Legalized gambling Essay Example for Free

Legalized gambling Essay The Economic Impacts of Legalized Gambling Introduction The effect of gambling on the standard of living will be pronounced if the gambling activity is regressive, meaning that the rate of participation (as a percentage of income) declines as people earn higher incomes. In other words, if most gamblers are poor, then gambling is more likely to affect the standard of living among the poor. One study showed many forms of gambling to be regressive. Impact on Surrounding Communities Much of the economic research investigating the ancillary economic benefits of casinos has focused on riverboat casinos. Riverboat casinos are a uniquely American establishment. They began operating in Iowa in 1991 and quickly expanded throughout the Midwest. By 1998, over 40 riverboat casinos were in operation in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Iowa. 2 Nearly 50 riverboat and dockside casinos were in Louisiana and Mississippi (NGISC, 1999). There does not appear to be empirical evidence of economic growth as a result of the expansion of riverboat casinos. In terms of generating local tourism, riverboats seem to have been most successful in places such as Galena, Illinois, where the tourism industry was already established. Case studies suggest that the bulk of patrons of riverboat casinos are day-trippers who spend virtually no time at local non-gambling establishments (NGISC, 1999). There, thus, appear to be few, if any, positive economic spillovers to the local hotel or restaurant industry. In support of the cannibalization hypothesis, Siegel and Anders (1999) provide empirical evidence that riverboat gambling in Missouri led to a displacement of revenue from industries that constitute substitutes for gaming activity, such as entertainment and recreation services. 3 Evans and Topoleski (2002) conduct a rigorous examination of the economic and monetary impacts of Indian casinos for both Indian tribes themselves and surrounding communities. Impact on Native American Tribes An explicit goal of the IGRA was to promote tribal economic development, self-sufficiency, and strong tribal governments. Tribes frequently refer to casinos as the new buffalo, meaning the new source of economic sustenance for their communities. The tribes point to repaired infrastructure; diversifying economies; rising employment; augmented health, housing, education, and monetary budgets; greater indigenous language retention; and generally renewed community vitality (Taylor, Krepps, and Wang, 2000). Evans and Topoleski (2002) find that four years after tribes open casinos, tribal population is up by 12 percent and tribal employment has increased by 26 percent, resulting in an increase in tribal employment-to-population ratios of five percentage points (12 percent). Because the current program seems to be generating jobs does not necessarily mean that granting reservations a monopoly in a particular industry is a desirable policy. 9 Impact on Public Revenue Casino businesses are subject to taxation and, therefore, have a direct impact on public revenue. Maximum tax rates on gross gaming revenues in American casinos range from 6. 25 percent in Nevada to 35 percent in Illinois. Taxes on casinos are not an important source of public sector revenues for most states in the United States; only Nevada is heavily dependent on tax revenue from casino gaming. Non-Indian casinos paid over two billion dollars in taxes to states on gaming revenues in 1997, compared to state lottery revenues of approximately ten billion dollars in the same year (Eadington, 1999, p. 187). By law, states cannot tax the profits of tribal businesses. But in some states (e. g. , Connecticut, Michigan, Wisconsin, California, and New Mexico), tribes have agreed to make annual payments to state governments. These fees are typically payments for the monopoly rights the state have granted the tribe to provide certain forms of gambling. In 2003, tribes contributed over $759 million to state and local governments via various forms of revenue-sharing (Meister, 2004, p. 1). Table 2 lists tribal contributions to state and local governments by state. As shown, there is tremendous variability across states. The two tribes that operate Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods in Connecticut alone account for over half of these payments. 10 Casinos might indirectly affect public revenue as well. Insofar as casinos generate additional business income, they might indirectly increase other forms of tax revenue. Insofar as they cannibalize sales from other businesses, they might decrease net tax revenue. Anders, Siegel, and Yacoub (1998) find that as a result of the introduction of two Indian casinos into Maricopa County, Arizona in 1993, employment and retail sales in the restaurant and bar sectors declined. Popp and Stehwien (2002) estimate a similar model to examine the effect of New Mexicos 11 Indian casinos on gross state tax receipts using quarterly data from 1990 to 1997. They also find a negative effect of Indian casinos on state sales tax revenuesthe introduction of a single Indian casino is found to be associated with a one percent decrease in county tax revenues, but the introduction of a second Indian casino in the county if found to reduce sales tax revenue by more than six percent. While suggestive, these analyses are limited in scope and their results do not necessarily generalize to the experiences of other states. Additional research on the link between casino gambling and state sales tax revenue is warranted. Casinos could also cannibalize sales from state lottery operations. Three studies offer evidence suggesting that they do. Siegel and Anders (2001) investigate the relationship between Indian casinos and state lottery revenue in Arizona. The authors empirical analysis finds that a ten percent increase in the number of slot machines is associated with a 2. 8 percent decline in lottery sales. Elliott and Navin (2002) examine the impact that the introduction of riverboat casinos between 1989 to 1995 has on state lottery sales. They find that riverboat gambling expenditures have a negative and statistically significant impact on state lottery revenues. Fink and Rork (2003) build on this work by examining data on 48 states from 1988 to 2000 and using actual tax receipts from all forms of commercial casinos. Also, like Elliott and Navin (2002), the authors perform a Heckman two-step selection correction, but in the first stage, the authors model the adoption of a commercial casino, rather than the adoption of a state lottery. Their analysis finds a strong cannibalization of state net lottery revenue by commercial casino tax revenue. Specifically, they find that an increase of one dollar in commercial casino revenues reduces net lottery revenues by $0. 56. Economic Impacts on States Casinos are good business, say their proponents. Case studies show that legal casino gaming can increase tourism, employment, sales of noncasino goods, and tax revenues. In Nevada, gaming employs 211,000, or 24. 41 percent of the workforce. Direct annual state gaming taxes total over $500 million, or more than 42 percent of the state budget. In contrast, the cost to regulate the gaming industry was less than $21 million. Las Vegas alone attracts thirty million visitors annually. New Jersey, the second state since 1931 to legalize casino gaming, also realizes significant revenues. In 1996, total direct tax revenues were over $232 million. Since casino gamblings inception, the state has realized $3 billion in direct taxes and millions more in property and luxury taxes. Gaming has resulted in 91,600 direct and indirect jobs, and community reinvestment money from casinos has totaled about $500 million. In South Dakota, the government predicted that it would generate $1 million in tax revenues in the first year of operation. From November 1989 to August 31. 1990, the City of Deadwood alone received more than $4. 3 million in taxes. Taxable sales increased 41 percent in the first year of operation. Tourism increased 300 percent. In this formerly depressed area, the casinos created more jobs than there are residents. Consequently, some workers must commute from surrounding communities. Perhaps the greatest beneficiaries of casinos have been some Native American tribes. While previously plagued by high unemployment, poor medical care, poor infrastructure, and other problems, many reservations now enjoy employment, job training, new schools, new hospitals, and college scholarships, all provided by casino gambling. Some tribes have wisely invested their revenues in new businesses that are not casino-related to provide diversity and a new economic base. Effects of Gambling on Local Economies Gambling has expanded at all levels and has even brought a rise in attendance at church bingo games. The new gambling outlets were impressive for their variety: electronic slot machines in rural South Dakota bars; imitation Wild West casinos in old Colorado mining towns; riverboats along the Mississippi River, from the distressed industrial communities of Iowa to the Gulf of Mexico; and gambling establishments on Indian reservations from coast to coast. (James, 2000) New Orleans was now building what promoters tout as the worlds largest casino, while the mayors of Chicago, Philadelphia, and other big communities enthusiastically embrace gambling proposals. (James, 2000) Casino companies often enjoy economic advantages that are available to few other businesses. Since they are usually granted exclusive government franchises, they are able to generate short-term profits on a scale that proprietors of other businesses can only dream about. (James, 2000) Earnings of five to eight percent of revenues are the norm for most American businesses. In the gambling industry, however, yearly profits between 30 and 50 percent are not unusual. It is not extraordinary for companies to be able to pay off their total investments in one or two years. One Illinois riverboat company reportedly tripled the return on its investment in just six months. (Laurence Armand French; 2000) More and more Americans are being persuaded to try their luck. According to casino industry sources, the number of American households in which at least one member visited a casino doubled between 1990 and 93 from 46 million to 92 million. More than three-quarters of this upsurge was the result of community people visiting casinos outside Nevada and Atlantic City. (James, 2000) In 1994, gambling industry leaders and other business observers were predicting even more spectacular growth. By the year 2000, said Phil Satre, president of Harrahs Casinos, one of the worlds largest casino companies, 95 percent of all Americans will most likely live in a state with legal casino entertainment. (James, 2000) A Large Business Since the governor signed Fort McDowells compact, the tribe has expanded twice, more than tripling the casinos size. Completed in 1994, this is the building that stands today. Now it has 475 slot machines, more than 70 poker tables and a 300-seat restaurant. As Fort McDowell has grown bigger, so has its purchasing power. Businesses come to the reservation now, seeking contracts for everything from the satin jackets sold in the gift shop to office furniture and bingo cards. They visit us just like they would a factory outlet center, says Nunez. The casino has become one of the areas largest businesses, employing 1,300 workers, most of whom commute from nearby cities like Phoenix, Mesa, Fountain Hills, Scottsdale and others. It takes a mix of talent to run a casino: everything from skilled accountants, managers, slot technicians and poker dealers to minimum-wage food servers and money changers. Many people think that Americans/Canadians enjoy gambling, that the gaming industry brings new jobs and money with them when they come to a community. Government sees it as an important source of revenue. Moreover the funds and support that gambling business provides for monetary sector especially for education is significant. In my opinion, our society should be more open to the expansion of gambling that will benefit the whole community. The devastating Hurricane Katrina, which squashed New Orleans, may hit the business and revenues generated by the Casinos operating in the region. End Notes 1. Thomas Barker, Marjie Britz; 2000, Jokers Wild: Legalized Gambling in the Twenty-First Century Praeger Publishers, 2000 2. Ambrose I. Lane, Esteban E. Torres, Terry L. Pechota; 1995, Return of the Buffalo: The Story behind Americas Indian Gaming Explosion Bergin Garvey, 1995 3. Laurence Armand French; 2000, Addictions and Native Americans Praeger Publishers, 2000 4. Gambling with Our Future? The Costs and Benefits of Legalized, March 5, 2004, 5. http://collection. nlc-bnc. ca/100/200/300/fraser/fraser_institute_digital/gambling_with/gamblingwithourfuture. pdf 6. Scheherazade Daneshkhu et al. , Online Betting Operator Jailed: Internet Gambling Decision Could Slow Growing Business, FIN. TIMES, Aug. 11, 2000 7. James W. Prado Roberts, Jail Unlikely to Slow Cyber-Gambling, ASBURY PARK PRESS, Aug. 13, 2000 8. Michael D. Cox, The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act: An Overview, 7 ST. THOMAS L. REV. 769, 770 (1995). 9. Indian Reservations and the New Mexico Economy: Monograph 2: Tourism, April 6, 2004, 10. http://www. sandiapueblo. nsn. us/sandia/gaming/car_tourism. html Works Cited Ambrose I. Lane, Esteban E. Torres, Terry L. Pechota; 1995, Return of the Buffalo: The Story behind Americas Indian Gaming Explosion Bergin Garvey, 1995 Gambling with Our Future? The Costs and Benefits of Legalized, March 5, 2004. Accessed, November 30, 2005, from: http://www. sandiapueblo. nsn. us/sandia/gaming/car_tourism. html Indian Reservations and the New Mexico Economy: Monograph 2: Tourism, April 6, 2004. James W. Prado Roberts, Jail Unlikely to Slow Cyber-Gambling, ASBURY PARK PRESS, Aug. 13, 2000 Laurence Armand French; 2000, Addictions and Native Americans Praeger Publishers, 2000 Michael D. Cox, The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act: An Overview, 7 ST. THOMAS L. REV. 769, 770 (1995). Scheherazade Daneshkhu et al. , Online Betting Operator Jailed: Internet Gambling Decision Could Slow Growing Business, FIN. TIMES, Aug. 11, 2000 Thomas Barker, Marjie Britz; 2000, Jokers Wild: Legalized Gambling in the Twenty-First Century Praeger Publishers, 2000.

Happiness and the Good Life Essay Example for Free

Happiness and the Good Life Essay What is the relation between living a good life and being happy? To many, the good life is a financially prosperous life, and happiness lies in the possession of wealth. Worldly success is what counts, and anyone who is not ‘successful’ in the usual sense is counted a ‘failure.’ Others strive for a life based on honor and public recognition. A good life is made up of hobnobbing with the right people in the right settings, and happiness is a matter of gaining respect. Along with these, there are lives that show by their living a desire for glory or power that inspires great efforts. Others, who are not drawn to wealth, power or glory because of the difficulties involved in attaining them, may choose the pursuit of pleasure. A good and happy life is one in which pleasures outweigh the pains overall. Many questions have been asked about the good life and happiness. People constantly answer those questions with their lives, and we see many different ideas of the good life and happiness playing out in the strivings of human beings to live well and be happy. The ancient Greeks wished their friends to ‘do well’ and ‘fare well’ in this life. These two, they thought, held the keys to human felicity. Doing well concerns ourselves, our own actions and feelings. We have some control over these aspects of our lives. So when we wish someone to ‘do well’ in life, we express the hope that the person will be moral and fair in his or her dealings with others. Beyond securing basic physical survival, someone who does well in life can sleep with a clear conscience, whether blessed with material success or not. From many a philosophical point of view, the good life has an intrinsically moral core that involves compassion for the suffering of others and acting justly in the world. ‘Faring well’ concerns events and occurrences over which we do not have so much control. â€Å"Faring well† means succeeding in life, coming into a prosperous condition, with all the benefits that come with money and social acceptance. Someone who is faring well in life has had a bit of good luck. It is possible to do everything right in order to succeed, but still fail to do so. For example, you can study hard for your degree, get your professional qualifications, work diligently, become competent, but still not succeed. The cards may not fall your way. As Sartre says, â€Å"You are free to try, but not to succeed.† This seems right to me, and so I will come down with Aristotle against Plato on this point, that doing well is not all that is involved in attaining happiness in life. Plato’s Socrates famously says that the good person cannot be harmed, that virtue is knowledge, and that happiness consists entirely of doing well and being just. Aristotle argues that a degree of luck plays into our happiness. He insists that most of our happiness is in our own hands, but that it can be affected by outside circumstances. So while being happy is mostly a matter of ‘doing well’ (and ‘thinking well’), great misfortunes can damage our happiness. It may be that such a person, by ‘doing well,’ will attain a degree of dignity in suffering, but he will not be happy; or, as Aristotle has it, ‘blessed.’ In light of this result, I hazard an intuitive philosophical account of the relation between the good life and happiness. Living a good life is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for happiness. In other words, it is possible to live a good life without being happy, but not happy without living a good life. This a ‘philosophical’ account of the relation because many philosophers have a particular idea of happiness and the good life that is not shared by everyone, with their emphasis on clarity of thought and sound reasoning. In addition, though philosophers recommend the philosophical life as both the happiest and the best, they are not in a position to legislate for everyone what happiness must be. Nevertheless, the traditional philosophical view is not without support. All we have to do is look at the results of many lives that strive for wealth, power, fame, glory or pleasure. So many disasters befall those who pursue a good life with no moral core, or reflective turn of mind, that it makes some sense, as philosophers argue, to pursue the wisdom to recognize the good life, and, within that life, such happiness human beings can attain.

Experts Are Not Always Right

Experts Are Not Always Right First and foremost who is an expert. An expert may be defined as someone or is said to be someone widely recognized as a person having special skill or knowledge about a particular thing. An expert in other words is a person with intensive knowledge or idea based on research, experience or occupation in a certain area of study. An expert can be by virtue of education, profession or experience believed to have a special knowledge of a subject more than that of an average person, reliable enough that others may rely upon the individuals way of thinking, believe or judgment. For someone or an individual to be an expert, the person or that particular individual must be professionally or academically qualified for them to be accepted as an expert. The person has to have the technical know-how and a sound knowledge of what his particular field of study is all about. The person must be able to give a very good explanation of questions that are asked which are related to his field. Just like no man is an island of knowledge, so also experts are not always right. No one has entire knowledge of something and because of no one has entire knowledge, nobody is above mistake. If you call a group of people experts, it is because you believe they know much about their field of study, they cannot make any type of mistake and that they can tackle any problem that has to do with it but the truth is no one can know everything in life because nobody is perfect. For example, a medical doctor is considered to be an expert, and because of the believe that he is capable of diagnosing what the problem is if a person is sick, the person is taken to the doctor who examines the patient and gives the aliment a name. He gives the patient antibiotics to take, after some time, if the patient is still not fit; he is given other antibiotics to take. The doctor keeps giving him antibiotics and conducting different tests until he finally figures out what the problem is. But the question he re is, if really a doctor knows everything about his field, why does he have to conduct tests and try different antibiotics? Why doesnt he just give the patient the perfect antibiotics for his aliment? And the answer is because even a doctor is not perfect and therefore, needs to try different things in other to reach a conclusion. Another example is that of an editor, the work of an editor is to make sure a book is fit to be published and sold to the public; he removes what is not supposed to be and puts what is supposed to be in a book. If a book is taken to him, he checks the book and forwards it to another editor, the second editor gives it to another editor which is the third editor and the third editor gives it to the fourth person who is the proof reader and then he proofreads and then finally to the chief editor who finally checks the book. But even after the book has been checked by almost five people, at the end of the day, you still find out you dont have the best work. Why? Because an editor alone cannot check and proof read a book. And also nobody is perfect in life. One thing that is constant in life is change, which also affects the productivity of experts. Change is dynamic, things keep on changing and people learn new things at every point in life. For example an expert who has conducted a research a year ago wont expect to have the same result if he conducts another research on the same thing after a year. Because it might be possible that even at the time of his previous research, one thing or the other has changed and it will keep changing because change is dynamic. An example is that of an engineer who is said to be very creative and an expert in his field, if a car is faulty, he doesnt just figure out what the problem is by mere looking at the car, he has to check the entire engine of the car before knowing what the problem is and how the problem occurred but even after he repairs the car, it doesnt mean the car wont face any more problems in the future, or even if the car faces the same problem in the future, it doesnt mean its the same skill or method he used in repairing the car previously that would be used the next time the problem occurs. Why? Because change is dynamic, everything is bound to change with time and there can be more advanced ways of repairing it. Another factor that affects the productivity of experts is over confidence. Because of the believe people have in experts, how they think experts dont make mistakes and how people think they are all-knowing, they tend to overlook the little necessities in their work. They become careless and make a lot of mistakes. An example of an experts carelessness is an operation carried out by a surgeon. Who is a surgeon A surgeon is an expert in his field which is to operate patients but that doesnt mean his operations are always successful and that he is not bound to make mistakes. Just like in the case of Dr. Nitin Aggarwal and his patient Gurcharan Singh which happened in sat guru Nagar on Sunday. Urologist Dr. Nitin being an expert detected a tumor in his patients urinary bladder which he operated on the 31st march. But then, after the operation, the patient complained of fever and was again showed to the same doctor who diagnosed him with cancer and started chemotherapy. After a month his X-ray was done in a government-run hospital in Dhanaula and the X-ray showed a pair of scissors inside his abdomen. He was then referred to a civil hospital where he was operated again. In this case even though the doctor was an expert in his field, he overlooked the little things he was supposed to pay attention to during the operation and made a great mistake which could have cost the patients life. If someo ne is overconfident or too full of himself, he is bound to be careless and if he is careless then he is bound to make mistakes in life. Experts make a very huge thing out of what they have just to get what they want from you. For example, doctors have different scientific names for a particular disease, when a sick person is taken to a doctor; he examines the patient and gives the aliment a scientific name, if the patient happens to go to another doctor, the doctor will also examine him and give the disease a different name. All this happens because, they also use their personal opinions and people dont question them because they feel they are experts in their own field and that they cannot make any form of mistake. Some experts use their personal opinions in disguise of a well done research and at the end of the day, they fail to provide supporting evidences to back up what they say or write in a book. Conclusively, experts cannot always be right because no man is an island of knowledge so no one can know everything, no one is perfect, and they tend to make mistakes. Over confidence and carelessness also affects their productivity which also leads them to making lots of mistakes. They make a very huge thing out of what they have just to get what they want and change is dynamic which also affects their productivity.

Knowledge Management Software :: essays research papers

I will attempt to inform you on what Knowledge Management Software (KMS) is. I will also attempt to give you a brief history and specific benefits the KMS adds to our specific global organization. First let’s talk about knowledge management (KM), and define what it is? I had the opportunity to talk with three coworkers and for them to give me a definition that I myself had no idea about until I decided to do some research. Well, my first interview went with Tasha who’s a Supply person. She had no idea; she thought it could not be such a thing as KM. Secondly, I interviewed Michelle our unit secretary. She said she’d heard of it but couldn’t possibly tell me what it meant. And lastly, I interviewed Tonya, our personnel specialist. Tonya said she knew what knowledge was. According to her, knowledge had something to do with knowing information and management according to her is knowing what to do with the information. Well, that gave me a starting point. Well, what is knowledge? Let’s see, knowledge has two basic definitions of interest. The first pertains to a defined body of information. Depending on the definition, the body of information might consist of facts, opinions, ideas, theories, principles, and models (or other frameworks). Clearly, other categories are possible, too. Subject matter (e.g., chemistry, mathematics, etc.) is just one possibility. In addition, knowledge also refers to a person’s state of being with respect to some body of information. These states include ignorance, awareness, familiarity, understanding, facility, and so on. Now that was a mouthful. Management on the other had has some of the similarities as Tonya mention above. When I researched the definition for management it means to manage or be responsible for controlling or organizing someone or something especially a business. After reviewing both and putting those together KM means - the processes of finding, collecting and sharing information within an organization. This has taken the business community by storm in the last five years. It is about making optimum use of the intellectual capital (skills, ideas and knowledge) of employees. The history of KMS has many faces. With continuously emerging work roles, the unlocking of an enterprise's information to members at every level has become essential to ensure that each has the knowledge, skills and authority to be productive. These new work roles demand that every individual have access to the correct data and knowledge in order to make their own effective business decisions.

Addiction and the Reward Circuit Essay -- Biology Essays Research Pape

Addiction and the Reward Circuit Most people are affected directly or indirectly by drug addiction. Many stereotypes including race and socio-economic class are associated with drug addiction. Despite longstanding stereotypes there is more and more evidence being discovered pointing to an explanation from within the brain of the addict. Free will is generally associated with drug addicts as is their choice to use drugs, but free will may not be a factor in addiction. The key to addiction lies solely in the brain, without influence form the "I-function", or free will. The affect of all drugs of abuse, which are characterized by heroine, cocaine, LSD, opiates, and others, is on what is known as the reward circuit of the brain (1). The circuit includes the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which is connected to the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex in the pathway where they communicate through neurons (4). Other areas of the brain may be involved depending on the drug (2). The VTA and nucleus accumbens are involved in the reward circuit of all drugs (3). The natural function of the reward circuit is to provide a reward and associated pleasurable feelings in response to life sustaining functions, such as eating, to encourage repetition of that function. The reward circuit functions through the use of neurotransmitters, mainly dopamine. When activated, the circuit triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that induces a pleasurable feeling, from the neurons in the VTA. Drugs of abuse stimulate this same response, in many cases to a greater degree than the natural response causing a spike in dopamine levels. Certain drugs, especially cocaine, can block dopamine receptors in the reward circuit. After being ... ...tion towards addiction to drugs of abuse. The brain may be solely responsible for the addiction but if this is true, how do people overcome their own brains to recover from addiction. Could it be that the brain changes back to its normal state in turn allowing the addict to recover or could it be the addict forcing his brain to change back to its normal state, causing recovery. References 1)This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. Contribute Thoughts | Search Serendip for Other Papers | Serendip Home Page http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/serendip/a2z.html

Defining Good Advice :: Psychology Advising Essays

Defining Good Advice Good advice is something that could be hard to come-by but once found can help a person in the long run. Good advice is usually taken from someone who is an expert, someone that the advisee respects (parent, elder, teacher, coach), or a friend. Advice can be used at any time. Any time you are stuck, or just in a situation in which you need help, or just advice to do a certain task, or to help you out in a situation is good advice if you use what they said and it works. If the advice isn't really used it's merely just information or a suggestion. Here is an example of an advisee getting advice from an advisor that is respected. It was the summer of my sophomore year in high school, and I was sitting down getting ready to select classes for the upcoming school year with my mom. We were sitting at the kitchen table one night that summer tossing around ideas on what I wanted to be and do with my life, and what classes fit what we were talking about. I thought it was the stupidest thing ever and I just wanted to take the easiest classes that good ole Rhinelander High School had to offer, but not with my mom right there. So we got to talking about what I wanted to be. "It was always a dream of mine to be a doctor" I replied to my mom. "Yes I know but with you slouffing off the way you did last year in high school, then you better get your act together, cause grades are very important." she added. I thought to myself "she is just babbling, that’s what she always tells me, but what do I really want to do with my life?" I questioned myself. I then added "I can't see myself being a doctor, and going through a ll of those hard classes in college, I want to get in and get out with a degree" I added, "Maybe I'll be an accoutant, I did really good in that class, I didn't even get a B on one test or assignment" I replied. Oh did my mom love that idea, "Are you sure?" "Yeah why not, I can give it a shot" I answered in excitement. "Ya know what I really don't know mom, I get confused on what I want to do, I feel like I'm rushing my life so fast that I'm not going to get anything done that I want to get done in my life" I told her.

Relationships in Forty-Five a Month and the House

Strong and Weak Relationships in Stories Relationships in stories are very important, to who the characters are and how they act. In the stories that were read the relationships shown were both strong and weak. Depending on how the characters act toward each other, it determines their relationship. The stories, Forty-five a Month and The House on the Border, both have very weak relationships, whereas the story, The Ch’i-lin Purse, has a very strong relationship. In a relationship one person sometimes depends on the other, but if the other does not support the other, it becomes weak.In the story, House on the Border, there was a very weak relationship between the main characters, the people that live in the house and the authorities. The relationship is weak for many reasons. The authorities are not helpful to the people that live in the house. After a thief has just broken into their house, the people that live there tie him up and go to the authorities. They go to different a uthorities, who just keep passing the responsibility of taking care of the situation on to the other one. Either all eight of us, my wife and I and the six thieves, will spend the remainder of the year here, or they will include the house in one of the areas, thus enabling me to complain to the authorities. † This shows a weak relationship because the people that lived on the house were very dependent on the authorities, just like any other citizen. This relationship is foreshadowing the author’s take on the his country’s government and how they are not giving aide to the people in the country. That is also another example of a weak relationship, and a more simple example would be between two particular characters.The story Forty-five a Month is a great example of weak relationship between two characters directly. Two of the main characters, Shanta and Venkat, represent a very weak relationship. Shanta is the daughter of Venkat, they have a weak relationship for a lot of reasons. In a daughter to father relationship, it is imagined that the two are to be considered â€Å"close† by spending time together. In this story the daughter to father relationship is broken apart because of the father’s work. The daughter cannot understand the father’s purpose for being devoted to work. I don’t know if it is going to be possible for me to take her out at all- you see, they are giving me an increment. † The father wants to spend time with his daughter, but he cannot because his job supports his whole family. It is also weak because of the broken promises that Venkat makes to Shanta. Venkat promises to take her to the movies, but he lets Shanta down because she expected a great night out with her father, and is now asleep at home and all dressed up. The promises being broken make it very weak. The Ch’i-lin Purse is a perfect example of a strong relationship.The relationship between Mrs. Lu and Hsiang-Ling in the Ch’i-lin Purse is very strong because it taught a lesson and saved the characters. It taught the lessons of sacrifice and good karma. The lesson of sacrifice was taught to Mrs. Lu when she gave up her purse to the crying girl at her wedding. Also she was taught to sacrifice when she got her soup after the storm and then gave it away. â€Å"If you have a chance to do something good, be sure to do it. Happiness will come back to you. † The lesson of karma is taught when Mrs. Lu has sacrificed her things and was rewarded in return.All of that could not have been done without the strong relationship of two strangers, who in the end are both saved and rewarded, because they found each other. The stories, Forty-five a Month and The House on the Border, both have very weak relationships, whereas the story, The Ch’i-lin Purse, has a very strong relationship. The stories had strong and weak relationships, and they all represented them in different ways. The stories showe d good examples through characters, foreshadowing, and lessons. Many other stories have both strong and weak relationships.