Mike Daviss Fortress Los Angeles The Militarization of Urban Space Essay

Mike Daviss Fortress Los Angeles The Militarization of Urban Space Summary and Reaction - Essay Example Entire neighborhoods are being sealed-off, pedestrian traffic on predominantly minority-used walkways such has Old Broadway are being "redirected", former public recreation spaces such as parks are being privatized, the list goes on. The author, Mike Davis presents a number of salient points as to where cities such as Los Angeles, where capitalism, wealth, and commodification are the driving force for everything, are heading. Because the poor do not have a huge stake at this capitalistic market, their interests are relegated to the background. The city government has a hand in perpetuating this trend. More importance is given to privatization of space, and funds that are supposed to be allocated for public recreational spaces are being appropriated to private, white-collar redevelopment ventures. Wealthy communities are physically separated from the rest of the city, the perimeters converted to a kind of military "fortress", with its arsenal of high-tech gadgetry and gated enclosures. The private "security" industry is a thriving business, ready to answer to the ubiquitous slogan of "Armed Response". Even the police are being integrated to these grand scheme of securing the city from "unwanted" elements, where their watchful eyes are omnipresent. In addition to this, they control neighborhoods where minorities, Blacks and Latinos dwell. Even residential architects are getting their design inspirations from the military. The creation of these "fortress" cities, with the constant surveillance cameras, the gated walls, private security contractors, ground as well as on-air watchers, advances the progress of the social fragmentation, a polarization that serves to destroy the society's natural hegemony at the cost of the underprivileged. Davis also talks about how this same militaristic tactic is used to lure investors and retailers into opening their establishments in abandoned commercial areas. The concept of "security" taken to the extreme is the key to securing this potentially lucrative market as evinced in the case of the "Panopticon Mall". Highlighting the social barriers even more are the measures being done to rid the streets of the vagrants and "undesirables". These include the installation of outdoor sprinklers and barrel-shaped bus benches to discourage them from sleeping in public areas. Also, public toilets are being lessened, if not completely eradicated, in favor of the "quasi-public restroom" in establishments and offices where the poor and homeless would not be admitted. For the most part, I agree with Davis's opposition to these acts of militarization and abolishment of public space. In the eradication of accessible spaces, the sense of community and social interaction is also annihilated. While it seems that these changes improve the quality of life and the sense of security for the common white-collared worker, this is done at the cost of those who have little purchasing power. Access to supposed public places are dictated by those with the money. This violates the very essence of those areas being "public". This, in a sense, tramples upon our very sense of democracy, one that does not discriminate against race, class, or social stature. This kind of physical segregation underlies the concept that people belonging to different social groups should not interact or mingle. The need of the moneyed class to separate themselves is the root

Human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Human resource management - Essay Example The principles and concepts that underlie behavior are basic. Diverse studies of human behavior in work organizations identify the crucial role of managing human resources to assist in the improvement of productivity and performance, in marketing the products and services, and in designing strategies for recruiting, screening, hiring, evaluation, development and the promotion of workers. Human resources management is defined as the art and science of acquiring, motivating, and developing people in their jobs in the light of their personal, professional, and technical knowledge, skills, abilities, needs and values, and in conjunction with the accomplishment of individual, organizational and societal goals (Martires, 2004, p. 6). In this regard, the objective of this essay is to proffer relevant concepts and issues that pervade human resource management in organizations. Specifically, the following questions would be addressed: (1) what is the role of the HR function within a Company? (2) Which are the main responsibilities? (3) How do you think the HR Area gives a positive contribution to Management in order to achieve organizational goals? (4) How do you think this contribution can be measured? And, (5) what are the 3 most important HR best practices that should be developed and included in the HR strategic plan? Role of HR Functions In an organization, the human resources department (HRD) performs five functions for other departments – job organization and information, acquisition, maintenance, development of personnel, and research on human resources. Its role is advisory utilizing the personnel policies of the organization, the data it accumulates and the studies it makes of its workers. An effective human resources management (HRM) is integral to the functioning of the organization and must therefore be the concern of management. By and large, these functions assume two very important elements in an organization which are jobs and people. Jobs are to be determined and established first after the organization philosophy is conceived. People are brought in to man the jobs in order for the organization to move. Jobs and people interact with each other. Gordon (2000) describes the real role of HR as magnetic management that â€Å"can be the power that pulls disparate departments into a single productive unit† (p. 500). The HR manager should know and understand how an organization, particularly businesses, works specifically on the profit-and-loss aspect. The HR manager can be of great assistance in staffing the organization with the most qualified and productive people including executives who can contribute to profit or good delivery of services. Main Responsibilities The specific and technical duties of the HRD are complex and multifarious and are categorized according to its five functions – job organization and information, acquisition, maintenance, development and research on human resources. The HRD performs gen eral management functions in relation to top management and to the HRD staff. Before hiring workers, available jobs have to be classified and corresponding job information described mainly in terms of duties and responsibilities. Qualifications of those who are to perform these jobs should be delineated in job specifications. The function of acquisition or procurement of HR includes five aspects: human resources planning, recruitment, screening,

Energy Drinks Market Essay Example for Free

Energy Drinks Market Essay Introduction The objectives of this report are to identify how the Energy Drink market is segmented according to demographic, geographic, psychographic and behavioral variables. The Energy Drink industry which is dominated by Red Bull and V energy drinks is worth 151 million dollars and is growing by 47% per year. Energy drinks is the fastest growing category in the soft drink market. I have chosen three different companies in this report to analysis which segments they target, Powerade, Red Bull and Coca Cola. Red Bull is the market leader in energy drinks and Coca Cola which is very good at mass marketing has fallen behind and needs to adopt new and exciting marketing techniques to appeal to the younger demographic. I have also selected three different sub-brands to explain how the product is positioned. I have chosen Powerade Energy Edge, Red Bull Sugar Free and Coca Cola’s new carbonated green tea drink Enviga. Demographic Demographic segmentation consists of certain variables such as age, gender, income, ethnic background and family life cycle. Energy drinks are targeted to the 20-34 age brackets. Energy drinks target generation y and generation x by using modern labels and exciting ads with dance music, and extreme sports. The older generations such a baby boomer would be more inclined to stick with coffee for a quick pick me up. There is more emphasis on marketing to males but lately there has been an increased interest in marketing to females by producing low calorie, low sugar energy drinks. Income of the consumer is not an important characteristic because of the low price of energy drinks. Geographic Geographic segmentation describes segmenting markets by part of the world, region of the country, market density, market size or climate. Energy drinks practice geographic segmentation by advertising higher in more fast paced, high density urban areas rather than sleep country town. This has to do with the hectic lifestyles most people live that work in high density, big cities. Another contributing factor is the higher population. Also energy drinks would geographic segment a product in countries or regions with higher temperatures because energy drinks are best drunk cold so in colder climates people would tend to purchase a hot drink such as a coffee for a caffeine induced energy burst. Psychographic Psychographic segmentation refers to market segmentation on the basis of socioeconomic status, values, attitudes and lifestyle groupings. Social class does not matter when it comes to energy drinks because any one can purchase a can from the local shop or petrol station at a reasonably cheap price. People’s interest in energy drinks is sometimes affected by their lifestyle. For example people who work long hours, work hard, don’t sleep enough will be more inclined to purchase energy drinks because of the practicality and energy buzz afterwards. And now even energy drinks are targeting people who try to live a healthy lifestyle by promoting their products as low calorie, low sugar and claim they increase your metabolism. Behavioral variables Behavioral segmentation allows companies to group customers and buyers into segments according to the benefits they seek from the product. Occasion status is when customers can be grouped according to the occasion when they get the idea to purchase an energy drink. Energy drinks are often consumed before work and any other part of the day when an individual is feeling tired, but energy drink companies are now promoting the beverage as a good pre exercise drink for an increased physical performance. Benefits sought are an effective way of identifying buyers according to the benefits they seek from energy drinks. The main benefit segments for energy drinks are, taste, economic, health and the energy burst. Some people might prefer to purchase a product that claims to give more of an energy burst then another product, even if the taste is less desirable. Some products that are produced and marketed to have fewer calories and less sugar might be purchased instead of a product that is high in sugar even though it is more expensive. Red Bull/ Powerade/ Coca Cola Red Bull Red Bull targets generation y. High School and university students trying to cope with study. Also red bull mainly targets male with its original product, On the Red bull website there is two whole sections that specialize in extreme sports and motorsports. This shows that Red bull targets males in generation Y and also in generation X. Red Bull sponsor extreme sporting events such as air racing. Also Red Bull targets segments of the population that have little time and often need a refreshing drink that gives them energy. Red Bull also caters for the health conscience individual and females by producing a low sugar energy drink. This drink which is called Red Bull sugar free comes in a light blue can that would target the female population. Red Bull also target long distance driver, this can be seen when you walk into any petrol station by the size and amount of advertising. Powerade. Powerade have four different kinds of products, they have Powerade Energy Edge, which is designed for pre-sports, Powerade Isotonic which is best for during sports or any time during the day, Powerade Recovery which is formulated for after sports because of the protein contained in the beverage. Powerade also make a powder that can be made into a Powerade sports drink after water is added. This powder targets the money conscience individual that would rather make it in bulk to save. It also targets sporting clubs and larger groups who can make a big batch for a team or group of some sort. The logo on each of the three drinks also gives the customer hints to what it’s designed for. Powerade energy has a picture of a athlete about to race, Powerade isotonic has a picture of an athlete during a race and Powerade recovery has a picture of an athlete finishing his race. Powerade mainly target generation y and generation x. The company does not target a specific gender but markets to health conscience people and athletes. This is shown by their advertising and sponsoring of sporting associations, and clubs such as the AFL, The Wallabies, and The Perth Wildcats. Powerade also sponsor world class athletes. Powerade are different from other energy drinks because they do not market so much that the consumer will get a quick burst of energy through caffeine but more of a healthier, burst of energy through high carbohydrate drinks. This is more suited to athletes rather than your average tired person. Powerade also take a much more scientific approach compared to the other energy drinks on the market by claiming to have tested their products on athletes. Coca Cola. Coca Cola is spending a lot of money on marketing a couple new energy drinks to try and break into the massive industry of energy drinks which has long been dominated by Red Bull and V. Coca Cola has emphasized on targeting the young healthy demographic. The first of its products is Mother, an all natural juice based energy drink, which claims to contain a potent Amazonian berry , acai. Another new product by Coca Cola is Enviga, this carbonated green tea beverage claims to burn calories after drinking. Coca Cola have produced two drinks to market to two different segments of the population, Mother which has been marketed to young males and Enviga which is made to appeal to young women. Mother Energy drink is positioned to target young males, an example of this is the logo on the front of the can resembles a tattoo. Products/ Sub-brands Powerade Energy Edge Powerade energy edge is specially formulated to provide fast and effective hydration for pre-sports and they claim it has been scientifically proven. The products attribute which are ingredients that contain caffeine, electrolytes, and B-vitamins position the product to appeal to athletes. It is positioned to be used whenever a person need fast and effect hydration or more predominantly before sports. Its benefits claim to be enhanced physical performance. Powerade’s main competitor Gatorade does not produce a drink specifically designed for pre-sports because of the added caffeine. Red Bull Sugar Free Red Bull Sugar Free is positioned to target young adults and largely women because of the advertised low calorie low sugar attributes of the product. The can of the sugar free variety is different from the standard Red Bull as it comes in an aqua blue can, this would suggest that the product is positioned to be more attractive to females. The benefits of this product are claimed to be increased performance, reaction and speed; improves emotional status, increased metabolism and low calories. Coca Cola’s Enviga Coca Cola’s Enviga is a carbonated green tea beverage that claims to increase your metabolism and burn calories because of the presence of green tea and caffeine. The main attributes of this product are green tea and its low calories (five per can). They claim the amount of green tea in their can is higher than most other green tea drink and they list the benefits of green tea as rich in antioxidants, support cardio-vascular health, help your body fight free radicals and helps your body burn more calories. These attributes position this product to aim at young women who want to be healthy and even the health conscience male. The usage occasions for Enviga are anytime throughout the day but they recommend having three cans a day for maximum calorie burning. The drinks come in three flavours natural green tea, berry and pomegranate, and each can has bright colours on the front which further suggests the drink is positioned for women. Reference 1. Kotler, P. , S. Adam, L. Brown, and G Armstrong. 2006. Principles of Marketing. NSW: Pearson Education Australia. 2. Red Bull. 2008. http://www. redbull. com (accessed September 1, 2008). 3. Powerade. 2008. http://www. powerade. com. au (accessed September 1, 2008). 4. Enviga. 2008. http://www. enviga. com (accessed September 1, 2008). 5. Coca Cola. 2008. http://www. coca-cola. com (accessed September 1, 2008).

Standard Forms of Contracts in Construction Benefits

Standard Forms of Contracts in Construction Benefits The Importance of Using Standard Forms of Contracts in Construction Industry According to the 1996 Act of UK law construction contract has been defined as an agreement in writing or evidenced in writing, under which a party carries out construction operations, arrange for others to carry out construction operations or/and provide labor for carrying out of construction operations (Zaghloul Hartman, 2003). The contract forms establish the legal relationship between the parties, in terms of rights, obligation and duties and regulate the commercial relationship between the parties (Robinson Lavers, 1996). There are two main classifications of contracts, namely standard and non standard contracts (Murdoch Hughes, 2007). In the recent times, the commercial activities associated with the construction industry are highly complex and the standard forms of contracts have integrated into the day-to-day transactions of most agreements (Bunni, 1997). It is not compulsory to use standard contracts in the construction industry; however it has become the common practice in procuring contractors, consultants or architects. There have been numerous recommendations by authors and researchers to adopt standard forms of contracts in the construction business. According to Banwell Report (1964), the construction industry should formulate and use a single standard-form contract for its entire projects. The Latham Report (1990s) also supported the concept as recommended the Engineering and Construction Contract to be adopted as universal standard construction contracts. The use of standard form of contract for all type of construction projects is not realistic, but for similar type of project has been seen to be indee d is very beneficial (Murdoch Hughes, 2007). The purpose of standardising contract forms is mainly to specify the chief variables concerning the construction processes and activities (Clegg, 1992). For example, it so happens in most projects that actual work done by the contractor differs from as specified in the contract. And these alterations are a major source of many conflicts and disputes (Othman, 1997). In such cases, standard forms contain arrangements as to how to manage these variations. Standard forms of contract are mostly published by an authoritative body of the industry, recognised by all the parties involved, outlining the terms and conditions which sets the parameters for the proceeding of the work. In the correct spirit of standardization, these forms are not subjected to any negotiation and amendments and are suitable for wide array of similar projects and works. The initial set of standard forms was formulated by the government department of UK for works in the public sector. Inspired by their concept, many other professional bodies also devised their versions of standard forms (Bunni, 1997; Ismail, n.d.). Among various standard forms of construction contracts are ICE 7 (Institute of Civil Engineers), NEC 3 (New Engineering Contract), JCT (Joint Contract Tribunal), FIDIC (International Federation of Consulting Engineers), AIA (American Institute of Architects), EJDC (Engineers Joint Contracts Documents Committee), etc. (Murdoch Hughes, 2007). There are several advantages associated with the use of standard forms of construction contracts. Basically, standard forms originate from different sectors of construction industry for various reasons (Murdoch Hughes, 2007). They have been devised as an output of a process of negotiation between various sectors of the industry; hence, they represent a compromise between the interest groups of the industry (Murdoch Hughes, 2000). Also, as numbers of interest groups are involved and considered in the formulation of standard contracts, there is better possibility of fair and balanced risk allocation among the parties involved (Murdoch Hughes, 2007). The prime reason that inclines construction personnel to adopt standard form of contracts is familiarity. The major advantage of using a standard contractual form is that by repetitive use of the document one becomes familiar with its content, and hence is conscious of both its strengths and drawbacks (Broome Hayes, 1997). The contractual complexities associated with any type of contract are often rather typical to understand. The use of standard contractual documents aids in familiarising the various contractual clauses and provisions to the users (Murdoch Hughes, 2007). This familiarity with the content and clauses of the contract leads to lesser number of disputes and misunderstandings. The possibility of redundancy is also removed (Broome Hayes, 1997). In addition, the repetitive use of these forms leads to development of experience bank and result in increased efficiency (Bunni, 1997). Precedent is another important factor which generates from being similar with the contract and is favorable to the involved parties. In the scenario when a disputed project is taken to court, the standard contracts enable the lawyers to advice their clients regarding the probable result of the case, as judges are bound to follow the previous decisions (Broome Hayes, 1997). Standard forms of contracts have been reported and observed to assist the conduct of trade (Murdoch Hughes, 2000). Another factor which attracts personnel towards standard contracts is that it reduces the focus on specific contractual terms during the bargaining process (Murdoch Hughes, 2007). These forms are helpful in reducing the cost linked to tendering and contract administration. This is contrary to the amended forms of contracted which require the clients and tenderers to seek additional legal advice and the probability of the disputes resulting from unfamiliar terms also increase (OGC, n.d.). These forms lead to saving in time as drawing up of contracts from scratch is a tedious task (Ismail, n.d.). Standardisation of the contract forms provides basic legal frameworks which recognise the rights, obligations and duties of the parties and highlights the ambit of the powers and duties of the contract administrator (Nayagam Pathmavathy, 2005). Furthermore, standardisation of contracts leads to higher degree of certainty and fairness during tendering process. They become the basis of comparison and evaluation and familiarity with the content makes it convenient and faster in pricing as well (Bunni, 1997; Ismail, n.d.). As aforementioned, there are various institutions which have developed standard forms of contract. One of the most used and popular set of standard forms of contract have been developed by International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC). These forms have been in use for international construction projects ever since their formulation in 1957. The FIDIC contracts provide a comprehensive code which can be applied with ease in any legal system. The input has been provided from both engineers with experience of many engineering projects and lawyers with wide array of experience drafting construction contracts. The acquaintance with these contracts has offered the construction industry benefits in both tendering and project management. The contracts offer balanced and clearly defined risks between the contracting parties. FIDIC believes that it only a fair and balanced contract which is in the lasting best interest of all concerned. The contracts account for all possible and prob able risk factors as well as clearly define the role of all involved parties. These aspects of the contract facilitate in reducing the number of unwarranted disputes and litigations (Thomas, Glover Hughes, 2006; Wade, 2005). FIDIC and other similar standard forms of contract are favourable to the construction industry as they facilitate the saving of both time and cost two success criteria for any type of construction projects. With the exception of few entirely unique projects, construction projects often share their main characteristics and these standard forms are devised considering the same. Reference: Broome, J.C. Hayes, R.W., 1997, A comparison of the clarity of traditional construction contracts and of the New Engineering Contract, International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 255-261 Clegg, R.S., 1992, Contracts cause conflicts, In Construction Conflict Management and Resolution, 25-27 September, UMIST, pp 128-144 Ismail, Z., n.d., Standard Forms of Construction Contracts, Lecture on Construction Law, available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/10109497/Lect-2-Standard-Forms, accessed 11/02/2010 Nayagam, K. Pathmavathy, N., 2005, Drafting Construction Contracts, Legal Insight, Issue 2, page 5-7 Murdoch, H. Hughes, W., 2007, Construction Contracts, Edition 3, Routledge, pg 101-117 Murdoch, H. Hughes, W., 2000, Construction Contracts Law and Management, Edition 3, Spon Press Office of Government Commerce, n.d., Procurement and Contract Strategies, Achieving Excellence in Construction Procurement Guide, available at: http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/CP0066AEGuide6.pdf, accessed 10/02/2010 Othman, N., 1997, Management of variations in construction contracts, In A. Thorpe (ed.) Proceedingsofthe13th Annual Association of Researchers in Construction Management (ARCOM), 15-17 September, Kings College, Cambridge Robinson, N.M. Lavers, A.P. 1996, Construction Law in Singapore and Malaysia, 2nd Edition, Butterworths Thomas, C., Glover, J. Hughes, S., 2006, Understanding the new FIDIC red book: a clause-by-clause commentary, Sweet Maxwell Wade, C., 2005, The FIDIC Contract Forms and the New MDB Contract, International Construction Contracts and the Resolution of Disputes ICC-FIDIC Conference Paris 2005 Zaghloul, R. Hartman, F., 2003, Construction contract: the cost of mistrust, International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 21, pp 419-424

Folklore in the Movies: An Analysis of Willow :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Folklore in the Movies: An Analysis of Willow My research for this report began when I read Joseph Campbell's article "Departure" in which he discusses folklore; he outlines the course of action that a hero takes in an adventure. He describes the five steps the hero takes as "the call to adventure, the refusal of the adventure, use of supernatural aid, crossing of the first threshold, and the belly of the whale." After reading Campbell's criteria of an adventure, I decided to choose a movie and see how it ties into Campbell's outline of an adventure. The movie I chose was Willow and in this report I will note how it complies with Campbell's outline. Upon finishing Willow I was able to confirm that it did indeed fall into the five criteria in Campbell's article. In Willow Queen Bavmorda seeks control of the world, and she knows that an infant will be born with a mark on its arm and this infant will be able to stop her from gaining power. Therefore, she inspects every child that is born; upon discovering the child with the mark, she will promptly have it killed. One day Willow's children Ranon and Mims find a baby while playing in the river. This child happens to bear the mark for which Queen Bavmorda is searching. The children take the baby to their father. Willow takes the baby to the High Aldwin, and he tells Willow that the safety of the city depends on him and that the baby must be taken across the great river to the Dakini crossroads. This is Willow's call to adventure; it is "a blunder" of "the merest chance", and Willow is thrust "into a relationship with forces that are not rightly understood" (Campbell 1). As Campbell expresses in his article and as is apparent in most adventure movies, Willow is not completely convinced and willing to go on this trip to take the baby back to its homeland. Ranon reminds him of the dangers he may encounter on his way to returning the baby such as fairies, brownies, dragons, and trolls. Willow gets upset at Ranon for mentioning trolls because he knows how much he fears them. Willow is also reluctant to leave his wife and children. Kaiya reminds him that they have never been apart before, and it is apparent that Willow is experiencing feelings of guilt.

contract law :: essays research papers

In the case of Fletcher vs. Peck, the Yazoo land grants were on trial. One Georgia legislature had sold millions of acres to four separate companies at a price of two cents per acre. (Garraty 174). When the next legislature came into power, it was learned that many of those legislators that sold the land had been corrupt. The companies had sold land to many small farmers who had no idea that the land should not have been sold in the first place. When the grant was taken away by the Georgian legislature, the farmers looked to the Supreme Court. (Corwin 151). The Court could have easily decided not to hear the case. The whole land grant process had been corrupt, so the Georgian legislature had the right to take them away, but Marshall believed there was something more to this case. He decided that he would hear the case. Marshall declared the rescinding act void because it violated peoples rights, and went against the separation of powers. For Marshall, this explanation was simply not enough, so he turned to the Constitution to find something in writing to support his decision. He found his support in the contract clause. The problem Marshall had was that the contract clause was there to protect persons waiting for a contract to be carried out, a land grant is over and done with once the land is handed over. (Corwin 153). By using a very loose interpretation, Marshall stated that when something is granted, the granter is not expected to try and take back what he has been granted. In reality, the Constitution did not say this at all, but morally it made perfect sense. Marshall believed that there was a moral contract involved and that both parties should assume that the grant is permanent. By using a very broad interpretation of the Constitution Marshall made this moral contract a legal one. Marshall used his broad interpretation of the Constitution to strengthen the judicial branch.

Ukrainian Wedding

The traditional Ukrainian weddings differ in details, but all of them follow the same pattern in the order of wedding actions. The very first action of the Ukrainian wedding is a formal engagement. The groom invites two married men (they call them starosty) to visit the home of the bride and to request her parents for her hand in marriage. The wedding ceremony starts at least one week after engagement. Usually on Thursday or Friday they bake special wedding ritual bread – korovai. Before the wedding both groom and bride have separate parties with their close friends. At the girl party (divych vechir) they make a ritual tree (giltse). Together with korovai it stays on the wedding table as a symbol of youth and beauty of the bride and groom. Saturday and Sunday are the days of the church service or the main civil marriage ceremony. Before the church ceremony, the bride, the groom and their families meet at the home of the bride's parents for the blessing, the blahoslovenya. At the blessing, the parents express their approval and good wishes for the couple. The most touching and important moment to the couple, their parents, friends and relatives is the church ceremony. The priest blesses the new family for happiness, health, luck, faithfulness, understanding, love and respect for each other. God's blessing is the most important blessing for the new family. After the ceremony the groom takes the bride to her parents home and returns to his own home. Both families have meal with their friends and relatives. After meal it is time for the groom to take a wedding train (poizd) and bring his bride to his home. The most joyful, surprising and unexpected things may happen this evening. There are many fun wedding party traditions involving everybody. Little children adore weddings of their older sister or brothers, because this is the time for them to steal a bride’s shoe and then demand any ransom for it. The party takes place in a restaurant, cafe, at the home of the bridegroom or bride. All the guests come with gifts. The word â€Å"Vesillja† is derived from â€Å"fun†. The wedding (â€Å"vesillya†) was meant to be fun for the young couple too, but the newlyweds in ancient times did not have the right to drink anything bitter. They ate honey, bread and they had a little wine for the evening, but nothing more. There is usually a master of ceremonies, the â€Å"starosta†, who plans the party with toasts, endless jokes and games, making sure that every guest is involved. Dancing continues often until morning. At the end of the wedding party guests sing the song called â€Å"Mnohaya Lita†. It is a song of good wishes and means â€Å"many happy years†. Time changes, so do traditions. But even today every wedding in Ukraine has the elements of the ancient rituals preserved by people memory.