The prevention of Obesity in Childhood Term Paper

The prevention of Obesity in Childhood - Term Paper Example Obese children tend to suffer from some symptom of attention deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD). Childhood obesity is a major worldwide concern especially in the developed countries and now are reaching epidemic proportions (Dehghan et al,2005). The prevalence rate is increasing worldwide and has been growing rapidly in the recent years(Procter , 2007). Therefore, this increase is considered a very critical issue by global public health authorities(Jones et al ,2008: North Ireland centre for diet and health,2001). In US the prevalence of obesity among children increased between year 1973 to 1994 by 11%. While, between 1999 and 2000 obesity increased by just 4%(Dehghan et al,2005).On the other hand 27.6% of American children and adolescents aged 2 through 19 years were overweight or obese between 2003 and 2006(Maryer, 2009). Similarly the UK saw a rise in the rate of childhood obesity from 8% to 20% between the years 1984 to 1993(Dehghan et al,2005). So, childhood obesity has been observed in the developed countries and developing countries as well. Moreover, childhood obesity i s high in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. According to Dehghan et al (2005), one in every six children aged between 6 and 18 years old is obese in Saudi Arabia. Obesity is defined as "an excess of body fat The World Health Organization (WHO) defines "overweight" as a BMI more than 25 or equal , and "obesity" as a BMI more than 30 or equal. The exact reason for obesity is not fully understood and it is believed to be a disorder with multiple causes. For instance environmental factors, lifestyle favorites, and cultural environment play crucial roles. In general obesity is assumed to be the results of an increase in caloric and fat intake. It is known many food favorites responsible for these caloric and fat intakes. Such as excessive sugar intake by soft drinks, increased portion size, fast foods, and steady decline in physical activity have been playing major roles in the rising rates of obesity all around the world. Thus, both over-consumption of calories and reduced physical activity are involved in childhood obesity. Knowing a child's BMI (Body Mass Index) can help you find the kids who are at risk of becoming overweight. 2. Analysis Childhood obesity can be defined as a condition where excessive body fat negatively affected on a children's health and wellbeing. Thus due to the increasingly rising prevalence of obesity in children and its many adverse effects on healthy life, it is being identified as one of the growing and major public health issues in the world. In fact strong evidence on the subject suggests that over the billions of children are overweight and obesity. The evidence clarifies and argues the importance of prevention of childhood obesity. The overall aim of this review is to investigate and examine the effectiveness of varying interventions to prevent childhood obesity in terms of either from healthy lifestyle education, or by combining the effects of both dietary education interventions and physical activity interventions to prevent obesity in childhood. This aim will be achieved through two specific clear targets. The first one is to evaluate the effectiveness of dietary education interventio ns versus control. The second one is intended to assess the action of the combined impact for both of dietary educat

Key features of Spies in the opening chapter Essay Example for Free

Key features of Spies in the opening chapter Essay The key features of Spies are introduced and highlighted by the use of different narrative techniques which occur throughout the novel. One of the most important features in the novel is mystery; this is created largely due to the fact that Stephen is not a reliable narrator. His uncertainty means that we are not told the truth at times. This very aspect portrays Spies as a modern novel. By creating ambiguity there is no certainty or clarity in the plot, despite the narrator having lived through the story. This enables Frayn to comment on perception, an important theme in the novel. Childhood is also a vital aspect in this novel as it helps readers discover Stephens past and acknowledge the way in which he has grown up. It also assists readers in drawing differences between Stephen as a youth and an old man narrator; furthermore it helps Frayn to comment on identity which is another key feature. Relationships are also significant as they are either made or broken in Spies. Moreover the structure of the novel in itself is fundamental and acts as a key feature, largely because it creates suspense and helps introduce the key features. The opening chapter is written in two different tenses; the present in which we establish the effect the smell of a plant has on the narrator who is an old man, the past tense in which memories are introduced by the old man narrator and again the present tense as the old man narrator travels back in time and recounts some of those memories. Mystery is something which cannot be explained or understood, and often leaves the reader confused. This is instantly accomplished in the very first sentence of the opening chapter: The third week of June, and there it is again: the same almost embarrassingly familiar breath of sweetness We are introduced to the novel in the present tense which draws the reader in and acquaints them with the same knowledge as the narrator. June helps establish a time. Moreover it is an unknown factor which is introduced with the third person pronoun that helps create intrigue by giving it an importance. again: suggests that the narrator has formally been acquainted with this unknown factor but is withholding this information from the reader. The use of a colon in the quotation allows readers a moment to pause and so the pace gathers suspense. It also acts as a qualifier as after the colon the it is disclosed, almost embarrassingly familiar breath of sweetness We are left to question why a familiar breath of sweetness is embarrassing. Frayn reveals that a smell is the subject of the sentence, but in doing so he creates further intrigue. This however is subsequently revealed to be the smell of privet. The privet is a shrub and it is the smell of this shrub which conjures embarrassing memories. This is explored in Chapter Five of the novel when we come across Stephen and Keiths mother in the privet: Im too embarrassed to watch her You cant look at her face Theres nowhere left expect the bit in between and that part of a lady, as Ive known for at least a year now, is her bosom This creates humour; something which is consistent throughout Spies as Frayn describes Stephans naivety as a child. It also solves the root of Stephens embarrassment. Mysteries continue to be featured in the opening chapter as a key feature which is subsequently developed in the novel. for a moment Im a child again and everythings before me all the frightening, half-understood promise of life. In this quotation we witness a time shift from the present to the past in which the first person narrator is an adult reflecting upon his childhood. The key words used within this quotation are: frightening, half-understood, and promise of life. These words conjure a sense of negativity and leave the reader questioning why the smell is frightening and half understood. The word frightening introduces us to suspense, and leaves us to question the uncertainty of this intriguing smell. Furthermore, frightening, half-understood promise of life, illustrates that the narrators upbringing was distorted, as a childs future, the promise of life is a positive reference, but Stephens recollection of his has negative connotations. This is reflected in Chapter 9 where Stephen is faced by Mr Hayward. I follow him across the street to the Haywards house, holding the basket with both hands, sick with apprehension. This quotation reinforces the fear felt by Stephen as a child. Sick suggests that Stephen is distressed. In addition apprehension illustrates the fact that Stephen is in fear and extremely terrified of Mr Haywards actions. The second paragraph of the opening Chapter continues in the present tense to allow us as readers to learn more about the intriguing smell. It draws the readers awareness to every detail and makes us want to read on. It must come from the gardens. Which one? I can never trace it. Frayns use of a question and the short sentence reflects the old man narrators confusion. I can never trace it, confirms the uncertainty and mystery over the smell as well as reflecting the narrators state of mind of confusion and agitation. Frayn develops this theme of confusion and perception, throughout Spies. In Chapter Five Stephen does not know the meaning of x. What is the value of x, I struggle to calculate, over and over again through the long confusions of the night Here it is evident that Frayn is withholding information which intrigues the readers. The value of x is unclear this leaves it open to interpretation as x highlights mystery. To the readers x can emphasize numerous factors. This may include birthdays, anniversaries, bank associated dates and so forth. Returning to the second paragraph of the novel Frayn writes, Its not like the heartbreaking tender sweetness of the lime blossom The use of an oxymoron reinforces the old man narrators confusion as he tries to identify the source of the smell. This creates mystery and suspense. One critical evaluation of this is argued by Max Watman, in which he states, If we are not to benefit from the older mans perspective until the last dozen or so pages, why introduce him at the start? Max Watman, The New Criterion, (May 2002) I strongly disagree as without two narrative voices the difference between appearance and reality cannot be achieved. This creates mystery which ties in with the fact that Frayn often withholds information until the next paragraph or chapter to create anticipation. The old man narrator continues with, What is it, that terrible, disturbing presence in the summer air? The words, terrible and disturbing create an ominous tone. The narrator is giving it a physical representation by referring to it as a negative presence; this gives it a nightmarish quality; something which haunts the narrator and which will inevitably haunt us. This reinforces the sense of mystery. The smell continuous to be described with negative imagery, Theres nothing clean about the reek The word reek suggests an unpleasant, powerful smell and creates a negative tone. Insinuating itself so slyly, Suggests that the smell is somewhat sneaky and creeps upon him unexpectedly. Its evident that the smell is frustrating him; furthermore the word insinuating suggests that it is reminding the old man narrator of unpleasant memories. The smell acts as a catalyst and prompts Stephen to remember Keiths mother, Shes sitting in the dust in front of me, weeping seeping unnoticed into the deepest recesses of my memory, to stay with me for the rest of my life, is that sweet and luring reek. The use of assonance among, seeping, deepest, weeping portrays to us the lingering painful memories. The memory off the past is finished of negatively with the repetition of reek. The hard k sound at the end makes it sound harsh. Childhood plays another key feature in the novel seen in the opening chapter where Frayn uses another oxymoron to present the contradiction of a, Far-off nearby land. One interpretation of this is that the narrator is physically distant from his home but nevertheless, it is nearby in his memories again this reflects the narrators confusion and agitation concerning the smell, as it reminds him of his childhood. You cant go back, everyone knows that So Im never going then Im getting old. Frayn gradually reveals information concerning the narrators persona; here we can establish that the narrator is an old man who should have a better understanding of his past then appears to be the case. The use of ellipses: everyone knows that portrays that the narrator is hesitant about what he is going to do. Childish hesitation, in contrast, is to be expected as part of the process of growing up, Keith? I query, trying not to sound as frightened as I am. What are you doing? Where are you? I climb reluctantly back through the hole in the fence. Reluctantly shows that Stephen is unwilling and not keen to climb back through the fence. This proves his hesitation and dependency on Keith and the fact that he doesnt want to pursue anything without him because he doesnt have the confidence to do so. The fact that the old man narrator seems to be equally hesitant creates suspense as the reader wonders what terrible events must have occurred in his childhood. Then the laughters gone I dont know what to do or what to say. Here again we witness the dilemma faced by the narrator as a child and his inability to deal with the complications set before him. By introducing the key feature of childhood in the opening chapter, we are able to witness how Stephen grows up as portrayed in Chapter Eight: Do I feel alright? I have a sense of freedom, as if Im no longer bound by the rules and restrictions of childhood. This shows Stephen growing up and slowly moving away from depending on Keith. As part of growing up, comes the awakening sense of romance and sexuality: Its name breathes itself through the perfumed air as slowly and softly as a sigh: L a m o r n a The use of personification within this quotation of Chapter Eight helps portray the idea that L a m o r n a is alive by giving it a long vowel sound as though it is breathing; a type of human quality. This ultimately shows Stephens increased awareness of his senses which suggests his sexuality and him growing up. Identity in Spies is another key feature and ties in significantly with childhood. Firstly the identification of the smell is vitally significant. The fact that the narrators daughter identifies it as Liguster, which is the German name for the shrub, reveals more about the narrators identity: Liguster No. And yet, as another wave of that shameless summons drifts over us, everything inside me stirs and sifts. The personification within this quotation illustrates a persistent sense demanding Stephens attention. Liguster The use of ellipsis shows the control that the smell has over him; it stays with him and has settled on his conscience, Liguster And yet its whispering to me of some thing secret, of some dark and unsettling thing at the back of my mind, of something I dont quite like to think about This portrays the smell as devious. Liguster is a catalyst within Stephens memories; it is the Liguster that makes him remember his childhood. The words dark and unsettling, are both very negative. They suggest the unknown and ooze a lack of understanding where Frayn is deliberately trying to block out this secret. Furthermore it leaves readers to question why Liguster is dark and unsettling. We wonder what awful event or events must have occurred. In addition, the quotation: whispering to me is personification which reminds us of something surreptitious that is devious and cunning and suddenly creeps up on him. This can be linked to the key theme of perception, which is the difference between appearance and reality allowing insight on a matter. There was a German spy in the Close that summer. It wasnt his mother it was me. This quotation creates irony as throughout Spies, Stephen related German people to germs, as in Chapter Ten: Hes an old tramp, filthy and bearded. And hes a German! His Germanness lingers in the air This reinforces his childhood and the immaturity attached to it; whereas the quotation within Chapter Eleven reveals the real identity of the old man narrator: this old man is Stefan Weitzler.

Presidential Address :: essays research papers

Presidential Address   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This article talks about how the American people have come from colonies to the leading world power and freedom fighter in the world. This all started in the colonial days when people from foreign countries came to worship in America because of the freedom of religion. One of the main reasons for the American Revolution was the fear that Britain was going to take the colonies freedoms away.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 20th century it was said by Brooks Adams that, â€Å" The United States would outweigh any single empire if not all empires combined.† The United States in its attempt to globalize the world has done some interesting things. We fought World War II about freedoms in Europe, but in our own country the not whites where being heavily discriminated against. W.E.B. Dubois insisted that it was impossible to understand the black experience in the United States without reference to that dark and vast sea of human labor in China, India, the South Seas and all of Africa†¦ The great majority of mankind, on whose bent and broken back rest today the founding stones of modern industry.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We as Americans have a sense of superiority when it comes to freedom, we have since the American Revolution been the big brother to other nations seeking to be free. But within our own borders rebellions are frowned upon. Men like Nat Turner and those who participated in the Whiskey Rebellion where look on as enemies of the country and in Nat Turner’s case was tried for treason. We look at rebellions in our own country as people rising up against freedom, and that other country’s will use these events against us.

FACTS Essay

Facts: Precise Engineering Corporation has a contract with Quik Mart Stores to provide customized software for Quik’s inventory control system. Retail Outlets, Inc, Quik’s competitor, induces Sam, a Precise subcontractor who is writing code for the Quik software, to delay delivery of the code for one week. As a result, Precise’s delivery of the software is delayed, and Quik sustains $500,000 in lost profits. Issue: Whether Retail Outlets willfully interfered with a contractual relationship with Engineering Corporation and Quik Mart Stores; when he wrongfully induced Sam to delay delivery. Rule: Wrongful Interference With a Contractual Relationship occurs when, defendant Knew of contract; defendant intentionally induces breach; and defendant benefits from breach of contract. Analysis: Retail Outlet had to know of contract, because he induced Sam to breach such. Retail Outlet induced Sam to breach contract agreement with Quik Mart Stores. Retail Outlet benefited when Quik Mart Stores lost $500,000.00 in sales. Conclusion: Yes, Retail Outlets willfully interfered with a contractual relationship with Engineering Corporation and Quik Mart Stores; when he wrongfully induced Samto delay delivery. A woman name Elle is stuck and injured by a truck as she is walking alongside a road. This incident took place in here home state of Georgia. The truck who struck her was owned and operated by FDC a company that is incorporated in Delaware. Due the circumstances of this case Elle has couple of options in regards to filing a laws suit for damages. Elle’s first option would be  to file a law suit in her home state of Georgia, because this is where the incident occurred. Due to the Long Arm Statues; Georgia has the authority to exercise personal jurisdiction over FDC, regardless that they do not reside in Georgia. This option would be much more convenient for the plaintiff. Also, Elle has the option of filing the lawsuit in FDC’s state of incorporation. The statute of Long Arms also applies to this scenario and allows the case to be heard in the plaintiff’s home state. This option would not be convenient for the plaintiff, because she would have to drive to Delawa re to file the petition and to attend any court hearings and such. In the event that the plaintiff filed the case in Georgia, the defendant has the right to petition for a removal of the case from the state court and h it transferred to a federal court. The plaintiff can request such, because the case involves a diversity of citizenship between the two parties and the injuries that resulted were greater than $250,000. These two facts meet the basic requirements making this case eligible to be heard by a federal court. This might be a considerable option for the defendant if he is worried about prejudice in court towards his case. The plaintiff Elle is more likely to pursue the first option and file her case in Georgia. Besides this being more convenient for her, in addition, her case might be favored more in court because she is a local resident of the jurisdiction.

Common Stereotypes in Society Essay

As a society, we tend to stereotype. Whether our presumption is right or wrong, some common stereotypes are still accepted as truth no matter how much evidence there is proving another point of view. Three common stereotypes I see are those that involve abused women, Blacks and their love of fried chicken and the ability of older people learning foreign languages. Many of these stereotypes are reinforced by cultures and what is commonly seen within their culture. These stereotypes can have a long lasting effect on the people that are judged by the stereotype and a long lasting effect on the perception of those people. When most people think about an abused woman, many see the woman with a black eye not realizing that abuse is more than physical. Verbal and mental abuse are also used to control the victim. In many cases, physical abuse is the latter and verbal and mental abuse is the first type introduced. Although there are many shelters and agencies available to abused women, many believe that these women are too afraid to leave the relationship and are blamed for any further abuse they suffer because they didn’t leave or call the police. On the contrary, â€Å"more than 77 percent of them had self-reported to the police. (Barrett, B. , Nov 2011). In the cases when the women have children, many think that they stay because they do not have the means to provide for their family if they leave the home. Based on a handbook by the Santa Clara Probation department, â€Å"victims of domestic violence leave their abuser seven times on average before they are able to stay on their own† (Prophet, T. , 2006). Many of the abused women are presumed as weak and people in general, do not want to assist a weak person because they will more than likely go back to the situation they were just helped out of. There are many shelters available but the funding needed is scarce due to the previous mentioned fear. The second common stereotype is that all Black people like fried chicken. I was taught in school that any statement that expresses that â€Å"all† of anything is definitely a false statement. This stereotype was started a long time ago, and is probably associated with situations related to slavery. â€Å"The most obvious explanation derives from the historical fact that fried chicken dishes were popular in slave homes on Southern plantations. In many cases, chickens were the only livestock animals that slaves were permitted to raise on their own† (Bering, J. (2011). This just proves that the reason fried chicken is associated with African Americans is not because they enjoy the food so much but it was the only choice they had when it came to what was availbe to them. The other reason there is such a negative connotation associated with fried chicken is because the slavery era itself was not a good time for African Americans (Bering, J. 2011). As an unhealthy and inexpensive food, fried chicken invokes images of poverty, ignorance, sloth, and other racist associations† (Bering, J. 2011). Not only is the mention of fried chicken and African Americans considered negative, it has also been viewed as racist. Advertisers seem to gear their commercials towards the African American community when advertising for fried chicken. Mary J. Blige received a lot of flack for being in a Burger King commercial advertising their New Crispy Strips Tortilla Wraps. The commercial was eventually pulled from rotation due to the backlash received. Other high profile individuals have also been targeted by the chicken industry, including President Obama. Although it’s no secret that these people do enjoy fried chicken, associating these people with the food generated a negative or racial tone. There is nothing wrong with these people liking fried chicken, as there are many other racial groups that also enjoy this cuisine. The third common stereotype would be the idea that older adults will have a harder time learning foreign languages when compared to younger children. One of the reasons for this stereotype can be attributed to the older adult and the teacher, they have doubts about their ability to learn a foreign language. Although most people have accepted the generalization of learning as â€Å"the younger the better† (Schleppegrell, M. , 1987), this is not the case when it comes to learning language. There have been studies that have determined that aging does not decline a person’s learning ability. The way older adults learn a new skill is the only adjustments that need to be made. These studies also show that older adults learn at a more rapid rate than children (Krashen, Long, and Scarcella, 1979). There are two reasons why being a poor language learner is attributed to adults, and those are â€Å"a theory of the brain and how it matures, and classroom practices that discriminate against the older learner† (Schleppegrell, M. , 1987). The â€Å"critical period† hypothesis that was put forth in the 1960’s was based on then-current theories of brain development, and argued that the brain lost â€Å"cerebral plasticity† after puberty, making second language acquisition more difficult as an adult than as a child (Lenneberg, 1967). Due to advances in the study of neurology, it has been determined that adults have superior language learning capabilities. These studies and facts should dispel any accepted stereotypes related to older adults and their ability to learn foreign languages. One thing that is common amongst all of these stereotypes is that the â€Å"victim† has accepted these stereotypes to be true and doesn’t challenge any of the information that would affirm or deny such claims. This could also be the first step into getting some of these stereotypes removed from our culture so that people are able to benefit positively and not have to worry about any negative impacts from doing activities that are natural.

Independence as Nations, comparing hati, america, and france essays

Independence as Nations, comparing hati, america, and france essays Although Haiti, America, and France begin their independence around the same time era, their ways of receiving their independence was very much identical. Social classes have a huge impact on the status of a country. The way that these social classes influenced these countries were the direct cause of their independence. The people and the ideas of those people would cause a spark of events leading to an independent country. Well, if independence is the question then it is necessary to focus on what had been happening in the colonial period in the Americas, Haiti, and France. With the development of the European colonies, there were also new systems of government. Although the colonies belonged to the European countries, the leaders who actually governed the region were located in the New World, far away from Europe. As such, little by little the leaders of colonial America realized that they had different interests from those who established the rules for the region. In the case of Latin America, there was also the issue of different social groups: the peninsulares (those born in Spain or Portugal) traditionally had maintained political control in the region, but the growth of the criollo (those of European blood but born in the Americas) and the mestizo (those born of mixed European and Indian blood) populations represented a reasonable test to this power.. After three centuries, independence movements began to spread throughout the region at the end of the 18th century, from Virginia to Argentina. Beginning with the American Revolution in 1776, the ideas of freedom, equality, and independence were transformed into armed struggles against the powers of Great Britain, Spain, France, and Portugal. In each region, there were revolutionary leaders who stood out: Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington (in the U.S.), Simn Bolivar and Jos de San Martin (South America), Miguel Hidalgo and Jos Mo...

Conflict Resolution Strategies

Conflict Resolution Strategies Free Online Research Papers When working in a group setting, often times conflicts are going to occur, therefore, strategies for conflict resolution are needed. This paper will take a long look at conflict management to get a better understanding of the offect of specific conflict resolution strategies on group outcomes. All throughout our school days, and even on up through our careers, we will be instructed to work in groups. Group projects can be fun and run very smoothly, or they can lead to a great deal of frustration, as oftentimes the members chosen can not manage to work together as a team. One of the main purposes of group projects is to learn to work well in groups, considering most career paths will require some level of group work. This is where conflict resolution strategies come into play. The Role of Conflict Management in Team Outcomes Previous research suggests that a process for managing conflict can help to reduce the negative impact of conflict by restoring fairness, process effectiveness, resource efficiency, working relationships, and satisfaction of parties (E.G. Thomas, 1992). Team conflicts often show themselves as conflicts in the form of passive-aggressive behaviors such as power plays, blaming, tardiness, or withholding information (Edelmann, 1993; Wall Callister, 1995). There is a growing number of evidence to show that the actions and reactions groups have to performance outcomes and evolving group dynamics leave teams prone to conflict (Ancong Chong, 1996). If teams can not effectively manage conflicts that arise, the group will spend more time reacting to the conflicts, rather than the tasks at hand. The conflict resolution process encompasses a wide range of activities including communication, problem solving, dealing with emotion, and understanding positions (Brett, 2001; Pondy, 1992; Putnam Poole, 1987). Conflict Resolution strategies effects on Team Performance The purpose of this paper is to look at conflict resolution strategies in groups to better understand their effects on the group outcomes. Task conflict is a disagreement over differences in ideas, viewpoints, and opinions pertaining to the groups task (Amason Sapienza, 1997). When faced with a task conflict the strategy that seems to be most successful in resolving that conflict is the discuss/debate strategy. This strategy helps the members to consider both sides of the opinions, and solutions for those differences in opinion; therefore, coming to a concensus. Relationship conflict is a disagreement resulting from incompatibilities, which includes feelings of tension and friction when faced with a relationship conflict the strategies that need to be used are confrontation, punishment, or taking actions to avoid future reoccurences. For example: if a team member is rolling his eyes at another team member, then he would be asked to leave the room and docked for his lack of participa tion. Process conflict is conflict about dividing and delegating responsibility and deciding how to get work done (Jehn, 1997: 540). When faced with a process conflict, the strategy that seems to be the most successful is the compromise strategy. For example: instead of assigning tasks according to a group members expertise, then the team would assign then a task according to their interests. Steps to follow when working on group projects To get the most benefit out of group projects there are some simple steps that can be followed to make the process run more smoothly. Clarify the goals and tasks to be accomplished by the group. Work together to break the project up into separate tasks and assign people and due date for each piece. Communicate with other members of the team. Leave enough time at the end to pull all the pieces together and to make sure everything is done. (beyondintractability.org/user_guides/students/?nid=6577) Conclusion Throughout our lives weither in a grade school or a graduate school group project, the group will more than likely incure some conflicts. The conflict resolution strategies defined above will help to deal with those conflicts in a more productive manner. References Amason, A., Sapienza, H. (1997). The effects of top management team size and interaction norms on cognitive and affective conflict. . Journal of Management , (23), 496-516. Ancona, D., Chong, C. (1996). Entrainment: Pace, cycle, and rhythm in organizational behavior.. Research in Organizational Behavior, (18), 251-284. Beyond Intractability (). . Retrieved 03-15-07, from beyondintractability.org/user_guides/students/?nid=6577 Brett, J. (2001). Negotiating globally: How to negotiate deals, resolve disputes, and make decisions across cultural boundaries. . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Edelmann, R. (1993). Interpersonal conflicts at work. : British Psychological Society. Jehn, K. (1997). A qualitative analysis of conflict types and dimensions in organizational groups.. Administrative Science Quarterly, (42), 530-557. Pondy, L. (1992). Reflections on organizational conflict.. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 13, 257-261. Putman, L., Poole, M. (1987). Conflict and negotiation. In F. Jablin, L. Putnam, K. Roberts, L. Porter (Eds.), Handbook of organizational communication: An interdisciplinary perspective (pp. 549-599). Newbury Park: Sage Publications. Thomas, K. (1992). Conflict and negotiation processes in organizations. In M. Dunnette, L. Hough (Eds.), Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (pp. 651-717). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc.. Wall, J., Callister, R. (1995). Conflict and its management . Journal of Management, 21(3), 515-558. Research Papers on Conflict Resolution StrategiesResearch Process Part OneRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andThe Fifth HorsemanIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paperThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseQuebec and CanadaThree Concepts of PsychodynamicAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

Summary of the Battle of Stamford Bridge

Summary of the Battle of Stamford Bridge The Battle of Stamford Bridge was part of the invasions of Britain following the death of Edward the Confessor in 1066 and was fought September 25, 1066. English Army Harold Godwinson7,000 men Norwegian Army Harald HardradaTostig Godwinson7,500 men Battle of Stamford Bridge Following the death of King Edward the Confessor in 1066, succession to the English throne fell into dispute. Accepting the crown from the English nobles, Harold Godwinson became king on January 5, 1066. This was immediately challenged by William of Normandy and Harald Hardrada of Norway. As both claimants began building invasion fleets, Harold assembled his army on the south coast with the hope that his northern nobles could repel Hardrada. In Normandy, Williams fleet gathered, but was unable to depart St. Valà ©ry sur Somme due to adverse winds. In early September, with supplies low and his troops obligations expiring, Harold was forced to disband his army. Shortly thereafter, Hardradas forces began landing at Tyne. Aided by Harolds brother, Tostig, Hardrada sacked Scarborough and sailed up the Ouse and Humber Rivers. Leaving his ships and part of his army at Riccall, Hardrada marched on York and met the Earls Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria in battle at Gate Fulford on September 20. Defeating the English, Hardrada accepted the citys surrender and demanded hostages. The date for the surrender and hostage transfer was set for September 25 at Stamford Bridge, just east of York. To the south, Harold received news of the Viking landing and attacks. Racing north, he gathered a new army and arrived at Tadcaster on the 24th, after marching nearly 200 miles in four days. The next day, he advanced through York to Stamford Bridge. The English arrival caught the Vikings by surprise as Hardrada had expected Harold to stay in the south to confront William. As a result, his forces were not prepared for battle and much of their armor had been sent back to their ships. Approaching Stamford Bridge, Harolds army moved into position. Before the battle commenced, Harold offered his brother the title of earl of Northumbria if he would desert. Tostig then asked what Hardrada would receive if he withdrew. Harolds reply was that since Hardrada was a tall man he could have seven feet of English earth. With neither side willing to yield, the English advanced and began the battle. The Viking outposts on the west bank of the River Derwent fought a rearguard action to allow the rest of the army to prepare. During this fight, legend refers to a single Viking berserker who single-handedly defended Stamford Bridge against all odds until stabbed from below the span by a long spear. Though overwhelmed, the rearguard provided Hardrada time to assemble his forces into a line. In addition, he dispatched a runner to summon the rest of his army, led by Eyestein Orre, from Riccall. Pushing across the bridge, Harolds army reformed and charged the Viking line. A prolonged melee ensued with Hardrada falling after being struck by an arrow. With Hardrada slain, Tostig continued the fight and was aided by Orres reinforcements. As sunset approached, both Tostig and Orre were killed. Lacking a leader the Viking ranks began to waver, and they fled back to their ships.   Aftermath and Impact of the  Battle of Stamford Bridge While exact casualties for the Battle of Stamford Bridge are not known, reports suggest that Harolds army suffered a large number of killed and wounded and that Hardradas was nearly destroyed. Of the approximately 200 ships the Vikings arrived with, only around 25 were needed to return the survivors to Norway. While Harold had won a stunning victory in the north, the situation in the south was deteriorating as William began landing his forces in Sussex on September 28. Marching his men south, Harolds depleted army met William at the Battle of Hastings on October 14. In the battle, Harold was killed and his army defeated, opening the way for the Norman conquest of England. Resources and Further Reading UK Battlefield Resource Centre: Battle of Stamford BridgeBritain Express: Battle of Stamford BridgeBattle of Stamford Bridge

Kipnis and cultural factors in pornography Essay

Kipnis and cultural factors in pornography - Essay Example This, according to historical perspectives of Kipnis, (7) define the methodical consideration on the approach to sexual of choice and give relevance to the cultural expectations, making valid evaluation of communication styles within a critically defined levels of communication. The impact of sexuality including the sheer expression of the natural communication provide distinctive elements in which proper projection will be evaluation and constructively dissipated in order to achieve the Kipnis’ argument provisions. From the ages of history, Carl, (3) explain that the national perfection of sexual usability has elemental developments. The Kipnis’(7) argument program illustrates specific levels of approach that apparently ensures that the information meets the required level but which still meet the minimal ethical levels. The Kipnis’ argument hence give the person the wider positions of interest including the determination of well aided sexual pattern, such as th e well illustrated code derivative which ensures that proper communication component is achieved. This is truly reflected sexual variety, (Olivier, 5) and the major impact on linguistic expressions within a limited occupational environment. Sexual behavioural characteristic effectively showcase people’s changing communication styles which is evidently illustrated by sexuality approach. Kipnis’ (7) approach provides a comprehensive understanding of fantasies and pornography in relation to the reduction of criminal activities. The equivalence of individual human growth also involves people and their individuality level. Considerations of sexual development and enhancement are procedurally defined by the comparative analogy that is notably established within the mainstream recognition of the growth and development of sexuality itself. Asai et al, (1) explains that the operator value of Kipnis’ argument is defined by the common semantic roots. In view of the changin g phonetic and phonological features, the richness of the original communication text helps to illustrate the grammatical expectation of the Kipnis sexuality analyis. The yield operator component is differentiated in the specific functional setting by the delimiter run, effectively making it to be significantly vital in the process of generating the shift in the United States v. Daniel DePew –violent pornographic review. The review also establishes a change in feminist character and how this is perceived by the culture and those who are transforming it. Kipnis’ argument annexes The homogeneity of sexuality is illustrated by virtual words expressed in two different worlds. Sexuality itself, Kent et al, (6) is defined by people and this is reliant on the changing components relative to the protocols of sexual creation. The annexed relevance of the pornography is defined by high levels of fantasy and this provides a considerable range of cultural compositions, improved ac cessibility in sexual patterning and communication. The theoretical levels according to Clinger, (4) show that evolution in pornography is an important factor aiding pornographic acceptance and the relevance of Kipnis’

Hot summer helps butterfly numbers critique Essay

Hot summer helps butterfly numbers critique - Essay Example Richard Fox the manager of the survey believes that during the summer a majority of the insects were in their early developmental stages and the perfect temperature conditions assisted in their survival and finally gave rise to a large number of adults. The article also confirms that the perfect weather conditions were responsible for attracting immigrant butterflies such as painted lady, clouded yellow, silver Y moth and the rare long-tailed blue. Participants in the survey were asked to look for 21 common butterfly species and the final results saw 15 of these species growing in numbers. 12 out of these 15 species showed a growth of over 50% while only 4 species – the ringlet, marbled white, meadow brown and six-spot burnet moth, showed decrease in their numbers. Mr. Fox inferred that the species which showed decreases in their numbers were ones which have just a single generation every year. Therefore, the number of these species represented the direct offsprings of their p arents who had been counted in the last year. However, he confirms that even though the parental numbers in the last count was large, there must have been decline in breeding success giving rise to lower number of off-springs. The article concludes with the fact that the weather cannot help increase numbers forever and that the number of butterflies in the U.K is gradually declining and the sole way of redressing this problem is to conserve the habitats and inhibit destruction of their range. The author of the article is absolutely accurate in drawing conclusions that butterflies are temperature dependent. Survivorship of butterflies depend on this since if the temperature is not high enough butterflies make the butterflies â€Å"more susceptible to predation during roosting and basking periods when they are unable to attain the body temperature needed for vigorous flight† ( Kingsolver,1985,p13). Hence a decrease in adult population would automatically decrease the population size. Another important role of temperature is its role in fecundity. A study conducted by Karlsson and Wiklund showed that lifelong fecundity of butterflies in relation to temperature was bell shaped where for open landscape butterflies fecundity was optimal at around 30 degrees (Karlsson & Wiklund,2005,p99).Studies also suggest that butterfly fecundity is controlled by temperature at two stages- egg maturation and female ovipositing (Berger et al,2008,p523). Therefore it is obvious, that since butterflies are temperature dependent, high numbers of emigration as observed because of the prevalent heat wave in the region which attracted butterflies from less suitable weather regions. The article also suggests a solution to the declination in the number of butterflies in the U.K. i.e. prohibiting habitat destruction. It is true that destruction of natural habitat has been the primary reason for decline of the butterfly population. Species richness of butterflies has decreased rapidly in places where habitat destruction is highest (Forister et al, 2010, p2088). Climate change has also been a major cause of habitat destruction since the changes in climatic conditions alters the vegetation of the habitats and destruction of the biotopes that the butterflies are accustomed to thereby hastening butterfly

Analysis of the integrated marketing communications mix strategies of Essay - 3

Analysis of the integrated marketing communications mix strategies of your chosen smartphone brand - Essay Example Apple should ensure consistency in the messages and slogans should focus on the unique selling points or the differentiated benefits. Apple should segment its market and select an appropriate media channel for each target audience in order to improve the effectiveness of marketing communication. The company must position the brand as innovative and premium brand that delivers added customer value. Apple Incorporation is a multinational company that designs, creates and sells consumer electronics, personal computers, computer software and smart phones (Arthur 2014). The company has attained consistent market growth and profitability due to its culture of product innovation that ensures that the company anticipates and meets the changing customer product requirements (Arthur 2014). Some of the innovative products that have attained global customer loyalty include the iPhone, iPad and iPod products that revolutionalised the technology industry (Arthur 2014). The mission of Apple is to bring the best personal experience to students, creative professionals, educators and consumers across the world through offering them with innovative hardware software and internet products (Arthur 2014). The report will analyse Apple Smartphone brand integrated marketing communication strategies with a focus on how branding and positioning strategies can facilitate the design and implementation of integrated marketing communications mix. The next part of the report will be an analysis of the Smartphone market in UK including the key competitors, market trends and environment factors that have influence on the strategic decisions. The report will also discuss the strategies implemented by Apple including the target audience, brand positioning, media selection and communication mix management. The last part of the report will be a recommendation that explains how Apple Inc can make the IMC

Geriatric Category Patients and Their Treatment Essay

Geriatric Category Patients and Their Treatment - Essay Example Healing, especially, has been identified as an issue in the elderly’ due to characteristic age related changes in skin texture, reduced processes of wound healing which are clearly distinct from the rapid healing in young patients (Gosain & Dipietro, 2004: 321). The particular patient shortlisted for this assessment belongs to the geriatric category as he is an 80 years old man, with an established diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), probably precipitated due to a history of excessive smoking. The man has also suffered an episode of shingles, as revealed from his medical history sheet. Due to the multiple comorbidities he is suffering from, he is currently being administered a combination of medications, which complicate his care further due to the multifarious side-effects associated with them. Taking history of a patient is an art which needs to be mastered by each nursing professional. It needs preparation of a proper environment, good communication s kills of the nursing practitioner, and is a thoroughly systematic, sensitive and professional activity (Lloyd & Craig, 2007: 42). The Calgary Cambridge Framework, a widely accepted standard for collecting the anamneses of a patient is generally recommended and includes five stages which summarize the history taking process (Lloyd & Craig, 2007: 44). ... tween the patient and the nurse for establishment of a true interaction, proper planning for shared decision making with the patient’s compliance, and closing the consultation amiably in accordance with the patient’s expectations (Lloyd & Craig, 2007: 44). Unhelpful interview techniques involving questions which are too probing, offensive, misleading or inappropriate are expressly prohibited in the Calgary Cambridge Framework. The framework advises against the use of defensive responses and tendency to jump to conclusions. A properly structured sequence of questioning aimed at obtaining comprehensive information about the patient's condition yielding pertinent data should be strictly followed. Discretion should be employed while obtaining answers to sensitive questions such as sexual and social history, and while gathering details about alcohol, tobacco or substance abuse (Lloyd & Craig, 2007: 47). The patient shortlisted for assessment is dependent on PEG tube for feed ing but is fully capable of taking care of his toilet and bathing needs with some guidance. Currently he suffers from cellulitis, especially in the lower body and the resultant wounds in both legs are causing considerable pain. The severely affected left leg is kept raised to reduce his discomfort and the wound is dressed aseptically on a daily basis. On immediate observation, the patient is afebrile, has a blood pressure (BP) of 140/95, a respiration rate (RR) of 20-37, and a heart rate (HR) of 80 beats per minute. His health parameters have consistently remained at this level for the last few days with only slight variations. However, as the patient was a regular smoker with an established diagnosis of COPD, he is in need of special care and oxygen therapy due to his compromised respiratory system

What would best constitute an education for men Research Paper

What would best constitute an education for men - Research Paper Example The present education format is focused on providing knowledge to people in order to make them capable of understanding their carrier objectives and be prepared for the next level of education. Many researchers and theorists believe that the current education pattern for men should include some additional subjects, which would help them learn the art of living. The most essential part of education in the modern world is practical life experiences. It has been observed that students from the beginning of their age are fond of stories narrated by their teachers, which are related to society. Men have greater interest towards subjects that are based on practical experiences. Education based on mining is very important for men’s perspective. Mining of natural resources is very important and men are mostly preferred for this purpose. Hence education related to mining is essential for men. Moreover, subjects related to defence, electronics and computers are also equally important for men. Practical experiences and implication of the experiences in the study of students is required in-order to overcome the challenges associated with modern educational system. This research paper focuses on the best compose for the education of men. Education is not only based on academic learning, it is also a cluster of actual life experiences. For an example, subjective matters of physics are not only based on theoretical implications, it is also based on real-time experiments. Experiments are conducted in-order to obtain a real-time observation of the theory discussed during classroom education. It is very essential to understand that learning is the key of life and academic education only can-not provide the required amount of knowledge. Implementation of real-life experiences during education is required to make students understand the use of the subjective matters in practical world. According to essay ‘Learning in the Key of Life’, Spayde tells that academic

Auto Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Auto - Term Paper Example The â€Å"Big Three† of the auto industry are known as Ford, Chevy and Chrysler. The Big Three are shadowed by smaller auto companies such as Toyota and Nissan. These auto companies together make up the auto industry. The auto industry is one of the largest job providers since it provides over one million jobs in the United States. In November of 2010 the auto industry provided over 700,000 jobs (Linebaugh2010). It takes a strong industry to be able to provide that many jobs. An industry of that size is dependent on being organized in a manner that allows managers and CEO’s the resources needed to make strong business decisions. Events Leading Up To a Struggling Auto Industry Many factors played a role in allowing the auto industry to decline into its current position. In 2008 gas prices jumped to over $4.00 a gallon for most of the United States (U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics2011). The rise in gas prices nearly halted the production of vehicles that got terrible gas mileage. Many Diesels, SUV’s and large Trucks were no longer popular. Many just could not afford to use the vehicles because of the price of gas. Smaller options better on gas mileage were a new trend. Since the vehicles were not being sold, there was less of a need to manufacture the vehicles. Less manufacturing meant for less income and decisions to slow and shut down many manufacturing facilities. Globalization has allowed the auto industry to target markets throughout the whole world and not just the United States. The auto industry was more focused on setting up manufacturing facilities in other parts of the world and somewhat neglecting issues that were happening in their home country. Many are upset about allowing jobs to go oversees and will not even buy new vehicles from the auto makers. Decisions made to globalize the auto industry have put a damper on U.S. sales, jobs and reputation. This type of damage takes a lot of re organizing in order to return to a happy medium where business can boom and customers are satisfied. Current Situation of the Auto Industry, What went wrong? The current situation of the auto industry is somewhat of a mess. Stocks for the auto industry have declined, auto makers have filed bankruptcy and production has been drastically reduced. Chrysler which is one of the big three auto makers filed for bankruptcy in April of 2009 (Isodore2009). This bankruptcy was a final attempt to try and save the auto maker. Even after receiving a large bail out from the government, Chrysler was still unable to clear its deficit. Chrysler is not the only company caught up the mess of the auto industry. Bad manufacturing by Toyota has caused for those in authority positions to be forced to rethink ethical decisions about the quality of vehicles manufactured. Toyota had over 100 issues of vehicles causing accidents by the gas pedals getting stuck. This type of problem has reduced sales and could have been prevented by being better orga nized in Toyotas safety department. It is apparent that being better organized and prepared for rising gas prices and a decline in sales could have stopped the hurt of the situation that the auto makers are currently in. Being better prepared could have reduced the need for a government bailout. It would have been in the auto maker’s best interest to address the issue at the first sight of declining sales rather than pretending as if the fallout was not going to happen. Prevention would have lessened the impact on the rest

What would best constitute an education for men Research Paper

What would best constitute an education for men - Research Paper Example The present education format is focused on providing knowledge to people in order to make them capable of understanding their carrier objectives and be prepared for the next level of education. Many researchers and theorists believe that the current education pattern for men should include some additional subjects, which would help them learn the art of living. The most essential part of education in the modern world is practical life experiences. It has been observed that students from the beginning of their age are fond of stories narrated by their teachers, which are related to society. Men have greater interest towards subjects that are based on practical experiences. Education based on mining is very important for men’s perspective. Mining of natural resources is very important and men are mostly preferred for this purpose. Hence education related to mining is essential for men. Moreover, subjects related to defence, electronics and computers are also equally important for men. Practical experiences and implication of the experiences in the study of students is required in-order to overcome the challenges associated with modern educational system. This research paper focuses on the best compose for the education of men. Education is not only based on academic learning, it is also a cluster of actual life experiences. For an example, subjective matters of physics are not only based on theoretical implications, it is also based on real-time experiments. Experiments are conducted in-order to obtain a real-time observation of the theory discussed during classroom education. It is very essential to understand that learning is the key of life and academic education only can-not provide the required amount of knowledge. Implementation of real-life experiences during education is required to make students understand the use of the subjective matters in practical world. According to essay ‘Learning in the Key of Life’, Spayde tells that academic

Effective Learning in the Classroom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Effective Learning in the Classroom - Essay Example Teachers must have the sensitivity and innate talent to discern students’ academic capabilities and tailor one’s skills and abilities to effectively address their varied learning needs  to maintain the interest that brought students to the course in the first place" (Ericksen, 1978, p. 3) As students have diverse skills and abilities, as well as needs and competencies, teachers must be able to tailor their skills and abilities to address the students’ learning needs through motivation and the creation of an appropriate learning environment. By capitalizing on one’s personal and professional strengths, I would be able to achieve the objectives identified in various course modules and expected student outcomes. In one’s past experience as a mathematics teacher to predominantly Spanish speaking students, I have recognized the importance of incorporating diversity in culture and therefore addressing communication barriers. Teachers must have the sensi tivity and innate talent to discern students’ academic capabilities and tailor one’s skills and abilities to effectively address their varied learning.

A Review of Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

A Review of Of Mice and Men Essay Of Mice and Men was written by John Steinbeck in 1939, during the Great American Depression. It tells the story of two men striving to understand their own unique place in the world. Traveling in search of work, George and his simple-minded friend Lennie have nothing in the world except each other and the dream they share: to one day settle down in a farm of their own and count out their days. Eventually they find work on a ranch, their hopes are doomed as Lennie becomes a victim of his own strength leaving their dream to be crushed. Much of Of Mice and Men is based upon Steinbecks life and experiences. He highlights many social issues which he experienced first hand. For example, the climatic changes in the West of America resulting in destruction of fertile land, this had supported the homesteaders represented in the novel by the promised joy dreamt of by the workers in the story. Another problem shown in the novel is the great financial collapse of 1929 which heralded the Depression that increased unemployment and poverty through the United States. Because of these problems intinerant American workers were exploited by farm owners on low pay and appalling conditions. They were only in demand for short periods of time causing them to have to save enough from seasonal work to support for the rest of the year and their extreme mobile lifestyles. Most of the characters in the book face many of these problems or are suffering from them especially the main characters, George and Lennie. George is a small, intelligent man. He is very strong-minded but also like most of the characters in the book very dreamy. He is very keen to change the monotomy of his present situation. Lennie, is a huge, lumbering, kind but child-like man. Although he has a terror of violence he is a man of great physical strength, something he is quite unaware of causing him to be clumsy. Lennie has an obsession with petting small animals that occurs throughout the book. He is very passive it is for this reason, in my opnion that George and Lennie are the incomplete halves of one whole person. George keeps Lennie by his side partly for comfort and friendship, but mainly as he is very strong and can work on a farm better than most people. Lennie is both an advantage and hindrance to George. George also supports Lennie, helps him and puts ideas in his head, wh ich keep him motivated but mainly acts as a fatherly figure. On arrival at the ranch one of the first characters George and Lennie meet is Candy, the oldest ranch worker who is coming to the end of his life. Candy is a very warm character in my opnion. He shares the dream that George and Lennie do, and therefore they become attractive friends to him. He is a gossip and tells the newcomers of the ranch workers and owners. He tells George and Lennie about Curley and his newly wed wife. Curley is a small man, because of his height disadvantage he dislikes tall men. He is continually agressive and always trying to show his masculanity. He is humilated by his wifes disastifaction and needs to boost his confidence. Curleys wifes name is never mentioned in the book it is for this reason she comes across as Curleys possession. She is portrayed in the book as a tarty, flirtatious woman, who is friendly to the men who work on the ranch. She claims not being understood in the book. Curleys wife has often been caught by other members of the ranch giving S lim and Carlson the eye. Slim is a friendly and gentle character compared to the others. He is a dignified master craftsman. Slim in my opnion is descibed by Steinbeck as an idealised character, however, his words and actions are quite realistic. Carlson is the more agressive character, we do not know that much about him but he usually appears in violent scenes. He is not a very sensative man. One of my favourite characters is Crooks. Crooks is a literate black cripple who tends horses. He interests me because his natural personality has been taken away from him by years of racism which I am very against. He is a very lonely character and has been automatically rejected in the novel by the other characters. My other favourite character is Lennie because of his unusual personality and need for a father figure despite being a fully grown man. In my opnion one cannot help but to feel sorry for Lennie. Within the story their are many themes, important ideas that run through the book. One of my favourites is dreams, each character has their own dream which is used throughout the book. The majority involve the American Dream, to be able to live off the fatta the lan. Curleys wifes dream revolves around Hollywood and being a moviestar but her dream she believes was ruined by her mother. She is also lonely just like many of the other characters, this is another theme in the book. Each of the workers is an induvidual and works for themselves. They all seek comfort in different things such as Candy in his dog. However, quite early on in the book Candys dog is killed, this is the first mention of violence. Throughout the book the world of the men is filled with unneccesary violence. The killing of the dog is quite similar to that of Lennie at the end of the book. Alot of authority is shown within the book aswell such as the condition of the workers living area and the Bosss clothes, black and severe. However I feel the book is centred on the idea of mutual dependence. Each of the main two characters depends on each other hugely. But this relationship, at the end of the book, is breached and George takes advantage of Lennie who trusts him, and kills him, so that his dream is secured. The book is written in an easy to read form, it is not in the country language they would of spoken, but in proper English the majority of the book. The story is out of date of course, but the actual language and style used in the book is quite modern. I really like the way that Steinbeck at the beginning of each chapter gives you a vivid description of the surrondings. It is for this reason that although there have been many films made of this book nothing can compare to the pictures the pages of this book generates inside your minds eye and as you turn the final page these pictures stay with you. At first glance the story was not very enthralling but as I got deeper into the plot I started to really enjoy it. As I got more into the book I started to think more about the themes and characters of the book which drew me in to it even more. It is the kind of book that is not only a story but also holds an interesting background behind it and applies to the history of America and the Great Depression. It is for this reason I feel it deserves its title as a classic and I would recommend it to any reader.

Examining methods of analysing a Companies Environment

Examining methods of analysing a Companies Environment There are factors within the environment that the organization operates that are beyond the control or influence of the organisation but these factors affect the business or strategy planning. The STEEPLE analysis is focusing on the external macro-economic environment that a business operates. This helps business to understand the environment, in which it operates, and the opportunities and threats that exist or are emerging within it. An understanding of the opportunities can help a business to take advantage of the opportunities that exist and reduce the threats to the barest minimum. The STEEPLE analysis helps to understand associated risk with growth in market or decline and thus the potentials and direction for business. STEEPLE is an acronym for Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Policy, Legal and Ethical factors respectively. Some of these factors tend to overlap when conducting the analysis. Below is a STEEPLE analysis of the UK motor car market. Socio-cultural: the pattern of lifestyle affects demand of vehicles, availability and willingness of individuals to work and therefore the kind of vehicles are manufactured. The institution of marriage has fallen, there are more single parents, people are having fewer kids and consumer trends which include fashion ability, luxury preference, working population, spending power etc. Technological: new innovations and technologies keep emerging in the car industry and bring about new products and processes e.g. introduction of three-point seat belt, airbag, electronic stability control, Intelligent Transport System (ITS), Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA), E-call, Driver Assistance Systems such as E-call and Driver Assistance System such as Electronic stability control and Emergency Brake Assist. Environmental: according to SMMT, the climate change has had a great impact on the car industry and this has great impact on vehicle demand. This overlaps with the ethical factors because the car industry is trying to make vehicles environmentally friendly by trying to make 95% of vehicles recyclable by 2015 in order to comply with the End of Life Vehicle (EVL) Directive. Average CO2 emissions of cars bought through the scheme were 132.9g/km, which was over 27% below the CO2 figures of the outgoing cars that were scrapped. Also there is an effort to improve environmenta l standards at sites processing vehicles and limit the use of materials harmful to the environment in the new vehicle Climate Change Level (CCL). This has increased demand for hybrid cars. Ethical: some ethical issues have to be considered in the market, these include ethics in workplace, balancing stakeholder interests, human rights, reduction in CO2 emission from vehicle and manufacturing process (Farnham 2010). Also, the Climate Change Levy (CCL) agreement was signed by 11 UK vehicle manufacturers as co-ordinated by SMMT has effects on car industry. Political: policies that affect the car market include 2008 piece of legislation which committed European Vehicle manufacturers to cut average CO2 emission from cars to 130g/km by 2015, 2009 European Whole Vehicle Approval Directive, introduction of the Scrappage Incentive Scheme, taxation, congestion charges, other policy areas being formulated include alternative fuels, smarter driving technologies, and lower resistance tyres. SMMT has reported that 395,000 new vehicles have been registered under the Scrappage Incentive Scheme, which has now ended. There were 388,540 new cars and 6,959 new LCVs registered for the period, with 8.1% of all new car registrations and 2.1 LCV registrations in April being linked to the scheme Legal: this is closely linked to environmental political and ethical factors but includes health and safety, company law, consumer protection law. Manufacturers have to abide by policies formulated by government and regulatory bodies. This also affects the UK car industry either positively or negatively. Economic: macro-economic policy, markets and prices, price levels, global trends, market structure, public spending, wages and salaries, balance of payment, taxation etc. (Farham, 2010) the industry generates turnover approaching 52billion GBP so the Scrappage Incentive Scheme was introduced to support the industry because of its importance to the nation. Over 181,092 new vehicles had been registered under the scrappage scheme by the end of September. There is an order bank of a further 80,000 vehicles. The scrappage scheme is largely self-funding for government with the 15% VAT paid on a car bought for  £7,650 covering the  £1,000 government contribution (SMMT). The environmental, political and economic factors can be said to have the greatest impact on the strategy planning of the UK car industry. The product market, competitive structure and nature of competition of the UK car market cannot be analyzed without Porters five forces analysis. Threat of entry: The UK car market has high barriers to entry because it is extremely consolidated, well developed value added chain, RD capability, investment capability in terms of equipment which means existing manufacturers can make relatively high profits. Power of buyers: Buyers have little or no bargaining power in the market, households have no power at all but companies that buy fleet cars for official use have very little bargaining power. Power of Suppliers: there is a lot of power in retail and distribution of cars and this power depends on the price of the seller. The threat of substitutes within the industry also determines the power of the supplier as they can switch brands easily. Competitive rivalry: The UK car market can be said to be oligopolistic in nature because there are about 30 firms with the major rivals being are Ford, GM (Vauxhall), VolksWagen, Renault, Peugeot, Toyota, BMW, Citroen and Honda. Ford is Britains best-selling commercial vehicle (CV) brand and last year took over 24 per cent of the CV market. In a challenging market new models such as the ECOnetic Transit and ECOnetic FiestaVan, will play an important role in maintaining Fords competitive position (Ford). In oligopolistic markets there is a high degree of interdependence and so firms will think carefully how their rivals might react to any actions they take. This can lead to an emphasis on non price competition; a price change is relatively easy to imitate and so firms may rely more on methods such as branding or product development. The presence of powerful competitors with established brands creates a threat of intense price wars and poses strong requirement for product differentiati on. Also, there is cost of leaving the industry because of high levels of investments already on ground so firms fight hard to survive because resources are not easily transferrable and as the market is shrinking, these firms fight for a share of falling sales. Brand loyalty is very poor in this market because customers are likely to switch easily from brand to brand. Threat of substitute: this is linked to the power of buyers and sellers. The car market also faces direct competitors like public transport, air, rail, tubes, sea, bicycle and walking but the major source of substitute is the sale of second hand cars. It can be argued that the demand for cars is elastic because it is affected by substitute goods (as listed above) and complimentary goods (insurance, tyres, fuel, license, taxes, Ministry of Transport (MOT). Research two examples of how Human Resource Management in manufacturing has been influenced by and responds to changes in the environmental context as outlined in a. The automotive sector is highly flexible, dynamic and ever expanding. As a result of its flexibility and expansion, it responds to the global challenges which include GDP and trade growth, deep cultural shifts in the economic patterns and strong environmental aims. The automobile industry is constantly changing and adapting to challenging commercial, regulatory and technological trends, competition in the market, discrimination by customers, pressure from government and influence groups. So it can be argued that the car industry adopts the contingency or best-fit school of HRM which advocates the need to fit HR strategy into its surrounding context. The concept of E-V-R congruence as a measure of how well an organisation is attuned to its environment was developed by Thompson (2005). E- Represents the environment which includes the opportunities and threats that exist within it while R is the resources and V represents the value. The concept of congruence is very important and an organization achieves this when its resources, environment and values are mutually reinforcing. Its strategic position will be strong. The macroeconomic understanding is needed by organizations in order to predict and plan for changes in demand for their products, human resources, inflation and changes in investment. Human resource has to match external environment to the companys objectives. The most significant feature of HRM is the importance attached to strategic integration. Legg (1989) argued that one of the common themes of typical definitions of HRM is that human resource policies should be integrated with strategic business planning. As Baird and Meshoulam (1988) remarked, business procedures and systems are developed and implemented based on organisational needs that is when strategic perspective to human resource management is adopted. Human resource managers play a significant role in ensuring that the strategies adopted by the organization are fully supported by the required workforce so HR has to know how many staff needs to be recruited, retained and developed to satisfy consumer demand. In 2009, recession reduced demand for vehicles leading to a sharp fall in vehicle production and hence turnover. This year saw one of the biggest economic challenges of the automotive industry has ever seen with global sale plummeting, plants cutting production and RD budget at considerable risk. This means demand for cars will reduce because of economic meltdown, supply will reduce and labour needed will be cut. Employment in the sector has decreased despite continued efforts to protect the vital industrial capability by introducing short-term working, time banking etc. Despite the surge in sales towards the end of the year as car scrappage scheme kicked in, Toyota in the UK saw production plummet 40 per cent from 213,000 in 2008 to 127,000 in 2009(Robert Lea times online jan 28,2010http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/industrials/article7006329.ece). Toyota had to adapt to its work share programme to fulfill orders incentive by the Scrappage Incentive Scheme. Later on, it led to cutting of 750 jobs, or around a fifth of the workforce, in the face of crashing car sales. The decision will come as a blow to Toyota workers who had already been rattled last year by workshare programmes, reduced hours and non-production workers. Over last year, Toyota also accepted 300 applications for voluntary redundancy. (the times February 19,2010) Toyota is to shut down its UK production plant next month leaving 3,500 workers idle. The unprecedented halt for two working weeks is a result of a collapse in its car sales amid consumer concerns over the safety of the Japanese companys vehicles. Sales of Toyotas are thought to be plunging worldwide after multiple recalls affecting 8.5million cars around the world. The company employs 3,900 workers at its main production site in Burnaston and 570 at its engine plant in Deeside. It has already cut 200 temporary jobs and opened a voluntary redundancy scheme last week. Toyota said in a statement: following extensive consultations with our employees representatives, and with input from all employees, it has been agreed that the best way to secure long term employment is to temporarily reduce working hours and base pay by 10pc. Toyota also scrapped the annual pay increase for employees and cancelled management bonuses, while its UK factories have just finished a fortnights shutdown. All these measures were introduced to reduce cost for the company because of the fall in demand for Toyota products caused by recession, the recall of Toyota cars due to safety issues etc. SMMT estimates that approximately 70% of the cars bought under the scrappage scheme represent additional sales which would not otherwise have happened in 2009. Since there was an increase in the demand for cars, this means that the demand for labour in Ford, whose engine plants in Bridgend and Dagenham employ 4,000 people, had to introduce extra shifts to be able to supply more cars. August output was up 36.5% at Dagenham and 18.3% at Bridgend, compared to 2008. Ford estimates that this resulted in positive knock-on effect for around 100,000 of their UK jobs in sales, distribution and sale supply. (SMMT) Also, due to the rapid change of technological advancement, new makes/models, reduction of CO2 emission and the introduction of the Scrappage Incentive Scheme, the car industry in UK now has a high demand for management/ leadership skills and technical skills. These changes have also made it necessary for the car industry to give staff constant training, since staffs with excellent sales skills are essential for the profitability and success of the sector. The ever-growing feast of technology and the need for constant on the job learning the sector specific product Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) was developed. To become ATA registered, an individual must pass a comprehensive and rigorous series of tests of practical skill and knowledge to ensure that they keep up to date with new technologies; technicians need to be assessed in order to maintain their accreditation. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jan/28/ford-announces-profits-2009 Andrew Clark in New York guardian.co.uk, Thursday 28 January 2010 17.01 GMThttp://www.smmt.co.uk/articles/article.cfm?articleid=20676 http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/industrials/article7032980.ece http://www.ford.co.uk/AboutFord/News/CompanyNews/NewDirector ttp://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_11. htmhttp://www.oup.c.om/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_10.htm http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_12.htm http://www.smmt.co.uk/articles/article.cfm?articleid=20676 http://www.smmt.co.uk/articles/article.cfm?articleid=20676 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/4972091/Toyota-cuts-production-and-pay-as-motor-industry-crisis-deepens.htmlhttp://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/08/understanding-microeconomics.asp http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/industrials/article7032980.ece http://www.smmt.co.uk/industryissues/index.cfm?catid=3725sid=259iicatid=P_1002 http://www.smmt.co.uk/industryissues/index.cfm?catid=3725sid=259iicatid=P_973 http://www.smmt.co.uk/industryissues/index.cfm?catid=3725sid=259iicatid=P_4093 http://www.smmt.co.uk/industryissues/index.cfm?catid=3725sid=259iicatid=P_982 http://www.smmt.co.uk/hottopics/index.cfm?catid=3725sid=259 http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/industrials/article7006329.ece http://www.comparecontracthire.com/blog/index.php/2010/05/scrappage-registrations-totalled-395000-units-says-smmt/

Zen Buddhism Essay -- essays research papers

Ch’an and Zen Buddhism Throughout the early years in many East Asian countries, there were many people who were looking for answers to this world’s, and otherworldly, questions. When Gotama became enlightened, and began preaching the practices of Buddhism, it came at such a time when the Han dynasty was collapsing, citizens were tired of Confucianism and looking for a new ideology that they could put there hearts and souls into. Over the years, Buddhism proved to be much more than just a religion; it became a way of life. But over time, the powerful orthodoxy transformed, and many different Buddhist sects emerged. One of the more popular sects, Ch’an, or Zen, Buddhism, has become one of the most influential religions in China and Japan, and is still flourishing today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the year 220 AD, as the Han dynasty was collapsing, Confucianism, then the state ideology, began to lose its popularity. This, along with the demise of the Han order, set up a situation in which the people of China were hungry for new ideas. There were also many dignitaries within the Chinese government that were looking to gain good political footing in order to ensure staying power. These factors all opened up the gate for Buddhism to enter Chinese society and gain popularity with the Chinese culture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At first, Buddhism was transmitted to the different East Asian countries via the Silk Road, but as its domination grew, many people began to interpret their own meaning of the Buddhist doctrines that had been translated from Indian to Chinese. â€Å"By the fourth century AD a much greater number of sutras were available in both north and south China, and the Chinese were beginning to realize the immensity of Buddhist literature.† Buddhism did not reach Japan, however, until October 13th, 538, from the Korean kingdom of Paekche.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At this point in time, there were two major schools of Buddhism in China. The first form to emerge was known as Hinayana, or Theravada Buddhism. This loosely translated means, â€Å"The Lesser Vehicle.† Theravada Buddhism was mainly concerned with reaching individual enlightenment; how one could rise above the cycle of samsara and reach nirvana. Mahayana Buddhism, or, â€Å"The Great Vehicle,† became the popular form practiced in most of China, Japan and Korea. The followers of Mahayana believed that the entire world could reach salvation, and that those who f... ... other religions. Many of the new centers are combinations of Soto and Rinzai from Japan, Ch’an from China, and Son from Korea. It is still too soon to tell if these new factions throughout our country and Europe will be as much of a success as those of the Eastern Asian countries proved to be; as one Japanese Zen master recently stated, â€Å"The first hundred years are the hardest.† This statement seems to be true so far, with modern Zen’s popularity growing and subsiding. There is an old Zen adage that offers some of the new Zen teachers encouragement: Though the bamboo forest is dense, Water flows through it freely. Many people believe that the water is beginning to make its way through the forest, opening people’s eyes and hearts to the reality of Zen. Japan and China have always remained very similar in most everything that is done within the countries. Borrowing from each other, the two countries have shared quite a lot in common. So it comes as no surprise to learn that Ch’an and Zen Buddhism are very similar. While many people were not sure if these two factions of Buddhism would remain strong in both countries, followers of the two religions have proved the skeptics wrong.

Development of New Space Vehicles for Future Space Tourism

A lot of people nowadays consider ordinary space travel and tourism as an outlandish vision for the next century and for the upcoming future. On the other hand, scientists and futurists say that space tourism is a possible subject and possibility that current aeronautics and space science will lead to in the next few years. Other people view space tourism as a complete waste of resources given the multitude of earthbound problems that needs to be solved before having a nice flight back and forth from space. In spite of all these foreseen problems, space tourism is a reality that many people await and envision. These people comprise of visionaries and business men who are currently building the required facilities to make space tourism possible and who also have the courage to believe in the idea that space tourism can be a reality.Space tourism is essentially spaceflight which has been funded by personal interests for the purposes of personal satisfaction. Likewise, space tourism is very similar to any tourist vacation in the Bahamas or in the Caribbean or in any destination in Earth. Some of the personal reasons for spending on space tourism comprise the very unique experience of having been into space, the experience of weightlessness, the ability to view the curvature and disk of the earth, as well as the status of having been one of the few people who have been space tourists.ObjectivesTo be able to gain knowledge from the space travel and tourism. To be able to explore the different possibilities in travelling through space. To be able to assess and evaluate current space travel methods and technology available today. To be able to assess the output of space tourism as a business. To be able to identify the problems encountered as a consequence to space travel and tourism proposals. To be able to briefly name and briefly discuss the possible future technologies for space travel. Literature CitedSpace Tourism is the term that's come to be used to mean ordin ary members of the public buying tickets to travel to space and back. Many people find this idea futuristic. But over the past few years a growing volume of professional work has been done on the subject, and it's now clear that setting up commercial space tourism services is a realistic target for business today.(Virgin Galactic Website. 2008)The first steps will just be short sub-orbital flights, like Alan Sheppard made in 1961, since these are easier than getting to orbit. But the technical know-how to make passenger launch vehicles and orbiting hotel accommodation is available, and there is enormous unsatisfied demand market research has revealed that most people, at least in the industrialized countries, would like to take a trip to space if it was possible. This gives huge scope for reducing the cost of space travel by large-scale operation like airlines. (Boyle, 2008)One of the main challenges is merely the conservatism of the space engineering as it is today. Since Sputnik w as launched in 1957 almost all space launches and activities are government related. This race to the space has created many activities that projected an image of space exploration and tourism which almost all people kept thinking about. People like – writers, journalists, politicians, scientists and engineers, and the general public give their own insights to the exploration of space and space tourism.Developing low-cost passenger launch vehicles is not just to create a pastime for the rich. In business, the companies that make big money are the ones that serve big markets. Like tourism on Earth, there will be a small expensive segment for the rich – but the great majority of space tourists will be middle-class customers – the greater majority of us. ( Dignan, 2008)The utilization of the space is endless but it is very much dependent on access. Until admittance will become cheap, we can't make use of the unlimited resources and supplies that are available in sp ace for us to have a solution to the problems of our over populated Earth. When the time comes that access will be cheap, admittance to space will much more be easier. Making space travel cheap will require large turnovers of cash and money. Tourism can generate the large-scale launch activity needed to reduce costs sufficiently to start to use space resources – and so it's one of the most important projects in the world today. ( Dignan, 2008)Commercial space activities today include satellites being used for communications, broadcasting and photography (remote sensing). But these are small businesses – no more than a few $billions per year – that will never need humans in space. So â€Å"commercial space activities† today are not leading towards space tourism. (Virgin Galactic Website. 2008)Moreover, if certain companies and people would want a better space travel and tourism adventure, then we should expect that more technologies and activities related to building space vehicles and other will be put in to place.Some people say â€Å"Developing space tourism is very difficult, so it'll take a long time. Leave it to the government space agencies.† But the agencies already spend $25 billion per year on â€Å"space activities† – and they are not trying to develop launch vehicles that could open space up to the public. Barely 2% of their budgets are used for this purpose – although even just one year of their huge funding would be plenty! (Space.com, 2007)The Space Future is playing a vital part in the development of a more accessible space by collecting all the work needed. This includes technology, logistics and others critical factors for the exploration of space.Stages of Space TourismSimilar to any other business franchise, the moment that space tourism begins it will develop and improve dramatically. Today, we can only think of the different stages of space tourism once it gets started and all.. Begin ning with a small-scale and relatively expensive â€Å"pioneering stage†, the scale of activity will develop and prices will go down as it matures. Finally it will become a mass-market business, like airplanes today. (McKee, 2005)Pioneer StageThe phrase â€Å"space adventure travel† has been recommended by Gordon Woodcock of Boeing and is a convenient one to describe the first phase. Customers will be relatively few – from hundreds per year to thousands per year; prices will be lofty, $50,000 and up; and the service will be nearer to â€Å"adventure travel† than to extravagance hotel-style. Orbital accommodation will be safe but â€Å"spartan†. (Virgin Galactic Website. 2008)Mature StageThis will see demand growing from thousands of passengers per year to hundreds of thousands per year. Tickets to orbit will cost less and flights will depart from many different airports. Orbital facilities will develop from being just clusters of pre-fabricated mod ules to large structures constructed in orbit for hundreds of guests, permitting a range of orbital entertainments. (Virgin Galactic Website. 2008)Mass StageTicket prices will go down to the equivalent of a few $ thousand, and customers will from hundreds of thousands to millions of passengers per year. Apparently unthinkable to most people in the space industry, even 1 million passengers per year is just 8 hours of aviation! And aviation is still growing fast at today's level of 1 billion passengers per year. So there's no reason to suppose that space travel will ever stop growing. There's certainly no limit to the possible destinations. And the access to space resources that low cost launch will bring about will ensure that economic growth needn't end for a few more millennia at least. (Virgin Galactic Website. 2008)Space tourism is a business idea whose time has come in today’s 21st century. Surely it will begin soon and it will grow rapidly and develop progressively. This will now push space related activities in the dawn of the 22nd century.Leading Space Vehicle Technologies and Space Tourism CompaniesVirgin Galactic and SpaceShipTwoVirgin Galactic, one of the leading potential space tourism groups, is planning to have passenger service on its first spaceship, the Scaled Composite SapceShipTwo with the inaugural launch in 2008 and main flights beginning in 2009. The price is initially set at $200,000. Headed by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group  , Virgin Galactic will be the first private space tourism company to regularly send civilians into space, by training them for 3 days before their launch. The SpaceShipTwo  was built as a result of the X Prize  which was won by SpaceShipOne;  both SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo were designed by Burt Rutan. Launches will first occur at the Mojave Spaceport in California and will then be moved to the permanent spaceport in Upham, New Mexico. (Virgin Galactic Website. 2008)The spaceships used wi ll go 360,000  feet (109.73  km, or 68.18  miles) high; this goes beyond the height of 100  km, which is the internationally defined boundary between Earth and space. Space flights will last 2.5 hours, carry 6 passengers, and reach a speed of Mach 3. SpaceShipTwo will not require a space shuttle-like heat shield for atmospheric re-entry as it will not experience the extreme aerodynamic heating experienced during re-entry  at orbital velocities (approximately Mach 22.5 at a typical shuttle altitude of 300  km, or 185  miles). The glider will employ a â€Å"feathering† technique to manage drag during the unpowered descent and landing. SpaceShipTwo will use a single hybrid rocket motor to launch from mid-air after detaching from a mother ship at 50,000  feet, instead of NASA's Space Shuttle's ground-based launch. (Virgin Galactic Website. 2008)Space AdventuresEric Anderson is the president and CEO of Space Adventures. He co-founded Space Adventures in 1998 with s everal other entrepreneurs from the aerospace, adventure travel and entertainment industries and has managed the company over the past several years, selling more than $120M in space tourist flights. He has developed and financed over $500 million (USD) in new projects for Space Adventures, including two global spaceports and the first private voyage to the moon, set to launch in 2009.  (Space Adventures Website, 2008)The company sells a variety of flights such as Zero-Gravity flights, cosmonaut training and actual spaceflights. In May 2001, it sent American businessman Dennis Tito to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Soyuz Spacecraft for a reported $20 million payment, making him the first space tourist in history. South African businessman Mark Shuttleworth  did the same in April 2002 becoming the ‘First African in Space'. Gregory Olsen  became the third private citizen to travel to the ISS in October 2005, followed by the first female space tourist, Anous heh Ansari, who completed her 10-day orbital mission in September 2006. Charles Simonyi, an ex-executive at Microsoft who managed the Office product group became the world's fifth space tourist in April 2007. (Space Adventures Website, 2008)The  Explorer space plane, which will be the main space vehicle that will be used by Soace Adventures,   is a suborbital   tourist space plane based on the Space Adventures C-21 design. The plane is being developed by Space Adventures  with the Russian Federal Space Agency  and is designed to carry 5 passengers. It is to be air-launched by carrier aircraft from a Space Adventures spaceport. The spaceport for the Explorer is being developed with Prodea in the United Arab Emirates. (Space Adventures Website, 2008)Technological AdvancementThe key in reducing the cost of space tourism is in development of space is in the development of new space vehicles. The current per pound cost of sending anything to space is simply too astronomical for accessible space tourism purposes. The costs climb even higher when sending humans into orbit. Many visionaries and entrepreneurs have realized this and are now working on new spacecraft for the purpose of space tourism.As mentioned, spacecraft for space tourism should have the goal of being economical and accessible. The Soyuz and the Space Shuttle are neither, being too expensive and needing months of training before a space tourist can climb aboard. Another implied requirement is that the spacecraft is reusable. Both the space shuttle and the Soyuz are not reusable to some degree (the Space Shuttle's fuel tank is destroyed upon take off and must be replaced). Another requirement is that passenger preparation be much reduced. Current space tourists must undergo months of grueling training before being allowed to fly to space. Lastly, with any tourism experience, the craft should provide a comfortable and safe ride for its passengers.Today, the most promising space tourism vehicle has been the prototype SpaceShipOne built by Scaled Composites. SpaceShipOne was the winner of the Ansari X-Prize after it was able to reach an altitude of 100 km twice in a two week period while having the capacity for carrying three people. Clearly these abilities are in line with the objectives of space tourism. SpaceShipOne's flight may not be considered true space flight by some people as it is not able to go into orbit. However at 100km, its passengers will be able to experience weightlessness and will be able to see the curvature of the earth as well as the fading of the atmosphere into the blackness of space.SpaceShipOne was able to do this through its design. Instead of using rockets to lift it to high altitudes, SpaceShipOne was lifted first to a high altitude before any rockets were ignited. A conventional jet-powered craft, WhiteKnight, carries SpaceShipOne to high altitude. At the predetermined altitude, SpaceShipOne breaks off from WhiteKnight and ignites its hybrid r ocket motors to push it to outer space. Upon reentry, SpaceShipOne lands like a conventional plane on a traditional runway. Together with the use of the newest materials and technology,   this â€Å"spaceplane† approach was the key in reducing the development and operational costs for SpaceShipOne. SpaceShipOne has now been retired and work is now.ConclusionSpace Tourism may still be a dream for the majority of us but it is undeniable that huge strides have been made in the past decade to make it possible. The development of space vehicles have lowered the cost for space travel and have accelerated the possibility of private space travel. In the next few years, space travel and space tourism will be one of the ordinary things that any family or any person would go to every holiday or every summer. Just like any other place in the planet, travel time will be much faster compared to early flights and the cost will be leveled off. All of these advancements will be our debt to all visionaries and the engineers who are building future space vehicles for our use.