Contemporary Issues In The Hotel Industry Information Technology Essay

Contemporary Issues In The Hotel Industry Information Technology Essay A hotel industry also represents the service profession. In fact, the hotel is like a market where there is demand and supply. It is a place where people stay, eat and visit. However, there are many contemporary issues that happened in the hotel operations. This is the reason why this study is made to find out the problems as well as give recommendations for further improvement in the hotel industry. Contemporary Issue 1 Salary Gap Between Hotel And Other Industry In the hotel industry, some organization resisted addressing this in an attempt to lower costs. Founders have focused on the firms culture in the process of keeping the industry creative. This is a method to retain and get workers as well as increasing production. The problem which lies here is the thing doesnt always go the way it is expected. The starting pay is not very high and there are many options for potential employees to seek for elsewhere. In the hotel industry, there are many opportunities of job in different departments. As an example, the human resource department, marketing department, food and beverages department and others. There are many other related opportunities in other industry but this is not the reason for employees to leave. These things are considered to be famous benefits in organizations like Google, but the only difference is the greater salary package. This is where it follows the Maslows hierarchy of needs. Rewards in monetary is a huge motivator for people nowadays in the early stage of career and they need it to establish themselves in terms of financial before able to fit into the role in such an organization. Contemporary Issue 2 Lack of Systematic Management System For the hotel industry, this is very common but if it happens together with other issues, then it must be something that needs to be solved. A clear and understood management system is able to give a coherent objective to all the staffs in the organization. If the structures are made properly, all the initiatives and measurements for staffs can be ensured following the goals and objectives of the organization. This is pay-related issue as well because it can lead to a climate of fairness due to the employees being evaluated using the similar criteria. They participate in the evaluation and are done by their supervisors on an informal basis which can be very subjective as it doesnt help to retain employees. Contemporary Issue 3 Lack Of Promotion Opportunities There appear to be an issue with the potential for promotion within the company that limits the opportunities for new employees to progress within the company. The employees who joined in the first year the company was established appeared to have a close relationship amongst themselves and with the founders. As a result, these employees hold the key executive and management positions within the company. This limits the opportunities for new employees to progress within the company. Contemporary Issue 4 Lack or Poor Quality of Internet Connection In the hotel industry, there are many lower class hotels which dont have the internet convenience for their customers. The internet has become such an important part of our lives that many cannot imagine life without it. Every day, millions of users rely on internet to help them navigate through the trillions of websites to locate the website or information they want. Most people who utilize the internet connection in the hotel will basically need the search engine. There are many search engines, but the most popular are Google, Yahoo and MSN Search. Search engines help people locate websites to shop online, to find a destination or to check facts. Academic research has been greatly assisted by the internet for it has enabled vast quantities of information to be obtained effortlessly. A search engine can be defined as a website that helps users search for information on the World Wide Web (Battelle, 2005). Search results are normally displayed in a list of results that are termed hits. The results yield information in the form of web pages, information, images and other types of files such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint or PDF. Some search engines also mine data provided in open directories or databases. Search engines work when humans enter input which is then processed algorithmically. While each search engine has its own features and operating system, all conduct searches in the following order web crawling, indexing and searching (Vise and Malseed, 2005). Information about web pages is stored by search engines. Information is then retrieved by a web crawler or spider, which is an automated web browser that follows every link on the site (Capron, 2006). Contents of each page are then analyzed to determine how they should be indexed and an index database is created for future use in queries. A query is the input typed by the user and it can be as simple as a single word. The index is then activated to permit information to be found in the shortest time. When a user enters a query into a search engine, such as key words, the engine examines its index and provides a list that best matches the search criteria. The search engine looks for the words or phrases exactly as entered. The list contains a short summary of the documents title and perhaps parts of the text. The index created from the information stored with the data and the way in which the information is indexed. How useful a search engine is depends on the relevance of the results it provides. While some key words may yield millions of results (for instance the word Monday), the key is to provide a list that is most relevant and useful to the users needs. Generally, search engines rank results to provide the most relevant first, though they vary from search engine to search engine. This is why Google has a leading edge because users find the results to be most relevant. Recommendation Employee Remuneration The hotel industry has to develop remuneration policies that improve the staff behavior and also enable the organizations to understand their objectives. The employment of such a practice is for the hotel industry to achieve competitive advantage which can encourage the potential employee behavior for the following reasons: To promote employees identification with the organization objectives The hotel industry should keep track on the attention of their employees towards the objectives of the business by relating the achievements of objectives to rewards. Such a step will increase the employees commitments while increase the success rate of the organization. The method to do so can be creating an incentive plan which includes annual bonus and profit sharing. Such method will show the employees that they will be rewarded if they give good performance. To encourage individual team of business unit performance The hotel industry should give a different type of scheme such as sales commission and production piece-rates. The reason is to ensure employees can understand they can earn more than what they are getting in their regular salary. Reward Schuster and Zingheim (1992) emphasized that people are the principle variable in organizational success. The hotel industry should develop process and policies to reward employees based on their contribution, skills and competences. The reward and solution is to improve the employees turnover in the hotel industry. It should have an aligned strategic approach with the industry in congruent with their culture. It is also better to have the policies and processes of reward modified according to the changes in the hotel industry. Employees should be valued according to their contribution, skills and competences. Sometimes, employees must be treated as a family in the organization where they can make representations on any area of reward that affects their interest. Branching Out For the hotel industry to sustain its competitive advantage, it needs to build on its strengths. These include the companys reputation and familiarity for users. Hence, companies in the industry should leverage on its brand name. Branching out are ways in which the company diversifies through its brand name. Another major strength of the hotel industry is the customer relationship management and services provided. They need to constantly formulate new ways of improving the industry and spends billions on development. This is crucial to ensure that the company stays ahead of the pack. One constant fear is that a rival that is better will emerge. Improve The Search Engine No industry is perfect and the lack or poor quality of internet connection in the hotel industry needs to be solved. For example, the content of searches is arbitrary. The user may not get the information that he is looking for. Also, there is the risk of dead ends. For instance, the user may find the citation to the article or web page, but cannot access the full page (Stross, 2008). This may not be entirely the hotel industrys fault, but it can be frustrating to users. Furthermore, searches are done by computers and results are obtained mathematically. There is no expert search feature which would enhance the process. The list of search results is based on popularity and not quality. This puts customers at a disadvantage. Finally, Googles search engine is in English. People who cannot read English (and they number in the billions) cannot use Google and this represents a loss of market share. While Google currently has a language tool that translates text into 35 languages, it may n ot be of good quality sometimes. If Google could make multilingual versions of its search engine the way Wikipedia does for its online encyclopaedia, the company could prevent loss of users to other search engines that cater to their linguistic abilities. Cloud Computing The hotel industry should implement cloud computing. Cloud computing is a recent development and refers to computing through the internet. Currently, computing is computer based as it relies on hardware and software that are stored on a PC (New York Times, 2008). Therefore, cloud computing customers do not own the physical infrastructure and rent it from third party providers. Rental is charged in the manner of utilities or on a subscription basis with few or no upfront charges. This represents tremendous cost savings to businesses which no longer need to incur massive capital expenditure on computer infrastructure. The appeal of cloud computing is that data can be accessed anywhere with internet connection. This is in contrast to the current way in which data is stored on a computer hard drive which does not permit mobile users to access data. Conclusion As a conclusion, there are more than the issues mentioned above that happened in the hotel industry. It is an industry that problems cannot be predicted and also changing from time to time. The hotel operation is the key to success and issues that happened must be successfully solved before able to move one step ahead of others in the industry.

Countries Can No Longer Exclude Immigrants Essay -- Immigration, Immi

Introduction In today’s world migration is a social phenomenon that affects a variety of countries. Nations are either experiencing an influx of immigrants or have the problem of individuals exiting their country. This movement of people between nations gives rise to a multitude of problems. The issue that this paper will explore, using examples from around the world, is that of incorporation. How are immigrants incorporated into their new social and geographic setting? Is this a smooth process or are immigrants locked in a period of liminality (transition stage) where they are literally and figuratively neither here nor there? In addition, are there possible solutions that can better facilitate the incorporation of immigrants and the movement of people between nations? Taboo, Liminality, and Boundaries â€Å"The idea of Society is a powerful image. It is potent in its own right to control or stir men to action. This image has form; it has external boundaries, margins, and internal structure. Its outlines contain power to reward conformity and repulse attack. There is energy in its margins and unstructured areas. For symbols of society any human experience of structures, margins, or boundaries is ready to hand (Douglas 1966:113).† - from Mary Douglas, Purity and Danger In the above quotation Mary Douglas (1960) describes the fundamental aspect of a society. Any organization of humans forms its own boundaries, whether real or imagined, and these have social consequences if crossed. Likewise, as immigrants cross the literal and figurative border of a state, they transgress both the social and geographic boundaries of the society in question. For most migrants the transition or â€Å"rite of passage† from one country to another ... ...drick A. Praeger, Inc. Espenshade, Thomas J. 1996 Contemporary American Attitudes Towards U.S. Immigration. Migration Review:539-541. Hastings, Donnan, and Thomas Wilson. 1999 Borders: Frontiers of Nation, Identity, and State. Oxford: Berg. Tarvarainen, Sinikka. 2006 African’s Dramatic Odyssey End in Homelessness in Spain. Deutsceh Press: 1-2. Turner, Victor. 2005 Betwixt and Between: The Liminal Periods in Rites de Passage. In Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion: An Anthropological Study of the Supernatural. 6th edition. Lehmann, Arthur C., with James Meyers and Pamela A. Moro, ed. Pp. 95-105. New York: McGraw-Hill. van Gennep, Arnold. 1960 The Rites of Passage. Monika B. Vizedom and Gabrielle L. Caffee, trans. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. White, Gregory. 2001 Risking the Strait: Moroccan Labor Migration to Spain. Middle East Report: 26-27.

Roles, Responsibilities, Learning, Development and Assessment in the Life Long Learning Sector

My roles and responsibilities as a teacher include many factors, which I will be going through in this report. As my background is a hairdresser, I am looking to teach in the hairdressing sector. My learners would ideally be 16-19 year olds aspiring hairdressers, although there could be the exception of mature adult learners, so I would need to bare this in mind when teaching to ensure I cater to all individuals. The majority of my learners would also be girls with again maybe the exception of some boys. As my group sector is very narrow, which just a few exceptions, this could be a barrier for those individuals. For example if there is only 1 boy in a classroom full of girls, he could feel uncomfortable or intimidated. Initially I would need to assess the situation myself, and then ensure in my lesson plan I include methods of inclusive learning. There could be many other barriers that learners could face for example, the environment, confidence, bullying, basic skills, and home problems. So it would be my responsibility to tackle these barriers with solutions immediately, such as setting a clear contract at the start of the lesson, making the environment comfortable for the learners, making it fun and inclusive, and even sign posting. As I have already mentioned above some group sector issues that I may encounter, there could also be other issues such as pregnancy. In situations like this I would need to offer advice to learners and sign post them to people who could help. I would need to make sure I always safeguard myself and keep to my contract of employment rules. I would need to help where I can, and offer advice, and signpost where I cant. For this I would need to assess individual needs at an early stage so that I can help, and mentor them throughout their training course. The main aim as a hairdressing teacher is to be able to pass on knowledge through practical and theory learning. There are 3 main learning styles; visual (seeing and reading), auditory (listening and speaking), and kinaesthetic (touching and doing). I believe all 3 are very important in the hairdressing sector. I would need to include all 3 learning styles because we as hairdresser’s need to see exactly what we are dealing with for example, hair colour, hair style, hair conditions. We would also need to listen to our client needs, and offer advice. And finally our role is very practical, so we are always touching hair and doing things. Overall as I teacher I would need to be able to teach using all 3 styles so that learners can get used to this. However I would need to bare in mind that some learners may learn better using one learning style to another, for example, they might learn better by watching a demonstration rather than having a theory handout. In that case I would offer them more support on the theory side of things. But in general if I use all 3 learning styles I have a better chance to cater for all individuals. As well as learning styles we also have to look at different teaching methods or activities. These could be things like lectures, group work, presentations, fieldwork, work placements, Q&A and case studies. Within the hairdressing sector what we use quite heavily are work placement, and practical work. This gives the learner a chance to gain some crucial hands-on experience of the working world. In terms of the theory side of hairdressing, we use a lecture styled method where learners can gain information, write notes etc. While using all these methods it is important to have a fun, bubbly and relaxed attitude in which learners can feel comfortable, and it allows their personality to come through. Getting everyone involved in group activities, gathering everyone around in demonstrations, all this promotes inclusive learning. It is very important for me to promote this behaviour as it demonstrates a level of good characteristics that they would later on need in the hairdressing industry. I would also make the lesson interactive by using various resources; such as you tube clips, live demonstrations, flip charts, and power point, which would all be relevant in its own matter. For example, the use of power point when going through head and face shapes, or demonstrations when showing hair colouring. Another big responsibility of mine would be dealing with legislations. The Health and safety at work act 1974 and the COSHH act 1989, play a strong role in the hairdressing sector as well as many others. Some of the things that we have to deal with daily are, hazardous chemicals, infections, skin tests, loose objects and wiring hanging around, and hair waste. I would need to make sure risk avoidance procedures are in place such as wearing gloves when dealing with hazardous chemicals, having barbercide on the salon floor so tools can be cleaned after each client to stop the spreading of infections. As well as doing that, it is also my responsibility to have a risk assessment regularly. This could just be as simple as if I can see hair waste on the floor, I would need to make sure its swept up immediately, or If there is spillage of chemicals, or colour left out in a bowl, I would have to get that cleaned up straight away. We also have to be aware of The Data protection act 1984 as we have many records that we need to keep. As teachers we always have to keep records in order to keep ourselves backed up. We would need to be able to provide evidence to governing bodies and clients, for when we have audits and even for self-development. Things such as attendance records, progress reports, assessment records and client records are all record keeping and we need to ensure its all backed up and that they are stored away safely, in either something locked up, or password protected. As we are dealing with client records like name, address, hair history, this also needs to be kept confidential, and only authorised people should be allowed to see this information. The Equality act 2010 is also very important. Equality seems to imply that everyone will be treated the same way, however when dealing with learners with different needs, abilities, backgrounds and so on, from a teachers point of view its all about providing each learner equal opportunity to achieve the goal. An example of this would be if an individual is struggling with keeping up with a detailed power point presentation maybe because he is dyslexic or visually impaired, in this case as I teacher I would need to make it fair for him by giving out handouts. In order to make sure we are treating learners equally in accordance to their needs and abilities, it is vital to do interim assessments. Such assessments could be things like observation, 121’s, monitoring, and group work. This gives me a better understanding on what learners have achieved and what more they need to learn. Within my role I would probably use observation the most, as it is a quick and reliable method to use as we do quite a lot of practical work. For example when everyone is doing a practical such as setting the hair I can easily observe them and assess who is doing well, and what learners may need extra help etc. Or when doing an interim assessment on their theory work I could have 121’s and chat about what they have achieved and what more they need to do, I could get feedback from them if they are struggling with any work etc. gain this is a valid and reliable assessment method. Once I have assessed my learner I am then able to adapt to that and work on those areas. For example if I set a task for learners to weave highlights and I can see that they are struggling with sectioning, I might bring everyone around or see them individually and go through how to section accurately. When doing summative assessments in hairdressing, they are again split in two. We have the practical as sessments where we use methods such as observation or photographic evidence for their portfolio. And on the other hand for the theory we have methods such as multiple choice, project work, and problem scenarios. Before we even begin assessing we need to make the methods we use are; fair, valid, reliable, and current. That is why we have different kinds of assessments for practical and theory, because where a photographic evidence might be valid to show that a learner can change a clients hair colour, that may not be valid or reliable to show that the learner understands the colour wheel or mixing of colour. Between an observation and a photographic I would say an observation is better. The reason is because it ticks all the boxes in terms of it being fair, valid reliable and current, because you can see for yourself whether the learner completed the assessment within the timescale, whether they struggled, or even whether that was all there own work. However the only downside of the observation assessment would be it can be very time consuming, it might cause problems being able to visit salons to assess learners at a work placement. On the other hand photographic is valid however not very reliable but its advantage is that it is very quick, easy and simple. The other method of assessment we use a lot to understand whether a learner has understood knowledge of colour is by giving them a multiple choice test. This is a fair and valid method, however I wouldn’t say it is very reliable because learners could just take a guess. At the end of each lesson for me it is important to get feedback, evaluate and reflect on the session. I encourage learners to ask any questions, or we may even have a discussion. We also share good practice for example one learner may have found it easier to do a task a particular way, and by sharing this with others it could help others achieve the same goal. We always reflect on each lesson where I revisit the objectives set at the start of the lesson, this gives the learners and myself a sense of achievement. Some learners may even want to discuss other matters such as development, or other problems that they are facing, so I need to give them that time and advise them, or signpost them to other authorities. Feedback is also valued, so that I myself could perhaps change or improve things in future lessons.

Colonialism and Darkness Essay

Colonialism and Darkness Essay Colonialism and Darkness Essay CONRAD Heart of Darkness; KIPLING Beyond the Pale (Plain Tales from the Hills) Writing in the latter part of the nineteenth century, Heart of Darkness and Beyond the Pale (Plain Tales from the Hills) were published in Blackwood’s Magazine for an implicitly colonial and masculine readership.1 Both writers draw upon autobiographical experience, with Conrad employing his 1889 experience as a sailor in the Belgian Congo, and Kipling his six year childhood and adult return to British India. The two writers demonstrate distinct philosophies and styles, and the extent to which this is manifest shall be the centre of this essay’s debate. While RASKIN contends a fundamental dissimilarity between the two2, contemporary critics such as SYMONS frequently reviewed the writers together, famously Captain Courageous and Nigger of the Narcissus.3 This essay examines the two works within three frames of reference: a) the purpose of the work; b) narrative technique; and c) imagery and symbolism. It will demonstrate that Conrad and Kipling promote fundamentally distinct views towards the Scramble for Africa- the Pole criticises the colonial project itself, while the British Imperialist criticises its implementation. Nonetheless, upon close examination the writers cannot be labelled as wholly dissimilar to the extent argued by RASKIN, as both warn against the integration of White Man into the Native community and question the authenticity of fiction itself. While Heart of Darkness refers prima facie to the impenetrable jungle at the heart of the ‘dark continent’4, it alludes also to the darkest side of human nature, seen in the brutal colonists and ivory traders. YALE SCHOLARSHIP proposes it matters little whether the novella is ‘set in Africa, Chipping Ongar or Baden Baden’.5 The fact that Africa and Congo are never named, instead referred to as ‘some ghastly nowhere’, supports the notion of the novella’s transferability, and Conrad himself remarked, ‘people read me [not for subject matter], but the effect my work produces’.6 ATTELL disagrees. To strip the novella of all its context demonstrates great ignorance.7 Heart of Darkness at its core offers a scathing critique of the ‘horrors’ of nineteenth century colonialism (examined further below), and Conrad’s sailor experiences in the Colonies suggest the subject choice quite deliberate. The balanced and convincing view is that the novella is both philosophical and historical, whereby the problems of colonial domination are used to expose deeper philosophical implications. Similarly, the title Beyond the Pale purports a deeper meaning and refers to the uncivilised Irish population of the fourteenth century, who lay beyond the boundaries of English control in Greater Dublin, ‘The Pale’. Kipling hereby grounds the story upon critical undertones of colonialism and notions of separatism between the Colonist and Native. Beyond the Pale distinguishes itself from Heart of Darkness as it is a moral fable in nature rather than mere philosophical exploration. The opening two paragraphs warn to observe correct behavioural codes, whereby ‘White go to White and Black to Black’. However, this moral message of separatism is riddled with ambivalence, arguably stemming from Kipling’s deep-rooted affinity with India, having lived there as a child until the age of six.8 The division between the White and Native is qualified by the Hindu proverb, which acknowledges the potency of love, and the delivery of the crucial moral punishment seems hesitant, with Trejago receiving a cautiously described ‘slight stiffness’. Thus, Beyond the Pale and Heart of Darkness are distinct in their philosophical aims, but not to the extent critics presume. In Heart of Darkness, the narrative frame imbues the novella with a universal, parable-like quality. Pervasive in medieval tale-telling of CHAUCER and BOCCACCIO, Conrad transforms the technique to enable the narrators to be distant observers of events. The

How to Practice Lateral Thinking

How to Practice Lateral Thinking Lateral thinking is a term developed in 1973 by Edward De Bono, with the publication of his book Lateral thinking: creativity step by step. Lateral thinking involves looking at a situation or problem from a unique or unexpected point of view. De Bono explained that typical problem-solving attempts involve a linear, step by step approach. More creative answers can arrive from taking a step â€Å"sideways† to re-examine a situation or problem from an entirely different and more creative viewpoint. Imagine that your family arrives home from a weekend trip to find Mom’s favorite vase broken on the floor beside the dining room table. Close examination shows that the family cat’s paw prints are clearly visible on the table top. Naturally, the family cat is in big trouble- right? The logical assumption would be that the cat was walking around on the table and had knocked the vase to the floor. But that is a linear assumption. What if the sequence of events was different? A lateral thinker might consider that the vase broke first- and then the cat jumped onto the table. What could have caused that to happen? Perhaps a small earthquake had occurred while the family was out of town- and the chaos caused by the trembling floor, the odd noises, and the crashing vase had caused the cat to jump onto the furniture? It is a possible answer! De Bono suggests that lateral thinking is necessary for coming up with solutions that aren’t so straightforward. It is easy to see from the example above that lateral thinking comes into play when solving crimes. Lawyers and detectives do employ lateral thinking when attempting to solve crimes, because the sequence of events is often not as straightforward it first appears to be. Students can find that lateral thinking is an especially useful technique for the creative arts. When writing a short story, for example, lateral thinking would be an effective tool for coming up with unexpected twists and turns in a plot. Lateral thinking is also a skill that researchers use when evaluating evidence or interpreting sources.

Dark Money - Definition

Dark Money - Definition Anyone whos paid attention to all those mysteriously funded political ads on television during the 2012 presidential election is probably familiar with the term dark money. Dark money is a term used to describe political spending by innocuously named groups whose own donors - the source of the money - are allowed to remain hidden because of loopholes in disclosure laws. How Dark Money Spending Works So why does dark money exist? If there are Federal Election Commission rules requiring campaigns to report their sources of funding, how can it be that some of the money spent on trying to influence elections is coming from unnamed sources? Related Story: A Guide to Money in Politics Most of the dark money making its way into politics comes not from campaigns themselves but outside groups including nonprofit 501[c] groups or social welfare organizations that are spending tens of millions of dollars. Those groups are required to report how much they spend trying to influence elections. But under the Internal Revenue Service code, 501[c] and social welfare organizations are not required to tell the government or public from whom they get their money. That means they can spend money on electioneering or make contributions to super PACs without naming names of individual donors. What Dark Money Pays For Dark money spending is very similar to spending by super PACs. 501[c] and social welfare organizations can spend unlimited amounts of money trying to sway voters on specific issues and thereby influence the outcome of elections. History of Dark Money The explosion of dark money followed the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark 2010 ruling in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The court ruled that the federal government cannot limit corporations - including those 501[c] and social welfare organizations - from spending money to influence the outcome of elections. The ruling led to the creation of super PACs. Dark Money Examples Groups that spend money on trying to influence elections without having to disclose their own donors appear on both sides of the political spectrum - from the conservative, anti-tax Club for Growth and U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the left-leaning abortion-rights activist groups Planned Parenthood Action Fund Inc. and NARAL Pro-Choice America. Dark Money Controversies One of the biggest controversies over dark money involved the 501[c] group Crossroads GPS. The group has strong ties to former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove. Crossroads GPS is a separate entity from American Crossroads, a conservative super PAC funded by Rove that was sharply critical of President Barack Obama in the 2012 election. During the campaign, the groups Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate Crossroads GPS after the 501[c] group received an anonymous $10 million contribution. The new $10 million secret contribution to Crossroads GPS to run attack ads against President Obama as he runs for re-election is a stark illustration of the problem caused by groups engaged in campaign spending claiming eligibility as social welfare organizations under section 501(c)(4), wrote J. Gerald Hebert, executive director of the Campaign Legal Center, and Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21. It is apparent that these groups are claiming section 501(c)(4) tax status in order to keep secret from the American people the donors financing their campaign-related expenditures, they wrote. If these organizations are not eligible for tax status under section 501(c)(4), then they are improperly using the tax laws to shield their donors from public disclosure and improperly using secret contributions to influence the 2012 national elections. Crossroads GPS reportedly spent more than $70 million from anonymous donors on the 2012 election even though it had previously told the IRS political spending would be limited in amount, and will not constitute the organizations primary purpose. Dark Money and Super PACs Many advocates for transparency believe spending by 501[c] and social welfare organizations is much more problematic than that by super PACs. We are seeing some 501c4s becoming pure election vehicles, wrote Rick Hasen on the Election Law Blog. ... The key is to stop 501c4s from becoming shadow super PACs. Yes, campaign finance reform community, it has become this bad: I want more super PACs, because the 501c4 alternative is worse!

The History of Knitting - UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

The History of Knitting - UK - Essay Example This trajectory demonstrates two qualities of knitting: it is a highly practical, flexible and expressive art form which encourages creativity in design, and it has a deep cultural significance which uniquely combines tradition and modernity in British fashion. These two qualities have ensured thus far that knitwear will remain an important part of any fashion designer’s collection. Origins and early history. The origins of knitting as a hobby and as a fully-fledged industry are lost in the mists of time, and it is impossible to say with any certainty where it first began. The general consensus is that knitting may have been invented in the Middle East by nomadic peoples and have been brought to Europe along with traders in the early Middle Ages. (Hubert: 2010, p. 7) Earlier Roman socks dating from the first centuries AD were made by a knotting technique which is not fully understood by modern scholars, but it is agreed that these were not proper knitting. There are references to the activity in the United Kingdom from as early as AD 1100, and there is evidence of this in the Anglo Saxon verb cnytte which means â€Å"to join, fasten, or fuse with knotting† (Wilson: 1988, p. ... ons of knitting, partly because the ready availability of high quality wool from sheep provides good raw materials and partly because their cool climates ensure a steady demand for warm garments. One advantage of knitting over weaving is that all of the processes from the gathering of the wool, to its cleaning, combing, spinning, knitting and sewing into a garment can be carried out in a small space such as a living room. Looms are large and unwieldy, while knitting can be done on wooden, or later metal needles, with minimal outlay in terms of equipment. From the very beginning cottage workers provided the backbone of the knitting industry and this is an important part of its appeal to wearers. Wearing a knitted garment can identify the wearer with a particular local community and this attribute is still a feature of woollen garments to the present day. Another advantage of traditional knitting over sewing techniques is that the manufacturer can tailor each garment to the wearer by m odifying stitch numbers within a general pattern. This is a highly skilled, but extremely economical use of expensive yarns and ensures that the finished article has an excellent fit. It was not until the mid-sixteenth century that the purl stitch was invented and from then on techniques and styles diversified, with complex new stitches and patterns emerging in different regions of Europe. The geography of knitting in the UK: regional specialisms. Across the UK, different regions developed their own specialities in the production of knitwear. Even within one region, such as Scotland, there can be quite significant geographical segmentation because traditionally individual knitters develop their own unique styles and over time specialize more and more in these directions, with the end result