Fashion at the Royal Wedding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fashion at the Royal Wedding - Essay Example This essay follows the magnificent events of the Royal Wedding day, that occured in London, United Kingdom on 29th of April, 2011. As the world watched the most awaited day of 2011, the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton filled the screens not only of television sets around the world but of computers as well. This essay suggests that the romance that filled the air could be the top reason for billions of people to have taken a break, to witness and share the joy of witnessing a modern fairytale come alive. But it is also undeniable that among the top reasons of watching the wedding was to have a look at the unveiling of the wedding gown and dress of the bride. Interestingly, it was not only the bride’s ensemble that proved to have been anticipated during the day but reviews of the affair show that the royal fashion has been expected to be a sight awaited not only by fashion designers and experts but by the general public as well. Talk about the brideâ€⠄¢s gown was all over social networking sites like ‘facebook’ and ‘twitter’ as well as news reports around the world through air and paper. This essay also focuses on description and analysis of the dresses of Queen Elizabeth, Prince William, bride's maids and other honourable guests fashion appereances, such as Queen Sofia of Spain and princess Letizia. In conclusion of the essay, the researcher describes his opinion that as for the men on the ceremony, not much fuss the mass-media gave to their garbs as compared to those of the women’s.... s’ dress were similarly designed to that of the bride’s in accordance to tradition, made from the same fabric but sewn by another designer, Nicki Macfarlane (omg.yahoo). Both dresses worn by the sisters was the handy works of Sarah Burton, a 36 year old fashion designer from Manchester who worked alongside the famous fashion designer and owner of the company named after him, Alexander McQueen. She has proven to have the potentials of a creative modern fashion designer first by being appointed the head of women’s wear of McQueen, a pretty flattering position for a person who worked for a world renowned fashion designer for only four years. After the legend’s death in February of last year, Burton succeeded her patron as the creative director of McQueen (White). Creating the wedding gown of the newest member of the royal family, Burton now faces a greater responsibility and challenge as the most famous fashion designer of this age. The royal fashion is not g oing to be complete without looking at the queen whose fashion designer is a close confidant, Angela Kelly who made a bright yellow outfit for Queen Elizabeth. Her dress was simple, matched with a yellow hat and accessorized with the Queen Mary’s lover’s knot brooch. Speaking of hats, the guests displayed a variety of them so that the hats made quite a buzz. Probably the most disdained headdress was that worn by princess Beatrice who looked like she had an octopus on her head. It was a Philip Treacy hat, the same designer of her sister’s hat as well as that of Victoria Beckham’s and the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla’s without the outrageous reactions. Princess Eugenie received an identically negative comment about her attire which was not impressive at all with her blue seemingly disheveled dress and

Criminological Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Criminological Theory - Essay Example People consider them as the founding fathers of the classical theories because they are the ones who started enlightening the community on classical thinking. Their aim was to reduce the harshness experienced in the judicial systems during the eighteenth century. The classical theory bases its arguments on the principle of maximum pleasure and minimum pain (Gottfredson, 1990). Bentham is the main contributor to this school of thought, being a utilitarian he was interested in the well-being and happiness of the population. In classicism, punishment is for the good of the criminal. He believes that human behavior is aimed at minimizing pain and maximizing pleasure. Bentham as one of the founders of the classical theorists believes that, it is better to prevent a crime than to let a person commit a crime and then punish him. This theory advocates for a punishment that is equal to the crime committed. Classical thinking has a big impact in criminological thinking and a greater influence in criminal justice. In America and Europe, the idea of giving punishment depending on the nature of crime has created a foundation to the criminal justice systems in the modern society. Classical thinking has led to the decline of torture, use of capital punishment and corporal punishment (Baron, 2003). Over the years since the second half of eighteenth century and nineteenth century, prisons have developed, and the whole concept and idea of prison was to punish the soul and mind and not the body. This was very important in changing a person’s criminal behavior. One of the strengths of the classical theory is that, although it was developed long ago, it has continued to be used in the present judicial system (Baron, 2003). Deterrence as one of the elements in classical thinking helps in reducing crime rate. Classical thinking might be in great use today, but it also has its weaknesses and one of the weaknesses is that, in the

BIS220 Information Systems Proposal Essay Example for Free

BIS220 Information Systems Proposal Essay Dear collegue as we embark on this adventure of starting our own Records Company, there are some things that we need to become familiar with in order to be successful. We need to get acquainted and become knowleageable with some of the different Information Systems that will help our compny be a successful one. See below for some of the necessary systems that we will be needing. Â  Integrating certain information systems within a business organization will not only prove for a faster more efficient workplace but will also improve the bottom line for company growth. Even though there are numerous information systems that can be implemented and utilized to improve the growth and expansion of the company, there are five information systems that the company should focus on utilizing: Office Automation System, Expert System, Management Information System, Electronic Commerce System, and Transaction Processing System. The recommended information systems listed in this proposal are simple to use and cost effective. Each information system needs to be evaluated based on their advantages and disadvantages, we will discuss them in detail. Management Information System (MIS): This system is in charge of managing all organizational networks and ensuring all systems are running accordingly. The MIS would also include knowledge of all employee information as well as tracking customer sales and handling company budgets. Dealing with allocated budgets could pose an ethical issue depending on the manager in charge, which, if based on a clean background check and character, should not be an issue. Office Automation System: This system will help the flow of employee productivity maintain a constant and progressive pattern. This system, or the OAS, will provide employees with the proper tools to create effective documents for everyday business related needs. Transaction Processing Systems (TPS): This is needed in order to conduct daily operationsThe point of sale (POS) is one such system that can be designed make transactions efficient by collecting and storing sales transactions, generating purchase orders, and providing tracking numbers for individual sales. Data can transfer and used with accounting and inventory control software programs. These systems will follow the transaction from start point through the completed process and has the capability to capture records and data. Electronic Commerce System: This system will enable you to conduct transactions with different organizations and between your business and your consumers. Expert System: This system is the system that will approve credit cards. | The system crashing and causing us not to be able to take credit cards then leaving us without the transaction causing us not to meet our goal. Keep in mind that all of these sytems have their drawbacks and if they happen to failed they will cause a great deal of management pain withing your company. The hassles could be from time keeping with your employees to payroll problems withing the company Respectfully request you consider my proposal as it clearly meets the criteria for establishing a long and prosperous operation for your company. Again, thank you for the opportunity to provide a proposal for your business. If you have any questions, I’d be happy to meet you and discuss this proposal. Respectfully Pedro O. Beltran JOC Watch Officer/Intel Analyst SOUTHCOM J33 References: Reiner Jr, R. K., Cegielski, C. G. (2011). Introduction to Information Systems (3rd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database

Photography Essays Bernd and Hilla Becher

Photography Essays Bernd and Hilla Becher Identify what you consider to be the legacy of the artist Bernd and Hilla Becher for the importance of the photographic image. ‘The modern photographer is the architect’s greatest publicist’; that is, if one considers architectural photography a dumb copying device, and a pure record that informs the onlooker only of the building and its functionality.   However banal a series of photographs depicting only water towers may seem, Bernd and Hilla Becher dedicated much attention to photographing such icons of post-war Germany and so created a historical document.   In this way, the Bechers’ living legacy is ‘a narrative of socio-historic reality based on photography’s potential to retain some indexical trace of its subject’, but as mentioned by Mack, the Bechers are amongst those photographers who are also ‘involved in some level of construction or fabrication, distinct from the realist and objective position which is usually attributed to [photography]’.   Their photography and teachings represent a time when photography was winning serious cons ideration by the European art scene and so are undeniably important and influential, but perhaps the most pointed question to ask of their work is the exact nature of its influence on other artists, on the nature of the photographic image, and on the landscape of Germany of which the mine shafts and silos they photographed were a vital part. Just as an historic text is the subject of the author’s interpretation of the reality of the times, a photograph is the product of the photographer’s choice and manipulation of an image.   It is plain that the Bechers were not attempting to flatter architects or approve of the design and function of the buildings they photographed, as is often the case in the classic understanding of architectural photography.   Although it cannot be denied that their many images, like those of August Sander, create a social document for posterity’s sake, the photographs are in no way a sentimental harking back to the past or a reassurance of German identity.   The technology depicted in the Bechers’ typological sequences, often in a state of deterioration or abandonment, could be said to represent a time of spiritual poverty and the ‘erosion of inherited cultural and moral values’.   In light of this suggestion, Bernd and Hilla Becher seemed to be see king to document their subjects in a clinical, objective manner; remaining fascinated with but shedding the past in the hope that ‘the unburied industrial sources of Modernist imagery be sanitized and distanced from us, lest [they]†¦ invade the minds of another generation’.   Therefore, unlike August Sander, the Bechers are more interested in showing us death (rather than Sanders life study of the classes of Germany); the photographs can be said to be looking ahead to a better future only if the viewer interprets it so. Shouldnt these photos then, fascinated by death to the point of necrophilia, be filed away and forgotten?   Rather, it should be said that the photos enlarge our understanding of the photographic image, precisely because they serve as a stark reminder of a past away from which the world has moved.   As much as it was tactful for German artists to deny history in the immediate post-war period, Bernd and Hilla Becher chose to show it, with characteristically functionalist honesty and truth.   Viewing the photographs, we know that the spiritually repressive time to which the buildings belong has passed and so view our position favourably.   Photography is the art form that is most closely comparable to our reality; whether they meant to or not, the Bechers have created art through which we view history with a clarity that cannot be gained through memory or other art forms. Photography has always been associated with some notion of cutting out and keeping the past in order that it is not forgotten, although not necessarily in order to commend or legitimate the events therein.   An extensive collection of nakedly truthful architectural portraits such as the Bechers’, could be said to be a way of preserving the buildings and what they represent, rather than a way of banishing them to ‘the registers of the dead’ in order that society moves forward (or at least away from the faux progression of industrialisation).   Preservation, yes, and as important to the renewal of German identity as is the conservation of Auschwitz.   Indeed, the Bechers were heavily involved in the German industrial preservation movement that started in the 1950s and resulted in numerous icons of the country’s economic and cultural history being listed and their demolition prevented.   The power of the Bechers art, and therefore part of their renderi ng of photography as an important form, is tangible in that the photographs were so compelling that they became a part of a movement which changed (or maintained) Germany’s landscape. It can also be said that, in preserving the winding gear, the framework workers’ houses and silos in their art, the Bechers’ ‘industrial archaeology’ was an investigation into specific communities.   Despite claims that their subjects are completely isolated from their environment, the photographs are often dated and their locations documented, and therefore offer a pertinent reminder of a specific space and time for each similar but significantly different image.   From there, a viewer can take time to study the stilled physicality of the buildings, their silent watch, whilst remaining aware of their specialised existence within individual societies. Whilst this is a large part of the Bechers’ typological studies’ legacy, their way of showing buildings is most certainly not anthropocentric.   Never do they purposefully use the human form to legitimise or enrich their industrial subjects.   Indeed, it is the very absence of the human form that makes these photographs so interesting because actually ‘the handiwork of men is everywhere visible’ and the collection stands partly as a testimony to humankind’s inexhaustible ingenuity and inventiveness.   The Bechers’ fascination with metal and all that goes with its production could not be a more powerful statement about that which is alien to human fleshly existence, but in the same way it is a comment on the extents to which industrial people are forced to go because of their reliance on the laws of nature. Not directly interested in the human form, but nevertheless a product of the human mind and skill, the Bechers’ art shows humankind’s flagging attempt to master nature, to reign it in and use it or, indeed, to ‘make nature in the image of their own desires’.   Such a battle can only end in failure as, with water towers for instance, the very function of the buildings remind us that we are utterly reliant on the earth’s resources; only when we combine our understanding of forces such as gravity with our desire to remain alive are we able to create technologies that serve us whilst abiding by nature’s laws.   In so saying, it is interesting to note that the static image of the photograph reminds one of the denial of evolution.   The Bechers help the viewer see, through their almost exhaustive collection of similar images, the differences between the humans self and the buildings in the photographs.   The most pointed distinction being ho w each succumbs to the processes of evolution.   Whilst we move on from war, from old ideas about art, from economic peak to economic trough, these buildings stay very much the same.   This becomes part of the distancing process that seems to make the Bechers’ work so important; the photographic image is unchangeable, undeniable truth that will always remain in the past whilst we move on ourselves.   The photographs come to deny the ‘progress’ they originally stood for, and so reaffirm our place in the present and, more importantly, suggest our continuation into a future that will be different. The Bechers’ work has received much attention; even winning a prestigious prize for sculpture.   The framing of the photographed buildings, the uniform lighting used and the subjects’ apparent freedom from their visible environment allows a neutralisation, which brings the buildings closer to sculptural treatment than the two-dimensional reportage that is often the lot of the photographic image.   As Klaus Bussmann states in his introduction to the Bechers’ Industrial Faà §ades; ‘in these photographs the function of the architecture does not emerge from its form’.   Unlike the art of the Neue Sachlichkeit, the Bechers’ photography does not celebrate the ‘dynamic and dramatic functionality of the industrial machine’; indeed it does not invest them with any meaning at all.   We invest them with meaning and memories – but the Bechers were seemingly fascinated by their deadness, their static place in history and their comparison with the vibrancy of human existence. The Bechers’ work made a remarkable impact on the art world, and the affect of their legacy is partly due to the manner in which they chose to display their photographs when their work was exhibited.   If there is an argument that depicts the photographic image as a bland record of what we can all see as it exists or existed in nature, then the Bechers’ typological constructs deny this.   Seen in groups; one building in comparison to a dozen others of almost (but pointedly not) identical appearance, the subjects of the photographs are recreated anew, and suddenly become something other than their pure physicality.   The viewer is irresistibly invited to take note of those differences, to see the similarities and variations all at once – are they impersonal or not, beautiful or ugly?   Seen together, the images become a greater challenge to the viewer’s notion of banality, of universality and the fundamental core of human needs. Alongside their fellow post-war photographers, the Bechers recreated photography as an art form, which is as legitimate as any other.   Their subject matter is not directly passionate, does not reveal the interior workings of the photographers’ identity and does not even deal with emotional issues, as is the common arena of the art world.   Instead, their calm, measured series of photographs introduces a part of western industrial society in the most honest way.   Because of its closeness to our experience of reality, we react very deeply to photography; the experience of looking at a framed portrait is intensely emotional whether the subject is treated in an emotional manner or not.   The legacy of the Bechers runs deep, especially in light of their teachings at Dà ¼sseldorf and the photographers who have come after them.   Bernd and Hilla truly understood the power of photography and have had a hand in investing the medium with the ‘power to influence our pe rception of the world around us’.   Their legacy is complex and the personal reaction to their work can be confusing as one finds a fascination with the deadness of their subjects at the same time as being instilled with some semblance of hope for the future.   Their ‘industrial archaeology’ will remain with us to aid the excavation of man-made landscapes and, indirectly, lead to a better understanding of the human condition. References Becher, B.  Ã‚   Tipologie, Typologien, Typologies – Bernd and Hilla Becher.   Munster: Klaus Bussmann, Bonn: 1990 Becher, B.   Industrial Faà §ades – Bernd and Hilla Becher.   Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press: 1995 Becher, B.   Water Towers – Bernd and Hilla Becher.   Cambridge, Massachusetts:   MIT Press: 1988 De Mare, E.   Architectural Photography.   London: B T Batsford: 1975 Gillen, E (ed.) German Art from Beckman to Richter: images of a divided country.   London: DuMont: 1997 Homburg, C (ed.) German Art Now.   London: Merrell: 2003 Honnef, K Sachsse, R Thomas, K (eds.)   German Photography 1870 – 1970: power of a medium. Cologne: DuMont: 1997 Mack, M.   Reconstructing Space: architecture in recent German photography.   London:   AA Publications: 1999 Robinson, C Herschmann, J.   Architecture Transformed: a history of the photography of buildings from 1839 to the present Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press: 1987 Rosselli, P. (ed.) Architecture in Photography Milan: Skira: 2001 Sander, A.   August Sander: citizens of the twentieth century: portrait photographs 1892 – 1952.   Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press: 1986   http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/visarts/globe/issue6/dptxt.html   31.03.05

The Development Of Tourism In Kerala

The Development Of Tourism In Kerala In the book KERALAS Economic Development Performance and Problems in the Post-Liberalization Period by B. A. Prakash, there is an article on Tourism Development in Kerala by Nalini Netto which says that Kerala has emerged as an undisputed tourism hotspot of India with its catchy promotional logo Gods Own Country. National Geographic Traveler, in a landmark issue in 2000, rated Kerala in Paradise Found category. Ever since the govt. of India declared tourism as an industry in 1986 and Kerala was the first state to declare so, Kerala is doing aggressive marketing of tourism product by establishing Tourism Mart in Kochi which has its links with national and global tourism bodies like South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange, Travel Agent Association of India (TAAI), Pacific Asia Tourism Association (PATA) etc. Government of Kerala is also playing role of facilitator and regulator for the prosperity and growth of the tourism sector by encouraging private participations in the sector. Government is providing subsidy of 10 percent on capital investment in the sector subject to maximum 10 Lakh with additional subsidy of 15 percent on the investment in pollution control facilities and equipment. Kerala with 600 Km coast line offers one of the best beaches in India. Western Ghats provide few finest hill stations for summer resort. Rich ecological forest, wild life reserves and backwaters provide a full eye soothing natural beauty to the state. Ayurveda, the health tourism product is another USP of Kerala Tourism due to abundance of herbs and medicinal plants. The earnings from tourism in the state in 2001 were estimated to be Rs. 535 crore. This book also emphasizes that this sector still has unused potential which if utilized in an environmentally conscious way can generate more revenue for the state and the country. [2] In the book on Tourism Marketing by Devahish Dasgupta in the chapter of Destination Branding: Building Brand Equity a case study is presented on Measuring Brand Performance -A Kerala Survey in which analysis of the survey on the brand performance of Kerala is given which was conducted in India and abroad, featuring countries such as Spain, France, Denmark, Italy, Belgium and other countries. People, who have not visited Kerala before, responded that they came to know about the state by word of mouth and wanted to visit. People, who had already visited Kerala expressed that they had a memorable experience in Kerala. This case study talked about effective marketing strategies to undertake market research to indentify and assemble a highly attractive product should be developed to differentiate from competing tourist destinations. More emphasis is given to Tourist-centric products and issues relating to price, security, health, safety and quality should be studied. It says that failure to build and sustain destination brand equity or the value of brand in the minds of potential visitors and investor, can lead to economic decline. [3] Article by E T N, Global Travel Industry News Tourism is contributor to The Growth of The Economy The Tourism Minister Kumari Selja has said that development of infrastructure holds the key to the growth of tourism and that is why the Government is investing heavily for integrated development of the Infrastructure Sector. She said that Tourism Sector, with 9.24% share of employment, accords a perfect opportunity to translate our vision of inclusive growth to reality. [4] In an essay written on Medical Tourism in India: Progress or Predicament? by Sunita Reddy and Imrana Qadeer, it is estimated that the size of the medical tourism market in the country will be Rs 1, 95,000 crore in 2012. The essay also examines the implications of medical tourism for general medical care and how such policy shifts distort health systems. This analysis raises questions of accessibility, affordability, and ethics in medical care, and asks if it is sensible to promote medical tourism in a democratic welfare state, with poor public healthcare facilities for the masses. [5] Contentious and contradictions of tourism as development option : a case of Kerala, India by T T Sreekumar, Govindan Parayil The projected picture of an emerging vitality in the tourism sector in Kerala stands in stark contrast to the general scenario of the poor performance of the tourism industry in India, as well as in South Asia in general. This paper takes a closer look at this scenario by placing Keralas performance against the larger backdrop of tourism dynamics as experienced in Third World countries in general and South Asia in particular. It shows that no effort has been made so far to assess the environmental sustain-ability of keeping tourism as a high-growth option, given the fragile nature of Keralas environment and the carrying capacity of the major tourist destinations. It further reveals that the increasing comparative advantage of developing countries has not yet resulted in any significant rise in their share in global tourism arrivals and receipts and the regions which are able to grab the lions share of tourism arrivals and receipts are the economically advanced ones. In Indias case, the fact that tourism contributes to 6.9% of its total export earnings is not an insignificant point and Kerala tourism sectors share in the State Domestic Product (SDP) remains at less than 1 % even after a decade of concerted efforts to boost the tourism industry. The belief that tourism has become an engine of growth in Kerala is hence unfounded. Tourism is making only a marginal contribution to the local economy, its harmful impacts on the ecology of the region are becoming increas-ingly visible [6] Kerala: Exploring Future Frontiers in Tourism Development by Dept. of tourism, Kerala This book talks about the possibilities and problems for tourism in Kerala. A fully literate population and astonishing geographical diversity full of beaches, backwaters, wildlife sanctuaries and evergreen forests in the smallest area possible, are factors that helps Kerala transform into an Important tourist state in India. On the other hand, high density of population, consequent non availability of land, lack of professional training and distance from the important cities of India are all negative factors which constraint its overall growth as a tourism destination. [7] Reinventing Kerala : A success story by R. Krishnakumar This article discusses about a series of innovative concepts and projects developed by the state to reinvigorate the States tourism sector without diluting its commitment to conserve nature. It is multi-destination tourism at its best, offering a multitude of variegated experiences and attractions within a relatively small area, luring tourists into staying longer and spending more. In order to attract foreign tourists new tourism concepts such as monsoon tourism, medical tourism, adventure tourism, heritage tourism, pilgrimage tourism, eco tourism, and farm tourism are being developed and popularized. In order to encourage more private sector investment and to conserve nature, a number of Special Tourism Zones are to be identified and developed under the purview of the Kerala Tourism (Conservation and Preservation of Areas) Act, 2005, which envisages the conservation, preservation and integrated development of such areas. Unexplored or lesser-known areas, especially in the Malabar r egion, traditional skills, handicrafts, art forms, and new tourism products are to be developed and marketed to sustain tourist interest. With new initiatives in providing better infrastructure and trained human resource, Kerala tourism is putting all its efforts with the slogan of vision 2025: Conserve Nature and Culture and Promote Tourism in order to achieve sustainable growth. [8] Tourist arrivals in India: how important are domestic disorders? by Dhariwal, Richa India, with its rich natural beauty, is unquestionably a destination that should promote tourism and it has taken various measures to do this, but the tourism potential of the country has still not been maximized. In the past few years, Indian tourism industry is significantly contributing to the nations gross domestic product, foreign exchange earnings and employment. This paper analyses the determinants of international tourist arrivals in India using annual data from 1966 to 2000 and the results show that sociopolitical factors communalism, terrorism and tensions with Pakistan constitute serious threats to the tourism industry, limiting the gains that could otherwise have been realized. Methodology Quantitative Methods To address the research question we will try to answer some related issues and objectives using quantitative methods as illustrated below: Objective 1: To determine whether there is any change in the volume of inbound tourists over the years and what can be the expected projections in the arrival and the growth rate. We will collect data from Kerala Tourism department and will conduct a regression analysis in order to estimate the volume of tourism in the future. This would let us know the importance of the need to boost tourism both domestic and international through promotions. Objective 2: Is there any trend of decline in no. of International tourists arriving to the state. Our hypothesis would be as follows: Null Hypothesis: Number of tourists to Kerala does not decrease Alternate Hypothesis: Number of tourists to Kerala decreases From the simple linear regression we will find out if the prediction for tourists for the forthcoming years or increases with a certain percentage (95%) of confidence level. Objective 3: What is currently the volume of domestic tourists to the state, and what are the projections one can expect without any additional focused marketing efforts. (maintaining the current level of activity) We will obtain the information about the month wise domestic tourists arrival from the Kerala state department personals and website. We will plot the seasonal pattern seen in the inflow of tourists for any two years. After doing a regression on the obtained statistics, we can get the results for domestic tourists inflow annually Data Collection Questionnaires: A questionnaire was designed to target tourists in and around major tourist spots in Kozhikode like Kappad Beach. Specific questions were asked in order to get the true picture of the situation and help to segment the data. For segmentation, we will use Cluster analysis on the set of data collected by the questionnaire. The questionnaire will try to focus on the interest of the tourists regarding the purpose of their visits, transportation mode convenient to them and their future plans to revisit the tourist destinations. Questionnaire we will be using is attached in the Appendix A. Focus Group Discussion: We will conduct a focus group discussion of about 10 people. These are students of IIM Kozhikode with keen interest in touring. These people want their vacations to be fun-filled, relaxing and rejuvenating, especially an escape from the hectic schedules and work stress. Demographically also they are similar with almost same age group and similar incomes. Moderator will ask them the questions about on what parameters they judge a tourist spot and regarding their opinions about the service and infrastructure facilities in the tourist spots they visited. Focus Group Discussion details are included in the Appendix B Qualitative Methods Since it is difficult to go far off places in kerala, we will be using the observation method in the qualitative method to be congruent with the research question. Data will be collected from the major tourist agencies, national tourism sites and state tourism centre which would help us analyse qualitatively the number of tourist that are visiting Kerala year after year. In case of survey regarding the tourist, the type of measurement scale used will depend on individual questions in the questionnaire. For example, to determine the major tourism places in kerala. Scaling is a method of changing attributes (a series of qualitative facts) into variables (a quantitative series). Ordinal scale will fit better for the purpose. For collecting data on the tourist preference, we will be using Likert scale to measure the responses. It will be used to determine the attitude of the tourist coming to India. Analysis Objective 1: To determine whether there is any change in the volume of inbound international tourists and what can be the expected projections in arrivals and growth rate Using the foreign tourist inflow data from Kerala Tourism department, we carried out a regression analysis in order to estimate the volume of international tourism in the near future. This would let us know the importance of the need to supplement domestic tourists with international tourists. The figures of the number of foreign tourists and the variance as compared to the previous year are shown in the table below:- YEAR Foreign Tourists Growth 2000 209933 3.8 2001 208830 -0.5 2002 232564 11.3 2003 294621 26.7 2004 345546 17.3 2005 346499 0.27 2006 428534 23.7 2007 515808 20.37 2008 598929 16.11 2009 549756 -8.2 From SPSS analysis for the above collected data. From Above SPSS Model, Eqn. will be Y= 46110*X + 119502 Here Y= No of Foreign Tourists in a particular year X=Year (we have taken value of x for year 2000 as 1 and subsequently for next year.) Using the above regression model we can predict the international tourists for the next five years as shown in following table. YEAR EXPECTED FOREIGN TOURISTS EXPECTED GROWTH (%) 2010 626712 13.99821 2011 672822 7.3574465 2012 718932 6.8532242 2013 765042 6.4136803 2014 811152 6.0271201 Objective 2: Is there any trend of decline in no. of International tourists arriving to the state. In order to find out the above objective we use hypothesis testing Null Hypothesis: Number of international tourists to Kerala is not decreasing. Alternate Hypothesis: Number of international tourists to Kerala is decreasing. From the simple linear regression we can see that the prediction for international tourists for the forthcoming years seem to decrease with 95% confidence and hence we accept the null hypothesis i.e. No. of international tourists to Kerala is not decreasing. Objective 3: What is currently the volume of domestic tourists to the state, and what are the projections one can expect without any additional focused marketing efforts. (maintaining the current level of activity) We obtained the information about the domestic tourists from the Kerala state department. The figures are as follows: Year Domestic Tourists Growth 2000 5013221 2.6 2001 5329692 4.5 2002 5568256 6.3 2003 5871228 5.4 2004 5972182 1.7 2005 5946423 -0.43 2006 6271724 5.47 2007 6642941 5.91 2008 7591250 14.27 2009 7789056 2.6 From Above SPSS Model, Eqn. will be Y= 287046*X + 4621000 Here Y= No of Domestic Tourists in a particular year X=Year (we have taken value of x for year 2000 as 1 and subsequently for next year.) Using the above regression model we can predict the international tourists for the next five years as shown in following table. YEAR EXPECTED DOMESTIC TOURISTS EXPECTED GROWTH(%) 2010 7778506 -0.1 2011 8065552 3.7 2012 8352598 3.6 2013 8639644 3.4 2014 8926690 3.3 Secondary data Collection: In order to obtain data, we took the help of online search for tourism data. We found that the number of tourists has been increasing. But the growth rate could have been more. The characteristics of the tourists have been seen to be urban based. They are young and employed. Primary Data collection: A questionnaire was designed to target specific groups of people in 4 Metros (Bangalore, Bombay, Delhi and Chennai) who are in job and also students of IIM Kozhikode. Specific questions were asked in order to get the true picture of the situation and help us to segment the data. Around 36 responses were obtained without missing values. The rest were separated out. Initially, we looked at 10 different attributes i.e. Shopping, Historical Importance, Weather, Hospitality, Relaxation, Connectivity, Events, Adventure, Proximity and Value for money. Respondents to the questionnaire were asked about their opinion regarding the attribute importance for any destination. Then we went on to do a Factor analysis to identify the most significant factors and their correlations. Using principle component analysis, we came down to following four significant factors. Factor 1-Characteristic culture: Hospitality, connectivity and adventure Factor 2-Costliness: Value for money (positive correlation), Events, proximity Factor 3-Climatic conditions: Weather, relaxation Factor 4-Historical significance: Historical Importance, Negatively related with Value for money Component Score Coefficient Matrx Compoent 1 2 3 4 Shopping 0.212 0.246 -0.039 0.241 Historical_Importance 0.015 -0.002 -0.033 0.656 Weather -0.208 -0.024 0.578 0.267 Hospitality 0.343 0.033 0.145 -0.022 Relaxation 0.079 -0.128 0.582 -0.18 Connectivity 0.335 0.053 -0.081 -0.086 Events 0.098 0.406 -0.166 0.021 Adventure -0.389 0.231 0.184 -0.187 Proximity -0.174 0.354 -0.108 0.143 Value_for_money 0.011 0.323 0.163 -0.351 For further segmentation, we used Cluster analysis on the set of data collected by the online questionnaire. The cluster variables were based on the demographics like income, age, employment status. Using Hierarchical clustering and between group linkage procedure, we looked at the coefficients in the agglomeration schedule and the dendogram to reach a cluster of size 2 and 3. Next we also looked at the frequency distributions in order to decide if the clusters are large enough. Finally, we arrived at 2 clusters. Cluster 1 Values Implication Mean employment 2.583 Post graduate and employee people Mean geographical location 1.655 North and South Indians Mean Marital status 1 single Age group 1.172 18-25 years Income 2.414 between 5-10 lacs Cluster 2 Values Implication Mean employment 2.571 No differentiation Mean geographical location 3.428 West and East Indians Mean Marital status 1.428 married and single Age group 1.571 18-25 years Income 2.143 between 5-10 lacs Analysis of the competition with other states: We considered the major tourist hotspots in India like Goa, Andaman Nicobar, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and the North-East to form an idea about the attributes that differentiate them. Using Multidimensional scaling we obtained the perceptual mapping of the states in terms of 4 different dimensions in two plots. As we can see from the above plot, Kerala has a distinct image If we look at crowd, Kerala and Goa are pretty similar. They pull decent number of similar kind of crowds to their destinations. Other attributes: Cost and connectivity, Andaman Nicobar and Lakhswadeep are different from Kerala in these two aspects. The plot below shows the Euclidean distance as observed from the dissimilarity matrix. The second MDS process was run to compare on other attributes like beaches, hillstations, and other location characteristics. The chart is shown in the following plot. Results- à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It was found that Kerala differs in historical significance from Rajasthan à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In terms of scenic beauty Kerala is high up against Goa and the North-East Conclusion- Most people view Kerala to be a place of scenic beauty constituted by the Backwaters, beaches and Hills. From the above analysis, we can say that Kerala has a distinct competitive edge over other states and should capitalize on it by promoting its strengths. Kerala should look into the specific segments and target the young and fresh in jobs people. Media for Kerala: The awareness about Kerala was high and Internet and friends were the highest contributors. The plot below shows the results of the research (questionnaire). Internet and word-of-mouth spread of news constitute over half of the publicity Kerala receives. Recommendations Based on the findings we suggest the following communication strategy: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ More Media campaign should be there to highlight Keralas distinct image. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Internet should be used a powerful Communication channels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ More focus should be on the North and South urban centers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Leverage on existing customers to get new ones

dikes :: essays research papers

â€Å"When flood waters from the Mississippi River and it’s tributaries surge down the river the volume of water is physically impossible to contain. In general, there is just to much Water!!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The â€Å"pools† behind the navigation dams have no effect in preventing or causing floods. Like a bathtub it doesn’t matter if the pools are empty or full when the floodwaters come. Within a very short time the excess water can create an over flow (Army Corps of Engineers).† What is a Flood? A flood occurs when water is poured over the land and the ground and rivers cannot cope with it (Waterlow 8). Once a basin has filled, water will overflow its rim and resume it’s downward progress. â€Å"Gravity ensures that water must drain the land into the sea (Allaby 12).† When snow melts from a divide it is joined by more snow, and it will eventually reach the low lands. Hills down below will also shed water into the same low lands and if there is enough of this it can result in a flood (Allaby 12). The Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio drain an area of 1,243,700 square miles, this goes from the Rocky Mountains to the Canadian boarder and Pennsylvania (Allaby 13). All of this watershed result in floods each year the snow up north melts. How a Dam Affects Flooding A dam is made to make pools at least 9 ft. deep so that barge traffic can navigate freely through out the river. A lock is made so the barges can move from one pool to another (Army Corps of Engineers). The combination of these two make up a lock and dam system. Between St. Anthony Falls, MN, and Granite City, IL there are 29 lock and dam systems. It is said, in the beginning of this page in fact, that dams do not control flooding. Dams weren’t made to control floods and they never will, because floods are so unpredictable and so uncontrollable (Army Corps of Engineers). What is a Dike A dike is an embankment built to control or hold back the water of a river, stream, sea, etc. (Waterlow 25). In building a dike you can use sandbags, dirt, or both put together. You will build up a wall, getting it as compact as possible, as high as you think is needed to hold back the floodwaters. In the Netherlands farmers have used dikes to protect their farms from floods for hundreds of years (Waterlow 25).

Swift :: essays research papers

Swift wrote plain perfection of prose. Comment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many critics like William Deans Howells; T.S. Eliot etc. have called Jonathan Swift the greatest writer of prose like T.S. Eliot says that â€Å"Swift, the greatest writer of English prose, and the greatest man who has ever written great English prose.† But there are reasons for this greatness. One of the main reasons is that Swift wrote in a very plain and downright style. He didn’t use any embellishments. At times, when Swift was writing serious stuff this same plain style appears dry but when writing humorously, this same plainness gives his wit a singular edge. Swift didn’t use ornate or rhetorical language; he said what he had to in simply without any affectation as Hugh Blair says â€Å"His style is of the plain and simple kind; free of all affectation, and all superfluity; perspicuous, manly and pure.† And at times, his style appears so simple that its seems like anybody with a little sense of writing could write like him but in this same simple ness of manner lies Swift’s greatness like Scott says â€Å"Swift’s style seems so simple that one would think any child might write as he does, and yet if we try we find to our own despair that it is impossible.† This same simplicity of style in Gulliver’s Travels corresponds to the naivetà © and simplicity of Gulliver.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another important feature of Swift’s prose is that he uses the common touch. In other words, everybody can understand his language that is why even children can read his books with so much enjoyment. Also, Swift addresses people as rational and political beings, making them his equals. For example, in Drapier’s Letters Swift uses the same language of the class which he is addressing i.e. rough and shrewd. Swift doesn’t write long sentences or speeches or difficult words. And he familiarizes with the people by using their own simple and at times coarse language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Invention or imagination is an aspect witch makes Swift one of the greatest English writers. J.J. Hogan says â€Å"One of Swift’s greatest outlets, of course, was invention.† Although Swift has used many non-sensical and imaginary words, but these imaginary words have an underlying meaning. For example, Lindalino indicates â€Å"Dublin†, Nardac when broken down in German Narr (meaning fool) and doch (meaning still) turns into ‘still a fool’. Hekinah Degul can be translated, on grounds of similarity of sound, turns into ‘What in the devil’.