In the following chapter, titled Gaming Entertainment, the author delves into the highly lucrative casino gaming industry. The text begins by informing the reader of the increasing global prominence of the the casino industry and the unique way it combines gambling with a traditional hospitality experience. The text then goes to delineate the particular relationship between a casino and the other department of a resort operation. Here the author reaffirms the centrality of the gambling to these enterprises, and how guest service is oriented towards facilitating the aforementioned gambling. In addition, the chapter explains the way in which these operations, in contrast to most hospitality operations, provide their guest with a wide variety of complementary goods and services.These things are referred to as comps, and casinos typically use them to reward and incentivize gambling by the guest. This unusual yet highly successful business model is one of the primary distinctions between casinos and their traditional hospitality counterparts. Later, the text turns its focus to the strict legal parameters regarding the gaming operations. As a result of a fairly illicit history, gaming operations must adhere to onerous state regulatory regimes. Despite these restraints, modern gaming operators have come to rely and appreciate these mandates. They came to provide a secure and sustainable framework from which the industry could flourish. The chapter concludes by noting the increasing trend towards non-gaming revenue, and this exemplified by the increasing prominence of live entertainment in many casino resort establishments.

Key Terms

1.Baccarat- Jim won the game of baccarat because he had the hand closest to a total of nine.

2.Blackjack- Twenty-one is to blackjack what the number nine is to baccarat.

3.Casino resort- At a casino resort, a guest can retire to their room after a night of gambling.

4.Comp- Margaret was given a comp of an extra free night after she spent a thousand dollars  in the casino last night.

3.Craps-Without dice we can’t play craps.

4.Gambling- Something is only gambling if the potential outcome is unknown.

5.Handle- A 10,000 dollar bet on a game of blackjack is a decent handle by any casino’s standards.

6.Hold percentage- A casino would like a hold percentage as close to hundred as possible.

7.Poker- Bluffing is fundamental to any good poker strategy.

8.Roulette- Any game of roulette involves a numbered wheel and a ball.

9. Win- A casino would love a win that is identical to the handle of a game.

For the tenth chapter of the text , titled “Recreations, Attractions, and Clubs”, the authors delves into the nature and operational attributes of recreational spaces. the text begins by explaining that recreation is the spare time that most use to rest and restore their minds and bodies. Individuals can preform these activities alone or in a group, and these activities can be active or passive. These activities can include amusement parks, playgrounds, and sporting arenas along with more cultural pursuits such as visiting a museum. The text goes on to mention that many of the recreational options on offer involve some sort of governmental support. Afterwards, the chapter then turns its focus to national parks. National parks are recreational outlets that are formed for the purpose of conserving certain exceptional natural spaces for public use. They tend to put a focus on appropriately managing and maintaining the local ecology along with recognizing the significance of key historical sites. The chapter then turns to discuss the increased pressure put on municipalities to provide basic recreational amenities to their communities; these include things like swimming pools, golf courses, playgrounds, and picnic areas. In addition, the chapter spends sometime elaborating on commercial enterprises or in other words, the recreational outlets operated with the intention of making a profit. Most forms of live entertainment, theme parks, social clubs all fall under this ever expanding multi-billion dollar umbrella. In this portion of the text, the reader is given detailed insight on the nature of clubs. The book tells the reader that clubs tend to be built around certain commonalities among their members, and this unifying thread can be of a purely recreational, professional, or fraternal nature. The chapter concludes by further discussing the noncommercial recreation provided by governmental and nonprofit organizations such as volunteer services and recreational programs directed at those with disabilities.

Key Terms

1.City clubs- Soho House in in New York City is an excellent example of a city club.

2.Club management- Club management are the ones responsible for the overall well-being of the club.

3.Commercial recreation- Theme parks are a primary purveyor of commercial recreation.

4.Country clubs- Exclusivity is a hallmark of any country club.

5.Government-sponsored recreation- If you have ever been to a national park, you have participated in government-sponsored recreation.

6.Heritage tourism- Italy oozes with heritage tourism attractions.

7.Leisure- Anytime not devoted to work and school is leisure time.

8.National Park- Yellowstone is a well known national park.

9.National Parks Service- The National Parks Service is an organization invested in environmental preservation.

10.National Register of Historic Places- Due to it’s obvious historical importance, the White House would certainly be on the National Register of Historic Places.

11.Noncommercial recreation- The YMCA is one of the best known providers of noncommercial recreation.

12.Recreation- If you like to do something for fun, it’s probably some form of recreation.

13.Recreation for special populations- Recreation for special populations always designed to take into account the disabilities of those involved.

14.Recreation management- Effective recreation management is necessary for any municipality that wants to provide recreational spaces for the community.

15.Theme parks- Disney tends to set the standard for theme park experiences.

16.Transient occupancy tax (TOT)- Hotels contribute to the public purse when they pay their transient occupancy taxes.

17.Voluntary organizations- No one is obligated to participate in a voluntary organization.

In this weeks New York Times article, ‘Star Wars fever extends to an Ancient Irish Island’, talks about the ‘Star Wars’ production and their reputation expansion throughout an Ancient Irish Island called PortMagee. A man and a group of people appeared in this island, and villagers from there recognized the man as Mark Hamill, forever famous for playing Luke Skywalker in the original “Star Wars” film trilogy. He and a battalion of Hollywood directors, cameramen and crew launched a space invasion, of sorts, on Portmagee last summer and the summer of 2014 — filling bed-and-breakfasts to the brim, turning sheep pastures into helipads and hiring fishing boats to ferry props to Skellig Michael. The production has not released information, but there’s a chance that this Ancient location will be revealed in the new Star Wars movie, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” on the 18th of December.

I find this very amusing. Star Wars is one of my favorite compilation of movies and it’s interesting to know that the production team invests in traveling to these rare locations for scenes. This will bring international awareness of the Ancient Island of Portmagee which can likely attract tourist from all over the world.

Comedian Jim Gaffigan on How to Travel with Five Kids
By Kelly Dinardo

I read an article this morning in the New Times Travel Section that I think many parents can relate to. The author narrates the anecdotes of comedian Jim Gaffigan from the TV series “The Jim Gaffigan Show”, and his wife when traveling with their five kids. According to Mr. Gaffigan, he loves doing standups, and he is preparing to perform on December 12 at the Madison Square Garden, but he hates to be away for any length of time from his kids. He tells a story from a few years ago, when he and his wife decided to take a bus tour for a whole month with their five children, while two of them where only 3 and 4 years old. He jokes about how they didn’t get much sleep during this trip and how this made not difference to them, because that is how it normally is at their home.
He explained that the kids mostly entertained themselves the same way they do at home, playing with their ipads and that most of the travel had to be done at night. During the day they had to stop about every two and a half hours due to their young children that couldn’t sit still for too long. Throughout the article he explains how much more of a burden can be to have to transfer from hotels with small kids and made a hilarious comparison that cracked me out where he compared transferring from hotels with 3 and 4 years old to transferring serial killers from a prison; were you have to be constantly aware.
Furthermore, he lists some of the travel destinations that they have been with their five kids, like Israel and all across Europe. And some others, they would like to visit like Norway this coming January and in the near future Thailand and Vietnam. But explains that they are still trying to figure it out because the flights are seven and half hours. In the article he explicates how instrumental it was for him to grow visiting different places as a child and provides some tips for parents traveling with their kids.
I personally enjoyed reading this article because it inspired and reminded me that as a parent of three, I am not the only one facing challenges when traveling with my kids and that it is a season that we have to enjoy while it last.