Monday, January 13, 2020
The Return: Midnight Chapter 18
After breakfast Matt went online to find two stores, neither in Fel ââ¬Ës Church, that had the amount of clay Mrs. Flowers said she'd need and that said they'd deliver. But after that there was the matter of driving away from the boardinghouse and by the last lonely remains of where the Old Wood had been. He drove by the little thicket where Shinichi often came like a demonic Pied Piper with the possessed children shuffling behind him ââ¬â the place where Sheriff Mossberg had gone after them and hadn't come out. Where, later, protected by magical wards on Post-it Notes, he and Tyrone Alpert had pul ed out a bare, chewed femur. Today, he figured the only way to get past the thicket was to work his wheezing junk car up by stages, and it was actual y going over sixty when he flew by the thicket, even managing to hit the turn perfectly. No trees fel on him, no swarms of foot-long bugs. He whispered ââ¬Å"Whoa,â⬠in relief and headed for home. He dreaded that ââ¬â but simply driving through Fel ââ¬Ës Church was so horrible it glued his tongue to the top of his mouth. It looked ââ¬â this pretty, innocent little town where he had grown up ââ¬â as if it were one of those neighborhoods you saw on TV or on the Internet that had been bombed, or something. And whether it was bombs or disasterous fires, one house in four was simply rubble. A few were half-rubble, with police tape enclosing them, which meant that whatever had happened had happened early enough for the police to care ââ¬â or dare. Around the burned-out bits the vegetation flourished strangely: a decorative bush from one house grown so as to be halfway across a neighbor's grass. Vines dipping from one tree to another, to another, as if this were some ancient jungle. His home was right in the middle of a long block of houses ful of kids ââ¬â and in summer, when grandchildren inevitably came to visit, there were even more kids. Matt just hoped that that part of summer vacation was doneâ⬠¦but would Shinichi and Misao let the youngsters go home? Matt had no idea. And, if they went home, would they keep spreading the disease in their own hometowns? Where did it stop? Driving down his block, though, Matt saw nothing hideous. There were kids playing out on the front lawns, or the sidewalks, crouching over marbles, hanging out in the trees. There was no single overt thing that he could put his finger on There was no single overt thing that he could put his finger on that was weird. He was Stilluneasy. But he'd reached his house now, the one with a grand old oak tree shading the porch, so he had to get out. He coasted to a stop just under the tree and parked by the sidewalk. He grabbed a large laundry bag from the backseat. He'd been accumulating dirty clothes for a couple of weeks at the boardinghouse and it hadn't seemed fair to ask Mrs. Flowers to wash them. As he got out of the car, pul ing the bag out with him, he was just in time to hear the birdsong stop. For a moment after it did, he wondered what was wrong. He knew that something was missing, cut short. It made the air heavier. It even seemed to change the smel of the grass. Then he realized. Every bird, including the raucous crows that lived in the oak trees, had gone silent. All at once. Matt felt a twisting in his bel y as he looked up and around. There were two kids in the oak tree right beside his car. His mind was Stillstubbornly trying to hang on to: Children. Playing. Okay. His body was smarter. His hand was already in his pocket, pul ing out a pad of Post-it Notes: the flimsy bits of paper that usual y stopped evil magic cold. Matt hoped Meredith would remember to ask Isobel's mother for more amulets. He was running low, andâ⬠¦ â⬠¦and there were two kids playing in the old oak tree. Except they weren't. They were staring at him. One boy was hanging upside down by his knees and the other was gobbling somethingâ⬠¦out of a garbage bag. The hanging kid was staring at him with strangely acute eyes. ââ¬Å"Have you ever wondered what it's like to be dead?â⬠he asked. And now the head of the gobbling boy came up, thick bright red al around his mouth. Bright red ââ¬â ââ¬â blood. Andâ⬠¦whatever was in the garbage bag was moving. Kicking. Thrashing weakly. Trying to get away. A wave of nausea washed over Matt. Acid hit his throat. He was going to puke. The gobbling kid was staring at him with stony black-as-a-pit eyes. The hanging kid was smiling. Then, as if stirred by a hot breath of wind, Matt felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It wasn't just the birds that had gone quiet. Everything had. No child's voice was raised in argument or song or speech. He whirled around and saw why. They were staring at him. Every single kid on the block was silently watching him. Then, with a chil ing precision, as he turned back to look at the boys in the tree, al the others came toward him. Except they weren't walking. They were creeping. Lizard-fashion. That's why some of them had seemed to be playing with marbles on the sidewalk. They were al moving in the same way, bel ies close to the ground, elbows up, hands like forepaws, knees splaying to the side. Now he could taste bile. He looked the other way down the street and found another group creeping. Grinning unnatural grins. It was as if someone was pul ing their cheeks from behind them, pul ing them hard, so that their grins almost broke their faces in half. Matt noticed something else. Suddenly they'd stopped, and while he stared at them, they stayed Still. Perfectly Still, staring back at him. But when he looked away, he saw the creeping figures out of the corner of his eye. He didn't have enough Post-it Notes for al of them. You can't run away from this. It sounded like an outside voice in his head. Telepathy. But maybe that was because Matt's head had turned into a roiling red cloud, floating upward. Fortunately, his body heard it and suddenly he was up on the back of his car, and had grabbed the hanging kid. For a moment he had a helpless impulse to let go of the boy. The kid Stillstared at him but with eerie, uncanny eyes that were half rol ed back in his head. Instead of dropping him, Matt slapped a Post-It Note on the boy's forehead, swinging him at the same time to sit on the back of the car. A pause and then wailing. The kid must be fourteen at least, but about thirty seconds after the Ban Against Evil (pocket-size) was smacked on him he was sobbing real kid sobs. As one, the crawling kids let out a hiss. It was like a giant steam engine. Hsssssssssssssssssssssss. They began to breathe in and out very fast, as if working up to some new state. Their creeping slowed to a crawl. But they were breathing so hard Matt could see their sides hol ow and fil . As Matt turned to look at one group of them, they froze, except for the unnatural breathing. But he could feel the ones behind him getting closer. By now Matt's heart was pounding in his ears. He could fight a group of them ââ¬â but not with a group on his back. Some of them looked only ten or eleven. Some looked almost his age. Some were girls, for God's sake. Matt remembered what possessed girls had done the last time he'd met them and felt violent revulsion. But he knew that looking up at the gobbling kid was going to make him sicker. He could hear smacking, chewing sounds ââ¬â and he could hear a thin little whistle of helpless pain and weak struggling against the bag. He whirled quickly again, to keep off the other side of crawlers, and then made himself look up. With a quiet crackle, the garbage bag fel away when he grabbed it but the kid held on to what was in ââ¬â Oh my God. He's eating a baby! A baby! A ââ¬â He yanked the kid out of the tree and his hand automatical y slapped a Post-It onto the boy's back. And then ââ¬â then, thank God, he saw the fur. It wasn't a baby. It was too smal to be a baby, even a newborn. But it was eaten. The kid raised his bloody face to Matt's, and Matt saw that it was Cole Reece, Cole who was only thirteen and lived right next door. Matt hadn't even recognized him before. Cole's mouth was wide open in horror now, and his eyes were bulging out of his head with terror and sorrow, and tears and snot were streaming down his face. ââ¬Å"He made me eat Toby,â⬠he started in a whisper that became a scream. ââ¬Å"He made me eat my guinea pig! He made me ââ¬â why why why did he do that? I ATE TOBY!â⬠He threw up al over Matt's shoes. Blood-red vomit. Merciful death for the animal. Quick, Matt thought. But this was the hardest thing he'd ever tried to do. How to do it ââ¬â a hard stomp on the creature's head? He couldn't. He had to try something else first. Matt peeled off a Post-It Note and put it, trying not to look, on the fur. And just like that it was over. The guinea pig went slack. The spel had undone whatever had been keeping it alive up to this point. There was blood and puke on Matt's hands, but he made himself turn to Cole. Cole had his eyes shut tight and little choking sounds came from him. Something in Matt snapped. ââ¬Å"You want some of this?â⬠he shouted, holding out the Post-it pad as if it were the revolver he'd left with Mrs. Flowers. He whirled again, shouting, ââ¬Å"You want some? How about you? You, Josh?â⬠He was recognizing faces now. ââ¬Å"You, Madison? How 'bout you, Bryn? Bring it on! You all bring it on! BRING IT ââ¬â ââ¬Å" Something touched his shoulder. He spun, Post-it Note ready. Then he stopped short and relief bubbled up in him like Evian water at some fancy restaurant. He was staring right into the face of Dr. Alpert, Fel ââ¬Ës Church's own country doctor. She had her SUV parked beside his car, in the middle of the street. Behind her, protecting her back, was Tyrone, who was going to be next year's quarterback at Robert E. Lee High. His sister, a sophomore-to-be, was trying to get out of the SUV too, but she stopped when Tyrone saw her. ââ¬Å"Jayneela!â⬠he roared in a voice only the Tyre-minator could produce. ââ¬Å"You get back in and buckle up! You know what Mom said! You do it now!â⬠Matt found himself clutching at Dr. Alpert's chocolate brown hands. He knew she was a good woman, and a good caretaker, who had adopted her daughter's young children when their divorced mother had died of cancer. Maybe she would help him, too. He began babbling. ââ¬Å"Oh, God, I've gotta get my mom out. My mom lives here alone. And I have to get her away from here.â⬠He knew he was sweating. He hoped he wasn't crying. ââ¬Å"Okay, Matt,â⬠the doctor said in her husky voice. ââ¬Å"I'm getting my own family out this afternoon. We're going to stay with relatives in West Virginia. She's welcome to come.â⬠It couldn't be this easy. Matt knew he had tears in his eyes now. He refused to blink, though, and let them come down. ââ¬Å"I don't know what to say ââ¬â but if you would ââ¬â you're an adult, you see. She won't listen to me. She will listen to you. This whole block is infected. This kid Cole ââ¬â ââ¬Å"He couldn't go on. But Dr. Alpert saw it al in a flash ââ¬â the animal, the boy with blood on his teeth and his mouth, Stillretching. Dr. Alpert didn't react. She just had Jayneela throw her a packet of Wet Wipes from the SUV and held the heaving kid with one hand, while vigorously scrubbing his face clean. ââ¬Å"Go home,â⬠she told him sternly. ââ¬Å"You have to let the infected ones go,â⬠she said to Matt, with a terrible look in her eyes. ââ¬Å"Cruel as it seems, they only pass it on to the few who're Stillwell.â⬠Matt started to tel her about the effectiveness of the Post-it Note amulets, but she was already cal ing, ââ¬Å"Tyrone! Come over here and you boys bury this poor animal. Then you be ready to move Mrs. Honeycutt's things into the van. Jayneela, you do what your brother says. I'm going in for a little talk with Mrs. Honeycutt right now.â⬠She didn't raise her voice much. She didn't need to. The Tyre-minator was obeying, backing up to Matt, watching the last of the creeping children that Matt's explosion hadn't scattered. He's quick, Matt realized. Quicker than me. It's like a game. As long as you watch them they can't move. They took turns being the watcher and handling the shovel. The earth here was hard as rock, heavy with weeds. But somehow they got a hole dug and the work helped them mental y. They buried Toby, and Matt walked around like some foot-dragging monster, trying to get the vomit off his shoes in the grass. Suddenly beside them there was the noise of a door banging open and Matt ran, ran to his mother, who was trying to heft a huge suitcase, much too heavy for her, through the door. Matt took it from her and felt himself encompassed in her hug even though she had to stand on tip-toes to do it. ââ¬Å"Matt, I can't just leave you ââ¬â ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"He'l be one of those to get the town out of this mess,â⬠Dr. Alpert said, overriding her. ââ¬Å"He'l clean it up. Now we've got to get out so we don't drag him down. Matt, just so you know, I heard that the McCul oughs are getting out too. Mr. and Mrs. Sulez don't seem to be going yet, and neither do the Gilbert-Maxwells.â⬠She said the last two words with a distinct emphasis. The Gilbert-Maxwells were Elena's aunt Judith, her husband Robert MaxWell, and Elena's little sister, Margaret. There was no real reason to mention them. But Matt knew why Dr. Alpert had. She remembered seeing Elena when this whole mess had started. Despite Elena's purification of the woods where Dr. Alpert had been standing, the doctor remembered. ââ¬Å"I'l tel ââ¬â Meredith,â⬠Matt said, and looking her in the eyes, he nodded a little, as if to say, I'l tel Elena, too. ââ¬Å"Anything else to carry?â⬠Tyrone asked. He was encumbered by a canary birdcage, with the little bird frantical y beating its wings inside, and a smal er suitcase. ââ¬Å"No, but how can I thank you?â⬠Mrs. Honeycutt said. ââ¬Å"Thanks later ââ¬â now, everybody in,â⬠said Dr. Alpert. ââ¬Å"We are taking off.â⬠Matt hugged his mother and gave her a little push toward the SUV, which had already swal owed the birdcage and smal suitcase. ââ¬Å"Good-bye!â⬠everyone was yel ing. Tyrone stuck his head out of the window to say, ââ¬Å"Cal me whenever! I want to help!â⬠And then they were gone. Matt could hardly believe it was over; it had happened so fast. He ran inside the open door of his house and got his other pair of running shoes, just in case Mrs. Flowers couldn't fix the smel of the ones he was wearing. When he burst out of the house again he had to blink. Instead of the white SUV there was a different white car parked beside his. He looked around the block. No children. None at al . And the birdsong had come back. There were two men in the car. One was white and one was black and they both were around the age to be concerned fathers. Anyway they had him cut off, the way their car was parked. He had no choice but to go up to them. As soon as he did they both got out of the car, watching him as if he was as dangerous as a kitsune. The instant they did that, Matt knew he'd made a mistake. ââ¬Å"You're Matthew Jeffrey Honeycutt?â⬠Matt had no choice but to nod. ââ¬Å"Say yes or no, please.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes.â⬠Matt could see inside the white car now. It was a stealth police car, one of those with lights inside, al ready to be fixed outside if the officers wanted to let you in on the secret. ââ¬Å"Matthew Jeffrey Honeycutt, you are under arrest for assault and battery upon Caroline Beula Forbes. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up this right, anything you say can and wil be used against you in a court of law ââ¬â ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Didn't you see those kids?â⬠Matt was shouting. ââ¬Å"You had to have seen one or two of them! Didn't that mean anything to you?â⬠ââ¬Å"Lean over and put your hands on the front of the car.â⬠ââ¬Å"It's going to destroy the whole town! You're helping it!â⬠ââ¬Å"Do you understand these rights ââ¬â ?â⬠ââ¬Å"Do you understand what is going on in Fel ââ¬Ës Church?â⬠There was a pause this time. And then, in perfectly even tones, one of the two said, ââ¬Å"We're from Ridgemont.ââ¬
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Presentation Of Information, No Matter How Technically...
Presentation of information, no matter how technically sophisticated, is not enough; learners must interact with content to construct their own meanings and integrate new knowledge into the dense web of neural connections that is mind and memory. We cannot Google our way through life (although I do it a lot) and a student will always need some foundational knowledge. But what counts more is a person s ability for lifelong learning, to think, research, find information, analyze, synthesize, understand and critically evaluate for themselves; to be able to apply research and solve problems; to collaborate and communicate. This is particularly important for students and employers competing in a global economy. Students need to learn to doâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦As a result of this, teachers more and more use older student tutors and adult tutors. One obvious place that the impact of social constructivist theories can be identified is in the design and organization of the classrooms. Today teachers favor the potential of peer to peer interactions and the greater classroom community in learning. Numerous classrooms in the U.S. have assigned spaces for small group work, in addition to arrangements for whole class discussions. Elementary classrooms generally incorporate small group reading areas, mathematics and science centers or stations. I believe that the reading and math areas can be set up by abilities grouping when needed, depending on the disability of the student(s) and that students may be moved into mix-ability groups as they progress in a constructivist classroom. V. Personal Reflection In reviewing my learning style, study skills, and philosophical methodology of learning, I found discrepancies rendering these profiles not close to being an accurate assessment tool and therefore invalid. Some of the questions that were asked are subject to interpretation. I had to research a few terms to make sure that I was comprehending what was being asked and in reality, it still was not clear to me and interpreted the question the way I understood it which may have been completely wrong therefore producing inaccurate results. The
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Personal Narrative A Semester Of Learning - 959 Words
A Semester of Learning Since my early high school days, teachers have preached to me on the importance of writing in my future college classes and career. With each year came a further development of my writing and the addition of tools that I could add to my arsenal. I learned when to be creative and when to be strictly fundamental. I learned when to write formally and when to write informally. Year after year, I was taught the different forms of writing such as a research paper, a narrative, and a persuasive essay. Even so, no year has enhanced my writing skills and prepared me for what is to come as much as my seventh period English class my junior year. Through my English Composition 1113, I have improved my understanding of theâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦After proofreading the rough draft of the essay, I found many phrases that seemed out of place or difficult to comprehend. In the rough draft, I wrote, ââ¬Å"Afterwards, the rider needs to secure the bags that are in place t o catch the grass as the rider mows on the back of the mower.â⬠This sentence leads the reader to believe that the rider mows from the back of the mower, but it is actually the bags that are on the back of the mower. In the final copy of this essay, I placed the prepositional phrases in the correct place to ensure that the reader could properly understand what the prepositional phrase was modifying. Another example of poor word choice is where the paper reads, ââ¬Å"To weed eat, goggles and the clothes worn during the mow should be left on the caution should be taken to what you weed eat and where the debris is sent from the weed eater.â⬠In a formal process essay, one cannot use certain pronouns such as you and I, but my paper contained the pronoun ââ¬Å"youâ⬠which is an obvious mistake. In order to remain a formal essay, I had to remove the word ââ¬Å"youâ⬠from the rough draft. Word choice and placement is extremely vital to an essay because not only can i t change the meaning of a sentence or phrase, but word choice can also change whether the essay is formal or informal. While writing the research paper ââ¬Å"Remember the Name,â⬠I executed every step of theShow MoreRelatedHow Writing Is An Amalgamation Of Different Conventions Stuck Together1578 Words à |à 7 Pages These conventions are seen in my writing throughout the semester, however the effectiveness and the proper use of these could be called into question. Two specific examples of my essays, the personal narrative, and the argumentative essay, supporting details and evidence, consistent organization, topic sentences and theses, and the coherence, along with conciseness and clarity, are all major points. However, where the personal narrative excelled in the organization, support and evidence, vividRead MorePersonal Writing : Personal Reflection740 Words à |à 3 PagesDuring the course of this semester, I wrote several essays, several of them being for English 111. The four primary essays I wrote for the course were on: the importance of truth, the time I almost died from an allergic reaction, a review of one of my favorite films, and a revision of the truth essay. In addition to my essays, I learned a lot from the peer reviews that the professor implemented as well. In writing the the first two essays, I found many improvements in my writing styles as a studentRead MoreMy Reading And Writing Skills1484 Words à |à 6 PagesI was t errified walking into my third attempt at Engl 1010 this semester. I attempted and failed this class twice already so I was worried about what was to come, more failing grades, more difficult papers to write, and more confusion. I wrote about this concern in my Literacy Narrative assignment. I realized for the first time my easy high school years had hurt me academically, and that as a college freshman, my reading and writing skills were at an eighth grade level. I tried, but was unableRead MoreNarrative Writing : High School917 Words à |à 4 PagesI discovered that BCââ¬â¢s core required a freshman writing class, I was irritated and dreaded the experience so much that I delayed taking the course to second semester. Very confident in my writing ability as my high school featured a grueling English department and having received high grades on my history and sociology essays in first semester classes, I presumed that I wouldnââ¬â¢t learn anything in FWS. Though I struggled w ith the drafting process, as my preferred method of essay writing involved writingRead MoreSelf Reflection Essay984 Words à |à 4 PagesItââ¬â¢s Never Over The end of the semester is approaching quickly and you can see ââ¬Å"light at the end of the tunnel.â⬠The final assignment is a self-reflection essay on what you learned during the semester in ENG 111. There were three other essay assignments. The first one was called a literacy narrative, the second one, a single source essay, and the third one, a multi-source essay. But how can I write about things I do not understand? I had never taken an online class before, much less, a class thatRead MoreReflection Paper1022 Words à |à 5 PagesMost people would agree that ââ¬Å"practice makes perfectâ⬠. That goes for anything one does, including in an English class. Throughout the semester I have grown as a writer. There are still things that I could of course work on, and get better at. But, as of recently I have become a better writer than what I started out as. Concepts that I have learned I can continue to build off of to become a better writer. Which is something I hope to do. Going into English 1010 I knew there were things that I couldRead MoreVisual Exploration Of Video Games1260 Words à |à 6 PagesEnglish 1102 Folklore In Video Games class, I not only gained exposure to the analytic exploration of video games, but developed as a reader, writer, and presenter. While playing video games in an English class was a refreshingly different experience, learning how to analyze these games and showcase my knowledge through multimodal projects and presentations were the major takeaways from this course. Additionally, the included artifacts emphasized both individual responsibility and teamwork. As a resultRead MoreWhat Makes an Academic Text Effective1230 Words à |à 5 PagesWhat makes an academic text effective? Is it the imagery within the text? The use of significant quotes and stories? The structure? From the start of this semester we have studied the way different articles and texts are written from an academic point of view. Project to project, ar ticle to article, Readings on Writings to Writings on Writings- I have learned a lot about how others have conducted themselves when writing and what role reading and writing plays in my life. Prior to this course I onlyRead MoreHow I Am A Writer Essay1112 Words à |à 5 Pagesessay. This semester, I have been in English 110, section 20. In this class, writing is your only option. We have focused on writing many different genres of essays. The class was required to develop an electronic portfolio and the four essays included in this portfolio are a literacy narrative, textual analysis, profile, and a reflective essay. The first assignment the class worked on was a literacy narrative. A literacy narrative is a personal account of your first time learning how to read orRead MorePublic Speaking Speech925 Words à |à 4 PagesEach speech throughout public speaking was delivered by the use of unique speaking styles and techniques. I felt the speeches delivered- personal narrative, redefinition, advocacy, and commemorative- built on each other. This allowed myself as well as other students to effectively use old speaking techniques while learning to adapt new techniques. The goal of these various speaking techniques was to keep the attention of the audience while trying to get the overall message of the speech across. Although
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Benefits Of Raising Minimum Wage Essay - 2170 Words
Raising minimum wage has become one of todayââ¬â¢s most popular issues to debate. Minimum wage has not grown along with inflation throughout the years and it has caused many people to fall into poverty in the United States. But what is Minimum wage? It is the minimum pay a worker is entitled to for their labor. Meaning that it is illegal for employers to pay a worker less than the minimum with the exception of a few jobs like waitressing. On July 24, 2019 the The Federal Government set minimum wage at $7.25 per hour. Although some states have established their own minimum wage standards most conform to the Federal mandate. Why was minimum wage established? In the late 1890ââ¬â¢s several political movements emerged to improve working conditions and wages American women and children. Women and children did not possess the privilege of negotiating contracts or joining unions. The circumstance allowed employers to pay them the very minimum leading people deep into extreme poverty causing them to involucrate in denigrating moral acts in order to afford an adequate standard of living. In the early 1910ââ¬â¢s, Massachussetts enacted the first minimum wage law and was followed by many other states in the later years. These laws focused on weekly wages based on the individualââ¬â¢s age and experience. However, these laws did not include protection for men which led to inequality of employment. Many argued that minimum wage laws set standards of employment that were not suitable for men, which madeShow MoreRelatedThe Benefits Of Raising The Minimum Wage706 Words à |à 3 Pages Minimum wage is a difficult number to decide on because it affects different income earning citizens in different ways. According to Principles of Microeconomics, by N. Gregory Mankiw, minimum wage is a law that establishes the lowest price for labor that and employer may pay (Mankiw 6-1b). Currently, the minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 per hour. For many years politicians and citizens have argued on what should be the minimum wage that would benefit the economy and society in generalRead MoreBenefits Of Raising The Minimum Wage908 Words à |à 4 PagesIn our modern society one of the seemingly least controversial topics is the minimum wage. The popular opinion wants to raise the minimum wage, but is the popular opinion always right? Throughout recent years, politicians have made promises to raise the minimum wage to help low-income earners live a better life. Contrary to popular belief, raising the minimum wage actually hurts low-income earners and low-skilled workers. We must first define a low-skilled worker. A low-skilled worker does not meanRead MoreBenefits Of Raising Minimum Wage1291 Words à |à 6 Pages In recent years, the demand for an increased minimum wage has erupted across the nation. During the ongoing debate, a few states, cities, counties, and companies have taken the initiative to raise the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour to the varying wages of $7.50-$11.50 per hour. According the United States Labor Department, 29 states and the District of Columbia pay above the minimum federal level of $7.25 per hour. The raising of the minimum wage has numerous supporters; however, there are individualsRead MoreBenefits Of Raising Minimum Wage1757 Words à |à 8 Pages Minimum wage has been a constant battle in the United States for decades. The ultimate goal is to put the American people in the best position possible to succeed and be the least limited. Many believe the immediate thought that higher wages equals higher standard of living a nd mitigating the poverty gap because more money will be in the hands of consumers, but this is a near sighted belief. The long term effects of raising wages not only will cause detriments of loss of employment, mistargetingRead MoreBenefits Of Raising Minimum Wage1250 Words à |à 5 PagesCreating jobs, raising minimum wage, donating to the poor are not going to erase the poverty out of the United States of America. The government defines poverty as the bottom fifteen percent of annual income. No matter what one does to increase a personââ¬â¢s income there will always be someone in poverty. Across America there are always charities, religious groups, and civic clubs who are giving to the poor--from food giveaways, clothing giveaways, free tutoring, free health screenings, whateverRead MoreBenefits of Raising the Minimum Wage Essay614 Words à |à 3 Pagesemployee who works year-round is less than $16,000 (about $15, 080) according to the current federal minimum wage (Rebuil ding). To put into retrospect how out-dated the federal minimum wage is, consider that the minimum wage of 1956 amounted to exactly $7.93 in 2009 (Henderson). How progressive is it that our nationââ¬â¢s workers being paid less today than workers from the 50ââ¬â¢s? The federal minimum wage should be raised in order to assist families out of poverty, to ensure the effort and loyalty of workersRead MoreThe Benefits of Raising the Federal Minimum Wage1334 Words à |à 6 PagesPicture this: You are a single parent of two, you work 40 hours a week plus occasional overtime at a minimum wage paying job, you struggle to put food on the table to feed your family, and then you receive a call from the bank saying that your home is being foreclosed. This is the situation faced by thousands of Americans every year due to low income and wealth inequality. 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Almost anyone can get a job at a fast food restaurant, clothing store, or any general jobRead MoreRaising the Minimum Wage: A Counter-Intuitive Solution Essay753 Words à |à 4 PagesWhile some believe that raising the minimum wage will resolve poverty issues and lack of pay with the signing of legislation, the raising of the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour (as advocated by President Obama and the Democrats) would cause the poverty issue to be worse than it already is; inflation would occur, employees would be laid off, and minimum wage employees would lose welfare benefits, thus offsetting the wage increase. The Government should consider the effects on the American economy asRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised798 Words à |à 4 Pagesfactors. Based on the article, the minimum wage should be raised. Ever since that meeting many economists have proposed different plans to solve this issue. One of these solutions for this particular issue is to raise the minimum wage. This would affect the economy, workers, and job growth which will follow in need of help. This plan would help, but there has been research that has gone against the solution stating that there is more cost than the overall benefit. There are still discussions to this
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Challenges and Trends Facing Food and Beverage Industry Free Solution
Question: Discuss about theFood and Beverage Industry. Answer: Introduction Scope The present report deals with the opening of food and beverage industry specifically a fine-dining Pan Asian restaurant in Melbourne CBD. The prime objective behind opting for such type of business is to provide the best hospitality and food of Asian culture to the Melbourne people (Ramseook-Munhurrun, 2012, pp. 630). Despite several established and successful Asian restaurants in Melbourne, the principal mission is to provide both the essence of restaurants and bar service, under a single roof for its customers. The potential customers of this resto-bar will include not only the local but also the overseas customers, especially the Asian customers. PESTLE External Environment Scan (Hospitality Sector) Pestle analysis of any food and beverage sector helps to determine the threats or opportunities involved in the establishment of this business. Political- Australian government facilitates restaurant industry with minimum tax provision. Economical- As the GDP of Australia is 3.4%, which is profitable for the restaurant business. Social- Being an Asian resto-bar, it has the opportunity to satisfy diverse customers belonging to different demography, viz., age, income, and culture (Hing, 2013). Technological- Technological advancements would definitely help to promote the marketing of the restaurant through its mobile app or its website. Legislative- It will need permit license which includes alcohol license, food safety license, and restaurant establishment permit. Environmental- It should maintain sustainability by providing eco-friendly and disposable packaging material, and there should be proper disposal of the waste products also (Kwok, and Yu, 2013, pp. 84). Industry competition analysis The necessary analysis for industrial needs such as a threat to newer entrants, substitutes, the power of buyers, and bargaining power of suppliers that will be reflective in real time implementation and service management at Pan Asian restaurant is given below. Additionally, the analysis also includes a section of industrial rivalry that provides adequate information for strategic execution. Threat of new entrants The existence of barrier like capital cost, product differentiation, lack of brand name, profitability, and access to distribution is the challenge. Pan Asian restaurant is newer comer and is liable to face competitive challenges (Bruwer and Huang, 2012, pp. 461). Threat of substitutes A Minimal level of risk persists as there only a few restaurants in Melbourne who provide Asian cuisine to customers. Bargaining power of buyers This is a fixed price industry, and the restaurant will also have a differential advantage with reference to their food product (Johnson, Ringham and Jurd, 2013) Bargaining power of suppliers Supply cost will be genuine, and transportation as well as network supply chain is safe in Melbourne that will impact reasonable vendor price (Bruwer and Huang, 2012, pp. 461). Industrial rivalry The location contains many moderate or high rating restaurant and bars. This brings the prospect of large advertising expense, and need a high degree of transparency to attract customers (Bruwer and Huang, 2012, pp. 461). Segmentation of Market The segmentation refers to the categorization of the market into various subsets such as consumers, business type, interest, priorities, and then framing proper strategic implementation to achieve market success (Ryu, 2012, pp. 200; Tsitsiloni, 2013, pp. 249). Product line The product line will offer dining, refreshment, and bar service to the customer. Additionally, occasional services like conference, banquet, parties and family dining service will also be provided. Market segment Market segment includes an approach for customer attraction, retention, and managing services to meet their requirement. The restaurant has a high competitive environment, and thus price must be small and flexible to attract customers. Customer segment Mainly the youth, family, and single adults are a prime target of the restaurant. This indicates the product design, specification, availability, and service must be in accordance with customer age-related demand and criteria. Demographic segment Demographic consideration includes age, cultural background, gender, and economic class of people in the society. The operational measures will thus be designed according to the demand of various age groups. Marketing Concept Marketing concept requires accurate knowledge and strategic implementation of the criteria into real practice. These factors are crucial determinant because they have the opportunity to attract customers, manage nominal price, brings competitive advantage, maintain quality and uniqueness, and scope for progress (Ruhanen, Mclennan, and Moyle, 2013, pp. 220). Promotion These measures will be implemented with advertising prospect; thereby making use of flyers, television and radio ads, the banner at the roadside location, and offering discount and other attractive offers. Place- Melbourne is an area with high population density that comprises of a diverse group of people. Product The product offering includes bar service and cuisine facility that have potential to attract customers of all ages. Price Pricing strategy must be nominal such that maximum people could be able to consume the service. Additionally, the pricing strategy must be competitive to raise its popularity in the market. People As mentioned above, mainly youth, young adults, and family members are prime customer segment and that the service offering must be aligned to meet their corresponding demand. Discussion of Business Success SWOT analysis refers to the market analysis that brings critical information for designing strategic framework (Orlitzky, 2015, pp. 1). Strength Provide Asian based food varieties. Arrange parties, banquet, and conference along with traditional pan dining facilities. Price is nominal and is comparatively less. Weakness The restaurant in new in the market. Cost differentiation is high, including newer employees, machines, infrastructure, and other set-ups. Capability criteria are not being analyzed to build strategies as the plan include risk and lower margin of profit. Opportunity Novel change to reflect Asian cuisine as unique selling point. The power of buyers and customer is at low-level and hence there is a scope of achieving market name. Threat Rivalry companies have an existing brand name. The majority of employees are newer in the firm. Achieving market reputation and retention of the loyal customer will take time. Staffing(people) Management Team A brief overview of the management team and associated staff within the organization has been discussed below. The individual team will comprise of product management, operational activity, employee management, marketing strategies, and administrative services. the management team is mainly consisting of two section, and they have responsibility sharing with reference to account management and sales (Chen and Elston, 2013, pp. 294). Other details of the staff and administration team are reflective in below mentioned chart. The skills are thus required include managers that must have experience and adequate competencies for operational management. likewise, the executives that will be assigned the responsibility for sales analysis, research, and development to launch newer food products and bar services, and human resource management team also need to have the sufficient competency and 1 2 years of experiences. Other than this the employees such as cleaning, housekeeping, waiters, and related people can be fresher in the hospitality industry, whom the firm will pay less but will provide them adequate training to manage the standards of hospitality services (Park and Jang, 2013, pp. 51). ResourcesBeeded (Tangible and Intangible) The resource requirement which are infrastructure like table and chair, plates and cutleries, glassware, tissue paper and napkins. Other than this, consumables such as wines, beer, and another type of liquors, water (mineral) bottles. Additionally, the requirement of a restaurant like AC, lightening, fan, and interior decorative are also requisite. Regarding the operational procedure, kitchen utilities, instrument, and cookware are also included in this consideration. The clothing of employees, special purpose design and clothes are all included in this account. Likewise, computer, printers, the internet and other hardware requirement are also included (Chen and Elston, 2013, pp. 294). The intangible resources include mainly the perishable raw material and packed food items. Similarly, temporary material based on customer needs such as meat, fruits, vegetables, and other dessert items are also included in this consideration. Budget As mentioned in the previous section, the restaurant is newer and hence the corresponding budgetary requirement is high. The details of the budget are given below in tabulated format. Infrastructure (furniture, machinery, and interior decorative element. $1,20,000 Infrastructure maintenance $20,000 (per month) Level 1 employees such as managers (2 in number) $7000 (per month) Level 2 employees such as sales executive, business analyst, HRM (3 in number) $5000 (per month) Level 3 employees such as kitchen cook, data analyst, technician, marketing person, public relation officer, quality controller (10 in number) $ 3,500 (per month) Level 4 employees such as waiter, field worker, transportation employee, cleaners (10 in numbers) $2,500 Raw material every day (average budget limit) $5,000 Outsourcing price every day (average budget limit) $5,000 Total $2,39,000 Finance The financial loan will be taken from nearby hypothecated band such as Nationalised Bank within Melbourne at the nominal interest rate. The mortgage of the loan will be the restaurant assets. Other than this, the stakeholder will also contribute to the investment that mainly includes financial investment from owners and partners (Park and Jang, 2013, pp. 51). The investment will also be reflective in terms of networking with outsourcing firm, suppliers, and service providers. For example, the purchase of raw material on a daily basis, outsourcing like transportation, public relationship management, employment agencies will be paid for their service on a monthly basis (Park and Jang, 2013, pp. 51). Transaction of money will be made online between the various partners and supplier firms. Likewise, the internal employee engagement such as attendance, payment, contract relationship, and another mode of financial accounting will be processed using software system. References: Chen, S.C. and Elston, J.A., 2013. Entrepreneurial motives and characteristics: An analysis of small restaurant owners. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 35, pp.294-305. Bruwer, J. and Huang, J., 2012. Wine product involvement and consumers' BYOB behaviour in the South Australian on-premise market. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 24(3), pp.461-481. Hing, N., 2013. Maximizing franchisee satisfaction in the restaurant sector. Journal of Consumer Marketing. Retrieved from www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/07363769910289604 Dated 11 Oct 2016. Johnson, L.W., Ringham, L. and Jurd, K., 2013. Behavioural segmentation in the Australian wine market using conjoint choice analysis. International Journal of Wine Marketing. Retrieved from www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdf/10.1108/eb008585 Dated 11 Oct 2016. Kwok, L. and Yu, B., 2013. Spreading social media messages on facebook an analysis of restaurant business-to-consumer communications. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 54(1), pp.84-94. Orlitzky, M., Louche, C., Gond, J.P. and Chapple, W., 2015. Unpacking the drivers of corporate social performance: A multilevel, multistakeholder, and multimethod analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, pp.1-20. Park, K. and Jang, S.S., 2013. Capital structure, free cash flow, diversification and firm performance: A holistic analysis. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 33, pp.51-63. Ramseook-Munhurrun, P., 2012, January. Perceived service quality in restaurant services. In Global Conference on Business Finance Proceedings (Vol. 7, No. 1, p. 630). Institute for Business Finance Research. Ruhanen, L.M., Mclennan, C.L.J. and Moyle, B.D., 2013. Strategic issues in the Australian tourism industry: A 10-year analysis of national strategies and plans. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 18(3), pp.220-240. Ryu, K., Lee, H.R. and Gon Kim, W., 2012. The influence of the quality of the physical environment, food, and service on restaurant image, customer perceived value, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 24(2), pp.200-223. Tsitsiloni, M., Grigoroudis, E. and Zopounidis, C., 2013. Service quality evaluation in the tourism industry: A SWOT analysis approach. In Optimization Theory, Decision Making, and Operations Research Applications (pp. 249-266). Springer New York.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Where Rainbows End Review Essay Example
Where Rainbows End Review Paper Essay on Where Rainbows End Reading this book, I received a tremendous, unforgettable pleasure. From the ease of language, imagery of the characters, which in the meantime I just kinship, from a very touching love story. This book the story of life-long novel in the sense letters. Fifty years they walked to his love. How many tragedies they have endured during this time! And if they were not together, they would not have survived. They have always supported each other in joy and in sorrow. But Earth exists not only for the two of them, there are people and circumstances. After high school, she was going to fly him to Boston. Fortunately they are not the limit. After all, their, friends since childhood, separated? !! Not allowed to graduate with one year! And now she is going to fly away to the meeting to his best friend towards happiness. BUT all of a sudden it turns out that she is pregnant! A girl of eighteen, who had just graduated from high school and having big plans for the future is now responsible for the life of another person. Yes, its hard to go through, but it is possible if you your dear friend Alex. Of course, he immediately flew to her to Ireland! After all, the father of the child did not want to help We will write a custom essay sample on Where Rainbows End Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Where Rainbows End Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Where Rainbows End Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer And so all my life nahoyadyas step away from happiness, they can not possibly reach it. Because the responsibility to other people. But I think, all these years, they were still happy because they never lost each other. Yes, he had a wife, her husband, but they have always been close, and lived with his friendship and love. These feelings have always given them strength. They understood each other without words. Once they felt a magical silence, and I think its real happiness! This novel I liked its vitality. I witnessed the lives of two people in love. I literally live it with them. I sincerely worried for them, and rejoiced! The story of true love, true life, presented to us in the letters. And its very interesting! This book has caused me so many emotions, it is difficult to describe them on paper! To witness the lives of two people in love its amazing! When you read this book, all the episodes you appear in the pictures! It is very interesting! Imagine that you found a box of letters !!! It is interesting, is not it? I wonder talent Cecilia Ahern, imagine a lifetime in the correspondence! And thank her for the pleasure! Letters beloved, sister, brother, daughter, son, friend of these components is represented by the novel. I was very sorry when it ended! And now I write a review, remembering their lives, their letters! Alex and Rosie at this time, they have become my friends. As corny as it sounds, its true. The main heroine Rosie seemed a bit pessimistic, but it can be understood it got complicated alignment in life. Study, work, raise a daughter slowly approaching his dream, to the long-awaited magic silence After reading this book I realized once again that many truths:. Man proposes, but the fate of a a dream come true, we must believe in them and fight for them to finish and in every way , in life you have to be strong à » life pass not poly go, but how hard was no need to stay strong and true to yourself. As the saying goes, everything that does not kill you makes you stronger mnyaà » This book made a big impression on me. And I think not only me. Therefore I like to hear the opinions of others. About the novel and reviews. Sorry for emotion, tried to write honestly Thank you for your attention! I would be very happy to receive feedback!
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
The Art Institute of Chicago Essay Example For Students
The Art Institute of Chicago Essay When I went to the Art Institute of Chicago there was so much to take in and so much to look at. I honestly did not know where to look first or what to observe first. A lot of the arts were really intriguing and really fascinating to look at. There was a lot of diversity and obviously there are tons of different perfected techniques all within this Art Institute and it was really cool to see in person. It was cool seeing the big lion out in front of the Institute, I have seen that lion before but I never knew what it was in front of. We will write a custom essay on The Art Institute of Chicago specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The inside of the Art Institute was massive and it was really pretty inside and everything was laid out in a specific way. Everything seemed to be grouped by their cultures and societies and you could see the vast difference between the different cultures. The different wings of the building held artifacts from different time periods which I found interesting. There was a floor that had all the contemporary pieces of art and modern art. I also noticed that there was a lot of natural light in the building due to the many windows. All of the art was really spaced out and there is a lot of floor room to move in. My favorite piece that I picked out is a painting by Grant Wood and the piece is called American Gothic. Its a picture of a man and a woman who seem to be farmers and they are wearing clothes that look like they are from the 20s. The woman is looking in the distance or at something and the man is looking straight forward. We really cannot tell what they are thinking or feeling in this piece. Maybe the artist who made this piece wanted to meet their own personal expression through their personality and feelings that they tried to portray in this piece. Maybe this work is meant to show us two farmers who do not necessary like farming? I say this because looking/seeing this piece we can observe that they are not smiling. The man and the woman have no expression and its hard to portray their feelings. How we as individuals evaluate this work differs from person to person, from culture to culture and from age to age. Both of these individuals could be tired or had a long day of work and do not have the energy to smile. The mans eyes, which are looking dead forward, seemed to burn a hole in my eyes from the perspective as maybe his eyes are telling a story. We can observe that this man is a hard worker because he is holding a pitchfork and he looks like the classification of a true American. The purpose and the function of this work can vary from many things on what it is trying portray or inform us. It could have been made to tell us things, embellish our lives or showing us who we really are. Or rather this work could have been made to show us the true inner beauty of farmers and to help us develop a greater respect for these people. Also, the mans face shows exhaustion from maybe a long day of working when living during that time period was not all too easy. You had to work hard for everything you received in life during the 1900s. This is true for today as well but technology and advancements had helped make a lot of our lifes easier. A lot of the elements in this piece help achieve visual unity and Grant Wood did a good job accomplishing this. Unity is one of the seven key principals of design and it gives the appearance or condition of oneness. We can see the man and woman work as a unit and they are one although we cannot tell if they are married, I feel like it is already implied to a certain degree. .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198 , .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198 .postImageUrl , .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198 , .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198:hover , .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198:visited , .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198:active { border:0!important; } .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198:active , .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198 .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua9e35791154b338f869e0513c5a84198:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Artificial Intelligence EssayRanging from what they are wearing and the style of materials all piece together. They are wearing farmers clothes in front of a farmers house and the style of their materials and textures give the illusion of unity. The old fashion life style with the mans glasses all the way to the womans hair style all seem like they belong together. There is also a sense of unity with the colors the artist chose because they are darker and more plain colors that were more popular in this time period. There is a clear emphasis in this piece which draws our attention to the man and the woman leaving the rest in the background. The focal point in this work very well could be the mans eyes because he is looking directly at us. Its the specific spot or figure that draws our attention in a piece. The texture that goes along with this work makes it seem very realistic and it portrays even to the detail of the wrinkles on their faces. All of these parts and details helped to bring the piece together in unity. Unity also seems to be portrayed in this piece by achieving a sense of balance and directional force that seem to interplay between the opposing forces. Color is a also a huge component when looking/seeing this art work. For example the man has brown eyes which seem to be surrounded with lighter colors of his white skin and pigments. With this being done the effects really draw our eyes to this mans pupils which are most indefinably staring right at the viewer. The artist achieved an emphasis to the mans eyes the focal point by putting him to the right where the top of the roof seems to end. Also I feel like the big window on the house/farm is placed right in the middle of the picture that seems to point up at the roof which eventually leads the viewer to the mans eyes. There is a depth to this picture that we can see in the available space and this is accomplished by using a scale and accurately using size relation of one thing to another. The objects in this work that seem closer are bigger to the viewer rather than the smaller objects that are viewed to be in the distance. In regards to this mans pitch fork we can also see a sign of overlapping which gives us the illusion that the pitchfork is the closest to us. The man and the woman are in an essence overlapping the house in the fact that you cannot see the part of the house in which they are standing in front of. He also used texture and color to achieve the sense of overlapping and making the objects that are farther away in the distance not as vivid. It is clear that it is way easier to see the colors on the mans and womans clothing due to the fact the color seems to fade out the further in depth into the picture. To wrap things up about this piece the artist used many dominant shapes that seem to be organic in the way they are irregular and free flowing to the viewer. Every shape that has to do with the house in the background is geometric by the rectangles and the square windows. The lines in this piece seem to be dominant and they are contour to the fact that they outline a specific form. Through dissecting this work of art we evaluate one thing over another for appreciation and specialness of something that we are truly evaluating. Overall a really interesting piece of work that has a lot of base and foundation to it that really has a lot of significant meaning behind it that they artist in trying to portray.
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