Photoshop Action Zoom Blurring Effect

Photo Effects: Action Zoom Blurring Effect By Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials. com ACTion Zoom BLurring EffECT In this Photoshop photo effects tutorial, we’ll learn how to add some action and a sense of motion to a photo with a zoom blur effect. We’ll use Photoshop’s Radial Blur filter to add the initial blurring, then we’ll bring back some of the original image using a layer mask and the Gradient Tool. Not only is this a great (and popular) way to help bring an image to life, but the entire effect can be completed in less than five minutes once you’re comfortable with the steps.Here’s the photo I’ll be using for this tutorial: The original image. Here’s how it will look after adding the blur effect: Let’s get started! The final â€Å"action zoom† effect. Step 1: Duplicate The Background Layer The first step in creating our action zoom effect is to duplicate the Background layer so we can work on a separate c opy of the image, which will allow us to bring back some of the original image later. With our photo newly opened in Photoshop, if we look in the Layers panel, we can see that we currently have one layer, the Background layer, which is the layer than contains our photo:The original image appears on the Background layer in the Layers panel. This Photoshop Tutorial  © 2009 Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials. com. Not To Be Reproduced Or Redistributed Without Permission. 1 Photo Effects: Action Zoom Blurring Effect By Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials. com To duplicate the Background layer, go up to the Layer menu in the menu Bar at the top of the screen, choose new, and then choose Layer via Copy. Or, for a faster way to duplicate a layer in Photoshop, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+J (Win) / Command+J (Mac): Go to Layer > New > Layer via Copy, or press Ctrl+J (Win) / Command+J (Mac).Either way you choose tells Photoshop to make a copy of the layer, and if we look again in th e Layers panel, we can see that we now have two layers. The original Background layer is on the bottom, while a brand new layer named â€Å"Layer 1† sits above it. If we look at the preview thumbnails to the left of the layer names, we can see that both layers contain the same image, which means we can now do whatever we want to the image on â€Å"Layer 1† and the original photo will remain safe and unharmed on the Background layer below it: An exact copy of the image now appears on â€Å"Layer 1† above the Background layer.Step 2: Apply The radial Blur filter With â€Å"Layer 1† selected in the Layers panel (it should be highlighted in blue), go up to the filter menu at the top of the screen, choose Blur, and then choose radial Blur: Go to Filter > Blur > Radial Blur. This brings up Photoshop’s Radial Blur dialog box. The Radial Blur filter gives us a choice of two different types of blurring – Spin and Zoom. Since we’re creating a z oom effect, set the Blur method option on the left side of the dialog box to Zoom. Directly below the Blur Method option is the Quality option. Choose Best for the quality.We control how much blurring is applied to the image with the Amount option at the top of the dialog box. The higher the Amount value we select, the more blurring is applied. Drag the slider towards the right to increase the Amount value, or drag it towards the left to decrease it. Unfortunately, the Radial Blur filter doesn’t give us a preview of the effect, so you’ll probably need to try a few different values before you find the one that works best for your image. I’ll explain how to do that in a moment. I’m going to set my Amount value to 50, but the value you end up choosing may be different.Finally, use the Blur Center box on the right side of the Radial Blur dialog box to set the point where the blur will appear to be â€Å"zooming† out from. Simply click inside the box to set the point. Again, there’s no way to preview the effect before running the filter so be prepared to try a few times before you get it right. I want my blur effect to appear to be coming from behind the girl’s head, so I’m going to click above and to the right of center in the box to set my point. Set the blur type, quality, amount and â€Å"zoom point†. This Photoshop Tutorial  © 2009 Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials. com.Not To Be Reproduced Or Redistributed Without Permission. 2 Photo Effects: Action Zoom Blurring Effect By Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials. com Click OK when you’re done to exit out of the dialog box. Depending on the speed of your computer, as well as the size and complexity of your image, you may need to wait a bit for Photoshop to finish applying the blur, so don’t panic if it seems like nothing is happening. After waiting a few seconds for Photoshop to do its thing, here is my image with the zoom blur ap plied: It may take a few tries before you get the results you want with the Radial Blur filter.If you’re not happy with your initial blur results and want to try again, first undo the filter by going up to the Edit menu at the top of the screen and choosing undo radial Blur. Or, for a faster way to undo the filter, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Z (Win) / Command+Z (Mac): Undo the blur effect with Edit > Undo Radial Blur, or press Ctrl+Z (Win) / Command+Z (Mac). Then, to quickly bring the Radial Filter dialog box back up, press Ctrl+Alt+F (Win) / Command+Option+F (Mac). Choose a different Amount value and/or set a different point for the zoom effect in the Blur Center box, then click OK to run the filter again.You can undo and redo the filter as many times as you need until you get the results you want. Step 3: Add A Layer mask The problem with our blur effect is that it’s covering up the entire image, which isn’t really what we want. In my case, the blur effect is distorting the girl’s face, so I want to hide the effect in that part of the image and allow the original photo to show through. We can do that easily using a layer mask. With â€Å"Layer 1† still selected, click on the Layer mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. It’s the icon that looks like a rectangle with a round hole in the center of it:Click on the Layer Mask icon. Nothing will appear to happen in the document window, but a layer mask thumbnail appears to the right of the preview thumbnail for â€Å"Layer 1† in the Layers panel, letting us know that we’ve added our layer mask. If you look closely at the thumbnail, you’ll see a white highlight border around it, which tells us that the layer mask, not the layer itself, is selected: The highlight border around the layer mask thumbnail tells us that the mask, not the layer, is selected. This Photoshop Tutorial  © 2009 Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials. com. Not To Be Repro duced Or Redistributed Without Permission. Photo Effects: Action Zoom Blurring Effect By Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials. com Step 4: Select The gradient Tool We’re going to draw a black-to-white gradient on the layer mask to hide part of the blur effect and create a nice, smooth transition between the effect on â€Å"Layer 1† and the original image on the Background layer below it. To draw the gradient, we’ll need Photoshop’s gradient Tool, so select it from the Tools panel. You can also select the Gradient Tool by pressing the letter g on your keyboard: Select the Gradient Tool. Step 5: Select The Black to White gradientWith the Gradient Tool selected, right-click (Win) / Control-click (Mac) anywhere inside the document window to quickly bring up the gradient Picker. Click on the Black to White gradient to select it. It’s the third gradient from the left, top row: Click on the Black to White gradient in the Gradient Picker to select it. Cli ck anywhere outside of the Gradient Picker to close out of it when you’re done. Step 6: Select The radial gradient By default, the Gradient Tool is set to draw a standard linear gradient, but we also have different styles to choose from, all of which can be selected from the options Bar at the top of the screen.You’ll see a row of five icons, each one representing a different shape for the gradient (Linear, Radial, Angle, Reflected, and Diamond). Select radial gradient by clicking on its icon (second one from the left): Select the Radial Gradient. Step 7: Drag out A radial gradient To Hide Part of The Blur Effect I want to allow the girl’s face to show through the blurring effect, so with the Gradient Tool, the Black to White gradient and the Radial Gradient style selected, I’ll click in the center of her face to set my starting point for the gradient.Then I’ll simply drag my mouse towards the left until I’m just beyond her hair. The area in between the starting and end points of the gradient will become a smooth transition area between the blurring effect on â€Å"Layer 1† and the original image on the Background layer below it. Since I’m drawing a radial gradient, the gradient will extend 360 ° around my starting point (which means it doesn’t really matter which direction you drag from the starting point), creating a circular shape with black in the center and gradually changing to white as it extends out in all directions:Drag out a Radial Gradient across the area where you want to hide the blur effect and reveal the original photo underneath. Since we drew the gradient on the layer mask, not on the layer itself, we don’t see the gradient in the document window. This Photoshop Tutorial  © 2009 Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials. com. Not To Be Reproduced Or Redistributed Without Permission. 4 Photo Effects: Action Zoom Blurring Effect By Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials. com I nstead, we see the results of the gradient on the layer mask. The girl’s face is now visible through the blurring effect:Drawing the gradient on the layer mask reveals part of the original image underneath. Even though we can’t see the gradient in the document window, we can see it if we look at the layer mask thumbnail in the Layers panel. The black area represents the part of the layer that’s now hidden from view. As the gradient becomes lighter towards the edges, more of the layer becomes visible. The white areas are where the layer is completely visible: If you’re not happy with your initial gradient, simply press Ctrl+Z (Win) / Command+Z (Mac) to undo the gradient, then try again.The layer mask thumbnail shows us the radial gradient we added. Step 8: Lower The opacity To fine-Tune The results If you find that your blur effect is too strong, you can reduce its intensity by lowering the opacity of â€Å"Layer 1†. Lowering the layer’s opac ity value will allow more of the original image on the Background layer below it to show through. You’ll find the opacity option in the top right of the Layers panel. Keep an eye on your document window as you adjust the opacity to judge the results.I’m going to lower mine down to around 70% (left): Lower the opacity of â€Å"Layer 1† to reduce the intensity of the blur. And with that, we’re done! Here, after fine-tuning my results with the Opacity option, is my final â€Å"action zoom effect† result: for more Adobe Photoshop tutorials, visit Photoshop Essentials. com @ www. photoshopessentials. com! The final photo effect. This Photoshop Tutorial  © 2009 Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials. com. Not To Be Reproduced Or Redistributed Without Permission. 5

King Leopold’s Ghost

The subtitle of King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild reads more like an ad for a current spy movie than a history occurring in the Congo in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa. Hochschild writes about the conditions in the Belgian Congo, approximately modern day Zaire, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.This is the story of the transformation of a country from a colony greatly abused and used by the policies of King Leopold II of Belgium. Forced labor, stripping of natural resources were common. King Leopold's Ghost is the story of the terror that occurred because of King Leopold's greed and of the affects felt many years after his death. It is the story of honorable men such as, Edmund Dene Morel, an English business man from Liverpool and George Washington Williams, an American African American who had served the Union during the Civil war and had fought against Emperor Maximilian (brother-in-law of Leopold II) before beginning work in journalism. It is the story of these men and others and their efforts to mobilize the world against the abuses in the Belgian Congo (Hochschild 1-5, 101-103).Adam Hochschild has a long distinguished career as a journalist and writer. He has published a wide variety of books and articles, some also dealing with social political history in Africa such as King Leopold's Ghost and The Mirror at Midnight that deals with apartheid in South Africa in the mid-1800s. In Bury the Chains Hochschild writes of the attempts to bring slavery to an end in eighteenth century throughout Europe and the Americas.According to his publisher, Houghton Mifflin, King Leopold's Ghost was a finalist for the 1998 National Book Critics Circle Awards. He has written for a variety of magazines Ramparts, The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, and The New Yorker Magazine among others. Currently he teaches narrative writing at University of California at Berkeley gradua te school. Hochschild's writing style is a combination of journalism, historical, and at times travel writing. It fits nicely into the niche commonly called new journalism or creative non-fiction. His work reads well and, although disturbing, is engaging and important to read.Hochschild begins his book with a brief history of the development of the slave trade beginning in the mid to late fifteenth century. Portuguese exploration led to the discovery of the Congo River in 1482. This marked the first sustained contact between Europeans and the African nation the Kingdom of the Kongo.Hochschild points out that slavery had been practiced within the African Continent before but when the Europeans arrived the â€Å"institution† dramatically changed, â€Å". . . when Europeans showed up ready to buy endless shiploads of slaves, they found African chiefs willing to sell† (Hochschild 10). As exploration of the Western Hemisphere grew and more land came under European dominance a need for a large market for laborers in mining, on sugar and coffee plantations. Consequently the slave trade flourished (Hochschild 6-16).Hochschild presents an interesting account of the relationship between Leopold II and Henry Morton Stanley. Stanley was a Welshman, masquerading as an American, journalist working throughout the United States. Stanley had served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil war. On the second day of the Battle of Shiloh Stanley was captured by Union soldiers and sent to what later became known as a notorious Union POW camp just outside of Chicago. Stanley showed his ability to land on his feet and make the best of any situation by enlisting in the Union army to obtain his freedom. His army career was short-lived when he received a medical discharge because he suffered from dysentery (pun enjoyed, but unintended).After working at sea, Stanley enlisted in the Union Navy where he worked as a clerk on the Minnesota. In early 1865 Stanley deser ts the navy and begins writing journalism about the American West. Soon he was hired by the New York Herald and sent to Africa to cover the war in Suez. From there he joined a variety of journalists writing dispatches from Africa. He traveled the Nile, found international fame when he found Dr. Livingstone and came under the influence of Leopold II (Hochschild 21-60). Leopold contracted with Stanley for five years at the rate of 25,000 francs per year for time and 50,000 francs for time spent in Africa (each franc is about $5 in current funds). Stanley was to head expeditionary forces that would look for resources such as ivory that could be sold in Europe.From this point Hochschild writes about the increase of Belgian influence in the Congo along with increased funneling of Congolese natural resources into Leopold's treasury and increased violence. At the same time Morel and Williams increased their efforts to inform the world of conditions in the Congo. Their efforts were successf ul as organizations throughout the western world began to lend their support to the effort. As the story of events in the Congo became better known, people such as Stanley tried to distance themselves from Leopold II and his past.In chapter 15 â€Å"A Reckoning† Hochschild summarizes the horror under Leopold's reign. Although not technically â€Å"genocide† as it was not a deliberate, sanctioned attempt to eliminate a particular ethnic group, the effects were of such proportion. Hochschild attributes the large number of deaths to four sources: murder, starvation, disease, and a â€Å"plummeting† birth rate† (226). Force Publique soldiers were known to kill everyone they could find when a district failed to produce its quota of rubber. According to Hochschild â€Å"the list of specific massacres on record goes on and on† (226-228).As the terror increased thousands of people fled from their villages. The French government estimated that at least 30,00 0 entered French controlled countries. Others fled to the English controlled Northern Rhodesia. Along the way many died due to starvation and exposure. According to one Presbyterian missionary, there were at least 40,000 refugees living in the forests without shelter within a seventy-five mile radius of Luebo (Hochschild 229-230). Hochschild points out the far more people died of disease in the area during this period than by being shot. Smallpox was endemic; sleeping sickness (caused by the bite of the pink-striped tse-tse fly) killed an estimated 500,000 in 1900 alone (Hochschild 230-231).Due to the forced labor where men were sent to work camps for weeks at a time the number of children born decreased alarmingly. A visitor in 1910 reported a distinct absence of children between the ages of seven and fourteen; this corresponds exactly with the height of the rubber harvesting.   According to estimates Hochschild writes that the population of the Congo had decreased by half betwee n 1880 and 1920. A 1924 estimate of the population was ten million. This indicates ten million people died or fled the country during this period without being replaced by new births or immigration (Hochschild 231-233).Unfortunately, as history expands its areas of specialization from the traditional all-white, male dominated governmental emphasis into the more marginalized people it becomes apparent that throughout world history genocide has been a much more common phenomenon than previously believed. This is a very good book that should be read by more people. The number of people killed is shocking. It would be nice to think such things only happened in the past; unfortunately events in Somalia, Rwanda and throughout the Middle East indicate this is not the case. It is to be hoped that such events are never forgotten nor repeated.Works CitedHochschild, Adam. King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, A Mariner Book, 1999. â€Å"Adam Hochschild.† 2007. Houghton Mifflin Company. 27 Feb. 2007 ;http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/catalog/authordetail.cfm?authorID=2188;.

Buddhism and Christianity Essay

Thesis: While both Christianity and Buddhism were religions that encourages kindness and renunciation of wealth, Christianity caused a stir with Jesus’ hatred against the greedy rich and powerful and his alliance with the lower class, which eventually lead to his execution, whereas Buddhism’s leader, Buddha, spread a message that was not threatening to the high class, letting him live his life until his natural death at 80. This Venn diagram compares and contrasts Buddhism and Christianity. It represents my key knowledge and thinking skills by showing my ability to diagnose important similarities and differences between the two major religions, My Venn diagram is okay, but there is room for improvement. It lists some key similarities and differences, but they are worded in an awkward manner. Christianity Christianity * First Christians were persecuted by the Roman Empire (because of the Christians’ refusal to worship the roman polytheistic religion) * By the time Theodosius was Emperor, Christianity became the preferred official religion of the Roman Empire. * Women’s role in church slowly deteriorated * The Great Schism split Christianity into two religions, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox. * Saint Paul spread the small religion  * First Christians were persecuted by the Roman Empire (because of the Christians’ refusal to worship the roman polytheistic religion) * By the time Theodosius was Emperor, Christianity became the preferred official religion of the Roman Empire. * Women’s role in church slowly deteriorated * The Great Schism split Christianity into two religions, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox. * Saint Paul spread the small religion Changes Changes Continuities Continuities * Strong denial of gods of other Religions * The Bible stayed a constant Main religious text for Christianity * Extremely Monotheistic * * Went from worshipping Brahma to three deities (Vishnu, Siva and Brahma) * Women were not allowed to perform sacrifices anymore  * Went from having sacrifices of animals to personal sacrifices (fasting) * Changed from Brahmanism and lunar and solar lineages to Hinduism. * Went from worshipping Brahma to three deities (Vishnu, Siva and Brahma) * Women were not allowed to perform sacrifices anymore * Went from having sacrifices of animals to personal sacrifices (fasting) * Changed from Brahmanism and lunar and solar lineages to Hinduism. Changes Changes Continuities Continuities Hinduism Hinduism Open to everyone * Caste system * Intentional misinterpretation of Hindu texts To keep patriarchy Thesis: While Christianity and Hinduism both had continuities of (respectively) a strong sense of denial of other religions’ gods and a strong caste system, both had major changes such as going from a heavily persecuted religion to the Roman Empire’s official religion and switching from animal sacrifices to personal sacrifices. The two tables show changes and continuities for two  major religions, Christianity and Hinduism. The table shows my key thinking skills by being able to point out key continuities and changes. My Table is a little bit sparse on the continuities side, but the changes for Christianity are plentiful. I need to work on researching with more effort. Thesis: Although the four main religions, Buddhism, Brahmanism, Hinduism and Christianity affected the role of women, the poor social role of women outside of church was uniform in all the regions of these religions. Patriarchy is very much alive in all of them. My spoke diagram shows a variety of religions. The statements are also positive and negative towards patriarchy. It shows my key thinking skills by displaying quotes for all the statements. My spoke diagram could use more statements, five seems like enough, but more would be better. I think I did a great job on putting quotes for all the statements. Analyze similarities and differences in attitudes and treatment towards women in TWO of the following societies in the Classical period. Han China (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.) Mauryan/Gupta India (320 B.C.E.–550 C.E.) Imperial Rome (31 B.C.E.–476 C.E.) or Analyze similarities and differences in methods of political control in TWO of the following empires in the Classical period. Han China (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.) Mauryan/Gupta India (320 B.C.E.–550 C.E.) Imperial Rome (31 B.C.E.–476 C.E.) cause of the cast system and its traditions, India had more of a social code of conduct instead of rigid laws. Tradition of having local princes also was a cause of the fall of the Maurya Empire, because they made it easier to rebel against the main government China During the HAN dynasty, Confucianism came back into government with high sights on education, the tradition of using the mandate of heaven ensured that the Han Empire fell by 3rd century CE. And the Qin Empire fell in a mere 20 years since he lost his mandate of heaven Confucianism taught orderly society with relationships. The tradition of bureaucracy in the Chinese government kept power in the wealthy class. * So they traveled on the Silk road and also traveled to Spain and France * All the provinces conquered by the Roman empire now were influenced to become Christians * So he wrote the gospels * So he used the Roman Roads and traveled all across the Empire, spreading the word of Christ * So they traveled on the Silk road and also traveled to Spain and France * All the provinces conquered by the Roman empire now were influenced to become Christians * So he wrote the gospels * So he used the Roman Roads and traveled all across the Empire, spreading the word of Christ Cause and Effect of the spread of Christianity Cause and Effect of the spread of Christianity Cause Effect * Christians were expelled from the Roman Empire * Theodosius made Christianity the  Roman Empire’s Official religion * St. Paul wished to make Christianity A major religion * St. Paul wanted to spread the Religion throughoutCause and Effect of the spread of Buddhism Cause and Effect of the spread of Buddhism Roman Empire Effect * His word was spread in India, but not much more than the Ganges River. * Buddhism spread even more in India, to northern India even. * The monks made the Chinese believe in Buddha * He promised himself to make up for it by spreading Buddhism by erecting stupas Effect * His word was spread in India, but not much more than the Ganges River. * Buddhism spread even more in India, to northern India even. * The monks made the Chinese believe in Buddha * He promised himself to make up for it by spreading Buddhism by erecting stupas Cause * Buddha traveled in India * After Buddha’s death monks also traveled in India * Monks traveled along the Silk Road * Asoka was appalled by the bloody Battle of Kalinga Thesis: Although both Christianity and Buddhism spread along the Silk Road, Christianity moved along this trade network because of exiled Christians who were seeking a home away from the Roman Empire, whereas Buddhism spread voluntarily, with monks successfully trying to convert the Chinese. The cause and effect table lists the causes and the effects of the spread of two major religions, Buddhism and Christianity. It displays my abilities to  make connections to major effects and their causes. The table is okay. It has four causes and effects for both religions, which is not great. For Buddhism, it seems a little too focused on monks traveling to spread Buddhism. Thesis: Although both China and India’s political systems were influenced by tradition, India’s caste system created no need for laws, while the qin dynasty’s legalistic system created very rigid ones. The two flowcharts show a continual effect of tradition or religion on India and China’s political systems. It displays my abilities to connect separate events into one continuous lineage of facts. The flowcharts do point out main ideas I was trying to display, but they seem a little bit incoherent at times.

Japanese history part 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Japanese history part 1 - Essay Example The land was still parceled out by the Shogun in order for them to be given a chance to rule in their own domains. Since rice was the crop that was grown by the farmers, it was perceived as a national crop which had to be controlled by the Daimyos. Later the crop was distributed by the Shogun; the rice that was harvested in that particular year meant that 20% of it was to be kept by Shogun (Duus 30). Another 20% of the rice was distributed to the Daimyos and the rest half belonged to the farmers. This policy made the farmers to experience hardships since the Shogun could not consider whether it was poor crop year or otherwise. Through the policy known as Sankin Kotai system, all the Daimyos were loyal to Shogun and still had to move to Edo which today known as Tokyo. Due to the movement and travelling long distance managers financial burden was experienced and this was a must since their wives and sons were held hostages in Edo. The policy was under Shogunate and required or demanded Daimyo at Tokugawa at Endo to leave his family in Edo. This meant that the Daimyo were not supposed to be with their family implying they held as hostages (McKelway 45). The wives of Daimyo and their sons were held hostages during the entire period when the Daimyo was away which imposed a lot of burdens and hardships to Daimyo since maintain two families was expensive and the travelling to and from Endo made life difficult to the Daimyo. These expanses were about 25% thus making life unbearable and too expensive. The Samurai warriors dominated the Japanese feudal system though their total population was 10% including their Daimyo. Samurai were respected by the entire lower class member where they were to bow as a sign of respect. If a farmer or artisan would not bow then the Samurai was legally allowed to chop the head of the individual. Samurai was only to talk to the

Chinatown and Leicester Square in Light of Ethnographic Analysis Essay

Chinatown and Leicester Square in Light of Ethnographic Analysis - Essay Example Over time, the larger part of the Chinese minority in London came to be concentrated in the Limehouse district, in an area known as Chinatown these days. Swarming with gambling dens and opium dens, it used to be perceived as a place with high rates of crime, violence and haplessness by the majority of London inhabitants at the time. Nevertheless there is no doubt it did promote economic prosperity. Leicester Square derives its name from Robert Sidney, second Earl of Leicester, born in 1595, who acquired land in the area for his housing development project in 1630 and 1648. In its early times the area was a residential place for prominent foreigners such as artists and craftsmen and also ambassadors and royalty. The 19th century saw the boom of cafes, entertainment and clubs. To all this, cinema was added early on in the 20th century, competing against and eventually gaining prevalence over other forms of entertainment. The movie sector remains strongly tied-up with the place up to this day. (Sheppard, 1966). In 2002, the City Council adopted the Leicester Square Action Plan, following widespread public consultation (Westminster City Council, 2009). Present condition It is interesting to note that while the Chinese community is open to all influences of the country they are living in, yet they do not appear to lose the distinct characteristics of their own culture. Distinctive marks of that culture are felt in architecture, design, behaviour and in nearly ever every item of daily usage. In 2005 the property development agency Rosewheel ran by Richard Bowen announced plans to redevelop the western portion of Chinatown to make it still more suitable for tourism and for leisure activities, such as dining out. As part of the plan, roads are to be pedestrianized and shop fronts extended into the roads so as to transform the place into something new, thus bringing another kind of businesses into the picture. As is apparent from their reactions, the present property owners and tenants in the area feel strongly opposed to the prospected changes, as some of them would get evicted, while others fear the expected rise of rent in the area. Approximately 20 local businesses are going to close and 200 people lose their jobs in the process. That is why the Chinese community took defensive action, citing community figurehead Jabez Lam on their website, who says he believes that "Rosewheel is determined to put hundreds of shopkeepers and employees out of work. [The redevelopment] w ill break up the social fabric of those working, living and visiting the area." (DimSum, 2009). Chinatown derives substantial benefits from the grey economy, as evidenced by Paul Kingsnorth in his Guardian article: "Jabez wants to show me something. He walks me around the corner to Gerrard Street, where he points to a dingy staircase. To one side is a red plaque with gold Chinese lettering on it. 'This used to be a brothel,' he says with a slight smile. 'Now

Final paper about the Marshall Plan Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Final about the Marshall Plan - Research Paper Example This was after the Second World War. The major aim besides the rebuilding is that it targeted to avert the percolation of the Soviet Communism. It is important to highlight that this plan was employed from April 1948 for a span of four years (Nicolaus, 2008, pg 32). This came into being after the European cities had underwent some serious destructions and even the individual families seriously affected. This was a serious incident and the trade in the continent was adversely affected. The people thereby lived in the refugee camps and got assistance from the United Nations Administration. This was consequently followed by food shortage which was experienced in the harsh seasons of winter. Various infrastructural facilities were attacked aerially while the sea vessels were sunken (John, and Nicholas, 2004, pg 42) This was a speech that was given when the United States could not hold it any longer for the several unsuccessful mediations with the Soviet Union. This was by George Marshall who was the Secretary of the state at Harvard University. In the speech, he assured of the support from America in the making the economic status of the European states to grow through a gradual recovery system. In the speech, what came out so clearly is that Marshall believed that for the country to recover, grow and be economically stable, there has to high levels of cool political climate in the sense that a country has to be peaceful with no form of political violence that would stimulate high massive investments to flow into the economy (Robert, 2008, pg 71). It is important to highlight that the negotiation with the Soviet Union was in January 1947.this was after Marshall was appointed into the office. The officials thereby had to make arrangements on how they could meet the Soviet Foreign minister. The move was aiming at the recovery of Germany for financial economic states. It is important to highlight that for the effective and efficient implementation

Hot topic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hot topic - Assignment Example Singer (2015) reports that the independent ethics board has lost the only chairperson it ever had before. Mr. Porter Gross stepped down from the board following the unpopularity of his board. The ethics board is acting unethically by allowing its investigation into the public domain without effective completion. The senior military officials for instance the navy officers has been censured for their roles in in the high trending bribery cases, which put the military at the threat of discrediting. Such a case relates to the current scandal on the navy about sharing of confidential information in exchange of bribe or in prostitution (Brook, 2015). According to Diamond (2015) reports, current research indicates that the US army officers lie often while on duty. A 33-page interview conducted recently shows that the military department is marred with deception and evasions at all the ranks, from junior to senior. The report comes after the revelation of the scandals surrounding the navy boss Hagel. There is consistence in the deception and evasion among the military in their lines of duty. According to reports by Schumacher (2015), teaching profession needs explicit moral guidance for effective service delivery and attainment of desired outcomes. Political influence in teaching profession raises moral concerns especially relating to teaching pedagogies. For instance, Schumacher (2015) reports Governor Cuomo funding and common test influence in New York schools. Such infringements into state schools require observation of ethical morals and standards. Brook, Tom Vanden. (February 17, 2015). Hagels parting ethics advice to brass: Do better. USA Today. Web. April 27, 2015. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/17/hagel-pentagon-ethics-scandals/23560047/ Roff, Peter. (February 20, 2015). ALEC Wins Big in Ethics Case. US News. April 27, 2015. Retrieved from

Analysis of Effectiveness of Two Cushions in the Prevention of Heel Essay

Analysis of Effectiveness of Two Cushions in the Prevention of Heel Pressure Ulcers Study - Essay Example At the beginning of the introduction, the researchers presented the facts as to why conducting a study about heel pressure ulcers was important. It is considered as a common problem in clinical practice and is deemed burdensome on both human and financial terms. The manifestation of heel pressure ulcers affects the patient both physically and mentally, inclusive of the fact that it adds to the expenses in clinical treatment. Thus, the researchers chose to assess two different cushions in terms of effectiveness in preventing heel pressure ulcers (Braden and Blanchard, 2007). The study has also defined what pressure ulcers are, including the means of how it can be prevented. In general, these measures are to reduce the duration or reduce the magnitude of pressure and shearing forces. In that regard, the researchers analyzed that the reduction of the duration of shear and pressure can be carried out through repositioning the patient or through the use of alternating pressure air mattres ses (Heyneman, et. al, 2009). Since both variables can be reduced through the utilization of a tool that would increase the contact surface of the patient with the underlying support surface. The researchers then elaborated on the products with varying pressure reducing capacity in terms of effectiveness. ... This can be done through putting a pillow under the patient's legs so that the heels would be suspended above the mattress. This method is deemed viable as the heel zone would not be subjected to any pressure, and the pressure is distributed accordingly in the lower leg, as supported by the pillow. The study cited five studies they have acquired in PubMed in reference to the pressure reducing qualities of pillows, as well as each of the product's effectiveness in terms of removing heel pressure ulcers. The studies included were from Smith (1984), De Keyser et al. (1994), Tymec et al. (1997), Cheney (1993) and Collins et al. (2002).     Ã‚  

Multiple Intelligences and its relationship to curriculum development Research Paper

Multiple Intelligences and its relationship to curriculum development - Research Paper Example Similar to machines, MI theory improves learners’ cognitive skills. It motivates learners to ponder about content outside usual limits, and from various points of view. Parents, educators, and community supporters are attracted to the discipline. As learners embark on the course of physical activity and health management, they begin to think about their ties to specific socio-cultural ideals and objectives, government rules and agendas, and community programs (Sternberg & Williams, 1998). Diverse and new cultural, political, and social theories contribute to the scope and importance of health education. This essay has two objectives: (1) to recommend a structure for health education, (2) to provide a brief overview of the theory of multiple intelligences (MI) theory, and (3) to show how MI theory develops teaching practices, curriculum development, and student performance related to the behaviors, competencies, and knowledge related to health management. ... eories of intelligence can offer a neutral basis between the perspective that there is an exclusive mechanism in which minds function and the idea that every mind is distinct (Armstrong, 2000). Obviously, theories are just assumptions; but in trying to understand the workings of the mind and, in particular, the intelligences in classroom, a relevant theory can assist teachers in understanding the unexpected behaviors and attitudes that students show. Practically every facet of classroom life, one way or another, created around what educators would like children to gain knowledge of and become skilled at, and how they perceive they are most likely to achieve it. In traditional classroom settings, desks or armchairs are organized in a row and students sit obediently and silently much of the day. In alternative classroom settings, there are work areas or stations, each assigned for individual forms of activity. From the actual structure of the room, to the contents of homework, to the i ssues raised in class discussions, to the materials given, each step a teacher takes shows, to a certain extent, a thought about learning and intelligence. The Implication of Multiple Intelligence (MI) Theory for Teaching and Curriculum Development The theory of multiple intelligences poses numerous issues for curriculum development and classroom practice. Should educators make an effort to cultivate all forms of intelligences evenly or should they concentrate on determining and enhancing the strengths of children? Should education institutions provide a broader range of courses or should they continue a fixed curriculum and give more diverse means of involving learners in the traditional subjects? It is essential to bear in mind that MI is not a goal as such. If a teacher claims, â€Å"I

Build a Computer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Build a Computer - Essay Example Both systems have their individual advantages, but the popularity and diversity in the PC is much more. Hardware as well as software can be chosen in order to suit one’s individual needs. With the advent of internet and the usage of computers spreading all over the world, the PC has emerged as the undisputed leader as the most commonly used computer system. A personal computer based on the ‘Microsoft Windows’ operating system is therefore an ideal selection for our school which can have all the essential components and software within a budget of $ 2000. The first and foremost component essential for building a PC is the motherboard and the central processing unit (CPU) (tomshardware.com). A power supply and the computer casing are the other startup essentials in which all components are installed. However, it is better to buy the above components in a preassembled unit which is offered by prestigious brands in all sorts of shapes and specifications. Hewlett Packard, Dell, Gateway, Acer are some of the popular brand names offering such preassembled units with a variety of specifications. The popular motherboards in the market are capable of handling complex computer hardware and software issues and are engineered to handle either the ‘Intel’ or the ‘AMD’ CPU’s. A CPU is the heart of the computer and its speed and processing power influence the overall performance of the computer system. The sound, video and network support come inbuilt in the modern motherboards. The motherboards have slots and compo nents which can take on other hardware needed to enhance the overall performance depending upon the requirement, such as enhanced video capability or coupling ability with other electronic devices dependent of computers for their functioning. Hard disks are the storage media which contain all the data and software needed to run the computer and are

CD 1 @2 W4 Parent P Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CD 1 @2 W4 Parent P - Essay Example The present value tables are used to determine the discounting factor to obtain the present value total. DQ2 When an analyst applies the NPV value method he should only consider projects with positive NPV value. The optimum selection of a project using NPV methodology is the project that has the highest NPV (Besley & Brigham, 2000). Corporations can use NPV to evaluate multiple projects. The math used in the NPV analysis is a proven formula that has been used for hundreds of years. There are circumstances in which an NPV analysis might give distorted data. For instance the risk of natural disaster in an area can increase the odds of failure of a project particularly if the project is time sensitive. A project with a higher NPV geographically located in the Caribbean region during hurricane season might be not chosen by a conservative risk adverse investor that feels that a project in the middle states of the Unites States has a lower risk of being hit by a natural disaster that could lead to project failure. References Besley, S., Brigham, E. (2000). Essential of Managerial Finance (12th ed.). Fort Forth: The Dryden Press.

Im the King of the castle by Susan Hill Essay Example for Free

Im the King of the castle by Susan Hill Essay Im the King of the castle by Susan Hill is a chilling tale of a childhood bully. The story tells the tale of how a boy called Kingshaw is driven to suicide by his companion Hooper. Kingshaw and his mother moved from their rented apartment in London to Hoopers cold and evil home the Warnings so Mrs. Kingshaw could provide company for Mr. Hooper and a mother role for Hooper while her son Kingshaw could provide a companion for Hooper to make a friendly family home. The parents are very superficial both lacking their partner for many years and they both lacked the ability to show their love to their children. Instead of showing their love they turned a blind eye to the bullying of Kingshaw and pretended that every thing was fine because their relationship was becoming closer. Little did they know that the closer they became the more chilling and frightening the relationship between Hooper and Kingshaw became. Early on in the book Hooper and Kingshaw learn their roles of Bully and victim respectively and throughout the book the story relies on the balance of power between Kingshaw and Hooper. In my opinion the story Im the King of the castle revolves around hate, cruelty and isolation. Before Kingshaw came to Warnings Hooper and him were both happy but the parents were alone, as the parents became closer and grew to love each other Kingshaw and Hooper grew to lean their roles as Hooper was not an experienced bully and Kingshaw was not experienced at being a Victim to torment and isolation. Even though the final tragedy of the death of Kingshaw is mainly down to the torment of hopper the parents failures contributed to the final tragedy a great deal, as many of their failures were fatal. Both parent did not know how to bridge the chilling gap between them and the children, neither want to show their love as they are to self absorbed and neither wanted or even tried to provide stability. Even though Im the King of the castle was quiet depressing I enjoyed it nether less because I found the story very moving and alarming. I thought the book was very well written and it flowed well. I thought that many of the characters and their situations were convincing even though I thought the final tragedy was a bit extreme. I thought the book was set in the exactly the right scene, even though this book was written many years a go it still provides the everlasting chill of a childhood bullying tale and brings you to think of all the recent tragedys caused by bulling. I would recommend this book to anybody interested in the horrors of child hood bullying and to a bully or a Victim who need to learn a lesson. I think this book is suitable for any one above the age of twelve. I would quiet like to read another of Susan hills books such as the Woman in Black as the theater production was chilling and I enjoyed her style of writing.

Finding the Gravitational Constant: Cavendish Experiment

Finding the Gravitational Constant: Cavendish Experiment Matt Cramb    The experiment explored the story of gravity, how it was discovered and derived from observations and experimentations, and attempted to recreate those initial tests. This was done to determine whether an increase in mass will increase the force of gravity, a statement which was supported by the experimental data, despite the numerous flaws inherent in the experimental design. Finding Gravity Gravity is one of the four fundamental forces of nature, and Nave, R (2017) also explains that it is the force responsible for constructing and regulating the movement of galaxies, stars, and planets. In 1687, Isaac Newton formulated his famous Equation of Universal Gravitation based, purported by Physics Classroom (2016), on an injury in an apple orchard. Whatever the circumstances, it had far reaching impacts on the science of the time. But something crucial was missing from his equation. Newton knew from scientists before him that the force exerted by gravity grew weaker as distance between objects affected by gravity increased, or represented mathematically; Where: This was nothing new for science of the time, but Newtons major discovery was that of the universality of gravity, which indicated that all objects which possess mass also exerted gravitational forces. This discovery led to another addition to the equation, because Kurtus, R (2016) reports Newton realized that objects with less mass exerted weaker gravitational forces. Therefore, he postulated that; Where: To convert this theory into an equation, Newton only needed one more piece. A constant was needed to calculate the exact gravitational forces on objects. This constant was called the gravitational constant, or G. In the equation, G presents as follows: However, the value for G wasnt found until much later, by Lord Henry Cavendish, over a century later.       The Cavendish Experiment In Cavendishs experiment, according to Shectman, J (2003) two spheres were attached at opposite ends of a beam which is suspended from the ceiling of a custom-built shed by a thin wire. Masses are placed to the sides of the spheres, to attract them, exerting gravitational forces sufficient to rotate the beam to a measurable degree. Cavendish measured the movement of the beam using a telescope positioned far from the shed. To use this apparatus to calculate G, a formula must be created, using torque, oscillation period, torsion constant, inertia and gravitational forces. The torque on the beam can be measured by the angle of deflection of the torsion wire, using Hookes Law: Where: However, torque can also be measured by the following expression: Where: Torque can also be calculated as a vector product with this equation: Where: And because, in this experimental setup, r and F are perpendicular vectors, there are two F, and r is half the length of the beam: Combining these two formula together results in the following: From Newton, the formula for force was also known, and could be substituted in from above. The torsion constant was measured by Cavendish by disturbing the beam, then measuring the period of oscillation. This can be done using the below equation. Where: This moment of inertia can be calculated from the sum moments of the two spheres at each end of the beam. The moment of inertia for each sphere is calculated by the equation: Since each sphere had equal mass, the total I is equal to: Inserting this into the period formula and rearranging for the torsion coefficient gives: When inserted into the formula for torsion coefficient above, gives the following: With this equation, the measurements needed to be taken from the experimental apparatus are: Variable: Explanation: Units: m Rad m kg s Using the experimental setup described above, according to Kurtus, R (1997) Cavendish determined: Preliminary Trials Failed Attempts For this experiment, two previous iterations of the experiment were run. The first was to determine the validity of running such an experiment, and the second was a full-scale experiment which provided no useful data. The first experiment was done using a meter-long beam and tennis balls attached to either end. A laser beam reflected off a mirror attached to the torsion wire, giving a result of angle. However, in practice, this rig did not come to a final resting position so that the period of oscillation could be measured. Instead the torque already present in the twine torsion wire twisted the beam against a chair leg, preventing it from fully coming to a balance of forces. The second experiment had results as follows: Variable: Explanation: Units: Results: m 1.25ÃÆ'-101 Rad 9.0ÃÆ'-10-2 m 1.765 kg 1.6 s 2.25ÃÆ'-102 m3kg-1s-2 2.419ÃÆ'-102 The value for G calculated by this experiment was vastly different to Cavendishs value of . This meant the experiment was concluded to be not statistically valid, for a variety of reasons. These experiments were refined and transformed into the final experimental setup. Theoretical Data Using Newtons formula for each of the three experiments which will be conducted can determine the value for . To do this, the masses and distance must be known ahead of time. These can be found below, and copied in the results section. OBJECT MASS (kg) Mass of Sinkers Mass of Cup 1 Mass of Cup 2 Mass of Bowling Pins Using Cavendishs above listed value of G, the projected data can be calculated. MASS (kg) FORCE OF GRAVITY ( Later, these will be compared with the experimental data. Based on the above background research, the magnitude of gravity in the system will increase proportional to an increase in the mass of the large masses. Or, as increases, will proportionally increase. This hypothesis has been supported by the background research, which has guided its creation through empirical data, and researched phenomena. However, because of the precision required to obtain an accurate result, research indicates the final calculated measurement for G will be vastly different from the real value. 25.5cm support beam12cm length of fishing line2x sinkers of mass 3.28g2x plastic cups2x bowling pins of mass 1.6kg1x stopwatch1x ruler1x camera1x plastic storage box approx. 70cm x 40cm 1m2 wire mesh Safety Before the experiment was conducted, a thorough risk assessment planner was completed and approved. Measures were taken to ensure no harm came to experimenter through heavy masses falling or water causing a slipping hazard. These measures included: Constant supervision Correct and appropriate use of safety equipment, which in this experiment meant wearing a lab coat throughout Safe handling of heavy masses and water. A risk assessment matrix provided by the Department of Education (2017) was also completed. Likelihood Consequence Insignificant Minor Moderate Major Critical Almost Certain Medium Medium High Extreme Extreme Likely Low Medium High High Extreme Possible Low Medium High High High Unlikely Low Low Medium Medium High Rare Low Low Low Low Medium The likelihood of injury was unlikely, as experimenter has previous experience. The consequence was also minor, indicating injuries not requiring medical attention (i.e. bruises, minor cuts). Therefore, the total risk was low, which indicates no further control measures need be put into place. However, in due diligence the above measures were still implemented. Procedure Firstly, to limit air flow; a major disturbance in the preliminary trials, the system was constructed inside a large plastic storage container. This container was placed a distance away from walls, to reduce the effects of other gravity sources. Then, two sinkers, whose masses were known, were attached to either end of a support beam, which was hung from the top of the box by a length of fishing line. This was suspended by the wire mesh atop the box. The fishing line was chosen as twine had been used in preliminary trials as the torsion wire, and had been shown to not be effective due to the latent torque. After letting the system come to a complete rest, it was disturbed by gently pushing one end of the support beam. The period of oscillation was measured by a stopwatch. To further reduce misrepresentation of data, six measurements were taken and averaged. The system was then allowed to come to rest again, and a measurement of the rest position taken by a camera from above. This would eliminate the need to reach into the box to take measurements and thus disturb the experiment. It also provided clearer results. Then, the two cups were introduced to the system 6.25cm away from the end of the support beam, at opposing sides and ends, so the attractive forces of the masses rotated the beam. The cups were initially filled with 250g of water, then 500g, then the cups were swapped with the 1.6kg bowling pins. Each iteration of the experiment, when the system came to rest for a third time, a measurement of the final rest position was taken using the camera. This data was recorded and processed by comparing photographs of the different rest positions and calculating angle of deflection. The results were then tabulated. Images of the experimental setup. Mass OBJECT MASS (kg) Mass of Sinkers Mass of Cup 1 Mass of Cup 2 Mass of Bowling Pins Period of Oscillation TEST NUMBER PERIOD (s) 1 20 2 22 3 21 4 21 5 21 6 21 Avg. 21 Rest Position TEST NUMBER MASSES USED ANGLE OF DEFLECTION (Rad) 1 No mass used 0.00 2 Cup 1 9.65 3 Cup 2 3.31 4 Bowling Pins 1.00 OTHER Data Variable: Explanation: Units: Results: m 0.0625 m 0.255 Magnitude of Gravity Using Newtons formula for each of the three experiments will determine the value for . Firstly, the value for G for each equation must be calculated. MASS (kg) VALUE OF G ( Now the force for gravity can be calculated. MASS (kg) FORCE OF GRAVITY ( findings The experiment shows that using Cavendishs method to determine the value for G was flawed, but that the experiment could have obtained an accurate value for G. These flaws will be examined below, but a basic rundown and description of data obtained will be given here. Magnitude of Gravity As can be seen by the graph at the end of the results section, the magnitudes of gravity measured do not accurately match the theoretical data obtained. These values, and the values for G, are vastly different to that originally measured by Cavendish (found in background research), likely because of the various flaws in the experimental design, which will be discussed in the Evaluation section. However, the results far more accurately correlate to the theoretical values than those in previous experiments, and the average trendlines do indicate that the trend matches that predicted. At 250g, the first mass, the experimental data differs wildly from the theoretical. Experimental Data Theoretical Data At 500g, the second mass, it drastically spikes, much higher than either of the other points. Experimental Data Theoretical Data At 1600g, the final point, the data dips down lower than expected again. Experimental Data Theoretical Data Its unclear from the background research conducted whether Cavendishs data deviated so much, but he also had a larger rig, which as discussed below, may have helped his experiments accuracy. Period of Oscillation The average period measured was 21 seconds, which is far shorter than the fifteen minutes measured by Cavendish. This is probably mostly due to the shorter beam, the effect of which can be seen with the torsion coefficient formula derived from the background research. The squared length of the beam demonstrates an exponential relationship between the torsion coefficient, an increase in which will decrease the period, which can be seen in the following formula for period of oscillation: Recording Equipment The equipment used to measure the period of oscillation may not have changed in the two hundred years since Cavendishs original experiment, however all other recording equipment did. A camera and digital analysis was used to take measurements, which may have causes slight issues with the orientation of frames in the software, but overall was more accurate than taking the measurements by hand when compared to the preliminary tests when this was done. The lengths were taken with a tape, and so were only calculated to two decimal places. However, this will likely not impact greatly on the results of the experiment, which can be shown mathematically. Using the same formula as above, and two length measurements as given below, the difference can be theorised. cm Value for k K (2 decimal places) Length 1 (two decimal places) (given by experiment) 6.25 2.35497 2.35 Length 2 (six decimal places) 6.247832 2.35334 2.35 Limitations Recommendations There are several reasons for why the value for G determined by this experiment differed so greatly from Cavendishs value, and these expose various flaws and strengths in the original design. They will be examined each using the following method: Name Explanation of Flaw Effects Comparison to Preliminary Trials Comparison to Cavendish Experiment Recommendation/Refinement Measuring Inaccuracies Various opportunities for error arose when observing and recording data in the experiment. Most of these examples, such as misreporting the period of oscillation by a fraction, would have a m Ethical Issues in Patient Information | Case Study Ethical Issues in Patient Information | Case Study Peeking in the EMR for all the right reasons Patrick Bobst Technology has embedded itself into everyday life and is integrated into everyday human activity. Corporate scandals, violations of intellectual property rights, and violations of customer, patient, employee privacy is uncovering challenging dilemmas and ethical decision-making in every the industry around the globe. Technological advancements not only increase the impact of carelessness, foolishness, recklessness and even malevolence but also enable anyone with access to learn much more and much faster than ever before(Curtain, 2005). Ethics enables individuals with the guidance of rational approaches to make the right justifiable decision. Ethical choices distinguished from other choices involve the continual conflict of fundamental values, as well as incorporating scientific inquiry that may be influential but cannot provide answers(Curtain, 2005). Most notably, ethical choices involve placing one value above another, and because values are of the utmost importance, any decision r eached will have profound, multiple and often on anticipated impact on human concern(Curtain, 2005). Case study Jessica Parker is a nurse that has the burdening task to solely support her three small children and is in severe financial distress since her divorce. Her ex-husband, Frank Parker has evaded court ordered child support obligations for over a year and has been able to evade authorities with no known address or phone number. Jessica’s house is about to be foreclosed upon, and her automobile repossessed. Although Jessica periodically picks up extra shifts, utilizes friends instead of childcare, and despite making multiple drastic cuts to her budget, she is unable to overcome the perils of increasing debt. One day a friend that informs her that Frank Parker received stitches in her emergency department after a minor motor vehicle accident (MVA). The next day she worked Jessica looked up her ex-husband in the EMR and proceeded to gather his needed contact information. Jessica immediately passes along the phone number, living address and employment information to her attorney which in turn succeeded in the actions of court ordered child support payments being automatically garnished from his wages along with a judgment for past due child support in an amount that will stabilize her current debt. Ethical dilemma When a couple chooses the responsibilities of being a parent, it is a commitment for life whether they are living together or separately. Jessica is in a stressful environment where she holds the custody of the children and the other parent is legally obligated to provide financial support to ensure a safe and healthy environment for the children. Jessica is clearly struggling financially and the situation will continue to worsen without the court ordered child support from ex-husband. She solved the dilemma of finding her ex-husband’s whereabouts by utilizing the hospitals EMR. By utilizing the EMR in an inappropriate manner, Jessica violated multiple provisions of the American Nurses Association (ANA) code of ethics including provision 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3. These provisions stipulate the patient’s right to privacy, the duty to maintain confidentiality of all patient information, and the protection of participants in research(Nursing World website, 2011). A breach of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) may have been committed under the privacy rule where â€Å"patients have a right to expect privacy protections that limit the use and disclosure of their health information†(McGonigle Mastrian, 2012, p. 173). â€Å"However, the privacy rule permits unauthorized disclosures of protected health information to public health authorities for specified public health activities including†¦. child abuse or neglect†(Lee Gostin, 2009, p. 82). Possible Alternatives At the point when Jessica suspected her husband might have been in the EMR system, an alternate path might be (1) hiring a private investigator. The ex-husbands MVA is a matter of police public record and private investigators are trained and have the resources to find information in ways others might not think about; (2) contact the local child support enforcement agency with the information of the MVA; (3) contact her attorney for a medical record subpoena. Hypothesize Ethical Arguments In this scenario, Jessica showed a clear breach to hospital policy, statutory and common-law duties of confidentiality and privacy. However, Jessica’s morals were dealing with the resolution of what is right and wrong in her own situation creating the dilemma of what is morally right and not looking at the evidence that indicates that she is also morally wrong. Depending on the discipline and point of view, the term value can have different meanings. Jessica’s objective moral values may include justice, freedom and welfare, which might be her basis for decision-making. The welfarism normative ethical approach applies to Jessica situation where morality is viewed and centrally concerned with the welfare or well-being of individuals, and where advancing the best interests of individuals makes the most fundamental sense(Keller, 2009). The ethical theoretical Principlistic approach validates itself with its universally recognized moral principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence , beneficence, and justice(Bulger, 2009). Autonomy considers the right of the individual to choose for themselves, nonmaleficence asserts an obligation not to inflict harm intentionally, beneficence refers to actions performed that contribution to the welfare of others, and justice refers to the fair, equitable, and appropriate treatment in light of what is due or owed to a person(McGonigle Mastrian, 2012). â€Å"Principlism is a unified moral approach in which the addition of each principal strengthens the legitimacy of each of the other principles to the extent that each principal is specified and balanced using independent criteria and yet each principal still supports each of the other principles†(Bulger, 2009, p. 121). In Jessica’s scenario she might consider that it is generally morally right to obtain her ex-husbands contact information in the EMR because this action obeys the role moral rule what is due or owed which in turn is derived from the principal justi ce. The crux of the dilemma lies within Jessica’s responsibility of providing her family a safe and healthy environment with financial stability, her utilization of the hospitals EMR balanced with her ex-husband’s medical record confidentiality rights. Investigate, Compare, and Evaluate Alternatives to him In Jessica’s case, there is no ambiguity in our nursing code of ethics when it comes to maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality. All the alternative methods provided to pursue the coveted contact information are the only acceptable legal pathways. These alternative methods safeguard patient rights, do not violate policy and laws, do not result in bad consequences, nor do they nullify rules and regulations. Each alternative provides expected outcomes that far exceed the risk of harm that include â€Å"civil liability, job loss, disciplinary action by state licensing boards, and even criminal investigations and sanctions†(Hader Brown, 2010, p. 270). Chosen alternative Simply from a financial standpoint the alternative chosen for Jessica would be to contact the local child support services agency. Hiring a private investigator or attorney can be cost prohibitive especially with her financial difficulties. Conclusion From nursing school until retirement, nurses are taught there is no leeway when it comes to HIPAA’s integrity and confidentiality of patient information. A problem with ethics is the logic of reasoning being used in moral deliberation and moral justification(Reidl, Wagner, Rauhala, 2005). Jessica’s deliberation of moral reasoning resorted from weighting only the positive self-fulfilling gain and omitted possible alternatives in her morally perplexing situation as well as her personal reasons in moral justification. Principlists consider principles to be at the heart of moral life negotiating between the four fundamental principles and the unique nature of specific moral situations on the other(McCarthy, 2003). With the technological advancements in today’s society the ethical questions evolve around how individuals choose to use or abuse their tools. Healthcare informatics intersects healthcare, ethics and informatics and all practitioners, for the publicâ€℠¢s good, must be bound by additional ethical, moral, and legal responsibilities (Curtain, 2005). Barrie Effy (2008), conclude in their study that ethical education in information technology changed attitudes and aided students in affective learning, an important and necessary component in the overall learning process(Barrie Effy, 2008). References Barrie, L., Effy, O. (2008). Ethical issues in information technology: Does education make a difference. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 4(2), 67-83. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/jicte.2008040106 Bulger, J. W. (2009). An approach towards applying principlism. Ethics Medicine, 25, 125-125. Curtain, L. L. (2005). Ethics in informatics. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 29, 349-352. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00006216-200510000-00010 Hader, A., Brown, E. (2010). Patient privacy and social media. American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, 78, 270-274. Retrieved from http://www.aana.com/newsandjournal/Documents/legbrfs_0810_p270-274.pdf Keller, S. (2009). Welfarism. Philosophy Compass, 4(1), 82-95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-9991.2008.00196.x Lee, L., Gostin, L. (2009). Ethical collection, storage, and use of public health data: A proposal for a national privacy protection. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 302(1), 82-84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.958 McCarthy, J. (2003). Principlism or narrative ethics: must we choose between them? Medical Humanities, 29(2), 65-71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/mh.29.2.65 McGonigle, D., Mastrian, K. G. (2012). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Nursing World website. (2011). http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses/Code-of-Ethics.pdf Reidl, C., Wagner, I., Rauhala, M. (2005). Examining ethical issues of IT in healthcare. Retrieved from http://www.sfu.ca/act4hlth/pub/working/Ethical-Issues.pdf

Communications Strategy for Bihar Tourism

Communications Strategy for Bihar Tourism Executive Summary Places must decide on not only how many tourists they want and how to balance tourism with other industries or strategies but also what kind of tourists they want. The choices will be constrained, of course, by the places climate, natural topography and resources, history, culture and facilities. Like any other business, tourist marketers must know the actual and potential customers, their needs and wants, determine which target markets to serve, and decide on appropriate products, services, and programs to serve these markets. Once they have defined a target group they must strategically devise a communication mechanism which attracts that tourist in the most cost effective manner. This study aims to look at Bihar as a tourism destination, understand its potential in light of its history, both cultural and political along with the way it is perceived by the world outside, especially the traveler. It aims to synchronize the objective of the state with regard to increasing tourist inflow and that of the demands of the contemporary traveler both domestic and foreign. In that view research has been carried out to understand the factors that affect tourism growth on the demand and supply side. And with the help of that analysis recommendations for a communication strategy have been given. Introduction Tourism is a major social phenomenon of the modern society with enormous economic implications. Its importance as an instrument for economic development and employment generation, particularly in remote and backward areas, has now been well recognized all over the world. It is also an important activity for cultural interaction, social uplift and environment conservation. Tourism is now one of the worlds largest industries and one of its fastest growing economic sectors. Tourism may have a positive economic impact on the balance of payments, on employment, on gross income and production, but it may also have negative effects, particularly on the environment. Unplanned and uncontrolled tourism growth can result in such a deterioration of the environment that tourist growth can be compromised. . This is especially true with regard to tourism based on the natural environment as well as on historical-cultural heritage. Thus new word which is being used very often these days is ‘sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism has three interconnected aspects: environmental, socio-cultural, and economic. Sustainability implies permanence, so sustainable tourism includes optimum use of resources, including biological diversity; minimization of ecological, cultural and social impacts; and maximization of benefits for conservation and local communities. It also refers to the management structures that are needed to achieve this. The following lists down comprehensive benefits of tourism especially in India: Social Benefits * Promotes national integration and social equity * Helps survival of traditional art forms * Promotes international understanding Economic benefits * Nearly 8% of employment worldwide is tourism dependent * The latest study by World Travel and Tourism Council predicts that the highest real growth of tourism demand worldwide at 9.4% will occur in India * Comparison of the IT and Tourism sector worldwide o Size of Industry  § IT: $500 billion Tourism: $4.6 trillion o Jobs generated  § IT 20 million jobs Tourism 250 million Literature Review Tourism and hospitality industry in India India is known worldwide as ancient and mysterious civilization and the second most populated country of the world after China, with a population of one billion. With increasing worldwide tourism and travel for leisure, business and cultural purposes are on the rise, India attracts only 2.4 million visitors annually of the 600 million who travel. India can develop a sound policy to attract tourism and travel to generate jobs at the lowest cost of investment per job in this industry as well as promote sustainable development and cultural heritage, which has been so precious to India. India needs to shed its reluctance of encouraging tourism by affluent Westerners. Tourism, if properly planned and promoted can provide 20+ million jobs in next ten years and foreign exchange in excess of 30 billion dollars. What India needs is a firm policy and commitment to expand tourism as a source of sustainable economic development with value for the tourists and enhancement of Indias cultural herit age. (P, 2005) Understanding the concept of ‘Destination Branding Destination marketing involves using tourism as a means to an end rather than an end in itself for reasons including: improving the image of an area to attract industrialists; increasing the range of facilities and amenities available to the local community; giving local residents more pride in their local area; providing a rationale and funding for improvements to the local environment; and trying to make the destination politically more acceptable to outsiders. Thus we see that due to the multiple stakeholder nature of a destination, there lies a need for a concerted effort to achieve any goal set forth. This can be explained by the diagram below: The Dynamic Wheel of Tourism Stakeholders One of the key problems have been difficulties associated with marrying the objectives of profitability and sustainability, and co-ordinating the activities of the various stakeholders associated with a tourism destination. Destination marketing should occur not only on the demand side to increase visitor numbers, but also on the supply side to market the destination to intermediaries and to increase the numbers of sellers through investment in accommodation, entertainment and infrastructure, etc. The Requisites of a Successful Tourism Marketing Plan o The main competition is identified o Tourism trends are identified o A long-term orientation is adopted o The importance of competitiveness is recognized o The need for infrastructure improvements is highlighted o The need for integration with national/regional tourism plans is recognised o Residents attitudes to tourism are considered o Local cultures, values and lifestyles are considered o Wealth and job creation and quality of life for residents are primary aims o The issue of environmental problems is addressed o The issue of seasonality is addressed o The benefits of tourism to the destination is quantified (Cameron, 2008) * Destination identity and image o The need to develop brand identity is recognised o Brand associations are identified o The need for image development is recognised o Positioning is discussed o The need for coordination of industry promotional material is recognised o Recognition to ensuring the promises made in marketing communications are conveyed to visitors o New and innovative forms of communication channels are addressed o The need to improve branding and brand awareness is recognised o The importance of experiences to tourists as opposed to tangible propositions is recognised * Stakeholder involvement o National government agencies are involved in planning o Local government agencies were involved in planning o The area tourist board/area tourist office was involved in planning o Local residents were involved in planning o Local businesses were involved in planning o The need to improve communication between stakeholders (public, private and residents) is o recognised o Leadership is addressed to give greater guidance to stakeholders. * Implementation, monitoring and review o The timescale for each task is included o The need for monitoring and review is established 12The absence of a structured approach requires the study of destination marketing under theoretical lenses. Here a white paper which throws light on the existing theories which address the area has been studied. The crux of which is: As a consequence of globalization, the marketing of places has grown in importance as countries, regions and individual destinations compete with one another to attract investment and visitors. In order to compete effectively, it is essential to identify the critical success factors and ensure these are incorporated into ones strategic planning. An extensive review of the literature covering place and destination marketing indicates that image and identity play an important role in differentiating between objectively similar alternatives. Accordingly, the branding of destinations has become of major importance and is analyzed in depth. (Halkier, 2008) Place Branding A Case Study: Denmark In order to observe a structured approach to Destination Branding the case study of Denmark has been reviewed. It proposes how theoretical models have been applied successfully in real life scenarios. This paper examines the area of cross-sectoral branding where tourism is combined with other international economic activities in order to construct a common national umbrella brand. From a theoretical perspective the article contributes to the study of cross-sectoral place branding by developing a coherent analytical framework, drawing on recent contributions to the study of Other images and inter-organizational relations. On the basis of this, an empirical case study of the prospects for establishing a cross-sectoral umbrella brand is undertaken, focusing on Danish national tourism and inward investment promotion bodies. Having analyzed both the rationales behind and the image profiles of current branding efforts, it is concluded that while disagreement exists at the strategic level with regard to the potentials of umbrella branding, the differences between the current image profiles are of a more manageable character. In the case of Danish tourism and investment promotion, barrier s to inter organizational cooperation, in other words, seem to be founded on unfavorable assumptions about potential alliance partners in view of own future aspirations rather than the present branding actions of the actors involved. Why Bihar? Bihar had once been the seat of the golden age of the Indian empire but now has shrivelled into one the most backward states of India. Some pockets in Bihar now exhibit one of the lowest living conditions the world over. Bihar post its bifurcation into two smaller states has lost most of its natural resources and the state has failed to catch the IT train which has left it with small scope of riding the ‘India Rising bus. The youth of Bihar are leaving its motherland and doing so the great state is losing its heritage. It is in the interest of not only the people of Bihar but also the nation to protect its cultural heritage. An approach for Bihar can be based on the ‘Appreciation of Frames study by Schon wherein he demonstrates alternatives to approach in dealing with the housing problem within the social policy. One perspective frames slum areas as diseased, the other frames them as natural communities. When viewed as diseased, the problem becomes one of eradicating the diseases, with the implied solution of urban renewal and regeneration. This involves tearing down slums in order to stop the cycle of decay and relocating the inhabitants of the areas to newly planned and sanitized developments. In contrast, when viewed as natural communities the problem becomes one of dislocation. Natural communities should be preserved in order to maintain the beneficial outcomes of established patterns of interaction and informal networks which characterize them. The Current State of Bihar o Negative Brand Equity o Change in local government o Renewed faith of residents of the state in the system o High rise in migration from the state o High worth of Non residents o Disparity in documented and actual state of tourist sites o Lack of any dedicated communication focused on tourism o Unorganized and fragmented efforts in maintenance of crafts and culture o Tourist activity concentrated in pockets (e.g. Buddhist Circuit) The notion of Bihar â€Å"When Delhi newspapers publish articles on Bihars disorders and atrocities, they tend to make a point of emphasizing the states ‘backwardness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The first ballot-rigging recorded in India took pl ace in Bihar (in 1962)†¦ the first instance of criminals being awarded parliamentary seats also took place in Bihar (in 1980)† William Dalrymple in Caste wars and At the court of the fish-eyed Goddess The above quotes, summarize the general impression that the public holds about Bihar. From Laloo Yadav to corruption to crime This is one state that has perpetually been in the news, and for all the wrong reasons. In the days immediately prior to the fodder scam, the media had a field day reporting Laloo and his antics, people were quoted saying that â€Å"Laloo was the most entertaining item on television†. (Nambisan, 2000) The extensive reporting, in the last few years with the explosion of the news media, has played an significant role in shaping public opinion and view about Bihar, its culture, and its citizens. Laloo Yadav has, in a way, come to symbolize Bihar to the audiences. So, Bihar, to a ordinary citizen, is a state full of rowdy, dishonest politicians, and heavily accented, non-English speaking, primitive simpletons. I am often told, in a manner of considerable disbelief, â€Å"But you dont sound like a Bihari at all!† Because it appears that all Biharis are supposed to talk in heavily accented, wrecked English. Evolution of Bihar over the Ages The history of Bihar can be effortlessly traced back into ancient times. Bihar appears in the earliest mythology and legends of ancient India , as far back as the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Sita, the partner of Lord Rama, was a princess of Bihar. She was the daughter of King Janak of Videha. The present districts of Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Samastipur, Madhubani, and Darbhanga, in north-central Bihar, mark this ancient kingdom. It is in fact, known that the author of the Ramayana, Maharishi Valmiki, lived in Ancient Bihar. Not only Hinduism, but Jainism and Buddhism have roots in Bihar. It was in here that Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment, and it was in the modern town of Gaya that the religion of Buddhism was born. It is here also that Lord Mahavira, the initiator of another great religion, Jainism, was born and attained nirvana. That site is located at the current town of Pawapuri, south east of Patna, the Capital of Bihar. It was also in Bihar that the tenth and last Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh was born and became a Guru. A beautiful Gurudwara (a temple for Sikhs) built to commemorate his memory the Harmandir- is located in eastern Patna. Known reverently as the Patna Sahib, it is one of the five holiest places of devotion (Takhat) for Sikhs. Kautilya, also known as Chanakya, the author of Arthashastra, the first discourse of the modern science of Economics, resided here. He was also the adviser to the Magadh king, Chandragupta Maurya. Another Mauryan king, Samrat Ashok, around 270 B.C., was the first to formulate firm doctrine for the governance of a people. He had these doctrines, the so called Edicts of Ashok, inscribed on stone pillars which were installed across his empire. The pillars were crowned with the sculpture of one or more lions atop a pedestal which was inscribed with symbols of wheels. As the lion denoted might, the wheel denoted the never-ending nature of truth (dharma), hence the name Dharma Chakra. This of lions, atop a pedestal, with writing of a wheel, was adopted as the Official Seal of the independent Republic of India (1947). The dharma chakra was, also incorporated into the national flag of India, the Tricolor. (Biharinfoline, 2009) In medieval period Bihar lost its stature as the political and cultural hub of India since the Mughal era was a period of national administration from Delhi. The only notable person of these period in Bihar was Sher Shah, or Sher Khan Sur, an Afghan. Based at Sasaram which is currently a town in the district of the similar name in central-western Bihar, this jagirdar of the Mughal Emperor Babur defeated Humayun, the son of Babur, not once but twice, first at Chausa and then, again, at Kannauj (in the present state of Uttar Pradesh or U.P.) In the course of his conquest Sher Shah became the monarch of a territory that extended till Punjab. He was not only a ferocious warrior but also a dignified administrator in line with the tradition of Ashok and the Gupta kings. Numerous acts of land reforms are attributed to him. The remains of a grand crypt that he built for himself can be found at todays Sasaram (Sher Shahs maqbara.) During British India, Bihar was a division of the Presidency of Bengal, and was managed from Calcutta. As such, this was a region very much dominated by the citizens of Bengal. All leading learning and medical hubs were in Bengal. Throughout the 20th century, Bihar saw a great deal of geographical division. When divided from the Bengal Presidency in 1912, Bihar and Orissa were a single province. (Kumar, 2007)At that time, an region in the south-east, primarily the district of Purulia, was separated and incorporated into West Bengal as part of the Linguistic Reorganization of Indian States. Yet another dissection of Bihar occurred in 2000, when after years of political hassle, the state of Jharkhand was carved out of the state of Bihar. The region of Jharkhand now includes southern districts of Bihar, and has the city of Ranchi as its capital. The Politics of Bihar Bihar played an significant role during the freedom resistance and it was from Bihar that Mahatma Gandhi started his civil-disobedience movement. It was at the unrelenting request of a cultivator, Raj Kumar Shukla, that Gandhiji visited Champaran, saw the sad predicament of the indigo farmers and the domination of the Biritsh. Many people from Bihar consequently became leading partakers in Indias struggle for freedom. The most distinguished was Dr. Rajendra Prasad, who went on to become Independent Indias first president. Another was Jay Prakash Narayan, also warmly called JP. JPs considerable contribution to contemporary Indian history continued up until his demise in 1979. It was he who persistently and unwaveringly opposed the dictatorial rule of Indira Gandhi and her younger child, Sanjay Gandhi. Fearing peoples response to his opposition, Indira Gandhi had him detained on the eve of declaring nationwide Emergency beginning June 26, 1975. He was jailed in Tihar(near Delhi). The m ovement started by JP, nonetheless, brought the Emergency to an end, led to the colossal defeat of Indira Gandhi and her Congress Party at the elections, and, to the putting in place of a non-Congress government -The Janata Party at Delhi, for the first time. With the approval of JP, Morarji Desai became the fourth Prime Minister of India. JP continued to be the Conscience of the Janata Party and of post-Gandhi post-Nehru India. He called upon all Indians to work tirelessly towards removing dictatorship in favour of democracy and bringing about independence from slavery. Sadly, shortly after attaining power, internal strife among the leaders of the Janata Party led to the resignation of Shri Desai as the Prime Minister. JP persisted with his call for total revolution, but he succumbed to kidney failure in 1979. Subsequent internal strife in the Janata Party led to the creation of a breakaway political party the Janata Dal. It was also from this party that Laloo Prasad Yadav, the Chief Minister of Bihar was elected. A new party led by Mr. Yadav was shaped as the Rashtriya Janata Dal which went ruled for about 15 years in Bihar. The Janata Dal at first came to power in the state in 1990 on the support of its victory at the national stage in 1989. Laloo Prasad Yadav became the chief minister after winning the battle of legislative party leadership by a slim margin against Ram Sundar Das, a former chief minister from the Janata Party. Later, Laloo gained fame with the masses through a succession of populist measures. The honorable socialists, including Nitish Kumar, slowly left him and Laloo was the uncrowned king by 1995 as both Chief Minister as well as the President of his party, Rashtriya Janata Dal. He was a magnetic leader who had the peoples support and Bihar had got such a person as the chief minister after a long time. However, he derailed programs for the development of the state. When corruption charges got serious, he relinquished the post of CM but anointed his wife as the proxy CM. All through this period, law and order and management grew steadily poorer. In 2005, as hostility reached a crescendo among the masses, middle class included, the RJD was voted out of control and Laloo Prasad lost the legislative elections to a coalition headed by his earlier partner and now rival Nitish Kumar. Bihar How much in the eye of the Beholder? ‘Bihar is in the eye of the beholder says Vijay Nambisan in his book of the same title. He attempts to paint a more positive portrait of Bihar at least in the opening chapters, attempting to be unlike those who trash everything about Bihar completely, and believe it beyond hope at any point. He states that Bihar is the richest among Indian states in terms of natural and mineral wealth, and only its political stat sets people thinking about it in a negative way. However, as we read on, the state of Bihar and its citizens that Nambisan explains starts becoming similar to, more and more, the typecast that he was trying to shatter. Its true that the tome is peppered with optimistic images, people and events, but overall, the picture that Nambisan paints is as dismal as any other. The stories and tales are mostly about corrupt politicians, gang lords getting the better of the community and the killings, extortions, and adversity that the ordinary man faces. In between, we have tales about devoted teachers overcoming caste discrimination, innovative women trying to make a living for themselves and their children, and intelligent young minds harassed against a system that otherwise fetters them. An entire section deals with the high occurrence of violence in the state and how it is taken as everyday phenomena a scary situation. Has Nambisan also fallen victim to the typecasting of Bihar? Or is the reality of Bihar so bleak that even the most optimistic picture that is painted of it shows more despair than hope? â€Å"What is happening in Bihar is happening all over India. But Bihar is a microcosm of the whole; laboratory specimens, as it were, most easily brought under the microscope of analysis†. (Nambisan, 2000)The rest of India has a propensity to become self virtuous and holier than thou, and look down upon Bihar and Biharis as a pollutant. Politicians shake their heads and mumble, journalists condemn the collapse of democracy and the general public remains contented with just shuddering at the mere mention of it. What people do not want to admit is that the ills that plague the state are festering everywhere, in varying degrees and different stages of development. Such is the inclination to look upon Bihar and Biharis as a expression of all that is bad, that there have been reported cases of people accommodation to Bihari students in cities like Delhi, simply because they were scared to have Biharis beneath the same roof, thinking no doubt about probable robbery, rape and murder . (palgrave-journals, 2008) Previously, there were a little half hearted attempts to industrialize the state: an oil refinery in Barauni, a motor scooter factory at Fatuha, and a power generation unit at Muzaffarpur. However, no continued effort had been made in this way, and there was little achievement in its industrialization. Historically, sugar and vegetable oil were prosperous industries of Bihar. Until the mid fifties, 25% of Indias sugar production was from Bihar. Dalmianagar was a large agro industrial region. However, these were required to shut down due to flawed central policy which negated the strategic advantages of Bihar. Recently the dairy trade has picked up very well in Bihar. Sugar industry is another one which has started to improve with 25 new sugar factories committed in Bihar between 2006 and 2007. Since 2005, the state government has taken the major task of creating a business friendly environment and investment opportunities and leverages the resources there for all big and small industrial houses. There was a partition of Bihar in 2000, when the industrially superior and mineral-rich southern-half of the state was carved out to outline the separate state of Jharkhand. Since then, the main economic activity of Bihar has been crop growing. The new Bihar state produces about 60% of the yield of the old Bihar state. There is a tendency now, amongst politicians, to hold responsible the separation of Jharkhand from Bihar as a reason for the majority of the problems surrounding the growth of the state. Biharis and Non-Biharis : Perceptions and Opinions Respondents were asked to name anything that came to their mind when they thought of the â€Å"Bihar†. The top of the mind recollection is the strongest connection that a persons mind makes among two things and it was fascinating to see the diverse things, people or places that respondents linked with Bihar. The respondents were then additionaly probed on other stuff that they linked with Bihar, how the connection came about and why. Respondents in both cases were also asked about famous places or people that they associated with Bihar. This kind of factual information gave a few insights into how much authentic knowledge the respondent had regarding the state, and whether knowing more concerning Bihar, its history and culture changed the opinions and perceptions of the people at all. As was anticipated, people from Bihar possessed significantly more factual knowledge about Bihar. What was exciting was that though there were distinct disparity between Biharis and Non Biharis c oncerning perceptions about Bihar, there were still some expected threads. As a youthful housewife from a small town in Bihar put it, â€Å"Jab tak rahega samose mein aaloo, tab tak rahega Bihar mein Laloo† . The line is a famous one, from a speech by the great politician himself. Almost all the respondents thought of Laloo Yadav first when asked to name celebrities linked with Bihar. In one case, a young university student of Delhi University was unable to think of any other renowned person or place that she knew of, from Bihar. Among Non Biharis, Laloo unquestionably enjoyed top of the mind recall, as every respondent, with no exception named him. Even amongst my Bihari respondents, a number of them reflected of Laloo Yadav as one of the eminent people associated with Bihar. An interesting incident that I observed here was that respondents from the younger age bracket could think only of Laloo when it came to associating eminent personalities with Bihar. Some of the older age bracket remembered Jai Prakash Narayan, even smaller number remembered Ra jendra Prasad. Despite being the present Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar was not recollected as frequently as Laloo by the respondents. There was hardly any talk about of personalities from fields other than politics. One or two respondents recollected Prakash Jha for his films and the stand-up comedian Shekhar Suman, but it seemed that the lone people from Bihar that had achieved any fame at all were politicians. There was one interesting case where I interviewed an elderly lady, who had spent almost her whole life in Bihar, save for a period of few years in Delhi. She had no complicatedness naming famous personalities connected with Bihar, right from ancient times. She also had a authentic tourist guides list of the famous places of Bihar, for historical or cultural importance. This was in bare contrast to the younger age bracket, who knew moderately little of Bihars history, despite having lived there. This led me to consider that media had clearly played an extremely important role in formation of even the level of factual information that people possessed, apart from determining their opinions .Laloo Yadav yet again was the chief image that came to peoples minds when asked about their observation about Bihar. Though, the awareness of Bihar was not limited to just the image of Laloo. Having named Laloo as the foremost thing that came to mind on hearing â€Å"Bihar†, most of the respondents and interviewees went on to talk about the corruption and disorder that had become widespread in the state during his rule. (bstdc, 2009). The above quote from my interview with a lecturer in Ahmadabad summed up a what Non Biharis as well as Biharis felt about Bihar. The view is that the state has been devastated by dirty politics, and not allowed to build up in any fashion over the time, and the overpowering emotions were those of bleakness and sadness at the state of affairs. While talking of opinions and associations with Bihar, there was marked disparity between respondents from inside and outside Bihar. Almost all Biharis spoke affectionately of memories of their childhood and youth spent in Bihar, and had some sort of a sense of belonging to the place, which obviously came from having spent a long time in the state and having fond memories to look back upon. Even when they spoke of the ills that plague the state, the manner in which this was spoken about was one of sorrow that the situation had turned out to be so bad. In contrast, Non Biharis spoke in a manner that implied a sense of almost disgust from the state and the state of affairs there. A 2o year old college undergraduate from Delhi University summed it up when she said (bstdc, 2009) The same response, in not so many words, echoed across other interviews of Non Biharis. Overall, the awareness of people about Bihar was related to Laloo. In one way or the other, roughly all respondents were of the view of Laloo while answering this inquiry. The biggest substantiation that suggested this came from an interview with a young college student from Ahmedabad, who spoke of Biharis as primitive, and speaking in a typical dialect. (Halkier, Contemplating Place Branding Umbrellas. The Case of Coordinated National Tourism andBusiness Promotion in Denmark, 2008) Bihar Tourism Amongst all the states of the country, Bihar is in all probability the one that enjoys a distinctive history. It is here that religions followed the world over, Buddhism and Jainism were born, even as Hinduism flourished. It is here that an important advocate of a fourth religion Guru Gobind Singh of the Sikhs was born. And it is here that the worlds first institution of higher education at Nalanda was established. And if all that is not sufficient, it was in Bihar that Gandhiji launched his Satyagraha movement in opposition to the British rule. (Cameron, 2008) Bihar without doubt bears the profound weight of history, but bears it with much warmth and awareness. For both Buddhists and Jains, the land is sprinkled with monuments and sacred pilgrimage centers, while the Hindus have no fewer temples. However, it has not shied away from accepting the modern. The old learning centers continue in the structure of newer centers of excellence, the olden day trade hubs have paved way for the fresh economy and even newer technologies. Bihar is a land sanctified with beauty both spiritual and physical. Its vast lands, fed by some of the countrys most important rivers, have ensured prosperity. It has a rich traditions and legacy and its people are meticulous and fun loving. Places of Int