Should Kids Books be Banned

Banning books blocks young children’s minds from real world information. By limiting their range of reading, their knowledge is lowered to a steady lull of comforting information. When they are pushed into situations relating to these topics, they are at a disadvantage. The Clan of the Cave Bear is a perfect example of this situation. The Clan of the Cave Bear has very useful information on early human life. The Clan of the Cave Bear is about a young early homosapien named Ayla. Ayla got separated from her home when she was young. The time setting is prehistoric Europe.She is found by a group of traveling Neanderthals. These Neanderthals talk using hand signals and few sounds. The leader of the group in named Brun, he has two siblings, Creb The Mog-er (or spiritual magician), and Iza the medicine women. Brun also has a son named Broud. Alya quickly learns to speak. Creb decides her totem is the cave lion, which is rare for a woman. As time goes by Alya teaches her self how to hunt, which is forbidden by the Clan women. The clan goes to hunt mammoth and Alya is forced to use her weapon to protect a child of the clan. Because of this Alya is given the death curse for one month.She returns and is welcomed back into the clan. Broud hates Alya and rapes her. The clan does not have any connection with intercourse and birth. Ayla gives birth but her baby is a mix of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. Her baby’s name is Durc. The clan goes to a gathering of ten clans of Neanderthals. When they return her mother Iza is sick and dies. There is an earthquake that destroys the clan’s cave, killing Creb. Since Broud is now leader he blames the earthquake on Alya and banishes her. Jean M. Auel is an inspiring author who researches thoroughly. Jean M. Auel grew up in Chicago.She was the second of five children. She later moved to Oregon with her husband Ray Auel. While working she raised she five children. Also at this time she earned an M. B. A. from the Uni versity of Portland. In 1980 her first book was published, The Clan of the Cave Bear. In 1982 The Valley of Horses followed. In 1985 her third novel The Mammoth Hunters was the first hardcover novel with a first printing of more than one million copies. Her next book, The Plains of Passage was published in 1990. In 2002, her fifth novel, The Shelters of Stone, debuted at #1 on bestseller lists in 16 countries.Her last book so far, The Land of Painted Caves was published in March 2011. One of Auel’s greatest prizes is the French government's Ministry of Culture â€Å"Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters† medal. (â€Å"About Jean Auel. â€Å") All of her books were banned or challenge. Including The Clan of the Cave Bear. Auel’s response was that she â€Å"writes for adults. † (â€Å"‘Clan Of The Cave Bear' Banned From A Library. â€Å") The first case was in 1993, when Tom Baldwin, a Moorpark school board member, fought to take Auel off the r ecommended reading list. (Auel). â€Å"The Clan of the Cave Bear. 3†) He argued that it had â€Å"explicit sexual content. (Maiella Jr. , James. ) His reasoning was looked over by a group of seven board members. His challenge was later denied. (Sova) The processes to challenge and ban a book are very different. 0. To challenge a book is to restrict the reading of that book. One must have a reason for challenging a book. Many challenged or banned books are accused of having: It is considered sexually explicit, used offensive language, and was unsuited to any age group. Challenging a book is stronger than just stating their opinion. For the most part, books that are challenged do not end up being banned.Books take much longer to be banned. There are usually are several cases of challenging of the book before it is banned. (â€Å"About Banned ;amp; Challenged Books. â€Å") Many people when discussing censor ship include the constitution in their arguments. 0. People need to be able to look over the details of books to find what the authors are actually trying to teach you. The Clan of the Cave Bear is a very informative and detailed book. People can learn so much about evolution from reading it. â€Å"When Brun saw a huge herd of bison, he was encouraged. They were the embodiment of his own totem† (Auel, Jean M).This quote shows the knowledge on early human life and their totems. The Clan of the Cave Bear is not just a story about Alya, but about early human life in general. Auel spent half of her time researching early humans. The other half was writing the actual books. If a child went through high school without any knowledge of evolution and early behavior of humans, they would be lacking a huge area of knowledge. Many people believe that banning is supported by the constitution, but others disagree. 0. One quote made by Sir Winston Churchill is â€Å"Every one is in favor of free speech.Hardly a day passes without it being extolled, but so me people’s idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone says anything back it is a outrage. † (Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books Challenging) In this quote he is saying that people think they are right and they do not want anyone arguing with them. This quote can be related to the banning of books. The people who ban books defend themselves by saying that it is supported by the constitution. However, when others show them quotes from the first amendment they are defensive. When people ban books they block the level of potential of the children who could have read it. . A Supreme Court case involving censorship was the Right to Read Defense Committee v. School Committee of the City of Chelsea case. In this case The Chelsea, Mass. School Committee â€Å"decided to bar from the high school library a poetry anthology† (â€Å"Notable†) The poem was Male and Female under 18. They claimed that it was an â€Å"offensive† and â€Å"dam aging† poem. The poem was challenged in U. S. District Court. Joseph L. Tauro ruled: 0. â€Å"The library is ‘a mighty resource in the marketplace of ideas. ‘ There a student can literally explore the unknown, and discover areas of interest and thought not covered by the prescribed curriculum.The student who discovers the magic of the library is on the way to a life-long experience of self-education and enrichment. That student learns that a library is a place to test or expand upon ideas presented to him, in or out of the classroom. The most effective antidote to the poison of mindless orthodoxy is ready access to a broad sweep of ideas and philosophies. There is no danger from such exposure. The danger is mind control. The committee's ban of the anthology Male and Female  is enjoined. † (â€Å"Notable First Amendment Court Cases. â€Å") If people ban books their minds can be altered to a false reality.They can have a different and crippled knowledge o f the world. When put with the people who were not censored they have a strong difference in information. A quote expressing exactly this is: â€Å"Students in any high school in which there kinds of books are banned will likely graduate with little or no experience with contemporary fiction and unprepared for college-level study† (Bertin, Joan). What Bertin is saying is that the censored children will be unprepared for real world activities. His quote is a perfect for discussing the banning and censorship of the children

Succubus Shadows Chapter 12

It occurred to me at some point that I wished the Oneroi would only send me false dreams. They hurt – no question – but there was a very, very small comfort afterward in knowing they hadn't really happened. Yet, my next few dreams were true ones, and I was forced to keep reliving the past. One memory brought me back to fifteenth century Florence. At first, I felt a small blossoming of joy at repeating this. The Italian Renaissance had been a beautiful thing, and I'd been in awe watching the ingenuity of humans reawaken after the last few depressing centuries. Things were made that much more interesting because the Church was always pushing back against this artistic flourishing. That kind of conflict was what my kind thrived on. Another succubus and I had shared a house, living luxuriously off of a textile business we ostensibly managed while our merchant uncle (an incubus who was never around) traveled. It was a good setup, and I – going by the name of Bianca – was the favorite child of our local demoness, Tavia, thanks to conquest after conquest. It all started to go awry when I hired an eccentric and extremely good-looking painter named Niccol? ° to create a fresco for our home. He was flamboyant, funny, and intelligent – and had been attracted to me from the first day. Nonetheless, a sense of propriety and professional boundaries made him keep his distance. This was something I intended to change, and I frequently stayed with him while he worked on the wall, knowing it would only be a matter of time before he gave in to my charms. â€Å"Ovid didn't know anything about love,† I told him one day. I was lounging on a sofa, caught up in one of the literary discussions we so often stumbled into. His ability to engage in these talks added to his allure. He looked up at me with mock incredulity, pausing in his painting. â€Å"Nothing about love? Woman, bite your tongue! He's the authority! He wrote books on it. Books that are still read and used today.† I sat up from my undignified repose. â€Å"They aren't relevant. They were written for a different time. He devotes pages to telling men where to meet women. But those places aren't around anymore. Women don't go to races or fights. We can't even linger in public areas anymore.† This came out with more bitterness than I intended. The artistic culture of this time was wonderful, but it had come with a restriction of female roles that differed from those I'd grown used to in other places and eras. â€Å"Perhaps,† Niccol? ° agreed. â€Å"But the principles are still the same. As are the techniques.† â€Å"Techniques?† I repressed a snort. Honestly, what could a mere mortal know about seduction techniques? â€Å"They're nothing but superficial gestures. Give your ladylove compliments. Talk about things you have in common – like the weather. Help her fix her dress if it gets mussed. What does any of that have to do with love?† â€Å"What does anything have to do with love anymore? If anything, those comments are particularly applicable now. Marriage is all about business.† He tilted his head toward me in a speculative manner that was typical of him. â€Å"You've done something with your hair today that's extremely pretty, by the way.† I paused in return, thrown off by the compliment. â€Å"Thank you. Anyway. You're right: marriage is business. But some of them are love matches. Or love can grow. And plenty of clandestine affairs, no matter how ‘sinful,' are based on love.† â€Å"So your problem is that Ovid is ruining what love is still left?† His eyes drifted to the window, and he frowned. â€Å"Does it look like it'll rain out there?† The zeal of this topic seized hold of me, making his abrupt interruptions that much more annoying. â€Å"Yes – what? I mean, no, it won't rain, and, yes, that's what he's doing. Love is already so rare. By approaching it like a game, he cheapens what little there is.† Niccol? ° abandoned his brushes and colors and sat down next to me on the couch. â€Å"You don't think love is a game?† â€Å"Sometimes – all right, most of the time – yes, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't – † I stopped. His fingers had slid to the edge of my dress's neckline. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"This is crooked. I'm straightening it.† I stared and then started laughing as the ruse revealed itself. â€Å"You're doing it. You're following his advice.† â€Å"Is it working?† I reached for him. â€Å"Yes.† He pulled back. This wasn't what he'd expected. He'd only intended to tease me, proving his point with a game. Averting his eyes, he began to rise. â€Å"I should get back to work†¦.† He was rarely thrownoff, and I'd disarmed him. Gripping him with surprising strength, I jerked him back to me and pressed my lips to his. They were soft and sweet, and after a few stunned moments, he responded, his tongue moving eagerly into my mouth. Then, realizing what he was doing, he drew away once more. â€Å"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I could see the longing in his eyes, the desire he'd held back since working for me. He wanted me, but even a roguish artistic type felt it was wrong to do this with an unmarried, upper-class woman – particularly one who'd employed him. â€Å"You started it,† I warned in a low voice. â€Å"You were trying to prove me wrong about Ovid. Looks like it worked.† I put my hand behind his neck, pulling his mouth back down to my own. He still initially resisted, but it didn't last. And when his hand began slowly pushing up the folds of my skirts, I knew I'd won and that it was time to retreat to the bedroom. Once there, he abandoned any attempts at decorum. He pushed me down onto the bed, the fingers that so deftly painted walls now fumbling to release me from my complicated dress and its layers of rich fabrics. When he had me stripped down to my thin chemise, I took charge, removing his clothing with a brisk efficiency and delighting in the way his skin felt under my fingertips as my hands explored his body. Straddling him, I lowered my face and let my tongue dance circles around his nipples. They hardened within my mouth, and I had the satisfaction of hearing him cry out softly when my teeth grazed their tender surface. Moving downward, I trailed kisses along his stomach – down, down to where he stood hard and swollen. Delicately, I ran my tongue against his erection, from base to tip. He cried out again, that cry turning to a moan when I took him into my mouth. I felt him grow between my lips, becoming harder and larger, as I slowly moved up and down. Without even realizing what he did, I think, he raked his hands through my hair, getting his fingers caught up in the elaborate pinning and carefully arranged curls. Sucking harder, I increased my pace, exalting in the feel of him filling up my mouth. The early twinges of his energy began seeping into me, like glittering streams of color and fire. While not physically pleasurable per se, it sparked me in a similar way, waking up my succubus hunger and igniting my flesh, making me long to touch him and be touched in return. â€Å"Ah†¦Bianca, you shouldn't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I momentarily released him from my mouth, letting my hand continue the work of stroking him closer to climax. â€Å"You want me to stop?† â€Å"I†¦well, ah! No, but women like you don't†¦you aren't supposed to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I laughed, the sound low and dangerous in my throat. â€Å"You have no idea what kind of woman I am. I want to do this. I want to feel you in my mouth†¦taste you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh God,† he groaned, eyes closed and lips parted. His muscles tensed, body arching slightly, and I just managed to return him to my mouth in time. He came, and I took it all in as his body continued to spasm. The life energy trickling into me spiked in intensity, and I nearly had a climax of my own. We'd only just started, and I was already getting more life from him than I'd expected. This would be a good night. When his shuddering body finally quieted, I shifted myself so that my hips wrapped around his. I ran my tongue over my lips. â€Å"Oh God,† he repeated, breathing labored and eyes wide. His hands traveled up my waist and rested under my breasts, earning my approval. â€Å"I thought†¦I thought only whores did that†¦.† I arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Disappointed?† â€Å"Oh, no. No.† Leaning forward, I brushed my lips against his. â€Å"Then return the favor.† He was only too eager, despite his weariness. After pulling the chemise over my head, he ravaged my body with his mouth, his hands cradling my breasts while his lips sucked and teeth teased my nipples, just as I'd done to him. My desire grew, my instincts urging me to take more and more of his life and stoke my body's burning need. When he moved his mouth between my legs, parting my thighs, I jerked his head up. â€Å"You said once that I think like a man,† I hissed softly. â€Å"Then treat me like one. Get on your knees.† He blinked in surprise, taken aback, but I could tell something about the force of the command aroused him. An animal glint shone in his eyes as he sank to his knees on the floor, and I stood before him, my backside leaning against the bed. Hands clutching my hips, he pressed his face against the soft patch of hair between my thighs, his tongue slipping between my lips and stroking the burning, swelling heart buried within. At that first touch, my whole body shuddered, and I arched my head back. Fueled by this reaction, he lapped eagerly, letting his tongue dance with a steady rhythm. Twining my hands in his hair, I pushed him closer to me, forcing him to taste more of me, to increase the pressure of his tongue upon me. When the burning, delicious feeling in my lower body could take no more, it burst, like the sun exploding. Like fire and starlight coursing through me, setting every part of me tingling and screaming. Imitating what I'd done to him earlier, he didn't remove his mouth until my climax finally subsided, my body still twitching each time his tongue tauntingly darted out and teased that oh-so-sensitive area. When he finally broke away, he looked up with a bemused smile. â€Å"I don't know what you are. Subservient†¦dominant†¦I don't know how to treat you.† I smiled back, my hands caressing the sides of his face. â€Å"I'm anything you want me to be. How do you want to treat me?† He thought about it, finally speaking in a hesitant voice. â€Å"I want†¦I want to think of you like a goddess†¦and take you like a whore†¦.† My smile increased. That about summed up my life, I thought. â€Å"I'm anything you want me to be,† I repeated. Rising to his feet, he pushed me roughly against the bed, holding me down. He was ready again, though I could see the effort it took. Most men would have collapsed after that loss of life energy, but he was fighting through his exhaustion in order to take me again. I felt the hard press of him against me, and then he pushed – nearly shoved – himself into me, sliding almost effortlessly now that I was so wet. Moaning, I shifted myself up so that he could get a better position and take me deeper. His hands clutched my hips as he moved with an almost primal aggression, and the sound of our bodies hitting each other filled the room. My body responded to his, loving the way he filled me up and drove into me. My cries grew louder, his thrusts harder. And, oh, the life pouring into me. It was a river now, golden and scorching, renewing my own life and existence. Along with his energy, he yielded some of his emotions and thoughts, and I could literally feel his lust and affection for me. That life force warred with my own physical pleasure, both consuming me and driving me mad, so that I could barely think or even separate one from the other. The feeling grew and grew within me, burning my core, building up in such intensity that I could barely contain it. I pressed my face against him, smothering my cries. The fire within me swelled, and I made no more attempts to hold off my climax. It burst within me, exploding, enveloping my whole body in a terrible, wonderful ecstasy. Niccol? ° showed no mercy, never slowing as that pleasure wracked my body. I writhed against it, even as I screamed for more. Doing this might make Niccol? ° immoral in the eyes of the Church, but at the heart of what mattered, he was a decent man. He was kind to others and had a strong character whose principles were not easily shaken. As a result, he had had a lot of goodness and a lot of life to give, life I absorbed without remorse. It spread into me as our bodies moved together, sweeter than any nectar. It burned in my veins, making me feel alive, making me into the goddess he kept murmuring that I was. Unfortunately, the loss of such energy took its toll, and he lay immobile in my bed afterward, breathing shallow and face pale. Naked, I sat up and watched him, running a hand over his sweat-drenched forehead. He smiled. â€Å"I was going to write a sonnet about you†¦. I don't think I can capture this with words.† He struggled to sit up, the motion causing him pain. The fact that he'd managed all of this was pretty remarkable. â€Å"I need to go†¦the city's curfew†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Forget it. You can stay here for the night.† â€Å"But your servants – â€Å" † – are well-paid for their discretion.† I brushed my lips over his skin. â€Å"Besides, don't you want to†¦discuss more philosophy?† He closed his eyes, but the smile stayed. â€Å"Yes, of course. But I†¦I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. I need to rest first†¦.† I lay down beside him. â€Å"Then rest.† A pattern developed between us after that. He'd work on the fresco during the day – his progress slowing significantly – and spend his nights with me. That twang of guilt never left him, making the experience doubly exciting for me. My essence drank from his soul while my body enjoyed the skills of his. One day, he left to run errands – and didn't come back. Two more days passed with no word from him, and my worry began to grow. When he showed up on the third night, there was an anxious, harried look to him. More concerned than ever, I hurried him inside, noting a bundle under his arm. â€Å"Where have you been? What is that?† Unwrapping his cloak, he revealed a stack of books. I sifted through them with the wonder I'd always had for such things. Boccaccio's The Decameron. Ovid's Amores. Countless others. Some I'd read. Some I'd longed to read. My heart gave a flutter, and my fingers itched to turn the pages. â€Å"I've gathered these from some of my friends,† he explained. â€Å"They're worried Savonarola's thugs will seize them.† I frowned at this reference to the city's most powerful priest. â€Å"Savonarola?† â€Å"He's gathering up ‘objects of sin' in order to destroy them. Will you hide these here? No one would force them away from someone like you.† The books practically shone to me, far more valuable than the jewelry I'd amassed. I wanted to drop everything and start reading. â€Å"Of course.† I flipped through the pages of the Boccaccio. â€Å"I can't believe anyone would want to destroy these.† â€Å"These are dark days,† he said, face hard. â€Å"If we aren't careful, all knowledge will be lost. The ignorant will crush the learned.† I knew he spoke the truth. I'd seen it, over and over. Knowledge destroyed, trampled by those too stupid to know what they did. Sometimes it happened through forceful, bloody invasions; sometimes it happened through less violent but equally insidious means, like those of Fra Savonarola. I'd grown so accustomed to it that I barely noticed anymore. For some reason, it hit me harder this time. Maybe it was because I was seeing it through his urgent eyes and not just observing it from a distance. â€Å"Bianca?† Niccol? ° chuckled softly. â€Å"Are you even listening to me? I'd hoped to spend the night with you, but maybe you'd rather be with Boccaccio†¦.† I dragged my eyes from the pages, feeling my lips quirk up into a half-smile. â€Å"Can't I have you both?† Over the next few days, Niccol? ° continued to smuggle more and more goods to me. And not just books. Paintings accumulated in my home. Small sculptures. Even more superficial things like extravagant cloth and jewels, all deemed sinful. I felt as though I'd been allowed to cross through the gates of heaven. Hours would pass as I studied paintings and sculptures, marveling at the ingenuity of humans, jealous of a creativity I had never possessed, either as a mortal or immortal. That art filled me up with an indescribable joy, exquisite and sweet, almost reminding me of when my soul had been my own. And the books†¦oh, the books. My clerks and associates soon found their hands full of extra work as I neglected them. Who cared about accounts and shipments with so much knowledge at my fingertips? I drank it up, savoring the words – words the Church condemned as heresy. A secret smugness filled me over the role I played, protecting these treasures. I would pass on humanity's knowledge and thwart Heaven's agenda. The light of genius and creativity would not fade from this world, and best of all, I would get to enjoy it along the way. Things changed when Tavia showed up one day to check in. The demoness was pleased at the report of my conquests but puzzled when she noticed a small sculpture of Bacchus on a table. I hadn't yet had a chance to hide the statue with my horde. Tavia demanded an explanation, and I told her about my role in protecting the contraband. As always, her response took a long time in coming, and when it did, my heart nearly stopped. â€Å"You need to cease this immediately.† â€Å"I – what?† â€Å"And you need to turn these items over to Father Betto.† I studied her incredulously, waiting for the joke to reveal itself. Father Betto was my local priest. â€Å"You can't†¦you can't mean that. This stuff can't be destroyed. We'd be supporting the Church. We're supposed to go against them.† Tavia raised a dark, pointed eyebrow. â€Å"We're supposed to further evil in the world, my darling, which may or may not go along with the Church's plans. In this case, it does.† â€Å"How?† I cried. â€Å"Because there is no greater evil than ignorance and the destruction of genius. Ignorance has been responsible for more death, more bigotry, and more sin than any other force. It is the destroyer of mankind.† â€Å"But Eve sinned when she sought knowledge†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The demoness smirked. â€Å"Are you sure? Do you truly know what is good and what is evil?† â€Å"I†¦I don't know,† I whispered. â€Å"They seem kind of indistinguishable from one another.† It was the first time since becoming a succubus that the lines had really and truly grown so blurred for me. After the loss of my mortal life had darkened me, I'd thrown myself into being a succubus, never questioning Hell's role or the corrupting of men like Niccol? °. â€Å"Yes,† she agreed. â€Å"Sometimes they are.† Her smile vanished. â€Å"This isn't up for debate. You will yield your stash immediately. And maybe try to seduce Father Betto while you're at it. That'd be a nice perk.† â€Å"But I – † The word â€Å"can't† was on my lips, and I bit it off. Under the scrutiny of her stare and power, I felt very small and very weak. You don't cross demons. I swallowed. â€Å"Yes, Tavia.† The next time Niccol? ° and I made love, he managed a tired but happy attempt at conversation in his post-sex exhaustion. â€Å"Lenzo's going to bring me one of his paintings tomorrow. Wait until you see it. It shows Venus and Adonis – â€Å" â€Å"No.† He lifted his head up. â€Å"Hmm?† â€Å"No. Don't bring me any more.† It was hard, oh God, it was so hard speaking to him in such a cold tone. I kept reminding myself of what I was and what I had to do. A frown crossed his handsome face. â€Å"What are you talking about? You've already collected so much – â€Å" â€Å"I don't have them anymore. I gave them up to Savonarola.† â€Å"You†¦you're joking.† I shook my head. â€Å"No. I contacted his Bands of Hope this morning. They came and took it all.† Niccol? ° struggled to sit up. â€Å"Stop it. This isn't funny.† â€Å"It's not a joke. They're all gone. They're going to the fire. They're objects of sin. They need to be destroyed.† â€Å"You're lying. Stop this, Bianca. You don't mean – â€Å" My voice sharpened. â€Å"They're wrong and heretical. They're gone.† Our eyes locked, and as he studied my face, I could see that he was starting to realize that maybe, just maybe, I spoke the truth. And I did. Sort of. I was very good at making people – especially men – believe what I wanted them to. We dressed, and I took him to the storage room I'd previously hidden the objects in. He stared at the empty space, face pale and disbelieving. I stood nearby, arms crossed, maintaining a stiff and disapproving stance. Eyes wide, he turned to me. â€Å"How could you? How could you do this to me?† â€Å"I told you – â€Å" â€Å"I trusted you! You said you'd keep them safe!† â€Å"I was wrong. Satan clouded my judgment.† He gripped my arm painfully and leaned close to me. â€Å"What have they done to you? Did they threaten you? You wouldn't do this. What are they holding against you? Is it that priest you're always visiting?† â€Å"No one made me do this,† I replied bleakly. â€Å"It's the right thing to do.† He pulled back, like he couldn't stand my touch, and my heart lurched painfully at the look in his eyes. â€Å"Do you know what you've done? Some of those can never be replaced.† â€Å"I know. But it's better this way.† Niccol? ° stared at me for several more seconds and then stumbled for the door, uncaring of the curfew or his weakened state. I watched him go, feeling dead inside. He's just another man, I thought. Let him go. I'd had so many in my life; I'd have so many more. What did he matter? Swallowing tears, I crept downstairs to the lower level, careful not to wake the sleeping household. I'd made the same journey last night, painstakingly carrying part of the horde down here – a part that I didn't give to the Church's minions. Splitting the art and books had been like choosing which of my children had to live or die. The silks and velvets had been mindless; all of them went to Fra Savonarola. But the rest†¦that had been difficult. I'd let most of Ovid go. His works were so widespread, I had to believe copies of them would survive – if not in Florence, then perhaps some other place untouched by this bigotry. Other authors, those whom I feared had a limited run, stayed with me. The paintings and sculptures proved hardest of all. They were one of a kind. I couldn't hope that other copies might exist. But I'd known I couldn't keep them all either, not with Tavia checking in. And so, I'd chosen those which I thought most worth saving, protecting them from the Church. Niccol? ° couldn't know that, though. I didn't see him for almost three weeks, until we ran into each other at Savonarola's great burning. History would later know it as the Bonfire of the Vanities. It was a great pyramid stuffed with fuel and sin. The zealous threw more and more items in as it blazed, seeming to have a never ending supply. I watched as Botticelli himself tossed one of his paintings in. Niccol? °'s greeting was curt. â€Å"Bianca.† â€Å"Hello, Niccol? °.† I kept my voice cold and crisp. Uncaring. He stood in front of me, gray eyes black in the flickering light. His face seemed to have aged since our last meeting. We both turned and silently observed the blaze again, watching as more and more of man's finest things were sacrificed. â€Å"You have killed progress,† Niccol? ° said at last. â€Å"You betrayed me.† â€Å"I've delayed progress. And I had no obligations to you. Except for this.† Reaching into the folds of my dress, I handed over a purse heavy with florins. It was the last part in my plan. He took it, blinking at its weight. â€Å"This is more than you owe me. And I won't finish the fresco.† â€Å"I know. It's all right. Take it. Go somewhere else, somewhere away from this. Paint. Write. Create something beautiful. Whatever it takes to make you happy. I don't really care.† He stared, and I feared he'd give the money back. â€Å"I still don't understand. How can you not care about any of this? How can you be so cruel? Why did you do it?† I studied the fire again. Humans, I realized idly, liked to burn things. Objects. Each other. â€Å"Because men cannot surpass the gods. Not yet anyway.† â€Å"Prometheus never intended his gift to be used like this.† I smiled without humor, remembering an old debate of ours about classical mythology, back during our sweeter days. â€Å"No. I suppose not.† We said nothing else. A moment later, he walked away, disappearing into the darkness. For a heartbeat, I considered telling him the truth, that much of his treasure was still safe. I'd paid well for it to be smuggled out of Florence, away from this mad destruction. In fact, I'd actually sent the goods to an angel. I didn't like angels as a general rule, but this one was a scholar, one I'd met in England and tolerated. Heretical or no, the books and art would appeal to him as much as to me. He would keep them safe. How ironic, I thought, that I would turn to the enemy for help. Tavia had been right. Sometimes good and evil were impossible to distinguish from one another. And if she'd known what I had done, my existence would probably be over. So I couldn't tell anyone. The secret had to stay with me and the angel, no matter how much I wished I could share it with Niccol? ° and comfort him. I had to live with the knowledge that I had taken his life, soul, and hope. He would hate me forever, and it was a sting I would likewise carry with me forever – one that would slowly make my existence more and more miserable. My world dissolved into darkness. I was back in my box, still cramped and uncomfortable. As usual, I couldn't see anything, but my cheeks were wet with tears yet again. I felt exhausted, even a little disoriented, and my heart ached with a pain that I could never put into words. I didn't see the Oneroi, but something told me they were probably around. â€Å"That was truth,† I whispered. â€Å"That really happened.† As suspected, a voice answered me in the darkness, and I suddenly knew the real reason they kept showing me true dreams. â€Å"Your truths are worse than your lies.†

Classroom management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Classroom management - Research Paper Example Interviews conducted with Asian teachers who had migrated to the United States revealed rampant discipline problems inside the classroom. These problems include students arriving late, yawning too loud, sleeping during lectures, bullying, and putting feet up on desks, among others. These classroom discipline problems are not confined to the United States alone, as they are beginning to spring up in the Singaporean school system, where discipline problems have in the past been extremely rare. Previously, discipline problems have existed in schools to a minor extent. However, in the past ten years, survey results show the condition escalating, thereby necessitating the development of new classroom discipline methods in order to keep the focus on learning (Tan & Yuanshan, 1999). Discussion Because all behavioral problems, and bullying in particular, have harmful effects that can undermine the learning process, some sectors suggest that teachers should be strict in implementing school ru les and regulations in order to curtail the persistence of bullying and other disruptive behaviors in the classroom. However, often behavioral problems first arise in the home, and therefore enforcing discipline at school does not address the whole problem. There is also the possibility of teachers misunderstanding the limitations of strict discipline, and abusing the power they have been given by being aggressive and causing physical and verbal abuse. Psychological research shows that children learn best in a safe and supportive environment; therefore, enforcing strict rules may not be the solution to behavioral problems. Instead, a discipline solution should be developed based on the principles of understanding and encouragement. Children need stability and structure; therefore, rules should be made and enforced consistently but fairly. Students must be aware that bullying or any kind of disrespect towards others will not be tolerated, and must be informed of the consequences in a dvance. Teachers can also emphasize team building within the classroom by placing students into groups (or families), thereby encouraging students to be supportive of each other and work together to achieve common goals. Collaborative learning entails utilizing human relationships to promote safety, accomplishment, and mastery (Bruffee, 1999). Others suggest teachers should be equipped with skills to create their own strategies to resolve whatever behavioral problems they may encounter in the classroom. This applies particularly to immigrant teachers. In a study conducted by Oriaro (2007), it was revealed that teachers from Kenya struggled to resolve discipline problems due to a lack of formal training in the area of classroom discipline. These teachers did not necessarily understand their school’s policies and procedures, and tended to rely on their past experience to manage their classroom. However, sometimes past experience is not enough, and specific training must be give n to assist teachers in classroom management skills, although there is no guarantee that such training will eliminate all classroom discipline problems. Teachers must have an intuition about which behavioral

What is Entreprenurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What is Entreprenurship - Essay Example Therefore, by exploring the behaviours of Branson, there are substantial skills that can be identified in order to determine the definition of entrepreneurship. Branson managed to establish the Virgin Group through targeting the business verticals, which are not run appropriately by other people, and he is motivated by the compulsive desire to do things in a way that he believed they should be done. In this case, there are two traits that have been identified, which are the ability to identify an opportunity, confidence and self-determination. He is also adventurous given that Virgin Company is an adventurous venture, and this has contributed to the spirit of building the brand and the company. The other characteristic of an entrepreneur is breaking rules, which is an attribute, which describes the difference between Branson’s entrepreneurial philosophies. In this case, breaking the rules refers to the willingness to experiment in numerous instances in order to learn a something for the experience. In conclusion, the paper has described entrepreneurship using the Branson’s personal traits as a successful

Application of PPP in the Short Run Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Application of PPP in the Short Run - Essay Example International trade has then been seen to lead to an equalization of purchasing power which economist describe as parity. However, this theory has been seen to have many shortcomings (Wallace, 2007: 34). For instances, the prices of different goods cannot be the same in all countries. This is because there are barriers to trade which lead to the prices increasing gradually as they pass from one country to the next. These include the tariffs, taxes and shipment costs. For instance, a car in America may cost only $5000 but when it is shipped a country such as South Africa, its final cost is $2000 higher than the price it is sold at in America. Other commodities of trade because of their nature cannot be imported to another country. These include services such giving haircuts or other products such as real estate. Moreover, a person in a rural village in Brazil may not have the luxury of choosing different goods or services on the international market and may just end up buying good on the prices offered in their country. Moreover, not all types of goods and services have demand in every country. For instance, America may not have a specific price for a rice harvester because it does not grow rice. The price of a rice harvester would thus only be determined by the countries which have a demand for it such as Vietnam. The cost of living in different countries is different and this definitely affects their purchasing power. For instance, the cost of living in China is way low compared to the cost of living in America (Ullrich, 2009: 78). China applies the strategy of reducing the cost of living in her country so that it can pay her workers lower wages reducing the production cost. This makes her exports cheaper compared to that of other players in the global market giving it a competitive edge. In some instances, PPP has been used to position the exchange rates of new countries or even predict expectations on future exchange rates. There are two versions of PPP that have been used by economist all over the globe. These are relative and absolute PPP. Absolute PPP is the equalization of good’s prices in different countries. Relative PPP on the other hand asserts that the change of exchange rates over time between different countries is relative to the change in prices of standards goods in these countries (Obstfeld &Taylor, 2004: 318).PPP has been seen to prove to hold true in its assumptions in the long run. This is because as a result of removal of trade barriers and enhancement of free trade in the globe, the price of standard goods without the inclusion of costs such as shipment costs, tariffs and taxes is similar around the globe. It would take years for prices of products to be equalized in the globe. However, various economists have argued that PPP do not hold true in the short run. This is because the exchange rates are controlled by the news in the short run. News regarding change in the perceptions of the development of exchange rates in the future has an immediate effect on the current exchange rate. The rates are also influenced by other announcement such as interest rate changes. This paper studies PPP and exchange rates in EU and US to show how PPP cannot hold in the short-term. In the developing countries, PPP is measures using a comparison of the official

Elementary Education Major Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Elementary Education Major - Research Paper Example In this paper, I want to explain why I regard this course to be among the best courses given in our universities, its benefits, and some of the challenges that one can encounter as a profession. I am planning to bring-out my original assumptions, my findings from research and my final discoveries. What I Know, Assume or Imagine What I know is that several universities and constituent colleges distributed throughout this country offer this course. However, each university has specific qualifications requirements for admission in this course. The course takes four years when studied on full time bases. I am aware that the course involves assessments that vary depending with the intended purpose. For somebody to graduate, it is mandatory that the person must have passed all the assessments. My assumptions are that University of Florida is the best in offering this course and that it is among the ones that admit most students on the course. Another assumption that I have is that after th e four years of study and successful assessments I will come out of this university a fully qualified and competent elementary school teacher. I also have an assumption that I will be able to obtain a job soon after graduation. In addition, I have the assumption that that the course might be involving but not that much challenging and that I have full ability to handle it. What I imagine is how the teaching process and assessment process will be looking like. I imagine an assessment like being told to teach an elementary class while you are being assessed by a tutor or a supervisor. I also imagine what the course content might be. My imagination is that it will contain some course units teaching about learning behaviors and effective running styles. In this imagination, I suppose that it will criticize cramming and emphasize on understanding among students. Most of these imaginations, that I am not sure of them, might be true or false and might exist or not exist. The search One maj or component found in elementary education major course is field experience (Freshman Academic Advisory Services 3). Thus as an education major I should expect to find various fieldwork tasks throughout my training period. In most cases, supervisors or tutors will offer guidance and coaching on how those fieldwork activities should be effectively undertaken. Such activities could be both challenging and enjoyable depending on personal traits and characteristics. According to Harmon and Jones (20), the focus of education has changed from schooling as a preparation for participation in society to schooling as a vehicle to social change. Therefore, education professionals are required to develop not only the teaching skills but also interactive skills necessary for generating social change among students. As an education profession in the making, I am prepared to develop and nurture those skills that will make me a better elementary schools educator by the end of my training. The eleme ntary education should recover the characteristic compassion of children, which requires nurturing and protection from corruptive social forces (Letts and Sears 28). As an elementary school educator, I realize that I will be the one expected to play the key role in recovering this characteristic compassion of children among my students. I should thus ensure that I gain the required skills and tactics required to

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 57

Case Study - Essay Example The vibrant changes in worldwide economics as well as the continuous evolution of technology require that companies reconsider the manner in which they deal with their shifting talent prerequisites. Some of the changes are contrary to what the companies have been facing in different markets as the new actualities make it mandatory for HR departments to device new and innovative ways of accessing talent all over the world. According to the case study, â€Å"the search for a purple squirrel† symbolizes the manner in which companies in the IT industry attempt to fill vacant positions through selecting and recruiting candidates who are â€Å"perfect†. This statement denotes the endeavors of a company in seeking an individual who brings the model qualifications and experiences to the position (Farrell, 2012). Nevertheless, it can be challenging and almost impossible to find this impeccable candidate in the same way that a purple squirrel cannot be found in the forest (Cohen, 2013). It is possible for the companies that are not IT related to search for the squirrel as in the recent times; companies have demonstrated a desire to hire only individuals who have already done the exact job they are being recruited for. In the process of spotting talent, it is critical to organize the approach to avoid lengthy and inconsistent lists of required traits, which make it had to focus on priorities. It is also important to look out for the candidates who are smart and are able to thrive comfortable in decision-making settings including those that are not completely clear and are able to see the effect of their decisions. Further, candidates that possess a significant degree of mental agility and are able to think on their feet are the most ideal for a company. During the recruitment process, exercises should be developed as a way of identifying the candidates who will be able to make the correct choices in the daily activities of the company. In the process of interviewing the

Read each article, and answer the questions in your own words Essay

Read each article, and answer the questions in your own words - Essay Example The intention behind these festivals is to celebrate their own cultural values without disturbing their daily routine or without making those values a serious part of their lives. Hence, the mild and fun way to celebrate the ethnic festivals and cultural customs by immigrants, to symbolize their cultural and ethnic values, is known as symbolic ethnicity. St. Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday celebrated in Ireland to pay homage to St. Patrick who died on March 17, 460 AD, and who is known to have introduced Christianity to Ireland. Hence, St. Patrick’s Day is considered as a part of their religious values and is practiced by Irish people by going to Church and paying respect to St. Patrick. However, Irish people who have immigrated to America celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a different way and without giving it a serious touch of religiousness. In the US, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by Irish-Americans in celebratory form by holding a parade consisting of banners, colorful costumes, bands and celebrations. New York hosts the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade with more than 150,000 Irish soldiers and 3 million spectators participating in it. For Irish-Americans, there are no obligations to attend the church or to follow any serious religious rituals on this day. This celebratory method of St. Patrick’s Day has become so famous that St. Patrick’s Day parades are celebrated in different cities throughout the world now. Irish-Americans practice St. Patrick’s Day to symbolize their ethnic roots and feeling of belonging to their homeland. Hence, Irish-Americans celebrate the St. Patrick’s Day lightly as a symbolic ethnicity and not as a religiously important day. 2.According to the article, why is symbolic ethnicity appealing to white ethnics? In today’s fast paced world, time and speed has become an important aspect of life. People’s choice depends on speed and time. Preference for fast things has also affected the religious aspects of people’s lives. According to the article, White etnics have adopted those practices which allow them choice and freedom to celebrate the religious aspects in their lives. Symbolic ethnicity does not demand much of their time and energy. It is a fun method of celebrating important religious festivals. Moreover, symbolic ethnicity is free from any restrictions, strict behavior codes, obligations or rituals. Hence, it makes people feel that they are free to practice festivals in their own way without any pressure from ‘religious authority’. Symbolic ethnicity offers choice and freedom to people and they feel that they can express their feelings for religious festivals in individual way. Moreover, White ethnics not only enjoy their individuality but also the feeling of belongingness to their community by practicing ethnic practices in symbolic way. Symbolic ethnicity does not affect their daily lives in any way but in fact, gives them a fun break and relaxation from their work. They achieve both, the personal and social identity, by practicing symbolic ethnicity. Hence, symbolic ethnicity has become appealing to White ethnics in America. 3.Why do you think so many people with no Irish heritage celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? ‘Old’ traditional and religious customs were difficult to follow as they needed a person to know the religious asp

Corporate Social Responsibility Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Corporate Social Responsibility Report - Essay Example The effectiveness of the classical model of self-regulation is of particular concern in this paper. The Classical Model of corporate responsibility argues that general interests of society can be met by different organizations, each of which plays a distinct role in the system (Okpara, & Idowu, 2013). The basic role of corporate bodies should, therefore, revolve around economic issues rather than social development. Rahim and Alam (2014) noted that the primary objective of the business entity should be to make the highest amount of profit, which practically propels executives to act in the best interest of their company shareholders, provided their actions are within the law. The basis of this concept is methodological individualism (Crane, & Matten, 2010). The belief implies that the entity is the most important asset in the system. Habisch (2005) noted that such parties pursue ways in which they can best meet their own interests and act logically to increase self-satisfaction. The classical theory requires that if a corporate body â€Å"X† has $10, 000 and it is badly in need of raw materials that would cost half the money to make a product for a period of one month, it would exchange $5,000 for the material. This implies that there are no grounds for the company to spend the entire money on the raw materials when half of the amount would meet the current demand. Such strategy makes the company and its shareholders happy, considering that they would easily access the remainder of the money and benefit from the profits made through the reasoned expenditure. According to Blowfield and Murray (2014), the invisible hand of parties working together in an environment where each party stands to gain mutually satisfying exchanges creates the platform for the most sustainable economic system. As such, the classical theory requires that a corporate body that is keen on fulfilling its utilitarian institutional obligations to society

A research on the effects of birth order on personality family and society Essay Example for Free

A research on the effects of birth order on personality family and society Essay How Does Birth Order Affect Personality, Family, and Society? Introduction This research project will investigate birth order and how it directly affects one’s personality. This project explains why individuals behave differently within the family. According to the systems theory, families adapt in response to changes in internal and external needs and circumstances, including the development of individual family members (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). For primary research, opinions from different hierarchical perspectives will be provided through a survey. Depending on ones position in the sibling hierarchy, personalities differ because different stages carry different roles and responsibilities. This research project will look at how each stage affects personality. Method For the primary research, a total of fifteen questions were asked to 6 people. Each of the interviewees was of different levels in the sibling hierarchy, i.e. first born, last born, the middle child, only child, and twins. In between each question, the subjects would have time to properly think about their next answer, this way results would be accurate and as substantial as possible. The first interview was conducted with a set of 20-year-old twins, this interview was the most interesting and had the most answers. The next subject was a 13-year-old girl who is the only child of her family, the interview lasted seven minutes. The third interview was conducted with a 17-year-old girl, a 14-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy, they were all siblings and would represent each part of the sibling hierarchy. Topics about the personality and how it affects relationship within the home and outside of the home were discussed. The topics covered were: personality traits and parent-child relationships. Results All of the subjects were teenagers specifically because they would be experiencing the effects of their birth order currently as they are still at home with parents. One hundred percent of the interviewed subjects identified with, and agreed upon the following characteristics and stereotypes: First Borns: High achievers Perfectionists Obsessive Responsible Controlling Middle Children: Very Social Generous Diplomatic Mediators Values friendships and relationships Somewhat rebellious Last Borns: Attention seekers Outgoing Selfish Creative Humourous Discussion This study is supported by Alfred Adlers theory of personality development. Alder was influenced and inspired by Charles Darwin’s study of genetic evolution and adaptation. Darwin’s phenomena can help explain why children tend to differentiate their personalities and carry out tasks uniquely based on their own individual approach to life in order to reduce competition and conflict. Children influence most of the relations that happen within the family, they decide for themselves the role they will play in the family, parents only help reinforce those choices (Schafer, 2015). Some might deem themselves as the â€Å"responsible one†, the â€Å"goody-two-shoes†, the â€Å"smarty pants†, the athlete, the persevering etc†¦ Alder, who is a world-renowned psychologist would suggest that children be raised or treated individually; meaning as the unique individuals that they are. The primary socialization in a child’s life is determined by the fa mily. The family helps you gain a sense of who you are (Holloway, 107). If a child is not raised individually, with each of their stereotyped personality traits taken into consideration, it could result in a low self-esteem, conflict and possibly distance within the family. The Theory of Ego development, founded by Jane Loevinger discusses how ego is developed in three stages (Holloway, 105). The second stage of this theory talks about people understanding and accepting their individual differences and through that, distinguishing variations in feelings and emotions that make people unique (Holloway, 105). Most parents might not understand the psychology that is behind a child’s position in the family, which is why many children especially the middle child, might complain of lessened love and misunderstanding. A parent should feel responsible for the well-being of their child, but many of them overlook the importance of understanding the essence of birth order. 2 out of 5 interviewees described their relationship with their parents as normal without any real problems. The other 3 however, agreed upon the fact that their parents do not understand them and in fact treat their siblings and them the same and bringing them up as â€Å"one person†; saying things like â€Å"Be like sibling A†, â€Å"Sibling A gets very high grades, why is it different with you?†. It is a challenge for parents to understand their children and treat them based on their different characters and psyche, which is why most parents don’t even bother. Feelings of neglect and unimportance may arise within certain children when they compare their relationships with their parents to that of their siblings. Sibling relationships are one of the most significant relationships people experience through life. They help define our early social and cognitive skills. The emotional connection and protection that comes from a sibling bond is a great life satisfaction that helps reduce levels of depression. They can teach us about conflict resolution, managing social tensions, conduct friendships and handle ourselves in group situations (http://internationalschoolparent.com/). Gender also has a role to play in birth order positions. In the case of the first-born child, oldest males are more of leaders as they tend to take charge. Oldest daughters, on the other side of the spectrum, are more aggressive and confident, sometimes bossy. Middleborns are the Type O blood of relationships: They go with anyone, (Schipani, 2010). Middle children tend to be good at making compromises as they would have bossy older siblings and needy younger siblings. The youngest child of the family is usually treasured an d in many cases treated as babies for much longer than their older siblings. The youngest siblings of the family also tend to stray away from taking charge and might be seen as the shy and quiet sheep of the family. The only children of the family are usually stereotyped to be precious and would be pampered as they have all the attention on them; parents would not have to split attention and in worse cases love between siblings because there is only one child. Many say that only children are more mature for their age because of the amount of time they spend with their parents. My research showed that the 13-year-old girl interviewed who is the only child of the family, considered herself more socially aware than her peers and is very much accustomed to and satisfied with her own company. Symbolic interactionism examples that a child’s self-esteem is determined by the parent’s appraisal of the child’s worth, this occurs during the parent-child interaction. It assumes that supportive parental behavior like nurturance, approval, and love all determine a childs inherent worth (Adkins, 2003). The child will be able to confirm that his parents accept him for who he is and see him as a competent and worthwhile person. The more the parent interact with a child using positive sentiments, the child will positively act upon not just her immediate family but the environment around her. The theory states that if parent-child relationships are spread across equally amongst all children, all the children within the family will have an equal self-esteem.    Conclusion As proven by Alfred Adlers theory, birth order does have an effect on one’s personality. As well as individualistically, a child’s position in the family can reflect on his immediate family, meaning sibling and parent relationships as well as how they relate to the outside world. If parents dont learn to properly care for their children individualistically, conflict and feelings of incompetence could arise within the family. Citations Adkins, K. L. (2003, May). Predicting Self-Esteem Based on Perceived Parental Favoritism and Birth Order. In Tennessee State University Graduate Studies. Retrieved from http://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1907context=etd Schafer, A. (2015, May 5). Birth Order Theory. In HUFF POST PARENTS CANADA. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/05/05/birth-order-theory_n_7214638.html Schipani, D. (2010, May 28). How Does Birth Order Affect Relationships? In Womens Day. Retrieved from http://www.womansday.com/relationships/dating-marriage/advice/a1611/how-does-birth-order-affect-relationships-107592/ White, James Martin., and Margaret Holloway. Families in Canada: Social Contexts, Continuities, And Changes. Toronto: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. Print. Whiteman SD, McHale SM, Soli A. Theoretical perspectives on sibling relationships. J Fam Theory Rev. 2011;3:124–139. What Does Birth Order Say About You (n.d.). In International School Parent. Retrieved from http://internationalschoolparent.com/family-constellations-what-if-anything-does-birth-order-say-about-you/

A Basic Of GPS Technology

A Basic Of GPS Technology GPS Global Positioning Systems was a tool used by who has the need to navigate with the satellite through the microwave radio. Basically, GPS was use for route tracking in individual usage and it can use by different devices like pocket PC, forerunner and etc. But, nowadays a lot of organizations are using GPS technology to increase their business productivity like logistics company use GPS to keep track of the road in order to decrease the delivery time, travel agency or company use GPS to navigate the travel location and so on. The GPS is a rapid growth technology, which provides enhance flexibility and accuracy of positioning tracking for surveying, navigation and GIS data capture. It can divide by front end and back end usage in users segment site in a set of business GPS system. Front end consist navigation and back end include GIS data capture and surveying. GPS was a satellites based system which is space-based navigation system. By communication with the satellites, GPS require 3 parts of segments that are space segment, control segment and user segment. The GPS satellites act as a references point from orbit to ground detect the receivers position. By detecting the position, GPS satellites able to receive the data from counting the longitude and latitude of the receivers; then send back the require data to receivers in order to let the pointer move on map files. The map file is a file with extension (.img) which is like image file from our Windows. This map file only available in navigation devices like pocket PC and GPS navigators; GIS data capture was using different method to manipulate the GPS technology and different infrastructure. The famous GPS navigation device manufacturers and services provider are Garmin and Tom Tom. They are using government satellites and only allow accessing the satellites for navigation purpose. 1.2 The History of GPS Technology The first GPS satellite was available in United Stated government which is for military usage in Air Force in early 1978 called NAVSTAR (Navigation System with Timing and Ranging), now we called as GPS. At the same time, U.S. DoD (Department of Defense) has launched 11 satellites in orbit. In the year of 1979, U.S. DoD decided to expand the satellites system which is increase the quantity of the satellites in orbit from 11 to 18 and at the next year, which is year of 1980, the GPS atomic clocks onboard satellites has activated by using these 18 GPS satellites. GPS satellites are not only implemented by U.S. At the year of 1982, Russian Federation Ministry of Defense has launched a first GPS satellite for their country; it is called GLONASS (GLObal NAvigation Satellite System). Quantity of GPS satellites also has increased from 18 to 24 in year of 1988 because 18 satellites were not satisfying the requirements from these countries. In year of 2000, GPS technology growing into consumer and industry usage, it is no longer is the patent for military purposes which mean it allow use in individual and business. 50th GPS satellites have been launched on year of 2004, purposely to help to meet the requirements from the civil, industry and military. Year 2005, a special GPS satellite launched in order to support the new military M-signal and the second civil signal L2C called IIR-M GPS satellite. This satellite developed by Lockheed-Martin, this type of satellite can help to increase the power of signal to receivers on the land, improve the security with enhanced encryption method and also included anti- jamming capabilities for military. CHAPTER 2: FUNDAMENTAL OF GPS TECHNOLOGY 2.1 GPS Segments The GPS technology was established by 3 segments or as known as GPS system segmentation which are space segment, control segment and user segment. They are performing different tasks and send or receive different kinds of signal to each other when GPS is performing the tasks. 2.1.1 Space Segment The space segments major component is GPS satellites. The space segment currently has 28 satellites orbiting the earth on 6 different orbital planes. The satellites orbit altitude was selected so that the satellites only repeat the same orbit track over any point on earth on 24 hours which mean each satellites has its own track, they will not spend on others track. The distance between earth surface and satellites are approximately 20,200 kilometers and satellites travel at about 12,000 kilometers per hour rounding the earth. Every satellite was using solar power with a backup battery and it contains a microwave radio transmitter and receiver, and one or more atomic clocks and small thrusters using for course correction and special antennas. The special antenna on the GPS satellites are designed for allow GPS data signals to be send and receive anywhere from the earth surface with distance approximately 5,000 kilometers into space. This service not only meets the individual usage req uirement, it is also providing the military needs which satellite tracking and missile guidance capabilities. 2.1.2 Control Segment The control segment is a satellite station which is operated by U.S. military. There are 5 satellites station in the world but 4 are unmanned satellite stations. These 4 unmanned satellites station are established at Hawaii (Pacific), Ascension (Atlantic), Diego Garcia (Indian) and Kwajalein (Pacific). They are used for receive and send data to or from satellites and trace the actual position of the satellites. Then, the information from 4 unmanned satellites station is periodically send to master station which is in Colorado Spring (U.S.), master station will combine the information and establishes correction factors. This information was used for update atomic clocks on satellites if necessary and also can use to adjust the thruster position in orbits and maintain them in the proper slot. 2.1.3 User Segment The user segment is related with the all the GPS receiver users and GPS satellites signal. It is very important to track the position of the GPS users. User segment transmit GPS signal with satellites as synchronizing; if each of them lost the signal connection, satellites will not able to track the GPS users position. GPS satellites can transmit the data with unlimited GPS receivers at any one time and providing stable connectivity with all the users. The user segment served by many commercial industries whose like GPS device manufacturers and resellers are selling GPS hardware, application and service. Anyone selling GPS devices are not requiring license, fees and restriction to access to satellites. 2.2 Data Format and Hardware Interface In order to let GPS receivers function properly, it requires different signals from GPS satellites. These signals are broadcasted by satellites after time and position are determined and calculated. To ensure the GPS receivers and satellites can working properly by each others, manufacturer will provide defined data format and protocol (proprietary) or using international standard data format (NMEA). 2.2.1 Data Format Data Format had divided by 2 types which are proprietary and NMEA data format. In this section, it will state the details of both data format for GPS technology. Proprietary Data Format Propriety data format was a data format formatted and defined by manufacturer itself. Most manufacturers define their own data sets and control command in GPS receivers. For example, data require by receivers from GPS satellites will be formatted to proprietary format to working to their own brand receivers such as height, speed, status, position and etc. all can be communicated. Different manufacturer or receivers brand has different propriety data format because each manufacturer has develop their own data format. NMEA Data Format NMEA Data Format was controlled and created by U.S. based National Marine Electronics Association. It used for ensure data exchange take places without any issues and problems by standardized the data format. NMEA was a combination of the electrical and data specification use for communication between GPS receivers. NMEA used a simple protocol to define how a data transmitted to a message from a GPS satellite to many GPS receivers which means data sent by GPS satellites will be translate to NMEA in order to let GPS receivers to understand. 2.2.2 Hardware Interfaces Antenna Antenna absolutely used for receive GPS signal from satellites. Antenna for GPS receivers are 2 types available in our market, they are Patch antenna and Helix antenna. Patch antenna is a flat and usually has a metalized and ceramic body which amounted on a metal base plate. Helix antennae has a cylindrical helical and mounted on a ground plane. Compared with patch antenna, helix antenna had high gain signal and stable. To ensure patch antenna has high degree selectivity by GPS receivers manufacturers, the base to patch surface ratio has been modified and adjusted to meet the smaller GPS receivers requirements. Supply Supply in GPS receivers are used for supply power to GPS receivers. Basically, receivers must be powered an external voltage source about 3.3 Volts to 6.0 Volts. Time Pulse Time pulse used for GPS receivers to generate time pulse in every second. Most of the time format will be synchronize to UTC (Universal Time Coordinated) time format by time pulse. Time format before synchronize generate to UTC format are TAI (Atomic Time), GPS Time, Satellite Time and Local Time. 2.2.3 Receivers Module GPS receivers must measure the weak signals from at least 4 GPS satellites which in order to ensure can determine and calculate the position and time correctly in 3D (three dimension) position. Time signal was often emitted with latitude, longitude, height and synchronized with UTC. When determine and calculate the time and position, other variables like speed and acceleration also calculated at the same time. The signal received from satellites are about 1575.42 MHz, the signal are pre-amplified and transform to a low intermediate frequency. After that, the low intermediate frequency signal will be converting into digital signal (2 bits). By converting the signal to 2 bits digital signal, receivers can understand the data send by GPS satellites and able to calculate the require variables and display the final output for the users. 2.3 GPS Devices A GPS device was a device that receive GPS signal to determine the location or position on the earth. Nowadays, a lot of different type GPS devices are available in the market like GPS navigator and etc. In this section, I am going to discuss the consumer products in our market. 2.3.1 GPS Navigator GPS navigators are specially designed for position tracking and they are portable. GPS navigators have a flat screen and provide touch screen feature, the screen normally are 3.0 inch to 6.0 inch. In order to let consumers has an up-to-date map image, manufacturers are using image file to represent the map. It had a graphical map to provide a good user interface to ease to use to the users. When the consumers request to update their map image, reseller or retailer just copy the latest image file to the GPS navigator and replace the old map image file. 2.3.2 Pocket PC Pocket PC as known as mobile, PDA or smart phone. It is not specially designed for tracking the position. Because of the competition on the market, mobile manufacturers add on a lot of features into their products in order to attract more consumers and increase the sales. GPS function is one of the add on feature. Nowadays, GPS manufacturers have provide different platform GPS software to meet the market requirement. For mobile, platform can be divided by 3 major platforms which are Windows, Android, Symbian and iOS. Same as GPS navigator, mobile GPS has a graphical map and also structured by image file. It provide ease to maintain and easy to install by mobile resellers and retailers. 2.3.3 Forerunner The GPS Forerunner was a sport watch and made GPS navigator manufacturers such as Garmin and Tom Tom. The purpose of the production of the forerunner is targeted to triathletes and road runners. The forerunners are designed as a device that can accurate to measuring the speed, altitude, distance, pace and time, all of these are important to an athlete in training for races. By using forerunner, athletes can know their running speed, distance between starting point and end point, time to complete the training and so on. It can help them to improve their running speed by seeing physical result and using forerunner. CHAPTER 3: THE USE OF GPS TECHNOLOGY 3.1 GPS Applications Since the GPS technology became more and more advanced and ideal, GPS has been used in variety of the applications for real-time in-vehicle tracking. These are included probe vehicle surveillance, congestion management, fleet management, travel diary surveys and GPS and map matching. 3.1.1 GPS Applications in Probe Vehicle Surveillance Transportation experts have been explore use of the floating car technique to obtain cars travel time information since 1920s but it is done by manually by human which is driver record all the require information themselves. Human errors are always became the major problem for data incorrect issues. As computer technology improved, this manual method has replaced by DMI (Distance Measuring Instrument) which determine the distance and speed by pulses from a sensor to vehicles. It also generated a problem which overwhelming data file sent by sensor caused the computers storage problem. GPS technology has overcome the disk storage and data error problems since GPS able to work with GIS (Geographical Information Systems), it provide automatic geo-coding of positioning and speed data. This feature can let the transportation experts see the vehicle travel information on the spot from GIS. Data require can be analyzed by GIS sent by GPS which GPS become a front end which perform sending data to back end which GIS. Analyzed data will store in to a database and generated as a report, it could be largely reduce the human input error and overcome overwhelming file causing the disk storage problem. 3.1.2 GPS Applications in Congestion Management The traffic congestion will beyond the personal inconveniences felt by individual travelers. Roadway safety and environment quality are factors arise the congestion. A CMS (Congestion Management System) is a decision support system using for choosing strategies and alternatives to have a better relieve traffic congestion. CMS using GPS-GIS approach for collecting require congestion data. GPS used for collecting data and GIS used for display information like traffic corridor. The analyzed data can used by congestion management in order to calculate and determine traveler delay, vehicle emissions, idling time and wasted fuel. 3.1.3 GPS Applications in Fleet Management GPS technology can used for translate fleet location data into real-time reporting. When combined all the technologies used by management, it can help to provide a services solution for all sizes of fleets like fleet maintenance and cost-effective tracking. GPS can help fleet management to improve efficiency by real time vehicle status and location reports or routes and driving history collection. This information can help trucking organizations assess delivery performance to improve the route plan, fleets scheduling and dispatching capabilities. Government services fleets such as fire trucks, ambulances and police cars also using GPS for route guidance of the nearest vehicle that has face the incident. 3.1.4 GPS Applications in Travel Surveys Travel survey basically done by government; objective of the travel survey was they need to understand peoples travel behavior in order to more easy to maintain traffic order and national road construction. The purpose of using GPS technology in travel surveys is to supplement or replace form of travel survey collection by interview and forms filled by interviewees. GPS was advantageous in reducing respondents burden, improving data quality, collecting additional information and the survey period can be extended to everyday. Traditional way to implement survey is conducted using paper and pencil interview, sometime it can be increase respondents burden and information given are not correct. GPS can provide detailed and analyzed information about trip and travel behavior. By accessing GPS satellites, government can retrieve the information easily; it can help them more easily to achieve their targets. 3.1.5 GPS Applications and Map Matching Map matching is more focus on algorithm and alternative to using point-to-point distance estimation. Because of different tracking system developers has develop different types of tracking systems, the algorithm used and alternative to estimate the distance are different such as voice based tracking system does not consist graphical interface, may using voice and sound to tracking the route or vehicle from back end station. GPS applications used in map matching was using different algorithm; it has graphical interface and back end station able to track the vehicle on the spot. The algorithm of GPS applications to matching map has 3 major steps which are smoothing procedure by removing anomalies from the raw GPS data, identified the vehicle taken en-route and the actual matching of point to the GPS network. Algorithm was standardized, it help the developers more easy to implement a tracking system with better performance and trusted or reliable. 3.2 Reasons to Consider GPS in Business Applications 3.2.1 Automation of Many Record Keeping Functions By using GPS, information related with track or vehicle can automate schedule to store and retrieve without human interaction. Vehicle can be auto tracking by GPS system such as track the services location, routes used and equipment drop off points. And then, it is also able to recording down employees (delivery person, driver and etc.) hours of work and vehicle automatically. 3.2.2 Improved Operations GPS providing real time tracking on vehicle; if any incidents happening on vehicle drivers, managers can understand the vehicle status or location in order to make decision to solve the incidents immediately. Therefore, GPS enable real time decision making for the organizations which are using GPS systems. 3.2.3 Decreased Wear and Tear Means controlling the speed of the vehicle can prevent excessive of tires and engine wear because of vehicle are tracking by back end station to eliminate the drivers furious driving. By tracking vehicles, it can also help an organization to eliminate of unauthorized use of company vehicle in order to reduce overall vehicle mileage. 3.2.4 Better Use of Company Resources By using GPS system to tracking vehicles, it can help an organization to identify and eliminate of unauthorized use of company vehicle in order to reduce fuel wasted. Active management of vehicles enables fact based decisions to save the time and human power to analyzing the virtual information to making a decision. 3.2.5 Efficient Route Management and Dispatching Support GPS systems able to find a shortest route to reduce the delivery time, calculate the time arriving in the locations based on the distance and speed driving in order to let the drivers know when he will arrive and how long the distance he should travel. Management also able be aware of the driving direction by tracking the vehicles in order to prevent service delay. 3.2.6 Faster Response Time GPS provide automation of keeping record of vehicle status, driver travel behavior in order to improve driver efficiency. GPs also can guide the drivers to go to their services by using GPS navigator which helping them to prevent lost on road. 3.2.7 Reduced Liability and Insurance Costs By using advanced GPS system, the chances for the accidents also can be reduced because drivers driving speed was tracking by GIS which is used in back end. Therefore, most of the insurance companies are more likely giving discount for those who using the GPS systems and insured paid also can be reduced. Tracking system always keeping record automated, it can help company to avoid the false claims by drivers with tracking data in the database. 3.2.8 Employee Safety Drivers travel behavior was tracking by GPS system and it store into database as information. By tracking, it can help keep drivers to maintain well situated speed and focused on safe driving. Company also can be reward for those safe drivers based on the information tracked to improve their faith on safe driving. CHAPTER 4: INTEGRATION OF GPS WITH BUSINESS APPLICATIONS 4.1 GPS Comparative Systems in Business Nowadays, GPS has integrated with business applications and it has different types of systems. A differentiation between those systems on the market are how they communicate with the office, where the information should stored for analyzing process and how they handle driving history or vehicles information. Different type of the systems has different type information handling process. Today, comparative systems have divided by 3 types; they are passive (stored data) system, active (real-time) system and hybrid (combined) system. 4.1.1 Passive (Stored Data) System By using passive system, it requires an onboard recording device to store GPS signal data during vehicles travel time. Information stored on the onboard device is used for upload and retrieval to the office computers after vehicles return back to the home base. Alternatively, data stored on the onboard device also can be transfer to removable storage modules. It can send to the office computers by email when the people are away from the office. Strengths Provide solution for those vehicles that do not return to the home base every day. Saving costs for communication between companies computers and vehicles. Saving computers storage while office staff can select the information which files they want to retrieve and store in the computers. Limitations May require additional removable data storage module to retrieval the vehicles information. Not provide real time tracking process, information may not up-to-date and obsolete. Status of on travel vehicles are not well known immediately, slower response time when facing incident. 4.1.2 Active (Real-Time) System Active system relying on GPS receiver mounted on the companies vehicles. And, it also requires a wireless data communication conduit like cellular data line built into a device. Real time of GPS signal data such as speed driving, longitude, latitude and driving direction will be transmitted over the wireless cellular data line to data collection point in a set of interval. Data collection can point be companies office or GPS tracking system service providers website. These information can be transmit as directly to the vehicles home base or Internet site which GPS tracking system service providers, the subscribing companies can view its vehicles activity on the webpage. Strengths Allow office staff to keep track of vehicle activity real time without contact with the drivers. Facilitates to make emergent adjustments for special situations like vehicles damaged in accidents, management can assign another vehicles to complete the tasks. Limitations May require manpower to observe the vehicles activity updates throughout the whole working day. Cost of the data transmit could be very high due to the cellular data line. Information stored on the service providers only available for a shorten time, causing difficult for long term analyzing. 4.1.3 Hybird (Combined) System Combination of passive system and active system, it providing real time vehicles tracking feature and the information tracked can stored in the computers for long term analyzing or permanently. Hybird system required all the components, devices and equipments used in passive system and active system. Real time data will be transmitted to the data storage over the network immediately, information in computers database are synchronized with real time GPS data. It is not required user interaction during information retrieve and store progress. Strengths Information stored are completed and updated, companies management ease to access the fresh data anytime. Interruption of the communication would not affect the information lost since onboard device also perform jobs to store the vehicles travel information. No user interaction required, save the labor cost to observe the vehicles activity updates throughout the whole working day. Limitations More expensive compared others system which required all the components from passive system and active system. Computers storage unit easily full and wasting the storage due with the real time store procedures and save as permanently. 4.2 GPS Business Information System Components Most of the GPS Business Information Systems are combined from different sub-system or components. Generally, these components are perform different tasks in order to let whole the system became more perfection. These components working in different areas like back end, front end and etc. 4.2.1 GPS Units / AVL (Automated Vehicle Location) GPS units were onboard vehicle devices and it using AVL technology in GPS business information systems. AVL was a vehicle tracking system. For vehicles, real-time positioning for each vehicle was tracked and measured by AVL. Basically, vehicles travel history and activity information is temporary stored in vehicles for a short time, which means time for information stored in the vehicles can be as short as a few seconds or as long as several minutes. This information will transform into a raw form or processed on-board in vehicles before its transmission to the control center usually called back end. AVL used in onboard vehicles which included GPS units such as GPS navigator, removable storage module and satellites signal receiver module. AVL can trace the vehicles location and position over the signal receiver module. Then, manipulate the data into a raw form either store in removable storage module or control center. 4.2.2 Data Processing and Server / GIS (Geographical Information Systems) GPS system using GIS engine in server to manipulate the information collected from AVL. GIS can be display the information in graphical form in order to let the user interface became more interested and easy to understand by end users. Information collected from AVL usually stored in the server, server can stored more information and more powerful to perform the heavy tasks like DBMS (Database Management System) processing. In server, GIS are performing historical data generation which is related with standard RDBMS (Relational Database Management System) like using Oracle or SQL and also crystal reporting. The major to using GIS engine was end user usually require a graphical map in order to let them know the activity of the vehicles on road more clearly, provide user friendly to the end users and information analyzed are accurate. Data processing and server usually happening in control center or back end office specialized for management. 4.2.3 Communications / Network Communications are a middleman between GPS units and data processing and server. Communications can have many types such as GSMSMS, GSMGPRS, iDEN, TETRA, Satellites, and Wireless download. The purpose for using communications is transfer the information from GPS units to server. Different data processing and server system architecture require different kinds of network. Different communication protocols and network also can be used simultaneously, it depend on budget of the companies and see either how the developers going to design for the system. Communication usually needs to subscribe from third parties communication companies like in Malaysia have TM, the monthly services fee should be paid by the organization and the amount can be large depending on the system modules or its infrastructure. Therefore, communication fees became routine payment after developing system. 4.3 Types of Business Industry Using GPS Technology Nowadays, GPS technology became more and more popular in business usages. It integrated with others system in order to improve business process, increase business productivity and etc. Different business industry using different GPS technology, harvest from using GPS also will be different. In this section, I am going to discuss GPS technology used by different business industry; they are agriculture, forestry and tourism. 4.3.1 Agriculture In agriculture industry, they are used GPS in site-specific farming or precision agriculture and it is combining GPS and GIS technology. The technologies used can help farmers to enabling coupling of real time data capturing with analyze of large amounts of geography information, accuracy of positioning data capture and leading to the efficiency manipulation. The GPS applications in precision farming are farm planning, tractor guidance, filed mapping, crop scouting, soil sampling and yield mapping. The major reason for precision farming was collecting timely geography data on prescribes or requirements of plants, soil and animals to increase their production in farming and protect their environment. The approaches stated above are relying in integration of computer based system, GPS positioning and time and data collection sensor. Through using GPS in farming, information for improve the soil and water can be improved for plants growth. Farmers can obtain extra benefits from soil amendments and fertilizers such as quality and quantity increased for the harvest by soil improvement. Moreover, crop advisors also used GPS with rugged data collection tools for accurate position to insect, pest and weed injury in the farming field. The areas which affected by pest will mapped and pinpointed for future decisions make by management. It used to solve the pest problems by using minimal chemicals to protect the crops and land soil. Minimal chemicals used not only helping them to protect their crops and land soil, it is also helping them to saving the cost used to purchase chemicals, reduce environmental pollution and public nuisances. 4.3.2 Forestry GPS technology used in forestry industry area was called as precision forestry. The GPS forestry system was aimed to the accuracy of GPS data collected from forest vehicles machine like forest trucks in different level of forest to increase the organizations forest vehicle machine performance and reduce to costs wasted in vehicle machines. GPS is being used for managing forest and timberland resources. If using a mobile forest harvesting machine, data collected from GPS able to improve design of the forest engineering and decisions of the management based on forest vehicle machine performance information as function of timber stand and terrain variables. The technologies are combining GPS and GIS to ensure the data collected can be more efficiency for organization operations use. The GPS applications in forestry industry are locating of sample plots in forest stands, navigating for aerial surveys and updating forest maps. To locating of sample plots in forest, GPS receiver is using fo