Gaming Industry in Macao Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Gaming Industry in Macao - Essay Example Monopoly to Liberalisation In the year 1961, the monopoly offered to Tai Hing Company expired. As a consequence, new tenders were invited for the casino operation in Macao. In the year 1962, the Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macao (STDM) was allowed to have casino concession. On the first January of the same year, STDM was able to successfully take over the gambling franchise. Since the time, gambling has established its own industry. In the process, western games like roulette, blackjack, and craps were introduced as significant games. Undoubtedly, with the passing time, Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macao (STDM) has emerged as the best known and largest business group in Macao and at the same time it has played a significant role in the territory’s development. The group was established as well as managed by Stanley Ho, who put his effort to introduce it as a mere gambling character, rather as an entity to develop tourism and the entertainment business encouragin g new prosperity for Macao by enhancement of the welfare and living standard of the common citizen of Macao (World Casino Directory Staff, 2011). The Gaming Industry: New Pattern In the month of August, 2001, the Legislative Assembly had officially established Gaming Industry Regulatory Framework. The framework had given an appropriate meaning to the ‘casino’ and ‘ gaming’. The framework had also laid out regulations for concessions system as well as introduced conditions and process for bidding. At the same time, the Casino Concessions Committee was established to be responsible for the works which are responsible to tender invitation and bidding. After a series of tender invitation and evaluation across the globe,... The gaming industry in Macao started back in the year 1934, when for the first time the government in there granted monopoly rights for casino operation. The first monopoly right or exclusive franchise went to Tai Hing Company. At the very first stage, Chinese games were played in Macao. The most ancient game played in the region was believed to be Fantan. The game was supposed to be played with buttons. In this game, the players are required to guess the number of remaining buttons in a cup of buttons with the total number of buttons being divided by four. Another Chinese domino game named as Pai Kao was also considerably popular. The recent recession has put an adverse effect on the industry. The region’s gross gambling revenue from the year 2007 to the year 2008 has increased by 31 %. However, from thereon, the gambling industry has witnessed an obvious downturn trends due to the global financial crisis. Macao is blessed with rich and contrasting cultural characteristics and can be vividly described. The place is strategically located at the Pearl River Delta at the South-eastern coast of Mainland China. This has also been significant to make it an important tourist place. Since many years, the place is known for its enriched gaming Industry. The place is exemplary in exhibiting the tuneful co-existence of both gaming and cultural attractions. Undoubtedly, the industry has been considerable contributor in the economic growth of this region. However, at the same time, it must look at the adverse impacts arising from the expansion of the gaming industry in there. The government must look into the matter carefully to enhance the positive impacts of the gaming industry by curbing out the adverse effects of the same.

Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Literature review Example This will help to point out the differences and similarities that may exist between the two ideas that the different authors have. After taking up a job, majority of the new employees are very interested to learn more about their jobs and the firm that they are now working for. Induction or socialization is the process that is used t do this and aims at integrating the new employees into the firm and making them familiar with the details and the requirements of the job. It is therefore a process which involves employees being transformed from total outsiders to become members of the organization that are active and effective. This may be done in a program that is informal or one that involves a formal introduction. Since starting a new job is one of the most stressful experiences in life, an induction process that considers the anxieties and uncertainties that are associated with it as well as the needs of the new employees is thus very

Significance of the Study Essay Example for Free

Significance of the Study Essay This study is all about Wi-Fi connections on school campuses and the proper usage of it, there are several reports show, that some students don’t use those Wi-Fi connections for school projects, assignments, etc but they use it more on social networking sites such as Facebook, twitter, tumblr etc. other students use it for watching/downloading porn. The researcher aims to know what is the real purpose of Wi-Fi connections on school campuses and what they do to those students who are addicted to social networking sites. It will give help to those students who are addicted to social networking sites and how do they stop using it even in school hours. The study is very helpful because it improves the knowledge of the people that are involved in the study. It will give information on how students react physically and emotionally. Scope and Delimitation of the Study This study was undertaken to determine the usage of Wi-Fi connections on school campuses by third year high school students of Maryhill College during the school year 2012-2013 the respondents of the student were 223 third year students. This study also focused on proper usage of students of Wi-Fi. The aspects looked into were the meaning of Wi-Fi, proper usage of internet connection of students and other wireless connections. Definition of Terms For better understanding of the study the following were defined briefly: Internet. is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite (often called TCP/IP, although not all applications use TCP) to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks, of local to global scope, that are linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical networking technologies Wireless network. efers to any type of computer network that is not connected by cables of any kind. It is a method by which homes, telecommunications networks and enterprise (business) installations avoid the costly process of introducing cables into a building, or as a connection between various equipment locations. Wireless local area network (WLAN. ) links two or more devices using some wireless distribution method (typically spread-spectrum or OFDM radio), and usually providing a connection through an access point to the wider internet.

Impacts of the Imaginary Number on Mathematics

Impacts of the Imaginary Number on Mathematics Mathematics was mans first approach to understanding the world around them since the beginning of humanity. The study grew with history in various forms with every human civilization, and as time passed, more discoveries were made that allowed humanity to reach great heights in agriculture, architecture, social structure, and their culture. Great mathematicians continued extensive studies and experiments with various values that existed in their time to further improve the study. However, the concept of the imaginary number i was developed fairly recently. This essay is written from the fascination of abstract mathematical concepts, to develop the impacts of the imaginary number on mathematics. In order to research this topic, I am required to view numerous proposed and established claims of the imaginary numbers history, and find these ideas being used with real numbers to obtain solutions to problems we have today in other subjects such as physics, and astronomy. The purpose of this essay is to further research the significance of the imaginary number, i, and its contributions to modern mathematics, physics, engineering, and other sciences. The expansion of knowledge on this topic will further propel the study of mathematics in the future. Mathematics is the only subject that can explain the universe in a logical, unbiased, and truthful way. Mathematics has been in the roots of the development of advanced civilizations, in any time period. As humanity advanced, mathematics expanded. However, dilemmas were created as a consequence of its advancements. People created concepts within mathematics which a human brain could not fully understand. Concepts such as the imaginary number, i, are impossible to truly comprehend with our limited minds. However, the beauty of mathematics is that even the most impossible seeming, imaginary number, i has a history, and has significant impacts to modern mathematics. In mathematics, a square number is defined as an integer that is the product of some integer with itself. For example, 9 is a square number, as it is the product of 3 3. This can be written in an alternate notation, 32, which is pronounced as 3 squared. The name square comes from the fact that the area of a square is the product of its 2 equal side lengths. A square number is always a positive value, as positive positive = positive, and negative negative = positive also. If squaring exists as an operation, there has to be the counter operation; the square root, or . The square root takes a square number and reduces it to the single factor that was squared to form the square number. For example, = 3. As all square numbers are positive, square roots of negative numbers are illogical, or it was only considered illogical in the pastà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ = i, or the imaginary number, has the property of becoming a real number when raised to the power of an even number; i2 = ()2 = 1, or; i4 = ()4 = 1. A real number include all of the rational numbers, as in it is a whole number, or has an ending decimal value, and all of the irrational numbers, which have unending decimal values. The characteristic that all 3 types of numbers have in common is that they can be represented in a number line, in some form. Unlike these real numbers, i has no way to be represented on a line.   Furthermore, i is not the only imaginary number; it is the unit imaginary number, used as a part of a complex number. A complex number is a combination of a real number and an imaginary number, taking the form of x + iy, where x and y are real numbers. For example, 12 5i is a complex number. However, when x = 0, leaving only iy, such as 16i, it is then called a purely imaginary number. In contrast, if y = 0 leaving only x, the complex number is then a real number. In this sense, all real numbers are actually just subsets of complex numbers. In calculations, complex numbers are often paired with conjugates, which is defined as the binomial formed by negating the second term of a binomial, in the form of x  ± yi; in relation to complex numbers, it is the complex number with the imaginary part having the opposite sign. For example, the conjugate of the complex number 12 5i is 12 + 5i. These conjugates functions to eliminate the imaginary numbers from the denominator of a complex fraction, by multiplying the numerator and the denominator by the appropriate conjugate. The conjugate always = 1, so it does not alter the value of any equation. For instance, in an equation such as    it can be simplified by multiplying (which equals 1) to it, resulting in = =   yielding a single complex number, As shown, the imaginary number is not some abstract concept of virtually zero use; it can be applied to real mathematics as simply as such. However, the idea of an imaginary number was not widely accepted until relatively recently in history, in the last 2 centuries or so. Before the concept of imaginary numbers were even conceived of, mathematics in the western world was restricted to geometry, led by the Ancient Greeks. The Algebra that modern mathematics is familiar with was invented by the Hindus, which was later translated and improved by the Arabs, spear-headed by Arab Mathematician Al-Khwarizmi(780-850). At the time, however, the solutions to polynomials were restricted to positive solutions, omitting any negative quantities. Al-Khwarizmis algebra was then translated from Arab to Latin by Gerardus Cremonensis, and Leonardo Bonacci, also known as Fibonacci. (MerinoOrlando) The first recorded use of complex numbers in seen in the works by Gerolamo Cardano. Cardano was an Italian mathematician during the 16th century Renaissance. In fact, he is recognized as one of the most influential mathematicians of the time, being a prominent member for the foundation of probability, binomial coefficients, and binomial theorems. He also contributed to the invention of the combination lock, and the modern gyroscope. He published over 200 works over the course of his lifetime. One of his famous works, the Ars Magna, published in 1545, included the problem To divide 10 in two parts, the product of which is 40, or finding the solution to 10 + 40 = 0. (BogomolnyAlexander, Remarks on the History of Complex Numbers) Cardano usually used geometric algebra in order to avoid any use of negative numbers by considering several different forms of quadratic equations; however, he decided to solve the question he declares impossible. He first divided 10 in half, making each 5. Then according to the methods he discussed in the previous section of his book, he squares 5, and subtracts 40 from it, leaving à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢15. He then square roots -15, which he then adds and subtracts from 5, leaving him with the roots (5 + ) and (5 à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ ). In mathematical terms, his operation was   Ã‚   52 = 25 25 40 = -15 5  ± (5 + ) (5 à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ ) = 40. This is confirmed by simply multiplying the binomials: (25 5 + 5 à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢15) =(25 + 15) = 40. However, Cardano writes that in conclusion, this solution is useless, as it cannot be performed. (MerinoOrlando) The next significant milestone was achieved by the mathematician Rafael Bombelli in his (1572) work, Algebra. He was the first to recognize the significance of à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1, and notates it pià º di meno, or plus of minus in Italian. Bombelli was far more familiar with the operation of negative numbers than Cardano, and establishes the rules when handling different signed numbers. His works are as follows; the following is directly translated from his work in Italian: Plus times plus makes plus (1 1 = 1) Minus times minus makes plus ( 1 1 = 1 ) Plus times minus makes minus ( 1 1 = 1 ) Minus times plus makes minus. ( 1 1 = 1 ) He then annunciates the behavior of the number plus of minus: Plus of minus times plus of minus makes minus ( = 1 ) Plus of minus times minus of minus makes plus ( = 1 ) Minus of minus times plus of minus makes plus ( = 1 ) Minus of minus times minus of minus makes minus ( = 1 ) (BogomolnyAlexander, Remarks on the History of Complex Numbers) Bobelli took the same approach as other mathematician at the time when encountering negative roots as a solution to cubic and quadratic equations, often omitting them completely, or disregarding them. However, he did attempt once to solve a cubic using imaginary numbers, and succeeded, without realizing its validity. The term imaginary was coined by the philosopher and mathematician Renà © Descartes (1596-1650); he also coined the term real number to distinguish between real and imaginary roots of polynomials. He did not actually contribute to the mathematics aspect of i, but just provided a name for the poorly understood concept. John Wallis (1616 -1703) was first to introduce a geometric interpretation of complex numbers, and believe that negative numbers were larger than infinity, but still less than 0. This thought was shared by the famous mathematician Leonhard Euler (1707 1783), who introduced the symbol i as the symbol for   , and linked the exponential and trigonometric functions in the famous formula eit = cos(t) + i  ·sin(t). The geometric interpretation of complex numbers that modern mathematics agree with was first introduced by Caspar Wessel (1745-1818). Wessel treated complex numbers as vectors (which, he did not use the term vector), and derived most of their properties, including trigonometric form of multiplication (or, algebraic multiplication). The acceptance of complex numbers in mathematical society was further elevated by Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855) with the use of complex numbers to Number Theory. Gauss introduced the term complex number, which he defined as the combination of real and imaginary numbers. However, i was still not fully accepted and understood until the mid-19th century, from the works of Sir William Hamilton, 9th Baronet, (1805-1865). He was responsible for the notation (x,y); he defined ordered pairs of real numbers of real numbers (a.b) to be a couple. This further implemented complex numbers as vectors or points on a plane, vector operators, and matrices. (MerinoOrlando) As one can observe from the historical track of i, complex numbers were abstract concepts of little value to mathematics until the last two centuries; many, such as Cardano and Bombelli, disregarded i as a valid method for finding solutions. However, today, with a better understanding of complex numbers, we can now solve equations they werent able to solve for centuries, with proper explanations to support the answer. With the knowledge of i, we are able to solve through some of the questions that the greatest mathematicians during the last few decades couldnt solve. One of the problems was derived from the cubic formula, invented by the Mathematician Del Ferro (1465 1526). To solve a quadratic equation, or an equation having the form , means finding the values of x for when y =0. In other words, when the equation is graphed on a xy-coordinate graph, the x values of the points where the line crosses the x-axis. Conveniently, an Indian mathematician named Brahmagupta (597-668 AD) invented a quadratic formula in to facilitate the process of finding the solutions: , where terms a, b, and c correspond with the letters in . (KnaustHelmut)While this is not the quadratic formula we are accustomed to today, , it was still a revolutionary way to solve quadratics. Del Ferro aimed to create a formula for cubic equations that have the same level of convenience as the quadratic formula., and he succeeds. The formula looked something like this:   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   , for the cubic equation in the form of   Cardano later acquired this secretly guarded formula and modified it to a much simpler form, by using a change of variable x = to eliminate the x2 value to form a simpler cubic equation, . Cardano published this formula in the previously mentioned Ars Magna (KnaustHelmut). However, Cardano faced a major problem; in a slightly different version of the equation, he found that his formula would break under certain circumstances: when ; when plugged into Cardanos extra modified formula, = , The result involves a square root of negative numbers; these negative square roots were enough of a problem to cause Cardano to stop in his progress on this area. At the time, all negative roots as a solution was considered by mathematicians as the problems way of saying there are no solutions, and in most cases, it was true. Bombelli, however, while still not accepting the validity of the imaginary number, finished solving Cardanos problem.   In the instance of a cubic, there has to be at least 1 real solution, because of the nature of the shape of a cubic on the xy- graph. At least 1 point had to cross the x- axis, at all circumstances. This is one of the Fundamental Theorems of Algebra; a polynomial function has to have n number of solutions for the largest nth power. Through testing some integers, Bombelli found that 4 is one of the solution to the equation: 43 = 15(4) + 4 64 = 60 + 4 64 = 64 The solution, as anyone can see, is a real number; for this to be the case, Bombelli realized that the root of i parts of each half of the equation needs to cancel out, or equal to zero when added together, like this: He then used this idea to form complex conjugates, and where and b are constants that we need to obtain, which we equate to each half of the equation: We can then start solving for the constants by cubing both sides of the equation: )33 = )( + =   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   = Now we need to separate the real and the imaginary parts:    and Now since we know that When we plug it into one of the derived equation, With these values, we now know that and When we cube these values, we can see that they do indeed equal what we started with:   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚     Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   =   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   = And more importantly, when we add the two parts together as the formula tells us to do, we get the solution, 4. = 2 + 2 x = 4 Bombelli definitely solved Cardanos problem, using Interstingly, neither the original problem nor the answer had anything to do with but in the method, we can see that by extending the number system to include as a valid value, it is crucial to finding the answer, as the Mathematician Jacques Hadamard quoted, the shortest path between 2 truths in the real domain passes through the complex domain. However, when Bombelli succeeded in finding this solution, he discarded his discovery and considered as sophistries, or tricks that only exist to solve problems like these. We, as thinkers of modern mathematics, know that this is not true, and there are much more sophisticated aspects to complex numbers. (BogomolnyAlexander, Remarks on the History of Complex Numbers) How, then, are imaginary numbers valid? First of all, we need to understand exactly what limitations real numbers have. We are already familiar with the number line; it is an infinitely long line comprised of all real numbers, positive and negative. It includes all integers, all fractions and decimals, and even irrational numbers, or numbers with infinitely long decimal places, such as or . However, there is no place for on this line, and for centuries, no mathematicians could find a place for it because of one reason; i is 3-dimensional. In other words, because of the fact that i does not fit in a real line, all multiples of i, positive and negative, form another line, perpendicular to the line of real numbers. In the xy- coordinate plane, i forms a third axis perpendicular to both the x-axis and the y-axis. With this comprehension, we can further define complex numbers as functioning points or vectors in the Complex Plane. A vector is defined as a quantity having direction as well as magnitude, especially as determining the position of one point in space relative to another in a plane. This property of i opens up exponentially many possible uses of i in the 3-dimensional physical world. The term imaginary make the perception of i to be some abstract, incomprehensible mathematical fallacy by many people, and it was true, until last 2 centuries. The truth is, i is as real as any other number; many people today argue that the Cartesian name of the value, the imaginary number is misleading, because of all of the real potentials the value actually holds. In physics alone, complex numbers are used to calculate the amount of stress on structures, resonance, for the manipulation of large matrices in modeling various figures, and is especially used extensively when dealing with electrical current, and wavelength. In electrical engineering, values can be divided into scalar quantities and complex quantities; scalar is what real numbers are called in the scientific language. Some examples of scalar quantities include voltage produced by a power source, the resistance of any component in an electric circuit, measured in ohms (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦), and electrical current through a wire, measured in amps. During some circuit manipulation, electrical engineers found that in alternating current circuits, voltage, current and resistance, or in physics terminology, impedance measured in AC, were not outputting scalar quantities like other DC circuits. They instead had alternating direction and amplitude (or magnitude), which as a result, had another dimension of frequency and phase shift. Engineers found that it was impossible to organize and represent all of these non-scalar values with real numbers; therefore, they turned to complex numbers, that were multi-dimensional in nature, and could express the 2 -dimentional quantity of frequency and phase shift in a single complex number. However, in physics and electronics, the letter j is used in the place of i to prevent confusion, as the letter i is used to represent the value of current. Therefore, scientists would write the complex numbers in the form of . (RobertsDonna) In electrical science, engineers are required to calculate missing values based off of given data, using specific equations such as E = I à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Z, where E = voltage, I = current, and Z = impedance. For example, if the voltage in a series circuit is 45 + j10 volts and the impedance is 3 + j4 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦, the scientist is required to be able to calculate the current by simply using the equation and inserting the values: amps (RobertsDonna) In contrast to some of the math problems we solved previously, the answer to these questions remain complex, which is natural, since the value still has to represent a 2-dimensional quantity of phase changes and frequency. These data are applied to anything electronic, from computers to washing machines, from someones smartphones to traffic lights; imaginary numbers are being used in the real world everywhere, which is why there are even arguments about the terminology of imaginary should be edited to an updated, mathematically correct term, such as lateral numbers for its lateral behavior in complex planes. i is truly valid. The concept of i existed for such a short period of time, yet what it allowed us to accomplish within that time is beyond imaginable. Society saw an explosion of technological development, improved machines, and programming; all of which would have been impossible without the understanding of i in the world run by technology and electricity. However, the most crucial achievements of i is that from a number that we considered to not exist in this world, we learned more about fundamental laws of physics, the dimensions we live in, and the world, the real world; we need to learn from it, and appreciate it for existing. References   Ã‚   Bogomolny, Alexander. Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles. 2015. Article. 17 September 2016. Knaust, Helmut. The Cubic Formula. 20 5 1998. sosmath. Article. 24 September 2016. Merino, Orlando. A Short History of Complex Numbers. Kingston, January 2006. Document. Roberts, Donna. Does Anyone Ever Really Use Complex Numbers? 2012. Article. 25 September 2016. Weisstein, Eric W. Complex Number. 4 September 2016. from Wolfram MathWorld. Article. 19 September 2016.

Essay on Shelleys Frankenstein and Miltons Paradise Lost

Shelley's Frankenstein and Milton's Paradise Lost   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even upon first glance, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and John Milton's Paradise Lost seem to have a complex relationship, which is discernible only in fractions at a time.   Frankenstein is Mary Shelley's reaction to John Milton's epic poem, in which he wrote the Creation myth as we perceive it today.   His characterizations of Adam and Eve and the interactions of Satan and God and the impending Fall seem to have almost taken a Biblical proportion by themselves.   By the time that Mary Shelley read Paradise Lost, it was indeed a stalwart in the canon of English Literature, so it should not come as a surprise to the reader the it should play such a large part in her construction of the Frankenstein myth, which has become an archetypal ghost story on its own.   What makes each of these narratives so fascinating to the reader is the author/authoresses' innate ability to use the ultimate struggle -- that between God and Satan (or Good and Evil) -- which in turn in volves the reader in a most personal manner.   The characters in Paradise Lost, which is chronologically first, and Frankenstein, seem to appear over and over as aspects of themselves and other characters.   The essence of these characters is on the surface relatively bland, but when aspects of Satan start to enter Man and they reconfigure each other, the interest picks up rapidly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shelley's use of these characters is drastically different than that of Milton.   Mary Shelley was a product of the 19th Century, when Romanticism, the Gothic Aesthetic, and Science took the forefront of Western Culture.   Milton's era was different: there was little secularization, and religious change was everywhere as the Protestant ... ...2. Elledge, Scott, ed. Paradise Lost. By John Milton. 1674. New York: Norton, 1993. Fish, Stanley. "Discovery as Form in Paradise Lost." Elledge 526-36. Ide, Richard S. "On the Uses of Elizabethan Drama: The Revaluation of Epic in Paradise Lost." Milton Studies 17 (1983): 121-37. Martindale, Charles. John Milton and the Transformation of Ancient Epic. London: Croom Helm, 1986. Mellor, Anne K. Mary Shelley. Her Life, her Fiction, her Monsters. Methuen. New York, London, 1988. Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Elledge 3-304. Shawcross, John T. "The Hero of Paradise Lost One More Time." Patrick and Sundell 137-47. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992 Steadman, John M. Milton's Biblical and Classical Imagery. Pittsburgh: Duquesne UP, 1984.   

For Your World :: essays research papers

For Your World A story consists of many small parts. When these parts are put together they create a piece of literature that conveys a message. This message can be about almost anything. Literature can tell a story about happiness or an experience of love. It all depends on what pieces and how they are placed together which makes a story. Anton Chekhov has written a wonderfully pieced together short story titled â€Å"Misery†. The elements which allow me to understand â€Å"Misery† are narrator point of view, setting, character, and theme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Setting is the only other device, besides the title, which can set a mood for the story before any characters are introduced. When you place any character in a setting, that setting reflects onto the character. â€Å"Iona Potapov, the sledge driver, is all white like a ghost†¦ His little mare is white and motionless too†¦She is probably lost in thought. Anyone who has been torn away from the plough, from the familiar gray landscapes and cast into this slough, full of monstrous lights, of unceasing uproar and hurrying people†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (69); this quote allows for the reader to build a picture of the scenery. No one would want to have to sit on a sledge for many hours and be covered in snow waiting for someone to come by. The words used to describe Iona’s setting are very carefully picked to create this powerful imagery at the beginning of the story. The city is described as a slough. Slough is defined as a state of deep despair or moral degrada tion. With this deep pit of despair called a town, â€Å"monstrous lights† and â€Å"unceasing uproar† continue all round these two characters. With this as the opening paragraph the story has already started an emotion or feeling inside the readers mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How a story is told can alter the meaning of the story. Finding the right combination of who tells the story if very difficult. When the right order of voices are found it makes the story come alive. It allows for the imagery of the person’s actions and the characters thoughts to be read at the same time. â€Å"Misery† has found this great combination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Narrators are used show or place a given mood in the story. â€Å"It is a long time since Iona has budged. They came out of the yard before dinner-time and not a single fare yet.† (69) At the start of the story the narrator has started the emotion of sympathy for the main character.

“Non dare call it education” by John A. Stormer: a review

The vast majority of American children are educated in public schools. Now, many parents start asking themselves: what’s happening to our schools. Why do schools produce children, who are unable to read, write or calculate, why do schoolchildren risk to be killed in shooting, what are the reasons for dramatic fall of moral between American teenagers. The book â€Å"Non Dare Call It Education† by John A. Stormer was aimed to investigate the adverse events, which take place in the public schools throughout America. The author brings in â€Å"horrible examples† of ignorance, illiteracy, criminal activities (including shooting at schools), alcoholism, drug addiction, moral downfall, early pregnancies and other failures inside our educational institutions. Having analyzed statistics, tests data and newspaper reports, witnessing the above stated, the author makes a conclusion, that American educational system appeared in a state of deep crisis, caused by crude educational innovations. Stormer determines two basic reasons for degeneracy of school system. The first reason is simplification and primitivization of teaching process. For example, no attention is longer paid to correct spelling. Children are encouraged to guess how words are pronounced and written, when they look at the pictures in spite of being taught to read and write the word. Correct spelling in such approach is said to be a work of computer. Mathematics textbooks teach children, that correct calculation is also not important, because it can be done by computers, so children are tolled to guess of the result, not to count it by themselves[1]. Downfall of students educational level results in downfall of teachers level. Stormer brings an example of Massachusetts’ testing for incoming teachers in 1998, where 56% of candidates failed. In order to help more teachers pass, the State Board of Education had to lower the standards of tests[2]. The second problem with recent educational reforms is that even the smartest children have to undergo manipulative techniques, which change their thinking values. They have to adopt faulty â€Å"humanistic† and â€Å"universal† values, to become future leaders of â€Å"new social order†. Stormer points, that there are many devoted teachers at schools, however, the system of education itself is ill due to government attempts not only to educate, but to change the thoughts and feelings of students to make them â€Å"correct†. The most destructive element of such manipulative changes, as Stormer believes, is undermining of traditional values, resulting in destructive social processes. Comparing textbooks, which were issued 40 years ago and modern ones, the author pointed 12 basic values, which appeared to be undermined, including marriage an family, paternal authority, substitution of situational ethics with absolute terms of good and bad, change of attitude towards national independence and sovereignty. In chapter 2 he gives an example of Illinois State Board of Education, which gave a test to 11th grade students in Illinois schools with provoking questions about their sexual behavior. The tests caused much public indignation, and the newspapers blamed, that educational bureaucrats were â€Å"determined to force their vision of permissive sex education on parents and students – even when the vision conflicts with Illinois law†. However, almost no reaction of authorities followed, and an information was passed, that the Illinois State Board of Education acted under instructions of supreme bodies[3]. Stormer specially notices, that he does not write about a conspiracy, because educational reforms are conducted openly with a declared aim to substitute intellectual development with vocational development. Public schools are substituted with Schools-to-Work. As Henry Hyde a Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee noticed, â€Å"Behavior modification is a significant part of restructuring our schools. School children will be trained to be â€Å"politically correct,† to be unbiased, to understand diversity, to accept â€Å"alternative life-styles..[4].† The modification of school system under Stormer is a systematic action, openly and deliberately conducted by the government to change the entire American society. The main value of the book is that it attracts attention to the destructive phenomena in our education and provides a good factual summary of such phenomena. Stormer attempts to explain those trends systematically and in a way succeeds. However, he does not provide any strategy of actions to overcome the situation. The book is written from traditional position and attributes all failures to â€Å"undermined values† and government efforts, not taking other factors into account, such as massive migration of poorly educated persons or objective factors of social change in the postindustrial era.   Moreover, the book concentrates only on the worst things, not analyzing positive effects of educational reforms, therefore, it appears to be a little overweighted. References John A. Stormer (1998), None Dare Call It Education, Florissant MO, Liberty Bell Press [1] John A. Stormer (1998), None Dare Call It Education, Florissant MO, Liberty Bell Press, p.- 17 [2] John A. Stormer (1998), supra note, p- 21 [3] John A. Stormer (1998), supra note, p-56 [4] John A. Stormer (1998), supra note, p-117