Abstract
This paper examines the book, "City Lights: Urban-Suburban Life in the Global Society" by E. Barbara Phillips. It looks at how the first two chapters deal primarily with ways of understanding urban studies and how how Chapters Four and Five seem to deal primarily with the nature of cities and the various typologies by which they are understood. Chapters Six and Seven deal with the way citizens seek the connection and community that is often absent from urban life. It also discusses how, while still focusing almost exclusively on American culture, Chapters Eight and Nine deal more extensively with the multicultural aspects of this culture and the way in which global identity and culture interacts with the city dynamic. It also shows how Chapters Eleven and Twelve seem to deal with social life and theory as a sort of complex gaming system by which individuals are stratified into economic and social classes and how Chapters Twelve and Thirteen deal with the question: "Who runs this town?", an extensive overview of the different sorts of governments that may be in charge of a city and their relationship to national governance.

From the Paper
"One of the more interesting points that Phillips makes in the progress of explaining why no single discipline can entirely explain urban phenomena is that of the existence of "cognitive maps." In this section, she describes the way in which individuals will consistently leave out whole sections of their city or town when asked to draw maps or describe it. This is because of the natural myopic vision of individuals when it comes to defining their worlds. Those things that are out of mind are out of sight. Apparently the same is true with those studying urban issues from the myopic viewpoint of a single discipline. This idea raises a lot of interesting questions regarding the feasibility of urban studies in general, and also about the nature of the institutions built on single disciplines."

Tags:national, governance, urban, phenomena, social, class

Abstract
This paper analyzes the novel "City of Light" by Lauren Belfer, and which at first glance is about a young woman trying to make her way in the world. It describes the history, politics, people and architecture of the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area. The author argues that the novel is an excellent example of how actual history can be interwoven with fiction to create a much more vivid and appealing backdrop for the action.

From the Paper
"One of the most glaring issues in this book is that of how women were treated in 1900 as opposed to today. The only reason the protagonist could have people (especially men) to her salons was because she was considered "unmarriageable." " I liked to think that my Monday evening salon was the only place in the city where men and women could mingle as equals" (Belfer 12). Today, it would be absurd to think that men and women, single or not, could not "mingle as equals," but in 1900, it was not only the norm, it was required by society. Mores were much more strict and confining then, especially for women."

Tags:history, fiction, 1900, single, women

Abstract
The novel, "Bright Lights, Big City", by Jay McInerney, pivots around the idea of idolizing the Mother, whether it be the main character's actual mother or any number of maternal figures in his life. This paper makes the claim that all the female figures mentioned in the novel are really meant to displace the idea of 'mother'. Only when the protagonist realizes this can he truly grow up.

From the Paper
"Again she makes her motherly nature apparent by parentally comforting him when he comes back to the office without her bagel, claiming that he's just "fucking everything up" (79) these days. Putting her arm around him gently, she tells him to "take it easy" (79) and that "everything is going to be all right" (79). That is not the talk of a concerned friend, but rather the reassuring words of a mother to a child after a bad day at school. Finally, Megan makes her last appearance as "mother" when she invites the main character over to her house for dinner. Instead of the typical date atmosphere one would expect from a woman who presumably has a crush on a man, Megan says that she's going to "teach [him] how to purchase and make a meal" (133) an act that undoubtedly makes her resemble a parent."

Tags:1980s, new, york, Oedipal

Abstract
The paper is a review of a possible tax option - vehicle registration in the city of Mississauga - that has come before the city previously. Although the authors of this report find that vehicle registration taxation is a viable policy alternative, this report is chiefly intended as a starting-point for discussion. Nonetheless, the report relates that a summary of the findings indicates the following: in the City of Toronto, a vehicle registration tax of $40 light commercial vehicles and on passenger vehicles has been identified as bringing in (potentially) $42 million in revenue; applying the findings of the City of Toronto, the broad scope and uncomplicated nature of applying such a tax means that administrative costs would be inexpensive.

From the Paper
"To: Executive Committee From: City Manager and Chief Financial Officer Wards: All Reference No.: N/A Summary The following paper is a review of a possible tax option - vehicle registration in the city of Mississauga - that has come before the city previously. Although the authors of this report find that vehicle..."

Tags:vehicle, registration, tax

Abstract
This paper is a comparison between a film and a chapter out of a sociology book. They both focus on the perspectives of poor minorities in inner cities. "Light It Up" is a movie about inner city youths and their fight to improve their public schools. "Race And Fate", a chapter from the book, "Inner Lives And Our Social Worlds," looks at residents of a poor black neighborhood and provides various looks at history. Many topics are covered in this paper, including the conditions in which these people live and work, the curse that seems to make misconceptions about minorities worse, the cause of the suffering that is endured every day by the social underclass, and how the depressing atmosphere of the film helped to illustrate the sadness and frustration that these students feel everyday.

From the Paper
"The movie "Light It Up", written and directed by Craig Bolotin, provides a very powerful perspective on how conditions in a Queens, NY high school led to a student uprising which eventually escalated to a hostage situation that would make national headlines. Incensed and disillusioned by budget cuts, a negative perception of the students, and the firing of a well-venerated teacher, six students went to great lengths to have their voices heard. What began as a voicing of their displeasure leads eventually to a standoff with the police, a wounded police officer, and the battle of a lifetime."

Tags:african, americans, enforcement, harlem, law, poverty, public, queens, school, social, underclass

Abstract
The first part of the paper deals with Charlie Chaplin, focusing on his movie, "City Lights", and his persona of "The Little Tramp". The second part compares Chaplin and Jim Carrey, and argues that Carrey does not have the comic genius of Chaplin.

From the Paper
"Film critic Roger Ebert characterized Charlie Chaplin'sc haracter the Little Tramp as the most famous image on earth in the early ..."

Tags:Film, Charlie Chaplin, Jim Carrey, Comedy, City Lights

Abstract
This paper explains that poems by American Poet Laureate Ted Kooser not only often focus on everyday situations but also on motifs, such as dust, death, loneliness, darkness and light. Next, the author explains that, in his poem "A Happy Birthday, light represents being alive. In "Flying at Night", the yard light represents the farmer's lonesomeness, while the city lights represent his aspirations; however, in "A Blind Woman" light cannot be seen but rather functions as a separate object, which evokes in the woman a sexual pleasure. The paper explains that ambiguity is what makes poetry fascinating and this is the goal of poet Ted Kooser.

From the Paper
"The light is also described as making her feel "exuberant". This is perplexing however, considering the character is blind. How can she be pleasured light if she cant see it? The character, consequently is not seeing the light. It is being objectified, and therefore comes to serve a difference purpose The character is said to have "walked fast behind it", "it" being the light. This is abnormal considering light is not usually referred to as a thing, which "it" implies. Also, the light "trickled down her forehead" and "her brown shoes splashed into the light". Because Light is described as trickling and splashing, which is could not truly do, its objectification becomes unmistakable."

Tags:description, narrator, loneliness, ambiguity, innuendo

Abstract
This paper examines the criminal statistics of the Borough of Brooklyn in New York City with respect to the national rates and those of the city at large. The paper reviews the historical trends between 1990 and 2007 with respect to the overall statistics and in particular, the murder rates are examined in detail. The murder rates of Brooklyn are compared to the city at large in light of the possibility of the lowering of the rate in one part of the city.

Tags:brooklyn, statistics, crime

Abstract
This paper overviews light rail technology and, specifically, Houston's light rail system. It also investigates whether or not the light rail has been a partial solution to Houston's crowded streets. Also, the costs of the system are discussed as well as future expansion plans.

Table of Contents
Light Rail Technology Overview
The Houston Light Rail System
Has the Houston Light Rail Been a Partial Solution
to Traffic Congestion in Houston
Costs of Building and Operating the Houston Light Rail
System and Future Expansion Plans
Opportunity Costs
MetroRail Accidents

From the Paper
"Light rail systems typically are operated by electricity that is delivered through overhead lines. Occasionally, they use a third rail for its electrical power, whether they are standard or special third rail systems that only transmit power when the train is on that segment of the track. A few use diesel powered trains; however, this is often used as an interim measure until funding is available for the installation of electric power."

Tags:evolution, streetcars, trolleys, trams, transit, equipment, infrastructure, heavy, railways

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses two aspects of criminal justice: police review panels to reduce police misconduct, and red light districts proposed by the city of Springfield to decriminalize adult book stores, strip clubs, drugs and prostitution.

From the Paper
"Establishing a set of mechanisms for auditing and reviewing police conduct is a challenging task particularly in light of increasing demands from citizens for closer scrutiny of policy activity with respect to potential racism and excessive use of force. Dusty Rhodes pointed out that there are a variety of police review boards in existence today which range from an internal affairs monitoring system to a citizen panel an ombudsman department a review board composed of mediators trained in dispute settlement and a combination of departmental governmental ..."

Tags:police review panels, red light districts, drug decriminalization, prostitution