Religious Education Coursework Assignment Essay

COURSEWORK QUESTION: a) (i) What is Hajj? (ii) Describe and explain why a Muslim would take part in Hajj and what this involves [40] b) (i) Explain the meaning and significance of the events of Hajj for a Muslim. (ii) What difficulties might there be for a Muslim performing Hajj? (iii) How might participating in Hajj affect the life of a believer? [35] c) â€Å"A true pilgrimage is really a journey within.† Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Islam in your answer. [25] A (i)Hajj is the pilgrimage to Makkah, a Muslim-only city. Tourists aren’t welcome to Makkah; Hajj is for Muslims to get closer to God and isn’t meant to be a tourist attraction. It is the duty of every healthy and financially stable Muslim to complete Hajj once in their lifetime. It is a deeply spiritual journey for the millions of Muslims who complete Hajj every Muslim year, between 8 and 13 Dhul-Hijjah – the final month. Some Muslims may prefer to visit Makkah on a pilgrimage at another time in the year, but this is not considered as important as Hajj, and is called Umrah. Because so many Muslims want to experience Hajj for the first time, those who have done it before often do Umrah instead. Hajj is the fifth of the five pillars of Islam; the basis of the religion. It is meant for the sane and mature Muslim mind, and it is usually considered an honour to die during one’s Hajj, as it is widely believed burial in the city of Makkah will bring Muslims clo ser to their God, and is a good indication of their dedication to Islam. A (ii)Hajj is widely considered essential in order to be a devout Muslim. It is one of the five pillars of Islam which are the biggest and main requirements of the religion. It is considered that Hajj is something of a ticket to heaven in the afterlife. The pilgrimage is to show ones self to Allah, and let him be the judge of character. With a good Hajj comes a peaceful afterlife and paradise. It is not just a physical practice, for true meaning a pilgrim must enter a whole new mindset and way of living, at least for the days of Hajj. This was of living is called Ihram, and is the first obligatory rite of Hajj. All men must wear two white unhemmed sheets so that all look alike, and wealth, age and status in general is not even considered. Whilst in Ihram, Muslims should not argue, swear, kill (even insects!) or participate in a sexual relationship even accompanied by husband or wife. Ihram creates an equilibrium and purity for Hajj. It unites every pilgrim and crates a pure mental canvas solely ready to think about nothing but God. The physical part of Hajj is all about recreating significant and very old events in Islam. First the pilgrims all run or walk quickly around the Ka’bah seven times, if close enough they will touch or kiss it. They then pray close to the Ka’bah, near Maqam Ibrahim. Next the Muslims rush between Marwah and Safa, two hills; seven times. The hills are linked now by a corridor for convenience and safety. After doing this, the pilgrims must make their way to the plain of Arafat, around 20km from Makkah. The pilgrims stand under the sun from midday until sunset praying to Allah, and asking for forgiveness. After this the pilgrims go to Muzdalifah to pray, collect stones and camp overnight. In the morning the pilgrims go to Mina to throw seven stones at three walls. After stoning the walls pilgrims make a sacrifice, often through companies nowadays. The sacrificed animal is the either frozen for future use or given to the poor Muslim community to eat. Men then shave their heads, and women cut off a lock of hair, usually a small amount; a few centimetres or a quarter. Muslims are then allowed to exit Ihram, changing into their normal clothes. They camp at Mina for three nights, and then return to Makkah to walk around the Ka’bah once again. They then drink water from the ZamZam well and their Hajj is complete. They are then a male Hajji, or a female Hajjah. B (i)Carrying out the actions of Hajj is not meaningful without a proper understanding for the ideas behind each procedure. It is all about representing the past and having empathy for Muhammad (PBUH), Ibrahim his son Ismah’il and others. The Ka’bah is a cube-shaped building supposedly first constructed for God by the first man Adam. It was washed away in Noah’s time, but Ibrahim and his son Ismah’il rebuilt it. It is covered in a black cloth called kiswah with verses of the Qu’ran stitched into it. The Ka’bah is rebuilt on the same foundations by the same method when it needs to be, and the cover is re-made every year, after it is cut up and given to some lucky pilgrims as a memento of their journey. The Ka’bah is the very first house of God and many prophets have visited it. It is for this reason that pilgrims feel such closeness and representation to God when they visit it during Hajj. Tawaf is the circling of the Ka’bah seve n times. To begin, the pilgrims can kiss the Black Stone al-hajar-al-aswad or just raise their hands towards it (on the east corner of the courtyard) and recite a prayer. After this the Pilgrims rush around the Ka’bah seven times to represent the fact that their lives revolve around God. It is the first thing that the pilgrims do when they arrive in Makkah. Tawaf is the second rite of Hajj, after Ihram, mentioned earlier. The second event is called the sa’i, where pilgrims rush between the hills Marwah and Safa, to show perseverance and patience. This is what Ibrahim’s wife Hajar did as she desperately searched for aid as her and her thirsty son came close to death in the desert. This part of Hajj can be very tiring and difficult under the blazing sun, despite there being a modern corridor built especially for sa’i. Hajar’s patience was rewarded by God with a spring of water that appeared at her son Ismah’il’s feet, which was named the ZamZam well; today it is in the courtyard of the great Mosque in Makkah. Sa’i is not a compulsory part of Hajj but is usually included in the pilgrimage, and has a deep meaning. The pilgrims travel to Mina, a city of tents near the plain of Arafat. In Ihram, the Muslims are united and equal; they sleep side by side often grouped only by language if anything. All of the pilgrims sleep in tents in their Ihram clothes, poor and rich sleep aside each other as the devout, proud and fellow Muslims of Hajj. The following day the pilgrims travel to Mount Arafat for the most important part of Hajj, where they stand before Allah and ask forgiveness for all of their sins. This is the third obligatory rit e of Hajj. Mount Arafat is also known as the ‘Mount of Mercy’ and is supposed to be where God forgave Adam and Eve for their sins and reunited them, after previously separating them for wrongdoing. Here the Muslims stand before God, the wuquf. The pilgrims stand from midday to sunset praying, weeping and meditating, all under the searing Saudi sun. The afternoon of wuquf is purely concentrated on Allah, and some pilgrims have to rush to make the stand, as without it their Hajj is invalid. Everyone is expected to stand alone and analyse every wrong doing individually, and pray to Allah for forgiveness for their sins. In this rite, repent is essential, and if pilgrims are truly sorry for their sins, it is said they will be completely purified and forgiven by Allah, and can start again, as pure as the day they were born. It is an unforgettable experience and is savoured by every pilgrim. After wuquf, pilgrims travel to camp in Muzdalifah in time for prayers in the evening. Here they usually collect 49 pebbles for the ramy al-jamarat (stoning of the devil) the following day. In 2004 Saudi authorities got rid of the pillars and replaced them with long walls, to make the stoning the devil process easier and therefore safer. Hund reds of people have died in the large crowds all trying to get a good shot at the pillars. On the first day of the process, after a night in Muzdalifah, the first wall is stoned 7 times. The following days each of the three walls has to be stoned 7 times for two consecutive days. This means 49 pebbles are required, but if the pilgrims miss any shots they may need at least 21 extra pebbles to stone all three walls 7 times the following day. This seems like a strange ritual when no background is supporting it, but there is good meaning. Ibrahim was told by God one day he had to sacrifice his son Ismah’il. Ibrahim made his way to the place of sacrifice, abiding Allah’s instruction, after consulting his son who told him to do what he had to. On the way the devil appeared before him first to try and tempt him not to sacrifice his son, and the angel Gabriel, the messenger of God told him to â€Å"pelt him†. Ibrahim threw 7 pebbles at the devil and it disappeared. It soon reappeared along the way, this time representing the temptation of Hajar to stop her husband sacrificing her son to God, and Gabriel told Ibrahim to â€Å"pelt him† again. He did what he was told and threw 7 stones at the devil who once again disappeared. The devil appeared a third time along the road, to tempt Ismah’il to avoid being sacrificed. Gabriel’s order to â€Å"pelt him† was followed by Ibrahim, and the devil then disappeared for the final time. Ibrahim’s loyalty and resistance to the devil was rewarded by God when Ibrahim was told to stop as he prepared to kill his son. He was told by God to sacrifice a ram instead, and Ibrahim’s resistance to temptation paid off. Ramy al-jamarat shows the pilgrim ’s dedication to God’s wishes, and rejection to the temptations of the devil. Most Muslims make a sacrifice after stoning the devil, to recreate Ibrahim’s experience as closely as possible. Because there are so many pilgrims who want to make a sacrifice, there are special companies, who make it on their behalf and feed the poor. What cannot be used immediately to feed the poor Muslim community is frozen and used later. After making a sacrifice, male pilgrims have their heads shaven by a person who is not in Ihram and women have usually around an inch cut off. Pilgrims usually change into their normal clothes and do a single Tawaf; this is the fourth obligatory rite of Hajj. After doing this single Tawaf the Muslims are now officially Hajjis or Hajjahs as a female. They can then return home but most choose to stay and visit other places such as Medina, where the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was buried. B (ii)There are many factors to prevent Muslims going to Hajj. It is said Allah excuses these factors. It is intention or niyyah that counts with the pilgrimage, and when there is something to prevent Muslims from attending it, they will be excused by Allah. The most common circumstance is poverty. There are around 1.4 billion Muslims in the world, and many live in poverty. Lots of Muslims will save up most of their life to do Hajj, and by the time they have enough money to go, they are of old age and aren’t physically able. In this case the Muslim can pay another existing Hajji to attend on their behalf, or donate their savings for Hajj to charity. If they do this they will be blessed as fully as if they had completed Hajj themselves. For those who can’t afford Hajj, they can donate their available savings for Hajj to charity. They will receive the full Hajj benefits also. If a Muslim passes away on their way to carry out Hajj, they will receive the full blessing also, they have died making a commitment to their religion, this shows devotion and niyyah if anything does! Of course there are difficulties that could occur during Hajj. Because around two million pilgrims undergo Hajj every year, and are all dressed in near identical garments, it is very likely that groups will be separated for the period of Hajj. This may seem like a panicking time but Muslims in Ihram will be very sympathetic and helpful with each other in such circumstances, and probably take on new members into their travel groups. The overwhelming feeling of closeness to God on Hajj is enough to eliminate any feelings of worry for the meantime anyhow, so separation doesn’t cause much of a fright. Those unfortunate enough to die during Hajj are proud. It is a blessing to be buried in or near Makkah, close to God. Passing away making commitments to Islam is an honour, and a will is usually written before leaving for Hajj anyway. For those who fear the physical strain of Hajj, or are encouraged not to repeat the journey if they have already, Umrah is the lesser pilgrimage which can be carried out all year round. It involves the seven rotations of the Ka’bah (Tawaf), the Sa’i (Between Marwah and Safa) and a halq or taqsir; which is to cut the hair. Taqsir is shortening hair; halqis the complete head shave. B (iii)Hajj creates equilibrium, and a sympathetic atmosphere among the pilgrims who share the highs and lows of the journey. For most, the journey strengthens and confirms their commitment to Islam. After Hajj, a Muslim is more likely to be more courteous to people in general, and more at ease with life. Once a good Hajj is completed, the afterlife should be more peaceful and happy. Some Muslims like the experience of the pilgrimage so much they move to a Muslim country if they do not live in one already, as they like the convenience and feeling of togetherness and empathy. Hajj strengthens the belief of many Muslims, and if they weren’t a very good Muslim before Hajj, they might feel the need to be more committed to their faith, and practice Islam more regularly. Although for most the pilgrimage of Hajj is a blessing experience, some may have felt let down and disengaged during the journey. For those who could not get into a good Ihram, or feel true belief in God on the mount of mercy; their belief in Islam and Allah may have been hindered. C To me, this statement means that although all of the processes of a pilgrimage are physical, the true idea is the thoughts within the pilgrim’s mind and the intention, empathy and symbolism of what they are doing in the pilgrimage. The vast majority of Hajjis find the sacred journey to Makkah nourishing and feel they have found forgiveness from Allah. As they travel around the different rites of Hajj they cherish the experience and remember the meaning of each process, going back as far as the time of Adam and Eve. They enter a new realm as they stand before God on the Mount of Mercy, are unable to hold in their tears and are swept with emotion. On the other hand, Hajj is purely a physical process for some pilgrims. It isn’t supposed to be, but some can’t get into the frame of mind which is intended during the pilgrimage. The journey is supposed to be emotional, deeply thoughtful and soul cleansing. To some Muslims, their belief may be slightly hampered by the fact they struggle to get into a real Ihram. They will get their money’s worth on the trip and see people from all different cultures following the same rituals, but not feel truly engaged in the experience. Some people might argue that if you go on Hajj, and carry out the same processes as the prophets did, that is adequate in displaying your devotion to Allah and Islam. Some may say the fact that so much is physically required of them in Hajj, that alone shows they are a devout Muslim. Personally, I fully agree with the statement, because I would say that Hajj is a journey to Makkah to carry out the rites, and a true Hajj is a deep and thoughtful journey not only to Makkah, but to the bottom of a pilgrim’s heart. Although carrying out Hajj is a blessing experience cherished by Muslims, it is not truly meaningful unless they feel a certain dedication and spiritual enrichment on their journey.

I Miss your Beauty and Vibes Essay

â€Å"A Mixed Tex-Cal marriage,† an article written by the author Jose Burciaga, Texan, tells us about his new life after getting married to a Californian woman, Cecilia. At first, the author tells that he thought that he and his wife have common ideas and beliefs because they were both Chicanos. Then, he shows that he was surprised when he noticed the different customs and ideas he and his wife have because they were from different grounds. They lived for a couple of years in Washington, DC and Alexandra, Virginia, then, they settled in California near the beaches and the soft weather. The writer argues that Texas Chicanos are more attached with their traditions than Californian Chicanos who show more Americanization. After some years, he grew to like California food and drink, but still missed the weather and the smell of Texas. From Burciaga s’ article, I can understand what he went through to get used to Californian traditions. Like him, I also miss my native land. Despite the beauty and extra opportunities in Chicago, my heart still aches for Oran. Oran is a wonderful city located in the northwest of Algeria, known for its beautiful beaches and food. Chicago to me is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with its beautiful tall buildings, green spices. However, Burciaga was satisfied with the weather of California, like he says,† I am totally spoiled and laid-back in Northern Califias†, In contrast it was hard for me in getting used to the cold weather of Chicago. In fact, the difference between Oran and Chicago is evident in weather, beauty, movement and food. First, the weather of Oran is often beautiful and mild. In autumn, when we are on our way to school, the wind blows softly and rapidly as if its spirit is pushing me to be on time. When going back home at 12 pm for lunch the weather is warm, the sun sparkles, the birds sing, we’d think spring has already come. However, most of the autumn nights were horrible because the wind blew strongly; it sounds like bad spirits are trying to unlock the windows. By the winter the rain fell mostly at night, the buildings seem freshly washed and the roads are already dried in the mornings but the weather is cold. Stepping to March, the gardens and forests become green and full of flowers. Once May is over, the summer is already there. The weather is warm but not stifling and the sea at the beaches is sparkling and full of life with many swimmers. This is in contrast to Chicago where the weather is often unacceptable. In the winter, when I am outside, I am afraid that I will lose feeling in my legs when the freezing sensation emerges from the soft snow. Autumn in Chicago is a lovely, pale, orange view with the golden leaves covering the streets. It is disappointing when most of springy days are cloudy and rainy. Fortunately, we can see the mild warm weather during summer in Chicago. Second, Oran is a small, pretty city full of life. From a distance you can see the long green balcony along the city center next to the short pretty buildings engraved from top to bottom. Going through the city center, cafes are already full and active at 9 am and the roads are busy with the noisy cars. I lived in Bir El Djir, a quiet neighborhood 28 Km far from the city center. Bir El Dgir is a luxury neighborhood full of villas. From the window of our kitchen, I could see our beautiful garden and our neighbors’ gardens too, I could also overhear their conversations and shouting. I felt always happy and full of life in this lively environment. It is quite different in Chicago, a big wonderful city with more stillness. Downtown Chicago is a wide stretch of tall buildings, we notice any clutter or cracks in the roads, every building and road is shiny and neat, the luxurious clothes and furniture are apparent from the stores’ wide show cases. Tourists hang their shopping bags; they seem fascinated by the beauty of Chicago. Third,Oran is a city of Haute Cuisine. Along all the big avenues of Oran, the savory sweet smell of pastry travels from the bakeries. Approaching a bakery, our eyes are stunned with the colorful cookies. In front of the showcase, we can’t choose between the attractive pieces of pastry. I remember one of the soft chocolate pastries I once picked, covered with frothy cream; as much as I describe it can tell how it really tastes. Unlike Chicago, the land of immigration, where restaurants offer many food traditions. For example, I have been once in Us’mania , an Indian restaurant, where I tasted Biryani, a tasty spicy rice with chicken. Also, we go often to Pita Inn, a Lebanese restaurant where we like to order Shawarma, a thin long piece of grilled chicken, salad and tomato twisted in a thin bred. I am glad to discover many foreign traditions; I feel that I have visited many countries. In conclusion, Chicago is very cold in the winter, but I appreciate the magical time of snow falling. When skating in the ice rink, I feel like flying in the air. Downtown Chicago, is a magnificent place that i dream to visit every day; however, I always think about the lively activity of Oran and miss the savory pizza and dishes.

Asthma in Children Essay

Table of Contents Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 Overview †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 What is Asthma †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5 What are the signs and symptoms of asthma? .. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 What can make asthma symptoms worse? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 What is the treatment for asthma? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Peak flow and its importance †¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9 Asthma Action Plan †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Patient Information Leaflet †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 Summary †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13Introduction â€Å"Asthma can affect anyone, any age, anywhere, but it is particularly common among children. Nowadays asthma affects one in five households in the United Kingdom, and i t is increasingly common. So how do you recognize the condition and minimize the impact on you, your child and your family? â€Å"(Barlow 2007). Often times parents of children with asthma are not given much information on what to do with their child after discharge from the Emergency department especially in patients who are newly diagnosed with asthma.This results in them bringing back their child even though the asthma attack is mild due to parents/carers knowledge about asthma or on home care is limited. Recent developments in the management of chronic illnesses such as asthma offer many possibilities for optimal control, but parents/main carers of children with asthma need to take on responsibilities for self-care. This paper reflects an informative approach on paediatric asthma. The aim is to give information about asthma, to give a brief definition, explain the symptoms of asthma, what the treatments are, what exacerbates the symptoms, and what to do if an asthma attack occu rs.The better the parent / carer and the child understand asthma and its treatment the better they will be able to manage and control it. It will also set out why a patient information leaflet should be introduced to help patients and carers to better manage symptoms at home and help reduce hospital attendances. Overview Whilst working in a busy north London Accident and Emergency ( A&E ) department It has been noted that when children attend with asthma they are discharged from the Department with no further information or support with regards to home care, especially the ones who are newly diagnosed.What happens often is that the parents are given the medications by the nurse without even explaining what to do next or what to watch out for with regards to their childs asthma because the nurse has limited time due to the fact that the department is often busy and there is no time to sit down and chat with the parents prior to discharge. After collaborating with the peadiatric secti on of the department a need has been identified for giving information to parents / carers about asthma in children to help reduce / prevent A&E attendances and help children be cared for at home by means of their parents and general practitioners(GP).Through writing an action plan I have identified what areas of information was needed to be covered in the information leaflet, these being: What is asthma? What are the signs and symptoms? What can make asthma symptoms worse? What is the treatment for asthma? What is a peakflow and its importance in managing the child’s asthma? What to do when an asthma attack occurs? An action plan after discharge from the department Useful contact numbers and website address’ What is asthma? At work I have encountered parents who have limited knowledge about asthma.It is a key issue for parents/ carers to know what asthma is In the leaflet, I have briefly mentioned the definition of asthma as derived by the World Heatlh Organization. T he World Health Organization defines asthma as a condition that affects the airways, it is due to the inflammation of the air passages in the lungs and affects the sensitivity of the nerve endings in the airways so they become easily irritated. in an attack, the lining of the passages swell causing the airways to narrow and reducing the flow of air in and out of the lungs. (World Health Organization 2006)The leaflet also contains what signs and symptoms to look out for prior to an asthma attack. Basing from my own experience growing up with my youngest brother who suffered from asthma, I can remember my parents panic as soon my brother developed cough with mild shortness of breath which often times becomes a trip to the nearest hospital. What are the signs and symptoms? The information leaflet includes what symptoms to look out for when an asthma attack occurs. Out of all the research and reading that I have done, I have come up with four common symptoms.The common symptoms of asthm a, they are cough and wheeze which are constant or intermittent in nature. The child may also become breathless, and develop a feeling of chest tightness. the severity of symptoms differ from child to child – from mild to severe. The leaflet serves as a guide in what to do when these symptoms occur. What can make asthma symptoms worse? A part of the information leaflet is about what makes the symptoms of asthma worse. What factors can cause the exacerbation of asthma or â€Å" trigger factors â€Å" .According to the American Lung Foundation, â€Å" the cause of asthma is not fully understood, but it is thought that it may be a combination of genetic and environmental factors, that asthma attacks are often triggered by certain conditions or stimuli. † ( American Lung Association 2007 ). The common triggers of asthma are exercise, infections, allergy, irritants, weather and emotions. â€Å"Exercise induced asthma (EIA) affects about 40-90% of children with asthma, an d occurs when a child's asthma is triggered by exercise or physical activities. Symptoms f coughing, wheezing, chest pain and difficulty breathing usually begin a few minutes after starting the activity and worsen over the next 5-10 minutes. Symptoms usually continue for about 20-30 minutes. â€Å" ( keepkidshealthy. com 2008 ) â€Å"Severe episodes of asthma are often triggered by respiratory tract infections including flu. Research shows that these infections are most frequently caused by virus more than bacteria. Bronchodilator medication, sufficient hydration and steroids (if indicated) are needed to control an asthma attack caused by viral infections.Allergies can trigger an asthma attack in children with asthma. † ( American Lung Association 2007 ). Allergies can trigger an asthma attack in children with asthma. â€Å"Histamine is released during an allergic reaction causing mucous to be excessively produced, the lining of the airway becomes swollen then muscle contra ction in the airway thus leading to an asthma attack. Allergens associated with asthma are common things like dust mites, feathers, moulds, pets, insects, pollens and ingested food such as egg, soy milk, etc.These causative agents can cause minimal reactions sometimes which are of no obvious consequence but daily exposure to the allergens can cause in gradual worsening of asthma. † (American Lung Association 2007 ). Irritants such as air pollution, cigarette smoke, fumes, chemicals and strong odours can irritate the respiratory system causing reactions such as cough, wheeze and mucous secretions. â€Å"Weather or climatic conditions can trigger an asthma attack; it basically affects outdoor inhalant allergens (pollens and moulds).On a windy day more allergens will be scattered in the air, while a heavy rainfall will wash the air clean of allergens but on the other hand, a light rain might wash out pollen, but actually increase mold concentration† (American Lung Associat ion 2007 ). â€Å"Emotional factors are not the cause of asthma, though emotional stress can infrequently trigger asthma† ( American Lung Association ). A child’s asthma might only be noticeable after crying, laughing or yelling in response to an emotional situation. These normal emotional responses involve deep breathing which in turn can trigger asthma.Emotional stress itself like anxiety, anger or frustration can also trigger asthma, but the asthmatic condition precedes the emotional stress. Emotions are associated with asthma for another reason, many children with asthma suffer from severe anxiety during an episode as a result of suffocation caused by the asthma attack. The anxiety and panic can then produce rapid breathing or hyperventilation, which worsens the asthma condition. The panic and anxiety should be controlled as much as possible; the parent should remain calm, encourage the child to relax and breathe easily and give appropriate medications. The aim is to control the asthma with the appropriate treatment, and when the asthma is well controlled the emotional stress level will be reduced† ( American Lung Association 2007 ). It is an important part of the care of asthma for the parents / carers to know what these factors are, knowing these triggers can help minimize an asthma attack, though some are unavoidable like weather or the fact that a child tends to be more active, the aim of management of the child’s asthma is to enable the child to live a normal life by teaching the parents / carers to recognize their own triggers as avoidance will prevent symptoms from occurring.A part of the information leaflet enumerates the most common triggers with given examples that can act as a stimulus to set off an asthma attack. What is the treatment for asthma? â€Å"There is no cure for asthma, although it can always be controlled† ( World Health Organization 2006 ). â€Å" For most children, asthma is a condition that can be controlled by inhaled medication at home. Continuity and stability of treatment is important. † (Barlow 2007 ) The devised information leaflet enumerates and briefly defines the medications for asthma.It is quite important for the parents / carers to know what the medications are, what are they for, when to use them, and how to use them properly. Hopefully, the literature will help parents / carers to understand asthma medications, for it is worth of consideration that asthma medications must be taken properly. This helps in the care of the child’s disease. Together with the Asthma Action Plan, an appropriate assessment of the child’s symptoms and administering the proper asthma medication at the right time helps in the control of the disease at home.The primary goal for the treatment of the child’s asthma is to achieve the greatest possible control over the disease by reducing exacerbations, and limiting symptoms in order to optimize the quality of lif e of the child. â€Å" the potential for limitation of normal living is immediately apparent, but the actuality is related to a patient’ ability and willingness, to adhere to, and the nature of, a health professional’s recommended regimen† Christie et. al ( 1993 ). Peak flow and its importancePeak flow has it’s place in the care and management of asthma. The information leaflet briefly defines what is peak flow and justify why it should be monitored. The literature emphasizes that in managing asthma in children, parents are encouraged to obtain their child’s peak flow rate for measuring the peak flow helps in monitoring their asthma. The correct technique in obtaining the peak flow should also be reiterated for a false reading can greatly affect the management.However, in children who are under five years it is unreliable due to the fact that their ability to use the peak flow meter properly is doubtful, therefore it should only be attempted in chi ldren who have formerly and regularly used the peak flow devise. A criteria in the Asthma Action Plan is to measure the child’s peak flow rate for it helps to determine the severity of the episode, it helps decide when to use the prescribed asthma medications, and decide when to seek emergency care. Asthma Action PlanIn managing the child’s asthma, it is important to know what symptoms to look out for, what medicines to take, how much and when to take them, all of this should be recorded in the Asthma Action Plan. Prior to discharge from the emergency department, the Asthma Action Plan together with the information leaflet is given to the parents/ carers to use at home to act as a guide in managing an attack of their child’s asthma. It contains the symptoms to look out for and what to do if they occur.It also acts as a tool for the parents and their doctors to monitor the child’s asthma, prior to discharge from the Emergency Department the doctor and the Peadiatric nurse should have completed and discussed the form to the parent. Patient Information leaflet In the current political climate of patient autonomy, patient information leaflets can aid patients, parents and carers to achieve this autonomy. Research has shown that patients may forget half of what they have been told within five minutes of a medical consultation and retain only twenty per cent of the information conveyed to them. â€Å"Providing patients and families ith written information may reduce anxiety, improve use of preventative or self care measures, increase adherence to therapy, prevent communication problems between health care providers and patients and lead to more appropriate and effective use of healthcare services† (Moult et al, 2004). The importance of written patient information has been recognized by the department of Health and the NHS. The NHS Plan states that patient information is an integral part of the patient journey. The Centre for Health Information Quality identifies three key attributes of quality health care information materials: a. he information should be clearly communicated; b. be evidence based; and c. involve patients in the development of the materials (Centre for Health Information Quality in Moult et al, 2004). Research has exposed problems with the readability and usability of a wide range of patient information leaflets (PILS) on diverse matters. The majority of PILs, regardless of their subject, require relatively high reading skills that may not exist in a large proportion of their target population (Zorn & Ratzan, 2000 in Gal & Prigat, 2005).In 2002, the Department of Health published the ‘Tool kit for providing patient information which provides detailed guidelines for writing and designing health care information. The toolkit includes guidelines in the form of ‘points to consider’ and checklists for presentation of various types of information. Readability is often mentioned a s a measure of the quality of written health care information an several scales have been deployed to evaluate the reading level of written information and several scales have been developed to evaluate the reading level of written information. Spadero, 1983). Moult et al. (2004), explains that the lower the reading level, the more likely that the information can be read and understood by a large proportion of the public. Summary The purpose of this essay is to discuss the need which has been identified and to implement change in the peadiatric area in the Emergency Department ( ED ) with regards to patient information about asthma in children. â€Å"The appropriate selection of medications is only one aspect for the provision of a comprehensive approach to all aspects of managing asthma.In particular, parents / carers need education, support and guidance, on how to manage their child’s condition† ( National Institute for Clinical Excellence 2007 ) I have accessed many online web sites and read articles to see what information was available to combine together to produce such information leaflet. The intention of the devised information leaflet is to give information to parents / carers about asthma in children to help reduce or hopefully prevent ED attendances and help children with asthma be cared for at home by means of their parents and GPs. Technological and pharmaceutical developments make feasible the more effective control of chronic conditions, but clinician’s perception of optimal management may result in patients carrying increased responsibilities for maintenance of their physical well – being that can compromise the quality of their daily life† ( Christie et. al. 1993 ), hopefully the information leaflet can facilitate and provide advice, as a part in the holistic approach in managing the child’s asthma at home when the child is discharged from the Emergency department.The information leaflet can also be ut ilized as useful tool to teach junior staff in the Emergency Department. A reading material for the newly qualified staff members to read and use to further enhance their nursing knowledge about asthma, that it can aid the nurse as guidance in their initial assessment and help in anticipating the needs of a child who presents in the Emergency Department with asthma.Hopefully in the future, the information leaflet can be used as a useful tool for health promotion which can be utilized by other members of the health care setting such as health visitors, school nurses, and others in the community settings. Reference: American Lung Association (2007): childhood Asthma Overview http://www. lungusa. org/site/pp. asp? c=dvLUK9O0E=22782. [accessed Dec 2007] Barlow(2007)http://www. childrenfirst. nhs. uk/families/features/illnesses/managing_childhood_asthma. html [accessed Jan 2008] Christie et. l (1993)Development of child – centered disease – specific Questionares for living with asthma , Psychosomatic medicine 55:541 – 548 Department of Health. ( 2002 ) Toolkit for Producing Patient Information. London: HMSO, 2002. London: Department of Health Gal, I & Ayelet Prigat (2005) Why organizations continue to create patient information leaflets with readability and usability problems: an exploratory study: Health Education Research Vol. 20 no. 4 pp485 – 493. Keep Kids Healthy (2007) :Exercise Induced Athma http://www. keepkidshealthy. com/asthma/exercise_induced_asthma. html [accessed Dec 2007]Moult, B. et al (2004) Ensuring Quality Information for Patients: development and preliminary validation of a new instrument to improve the quality of written care information: Health Expectation Vol 7 pp165 – 175. National Institute for Clinical Excellence:Inhaler devices for routine treatment of chronic asthma in older children, ;www. nice. org. uk [ accessed Dec 2007 ] Spadero, DC (1983) Assessing readability of patient information materials. Pae diatric Nursing, Vol 9 pp274 – 278. WorldHealthOrganization:Asthma in children; http://www. who. int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs307/en/index. htm. [accessed Jan 2008]

Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Education - Research Paper Example The subject school that is being documented tends to display a similar trend. The school in focus is an elementary school so the ages of the student population tend to be under 12 years of age. The Hispanic background of most student’s means that they come from families where Spanish is spoken and understood. This often occurs at the expense of learning English and a significant amount of students in class tend not to speak any English at all. Yet another significant amount of students in class tend to speak some English though there is a large need to improve the spoken English skills. Only a minor amount of students can fully communicate in and comprehend English. On average the typical Grade 4 student has trouble coping with speaking a few words of English. In this situation, expecting these children to write words and sentences in English is unrealistic because they can hardly comprehend English. Most children can however follow cue and produce some sensible words while on ly a small amount of children can produce understandable sentences. In terms of behavior, a large majority of children are inclined to create disturbance in the classroom. The imposition of order in the classroom is a separate task in itself. However, it has been felt that if these children’s behaviors are reinforced with more positive values, a significant difference could be created. This onus would fall to the school as these children hail from a relatively low socio-economic status. In most of the children’s families, either both parents are working or the mother has too many children to take care of. This indicates that the children are not given a lot of time by parents for their grooming especially as per behavior and education. In addition the language barrier that exists between the teachers and the students means that not all instructions are being carried forward as intended. Rework and repetition of the same tasks in class is common since most children fail to comprehend instructions the first time. Since most children are essentially English language learners, so there is dire need to look into the lingual skills of these children before any other form of learning is introduced. The lack of proper communication between teachers and students is a major facet of the school environment. The interaction between teachers and students is limited by the fact that both parties are unable to understand each other completely unless the teacher has a Hispanic background as well. A few Caucasian students are present in class as well but interaction with them alone cannot be taken as a guarantee for other children to learn English. In terms of teaching, the language barrier poses problems on different fronts. For one thing, the instructions passed onto children are not clear the first time and there is often the need to repeat instructions. This tends to slow down the overall pace of work significantly. Furthermore, this issue creates an evaluati on based problem as well. The limited interaction available with the students makes it hard to evaluate if a student has learning disabilities or if the student is being bogged down in translation. Language also plays a defining role in how the community tends to view itself. It is typical to see Hispanic children sitting together in class, socializing together and forming cults. This exclusion tends to take place because these children do not have the necessary language skills to

The Spiritual Heritage of the Knights Templar Essay

The Spiritual Heritage of the Knights Templar - Essay Example The spiritual realization that we keep in ourselves is often mediated through strong religious personalities likes Buddha, Jesus, Moses or Mohammad. The awareness that he have about these religious leaders shapes our cultural beliefs. The true spiritual heritage, though, is not contained only in the books, history, monuments of stone or culture, but also in the love and sympathy we share for each other. The Brotherhood of the Knights Templars was precisely a self-conscious group of people who attained spiritual immortality through their great human expressions and protections of the heritage. Their story is so powerful that transformed their order into admirable human temple. The order of the Knights Templar is surrounded by mysteries and legendary stories. The religious crusades in the Middle Ages caused turmoil among the successors to the throne in Europeans countries and created a battlefield of faith too. The order is synonymous with the crusades of the Middle Ages and the emerge nce of the Religious knights. What most people remember about the Knights Templar are not their achievements and accomplishments but their tragic decline on Friday the 13th, in October 1307. The Knights Templars were a military order which was established to defend Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem in 1118. Two decades after the victory of the First Crusade which took place between 1095 and 1099 a group of knights commanded by Hugues de Payens proposed the Patriarch of Jerusalem to serve as a military force (Dafoe 2009). The original group was said to consist of nine people who had to protect Christian pilgrims who were travelling to the Holy Land to visit the temples sacred to their faith. Between 1118 and 1120 King Baldwin II granted the military formation quarters in a wing of the Royal Palace on the Temple Mount (Dafoe 2009). This place was among the holy structures which were presented by the priests of Jerusalem as the Temple of Solomon. "The Poor fellow-soldiers of Jesus Christ" became "The Knights as the Temple of Solomon" and subsequently known as the Knights Templars. Cistercian abbot was the first greatest contributor, who in 1127 issued rules and promoted the Templars. By rule, the Templars were not allowed to own properties personally, however this restriction did not apply to the Order as whole. So, those who were not able to participate in the order gifted land and other valuables as a sign of respect and honor to the group. Over the decades the Templars converted their humble start into the wealthiest of the Crusading Orders. Eventually, they gained the favour of the Church and the majority of the European monarchs (Dafoe 2009). Although the Templars were considered as the most powerful medieval military force the warrior-monks faced their tragic demise in 1307 when King Philip IV of France had the knights arrested and their assets seized. This controversial and unexpected destruction of the order ensured that the history of the Templars would be enveloped in mythical speculations. The legendary group was said to be arrested under the motiva tion of blasphemy, heresy, and sodomy (Dafoe 2009). Jacques de Molay - the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, and 60 of his senior knights were captured in Paris. After recanting the confession he made while being tortured, Jacques de Molay was burned at the stake in 1314. Generally, historians agree that the primary motivation of King Philip was greed rather than the genuine belief that the Templars were corrupt. Recent rediscovered Vatican archives showed that the Templars were innocent of the charges they were accused (Dafoe 2009). Over the centuries, the mystique around

Starwood Part Five Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Starwood Part Five - Research Paper Example Using bed linens and terrycloth as the commodity on study, the paper looks at some of the procedures that will be required to procure only the best of the bed linen and terrycloth, citing cases where it is possible to change the suppliers dealing with a particular commodity or product. This paper furthermore explores Starwood evaluation method of the suppliers’ performance in relation to contract metrics that the company will use against the suppliers. Starwood- Supply Strategy Starwood is a multinational company with operations in North America and the Caribbean. It mainly concentrates its businesses in the hospitality industry with many hotels in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. With such a huge presence in the hospitality industry, it presents a huge challenge especially when handling issues of procurement as all operations have to be coordinated. The procurement gets more challenging when it comes to the supply chain section as the process is continuous with th e suppliers providing goods and services to the company. The president of strategic sourcing will mostly be the one in charge of ensuring everything runs smoothly when it comes to procurement. Some factors that might trigger the supply chain includes when sections of Starwood’s hotels might need to change products and get new ones , when the contracts with the suppliers expire and in some cases when the group in charge of the hotel designs come up with new ideas that need to be implemented. Cases where a specific hotel or resort requiring local contract will also call for the involvement of the supply chain department. According to Wieland and Wallenburg (2011), the supply chain is a very intricate and dynamic supply and demand channel. Usually supply chain is made up of various systems of business, people, expertise and machinery, information and also funds for the purpose of transferring a product or service from one party that provides it that is the supplier to another th at needs it- the customer. During the supply chain, the end product delivered to the customer can vary from the raw natural resources and materials to machinery. Sourcing Strategy of Starwood When a product needs to be sourced to the hotel, it will have gone into consideration from the specification effected by factors like the customers, maintenance and even the chefs in the hotels restaurant or the housekeeping department in the hotel. If the said product or service is not available or does not exist, it implies that the sourcing will be done from both the domestic and international suppliers. In cases where the product is available then, only the renewal of the contract with the supplier will be viable but in some cases a new supplier might be procured for the supply (Anna 2006). A paper or electronic form will be sent to the potential suppliers requesting information of their services or products and the price quote and all the responses received by Starwood will be kept in a da tabase to help in vetting the suppliers in future too. Thereafter, only the suppliers matching the company’s minimum requirement will be shortlisted. However this will not be necessarily based on the finance of the shortlisted company. Other factors will be considered like quality of the product and service, the area of operation, and also the legalities of the supplying

Legal Issues in HR Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legal Issues in HR Management - Essay Example â€Å"Unfortunately, the bottom line for most companies is not whether but rather when you’ll be faced with a legal issue involving an employee† (Weisbord et al, 1995). The main thing is to take a practical, precautionary approach so the company can lessen the possibility of being prosecuted. Faced with fixed financial plans as well as financial stress, businesses fail to identify the significance of guiding their managers. The majority of service claims involves a front-line manager’s behavior, either for the reason that the manager was unable to guide by example and busy in bad behavior, or the manager did not recognize how to deal with a workplace concern properly. Training the managers about essential employment law ideas and the way to be a successful manager is very significant. Another issue is that companies overlook to carry out periodic analyses of their human resources strategies and practices to guarantee that they are advanced and in accordance with the legal requirements. Reviewing the human resources and payroll functions within the business has never been more vital. For instance, the â€Å"Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has become more aggressive in looking at whether exempt employees are properly classified and if overtime is being calculated correctly† (Getwood, 2007) . ... Payroll is an extremely synchronized and difficult task. It takes significant understanding as well as effort to give salaries in the approved manner and promptly. Yet workers look ahead to their paychecks to be done correctly and given promptly. If not, the business can have severe morale and legal setbacks. Set of laws having an effect on payroll incorporate the ‘Fair Labor Standards Act’ which controls overtime salary obligations, the IRS which controls income tax maintenance, and other national and state laws which legalize ‘state income tax withholding’, employees payment premiums, and unemployment indemnity. â€Å"Payroll record keeping is also critical for, among other reasons, the issuance of W2 forms at the end of the year† (Weisbord et al, 1995). Outsourcing payroll is an outstanding solution to the legal agreement concerns. The payroll services can give support in working with the law and, in most instances, fulfilling legal necessities. Fe deral OSHA standards have four main groups: general trade, building, marine, and cultivation. While a few standards are particular to only one group, others relate across industries. With the standards having similar conditions for every division of industry are those that deal with the access to medical and exposure account, personal defensive equipment, and communication about risk. Access to medicinal and exposure account requires the company to give the worker right to use to any medical report the company maintains relating to that worker, together with any report regarding the worker's contact to lethal substances. Personal defensive tools require companies to give workers with

Is It Cheaper to Keep Inmates on Death Row or Execute Research Paper

Is It Cheaper to Keep Inmates on Death Row or Execute - Research Paper Example This essay will be outlining the varying opinions and suggestions for the arguments. One reason why it is cheaper to keep inmates on death row for life imprisonment than to execute them is because of the number of appeals that take place by the yet to be executed inmates. During the appeals, the tax payers bear the cost of hiring lawyers, which, when calculated, comes up to millions of dollars. In comparison, in case a person is imprisoned for life, the costs of maintaining the convicts can only run from 15-25 thousand dollars annually, which is approximated to be about one million after a period of 40 years. The costs of retaining a lawyer is more severe when the crime committed is a capital case, hence it will consume an amount of legal and maintenance fees. This is because the cases can take 20 years or more before any verdict is reached, which accumulates and adds up to the sum of maintenance which is hard with the worsening economic conditions (Trevor, 136). Another key reason w hy capital punishment like execution is being discussed and discouraged is the risk of convicting an innocent person. Majority of the convicts have been found to be innocent after DNA tests have been carried out. The costs of carrying out appeals are expensive as majority of the lawyers who handle such cases are well recognized and experienced, and they would require large sums of money to be hired. In some places in Texas, United States, it is difficult to find lawyers who will take up other cases as they view some of the cases as non- lucrative. This is despite the fact that statistics show that if one hires a good lawyer the chances of being sentenced to death are considerably less (Mutual, 165). Other costs that accrue from executions include costs resulting from a number of DNA tests, costs of relocating inmates into specialized segregated rooms as well as costs of hiring and training specialized guards to look after the inmates. Statistics in Europe have shown that the number of death sentences in the continent have gone down by 7% in 1999 to 15% in 2008, the reason being that a second chance can be achieved during life imprisonment. In addition to the complex appeals, procedures and tasks, a person who is well convicted has another chance or possibility of repeatedly applying for pardons which then adds up to the excessive appeals procedures. It has also shown that prosecutors in Dallas County have stopped asking for death penalties, instead they are requesting life in prison with the possibility of being pardoned after a period of 40 years. It is estimated that a return to execution rate of six per year would cost approximately 90 million dollars annually (Michael & Borg, 62). However, other people have a different view, arguing that death penalty is the only sure and open way to clearly indicate that justice has been done. They state that even though the case may take longer and large costs might be encountered, eventually justice will be accomplished . In support of this, a pro-capital punishment group led by Kent Scheidegger argues that if an effective appeal is brought, the whole process then must cost less and eventually justice can be obtained in the shortest time possible. The only way was to revamp the appeal process to take place more quickly so that the inmates need not spend more of their years before execution can take place (Hans, Klas & Villian, 56). According to California crime statistics, its appeal system produces a wait of about 20

Paper 1 and 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Paper 1 and 2 - Essay Example I simply could not wait for the gift giving session to reach so that I could hold the envelop in my hand and feel its beauty, and the magnitude of significance that it represented. The gift was significant because with it my parents acknowledged that I was old enough to make sound choices. I chose to buy painting tools and other art materials to help furnish my artistic abilities. My hometown is Hong Kong and my favorite holiday tradition is the Lantern Festival. The celebration is marked by hanging lanterns of various sizes and shapes illuminating the streets and creating an atmosphere of excitement and celebration. Children too carry small bought lanterns and stroll the streets with utmost enjoyment, as well as sounds and giggles of excitement adding on to the delight that leaves any person visiting the town in a state of awe. The smell and sound of delight always hover over the atmosphere during this time Enhancing the lantern activity is the overwhelming riddle guessing where a correct answer earns one a gift. Furthermore, lion dance performed during the festival adds immeasurable fun to the Lantern Festival. Finally, no celebration is complete without food. During the festival, the signature delicacy is the tantalizing yuanxiao, which apart from its sweetness, is a symbol of happiness, harmony, and union to

Drug Development and Toxicology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Drug Development and Toxicology - Essay Example The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that most of the drugs reported to it do not come with sufficient information. The FDA says that drug developing companies need to submit information on the compounds that are used to manufacture the drug, uses of the drug and its effects among other important data. It reports that if companies submitted this kind of information, the drug approval process would be much quicker than the current 8 years that are required. Consequently, it would increase the number of drugs that are clinically approved to enter the market without any restrictions (Friedhoff, 2009). In the end, this will help save a lot of money as well as patients who die in during the approval period. One common reason for the failed approvals is that drug development companies fail to indicate the optimal dosage that a patient should use so as to minimize the listed drug effects as well as any dangers associated with taking the drug. When undergoing the approval process, such a drug will be disqualified from the clinics conducting the trials have no way of knowing the appropriate dosage. FDA also noted that the populations that are sampled during drug development are very different from the population that is meant to use the drug (Zanders, 2011). When clinical trials are being conducted and such an error is noted, the drug is disqualified as having been developed for a different population from the one that its safety tests were conducted on (Friedhoff, 2009).

First Documentary Essay Example for Free

First Documentary Essay Robert Flaherty’s classic film tells the story of Inuit hunter Nanook and his family as they struggle to survive in the harsh conditions of Canada’s Hudson Bay region. I’d say that the vast majority of footage is staged, in the sense that Flaherty told the actors what to do in order to fit the frame. Yet there is a weird authenticity to what Flaherty ends up with, probably because of all the stories and local culture he had absorbed in the months preceding. Flaherty’s aim was to document a way of life, not a series of incidents that happened to occur while his camera was on. He represents his subject to the audience, portraying staged events as real but on the other hand, the theme is the battle of humans against nature and the fight for survival in a hostile environment. Although the film is only showing a few people, it can be seen as an exploration of the world of a different people and their culture. Much of the action was staged and gives an inaccurate view of real Inuit life during the early 20th century. Nanook was in fact named Allakariallak, for instance, while the wife shown in the film was not really his wife. And although Allakariallak normally used a gun when hunting, Flaherty encouraged him to hunt after the fashion of his ancestors in order to capture what was believed to be the way the Inuit lived before European influence. The most impressive characteristic in his way of filming is how he spent a few months in the Arctic to record the daily life of the Eskimo, Nanook and his family on camera (the hunting, fishing, building of igloos, fur-trading, child care, and the sleigh-dogs). Its dramaturgic and narrative sophistication is by showing the daily life of Nanook and his family, Flaherty avoids a reserved or distanced position from the protagonists and allows for the audience to identify with them, although they are exotic primitives, Flaherty’s Eskimos are acting subject, no ethnographical objects . Additionally, Flaherty did not show any signs of the clumsiness of a beginner in his cinematographic abilities. Not only did he know how to take good pictures, he also knew how to tell stories with them. He used long takes mainly, which are realized by a motionless position of the camera (with only a few pans) and the action is caught mainly using a medium close-up distance of framing. Like his models, Flaherty used a linear narrative in chronological order, mostly unedited and story-lines are not resolved. Also, following their fashion, he used dramatic effects by restricting the view with the camera to create suspense; by letting pictures run through the frame slowly, disclosing their meaning and purpose only gradually. A good example for this is the opening sequence, introducing the dramatis personae: Nanook and his family, Nyla, his wife with the youngest baby on her arms, the children Allee, Cunayou, and Comock, and the husky. This way of filming expresses the exploration of the world of a different people and their culture. We see the hunters creeping inch by inch upon a herd of slumbering walruses, and then Nanook springing up and harpooning one, and then a fierce struggle in which the mate of the walrus joins the battle. Such scenes simplify Inuit life to its most basic reality. In this land the only food comes from other animals, which must be hunted and killed. Everything the family uses; its food, fuel, clothing and tools, comes in some way from those animals, except for the knives and perhaps harpoon points, which they obtain at a trading post. The effects created here is the fact that a lot of the action in Nanook was initiated by the Eskimos themselves, such as the walrus hunt. This becomes clear during the take in which a fur-trader attempts to entertain Nanook with a gramophone. Nanook plays the simple-minded wild man who uses his teeth to check how the white man conserves his voice on a record. The other example, is during the he construction of an igloo. Nanook and his friends carve big blocks of snow and stack them in a circle, carving new ones from the floor so that it sinks as the walls rise and curve inward to form a dome. Then he finds sheets of ice, cuts holes in the igloo walls, and inserts the ice to make windows. There is another igloo, a smaller one, for the dogs. And inside the big igloo, the tiniest igloo of all, for puppies, which the big dogs would quickly eat. Conclusions Although the story of Nanook’s family is unscripted, Flaherty approached them with a preconceived idea of what he would film. Accounting for decisions about what would and would not be filmed, the notion that he has captured real life becomes vague. The Eskimos look directly at the camera, aware that they are being filmed. Flaherty even brought film processing equipment with him, so he could develop and view the reels as he shot them. The Eskimos viewed the reels as well and understood what was going on. Furthermore, Flaherty intended to create a feature film, as features were popular in theaters at the time. He included aspects of features in his work such as dramatic narrative, characters with personalities, conflicts and resolutions. At 79 minutes, it was considered feature length at the time. He simply chose to use unscripted, uncostumed non-actors in a natural setting. References Robert Flaherty. Nanook of the North: A story of life and love in the actual arctic.

A New Vision for Public Administration Essay Example for Free

A New Vision for Public Administration Essay Theme The theme of the article by Goodsell is illustrating â€Å"how public administration in the United States can be seen on its own terms, and not those of others† (p. 634). This article argue that the professors and practitioners of the field have inadvertently allowed it to be observed and interpreted from standpoints imposed by others who are external to its institutions and subject matter (p. 623). These include elected officials and politicians and a variety of critics supporting programs for improvement. The representations of the field expected by these outside viewers have been indiscreetly acknowledged within public administration, leaving the field disposed for influence as a tool for purposes other than its own. This situation has made it difficult for the fields leaders to formulate a separate intellectual vision for public administration that is consonant with their appropriate goals and concerns (p.623). Topic The topic under consideration is to contend that it is time for the field to advance, in the sense that it must express, at least to itself, a vision that apprehends its understanding of public administrations contented involvement to a democratic society. The article also present that the vision is no more â€Å"true† in an objective sense than the visions of others. The subject of investigation are the viewpoints in which the social constructs can be seen in different ways, and how the public administrators can be thought to be owning the capacities of human observation and visual understanding that allow them to see such objects. Method of Inquiry The method of inquiry used by the author is qualitative research. The author does this through corresponding to what a recent analyst of governance  described as society’s three major institutions: the state, the market, and civil society (p. 624). The state perceives public administration from the perspective of centralized, combined control by the chief executive. The market sees it in terms of private area standards and the principles of commerce. Civil societys viewpoint is that the fields self-governing prospective is apprehended through direct impact over government by those affected by it. Findings The author provides a brief and attentive summary of the major findings through a trio of conceptual categories. The three categories he analyzes are: States view on public administration, Market view on public administration, and Civil Society’s view on public administration. Public administration centers on matters of branded control under state’s view. This is controlled from the top and if the top person in charge is a tyrant, then the control is made unconditional by intimidations and eliminations. â€Å"In a democracy, the situation is more complicated: Laws and elections must be honored, a free press tolerated, and, in America, the separation of powers and divisions of federalism dealt with† (p. 624). Public administration centers on matters of branded control under state’s view. This is controlled from the top and if the top person in charge is a tyrant, then the control is made unconditional by intimidations and eliminations. â€Å"In a democracy, the situation is more complicated: Laws and elections must be honored, a free press tolerated, and, in America, the separation of powers and divisions of federalism dealt with† (p. 624). The bureaucracy came to be observed as coextensive with the executive branch of government, under the exclusive direction of the chief executive. Without consulting the Constitution, this was simply assumed to be the case. The Constitution enforces many judicial and legal controls over supervision that check the presidents power over administration. Although the president is explicitly designated commander in chief of the army and navy, over civilian matters no such authority exists. At the local level, state administrative eliminated panels in favor of single managers and created gubernatorial  budget offices. â€Å"Meanwhile, in the arena of intergovernmental relations, the federal grant-in-aid blossomed as a principal means of financing government at the state and local level; and this gave the money-dispensing national executive branch a high degree of dominance over the entire administrative system† (p. 624). Centralized administrative control permits the presidency to apply its proclaimed duty of local policy governance at home and its expected obligation to direct overseas the extensive actions of the worlds only global force. Market sees public administration not as a governmentally absorbed area of joined deed, but as a set of fundamentally noncommercial events open to free-market course and direction. â€Å"Flexibility, competition, and entrepreneurship are assumed to be the keys to delivering efficient services in a way that is both economical and pleasing to consumers (p. 625).† The impact of what is left of customary public administration is to take care of the few matters that are not else controlled by the market, such as providing necessary public goods or improving rare market failures. The favored features sought are drawn from the latest ideas adopted in corporate management and organization. â€Å"They must flatten their hierarchies, break down their stovepipes, and adopt the latest information technologies; the organization is committed to continuous change almost for its own sake, dedicated to the rituals of strategic planning verbalized by the latest reform acronyms† (p. 625). The crucial result is not lacking its ironies. Traditional public administration is seen as despairingly incompetent, stubborn, and old-fashioned. On the other hand the invalid administrators are eager consumers of the management policies sold by business trainers and consultants. At the end of the day, an inept, big-spending bureaucracy seems to be the perfect problem to have (p.625). Civil society’s central concern is opening it up to direct public involvement, although it too is interested in control and reform with regard to public administration. They are more interested in giving voice to those who are financially deprived and without any political influence. They also speak for racial minorities and community residents whom they believe should have a direct voice in administrative decisions that affect them. It is  difficult to separate these citizens from others in civil society who might also wish to claim the same right. â€Å"Examples are local merchants, corporate chief executives, association executives, religious activists, and arms dealers; even though these people already enjoy insider influence in government through hired lobbyists, social contacts, and campaign contributions† (p. 625). It is hard to envision a structure that would carefully distinct between the citizens that deserve from undeserving. The article also analyzed some academics that have promoted not just higher proportions of minorities and women, but also the â€Å"active† representation in the form of pro-group conduct by bureaucrats (p.626). The logical perception of shareholder study is seen as a way to anticipate public feedbacks to a planned quantity from all quarters. Collaborative public planning is a way to assembly direct address among members of all relevant groups to allow citizens and not just bureaucrats to structure and address issues. â€Å"This tool has been particularly popular in the natural resources area, in which ranchers, timber companies, sports enthusiasts, and environmentalists compete for influence; moreover, several techniques of interactive e-government have been the subject of experimentation, especially at the local level† (p.626). Assessment According to Goodsell, it appears that he is calling for the skills of a strategic leader when he says that the â€Å"mission is the foundation for agency self-identification, staff impulse, program unity, organizational pride, and political support. Likewise, it stimulates a conscious level of intentionality that keeps the organization on track and mobilizes the resolve needed to resist capture by special interests (p. 631).† From public administration’s standpoint, the most important defect in the state viewpoint is the downgrade of management to a lesser part. â€Å"It evokes the simplistic politics-administration dichotomy and suggests public servants should be subservient beings† (p. 627). Another problem with the market view is its notion in approval of business outsourcing over domestic ability. Such extreme events as formation and appraising programs and  cherishing and mixing the labor force should not be contracted out. Maybe the most important flaw of this viewpoint is that its concern with the private sector does not satisfy the responsibilities of government. â€Å"It is the nature of the public sector to seek multiple, varied goals, many of which cannot be monitored by the monetary metric; although the values of economy, efficiency, and productivity remain obviously important in public administration, a more thoughtful calculus of purpose is needed (p. 628)†. Citizen participation can help democratize administration, but only under the right circumstances. There are limits on how much and how often authority can be shared. In crisis situations, time is of the essence, and truly expansive democracy is impossible. In matters of great debate, continued discussions may actually worsen the tension and do nothing to attain compromise. Eventually, someone must make a decision, and usually that burden falls on the public administrator. In public policy networks, it is crucial for government to have a prime role. Administrators may employ persuasion and negotiation in dealing with other network members (as they have always done), they must be regarded as first among equals at a very minimum because of their legal authority and mandate to seek out the public good (p. 630). All in all it seems that a certain amount of authorization is essential to carry out allocated tasks. This profits not only the organizations themselves but also the larger community. Most organization duties are not, after all, casually shaped. They originate from the constant, vital needs of a modern society, making their existence not a matter of choice but a necessity acknowledged by mostly all.

Effects Of The Internet On Travel Agencies Tourism Essay

Effects Of The Internet On Travel Agencies Tourism Essay The internet has provided opportunities for travelers to book their travel directly online thereby circumventing the traditional travel channels i.e. travel agencies. Nowadays even airlines have started encouraging travelers to book tickets directly on their websites thus avoiding having to pay 10% commission to the travel agents. Thus it has made it an urgent need for traditional travel agents to find new methods and strategies to stay in business (Yamanouchi, 2004). While serving as an intermediary channel between travelers and travel service providers, what the internet has done is to eliminate the relevance of the traditional intermediary (travel agents) or at the very least make that traditional role very different in todays practice (Taylor, 2003). Today, would-be travelers can arrange for their own travel by booking straight from the providers themselves via the internet (Law, Leung Wong, 2004). Online travel websites more or less eliminates the need for traditional middlemen, who as Law, Leung Wong (2004) notes; are debatably on the verge of extinction. Internet mediation may ultimately lead to disintermediation of travel agencies since the travel service and product providers can sell their services and products directly to the travel clientele. Yet, the internet and its travel websites does not portend only doom for the travel agents. Travel agents still have the advantage of providing personalized services especially in offering advice to travelers with a personal touch. This ability to make services personal will guarantee that the role of travel agents remains secure. (Law, Leung, Wong, 2004). The internet has become a distribution channel in the travel industry such that the role of traditional intermediaries like travel agents has also changed. Yet rather than be patients of the internet, travel agents have seized the opportunity to employ the internet in their daily operations. Travel agents are using the internet to market themselves and to advertise their services. They are also offering some of their services online (Vrana, Zafiropoulos, 2004). The travel agents themselves have found it easy to make arrangements and bookings over the internet for their clients thus reducing their operational costs. The internet adoption among travel agents has made their services more efficient and timely and gaining a reliable means of communication with their contacts and clients (Vrana, Zafiropoulos, 2004). Literature Review How Travel Agencies Take Advantages of the Internet and Avoid Its Negative Effects on Their Business Travel agents are nowadays using the strategy of If you cant beat them, join them. They have started using the internet to their own advantage by using the internet to market their own services online and by contacting travelers via their own websites. They also provide services that travel sites cannot provide like personalized services and complex travel arrangements and iteneries (Vrana, Zafiropoulos, 2004). Travel agencies also nowadays focus more on building lasting relationships rather than trying to maximize their profits. They do this by providing quality personalized services. This is a strategy adopted by most travel agencies in Japan (Zhang, 2004). By so doing, travel agencies are today exploiting the internet opportunities such as virtue communities, to build what travel websites cannot, personalized relationships with clients (Maurer, 2002). This way, they can exploit the benefits that come with the internet, and avoid losing their role in mediating travel, by making their services uniquely personalized. Travel agents form networks, create newly branded travel services, exploit the internet to market themselves, get specialist packages and products unveiled by online agencies and seek to provide consumers with competitive deals if they have to survive (Downes, Legg, 2006). Why People Book Over the Internet Customers mainly book over the internet since it is convenient, cost saving, and resourceful. It is more accessible and less expensive. Travelers also can compare the various rates offered by different service providers and thus make a much more informed choice. Online service providers offer more competitive rates and better discounts due to the low operational costs. Customers can also access extensive amount of information on the internet. It is also very useful for working professionals who do not have time to go and meet travel agents to make their travel plans when they can just do their booking when they are at work or at home (Heung, 2003). Customers also have the opportunities of learning more about the places they are visiting from the internet and thus able to book hotels online. The bottom line that one is able to make all arrangements needed before traveling without involving any intermediary as long as he or she has access to internet. The advent of internet has also been coupled with people acquiring personal computers and internet providers thus bringing the technology closer to the people (Lewis, Ira, Semeijn, Janjaap, Talalayevsky, Alexander, 1998). Why People Book with Travel Agents The main reasons why customers book via travel agents are the security concerns (credit card scams), interpersonal communication i.e. face to face transactions, human contact in transactions, and ability to make custom made travel packages as opposed to by travel websites (Vrana, Zafiropoulos, 2004). Travel agents are able to make all arrangements for their clients unlike in travel websites for example hotel bookings, sightseeing bookings, airport drop and pickup, and flight tickets, something they might not be able to or might lack the time to do (Buhalis, Licata, 2002). Most clients who go to travel agents are also those who want to build relationships with their travel facilitators and those who need the guarantee of human element in transactions (Cheyne, Downes, Legg, 2006). There are some circumstances where by customers are left with no choices other than using the agents. This happens mostly in situations whereby one has to pass through different destinations. It is very hard to do several online bookings when one is traveling as it means dealing with many different entities. When one has to pass through different destinations, it is easier to use the international agents who have offices in different places around the world. By doing this one is able to deal with one company because he just have to state his or her demands to the agent and all his needs will be taken care of. (The Travel Insider, 2010). Repeat Clients in Online Booking Customers will go to the same website and online portals or directly to particular service providers using the internet if such providers have created brand name of products, built global marketing, have lower cost due to discounts, facilitates labor saving means and if they have standardized processes, products and service delivery (Vrana, Zafiropoulos, 2004). Improved service delivery and competitive website features are the main ongoing preferences for online service providers in Hong Kong (Chu, 2001). Another reason why customers repeatedly use one online service provider is that they were initially satisfied with the service that was provided and do not want to research another serviced provider (Cheyne, Downes, Legg, 2006). Repeat Clients for a Travel Agent Customers mainly repeatedly book via travel agents due to the relationship that they have built with that travel agent (Vrana, Zafiropoulos, 2004). Therefore travel agents in Japan are using this strategy of building lasting relationships with customers to improve business rather than just focusing on maximizing profits by trying to attract more customers (Zhang, 2003). If a customer is satisfied with a travel plan that a particular travel agent has made for them they prefer using the same travel agent to make all their future travel plans. Therefore providing good quality service also generates repeat clientele for travel agents (Wyne et al., 2001). Demographics Characteristics that Predetermine Online Booking and that of Travel Agency Booking The choice of internet and travel agent booking is influenced by sex, age, education, income, and occupational characteristics of customers (Furr, Bon, 1998). Studies indicate that internet bookings are mainly made by females aged between 21 and 30, educated and earning high incomes and working in education related professions who prefer commercial lodgings during travel and who predominantly prefer to travel by air (Heung, 2003). On the other hand the demographics of non- internet travel agent users is mainly married men traveling with families on a long vacation from medium earning brackets aged between 36 to 45 years. This is mainly because when traveling with families travel agents can provide much more extensive information on the types of hotels and which types of hotels offer certain types of services and also they provide information on the different types of sightseeing options and which one would suit the familys requirements best (Heung, 2003). Effects of Airlines on Internet Bookings The industry of travel agency involves communication and processing information of its clients. Initially, the agencies had access to details of flights so the customers had no alternative. The fact the airlines are able to do their advertising online and directly to the customers and the customers are able to apply for their travel tickets online has affected the travel agencies a lot. It is also of paramount importance to note that airlines have realized this trend and have thus reduced fares, as they no longer pay the commissions they used to pay the agents (Bennett, Marion, Lai, Chi-Wen, Kevin, 2005). The customers needs have also changed significantly in their demands due to the development in IT since one is able to learn all the exotic places there are to visit at the touch of a button. It is more convenient for a customer to do his or her research at the convenience of his or her sitting other than going to an agent. It is worthy noting that it is cheaper to book online since one will be dealing with the airline directly without involving an intermediary. The airlines are also happy to serve their customers directly for they will be able to understand their needs more. The advent of the internet technology gave the airlines an opportunity to be close to their clients and they realized that the need for an intermediary is not that important. (Frias, Rodrà ­gueza, Castanedaa, 2008). It is important to note that a minute means a lot in the amount one may pay for an air ticket since the fares change from time to time. When one is passing through many points, it is less demanding to use the agent for they will be able to fix his or her time according to the lowest fares possible. By doing this you end up saving money and time since you will be having someone who will be taking care of your travel plans. When one is doing booking, it is important to do research so as not end up paying more than what he would have paid through an agent (Farooqui, 2010). Refernces Bennett, Marion; Lai, Chi-Wen Kevin (November 2005)The impact of the internet on travel agencies in Taiwan http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/pal/thr/2005/00000006/00000001/art00002 Buhalis, D., Licata, C. (2002). The future of eTourism intermediaries. Tourism Cheyne, J., Downes, M., Legg, S. (2006). Travel Agent vs Internet: What influences travel consumer choices? Journal of Vacation Marketing. 12(1), 41 Chu, R. (2001). What online Hong Kong travelers look for on airline/travel websites? International Journal of Hospitality Management. 20(1), 95-100. Farooqui, S. (2010, April 20). Travel Agent and Internet Marketing Impact, Benefits, and Planning. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Travel- ­Agent- ­and- ­Internet- ­Marketing- ­- ­- ­Impact,- ­Benefits,- ­and- ­Planningid=4141656. Fields, J. (2007). Great weather, deserted beach, wonderful holiday. The Sunday Herald. March 25. Frà ­as D. M, Rodrà ­gueza M. A., Castaà ±edaa J. A,(Feb 2008) Internet vs. travel agencies on pre-visit destination image formation: An information processing view , Retrieved June 09,2010, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL_udi=B6V9R-4NKJ174-1_user=10_coverDate=02%2F29%2F2008_rdoc=1_fmt=high_orig=search_sort=d_docanchor=view=c_searchStrId=1364306231_rerunOrigin=google_acct=C000050221_version=1_urlVersion=0_userid=10md5=192643fd560ef019b68e8e8f888325e2 Heung, V. (2003). Internet usage by international travellers: reasons and barriers. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. 15(7), 370-378 Law, R., Leung K., Wong, J. (2004).The Impact of the Internet on Travel agencies. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality management. 16(2), 100 107. Lewis, Ira, Semeijn, Janjaap, Talalayevsky, Alexander(June 22 1998) The impact of information technology on travel agents. Retrieved June 09, 2010 from http://www.allbusiness.com/technology/695794-1.html Machon, N. (2008). High-street travel agents are losing out to their online rivals (Survey). New Media Age. Available at http://www.nma.co.uk/opinion/analyst-speak-high-street-travel-agents-are-losing-out-to-their-online-rivals/39912.article Management. 23(3), 207-220. Maurer, E. (2002). Internet for the Retail Travel Industry. London: Delmar Cengage learning. Monaghan, K. (2006). The Travel Agents Complete Desk Reference. New York: The Intrepid Traveler. Murray, M. (1999). Tripped-up travel agents. National Journal. 31(49), 34-79. The Travel Insider (15 May 2010) Airfare Wars Internet vs. Travel Agencies Retrieved June 09,2010, from http://thetravelinsider.info/2002/0614.htm Vogel, H. (2001). Travel industry economics: a guide for financial analysis. Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press. Vrana, V., Zafiropoulos, C. (2004). Tourism agents attitudes on internet adoption: an analysis from Greece. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. 18 (7), 601-608 Wyne, C. Et al. (2001). The impact of the Internet on the Distribution Value Chain: The Case of the South African Tourism Industry. International Marketing Review. Vol. 18 (4). pp. 420 431. Zhang, Z. (2004). Organizing customers: Japanese travel agencies marketing on the Internet. European Journal of Marketing. 38(9/10), 1294-1303

Genetic Modified Foods Essay -- GMOs, Genetically Modified Crops

Genetic modification of organisms in general is a biotechnological process that forces genes to behave according to certain characteristics. Changing characteristics of organisms is based on changing their DNA (tech deoxyribonucleic acid; the acid which carries genetic information in a cell). It is being used for modifying genes in plants, animals or micro-organisms. It is being also used especially with food in order to improve the nutritious quality, make less use of chemicals such as pesticides, which proved to be extremely harmful, and sometimes to add flavour. Genetically modified food (GMF) is considered one of the modern production improvements and the largest food experiments in the world’s history. However, it is very vital to dispel misconception about the nature of food. GMF is a mixed blessing which has a lot of benefits but at the same time may arouse problems. It has many good aspects, such as making plants ripen faster, improving the specie’s taste and look, and providing Third World countries with healthier and cheaper food. Genetic modification of food has won the admiration of a lot of people, including myself, because of its new and attractive accomplishments, but at the same time we should take into consideration its disadvantages and try to find ways to avoid them. Genetically modified foodstuffs have several disadvantages which I believe are possibly avoidable through research and experiments. Most of the time, the sale of GMFs is being permitted without posing the risks and without informing the public with the possible danger. This of course is a violation of human rights which can Nagi2 easily be avoided by simply informing consumers of the characteristics of the product. When genetic engineers insert new genes into any organism, it can lead to disruption and unpredictable changes in the pattern and structure of the new genetic function. "In fact, the process of inserting genes is quite random and can damage normal genes " (Genetic Engineered Food - A Serious Health Risk 3). Therefore, harmful substances may appear unexpectedly and can possibly create viruses and new dangerous diseases. Therefore, it is the obligation of experts to examine GM products before making them available to the publi... ...d not avoid rice because of that." (Maryanski 3). So, vegetarians should feel safe when eating GMF. The conclusion to be drawn from the above is that GMF in one of the modern production improvements and the largest food experiment in the history of the world. Its appearance has been very sudden. Now, a very rapidly growing number of it is being introduced. Maybe in a few years it may be almost impossible to find natural food. No doubt, any dangerous food production through genetic engineering should be banned until scientifically shown that it is safe for everyone. In the meantime, labelling is required foe any foodstuff that contains genetically engineered ingredients, and any risk that could harm the environment should be banned. It has to be acknowledged that GMF is one of the best production that have emerged in our century. Hopefully, in the future, it will not have any side effects, and be healthier than the current natural food. Containing all the Vitamins and nutrition that we need. We have to put in mind that if people knew all it advantages, they will surely get convinced with the idea of producing GMF.

Physics of Rowing :: physics row boating

Missing Figures "Marathon runners talk about hitting 'the wall' at the twenty-third mile of the race. What rowers confront isn't a wall; it's a hole - an abyss of pain, which opens up in the second minute of the race. Large needles are being driven into your thigh muscles, while your forearms seem to be splitting. Then the pain becomes confused and disorganized, not like the windedness of the runner or the leg burn of the biker but an all-over, savage unpleasantness. As you pass the five-hundred-meter mark, with three-quarters of the race still to row, you realize with dread that you are not going to make it to the finish, but at the same time the idea of letting your teammates down by not rowing your hardest is unthinkable...Therefore, you are going to die. Welcome to this life." -- Ashleigh Teitel The Basics The sport of rowing involves numerous combinations and classes of athletes. Boats can be rowed with or without coxswains (the non-rowing captain) and by 1, 2, 4, or 8 rowers. Each rower can handle one oar (sweeping) or two oars (sculling). Racing shells are currently being made with Carbon or Carbon/Kevlar combinations. The act of rowing involves the transfer of momentum by the rowers and their oars to the water. The momentum is transferred to the water by pulling on the oar and pushing with the legs (the feet are attached to the boat by restraints). This causes the seat to slide backwards and the oars to pivot on the riggers. Each stroke is made up of four basic parts: catch (blade vertical in the water, knees bent, arms forward), drive (legs straight, arms pulling toward the body), finish (oar out of water, blade vertical), recovery (body moves forward, blade turns from vertical to the horizontal). For some of the basic forces acting on a 4+ (coxed four) see Figure 1. Figure 1: mx is the mass for each rower x (1-4) and coxswain (c), M is the mass of the boat, and Fx (x=1- 4) is the force exerted by the stroke and Fdrag is the resistive force of the water. Drag Drag is the transfer of momentum from our moving object to a fluid. A crew moves through both water (in contact with the shell) and air (in contact with a small part of the shell and the rowers). Effect on Crew To minimize air resistance rowers wear skimpy unis and force their coxswains to lay in the very short and narrow stern of the boat.

Accommodating Students with Disabilities :: College Admissions Essays

Accommodating Students with Disabilities In order to earn a high school diploma in New York State, each student must acquire one physical education credit. "Paul" [a pseudonym] is in a wheelchair. He is a tenth-grade student with cerebral palsy at my high school. He needed to earn this credit, but would be unable to meet the challenges of physical education. Paul would have to get his physical education credit another way. The dean of students and varsity basketball coach were made aware of the problem and came up with a solution. Knowing that Paul is a basketball fan, he inquired whether he could record the stats. A modification to the program All-Star Stats 400 by Microsoft would enable Paul to maintain the stats and remove the task from the coach's shoulders. This idea was then discussed with the Learning Workshop teacher, a computer whiz. He reasoned that if Paul could break down, statistically, videotaped basketball games, he could input the stats into the computer. Paul discussed the idea with his teacher and really liked the idea-it allowed him to participate in high school basketball and earn the required credit. Once his teacher completed the modifications of All-Star Stats 400, Paul was given a valuable chance to get his physical education credit. The faculty's willingness to help a student shines through the mechanics of this process. The reason Paul succeeded in receiving his credit is because he was willing to try to make the idea become reality. The faculty worked together to form the raw materials, and Paul finished the product. This personal victory was barely noticed by the student body, although perhaps more students should take heed of the occurrence. The ideals expressed in this story include acceptance, creativity and cooperation among faculty and students. As his teacher said, "Getting Paul's credit shows the helpfulness and dedication of the faculty and the willingness and desire of Paul.