Holes Book Report Essay

Holes Book Report Essay Louis Sachar was born march 20, 1954 in New York. He is an American author of childrens books. He has written twenty-four books. Louis Sachar is best known for the Sideways Stories From Wayside School book series and the novel Holes. For the novel Holes Sachar won a National Book Award and the Newbery Medal. Holes sold in five millions copies, and it became a movie in 2003. Plot: The book is about a boy named Stanley Yelnats IV, who is supposedly a very unlucky person because of a family curse. He was sent to Camp Green Lake, after being falsely accused of stealing a pair of sneakers that belonged to a famous baseball player, Clyde Livingstone, from a charity auction to benefit the homeless. At camp Green Lake, Stanley was assigned a bed and given two pairs of clothes and a shovel. Stanley and the other boys who stayed there had to dig one hole each day which was supposed to build character. He later found out that the Warden was making them dig holes in order to find a treasure. One day Stanley agreed to teach his new friend Zero how to read and write and in exchange Zero would dig Stanleys hole for one hour everyday. The other boys got jealous of watching Stanley do nothing, and a fight broke out between the other boys and Stanley. Zero got angry and then ran away into the desert. Stanley decided to go after him the next day. After running deep into the desert he finally found Zero. They decided to climb to the mountaintop called Gods thumb in hopes of finding refuge. Stanley found a field of onions and water. For many days they survived on the onions and water. They planned to find the treasure that was hidden at the camp and so decided to make their way back. They returned to the camp to dig out the treasure. What they did not know was that they dig in a yellow-spotted-lizard-nest, and before trying to leave they were surrounded by the lizards. Setting: The story takes place at a juvenile detention facility called Camp Green Lake. The camp is located in a barren and desolate desert. There are only some rundown buildings and some tents. There is also no plant life except for two trees. Also, the lake is completely dry, and in daytime the sun is burning hot. The fact that there is no water in the desert plays a role in the story because it makes it difficult for the boys to escape from the camp. One hundred and ten years ago Camp Green Lake was the largest lake in Texas. The lake was full of clear blue water, and it was lined with peach trees. We do not get to know the exact time and year that the story takes place in, but I think the story takes place around thirty years ago, in 1981. This is because they used cellphones and cars and also, the book was released in 1998. The story takes place in the months May and June, because on the 8th of June it was Zeros birthday and then Stanley had been at camp for fifty-six days. The book is a mix of fantasy and realistic fiction. This is because a lot of the events in the book could also happen in reality, and for many people some of the situations in the book could be for real. The book is also fantasy because his family is cursed with bad luck. The story is told by the narrator in third person point of view. Stanley Yelnats: Stanley is the protagonist of the book. He is fifteen-years old, he doesnt have friends and he is overweighed. He has constant bad luck that was brought to his family by his great-great-grandfather. While he is at Camp Green Lake he loses weight and develops physical strength. The other boys gave him the nickname Caveman. At first Stanley only looks at the negative sides of himself, but when he becomes friends with Zero, the least popular boy, he finds strength. His friendship with Zero helps Stanley to discover his own courage, happiness and self-confidence. By the time he is released, Stanley gets a new positive sense of himself. Zero: Zero is an African American boy. He is fifteen-years old. He is illiterate, but Stanley teaches him how to read and write. He had a mother but he doesnt know what happen to her, and the rest of his life he had been homeless. He is intelligent and very good at math. Zero was sent to Camp Green Lake after stealing a pair of sneakers. He tells that he used to steal, but he only stole what he needed. Theme: Friendship is an important theme in the book. When Stanley comes to Camp Green Lake he is insecure and dont have self-confidante. After he becomes friends with the other boys he becomes more self-confidante. Its important to have good friends and someone to talk with. Also when Stanley carries Zero in the desert, because zero was too weak its a symbol of friendship. The theme is how fate and history impact everyday life. We can say that destinys shoes landed on Stanley, because his life became much better after staying at Camp Green Lake. The curse is broken, or maybe never had been there. Stanley was finally at the right place at the right time. My opinion: I liked the book because it was exciting. In the beginning of the book it was kind of boring, but at the same time I wanted to continue reading. This was because they only dug holes and that was kind of boring, but I wanted to know why they dug all those holes and thats what made it exciting. Recommendation: I recommend this book for girls and boys between twelve and sixteen years. Both girls and boys who like to read an exciting, and mystery book could read Holes.

Organ Donation and Forest Depletion Depicted in Fitzhugh’s The Organ Gr

Organ Donation and Forest Depletion Depicted in Fitzhugh’s The Organ Grinders On the back of my drivers license there is a box which will allow me to donate organs if I wish to do so. Upon first receiving my license I didn’t know whether to sign it or where I could find three witnesses to watch me sign. Modern science is allowing people to live longer than ever before, and transplanting failed organs is another method to preserve our frail lives. The problem with human organ transplantation is there is never enough supply to meet the high demand. With organ transplants being a problem in our society, the diminishing rain forest is another pressing issue. It has been estimated that our rain forests could disappear within 40 years at our current logging rate (Raintree, 2004). The reason we were always told to recycle and ‘save a tree’ is because the rain forests provide our breathing air. The rain forests provide a home for many animals and removing the animals from their home will cause extinction. In the novel The Organ Grinders, P aul Symon the main character, observes the apparent problem that exists in rain forest depletion and with organ transplantation. With a few significant changes, the damage done by these technologies can be minimized and life be treasured. As an adolescent Paul Symon proposed a plan to Jerry Landis who was the owner of Landaq, a biotechnology corporation. Once Landis got a photo with Paul to make him feel good and got him to leave, Landis and his photographer burst into laughter. â€Å"Then he saw Jerry Landis drop his proposal into the wastebasket. And with that simple act, Jerry Landis taught Paul a painful lesson†¦it wasn’t the worst thing Jerry Landis would ever do to him.†(Fitzhugh,... ...e Organ Grinders. New York: Avon, 1998 â€Å"John J. Fung† Transplanting Animal Organs Into Humans Is Feasible 1999 Nov http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_2654_128/ai_57564084 â€Å"Alan H. Berger† Xenotransplantation: The Ethics, the Science, the Risks 1996 March 15 http://articles.animalconcerns.org/ar-voices/archive/xeno_risks.html â€Å"Alexander Tabarrok† A Moral Solution to the Organ Shortage 2001 February http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?ID=283 â€Å"savetherainforest.org† Facts about the rainforest http://www.savetherainforest.org/savetherainforest_007.htm â€Å"wikipedia† Rainforest 2004http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainforest â€Å"rain-tee.com† Rain forest facts 2004 http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm â€Å"Robert E. Michler† Xenotransplantation: Risks, Clinical Potential, and Future Prospects 1996 March http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol2no1/michler.htm

Frances Welfare System Essay -- International Government

The welfare system in France is founded on the principle of solidarity. Solidarity is sense of the responsibility of the individuals in the society to help each other out. This is all for the common good (Spicker). In order to promote solidarity, France has a welfare system that includes universal entitlements, social insurance, means-tested public assistance, and tax expenditures programs. One aspect of the French welfare system is universal entitlements. One universal entitlement under the French welfare system is health insurance. Every citizen in Frances is able to have healthcare insurance. For those citizens that are employed, the employer and employee both finance the insurance. However, the government pays for the health care of the unemployed. In both the case of employed and unemployed, there is no deductible. France’s health care system seems to be working quite well since it is ranked as the best in the world according to the World Health Organization (Capell 2007). Free nursery provision for every child three years and up is another universal entitlement. Once the child is old enough to attend school, an additional universal entitlement is in place. All French citizens receive a free education. This free education does not just end after secondary education. In fact, there are 86 universities in France that are free to attend. (Rochefort). Universal entitlements are just one aspect of the French welfare system. Another component of the welfare system is means-tested public assistance. For just housing alone, there are two types of means-tested public assistances: social housing and mortgage subsidies. There are government owned housing for those in need like lower income citizens. In addition to government housin... ...sinessweeks, Stock Market & Financial Advice. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_28/b4042070.htm (accessed December 6, 2013). Evans, Martin. "New Economy." Means Testing Flaws. www.martin-evans.org/assets/files/MeansTestingFlawsNewEconomy.pdf (accessed December 6, 2013) Rochefort, Harriet. "Facts on Education in France." Education in France. www.understandfrance.org/France/Education. (accessed December 6, 2013) Spicker, Paul. "The Welfare State." An Introduction to Social Policy. http://www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/wstate.htm#France (accessed December 6, 2013). Wingert, Jamie. "Country Case Studies and Links." University of Pittsburgh. http://www.pitt.edu/~heinisch/ca_fran.html (accessed December 6, 2013). 2011. "Making work pay." Economist 399, no. 8738: 60-61. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed December 6, 2013).

Revenge in Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights :: Wuthering Heights Essays

Wuthering Heights - Revenge Emily Bronte, who never had the benefit of former schooling, wrote Wuthering Heights.   Bronte has been declared as a â€Å"romantic rebel† because she ignored the repressive conventions of her day and made passion part of the novelistic tradition. Unlike stereotypical novels, Wuthering Heights has no true heroes or villains.   The narration of the story is very unique and divergent because there are multiple narrators.   Bronte’s character Lockwood is used to narrate the introductory and concluding sections of the novel whereas Nelly Dean narrates most of the storyline.   It’s interesting that Nelly Dean is used because of her biased opinions.   There are many major themes of the book, but revenge is the most imminent theme, the factor that leads the protagonists to their dismal fate.   Bronte proves there is no peace in eternal vengeance, and in the end self-injury involved in serving revenge’s purposes will be more damaging than the original wrong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Heathcliff never finds peace through his revenge.   In fact, the only time he truly finds happiness is when he gives up his plan for retaliation.  Ã‚   Austin O’Malley states   â€Å"Revenge is like biting a dog that bit you†Ã‚   (O’malley 1).   O’Malley’s quote reflects Heathcliff’s immature need to propagate agony in those who have offended him.   Heathcliff’s plan for revenge on Edgar and Catherine is to marry Isabella, who is ignorant of love and of men because she has never experienced either.   He wants to hurt Edgar because of his marriage to Catherine, and he wants to get revenge on Catherine by making her jealous. Catherine’s death proves that this flawed plan of repayment helps nothing.   Heathcliff, haunted by the ghost of Catherine because he is her â€Å"murderer,† still is motivated by the need for revenge and tries to get young Cathy away from Edgar by having her marry his son, Linton.   Heathcliff never finds peace until he gives up his plan for revenge just before he dies.   When Heathcliff gives up his plan for revenge, he meets Catherine in death and truly becomes happy once more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Catherine’s revenge does not make things better for her.   Her   revenge on Heathcliff by blaming him for her upcoming death does not meliorate her mind.   Just before she dies, she ascribes Heathcliff for her â€Å"murder.†Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"You have killed me, and thriven on it, I think† (Bronte 158).   Catherine resembles what Oliver Goldsmith said,   â€Å"When lovely woman stoops to folly, and finds too late that men betray, what charm can soothe her melancholy?

Television Violence Essay -- TV Ratings System

I went to pick up my daughter from preschool today only to find out that she punched a little girl. She also kicked the teacher. I sat down with her and asked her why she hurt them. She said, "I didn't hurt them I was using my powers." I wondered where she might be getting the idea that she had powers, and that it didn't hurt anyone when she used those powers. I thought back to the last few nights. The only different thing in her life was the new show Power Puff Girls. It was then I realized that this new cartoon show she had been watching at home just might be the cause. Children learn behavior through examples. Television is a major influence. One area of concern is the violent content in children's television and their access to other inappropriate programming. The government has the ability to rule and regulate stations both nationally and locally. Exposure to violence on television can affect the way children behave toward their environment. This creates an additional responsibility for parents and teachers to not only protect children from violence but to also teach children to resist violence. Because of the negative influence of violent television programming for children, and their easy access to other violent programs; the government, teachers, and parents need to educate and protect children against violence. Thanks to technology, we have many more opportunities available to us. This expands the world of education to many who would otherwise not have it. However, this advance of technology has also allowed our children to be exposed to inappropriate programming on television. The violent content is not only on regular programs that children are allowed to view, but it is also a main theme in shows geared to young children, especially in cartoons. I asked Jean Cobb, a Child Care Provider at The Children's Center, "What type of programming has the most violent influence and why?" She said, "Cartoons have always been around but the violence hasn't been brought to our attention until recently. There aren't many cartoons that don't have violence." Children learn a lot of their behavior through the examples set on television. These behaviors appear while interacting with other children. I have observed children fight, hit, bite, spit and use many mean words to other children. The same behavior is commonplace on children's programming. This can... ...side affects of the violent behavior. Parents must be wary of the programming that children are viewing. In combining our efforts government, teachers, and parents can teach children to act and react appropriately and responsibly. Cobb said, "I think everyone in their daily lives and all of society have stressful times. Adults need to learn to handle their emotions so that we can be role models for the children. We need peers to use as a sounding board to keep our frustrations in tact." In order to teach, we need to be teachable. In order to protect, we need to be informed of dangers. Protecting, educating, and teaching resistance to violence are some ways to help improve children's behavior. Works Cited "Child and Family Canada" Television Violence: A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages http://www.cfc-efc.ca/docs/00001068.htm Cobb, Jean. Child Care Provider USI. Personal Interview. 17 Nov. 2011. "Factsheet" Chronology of Main Events & Initiatives Undertaken Related To The Issue Of Television Violence   Ã‚  2010 http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/tvle.htm "A Family Guide to TV Ratings" A Family Guide to TV Ratings http://www.ncta.com/guidelines.html Television Violence Essay -- TV Ratings System I went to pick up my daughter from preschool today only to find out that she punched a little girl. She also kicked the teacher. I sat down with her and asked her why she hurt them. She said, "I didn't hurt them I was using my powers." I wondered where she might be getting the idea that she had powers, and that it didn't hurt anyone when she used those powers. I thought back to the last few nights. The only different thing in her life was the new show Power Puff Girls. It was then I realized that this new cartoon show she had been watching at home just might be the cause. Children learn behavior through examples. Television is a major influence. One area of concern is the violent content in children's television and their access to other inappropriate programming. The government has the ability to rule and regulate stations both nationally and locally. Exposure to violence on television can affect the way children behave toward their environment. This creates an additional responsibility for parents and teachers to not only protect children from violence but to also teach children to resist violence. Because of the negative influence of violent television programming for children, and their easy access to other violent programs; the government, teachers, and parents need to educate and protect children against violence. Thanks to technology, we have many more opportunities available to us. This expands the world of education to many who would otherwise not have it. However, this advance of technology has also allowed our children to be exposed to inappropriate programming on television. The violent content is not only on regular programs that children are allowed to view, but it is also a main theme in shows geared to young children, especially in cartoons. I asked Jean Cobb, a Child Care Provider at The Children's Center, "What type of programming has the most violent influence and why?" She said, "Cartoons have always been around but the violence hasn't been brought to our attention until recently. There aren't many cartoons that don't have violence." Children learn a lot of their behavior through the examples set on television. These behaviors appear while interacting with other children. I have observed children fight, hit, bite, spit and use many mean words to other children. The same behavior is commonplace on children's programming. This can... ...side affects of the violent behavior. Parents must be wary of the programming that children are viewing. In combining our efforts government, teachers, and parents can teach children to act and react appropriately and responsibly. Cobb said, "I think everyone in their daily lives and all of society have stressful times. Adults need to learn to handle their emotions so that we can be role models for the children. We need peers to use as a sounding board to keep our frustrations in tact." In order to teach, we need to be teachable. In order to protect, we need to be informed of dangers. Protecting, educating, and teaching resistance to violence are some ways to help improve children's behavior. Works Cited "Child and Family Canada" Television Violence: A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages http://www.cfc-efc.ca/docs/00001068.htm Cobb, Jean. Child Care Provider USI. Personal Interview. 17 Nov. 2011. "Factsheet" Chronology of Main Events & Initiatives Undertaken Related To The Issue Of Television Violence   Ã‚  2010 http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/tvle.htm "A Family Guide to TV Ratings" A Family Guide to TV Ratings http://www.ncta.com/guidelines.html

Body Paragraphs Essay

There have been thousands of studies done on the effects of television on children. Most of these studies have leaned toward the negative effects that television has on children. According to a study by the University of Michigan, even though television can have positive effects it can also affect the health, behavior and family life of children in negative ways. Also while studies have been done on the effects that television has on children under the age of two there has been no clear evidence on the effects. Some studies have shown that it may lead to learning and attention problems, but not the experts have agreed this is true. Children are seeing more and more violence on television every day. Even in G rated movies children are subject to violent acts. All we have to do is look at some of the Disney movies over the years. While Snow White was a positive upbeat person that was nice to everyone, she was still killed by the wicked witch. The movie the Lion King shows children how Scar plotted the death of Mufasa and it shows Simba coming back for revenge. Then you have cartoons like The Simpsons and Family Guy. These show play up the use of foul language, violence, and disrespecting everyone, especially your parents. The characters on these shows have become idols. Bart Simpson and Stewie have become idols to children. They talk like them and act like them. They think that when they are violent or they curse or when they disrespect their parents it is funny and something that they should do. An average American child will see 200,000 violent acts and 16,000 murders on TV by the age of 18 (www.med.umich.edu). This viewing of violent acts are desensitizing are children to violence. They are becoming less aware of violent acts or just don’t care that much when they happen right in front of  them. There is a research report that was written in 2009 by Brad J. Bushman and Craig A. Anderson called â€Å"Comfortably Numb The Desensitizing Effects of Violent Media on Helping Others. This research shows the how violence in movies and on television desensitizes people to violent acts or the plights of others around them. They are also their fear of the world is increased. They are seeing that not only the bad guys are violent but the good guys are extremely violent and that they get away with the violence. Children are not sure who they can trust or who is good. Some even see that by becoming the â€Å"good guy† you can get away with more bad behavior. According to KidHealth.org, TV characters often depict risky behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, these same characters are reinforcing gender-role and racial stereotypes. I know that our doctor told my daughter to watch Teen Mom. This show may show the downsides to teen parenthood, in my opinion it has kids thinking it would be cool to have a child and then maybe they could get on television. I have spoken to several different people from my daughters parenting class and I have talked to my daughters Family First specialist. They have agreed that shows like these are not good models for teen moms. Yes, they may show the difficulties that these girls have but they also show these girls still having sex, disrespecting their parents and fighting. Also all have agreed that too much television and television that is not supervised can be harmful to children. According to KidsHealth.org children who spend too much time in front of the television are more likely to become overweight. Children are spending more time in front of the television which is making them less active. They do not go outside and play sports or socialize with other children. Children are more likely to constantly snack while watching television. These are not always healthy snacks. They are things like cookies and chips. They see the commercials for these and their minds tell them that they want them. By limiting the time that your children are watching television you will be able to help them become more active and more sociable. On the reverse side of this situation, though, is that some of the negativity  can be reduced as long as parents limit the amount of time that children spend in front of the television. It has been suggested that no more than 2-3 hours a day of television for older children and 1-2 hours of television for younger children. Also parents need to supervise and be aware of what their children are watching. Television can be a learning experience as long as parents take the time to talk to their children about what is being watched on television. Parents can also be a positive role model for their children by limiting the time they watch television. They need to watch more positive programs when they are watching television with their children. If there is something bad on the show they need to take the time to explain to their children the behavior that they saw on the television program was not appropriate and why it wasn’t appropriate.

Jolibee

How Does The Jollibee Compete To Mc Donald In fast Food Industry In Phillipine A. Background McDonald’s and Jollibee are two fast food chains that compete to selling hamburgers in the Philippines. McDonald’s is an American owned company while Jollibee was founded in Philippine. Jollibee has more than 500 stores in the Philippines and 25 in other countries, selling more than half a million burgers every day and McDonald's has about 250 outlets in the Philippines. Jollibee has success to be the largest food company in Philippine, with sales of 21. 7 billion pesos, or $397 million, in 2004, up 13. percent from a year earlier. Jollibee respecst to the local tastes, unlike McDonald’s which was constrained by its obligation to remain faithful to its core products, Jollibee was flexible. This case tell how the competition between McDonald’s and Jollibee use their strategy to dominated both local and international market. Jollibee ,which was a Filipino chain of re staurants, was forced to change their strategy with the entry of McDonalds in Philippines, which later transformed the company into a global company. The company faced serious challenges with their international exposure. B.Case Issues McDonald’s becomes famous in Indonesia because operational efficiency, excellence service, and also creative marketing strategy. McDonald’s provide 24 hours services, delivery services, and give some toys for kids when buy their product. This situation contrast in Phillipines. In 1975, Tony Tan Caktiong and his brothers opened an ice cream store which grew to burgers and other fast food. Although imitated United States kinds of menu, he developed their own brand named jollibee. Jollibee has many achievement. In 1981, Jollibee entered the list of the top 1,000 corporations.In 1984, it was the top 500 list and dominated local fast food market. The strength of Jollibee is know what their customers want. They offer rice, spaghetti and sauce which is suitable with Fillipino's taste when the other fast food not offer it. Jollibee has menu variation such hotdog, French fries and more asian menus. Jollibee entered the market 80s when Philipines was in the big problems. They heavily invested in the number of their stores at that time so, when McDonald’s entered, it was too late, McDonald’s lost so many locations and Jollibee could enjoyed zero competition in certain areas.Jollibee made by Fillipino, so the other Fillipino who eats it will feel proud and give emotional satisfaction benefit. C. Business Environment Analysis (External and Internal) STRENGTHS * Jollibee know what their customers want. While other fastfood restaurants never offer rice and spaghetti in Phillipines, Jollibee offers it as their entrees. * Jolibee dominate the local market in Phillipines WEAKNESSES * Only dominated the phillpines market, difficult to expansion to foreign. * The marketing skills are not effective * Poor co-ordination be tween the national and international units. Has variety of product but sells in different market OPPORTUNITIES THREATS * Phillipines is one of agricultural country, get raw materials is easier * Increase commissaries will reduce the transportation cost * Competition with local and international companies * Develop their business to abroad D. Marketing and Human Resource Manajemen Marketing Jollibee compete McDonald’s with these thing : * Jollibee was the first to enter the market * His price is cheaper than his competitor * Know the tastes of consumer and be flexibleJolibee should compete with KFC and McDonald’s which have high brand value to entered international market. There are so many rivals to entered the international market, Jollibee should have innovation marketing strategy to sells his product. The success key are good food, good service and reasonable price. Jollibee build advantage competitive to get more consumer. The company has good internal financial re sources but a certain code should be maintained in the relationship with the franchisee. Human Resources Human resources be the important factor to be success in organize a business.Excellence human resources will give big impact to the business. Both serve to fulfil the goals, needs of employees, and to ensure that they have the necessary resources to successfully complete their duties. Jollibee has organize his human resources with : * Jollibee provides top-notch services in all its outlets. * Making fun and friendly environment. * Do stringent recruitment and selection procedures to staff to man its outlets * Training programs equip its staff with the necessary skills needed to better perform their tasks. * Give more compensation to his staffWith these strategies, Jollibee is able to create a high standards and excellence services of working environment . E. Conclusion In conclusion, Jollibee has success to compete with McDonald’s in Philliphines , but in International mar ket McDonald’s still be the winner. The business give customers more by being sensitive and responsive to their changing tastes and wants by adding a local flavor to his product range. Overall, these changes certainly kept Jollibee ahead of the game, as 10 years in the future, their success would be so great as to garner the Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Ernst & Young for founder Tony Tan Caktiong.Reference : http://www. docshare. com/doc/122235/Jollibee-Foods-Corporation-Strategic-Manageme http://www. docstoc. com/docs/9481476/McDonalds-Company-Background-Products-Competitors-And-Positioning http://www. jollibee. com. ph/about-us http://favoritefilipinofoods. blog. com/2011/07/09/mcdonald%E2%80%99s-or-jollibee-what-is-the-better-food-chain-for-you/ http://www. kaskus. us/showthread. php? p=166683666 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/McDonald%27s