to be something to the echo of Epictetus. Of course the crux lies in the gap that opens this passage, the gap between things and our judgments of them or, perhaps more pointedly, in the locality of judgment. This distinction already clarifies some ground of Epictetus’ standing. He is not a materialist for judgments hold the higher weight. The term ‘judgment’ is a tricky point in the exegesis. If it stands for appearance in the sense of a person’s particular appropriation of sense-data or some basic form of interacting in the world, we are in a more limited position in controlling our ‘judgments’. If it stands for opinion we have some more flexibility. If we limit ourselves to the example of the passage Epictetus is shown to be speaking in the latter sense at the level of opinions and events which are already complex entities of consciousness. This would follow the philanthropic drive of Socratic philosophy which Epictetus evokes. His position is nearly stoic; while he does not occlude the passions (â€Å"When we are thwarted or upset or distressed†) he does rein them in under self control. For Epictetus this takes a very rational form, indeed he nearly equates the self with the judgments it produces saying, â€Å"Ourselves, that is, our own judgments. † His argument follows from his position. The events that will overtake you in life are simply as they are (we hear this in the other passage of his). One is cast into the world but the impact of events can be determined by the subject. It is ones own responsibility how one responds to life situations. It is important in the analysis of Epictetus’ argument to display it properly. Looking at it in syllogistic form we find a fault line. Firstly, we note that Epictetus does not give us an overt syllogism. What we have is simply a premise and a conclusion. There is an implied major premise that would have the syllogism read as such: a) All judgments are the responsibility of the subject. b) judgments upset people not things. c) when one is upset, they are to blame. It is this major premise that does not sit well today. The question is whether we are in control of our judgments. After Kierkegaard, can we really be confident in our ability to think away dread? I would use example as ‘dread’ is one translation of the Danish ‘angest’ on which Kierkegaard wrote his important, Concept of Anxiety. Now for Kierkegaard anxiety opens up the capacity for a response in a way that could please Epictetus but the crucial difference is that it is precisely in being moved, in being upset, the one is prompted to decide. Or, as Kierkegaard writes analogously in a later work, â€Å"The possibility of this sickness [despair] is man’s advantage over the beast. What amounts to ascent in the case of despair is not being in it†(Kierkegaard, 1989, p. 44-45). This Kierkegaardian understanding of pre-existing trouble rings truer. The trick here is not to lose this issue in esoteric matters. Unfortunately the example used by Epictetus doesn’t translate well into analogues. Firstly because death is a experience about which we can only form a prejudgment (providing that we understand death in terms of Epictetus’ world where death does not include a possibility of resuscitation). Secondly, because a fear of death seems to be universal. The maxim that â€Å"all of life is but a preparation for death† points to this universality. In order to sidestep some of these difficulties for the heart of the issue it is necessary to construct a new example. This will be given later on for the purpose of explicating my position. I am inclined to agree not only with the Kierkegaardian position of having a disposition toward unease but relatedly that the self is a construct. The self qua self awakens, and this sort of phenomenon can even be seen by the dull-mindedness of developmental psychology. The example is that of a child’s judgment. They slavishly follow their impulses toward sweets, for example. They will take them until they are trained to control themselves. Even in this elementary scenario we can see that the judgment precedes the self. As such the self cannot be in control of the self. This way of framing the discussion could set up my position as Einsteinian to Newtonian physics. Newtonian physics are not proven wrong, but shown to cover a certain domain. The field of Epictetus is that of an already developed self higher in capacity for self-discipline. This discipline is also the locus of value for this passage for it could be read to suggest that a certain sort of person (or a sufficiently developed person to be less exclusive) can begin engineering their own judgments. In this way one can prevent oneself from becoming upset. This is a eudemonic ideal that could be manifest in the Epictetus though the passage does not give us quite enough to warrant that judgment on its own. In the end it could be argued that Epictetus could agree with me if read a certain way (and with no further context in his work), though given his stoic background I am disinclined to this view. Moreover, whether or not he holds this view is of secondary importance. The degree to which he and I agree depends on whether in telling us to blame only ourselves he is prompting us to construct a better self or merely to delineate where the problem comes into play. Doubtless he would endorse self refinement but it his intent in this passage is the crucial matter. Beyond that there is only the hurdle that he believes judgment is quite self-possessed where I see the self as constructed in dialogue with many influences (culture, parenting, education, etc) which do much of one’s judging especially in earlier stages of development. It is the only hurdle but that is still a sizable leap. References Kierkegaard, Soren. (1989). The Sickness Unto Death. (Alastair Hannay Trans. ). New York: Penguin Books USA Inc.. (Original work published 1849).

Henry James The Europeans Essays -- Henry James Europeans Culture Ess

In his novel The Europeans, Henry James tells the story of an American family that is visited by their European cousins. James uses these circumstances to depict the differences between Europeans and Americans. The Americans tend to be frightened of the Europeans, since they seem quite foreign within the puritanical American community. On the other hand, the Europeans are surprised by the Americans' provincial ways. Reaction to the unfamiliar is a central element of the novel. Each character's reaction to the unfamiliar reveals his or her personality and also determines whom that character is capable of tolerating and of loving. Felix, one of the European cousins, and Gertrude, the younger daughter of the American family, both illustrate characters who welcome the unknown. Charlotte, the elder daughter of the American family, and Mr. Brand, the clergyman who lives with the family, both seek to avoid change. Eugenia, the other European cousin, enjoys stability whereas her suitor Mr. Acton is excited by new experiences. The latter pair can never live together, while the characters of similar dispositions tend to become romantically involved. Thus, reaction to the unfamiliar determines the course of each of these characters' lives. Characters like Gertrude and Felix are curious about things that they have not experienced. They search for new things, being unable to maintain one way of life for a long period of time. Gertrude displays this by her imaginative nature. She adores imagining, wishing to be somewhere else in the world. When she is left alone when everyone else goes to church Gertrude decides to transport herself to Arabia: "She possessed herself of a very obvious volume-one of the series of the Arabian Nights-and sh... ...g consistency, and thus they are conservative characters who can live together because they will be able to sustain order and routine. Eugenia and Acton can never agree on how to live, forcing them to end their relationship. In this novel, James takes a more humorous approach than in his other novels, and pokes fun at his own stiff American culture. He uses the European influence to show how narrow-minded New Englanders were at the time, and in fact James was part of this puritanical society. However, he presents a contrast with characters who believe that change is essential. Thus, through showing two juxtaposed opinions, James contrasts American conservatism with European worldliness, and how this reflects on the members of those different societies. However, as in the best Shakespearean comedy, the story ends with a marriage, and it is all much ado about nothing.

Ku Klux Klan Essay

Introduction: In this essay I am going to compose a piece of text which will involve the tension of Segregation. In the 1930s, although 50% of the population of Southern towns were black, they had no vote and could not marry whites. Also in the 1930’s, many black people lived in the southern states. During that time, racism reached its highest point. For instance, the whites treated the blacks very poorly because they thought that the blacks were lower than them. Therefore, the blacks had to fight for the right to be treated equally. As a result, black people had to face the Jim Crow Laws and the Ku Klux Klan. In my own opinion I think that the 1930 was a turbulent time for race relations in America. Paragraph 1: The first racism incident that I have spotted out and chosen to write about in my essay is when the Wallace’s’ poured kerosene over Mr Berry and his nephews and lit them on fire. One of the nephews died, the other one is alive but has the same condition as Mr Berry. The reason why the Wallace’s poured kerosene over the Berry’s was because they caught them flirting with a white woman which wasn’t allowed back then. In fact, it was not even true! The Berry’s didn’t even flirt with her. They lied about it. The quote that goes with this event was when mama (Cassies’ mum) said to her kids, â€Å"The Wallaces did that, children. They poured kerosene over Mr Berry and his nephews and lit them afire.† â€Å"Everyone knows they did it, and the Wallaces even laugh about it, but nothing was ever done.† At this right moment I feel disgusted and baffled that people could actually do this in the 1930s. The sympathy for the Wallace’s has decreased because setting fire to someone is arson and that makes Mr Wallace and his clique an arsonist. Also it makes us feel that the Wallaces are black-hearted and atrocious people, because who would want to set a person on fire? Then laugh about it. The sympathy for the Berrys has definitely increased because of what happened to both Mr Berry and his two nephews is utterly excruciating and the fact that there is no reason behind why the Wallaces did it, makes the reader feel more sorrowful for them. On the other hand in the book it says, â€Å"Disfigured man lying in the darkness† In that quote you can see how dreadful his injuries were. He was even camouflaging with the darkness; see that is real bad? Paragraph 2: The second racism incident that I found very crucial was when Cassie bumped into Lillian Jean Simms by accident but Lillian Jean still DEMANDED for a sorry and for Cassie to get on her knees instantly. As well as this was racism, it was also bullying in some kind of way because Cassie didn’t want to get on her Knees but she still got forced. â€Å"Kicking at the sidewalk, my head bowed. It was then that I bumped into Lillian Jean Simms.† Cassie really didn’t mean to bump into Lillian Jean at all but she took it over the top& reacted to the bump by saying, â€Å"why don’t you watch were you’re going?† â€Å"Well apologize† â€Å"That ain’t enough. Get down in the road† This right here is what you call racism. Cassie didn’t intend to bump into Lillian Jean, it was just an accident but because Cassie is black they didn’t care at all. Cassie even got pushed around by Mr Simms. Mr Simms was even sticking up for his daughter even though she was in the wrong. Lillian Jeans’ father was saying to Cassie that when Lillian tells you that you should get off the sidewalk, you get off it. The sympathy towards Lillian Jean Simms has totally decreased because what she did was just too dramatic and it was just a ‘bump’. In my opinion Cassie did not have to go on her knees because she didn’t deliberately bump into her; all that should have been done was an apology to Lillian. My sympathy towards Cassie has increased more. The reason why I said this was because she was intimidated and forced to get on her knees even though she had already shed a tear; they didn’t care, they just wanted an apology from her. Conclusion: To sum up I think that Racism is totally unacceptable and utterly inglorious. In this novel I think that Taylor was trying to put across the fact of what the black people had to go through in the 1930s every day of their lives, and how their wouldn’t even be an us our even a peaceful world if racism was still occurring. I also think that Taylor is trying to compare today’s life to the 1930s and too see how much the black people suffered.

Letter to Editor Essay

I have been looking over the results from the Nation Grade Six assessment which was written on the 25th and 26th of March by 16,811 students. Congratulations to all students who entered this exam, especially the students who have been able to gain a position one of Guyana’s five (5) top schools. However, it is very noticeable that most of Guyana’s top graduates are from a private school/institution. That brings along the thought of what really is going on in the public schools in Guyana? Are they treated to less? I am not bringing along the thought that all public school students did badly in this primary examination, but why aren’t more of our governmental institutions doing as well as students of a private school? Is it because of the poverty struck we live in? Is it because the students are not having the adequate material like textbooks to get work finished? Is it the unskilled teachers being employed to teach these students? All of these things are readily available with high quality to students of private institutions. Back in the good old days, no private school could compare to a public school, citizens generally preferred to send their children to a public school to ensure they have a proper ground. Today, that is very unsure. Not only the standard to public primary schools are dropping, but also the behavior in the students today that go to public school is treacherous. Are they having no discipline? Government, parents and teachers need to work together to rebuild the good foundation and name of primary public schools in Guyana.

Casinos Industry

Casinos Industry Introduction Background study Casino is an Italian word which means a small villa specifically built for pleasure. Casinos trace their origin in Italy in 1638 with the first casino being located at Venice (Fun Casino Gaming 1). Casinos are a major component of the global gaming industry (Economy Watch 2). Some countries such as India and other Arab countries consider the industry to be illegal.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Casinos Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, some countries such as Singapore are partially legalizing the industry (Economy Watch2). Over the years, casino industry has undergone a rampant growth (Persson 1). According to a report published in 2007 by PriceWaterHouseCoopers, the industry’s net worth averaged $101.6 billion. It is expected that the industry’s total net-worth will be $ 144 billion by 2011. The projection was based on the annual industry growth rate wh ich averages 7.2% (Onlinecasinotopic.com 3). The growth results from the high rate at which new casinos are built and also renovation of the old ones especially in the Pacific region and China. On a global scale, the industry generates a substantial amount of revenue and offers a wide range of employment. The table below gives an illustration of the total revenue generated from the industry today from the various forms of employment. Industry Gross Revenue Commercial casinos $34.11 billion Indian casinos $25.08 billion Card rooms $1.10 billion Legal bookmaking $191.0 million Charitable games $2.24 billion Pari-mutuel wagering $3.58 billion Lotteries $24.63 billion Some countries have got a well developed casino industry compared to others. The table below gives an illustration of the countries with the largest number of casinos. Country Number of casinos Country Number of casinos United States 1673 Lavtia 46 Canada 123 United Kingdom 366 Mexico 34 Spain 70 Germany 137 South Africa 47 France 460 Netherlands 88 Czech Republic 85 Australia 423 Estonia 123 New Zealand 58 Ireland 56 Macao 39 Croatia 51 Bulgaria 53 Aim The report is aimed at analyzing the global casino industry Scope Various sections are included in the report. An outline of the top five casinos in the world and the performance of the industry in the past 5 years is illustrated in the first part. The effect of trade patterns on the industry is evaluated in the second section. The third section entails an analysis of the industry using the porter’s five forces.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More An external analysis of the industry is conducted to identify the changes in the environment which will promote the growth of the industry. The firm which is expected to undergone significant growth and the factors which will contribute to the growth are also analyzed. Finally, a conclusion and a set of recommendations are given. Top five casinos The top five casinos in 2010 according to a recent rating by Hotel By City include; Foxwoods Resort Casino Tropicana Casino Resort The Peppermill The MGM Grand Macau Over the past years, casino industry has witnessed a rampant growth on a global scale. The table below gives an illustration of the revenue generated for the period ranging from 2005-2010. Casino gaming 2005 (Amount in 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Revenue million $). 442.0 677.9 983.1 1,241.3 1,445.9 1,597.5 Change in Trade patterns Trade patterns have had a significant effect on the industry (Walker 11). For example, as a result of the 2008 economic crisis, there was a general reduction in the consumers’ disposable income (Walker 11). The situation was worse in oil importing countries due to increase in oil prices. As a result of the trade patterns, the industry suffered due to a reduction in the level of consumer confidence. There was a decline in revenue especially due to reduction the level of disposable income amongst in-state customers and out-of-state travelers (Walker 12). Most of the customers considered gambling as a luxury. Tourism is one of the economic sectors which contribute towards the growth of Casinos. This arises from the fact that casinos enhance tourism by promoting other industries such as the hotel industry. As a result of the economic recession, there was a reduction in the volume of tourism across the globe. This culminated into a decline in the volume of foreign exchange received from the industry’s ‘exports’ (Seung Harris 109). Industry analysis The casino industry has become very competitive as a result of changes in business environment. The table below gives a competitive analysis of the industry using the Porter’s Five Forces model.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Casinos Industry specifically fo r you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Porters Forces Description Intensity Barriers to Entry Government Regulations. There has been a decline in government regulation towards the industry in various counties. Some of the regulation relate to reduction in tax revenue (Walker 167). Very Low Buyers bargaining power There has been a change in consumer behavior with regard to casinos. Consumers are incorporating casinos in their consumption patterns. Despite the change in behavior, consumers have little bargaining power. This means that they do not have a significant influence on prices. Medium Suppliers bargaining power There are a number of private and public institutions which supply facilities for casinos such as gaming tables and machines. This makes the casino industry to be highly. Low Competition A large number of competitors are venturing the industry due to its lucrative nature. This has greatly influenced the distribution of casinos across the globe (Hoyes Maccinis 475). The industry is also facing competition from other industries such as the hotel industry. A large number of hotels and resorts are incorporating casinos as one of their new ventures. Very High Substitutes As a component of the gaming industry, casinos are facing an increment in the number of substitutes. This is evident in that consumers are adopting other forms of games such as lotteries, horseracing, slots and online gambling. The pricing of the games is attracting a large number of customers. High External Analysis There are a number of external factors which will influence casino industry (Cheong 2). For example, various governments are legalizing operation of casinos. One of the countries which have legalized the industry includes Singapore (Cheong 2). However, there are strict regulations which are aimed at controlling operations of the firms. The objective of the regulations is to ensure that the industry does not have a negative impact on th e society. In addition, technological innovation is also contributing to growth of the industry. The 3 core technologies supporting the growth of the industry include; New gaming devices Customer data mining Surveillance systems These technologies are aimed at attaining maximization of revenue and also to ensure that there is sufficient security (Schwartz 1). For example, it is expected that development of slot machines will contribute towards attraction of new customers (Knightly 4). Marina Bay Sands Casino The casino which is located in Singapore is expected to undergo a rampant growth in the next five years. The casino is undertaking a significant amount of investment to ensure the growth of the casino. The investment is aimed at improving the casinos infrastructure (Portmann 1). Construction of the casino is expected to generate an annual profit of $ 1 billion. Various facilities will be incorporated in the casino so as to attract customers (Sign 9). Some of these facilities i nclude night clubs, restaurants and shopping mall. The growth of the casino is also expected to arise from incorporation of the acquisition strategy (Sign 10). The firm is also diversifying its operation by not only focusing on foreign customers but also on the locals. Focusing on the locus will increase the firm’s profitability potential considering the volatile nature of the tourism industry. This will further be enhanced by the company’s incorporation of corporate social responsibility which will improve the firm’s publicity (Marina Bay Sands 1).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Through corporate social responsibility, there is a high probability of a large number of Singaporeans patronizing the casino (Marina Bay Sands 1). Growth of the firm will further be enhanced by the fact that competition within the Singapore casino industry is minimal. This is evident in that only two firms are licensed by the Singapore government to conduct casino business. Conclusion From the analysis, it is evident that the casino industry is expected to undergo a significant growth. Some of the factors which will contribute to the growth include increased legalization of casinos as one of the major games, the high rate of technological innovation and change in consumer behavior. Growth of the industry will contribute towards growth of the global economy. This arises from the fact that casino industry creates various jobs. Recommendations In order for casino industry to have a positive effect on the economy, it is vital for the following to be considered. The industry should be regulated to ensure that it does not influence the society negatively. Firms in the industry should incorporate emerging technologies such as e-commerce so as to attain a wide market share and at the same time increase their customer base. Cheong, Simon. Competition, casinos and the city: an entrepreneurs’ perspective. Singapore: Singapore Institute of International Affairs, 2005. Economy Watch. Casino industry.New York: Stanley St. Labs. 25 Oct. 2010. Web. Fun Casino Gaming. History and origin of Casinos.2010. 26 Oct, 2010. Hoyer, Wayne and Macinnis, Deborah. Consumer behavior. New York: Cengage, 2009. Knightly, Arnold. Global gaming report: casino revenue forecast to increase. Ras-  Vegas Review Journal. 3(2): 1-3, 2007. Web. Marina Bay Sands. Marina Bay Sands launches youth inspirational internship  program. 2010. 26 Oct. 2010. Web. OnlinecasinonTopic.com.Casino industry to reach $144 billion in 2011, 25 July 2007. 26 Oct. 2010. Web. Persson, Anna. Sustainable develo pment in rapid developing casino: destination:  The case of Macau. Hogskolan: University of Hogskolan, 2008. Print. Portmann, Kai. Despite success, Singapore casinos face political risk. Cologne: Deutsch Press, 2010. Web. Schwartz, Dave. Center for gaming research, 2010. 26 October 2010. Web. Seung, Chang and Harris, Thomas. Impact of reduced gaming exports on the economy of Nevada. Review of Urban and Regional Development Studies. 12(2), 109-119, 2000. Web. Sign. Marina Bay Sands: Singapore casino makes sure bet Harris digital signage. 4 Sept. 2010. 26 Oct. 2010. Web. Walker, David. The economics of casinos gambling. Florence: Butterworth- Heinemann, 2007. Print.

College Essay Myth Never Write a College Essay About Sports

College Essay Myth Never Write a College Essay About Sports You’ve probably heard the myth that you should never, ever write a college essay about one topic or another. Sports is one of the big no-nos. Who wants to hear about another come-from-behind winning game, right? But the fact is, as I related in my last blog, there are no good or bad essay topics, only good or bad essays. Luckily for you, I have obtained permission from my nephew to share his very good essay about – you guessed it – sports. Please read and enjoy – and notice why this college essay about sports stands above the rest. I’ll give you a hint: He has a sense of humor about himself. He relates his internal story a lot more than the external facts of the game. He comes full circle from the first paragraph to the last, with growth in between. And he writes about something he loves. (And in case you were wondering, he got into Northwestern University, UT Austin, and every other school to which he applied.) College Essay About Sports As a 4’9† high school sophomore, the first couple of weeks on the bench of the JV team brought me to the conclusion that my competitive baseball-playing days were over. In my initial despair, I longed for just one more chance. Ever since little league, baseball had been a part of me. Letting go of it mid-high school simply wouldn’t do. Then I remembered the time when I had filled in as an umpire at the little league where I grew up. The thought of watching baseball games for money, with my only job being to concentrate on each play and make a decision, was appealing. Umpiring wasn’t playing, but it was something, so I gave it another try. It was a few weeks into my new endeavor. The score was 15-0, top of the fourth, and it was already 9:20 p.m. Although there was no feasible way for the home team to win due to the five-runs-per-inning rule, all games were required to go four complete innings. Ugh. I want to go home. Hmmm, What if the pitcher were to throw a pitch that were even somewhat close to being a strike? It wouldn’t affect the outcome of the game, so could I maybe make an exception? No, that would be wrong. I can’t do that. In fact, since I am even thinking about this, my brain is probably going to expand the strike zone subconsciously, and therefore I should make a conscious effort to tighten it. Oh God, what am I even DOING? Umpiring was a bit more complicated than I expected. And, frustrating as it could be at times, I loved it. As an umpire, I constantly find myself lost in internal debates over my biases that I never experienced as a player. There are times when I realize, with some anxiety, that my decision agreed with what I had personally hoped would happen, or with a previous argument a coach had made, or with the latest grumblings of the fans. Although I generally consider myself fair, I have sudden crises, wondering whether I have committed the ultimate sin in umpiring: letting other people’s â€Å"calls† replace my own. I can usually convince myself that these instances are coincidental, but it’s still challenging to take in so much information from all sides about how the game is being perceived, and still be true to what I saw happen. As a player, one of my favorite parts of baseball had always been the mental game. I filled the â€Å"down time† that many others found boring with discussions and arguments with my teammates about strategy or rules. I have carried that aspect over into umpiring, mostly through discussions with coaches. Sometimes the most frustrating part of umpiring is when coaches accept my call without argument even though they don’t agree, saying â€Å"That’s ok, you’re the umpire.† Many umps would welcome this submission, but I find it even more offensive than being screamed at. Sometimes I talk to coaches between innings to further explain why I called what I did. These gestures are often appreciated, if not for my opinion, then for my attitude. The conversations are also far more mentally stimulating than the constant dispute the shortstop and I used to have over who should cover second base on a steal. I don’t wear a glove or swing a bat anymore, but I still consider myself a baseball player. I view the almost 100 games I’ve umpired as merely a position change. Although I have only made â€Å"great plays† by shouting my interpretation of what happened, and the pressure of the game is to perform mentally rather than physically, I now have the one more chance I desired. Even as I tower (albeit only by a few inches) over the players in size, and wear a different uniform, I feel more a part of each game than I ever have. So if you want to write a college essay about sports, go for it! And if you need help with how to say it, The Essay Expert is here to coach you. Check out our College Admissions Services page for more about what we offer and what others have to say about our services.

Academic development strategies for undergraduate students Thesis Proposal

Academic development strategies for undergraduate students - Thesis Proposal Example Meanwhile, studies have showed the importance of academic development programmes and activities towards the overall development of students for both academic and non-academic career orientations after graduation (Klassen, Krawchuk & Rajani, 2008). In the light of this, the need to keep researching into ways by which some of the most applicable and effective strategies can be incorporated in single schemes for academic development can be said to be necessary. When mention is made of incorporating strategies and abilities for academic development, there are some common theories, concepts and frameworks that commonly come to mind. These include collaborative learning, constructivism, and connectivism. This is because whether used individually or together, each of these three main concepts help in bringing together different strategies of learning aimed at developing students academically to have abilities necessary for both academic and non-academic careers after graduation (Robinson, L loyd & Rowe, 2008). At the same time Hattie (2009), posited that using academic research is one of the most powerful means by which components of collaborative learning, constructivism, and connectivism can be achieved under a common umbrella. Based on the identified problem and the background given to the problem above, the study will be conducted with the aim of using academic research as an interventional strategy for academic development among undergraduate students. In order to achieve this overall aim, the following specific objectives will be pursued by the researcher: Before pursuing the proposed study, the researcher came to the realisation that there are other existing researches that have focused on academic development strategies for undergraduates. However, most of these existing studies were limited to academic performance enhancement whiles undertaking graduate courses (Hoog, J., Johansson & Olofsson, 2005; Elliot & McGregor, 2001). The weakness with