Casinos :: essays research papers

Casinos   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Casinos have become a large part of cities' economy and hundreds of thousands of people's lives. Casinos are exciting for many people who feel they have a chance to win it big. Because so much money is flowing into casinos, the local business are being affected. Most are not thriving with the new tourism and the seemingly revived economy. In 1994 more people made the trip to a casino then to a ball park (Popkin). The casinos are attracting so much of American's dollars that they spent less on books, music albums and attractions (Reed).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The people are spending less money outside of the casino. Which is not helping the vast majority of local businesses. This is what is most often overlooked by the city. The money from tourists and the community is not going into the local businesses, but instead the casino. Robert Goodman, Urban Planning professor states: â€Å"Newly opened casinos suck money out of the local economy, away from existing movie theaters, car dealerships, clothing shops and sports arenas† (Popkin). Casinos take money away from existing businesses. In Atlantic City, where casinos were supposed to save their failing economy, over 900 of their 2,100 small businesses have closed and the number of restaurants was reduced from 243 to 146. By providing everything a person needs, the casinos are designed to keep people inside. The truth is casinos drain money out of an area into a far away bank account, most often never going back into the community. Casino revenues may look good on paper to the average person, and to politicians who are constantly being pushed to gain more revenue. In reality they are almost a nightmare to the small locally owned businesses. Jobs are one of the main reasons for the growth of casinos.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Across the continent casinos have created tens of thousands of jobs for unemployed people (Clines). Indian casinos in Minnesota have created approximately 5,000 jobs. Between 1975 and 1992 employment in Atlantic City's service industry grew 608 percent, a significant part of this came from casinos which created 95 percent of the new jobs. The casinos increased construction jobs ninety three percent, and created 600 new transportation jobs (Reed). Over all casinos provide many new jobs for an area. Construction jobs decline when the casino is completed. The jobs will decline as demand for their services drops off. During the same time period of 1975 to 1992 manufacturing jobs were down eighty-four percent. Real estate, insurance, and financial employment fell forty one percent (Reed). While some jobs increased others declined because of the shift of demand for certain jobs.

Analysis of Shutter Island Essay

How should people deal with the criminally insane? They are very dangerous figures, who had harmed people before. Some psychiatrists believe that drugs can control the mental conditions of the patients. However, some psychiatrists believe that to lobotomize the patients is the only way to stop them from their dangerous behaviors. The surgery removes some brain tissues from the patients to make them emotionless. This act invades the rights of a human being. In contrast, some psychologists believe that if you treat the patients with respect, they will feel the love and caring from others. Shutter Island is a thriller based on the novel written by Dennis Lehane. The story happens in the 1960s, set in the shutter Island, where there is a mental hospital called Ashecliff, which is used to imprison the most terrible criminally insane. Two marshals go to this island to investigate the missing prisoners in ward B. The movie focused on the moral value from different people’s perspectives. The film is full of suspenseful shots and conversations. The audience may think that the 2 marshals are trapped in the island, however, the director created many more traces for the marshals to discover. As the shots usually focus on Ted, one of the marshals, and his emotions, therefore, the psychiatrists who are not supporting Ted’s investigation are portrait as the villains. In scene 4 of Shutter Island, Ted and his partner, Chuck, go to the office of Dr. Cawley. Dr. Cawley introduces the building to them as an old recorder is playing Quartet for piano and strings in A minor by Mahler, a composer from the Second World War. The music gives a thrilling feeling to the scene. Also, the music reminds Ted of his memory from WWII. Audience should be expecting a conversation about the missing prisoner, Rachel Solando. However, her name and the case are not mentioned in their dialogue. Surprisingly, a new character, Dr. Naehring, a colleague of Dr. Cawley, appears in this scene. He remains sitting on a chair for the whole scene. Then, Dr. Cawley asks for what the gentlemen want to drink. Ted would like a glass of soda. He unexpectedly orders a non-alcohol drink. Dr. Naehring said that it is uncommon for Ted’s profession to not indulge in alcohol. As an intelligent marshal, Ted defends his profession by pointing out Dr. Naehring, as a psychiatrist, is holding a glass of wine in his hand. Dr. Naehring is impressed by Ted’s excellent defence mechanisms to protect him by being offended, and he says, â€Å"Men like you are men of violence. † Once again, Ted is brought back to memory. The shot shows a German office. There is blood on the floor and a dying officers lying on the ground. People may not think that the scene is important, as it is not a part of the investigation. However, this scene shows the relationship between the doctors and the marshals is distant. For example, since shot 16, the two marshals remains in the same place throughout the scene, while Dr. Naehring remains in his chair for the whole scene. Another reason that this scene is necessary to the film is that it provides opportunities for Ted to flashback. His memory hinted the audience that he had been a soldier and he had seen violence. It is foreshadowing that Ted’s background is related to the development of the story. More importantly, Martin Scorsese continues his style in the Taxi Driver and the Raging Bull by creating characters that display a crazed violence. In Shutter Island, there are many criminally insane. In scene 4, shot 8 and shot 35 -40 are about war. There is blood all over the floor and people dying. However, as an Academy Award winner, Scorsese does not apply a variety of shots to the scene. It is because he wants the audience to focus on the conversation among the characters. A very common shot that Scorsese used is the depth of field. He applies it to Ted when Ted is thinking or to show that he is worried. Using the depth of field technique, the audience can focus on the focal point. It is also a good way to create suspense as the audiences do not know what is in the background. However, without good acting from the character, the shot can be disturbing and not enjoyable for the audience, or the emotions from the actor cannot be shown clearly. To have a close study of a film, we can have a better understanding of the director’s filming style. We can learn that the director directs each scene and each shot with a reason. Every shot is useful for the development of the film. For example, in Shutter Island, the director took a shot at the recorder in an office, and it can be related to the recorder that appeared in Ted’s flashback. Having a close study of a film, we can discover that there are often similar shots to the movie in the past. For example, there is a shower scene in which the camera looks up at the shower as the water is running. It is similar to Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock. Running water is a typical thriller theme, signifying danger and time running out. Shutter Island also has other similarities with Psycho. In Shutter Island, Rachel Solando, the missing prisoner was at first the focus of the film, also the reason the marshals travelled to the island. Later in the movie, the focus changes that Ted’s started to concern about the brain surgery in the lighthouse. Like Marion in Psycho, audience would assume that she is an important role of the film, however, she died very soon. This technique makes the audience more anticipating. By improving our understanding of how film communicates with audience, we can improve our ability to make film. We would know when to use different shots. For example, medium shots are used to show what the character is doing; close up is to show subjects subjectively. We can also learn to eliminate unnecessary shots or characters in the film. Every shot should be well planned and well thought before it was taken, and it should be able to connect with other shots in the film. Furthermore, having a close study of a film can help s understand the style of films of different genres. For example, Shutter Island is a mysterious thriller. By studying this film, we can learn how do choose a mysterious soundtrack for a thriller, and how to make a scene more suspenseful. In conclusion, it is important to study films closely in order to improve out ability to make film. As Martin Scorsese once said, â€Å"Cinema is a matter of what’s in the frame and what’s out. † To learn from great directors, we will know what should be put in the frame and what is out.

Letter to Editor Essay

I have been looking over the results from the Nation Grade Six assessment which was written on the 25th and 26th of March by 16,811 students. Congratulations to all students who entered this exam, especially the students who have been able to gain a position one of Guyana’s five (5) top schools. However, it is very noticeable that most of Guyana’s top graduates are from a private school/institution. That brings along the thought of what really is going on in the public schools in Guyana? Are they treated to less? I am not bringing along the thought that all public school students did badly in this primary examination, but why aren’t more of our governmental institutions doing as well as students of a private school? Is it because of the poverty struck we live in? Is it because the students are not having the adequate material like textbooks to get work finished? Is it the unskilled teachers being employed to teach these students? All of these things are readily available with high quality to students of private institutions. Back in the good old days, no private school could compare to a public school, citizens generally preferred to send their children to a public school to ensure they have a proper ground. Today, that is very unsure. Not only the standard to public primary schools are dropping, but also the behavior in the students today that go to public school is treacherous. Are they having no discipline? Government, parents and teachers need to work together to rebuild the good foundation and name of primary public schools in Guyana.