An apple is better than an orange Essay Example

An apple is better than an orange Essay Example An apple is better than an orange Essay An apple is better than an orange Essay An apple is better than an orange. Do you know that fruits are the best friends off healthy body? An apple and an orange can help a person to have a healthy lifestyle. Apples and oranges are two delicious fruits. These fruits look the same, but the truth is that they are different. A person can analyze three main aspects to understand why an apple Is better than an orange: health benefits, flavor, and color. These three aspects convert an apple In the best choice for a person. A person s health Is very Important thats why a person should consume an apple dally. An apple Ingestion benefits are many. An apple Is rich In vitamin C. Also an apple contains an element that prevents aging. Eat dally an apple prevents sclerosis. An orange instead only provides a high level of vitamin C but it is not as complete as an apple. The taste of an orange and an apple are completely different. An apple has a sweet taste. While proving an orange can be a sour experience. The apple flavor is lovely, makes that a person wants more than one apple. Maybe a person doses t like an orange s flavor because it is citric. Its flavor can be distasteful for many people. But an apples flavor can be mystical and pleasant for a person. An apple is more colorful than an orange. An apple can be red, green or yellow but these three colors are beautiful. The red color of an apple makes a person can think in love or passion. Also a red apple is a symbol of temptation. While a yellow or green orange is totally common. Green or yellow orange does not attract peoples attention. A beautiful color can attract the attention of anyone. In conclusion an apple and an orange can look the same. Of course both are delicious fruits but these are very different. The healthy benefits that an apple has, an orange has not . An unique apple s flavor, orange never can has. Finally the color that falls In love Just the apples has. For these three reasons Is that apples are better than oranges

Behavior Tracking Contracts, Incident Reports, and Worksheets

Behavior Tracking Contracts, Incident Reports, and Worksheets Behavior Tracking Worksheets These help determine what happened just before the inappropriate behavior occurred and should be used consistently if you suspect a behavior disorder or disability. Download/Print  a PDF  Download/Print a Word Document Functional Behavior Assessment Worksheet These  forms will help structure your first meeting with the IEP team to review their observations and shape the Functional Behavior Analysis (FBA.)   It is the first step toward creating a Behavior Improvement Plan, to support the students success.   The FBA needs to be completed before a  behavior contract may be implemented. Download/Print a PDF Download/Print a Word Document Monday to Friday Checklist This sample requires the teacher to sign per day or per half day each time the child exhibits appropriate behavior. There should be a reinforcer or reward in place for a specific number of teacher initials.This sample   behavior contract is suitable for first to eighth grade students and should be filled in with the teacher present. This plan requires the reinforcers and consequences to be listed.   Download/Print a PDFDownload/Print a Word Document Countdown to Positive Behavior This  popular worksheet is placed on the students desk. It focuses on modifying  one behavior at a time. Initially the teacher should stand next to the student and administer it, but after a day or two, the student should be ready to take over.   You may want a peer you trust to monitor the other student.   This works well with young elementary students, but with fourth or fifth grade students, in which case a teacher should be leery of opening a compliant student up to bullying on the playground, etc. This is a great self-monitoring tool to teach a child to raise his/her hand and not call out. Download/Print a PDF Download/Print a  Word Document Countdown to Positive Behavior (Blank) This worksheet is more flexible, since unlike the above printable, this form is blank.   You could use a different Behavior for your countdown on consecutive days, alternate, or take a more flexible approach.   You need to start with a single behavior to start, and add behaviors as you go.   This might be part of a two pronged approach, as you may want to use the countdown for one behavior, while focusing on other behaviors with a behavior contract.   In other words, you are challenging the student to prove that he has mastered the calling out behavior, or the talking during instruction behavior.   Download/Print a PDF Download/Print a Word Document Functional Behavior Assessment Worksheet This particular worksheet is what gets things started! This form would provide the agenda for a first meeting with your IEP team to address behavior issues.    It provides for Antecedent, Behavior and Consequences to be observed and counted.   It creates a structure for your FBA meeting that will help you collect baseline data and share responsibilities for the BIP (Behavior Improvement Plan) and its implementation.   Download/Print a PDF Download/Print a Word Document

Building law and contract adminisratation. General contract law Essay

Building law and contract adminisratation. General contract law - Essay Example These terms are relating to the title of the goods, description of the goods, fitness or quality of the goods and merchantable quality of goods etc. The law monitors the contract whether the goods fulfill the necessary standards set by the Sales of Goods Act 1979 or not, with some exceptions. Issues related to breach of contract of sale are also dealt by this Act. As breaches resulting due to the implied terms where they are complied with or not or the passage of property whether payment or damages can be claimed or not. This is similar to the case of Hoeing vs Isaac (1952), where the Isaac was supposed to decorate Hoeing’s apartment at a cost of  £750 and after the completion of the work it was found that there was problem with the wardrobe and the book case costing  £55. Hoeing refused to pay the remaining  £350. But the judgment went against Hoeing as the substantial part of the contract was performed and there was only a claim for the damages. (UBC) As per the decided case, the court only allowed damages to be paid to the plaintiff and the remaining amount due was paid in full. Therefore, the plaintiff can only claim the damages and cannot stop the further payment of  £4,000 which is already due. A similar case that of Carlil vs carbolic smoke ball company was presented where the Smoke ball company had given an advertisement regarding a flu remedy known as the smoke ball and claimed that it will pay  £100 to any person who gets sick even after using their remedy. Mrs Carlill used the remedy and got sick and claimed  £100. The company refused to pay the reward but later the judgment was provided that the company was liable to pay as there was a contract based on the reliance placed on the advertisement and the performance of the said act. (Law-Essays) Similarly, the person has acted upon the directions of the owner of the dog. As per the decided case, the unilateral contract is formed only when the person acts upon the directions and there

An event that happened during my childhood that changed my life Essay

An event that happened during my childhood that changed my life - Essay Example On arrival, we found mum had prepared the most delicious roasted chicken I had eaten in a long time. Over dinner, the usual question regarding plans for the holiday popped up. My father had planned for us to visit our grandma all the way in Spain. Grandma Louis was our favourite grandparent and our visits there were always filled with much exhilaration. Not only this but also my father planned for us to travel by road!! The joy I felt in my heart was immeasurable. We had always begged our father to let us travel to Spain by road since the sights along the way were breath taking. He always refused because the trip was too dangerous especially because his own father had died through a road accident. To date we are yet to know what he had changed his mind. The night before our journey sleep evaded me. I packed and repacked my belongings carefully counterchecking it against my list. As was custom we said pour prayers before setting off for what would be a journey to change my life. As my father drove our brand new Cadillac, we sang songs to keep him company. Story telling happened to be my sister’s favourite past time and in no time we were engrossed in one of her stories. â€Å"Watch your language young lady!!† my father repeatedly warned my sister. The pain in my ribs was nerve wrecking, almost as if someone was pushing a dagger into my ribs. I blinked severally before opening my eyes to see my dad’s limp body around me. â€Å"Dad! Dad! Wake up!!† My mother and sister were also unconscious in the back seat with blood all over their bodies. It was then that the cold harsh reality hit me. We had fallen in a gorge fifty metres below the road. What am I to do? I wondered. Painfully, I got myself from below the wreckage, and went over to the back. My mother and sister still had a pulse albeit a weak one and showed no signs of regaining consciousness. My knowledge of first aid was sparse owing to the fact that I had slept throughout much of the class sessions. It was then that I realised that without doing something drastic, I would watch their lives slip right through my fingers. I decided to walk to the nearest police station. With broken ribs and a fractured leg I pulled myself together and started the journey. It seemed like hours before I found elderly couple and explained my predicament. They called an ambulance who on arrival pronounced my father dead while my mother, sister and I were rushed to the nearest hospital. I healed quickly and took on the responsibility of nursing my sister and mother back to health. It was very difficult for me to break the sad news of my dad’s demise to them but when I did we found comfort in each others’ sorrow. The harrowing experience particularly the loss of my loving dad changed our lives forever. The most invaluable lesson that I learnt is resilience and that everything happens for a reason. I am much stronger than before and well prepared to face life’s c hallenges with a smile (Mallenby, 2007: 123). Additionally, I learnt that friendship is one of the best gifts one can have. My best friend was there for me through the whole experience and encouraged me to get my life back and that not all was lost. My religious stand point also changed since I was an atheist before the accident, now I am a staunch Christian who believes in the power of prayer. I have learnt to respect my mother more as she took up the responsibility of taking care of us since our father’s untimely demise. Although the experience of losing

Peace between Israel and Palestine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Peace between Israel and Palestine - Essay Example This is no easy task but acceptance that this will never come into fruition is resulting to a defeatist stance that humanity cannot afford. The peace process is an arduous task that must be tackled with commitment and with realistic goals. The first step towards coming to an agreement and bringing the leaders of the two states back to the peace tables is to ensure that there will be a cease fire among all forces especially stealth attacks and those that would inflict casualties among civilians. This would necessarily entail a neutralization of the extremist groups which must be held accountable for without partiality or impunity. The most important disposition in both sides is the ardent belief that peace can be achieved. This must be built on an internal understanding and desire toward that purpose, otherwise, as had been persistently observed from Israel negotiators it will all for naught. The One Voice Movement offers an encouraging model that peace is not centrally for the benefi t of groups, their interests and their spite. It is fundamentally about the people who themselves have understood that peace is the only way to stop all the fighting and cut the losses while there is still something left. The organization is made up of Palestinians and Israelis in their own land and those abroad through an international unit. This is a grassroots initiative aimed to remind and enlighten the two sides and the international community that â€Å"The majority of people on both sides realize that they have everything to gain by ensuring the independence and security of ‘the other’ and thus are prepared to compromise in order to do so† (One Voice Movement, n.p.). This conflict is rooted among the most fundamental issues that had defined many wars throughout world history. The recognition of religious differences cannot be disregarded in this political and cultural conflict. The Palestinian Arabs and the Jewish Israelis had been battling not only for la nd but also for identity. The 1967 War was a pivotal moment in this conflict. I agree with experts that the occupation of Palestinian lands by the Israeli forces was a definitive moment that aggravated the dispute into epic proportions. The destabilization by Israel over the Gaza Strip and its current notoriety must come to an end. The demand by Palestine over the return of this piece of the earth and more importantly of their refugees had been on-going for decades (Heise, n.d., pp.2-3). In this regard, a major change came almost too close, â€Å"The 2002 Arab Peace Initiative would have provided Israel recognition throughout the Arab world in exchange for a pullout from territory conquered in 1967† (The Associated Press, 2013, n.p.) These kinds of initiatives are what the time calls for. We cannot undermine the reality that external forces are necessary to move closer to that elusive peace. The land over which blood has been spilt has been claimed by both Israel and Palestin e not only on territorial basis but more inherently by religious basis that transcend people and groups. This is why no matter how many changes have occurred through leadership and membership, their idealism remains. If there is something more moving than sheer idealism, it is religious idealism. The emphatic understanding of the call of the people who suffer and who live with the consequences of their leaders’ actions must prevail. In the international realm,

Management Of Financial Resource And Performance Commerce Essay

Management Of Financial Resource And Performance Commerce Essay Management of financial resources is crucial in any business. According to Harrison and Enz (2005, p.72), If financial resources are misused, they will not result in better human resources or superior physical assets and processes. Furthermore, strong financial resources are an even greater importance in the hospitality industry where it is a highly competitive environment and innovations are quickly imitated. If the financial resources are secured, the organization is able to invest in unique, valuable and difficult to imitate capabilities. Consequently, it can gain the competitive advantage. Intercontinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) is the worlds largest hotel operator in respect of the number of rooms totaling 585,094 in a 2008 report. IHG mainly operates in the UK, the US, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Moreover, this large hotel operator consists of seven hotel brands including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Stayb ridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. Intercontinental Hotels Group operates its hotels in three different ways- as a franchisor, an owner, and an operator. Since the biggest part of the business is franchising, IHGs focus lies on driving demands for its brands. On a global scale, the hotel operators distribution system includes global advertising, marketing campaigns, call centers, and local language websites (Jones, 2009). Despite having a competitive advantage with its strong brand awareness and diversified properties worldwide, IHG needs to constantly monitor its environment and identify both internal and external factors. In this manner, its national and international strategies can remain well suited to the developing environment and capabilities. While an audit of the business is necessary to analyze Intercontinental Hotels Groups current position, assessing the financial resources and performance carry a greater weight for decision making. 1. EXTERNAL AUDIT Macro (PESTLE) Analysis: Awareness of a changing environment is of central importance in developing and implementing a robust strategy. PESTLE analysis is a framework used for environmental scanning in strategic management and is comprised of political, economical, social, technological, legal, and environmental components. Political and legal factors can affect aspects of the UK hospitality industry. Tax regulations and employment laws can be altered due to the UK elections that recently took place. Hayman describes how the British Hospitality Association has asked the new coalition government to support the UK tourism industry by providing increased investment and reduced regulation (Anon., 2010). Another essential component in the external environment is the economical factor. The effects of recession have severely impacted the overall performance such as hotels occupancy rates and revenues of the UK hotel market. Amongst these effects is the drop in international and national corporate market segment. A third component in the PESTLE analysis is the social factor. UK consumers have decreased their number of trips, number of nights spent in accommodation, and their overall expenditure. Another element in the macro-scanning is the technological factor. The rise of the internet has allowed major hotel chains to invest in websites and direct booking systems allowing consumers to book, view, and review hotels. Finally, the environmental factor is also of importance when analyzing the environment. Corporate Social Responsibility has slowly become integrated in many organizations business objectives. For a hotel to be socially responsible, it must follow through many policies such as abiding by the Energy Consumption laws and engaging with the local community. Micro (Porters 5 Forces) Analysis The factors in the macro-environment analysis can be used to determine how the firms industry environment (micro audit) is affected. Porters five forces of competition framework can be used to analyze the intensity of competition and the level of profitability (Grant, 2005). These five forces include competition from substitutes, entrants, power of suppliers, power of buyers, and established rivals. The threat of substitutes for Intercontinental Hotels Group is high risk. During the recession, many customers were staying at budget hotels, which became increasingly popular amongst the leisure and corporate markets. Since the barriers to entry into the hotel industry are high, the threat of entry involved is low. The barriers included are high capital requirements or entry costs, high fixed costs, no economies of scale, and resistance from the existing market. The power of suppliers is considered medium-risk for IHG. Since furniture and fittings must be of a certain standard relevant t o a hotel, they are purchased in bulk from specialist contract suppliers. On the other hand, there are no switching costs for food manufacturers and processors. Another element of the five forces is the power of buyer, which is high in the case of Intercontinental Hotels Group. The buyers are sensitive to the prices charged by the hotels in the industry. Moreover, they can easily compare not only prices but also quality and ratings via Internet using various websites. Finally, the rivalry amongst established competitors is of high risk. The major competitors of IHG are Hilton Hotels Corporation, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Hyatt Corporation, and Accor. These large hotel chains offer similar products and services, which means customers are willing to substitute. 2. BUSINESS STRATEGY In order for an organization to compete within a particular industry, it must gain a competitive advantage over its competitors by establishing a business strategy (Grant, 2005). The main objective of a business strategy is to link an organizations internal capabilities and the external environment. IHG not only continuously monitors the environment, but also ensures that the strategy remains aligned with external factors. The core focus of Intercontinental Hotels Group is to create Great Hotels Guests Love. In 2009, despite economic hardships, IHG analyzed its operations and capabilities to focus on how to deliver Great Hotels Guests Love. This major hotel chains strategy concentrates on two key aspects: where it chooses to compete and how it will win in the competing market. There are five key priorities in support of IHGs overall strategy. Some of these priorities include financial returns, its people, responsible business, and guest experience. The progress of these priorities is measured to ensure the achievement of Great Hotels Guests Love. Intercontinental Hotels Groups strategy is also pertinent to regional objectives and priorities. 3. INTERNAL AUDIT 3.1 Human Resources: In order for a strategy to be carried out, human resource is required. According to Kaplan and Norton, human capital is the availability of skills, talent, and know-how required to support the organizations strategy (2004). Employees are not only critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage, but also integral in an organizations business plans. One of IHGs key strategic priorities is to use its people to create a more efficient organization with strong core capabilities. Intercontinental Hotel Groups focus lies in developing skills to support its key goals for responsible business, guest experience and financial returns by managing employee engagement. Approximately 335,000 people are employed globally across IHGs brands including franchised and managed hotels. The business has been balancing cost reduction and restructuring programs while managing engagement for the people and guests during 2009. To achieve Great Hotels Guests Love this organization has developed a clear articulation of its values and the behaviors expected from all employees, as well as creating the right environment for employees so that they can deliver the core purpose 3.2 Mechanical Resources: Another type of organizational resource is non-human assets such as technology and reputation. IHGs central reservation system technology includes the operations of the HolidexPlus reservation system. This system electronically receives reservation requests entered on terminals located at most of its reservation centers, as well as from global distribution systems operated by a number of major corporations and travel agents. There are currently ten global reservation offices available to take hotel bookings from guests 24 hours a day in 26 different languages. IHG generates room sales globally through their branded websites. Kaplan and Norton state that an excellent reputation for performance along social dimensions not only attracts high quality employees, but also enhances the image with customers and socially conscious investors (2004). IHG believes that corporate responsibility (CR) is integral to the way it conducts business and also at the core of its strategy. Moreover, it ass ists in building competitive advantage. Intercontinental Hotel Groups CR strategy is focused in the environment and its communities in order to drive increased value for IHG, owners, employees, and guests. 3.3 Financial Resources: While human and mechanical resources are equally important, the financial component of the strategy is just as crucial in a highly competitive industry such as the hospitality one. The balancing act of both growth and productivity dimensions is the organizing framework for an organizations strategy map. According to Harrison and Enz, strong cash flow, low levels of debt, a strong credit rating, access to low-interest capital, and a reputation for creditworthiness are powerful strengths that can serve as a source of strategic flexibility, which means that firms can be more responsive to new opportunities and new threats (2005). 3.3.1 Analysis of Key Ratios Companies will often track trends of key ratios over several years to compare their numbers against industry averages from a major competitor to assess comparative financial strength (Harrison and Enz, 2005). The following are some key ratios using IHG financial information from its annual report: a. Liquidity ratios help an organization determine its ability to pay short-term obligations such as debts and payables (Bertoneeche and Knight, 2001). i) An example of this is Current Ratio, which can be formulated as follows: Current Ratio= Current Assets/ Current Liabilities 2008: Current Assets= $544m Current Liabilities= $1141m Current Ratio= 0.47 2009: Current Assets= $419m Current Liabilities= $1053m Current Ratio= 0.40 Because the Current Ratio is below 1 for both years, it suggests that IHG is unable to pay off its short-term obligations if they were due at that point. The decrease of current assets is probably due to the recession period. Although this implies that the organization is not in good financial health, it does not necessarily mean that it will go bankrupt. ii) Another example of a liquidity ratio is the quick ratio also known as the acid test and can be figured as shown below: Quick Ratio= (Current Assets- Inventories) / (Current Liabilities) 2008: Current Assets= $544m Inventories= $4m Current Liabilities= $1141m Quick Ratio= 0.47 2009: Current Assets= $419m Inventories-$4m Current Liabilities= $1053m Quick Ratio= 0.39 The difference between current ratio and quick ratio is inventories. Inventory is excluded in quick ratio since some companies have difficulty turning their inventory into cash. In the case of IHG, the quick ratios for both 2008 and 2009 are similar to the current ratios. Since the hotel industry is mostly service oriented, there are not much inventories to turn into cash. b. Profitability ratios are another key dimension to an organizations firm health. According to Harrison and Enz (2005, p.72), They are a common measure of overall financial success. i) One type of profitability ratios is net profit margin ratio can be calculated as follows: Net Profit Margin= (Net Profit/ Revenues)* 100 2008: Net Profit= $262m Revenues= $ 1897m Net Profit Margin= 0.14 or 13.81% 2009: Net Profit= $214m Revenues=$1538m Net Profit Margin= 0.14 or 13.91% For every $1 generated in revenue, IHG made a profit of 13.81% in 2008 and 13.91% in 2009. Even though the net profit and revenues for 2008 are higher than that of 2009, there was a slight increase in the net profit margin. ii) Another profitability ratio is gross profit margin which can be determined as follows: Gross Profit Margin= (Gross Profit/Revenues)* 100% 2008: Gross Profit= $1045m Revenues= $1897m Gross Profit Margin= 0.55 or 55.08% 2009: Gross Profit= $678m Revenues= $1538m Gross Profit Margin= 0.44 or 44.08% Gross profit margin discloses the profit an organization makes on its cost of sales. IHGs gross profit margin decreased in 2009 due to lower revenues and higher cost of sales compared to 2008. This simply shows that the efficiency of operations and product pricing subsided. iii) Return on capital employed ratio compares the profit made by an organization with the amount of money invested. The formula is as follows: ROCE= Net Profit/ Capital Employed Capital Employed= Shareholders Funds + Long Term Liabilities 2008: Net Profit= $262m Capital Employed= $1972m+$1= $1973m ROCE= 0.13 or 13.28% 2009: Net Profit= $214m Capital Employed= $1684m+$156m= $1840m ROCE= 0.11 or 11.63% According to the authors in Business Studies, the higher the ratio, the better indication of performance it is in terms of profit returned for the capital invested (Hall, Jones, and Raffo, 2004). Over the past two years, the ROCE has decreased from 13.28 per cent to 11.63 per cent. This means that less profit was made to cover the capital employed. c. A third key dimension to assessing an organizations financial standing is efficiency ratio, which evaluates how effectively capital is employed within the firm (Bertoneche Knight, 2001). i) Asset turnover ratio reflects how assets are being effectively used to generate revenues. The formula is the following: Asset Turnover Ratio= Revenues/ Total Assets 2008: Revenues= $1897m Total Assets= $3118m Asset Turnover Ratio= 0.61 2009: Revenues= $1538m Total Assets= $2893m Asset Turnover Ratio= 0.54 From this ratio analysis, IHG had a decrease in its asset turnover from 2008 to 2009. For every $1 of assets it owned, IHG generated $0.61 of sales in 2008 and $0.54 in 2009. Since the ratios for both years are relatively low compared to other industries, the organization might not be utilizing its assets to a full potential. However, the profit margin ratio is higher compared to another sector of the hotel industry such as budget hotels. d. Gearing ratios illustrate the long term financial position of an organization. They can assess whether or not a business is burdened by its loans (Hall, Jones, and Raffo, 2004). The formula for gearing is as follows: Gearing= Fixed Cost Capital/ Long Term Capital Long Term Capital= Shareholders Funds + Long Term loans 2008: Fixed Cost Capital= $1972m Long Term Capital= $1m + $1972m= $1973m Gearing= 0.99 or 99.95% 2009: Fixed Cost Capital= $1684m Long Term Capital= $156m + $1684m= $1840m Gearing= 0.92 or 91.52% Since the ratios for both years are higher than 50 per cent, IHG is considered a high geared company. This simply signifies that a much higher proportion of total capital is borrowed. Even though the gearing ratio decreased from 2008 to 2009, IHG is still considered as risky by creditors. After analyzing the key ratios previously formulated and comparing between 2008 and 2009, one can conclude that Intercontinental Hotel Group is not financially fit. Both liquidity ratios, current and quick, decreased from 2008 and 2009 signifying that assets cannot easily be turned into cash. Moreover, the decrease of profitability ratios including gross profit margin and ROCE indicate weakness of the business. The net profit margin, however, did slightly increase from 2008 to 2009. Furthermore, IHGS poor asset turnover ratio shows that the company is not using its assets effectively. Lastly, the organizations high gearing nature also contributes to the fact that IHG is reliant on borrowed business. Overall, it needs to make changes to improve its financial health. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS/ CONCLUSION The utilization of an organizations resources must not only be effective, but also efficient (Pettinger, 1997). While the strengths of IHG management for both financial and non-financial resources can be enhanced, the weaknesses must not be overlooked. In order for IHG to carry out their strategic objective of creating an efficient organization, its human resource management must be committed to several practices such as selective hiring, focus on training and development, communication and information sharing, good level of compensation, and team working (Porter, Smith, Fagg, 2006). In this manner, IHG will be able to achieve positive human resource outcomes, which can lead to quality and productivity. This in turn can heighten the organizational performance in terms of financial outcomes. Furthermore, IHG management can take general action to increase the stream of cash flows and drive value. Increasing business with current customers, expanding global presence, reducing expenses and pursuing complementary alliances can all promote growth. According to DeFranco and Lattin(2007, p.119), Rather than focus on expansion in a single city, some companies elect to expand to new markets. The benefit of this type of growth is that it spreads the risk of expansion over several markets. For example, concierge services can incorporate the usage of iPad to visually assist the guests common questions such as directions. Another example is diversifying related products such as vacation ownership and corporate housing. By doing this, Intercontinental Hotel Group will be able to enhance its product image. Margins can be improved if IHG focuses on restructuring, efficiency, productivity, and cost control. Moreover, increasing inventory turns and getting best conditions from suppliers can aid in lowering the companys working capital. The organization can also optimize asset utilization by either lowering capital expenditures or improving turnover ratios (Bertoneche Knight, 20 01). An example of a capital expenditure is restoring a property or adapting it to a new or different use. In the case of IHG, this can involve renovating or refurbishing one of its hotels. By lowering capital expenditures, the balance sheet can be affected positively. In conclusion, IHG has managed to successfully remain as one of the top hotel chains worldwide, it still needs to constantly be monitoring the external and internal environment to be able to compete in the hospitality industry. As more and more competitors are arising, IHG need to continuously revise and review its strategic objectives, which include human resources, mechanical resources, and financial resources. By evaluating financial ratios, IHG can monitor the performance of its operations and evaluate its efforts to meet a variety of goals. By tracking a selected set of ratios on a regular basis, the organization is able to maintain a fairly accurate perception of the effectiveness and efficiency of its operations (Andrew, Damitio Schmidgallm 2007). Even though the hospitality industry is dynamic and exciting, it poses many challenges such as low profitability, reliance on discretionary income, capital intensive, fluctuating sales volume and labor intensive. IHG has to ensure t hat it is able to overcome these challenges so that it can grow and increase its value. .

British Castles :: essays research papers

BRITISH CASTLES   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Great Britain’s castles exemplify artistic characteristics and were essential elements in the lives of kings, lords, nobles, and chieftains. The word castle means a building or group of buildings usually intended as a residence of a king, lord, noble, or chieftain. There are many different types of castles, and the features about them are simply amazing. Warfare was also an important issue involving castles. They had to have some means of protection.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The castles reached their fullest development in the medieval period, even though fortified building had been around much earlier. The castles created a feudal system, which gave them their greatest importance. The feudal system was divided into three classes: the knights and nobles, clergy, and peasants. The knights and nobles’ job was to defend society, the clergy was to pray, while the peasants had the duty to till the soil and support other classes (Collier’s Encyclopedia 532). The origin of has been traced back to the late Roman times when men placed themselves under a man stronger and wealthier than themselves (Rowling 31). The knights lived in castles built upon hilltops or in the bend of rivers. There they received vessels, held meeting: and upon occasion, defended themselves from rivals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many different general styles of castles in Britain. One of the styles is a motte and bailey, which was one of the first types of castles built. The castle was made of a motte, which was a large man-made mound of earth. The top of the mound was surrounded by wooden palisades, which were like logs. Within those logs was a wooden keep. This was used as a lookout tower and a last refuge or keep (Farndon 7). The only way to get into the motte was across a sloping bridge, placed on high pillars. The bailey was next to the motte, and wooden palisades also surrounded it. A ditch of water protected the bailey. The motte and bailey were connected by a flying bridge that could be torn down if the bailey was not needed anymore. Since the motte and bailey were made of wood and earth none of the castles have survived completely today (Remfry 1). Norman’s were few so they must have had to force people to help build it (Farndon 6). By the eleventh century the mot te and bailey form of castle was widely spread (Alistair 3).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another type of castle is a shell keep.

Reaction paper “Shutter Island” Essay

â€Å"Shutter Island† is a movie that is not only dedicated to delivering flawless scenery and a storyline about a mental institution locked away with a deep, dark secret away from civilization, but instead, the majority of the film is actually a character study with Teddy Daniels as the main subject. Teddy Daniels has a troubled past that is reflected in flash backs and dream sequences. Teddy Daniels is now a U.S Marshall, but prior to that, he was a veteran of war, where he saw some of the most brutally horrific and mind-scarring scenes imaginable, the kind of things that could poison a man’s mind and leave him haunted by them for life. Teddy is also a â€Å"retired alcoholic† as one of the doctor’s at Ashecliffe Hospital reveals stating that it is plainly obvious that he used to drink. The subject of alcoholism is later elaborated on in a flashback scene where his late wife asks him why he drinks. It appears that Teddy is not only haunted by the toils o f war or his alcoholism, but also by the fact that a man who set fire to his home killed his wife and children. In short, Teddy’s life has been fuelled by mentally scarring events, that somehow lead him to Ashecliffe Hospital, in what he believes to be â€Å"fate† when he learns that the man who killed his family is actually a patient at the hospital; Andrew Laediss. Before long, Teddy soon learns of the corruption on the island. Peculiar experiments are being carried out. These are later revealed to be lobotomies, which are used in order to settle the criminally insane for good. When Teddy uncovers the â€Å"truth†, he tries to leave the island to no avail. This is when the twist starts to become evident. Teddy Daniels is not a U.S marshal at all, he is actually a patient at Ashecliffe Hospital, and he has been for several years. Mentally scarred by the issues in his life, which are revealed not only to be the toils of war, but also the fact that his wife also went insane and drowned their children, it was Daniels, actually revealed to be called Andrew Laediss, who killed his wife out of revenge. Throughout the film, Teddy suffers headaches. These headaches are actually from his withdrawals from his medication which he suffers when he creates his alternate personality and gives everyone â€Å"roles to play,† something that is also referenced earlier on in the film. Teddy Daniels is criminally insane  and he is permanently haunted by hi s past. He creates personalities for everyone at the hospital and he goes about his life pretending he is someone else as a method of â€Å"escapism† from reality. His story is incredible and the truth is actually hinted at throughout the film which will leave viewers simply needing to watch the film a second time because the hints are impossible to ignore once the twist is revealed. Needless to say. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the character to perfection and Teddy Daniels, still to this day, is undeniably one of the most in-depth, detailed and most developed film characters of the 2010 decade thus far. Leonardo DiCaprio as Edward â€Å"Teddy† Daniels Mark Ruffalo as Chuck Aule Ben Kingsley as Dr. John Cawley Max von Sydow as Dr. Jeremiah Naehring Michelle Williams as Dolores Chanal Emily Mortimer as Rachel Solando Patricia Clarkson as Dr. Rachel Solando Jackie Earle Haley as George Noyce Ted Levine as Warden John Carroll Lynch as Deputy Warden McPherson Elias Koteas as Andrew Laeddis Jill Larson as Old Manacled Woman Ken Cheeseman as Doctor 1 Ruby Jerins as Little Girl Robin Bartlett as Bridget Kearns Christopher Denham as Peter Breene Matthew Cowles as Ferry Boat Captain The ending of shutter Island seems ambiguous but to me it was pretty clear-cut. Teddy wakes up to the reality that he is actually Andrew Laedis, though he is warned by Dr. Cawley and Dr. Sheehan that he has regresses into his fantasy world before. However, Andrew is smart. When Dr. Sheehan sits with him on the steps that next morning, Andrew knows that the doctors and Warden are observing his behavior. The thing is, his guilt and pain are still so heavy that he knows he cannot live with them. Rather than live with  the knowledge of his pain, he chooses to pretend that he is still Teddy Daniels and let them lobotomize him, so that he can finally be free of his burden. That’s what the line to Dr. Sheehan about â€Å"living as a monster, or dying as a good man,’ means – Andrew would rather be mind-wiped as â€Å"Teddy Daniels† than live with the sins of Andrew Laeddis. Although little information is available to analyze Teddy based on his childhood he can be examined on many other elements of Sigmund Freud’s theories about the unconscious. While he is living in his fantasy life as an investigator on the island, his unconscious thoughts often appear in his dreams. He sees his wife come to him begging him to give up on his quest for Andrew because he will not like what he finds out and she doesn’t want him to get hurt. He also dreams of Rachel Solando coming to him with her children’s bloody bodies, asking him to assist her in disposing of them. As he holds the children’s bodies they come alive asking why he didn’t save them. This perfectly illustrates the psychoanalytic theory that dreams have two levels of content. The manifest content is that Teddy thinks the dreams come from the fact that he is missing his wife and just can’t accept her death and let her go and that the macabre feeling of the island is getting to him causing him to have nightmares of the insane woman he is investigating. It is later clear that the latent content of the dreams reveal the hidden meaning of his own experiences. In other words, there was no Rachel Solando. Teddy created her as a reflection of himself because Dolores was a manic depressive who drowned their children in a lake one day when he wasn’t home. When he returned and realized the tragic happenings there was nothing he could do, hence the nightmares of the children inquiring as to why he couldn’t save them. In his dreams she often walks to him soaking wet to which he asks her â€Å"Why are you all wet, baby?†. This phrase seems to haunt him because those are the first words he said to her when he came home that day she went crazy . Teddy feels personally responsible for their death because at the time he was an alcoholic and while he loved his wife, he refused to see her for who she really was and ended up killing her after discovering the children. In the dreams she tells him to give up because he is unable to cope with knowing the truth. This leads on to how Teddy distorts his reality to protect himself against his unbearable pain and guilt through the use of defense mechanisms. All of the memories of what really happened to Dolores  and the children become repressed and replaced with false illusions that his wife was wrongfully murdered and he re-created himself as a hero in order to cope. In accordance with this mechanism he suffers from post traumatic stress from which the disturbing memories indirectly begin to reveal themselves in his dreams. Dr. Sheehan who in his mind was his partner reveals that for they had decided to try an elaborate role-playing experiment in which they went along with all of Teddy (Andrew)’s delusions in an attempt to bring his mind back to the real world and thus save him from a brain lobotomy (a form of psychosurgery) which was forced to be their last resort. When the truth is first revealed Teddy’s initial reaction is to resort to the defense mechanism of denial. He refuses to accept that what they claim is what really happened and is insistent upon the fact that they have been dosing him with drugs in order to brainwash him and keep him from discovering the truth about the gruesome human experiments that have been taking place at the hospital. Projection is also used when he accuses the Doctor’s of making up this story about what happened to him in order to protect themselves. These are both attempts to rid his mind of the anxiety provoking stimuli that he is unable to accept has any association with what happened in his life. Even before the truth is revealed while Teddy still believes that he is a hero we see this anxiety shining through during his investigation at Shutter Island. When the hospital’s main psychologist makes a comment about Teddy refraining from alcohol and Teddy responds with a witty attack the doctor notes his â€Å"excellent use of defense mechanisms†. This may relate to his implicit memory because although Teddy at first does not have any suspicions about the realism of his own identity he seems to think that everyone else is out to get him which serves as unconscious memories influencing conscious behavior causing him to constantly be on defense about the intentions and actions of the people around him. When Teddy finally comes out of his stage of denial and accepts the truth, the doctors fear that he will relapse and go back into repression. It was noted that this had happened before with their other attempts to cure him. Teddy fakes falling back into that stage in ord er to save himself his dignity, he reveals his intentions by saying â€Å"which would be worse, to live as a monster or to die a good man?†. This lets us know that Dr. Sheehan’s cure proved effective, but Teddy would rather not live in that state of misery or try to  move on with his life knowing the shocking truth. Teddy Daniels also known as Andrew Laeddis is an extremely interesting character to study in terms of personality. Before his marriage to Dolores he probably could have been analyzed for completely different attributes; however the events in his life served as strong situational factors to shape the person he would turn into. Before it is realized that he is actually one of the criminally insane prisoners, Teddy could be described as smart, witty and independent. He stands up for himself even when he suspects that the majority of the island is involved with the conspiracy. After realizing the truth behind all of his actions it is clear that his life is relatable to many of Freud’s theories which are all used to aid him in â€Å"distorting reality to protect him against pain or threatening impulses arising from the id†. It is also very interesting that in his alternate reality he views himself as a good, innocent person who is looking to set bad things right. This could come from his unconscious knowledge that he committed a violent crime and wants to take all of the blame off himsel f by portraying himself as a hero. The warden of Ashecliffe Hospital makes an interesting point of reference to the dark side of Teddy’s personality and human nature in general by telling him â€Å"You’re as violent as they come. I know because I am as violent as they come. Don’t embarrass yourself by denying your own blood lust, son. Don’t embarrass me. If the constraints of society were removed, and I was all that stood between you and a meal, you’d crack my skull with a rock and eat my meaty parts†. Teddy killed his wife because he felt that after what she had done, it was the right thing to do and his alternate personality serves as a cover-up because he â€Å"should† feel guilty that the type of violence isn’t acceptable, no matter what Dolores had done to deserve it.

Free Essays on Recycling

The topic of recycling has been around for almost thirty years. It was realized that simply "throwing" our problems out the window and into the landfill wasn't a permanent solution. Slowly we have tried to upgrade our process of recycling, reusing and reducing. Though the question remains. Do we do enough for recycling? How much longer can we wait to act until we are buried under our own trash. The time has come to bring recycling into the global spotlight. On April 22, 1970 the first Earth Day was celebrated. First of many it kicked off a major Earth movement. That same year President Nixon passed the Environmental Protection Act. Complementing it six years later was the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The Recovery Act regulated disposal and treatment of solid waste. Prior to this, trash was either incinerated, burned in an open dump or landfilled. Seventeen years after this law was passed recycling still hadn't picked up immensely. 75% of trash still went to landfills, 13% was incinerated and only a meager 12% was recycled. That was in the year 1993, only four years ago. Of course a nation wide comparison doesn't truly do justice to waste disposal because of concentration of people and exporting of waste. However on a local comparison the statistics are very similar. In 1993 16 thousand tons of garbage were produced in Tioga County and only 4 thousand tons were recycled. Three years later in 1996 our production of trash went up to about 17 thousand tons while we still only recycled 4 thousand tons of it. With statistics like these it is not a matter that requires much thought. Landfill space is constantly being used up; and even the most advanced incinerators still pollute the air, one option stands. Prices on natural resources are escalating and their abundance is dropping, one option remains. What kind of future will we leave for our children, one option stands. Before we go into discussion of recycling some ground ru... Free Essays on Recycling Free Essays on Recycling An ancient practice with many modern applications, recycling is the recovery and reuse of materials from spent products. In recent years recycling, also called materials salvage, has become a major part of environmental policy, due to the increased costs of solid- and hazardous-waste disposal, the scarcity of natural resources, and the growing concern over polluted land, water, and air. There are two types of recycling operations: internal and external. Internal recycling is the reuse in a manufacturing process of materials that are a waste product of that process. Internal recycling is common in the metals industry. External recycling is the reclaiming of materials from a product that has become almost obsolete. An example of external recycling is the collection of old newspapers and magazines for the manufacture of newsprint or other paper products. In some areas, industries are required to pre-treat wastewater before it is funneled into a waterway. In homes, wastewater is sent t o a sewage-treatment plant, where it is purified, recycled, and put back into the water-supply system. Many gardeners recycle organic, biodegradable kitchen scraps by mixing them with leaves and grass clippings in a compost mound. There the organic waste decomposes and is biochemically transformed into usable soil. Successful recycling programs depend on several factors. There must be a general awareness of the problems caused by solid-waste disposal and an effective, inexpensive method for separating and collecting the recyclable materials. It also must be economically feasible for industries to use and market recycled materials. In 1976 the United States Congress passed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, encouraging states to formulate solid-waste recovery plans. Many states set up special departments to assist local communities in their recycling efforts. Some communities adopted legislation that gives consumers the option of returning contain... Free Essays on Recycling Recycling is an extremely important issue in our world today. Recycling is returning materials to their raw material components and then using these again to supplement or replace new materials in the manufacture of a new product. It is important for every person to take responsibility for his or her own contribution to the recycling effort. Recycling not only means reusing and restoring our garbage but can also include donating old clothes to charitable organizations, reusing plastic containers to store food in the refrigerator, and many other activities we already participate in. Although recycling encompasses many areas of our lives, this paper will focus on our everyday waste products, how to recycle them, and if it is a worthwhile cause (Carless 3). With thousands of curbside recycling services operating nationwide, people can no longer make excuses for their lack of recycling. Consumer education is important so people can make informed decisions about buying products which are recyclable and minimize the amount of garbage that cannot be recycled. Recycling has several healing affects on the Earth such as helping to slow global warming, diminishing acid rain, reducing water pollution, conserving landfill space, and lowering pollutants in the air (Stein 13). For four consecutive weeks, I collected my personal garbage and counted and/or weighed the respective products. I learned that many of the products I use can be recycled, however, I also realized that I need to make a more conscious effort to buy recyclable products. Appendix A details the garbage I collected and is divided into several categories which are: aluminum, other metals, glass, plastics, newspaper, white paper, other paper, and food products. I will discuss each group and how, or if, the products listed in the group can be recycled. By using recycled aluminum instead of virgin ore, we can eliminate 95 percent of air pollution, 97 percent of water pollution, save 4 ton... Free Essays on Recycling People Need to Recycle In the United Sates, where the population is inflated every year. The amount of space for landfills decreases every day. The need for recycling should not be asked, it should just be done out of habit. Everyone in America needs to recycle, to help the lamdfill problem, help the environment, and help produce new products from recycled goods. In America there is about two-hundred and eight tons of residential and commercial trash generated a year, 4.3 pounds per person a day (Prichard 1A). This is an overwhelming amount of trashed produced yearly. When people recycle this number can be drastically cut. But many people do not practice and use recycling. Consumers and businesses should use the three R’s; recycle, reuse, and recharge (Prichard 1A). Consumers and businesses are producing more garbage than ever before. As a result, we are rapidly running out of landfill space. In 1979 America had close to 18,500 landfills, and by 1991 that number was nearly cut in half (Prichard 10A). Kentucky, Ohio, Minnesota, and Illinois will reach their maximum limit on landfills by the year 2005 (Prichard 10A). This whole garbage problem has forced us to try other options. Many of these options have been very unsuccessful. People have tried burning their garbage, that cause pollution to the environment. Some states even resorted to dropping their trash in the ocean, only to have the very same trash float ashore later. Dumping it on other states leads to feuding neighbors. Indiana passed a law to block imports of out-of-state trash, but a federal court ruled the law illegal (Prichard 10A). Instead of trying to find new ways to dump our trash, we need to find better ways to recycle it and save space in our landfills. In the 1970s there was a push to use recycled paper. A worker at a paper factory in Illinois states, â€Å"Then the issue was saving a tree. But trees are replaced. We plant them, we cut them, we plant them again† (Pendl... Free Essays on Recycling The topic of recycling has been around for almost thirty years. It was realized that simply "throwing" our problems out the window and into the landfill wasn't a permanent solution. Slowly we have tried to upgrade our process of recycling, reusing and reducing. Though the question remains. Do we do enough for recycling? How much longer can we wait to act until we are buried under our own trash. The time has come to bring recycling into the global spotlight. On April 22, 1970 the first Earth Day was celebrated. First of many it kicked off a major Earth movement. That same year President Nixon passed the Environmental Protection Act. Complementing it six years later was the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The Recovery Act regulated disposal and treatment of solid waste. Prior to this, trash was either incinerated, burned in an open dump or landfilled. Seventeen years after this law was passed recycling still hadn't picked up immensely. 75% of trash still went to landfills, 13% was incinerated and only a meager 12% was recycled. That was in the year 1993, only four years ago. Of course a nation wide comparison doesn't truly do justice to waste disposal because of concentration of people and exporting of waste. However on a local comparison the statistics are very similar. In 1993 16 thousand tons of garbage were produced in Tioga County and only 4 thousand tons were recycled. Three years later in 1996 our production of trash went up to about 17 thousand tons while we still only recycled 4 thousand tons of it. With statistics like these it is not a matter that requires much thought. Landfill space is constantly being used up; and even the most advanced incinerators still pollute the air, one option stands. Prices on natural resources are escalating and their abundance is dropping, one option remains. What kind of future will we leave for our children, one option stands. Before we go into discussion of recycling some ground ru...

The eNotes Blog A Promising Payday, a PetulantPenguin

A Promising Payday, a PetulantPenguin Lena Dunham scores with Random House while Penguin seeks repayment on book deals gone sour. If youve evaded living under a rock this past week, youve probably also heard about the bidding war over Lena Dunhams forthcoming book of essays that resulted in a $3.5m payout for the author (slash director, slash actress). Yes, now aspiring young authors can join the ranks of aspiring young film makers made green with envy by the talented Miss Dunham. But all we can think of is that, for her sake, it better be good, given the example that Penguin set in court last month. At the end of September the Penguin Group New York filed lawsuits to recoup losses made on advances to several of its authors who never delivered. With the filing of these suits, the details of these authors paydays have become public knowledge. Though none are as hefty as Dunhams, the size of a few of these advances may surprise you: The largest advance of the list went to Ana Marie Cox, who founded the political blog  Wonkette. In 2006 she signed a contract that totaled $325,000 to write a humorous examination of the next generation of political activists. Now, because she didnt deliver, Penguin is suing to reclaim the $81,250 advance it paid her, plus  $50,000 in interest. Hopefully her correspondent jobs at GQ and The Guardian compensate her as handsomely (were guessing that they probably do). A controversial plaintiff in this series of cases is Holocaust survivor  Herman Rosenblat. In 1996, Rosenblat and his wife appeared on Oprah to tell the miraculous story of their meeting and falling in love. Per the story, Herman survived his imprisonment as a child in the concentration camp Buchenwald thanks to a young Roma, his future wife, who threw apples to him from the other side of the fence. Years later, the two met again in New York on a blind date and fell in love. Unfortunately, their tale is as implausible as it sounds. When news of the faked story broke, Rosenblat was due to release a memoir through Berkley Books, an imprint of Penguin. The publishing house then cancelled the release of the book and now aims to collect the would-be memoirists advance of $30,000, with an additional $10,000 in interest. Penguin is also seeking repayments from Elizabeth Wurtzel, author of Prozac Nation, for a teen book on depression that she never produced; New Yorker journalist Rebecca Mead for a $50,000 deal she agreed to in 2003, and never fulfilled; and Conrad Tillard for the $85,000 paid to him for the memoir of  his epic journey from the Ivy League to the Nation of Islam, also never completed. The Smoking Gun has more on those. Heres hoping Lena Dunham never ends up in the same hot water, given the massive amount shed be held accountable for. Were pretty sure shes doing just fine, though. On another note, um Penguin, how bout sending advancements some other writers ways? I know several whod fulfill their contracts for you. Just sayin. Thoughts on advances, the repayment of advances, and celebrity book deals in general? Sound off below!

Economic Repercussions of the Clean Air Act Essay

Economic Repercussions of the Clean Air Act - Essay Example In the public discussion over legal obligations versus economic rewards, there is a very limited knowledge of the fundamental economics concerned. If the goal is to regulate the discharge to an accurate, predictable level, direct quantitative regulations are apt to be most successful in attaining the social objective. If they can be checked and implemented, direct regulations will be effective in lessening pollution to a predictable level. It is far from evident that legislators must aspire for a definite pollution level. Being aware or predicting the right pollution level demands costs and benefits information that could be indecisive at best. Devoid of this particular knowledge legislators might prefer a technique that reduces the social costs stemming from the inaccurate costs or benefits information. This is likely to entail economic rewards instead of obligatory standards. While there are various views regarding the suitable objective of environmental policy, this paper supposes that environmental legislators pursue to take full advantage of the economic interests emerging from their policy decisions. The problem is that they are trying to exploit an indecisive ‘net benefit stream’, which is identified as the â€Å"difference between the health, aesthetic and material benefits of reducing air pollution and the costs of achieving this reduction† (Crandall, 1983, 59). There are critical setbacks of indecisiveness in approximating the costs of benefits of regulation. The importance of future health effects, the link between ambient quality of air and discharges from point-sources, the significance of reduced mortality or morbidity rates, and the regulation costs across various sources are the primary providers of this indecisiveness (Freedman & Jaggi, 1993). For each of these important connections, subjective or objective approximations should be performed by

Planning Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Planning Law - Assignment Example The industrial age played a very big role in reshaping population settlement. It caused more and more people to flock into cities looking for work. However, in the 21st century, the information revolution is probably the number one factor that is affecting the way people settle. The information revolution that has been caused by the increasing communication technology that started in the mid-seventeenth century has now come to change the way people settle. However, since information revolution is always under continuous development, it is hard to say exactly how it is affecting human settlement. For instance, originally, information technology was only available in and around cities and urban settlements. The way this affected human settlement is that people had to move to cities in order to access these services. In this regard, the information revolution can be said to be having the same effect that industrial revolution had on human settlement. However, as time goes on, informatio n revolution is changing, and it is now easier for people to access these services such as internet connection and cell phone networks, even in some of world’s remotest points. This factor combines with the fact that most people these days work online, mean that the people can now settle anywhere in the world and don’t need to go to cities or urban centers. ... However, since information revolution is always under continuous development, it is hard to say exactly how it is affecting human settlement. For instance, originally, information technology was only available in and around cities and urban settlements. The way this affected human settlement is that people had to move to cities in order to access these services. In this regard, the information revolution can be said to be having the same effect that industrial revolution had on human settlement. However, as time goes on, information revolution is changing, and it is now easier for people to access these services such as internet connection and cell phone networks, even in some of world’s remotest points. This factor combines with the fact that most people these days work online, mean that the people can now settle anywhere in the world and don’t need to go to cities or urban centers. Part II McAuslan2 (1980) is trying to indicate that planning law is still very crude an d that it does not help in making cities better. This viewpoint is wrong because the law has made sure that the freedom that individual and organizations had a hundred years ago is not there anymore, and this helps in protecting cities and the environment in general. Module 4 Journal The local government is a very important arm with regard to the enforcement of planning regulations and laws (Westen3 2009). Without these local governments, the many planning laws would be useless and it would be very hard to manage the real estate available to any cities. Local governments understand the local city best and they understand the concerns of the local people in the best way. For this reason, the local government would be able to help in making sure that the