Arguments for and against vegetarianism Essay

What are the arguments for and against vegetarianism? Seeing animals running around filled with cuteness can bring a smile to anybody’s face. But knowing the fact that most of them will be taken away and butchered creates a number of arguments because some people would simply put this down as cruelty were as others would call it ‘meat.’ Over the past years more and more campaigns and protestations have been started. Talking to a lot of vegetarians I found that their reason for being a vegetarian was because they found it a way of living with avoiding every form of killing animals. That or they found it better for their health, as most cancer institutions will approve that vegetarians have a much lower rate of cancer. A lot of people have been found to say ‘what gives us the right to kill innocent lives, animal or non-animal?’ They believe animals have rights too. Many vegetarians, and especially vegans, also choose to give up the use of all animal products, including leather, fur, and animal products used in common household items and substances. Some say that killing animals for any reason is entirely unnecessary, while others argue that human beings are not meant to be carnivores at all, pointing to a human’s small canines, flat molars, long intestines and less acidic stomachs, all ideal for eating fruits (carnivores have larger teeth, shorter intestines and stronger stomach acids.) Many feel that all animals are creatures with emotions, feelings, and the ability to feel pain too. Moving on to the arguments against vegetarianism. First of all, not all vegetarians eat healthy. A great deal simply switch to avoid meat, but still consume large amounts of foods that remain â€Å"questionable.† These â€Å"lazy vegetarians† usually subsist on a diet of coffee, hard liquor, cigarettes, French fries, potato chips, pizza, ramen noodles and candy, with the occasional vegetable or two. One troubling aspect of vegetarianism, and specifically veganism, is that it can actually be inadequate and can result  in nutrient deficiencies. Particularly vulnerable are children, especially infants, who can fail to grow at the proper rate due to deficiencies of energy, calcium, zinc, Vitamins B-12 and D, amino acids and nitrogen in vegan diets. Animals would eat us if they were hungry, why shouldn’t we eat them? This is a question asked widely by meat eaters. And the fact is. It’s true. Animals would eat us. Moreover meat is a large part of the Westernised world. Some eat meat because they like it, and some do not because they do not like it. I find being a meat-eater that there is a food chain, that human’s and animal’s follow. For instance, Human’s eat animals and plants and Animal’s eat plants and other animals. People call eating meat cruelty and murder, and to back themselves up they come to ethics. Ethics is the philosophical study of right and wrong, good and bad; it is a critical evaluation of our actions and their possible or real consequences. They say we are human beings with unique rational minds capable of raising the question of whether killing is right or wrong and governing our behaviour accordingly; we are, in short, the ethical animals. Once again the question pops up. If we are called ‘ethnic animal’s’ then we should be able to decide between the wrongs and rights of our actions. If a majority of people think that meat eating is not wrong and should be able to take place without the criticising of vegetarians then let it be. To conclusion it is almost puzzling as to why people choose or choose not to include animal meat in their daily diet. It is also quite a debatable topic because each argument for and against vegetarianism can be disputed. At the end of the day the question revolving around will be, to be or not to be a Vegetarian? It really is a matter of choosing the alternative.

Random Acts of Kindness

During one of my Online Facebook sessions, I was watching a video on random acts of kindness called â€Å"Validation†, it reminded me that performing random acts of kindness like simply complimenting people is something that I need to incorporate more into my life on a regular basis. I actually had a warm feeling inside knowing that many people have done so many kind things to me. I too have done many kind things to others; but, I had still not decided to incorporate this small thing into my life. I immediately realized that life is about being a blessing to others; however, there are times when people need to see tangible things done for them.When we give things that are tangible, it is one way to help others see Christ in us. I found out that there are many ways to show random acts of kindness. I had the opportunity to put this concept into action in several ways since our last class. On November 3rd 2013 I experienced firsthand what a difference I can make in young children ’s lives by spending time with them and telling them about a wonderful savior that has a given a free gift and that all we have to do is except him into our lives.I and my family lived in the Central part of Beavercreek Oregon in a 1800 square foot house on an eighth of an acre. We had a pretty good life as kids and there was always food on the table in our house. At the age of 18 I had decided to get involved in my church I had been attending for a little over a year. I talked to the pastor and got a hold of the Children’s ministry Pastor and she set me up to help with a class 4 days later. When I stepped into the classroom I immediately was overwhelmed with joy and a heart serve really serve these young children.After that first day I had many compliments about what an amazing impact I had on these kids and I now volunteer every other week there. Remember that your life can make a huge impact on people young and old. We have a savior that died for us on a cross and w e should return that favor by serving others. I hope you are impacted by this essay in someway and that you can start to make a difference in your community. As a you follower of God I have learned that through prayer and trust in the lord that he knows what is right for all of his children that we can make a difference.If we rely on God and not on our own understanding we are destined for success. John 3:16 says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever would believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life. All we have to except this free gift that God has given us and you will be saved. God sent his only son Jesus to come down to this earth to die on the cross for our sins so we can have the hope of heaven and not have to a die a horrible death. I hope you can come to know your savior and believe in the one who created you.

The Affects of Divorce on Youth

In Canada, it is estimated that four in ten marriages end in divorce. Despite the â€Å"’til death do us part† vow couples participate in at the time of marriage, there were 69,600 separations in Canada in 2004 (Statistics Canada, 2004). It has also been determined that every one in two divorces involves children. Although there have been many studies done which attempt to prove that children who experience parental divorce do have behavioral problems, fail to complete high school, and have emotional discrepancies, the effects of divorce on the overall outcome of a child is not detrimental to his or her development. Those who take the stance that divorce is a determining factor through their various studies have not taken a proper representative sample of cases from children nor considered other determining factors which could also lead to a child's lack of well-being. Today a divorce is when a marriage is legally dissolved because the relationship is irretrievably broken. However, before the Divorce Act of 1968, divorces were increasingly difficult to obtain. In order to be granted one, the couple would have to meet at least one criteria of marital breakdown – they would have to be living apart for a year or longer, one of the spouses has to have committed an act of adultery, or one spouse has treated the other in a cruel way. The average Canadian family features parents who deal with a plethora of stressors. One of the main reasons for marriage dissatisfaction, however, is money. This problem is prevalent when a family does not have enough income to support its needs or wants. Pressure to fulfill these desires will create an unhappy relationship between everybody involved. Regardless, when parents separate, it can create a whole new distress in the child which can outweigh that of any economical situation the family could be facing. While parents toying with the idea of divorce may think that by legally separating, they could be risking their children’s overall happiness; by staying together they could be putting the child at greater risk of mental and emotional problems. Children who are witness to their parents constant fighting and conflicts are at higher risk of long-term distress (Jekielek, 1998). Divorce where there is little parental conflict will actually do a child less harm than no divorce with high parental conflict. The symptoms of being in an environment where there is high parental conflict is very similar to those seen in children of divorce; they can develop anxiety and aggression (Morrison and Corio, 1999), as well as behavioral problems in school such as antisocial behavior and difficulty concentrating (Amato and Sobolewski, 2001). Socialization of children is essential during school years. Children who are affected negatively during this time by parental conflict or divorce can create problems for the future by making them socially withdrawn. Poor social skills and shyness can force children into complications which have the potentiality to permanently damage their views and impact the formation of healthy relationships. There are three factors which account for much of the distress among children, and high parental conflict is the most determining factor. The second is a decline of living standards; this is where the child’s family has a low economic status and cannot fulfill the needs and basic wants of a child successfully. A child’s family can reach poverty if the mother or father who is granted custody does not earn enough money to support the child, due to the loss of complimenting income from the noncustodial parent or the fact that they cannot get a job because they had sacrificed their education and employment opportunities in order to care for the child. The third factor is the absence of the noncustodial parent. This is because the child loses a role-model who they look to for emotional and physical support (Resnick et al. , 1997), an issue which the social learning theory commends. The time with the noncustodial parent will eventually decrease with time, whereas the child’s relationship with his or her mother will increase (Amato and Booth, 1996). Whereas evidence in the past has supported findings that a child is well adapted, self confident and secure in who they are when they are raised in a two parent as opposed to single parent household, a child with divorced parents is said to suffer both mentally and emotionally. There are two propositions, one of which suggests that children who grow up in households where the two biological parents are not present will exhibit lower levels of well-being, and the other says that the adverse effects on youthful ell-being will be especially acute when the cause of parental absence is marital separation, divorce, or desertion. They often tend to develop behavioral problems and do less well in school than children of intact families (Demo, Fine, and Ganong, 2000). On top of that, they are more likely to engage in dangerous behavior such as substance and alcohol abuse. These damaging effects have the potential to last the child into adulthood. One study showed that almost half the children of divorced parents entered adulthood as worried, self-deprecating, and sometimes angry young men and women (Wallerstein, Lewis, and Blakeslee, 2000). They also tend to be less happy than a child with intact parents, and increasingly likely to suffer from health problems, depend on welfare, earn low income, and experience divorce themselves. Problems with marriage are thought to be prevalent in cases where a child’s parents have experienced divorce and can lead to an increase in divorces between them as well as an overall aversion to marriage (Anthony, 1974). Many of these adults continue to struggle with depression, anxiety, and overall feeling of dissatisfaction with their overall lives. These people will utilize more mental health services than will those who grew up with both parents (Amato and Sobolewski, 2001). Compared to children whose parents did not separate, children with divorced parents are more likely to drop out of high school, less likely to attend college, and complete fewer years of education overall. Some believe that this is due to the emotional disturbance which is caused in households where parental conflict is high, resulting in a poor sense of self in the child. Poor sense of self also leads to other relationship troubles including infidelity, reoccurring divorces, and remarriages and in extreme cases spousal and domestic abuse. It has also been found that those living in a single-parent household are associated with a greater risk of not completing high school (Deleire and Kalil, 2002). In one study, it shows that the proportion of children graduating from high school is the highest for children with no change in their family structure and lowest for children with three or more changes in their family structure. Relative to children in households that reported no change in marital status, children who experienced any type of change in family structure were less likely to graduate from high school. The odds of completing high school for children whose parents experienced parental divorce only were 61 percent lower than for children whose parents remained together. However, despite evidence which proves that divorce does cause an emotional disturbance within children, some analysts disagree. Despite the link between divorce and long-term negative consequences, this evidence is based on families who seek psychological counseling. These families are a small and unrepresentative minority of the population. Another discrepancy in this theory is that some analysts fail to ask whether factors other than divorce might be responsible for the long-term distress experienced by children of divorced parents. A re-analysis of 93 relevant studies showed that the overall effect of divorce on children’s well-being is not strong and is declining over time (Amato and Booth, 1991). Whereas some studies show a significant decrease of education completion, one study done across Canada, Australia, and the United States of America shows that divorce is not an educational â€Å"disaster†. Rather, it says that children whose parents divorce get approximately seven-tenths of a year less education than children from intact families. A divorce is not the determining factor in long-term distress in children; rather, it is a multitude of factors which complement each other in creating a child with various mental and emotional difficulties. Despite evidence supporting both sides of this argument, those who believe that studies which discredit the results which seem to support divorce as the major distress-causing agent of previous studies seem to be the most believable; this is because there is simply so much more to a divorce than the act of separation in itself. Determinants such as parental conflict, economic status, and the upbringing of the child all play major roles in providing distress in a child’s life. Although the argument of divorce causing some sort of problematic experiences in a child, which will last them into adulthood, is a strong one, one must remember all of the other agents which build up to a divorce when deciding whether or not a divorce is the sole detrimental attribute to a problematic childhood. ?

SUBWAY Restaurants in Middle east Research Paper

SUBWAY Restaurants in Middle east - Research Paper Example This ensures that an organization captures a significant consumer population thus enhancing and increasing sales and increases profit levels. Additionally, retaining a large profit margin is important in the global market. An organization should ensure that it generates enough funds to support an organization’s operations (Fujimoto & Shiozawa 37). In the global market, an organization requires enough funds to fund factors like advertising and marketing. For instance, marketing in the international market is an expensive venture which needs a steady flow of income at great margins (Fujimoto & Shiozawa 32). If the income level is poorly managed funding marketing projects would fail which would reduce an organization’s exposure to the consumer market. This would automatically reduce the income levels and may lead to the exit from the global market. Fujimoto & Shiozawa point out that stability; relevance and effective management are the three factors an organization in the global market needs to have in order to gain from the vast global market (66). For instance, Subway restaurant has a lot of competitors in the Middle East. For this reason, the organization should ensure the local consumers appreciate and recognize their international entity. However, it is an obvious assumption that international restaurant ventures in the Middle East have a great consumer attention level which creates a fair level of competition in the international organizations in the venture. Fujimoto & Shiozawa however, argue that an organization can easily manage their consumer appraisal level by generating a target over a certain period of time (55). This would make it simpler to manage and generate strategies to enhance stability of the organization in the global market. The industry analysis Intensity of rivalry With the numerous technological advancements in the Middle East, the location has attracted numerous investors and international market. This has increased the lev el of competition in the market and increased caution by organizations venturing in the market. In terms of restaurants and hoteliers the level of competition is much greater (Fujimoto & Shiozawa 43). The Middle East has become a top hub for tourists. This attracts the investments of many stakeholders in the hotel industry. Regardless of the many organizations, the industry generates large profit returns (Fujimoto & Shiozawa 44). This eases the intensity of the rivalry since the quantity of consumers is enough to support most of the hotel ventures. In the case of subway restaurants, the organization is limited in terms of offers given to the consumers. Additionally, this limits their exposure. Many organizations in the Middle East offer the same services with an aim of acquiring the same profit returns as the Subway restaurant. Substitute The Middle East provides a great number of substitutes in the hotel industry which makes it an important factor to consider effective competitive strategies. Top restaurant ventures across the globe such as McDonalds, Dorman’s, Costa Coffee and the local organizations create a large variety of substitutes in the market. Additionally, the consumers in this particular market hold each of the organizations with same sensitivity and significance. This likely puts every organization in t

Obesity in Children Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Obesity in Children - Research Paper Example As the discussion stresses  morbidly obese children also suffer from emotional distress as a result they develop profuse eating habits and feel delighted if they get all the eatables they wish for, thereby developing a tendency to eat constantly and still remain dissatisfied even after consuming a large full meal. It is observed that children consume junk food items and snacks, containing high proportion of fat, salt and sugar contributing to the obesity. The most favorite food items for kids of present epoch are ice creams, soda pop, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, pizza, French fries made of potatoes rich in starch, milk shakes containing excessive sugar, chips, and candy bars. These food items are devoid of fibers and are rich in fats and cholesterol. Instead of consuming raw vegetables and fruits children of the present era like to opt for juice with sugar, as fibers are being strained out from these juices they are devoid of providing nutrition that could act as roughage.  This p aper discusses that  the life style and schedule also paves the way for bad eating habits. Working parents get little time for their children to train them for developing good eating habits. Parents leave little time for attending the kids and discussing with them their issues and concerns, their likes and dislikes.  Working mother seldom gets time to cook food for their kids and thereby forcing the kids to opt for the readymade food stuff available in the market.

The Vikings Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Vikings - Research Paper Example The Vikings abandoned their homes and travelled into Europe and settled there. However, there is no vivid explanation of what made the Scandinavians to leave their homelands permanently to settle abroad. The Vikings left their Scandinavian homelands and expanded across Western Europe and they also traded with locals and raided coastal regions and as a result of their intense contact, many words across Europe have Scandinavian. Initially, the Vikings were exclusively fishermen and farmers and throughout the Viking age, farming and fishing were the key activities practiced during this era. These individuals took advantage of fertile soils and well-stocked fishing grounds to ensure that they produce enough food for consumption. Most of them were farmers and some of the crops they cultivated include barley and oats plus a variety of fruits and vegetables. In addition, they raised livestock including goats, pigs, cattle and sheep and they as well practiced crafting as they had the ability to make use of raw materials to make various tools and equipments they needed. Moreover, they built long and slender ships called longboats which they used for raiding and shorter and broader ships known as knorrs for trading activities and they built a small rowing boat for fishing. In the Vikings society, those in the upper class were referred to as jarls and they were followed by a class of farmers and craftsmen who were called Karls, however, the lower class was occupied by the slaves also called thralls.

Commercial Contract Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Commercial Contract - Case Study Example (Atiyah Chapter 1). c.) Acceptance: When two parties willingly agree to the terms and conditions of a contract, then the requirements of acceptance can be claimed to have been met. Thus, the moment Stamatelly showed written acceptance of the laptop at the offered price, the first part of the contract can be said to have begun. Even if Yusuf did not show the initial direct signs of accepting, his action of replying to the e-mail to clarify the offered price is an advanced stage of acceptance to sell the laptop. (Atiyah Chapter 1). d.) Acquiescence: This is defined as the contracting parties actions and inactions as long as the initial acceptance stage had been satisfied. The issue of time is also important at this stage, as a seller who makes an offer at certain terms and conditions and receives offers at the same, needs to seal the deal without any further delay. In the above case study, Yusuf first made the laptop offer at $200. Stamatelly replied with an earlier lower price of $120. However Yusuf was adamant and fixed the offer at $200, which Stamatelly acquiesced to without further condition. (Atiyah Chapter 1). In the end Yusuf sold the laptop to another party at $180 which was much less than what Stamatelly wanted to offer. Yusuf also changed conditions for the sale at later stage to include time that the offer will be available. Even though he set the final settlement time of before noon the next day, he had sold the laptop the previous evening. This, coupled with the last minute change of price will be a potential legal suit for breach of business contract. (Atiyah Chapter 1). An analysis of the objective theory of this contract. In citing the Wilson Court Ltd. P'ship v. Tony Maroni's, Inc., 952 P.2d 590, 594 (Wash. 1998) (citing U.S. Life Credit Life Ins. Co. v. Williams, 919 P.2d 594, 597 (Wash. 1996), a contract is objective its manifestation is considered over its unseen subjective intentions of the contracting parties. Thus in the case study, Yusuf exhibited outward manifestation of assent when he clarified that the price would remain at $200. Thereafter, Stamatelly expressed mutual consent on these terms. At no one time was there any dispute about the condition of the product of contract which is the laptop. (Atiyah Chapter 2 - 4): (Stephen Waddams Chapter 1-3) It is also right to hold that both parties expressed outward manifestation of assent. Yusuf did so by the exclusive advertisement about the Laptop make, condition and price and even gave out his telephone numbers and e-mail for authenticity of the advertisement. Stamatelly also did so by writing to accept the offer in terms and condition by e-mail. The e-mail platform in this case study can be held as the outward manifestation whether direct or indirect. This is following the City of Everett v. Estate of Sumstad, 631 P.2d 366, 367 (Wash. 1981). (Atiyah Chapter 2 - 4): (Stephen Waddams Chapter 1-3) Possible Legal Redress. Stamatelly can rightly seek legal redress. She can aver that Yusuf was in breach of commercial contract especially at the acquiescence stage. She can cite the issue of time that was first introduced at a later stage

Identify and discuss the key factors that influence the logistical Essay

Identify and discuss the key factors that influence the logistical processes at Tate and Lyle - Essay Example Moreover, the group has diversified portfolio business operations throughout the globe, thus making it one of the leading players in renewable food and industrial ingredient industry. The subject of this report is the determination of the key factors that influence the logistical processes at Tate & Lyle Plc. This study is significant because Tate & Lyle has a strong global presence. Moreover, understanding the logistical processes of the group will help not only in clarifying and in addressing the issues encountered by the group in its logistical processes, but it will also provide clearer grounds in apprehending the theoretical and practical application of logistics. As such, the purpose of the report is the identification and discussion of the key factors that affect the logistical processes at Tate & Lyle Plc. In order to achieve this purpose, several academic literatures pertinent to the subject matter have been gathered. The electronic databases EConlit, Academic Source Premier , Business Source Premier, GoogleScholar and Jstor have been searched, and the following key terms have been used Tate & Lyle Plc, logistical processes, logistics, sugarcane industry, globalisation, and supply-chain management in the search. The report is divided into six parts. The first part is the introduction wherein the subject, both the purpose and structure of the report are presented. In the second part, a brief company profile is provided while in the third part pertains to the supply chain in Tate & Lyle. The fourth part of the report deals with the transportation arrangements adopted by the group, while in the fifth section the inventory costs of Tate & Lyle will be discussed. Finally, the last part of the report is the conclusion. Company View: Tate & Lyle Plc Tate & Lyle Plc manufactures a wide range of products. The group’s ingredients are produced from renewable raw materials primarily corn, sugarcane, wheat, and molasses (Datamonitor, 2008; 2010). These raw ma terials are transformed into ethanol, citric acid, sweeteners and starches, and through the help of technology, it becomes a valuable ingredient for food, beverages and other industrial commodities. The end-users of the Tate & Lyle’s products are wide and varied. It ranges from branded food manufacturers, beverages, pharmaceutical products, household products, building products, paper and board to consumer brands and animal feeds (Datamonitor, 2010). Tate & Lyle creates its portfolio of renewable ingredients using three main processes: milling, fermentation and sugar refining. The group's other essential raw material processes include its patented sucralose processing of sugar. Tate & Lyle maintains more than 45 production facilities throughout Europe, the Americas and South East Asia (Datamonitor, 2010, p. 20). The company is considered as one of the leading manufacturers in renewable food and industrial ingredients. It is one of the largest producers of white and raw sugar in the world including leading brands such as Tate & Lyle (UK), and Alcantara (Portugal) (Datamonitor, 2010, p. 21). In the United States, the group is the second largest sugar refining company holding 36% of the market share. Likewise, Tate & Lyle is also second largest company in sugar beet processing in the U.S (Brewster & Boland, 2009). In order to bolster their current position in the global market, Tate & Lyle continues to come up with products and programmes that are responsive to the demands of the

Marketing Research Objectives and marketing theory Essay

Marketing Research Objectives and marketing theory - Essay Example The simplest definition of marketing is however, the process of influencing consumer behaviour in a number of ways into purchasing a product according to a marketer’s agenda. The ways used to influence consumer behaviour vary but the commonality amongst all of them is to convey to the audience that the product is an object of necessity. Nowadays, communication of this sort is done between a marketer and its consumers through mediums such as advertising through the radio, print and the vibrant electronic media (Pride & Ferrell, 2011). Having had a general idea about the concept of marketing, in order to orchestrate it, marketers all around the world need to carry out some planning through researching to guide themselves and this is called marketing research. The American marketing association defines marketing research as being the means of creating a link between the consumer, customer, as well as public to the marketer with information which would enable him to identify marketing opportunities as well as issues, and lead towards making them more efficient and productive in every way (Malhotra, 2008). If this is so then it is understandable that in order to proceed towards conducting a marketing research a set of research objectives would be needed to make sure the effort is headed in the right direction (McDaniel & Gates, 1998); (Berkowitz, 2011)? The research objectives would and can be directly tailored according to the goal expected to be achieved through the process of the marketing research (McDaniel & Gates, 1998). If the aim of the marketing research by a marketer was to determine whether his food and drinks company for example should introduce a new ‘energy drink’, the research objectives of that specific marketing research campaign could be; Identify the differences between the tastes of the various drinks being offered by the competitors and compare them with their respective

Investigating the relationship between personality and Leadership Essay

Investigating the relationship between personality and Leadership - Essay Example One such example is application of the trait theory of personality to the leadership skills displayed by Jack Welch when he was the CEO of GE. The definition of personality as a group of traits owes a lot to Raymond Cattell who fully supported the idea of a personality being formed as a mixture of various elements (Statt, 2004). He presented sixteen different factors which affect human personality and considered them to be the source traits from which other traits were to be found in humans. The collection of these traits and the way a person responds to various situations creates a surface persona which we think of as the personality of an individual (Plucker, 2007). Cattell’s research shows us that personality plays a great role in how people react to situations and leaders are one group of people who often have to respond to changing situations on a rapid basis (Plucker, 2007). They may also have to guide and lead people towards a given goal, share their vision with the followers and motivate the followers when their intrinsic motivation is lacking. Such constructs of personality are certainly supported by research as well as business analysts of which Welch (2005) reports that leadership connects deeply with the personality of an individual. Leadership itself is a rather difficult term to define because many different philosophers, thinkers and even business professionals have give different meanings for it. However, the general directions given by analysts like Welch (2005), Byrne (1998) and Gardner (1995) have several common points with the definition given by House (2004) who states that the quality of leadership is, â€Å"The ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of the organizations of which they are members (House, 2004, Pg. 15)†. With this definition, the importance of leadership in business can be fully understood if it is applied to the

Literature Survey on Advanced Aircraft Materials Essay

Literature Survey on Advanced Aircraft Materials - Essay Example The latter showed that the causes of the accident were metal fatigue. Experts detected multiple fatigue cracks in aircraft structure /Fildey, 1990/. Numerous site fatigue damage, which resulted in structural failure, were detected in the process of investigation. The investigation, conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board explained the accident by the inability of the operators maintenance program to detect corrosion damage /Miller, 1990 /. One of the possible interpretations of the problem was the function of lap joints to bond large panels of skin to one another. These lap points used to run longitudinally along the fuselage. It was supposed that there should be no problem of fatigue cracking due to the strong connection among the overlapping panels. Similar aircraft, which underwent thorough inspection, also showed disbonding, corrosion and cracking problems in the lap joints /Miller, 1990 /. Faying surfaces were torn separately in the course of the â€Å"pillowing†, which happened in the result of corrosion processes combined with the subsequent build-up of voluminous corrosion products inside the lap joints / Komorowski, 1996/. So, the main cause of the Boeing 737 air crush was defined structural failure: fatigue. This type pf failure is sometimes called â€Å"metal fatigue†, however, this is not precise as even plastic parts can undergo cyclic loading. Cyclic loading of a piece of metal or plastic first of all results in cracks, which further grow and expand. This in its turn leads to fracture /Pizzo, 1995 /. The next problem of main aircraft materials is corrosion, which happens in steel, aluminum and titanium. Except of the gross corrosion, which is particularly common to steel equipment, there also exists another type of corrosion, which is more subtle but not less dangerous /Pizzo, 1995 /. One of the most dangerous parts of corrosion is the one occurring in mated, moving parts. This results in

Computer History and Development Essay Example for Free

Computer History and Development Essay The dictionary defines a computer as an electronic device for storing and processing data, typically in binary form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program. Primarily created to compute; however, modern day computers do much more today: supermarket scanners calculate consumers groceries bill, while keeping track of store inventory; computerized telephone switching centers play traffic cop to millions of calls, keeping lines of communication untangled; and automatic teller machines let’s banking transactions to be conducted from virtually anywhere in the world. Technology has been around for a centuries; growing rapidly year by year. One of the most important items Technology has produced is computers. The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer also known as ENIAC was regarded as the first general purpose electronic computer. What came before the ENIAC; well, there is the abacas which some consider the first computer. Created over 5000 years ago in Asia and is still in use today. Using a system of sliding beads arranged on a rack, users are allowed to make computations. In early times, the abaca was used to keep trading transactions; until, this became obsolete with the introduction of pencil and paper. Within the next twelve centuries emerged a significant advancement in computer technology. The year was 1642, when Blaise Pascal, the 18 year-old son of a French tax collector, invented the numerical wheel calculator, also known as the â€Å"Pascaline. † Pascaline was a brass rectangular box that used eight movable dials to add sums up to eight figures long. This device was great and became popular in Europe; the only drawback was the limits to addition (Pascals calculator, 2010, para. ). Another event that epitomizes the Pascaline machine came from an inventor by the name of Gottfried Wilhem von Leibniz; a German mathematician and philosopher in the 1600’s. Gottfried Wilhem von Leibniz added to Pascline by creating a machine that could also multiply. Like its predecessor, Leibnizs mechanical multiplier worked by a system of gears and dials. Original notes and drawings from the Pascline machine were used to help refine his machine. The core of the machine was its stepped-drum gear design. However, mechanical calculators did not gain widespread use until the early 1800’s. Shortly after, a Frenchman, Charles Xavier Thomas de Colmar invented a machine that could perform the four basic arithmetic functions. The arithometer, Colmars mechanical calculator, presented a more practical approach to computing because it could add, subtract, multiply and divide. The arithometer was widely used up until the First World War. Although later inventors refined Colmars calculator, together with fellow inventors Pascal and Leibniz, he helped define the age of mechanical computation. The real beginnings of computers that we use today came in the late 1700’s, thanks to Charles Babbage with the invention of the Analytical Engine. Babbage machine was a steam powered machine; although, it was never constructed it outlined basic elements of a modern general computer. Several more inventors added to machines that were out in the late 1800’s to help pave the way for the first generation of computers (1945-1956) (LaMorte, C Lilly J, 2010, para. 4). Wars had a great deal in the advancement of modern computers; the Second World War governments sought out to develop computers to exploit potential strategic importance. Therefore, in 1941 a German engineer Konrad Zuse had developed the Z3. The Z3 was created to design airplanes and missiles (Computer History Museum Timeline of Computer History, 2010, para. 3). Another computer that was created for war times was the ENIAC, first commissioned for the use in World War II, but not completed until one year after the war had ended. It was installed at the University of Pennsylvania, with a partnership alongside the U. S. government, its 40 separate eight-foot-high racks and 18,000 vacuum tubes were intended to help calculate ballistic trajectories. There was also 70,000 resistors and more than 4 million soldered joints; truly a massive piece of machinery that consumed around 160 kilowatts of electrical power. This is enough energy to dim the lights in an entire section of Philadelphia. This computer was a major development with speeds 1000 times faster than the current Mark I. For the next 40 years John von Neumann along with the University of Pennsylvania team kept on initiating new concepts into the computer design. With the combined genius of all the personnel they continued with new products such as the central processing unit (CPU) and also the UNIVAC. The Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC) became one of the first commercially available computers to take advantage of the CPU. This helped out the U. S. Census bureau. First generation computers were characterized by the fact that operating instructions were made-to-order for the specific task for which the computers were to be used. Computers had different binary-coded program called a machine language that told it how to operate. This made the computer difficult to program and limited its versatility and speed. Other distinctive features of first generation computers were the use of vacuum tubes, which were known for their breathtaking size, and magnetic drums for data storage (LaMorte, C Lilly J, 2010, para. 10). The second generation of computers, from 1956-1963, began the age of smaller computers. With the invention of the transistor in 1948, bulky vacuum tube in televisions, radios and computers were all replaced. The transistor became available in a working computer in 1956, and the size of computers has been shrinking ever since (LaMorte, C Lilly J, 2010, para. 13). Along with smaller computers the transistors paved the way for faster, more reliable and more energy-efficient products; thanks in part to the advances made to the magnetic-core memory. The first to take advantage of this new found technology was the early supercomputer, from IBM and LARC. These supercomputers were in demand by atomic scientist because the enormous amount of data that these computers could handle. By 1965, most big business processed financial information using second generation computers. With the second generation computer came new career opportunities such as programmer, analyst, and computer systems expert. Although, transistors was and improvement over the vacuum tube, they still generated a lot of heat, which damaged sensitive internal parts of the computer; the quartz rock eliminated this problem (LaMorte, C Lilly J, 2010, para. 16). Third generation computers (1964-1971) began with Engineer Jack Kilby, with Texas Instruments, developing the IC (Integrated Circuit) in the mid 1900’s. The IC combined three components onto a small silicon disc, which was mad from the quartz. Later on scientist were able to fit even more electronic components onto a single chip, called a semiconductor. As a result, computers became smaller as more components were fitted on these chips. The third generation computer gave birth to the operating system. This allowed machines to run different programs all at once with a central program that coordinated and monitored the computer’s memory (LaMorte, C Lilly J, 2010, para. 16). With the fourth generation of computer’s (1971-2000) only thing to do was to go down in size. There were three major chips that helped with computer downsizing the LSI, VLSI, and ULSI. Large scale integration (LSI) could fit hundreds of components onto one chip. Very large integration (VLSI) could fit hundreds of thousands of components onto one chip. Ultra-large scale integration (ULSI) could fit millions of components onto chips (LaMorte, C Lilly J, 2010, para. 17). The size and prices of computers went down due to the fact, that so much was able to be put into an a area about half the size of a U. S. dime. Intel, which was founded in 1968, developed the Intel 4004 chip in 1971, which would become standard in everyday house hold items such as microwaves, television sets and automobiles. With such condensed power allowed for a new market, everyday people. Computers were no longer just developed exclusively for large business or government contracts. It was the late 1900’s, when computer manufacturers sought to bring computers to a more general consumer. These smaller and sleek computers came with a more user-friendly software packages such as word processing and spreadsheet programs. Early company who took advantage of selling these more user friendly computers was Commodore, Radio Shack, and Apple Computers. In 1981, IBM launched its personal computer for multi-purpose use in the home, office, and schools. IBM made the personal computer even more affordable and the numbers increased rapidly within the next year. Personal computer usage more than doubled, going from 2 million in 1981 to 5. 5 million in 1982. Fast forward 10 years later, there are 65 million PC’s owned by general consumers. With the introduction of Human Computer Interface (HCI), users could now control the screen cursor using a mouse mimicking one hands movement instead of typing every instruction. Smaller computers became more powerful, especially in the workplace, were they could be linked together to share memory space, software, and communicate with each other. This was achieved using telephone lines or direct wiring called a Local Area Network (LAN) (LaMorte, C Lilly J, 2010, para. 20). The fifth generation of computers (Present and Beyond) is a generation that is in the works of some great advancements in computer technology with the utilization of computer chips. One of the major components of a computer is the chip; these are conducted of semiconductor materials and semiconductors that eventually wear out. A semiconductor is a material that is typically made of silicon and germanium; both of them are neither a good conductor of electricity nor a good insulator. These materials are then fixed to create an excess or lack of electrons (Semiconductor, 2010, para. 2). Integrated circuits grow old and die or are discontinued. This process can happen in many ways; modern chips as used in computers have millions of transistors printed on a small chip of silicon no bigger than a fingernail. Each microscopically transistor is connected to the others, on the surface of the chip, with even smaller aluminum or copper wires. Over the years, the thermal stress of turning the computer on and off can cause tiny cracks in the wires. As the computer warms up the wires can part and cause the computer to stop working. Even a few seconds of off-time can cool the system enough to allow the wires to re-connect, so your computer may work just fine for a few minutes, or hours, then after it warms up, it may fail, letting it cool off can bring it back to life for a few minutes or more (Computer Freezes and Crashes, 2010, para. 16). Of course, some chips are much more inclined to failure than others. The competition tries to gain an advantage on the market by building cheaper or faster chips; cheaper and faster means hotter and shorter-lived parts. Better quality equals higher prices; when the price goes up and nobody buys the products. Low quality products die of old age too early and they get a bad names, this causes products to not be sold. Most modern computers are constructed from the cheapest parts available. With this information being known, Intel, one of the best chip manufactures, designs their parts to be very vigorous and endure heat and malfunction. Intel was founded on July 18, 968, as Integrated Electronics Corporation. Intel Corporation is a worldwide semiconductor chip maker corporation based in Santa Clara, California, and is the worlds largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue. They invented the series x86 microprocessors; these processors are found in most personal computers (Intel, 2010, para. 20). Intel along with other competing companies is predicting no more mouse or keyboards by 2020. Right now with Intel-developed sensor and brain waves scientist are hoping they can find ways to harness brain waves to operate computers. This all would be done of course with consumer’s permission. Scientists believe that consumers would want the freedom gained by using the implant. The idea may be far-fetched now but 20 years ago tell a person that it would become almost necessary to carry a computer around; that idea would have been rebutted. Look around now, people cannot leave a computer or computer device home or even in a vehicle without feeling like something is missing, an almost naked feeling. Scientists believe that consumers will grow tired of dependence of computer interface. Whether it’s fishing out accessories or even just using the hands to interact, Scientists think consumers would prefer to manipulate various devices with their brains. Currently a research team from Intel is working on decoding human brain activity. The team has used Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI), these are machines that determine blood flow changes in certain areas of the brain based on what word or image the consumer is thinking of. This idea sounds farfetched but almost two years ago, scientist in the U. S. and japan announced that a monkey’s brain was used to control a humanoid robot. Scientist and the Intel team are currently working on getting to a point where it is possible to mentally type words by thinking about letters (Intel Chips in brains will control computers by 2020, 2010, para. 4). The story of the computer is amazing; to see how far technology has come is almost unreal. Evolving from the first computer the ENAIC, a huge machine that had thousands of tubes everywhere; computers are now small enough to be placed in a brief case for on the go use. Furthermore, with the everyday advancement of technology it won’t be long before farfetched ideas become a reality.

The Evolution Of Rhetoric In The Electronic Age

The Evolution Of Rhetoric In The Electronic Age The reason for this research paper is to discuss the future rhetoric of our new Electronic Generation. Rhetoric is an art of public speaking and, in our day and age, electronics play a major part. This paper will explain the rhetorical aspects of this potential transformation into an all electronic world. The information of this paper will explain the history of rhetoric and how we got to where we are today. It will also speak of some the major philosophers about this change in our new generation. Rhetoric is defined as the art or study of using language effectively and persuasively. From ancient Greece to the late nineteenth century, it was an essential part of Western education to teach public speakers and writers to persuade listeners to action with arguments. At the turn of the 20th century, there was a profound interest of rhetorical study began to grow in the organization of departments of rhetoric and speech at colleges and universities, as well as the development of national and international professional organizations. Some modern theorists believe that it was important to restore the interest of the study of rhetoric because of the renewed importance of language and persuasion in the progressively reconciled environment of the twentieth century and through the twenty-first century, with the media spotlight on the wide difference s and analyses of political rhetoric and its result s. With the expansion of marketing and of mass media such as photography, telegraphy, ra dio, and film, rhetoric is being more notably conveyed into peoples lives. In spite of its legacy as a moral way for persuasion, rhetoric has come to take on negative undertones. Through the years, generations have forgotten whats the real meaning of rhetoric is and has somehow implicate that this word is deceptive and untrustworthy. Today, rhetoric is greatly utilized by mass media in a derogatory manner, particularly when associated to public policies and politicians. Rhetoric as a systematic study was developed by a group of orators, educators, and advocates called Sophists. In the book, The History and Theory of Rhetoric: An Introduction by James Herrick, he states, Sophists employed paradoxes to shock their audiences, but also by this means to provoke debate and inquiry (Herrick, 2009). The Sophists outlook on rhetoric may very well have been the spark that ignited todays global misunderstanding on the meaning behind rhetoric. Sophists viewed rhetoric as a means that could unite pleasure with government. Sophists believed that words had the ability to medicate the audience. Although during this time when rhetoric was a skill with an increasingly expressive demand, it began to alter to a negative nuance as Platos criticisms grew more popular. The most primitive paradigm of rhetoric as a derogatory word can be followed back to Plato and his opinions about the Sophists. As one of Socrates renowned students, Plato often portrayed the Sophists as highly skillful writers who made the most of misleading language methods to persuade and influence audiences. Platos assumption on Sophism, also reiterated through the writings of Isocrates, was based on the gluttony, deception and the general lack of trust and apprehension for justice. Sophists could manipulate speech to make the worse situation appear better. The term Sophism continues to maintain the negative reputation in todays society. In Rereading the Sophists: Classical Rhetoric Refigured, author Susan Jarratt defines sophism as a derogatory term for a carefully crafted yet false argument aimed at deceiving someone (Jarratt, 1998). Sophism is also used today to describe rhetorical circumstances in which emotional demands may be emphasized over logical demands. Sophism and rhetoric have shared these negative connections into our modern era. As Christianity began to extend in the Middle Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire, societies started to connect rhetoric as expressive and fancy, but it was short of any knowledge or general idea. Due to the Church not believing expressiveness was an important aspect to communication and speech, rhetoric was diminished and viewed depreciatively. By the sixteenth century, rhetorics reputation had been revitalized, but some prominent scholars continued to pass judgment on rhetoric. Reformer Peter Ramus questioned rhetoric by stating that rhetoric was mainly a kind of verbal enhancement and as a result of little consequence. As Ramus praised dialectic and called rhetoric into question, rhetoric lost its theoretical influence, and was again viewed as nothing more than a stylistic, pessimistic speech tool. In his scheme of things, the five components of rhetoric no longer lived under the common heading of rhetoric. Instead, invention and disposition were determined to fall solely under the heading of dialectic, while style, delivery, and memory were all that stayed for rhetoric. In The Electronic Word: Technology, Democracy, and Arts written by Richard Lanham, he expresses that Ramus separated thought from language by developing a replica of education in which reason breaks free of speech (Lanham, 1993, pp. 157-158). Language bec ame an impartial tool for conveying the findings of other disciplines, and was no longer viewed as the basis of an art form that has been mastered by an educated person for its own sake. Another major contributor to the development of Western thinking about rhetoric is the great Greek philosopher, Aristotle. Aristotle was a student of Plato who famously set forth an extended treatise on rhetoric that is still repays careful study today. One of the most significant contributions of Aristotles approach was that he saw rhetoric as one of the three basic essentials of philosophy, in conjunction with logic and dialectic. In the opening words of Rhetoric authored by Aristotle, he asserts that rhetoric is the counterpart of dialectic (Aristotle Roberts, 1954, p. 30). Logic, according to Aristotle, is the area of philosophy concerned with ways of thinking to reach scientific assurance while dialectic and rhetoric are concerned with possibility and therefore is the parts of philosophy best suited to human affairs. Dialectic is an instrument for theoretical debate; it is a way for listeners to assess credible knowledge with the intention of learning. Rhetoric is an instrument for sensible debate; it is a way for convincing a common group of listeners using reliable knowledge to resolve practical issues. Dialectic and rhetoric together create a relationship for a method of persuasion derived from knowledge rather than playing on emotion. Today, modern scholars emphasize why rhetoric has taken on a derogatory connotation. They presume that there is a tendency to forget rhetorics past, which has damaged democracy by labeling all political speech as trickery, as well as unsuccessfully teaching the general public to vitally understand and make use of good speech. Richard Lanham (Lanham, 1993, pp. 243-246) disputed that the model of electronic words and texts has a natural potential to encourage democratic discourse and human thinking. Nevertheless, the source for Lanhams optimistic view of the digital age a perception that electronic textually makes no invidious distinctions between high and low culture, commercial and pure usage, talented or chance creation, visual or auditory stimulus, iconic or alphabetic information (Lanham, 1993, pp. 14) is besieged by some basic opposition which not only imply but reinforce all these oppositions. As Richard Lanham documented in his book, The Electronic Word, the presentation of w ords through the static textual display of print is quickly being replaced by the more fluid textual forms of the computer screen, which are radically altering our existing definitions of literacy. Lanham believes these new textual forms such as e-mail, network exchanges, and hypertext are changing our intellectual perception back to the root source of Western rhetoric: We can . . . think of electronic prose as moving back toward the world of oral rhetoric, where gestural symmetries were permitted and sound was omnipresent. Any prose text, by the very nature of the denial/expression tensions that create and animate it, oscillates back and forth between literate self-denial and oral permissiveness, but electronic text does so much more self-consciously, simply by the volatile nature of the written surface. A volatile surface invites us to intensify rather than subdue this oscillation, make it more rather than less self-conscious (Lanham, 1993). In addition, while some may feel the electronic explosion of inert textual structures serves to mark the death of the Western education, as demonstrated in the linear structures of print, Lanham believes it completes fairly the opposite and brings literacy more similar to another oscillation that Western thinking has always displayed. Reflecting the internal tension of elitism versus populism inherent in distinct ludic and resistance versions of postmodern theory, Lanhams digital rhetoric exemplifies an unsure oscillation between critical and aesthetic approaches to hypertext on one hand, and a more popular democratic appreciation of electronic media, the sub-cultural intertextuality of global culture, and hypermedia on the other. As Lanham exemplifies many of the hypermedia theorists and critics retained their privileged literary and critical assumptions, undermining claimed connections to the popular cultural extensions of electronic media. This is possibly because of the opposing and subjective ways in which an all-purpose hypermedia model alternates between focusing on designed interactive descriptions and the act of reading or reception as an essentially unintentional process, and (2) decreases human language and communication generally to the expressions of distinct images and information consequently also supporting an underlying conflict between print-age examples of language-use and the new and ever-present popular electronic culture. The integration of hypertext concept into a general hypermedia framework of electronic literacy is more than only a matter of describing hypermedia as hypertext extended to include electronic multimedia effects such as digitized sound and graphics. Postmodern literary models of meaning as a contingent product and play of open-ended narratives, language games, and reader-response clearly lent themselves to theorizing about hypertext. Such privileged models of textuality, reception, and aesthetic process or objects were implicitly at odds with the semiotic move to go from the subtle and intricate textual allusions of open-ended narratives mediated as verbal language-use to include the media of electronic popular culture in terms of language reduced to and even replaced by electronic imagery obsessed with the transitory fixations of human memory and desi re. The residual print assumptions of a convergence between the hypermedia model of electronic literacy and postmodern critical theories or practices is perhaps most effectively analyzed in terms of how points out, hypertext encourages both writers and readers to confront and work consciously and concretely with deconstruction, intertextuality, the decentering of the author, and the readers complicity with the construction of the text. In other words, the idea of hypertext effectively reinforces the postmodernist theories of such theorists as Barthes, Derrida, and Baudrillard that natural languages and other systems of representationespecially those involving electronic visual mediaare autonomous in relation to the diverse and contingent contexts of individual language users, specific language events, and discrete forms of verbal or visual representation. The twentieth century is perhaps the most exhilarating period in which to study rhetoric since the Middle Age. This has come about with the beginning of what is generally referred to as the New Rhetoric; the rediscovery of rhetorics epistemological significance and the critical role of persuasion and argument to our everyday lives. It is impossible to name all the causes for this new-found importance or all the contributors to the New Rhetoric, but among the most influential we must certainly consider I.A. Richards whose work on metaphor associated rhetoric to literary studies, Chaim Perelman, whose book The New Rhetoric is now a classic, Steven Toulmin, best known for his inquiries of argument, and possibly the most influential rhetorician of our era, Kenneth Burke. In teaching in the Middle Ages and years before, we have determined that rhetoric was a tool to teach students how to write good essays and, in other areas, it was a tool for persuasion. Rhetoric is widely used in business, politics, and technical writing. For example, the structure and style of letters, memos, speeches, and other kinds of documents follow the rhetorical standards. The old rhetoric dealt primarily with the structure and content of an essay or presentation. With New Rhetoric, rhetoric is given new limits. It now includes philosophy and sociology. It is no longer how to inscribe a good essay or speak a good speech, but how well we recognize communication and its influences on our lives. With the discovery of the World Wide Web (WWW), rhetoric had received a new, powerful field of its purpose. For the most part, rhetorical principles reveal its power in different kinds of Web projects. The five parts of the classical notion invention, arrangement, memory, delivery, and styleare one way we might start mediating about how to apply rhetorical ideas to writings in the twenty-first century and beyond. After all, literacy has undergone many changes in the pastfrom orality, to writing, to printand it will likely undergo many more, in ways we cannot even now imagine. We need to think about how computers and computer writing will impact the future of rhetoric, of composition and composition classes, and of literacy itself. Making hypertext documents on the WWW (World Wide Web) offers a wide range of freedom. The most astonishing difference in an electronic document is the skills to provide fairly instant access to the resources you gather during the invention process. To fully exploit the capabilities of hypertext, you should offer hypertext links that lead directly to the material you use in supporting your claims. Providing links to this material involves the audience in the invention process; your audience can have access to your primary materials and verify the validity of your evidence. Locating supporting information is greatly facilitated by search engines that can explore the Web for you, tracking down useful and relevant evidence to support your own presentations. In addition, many Web sites grant permission to use their digitized images. In an electronic document, there is no easy distinction between a beginning, middle, and an end. Determining a suitable arrangement for your electronic document depends on your creativity. Innovative arrangements are largely a matter of style can have powerful emotional appeal for an audience. Gorgias recognized the persuasive power of atypical uses of language, for changes in the usual order and meaning affected the audience. Today in the electronic age, Gorgias insights still remains true, but of course their submissions have expanded. Writing documents for the WWW creates an entirely new world, or cyberspace, one wide open to new ways of expression, and maybe meaning. An image, like a figure of speech can communicate meaning and provide your rhetorical principle. The same can be said for color. Color, like a trope, covers your meaning, provides your reason or at least it can. Of course, and image, and color has to provide a purpose but it must be suitable to the situation. Memory is fourth of the ancient standard of rhetoric. In the ancient law courts and assemblies, men were often called upon to deliver speeches without the help of written comments. The Greeks and Romans developed intricate memory systems that allowed them to give speeches precisely as it was written. Memory on the Web means some entirely different. Most people take it to mean the ways that readers can remember where they are and where they have been while they surf the net. In the days when text was written only to be conveyed verbally, the ability to persuasively delivery of a speech was one of the premier talents. Delivery is obviously related to the other standards, especially style, because your usefulness as an orator of text varying in large parts on the method of delivery that you chooses. In the hypertext world, delivery takes on some new obstacles. Were no longer certain who will be listening to our speech, nor are we positive that theyll even hear it the same way. The documents we generate are read by browsers, which decipher the HTML code for presenting on the monitor. Because each of these browsers maintains very different features, successful delivery is contingent on writing documents that predict the difference among browsers. Rhetoric, this art of persuasion, totally distorted our insight of the truth. Everything depends on the ability of speaker or writer to affectively captivate the audience using his or her credibility, detailed style, and compelling arguments. Anything can be shown as the truth. Due to this capability to alter anything to the truth the Rhetoric became an indispensable tool in the business communication. How to persuade people to purchase goods, services, ideasanything, that business word generates? How to encourage them that this is a necessity or this is the truth? It cannot be accomplished without rhetoric. The rhetorical theories had been altered by our highly technological age, but they did not modify in their real meaning. There is the truth that subsist in rhetoricits values itself. Rhetoric has not lost its inability in 21st century, but vice versa, we can observe that rhetorical theories reveal itself in any document individually from technology that was used for its establishing. On the one handRhetorical theories are used in todays writing, publishing, and electronic documents as a way of persuasion. On the other handrhetoric is no longer an essential humanist study of structure and content but a study on how and why we communicate and what we can learn from the methods of communication.

Comparing personnel management and HRM

Comparing personnel management and HRM Human resources must be appreciated, located and recovered, organised and managed with great care. Sound human resource management practices are necessary for retaining effective workforce. The HR function of Hilton Hotels focuses on actions that build workforce competencies and motivation that in turn positively influence their corporate strategies and gives them a competitive advantage. INTRODUCTION 2.1 Terms of reference According to some authors, Human Resource Management (HRM) is no different from personnel management and maintains that the obvious change is a relabeling process (Legge 1989, Torrington 1989). However, the new terminology may at least rid personnel management from its unfortunate welfare image and other negative connotations Sisson (1990) and thus save the ailing function from marginalisation. Some Human Resource academics argue and maintain that new labels on old bottles may have their uses even if it is only for marketing purposes. (Armstrong 1987, Guest 1989). The aim and objective of this report is to critically analyse the human resource strategies and policies of Hilton Hotels. In order to critically analyse and evaluate the human resource methods of Hilton Hotels critically, human resource management theories and models have been discussed and related to the success of Hilton Hotels The main themes for this report are General HRM overview of Hilton Hotel, learning and development, reward systems and training and development. The ways in which their strategies and policies support organisational goals have been evaluated. Recommendations have been made in areas that require improvements. 2.2 Overview of HRM Human Resource Management emerged in the 1990s.It can be traced to Drucker, McGregor and Bennis Drucker (1955) who introduced management by objectives (MBO) proposing that managers should direct employees towards a common goal through directed leadership. McGregor (1960) advocated management by integration and self control a strategy for managing people which increases motivation and pervades the whole business. Bennis (1964) introduced the idea of organisational development (OD). He argued that people have complex cognitive and social need, they respond better to collaboration and reason rather than power based on coercion and threat; and an organisation should be based on humanistic, democratic ideas, replacing the mechanistic value system of bureaucracy. Factors such as globalisation, competition and technological innovation caused the fading of personnel management. This change increased people management which addressed more strategic issues that personnel management ignored. There was therefore the need for managers to be more strategic in terms of managing their work force hence a new way of managing people strategically. Human Resource Management can be defined as the planning, acquisition and development of human resources necessary for organisational success. (Kreitner, 1995, p. 331). French (1964) expressed the importance of human resources by saying it creates organisations and make them survive and prosper. He advocated that it is the talent and skill of employees in using other materials and energy that result in the creation of useful products and services. (Braton and Gold 2003) defines HRM as a strategic approach to managing employment relations which emphasizes that leveraging peoples capabilities is critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage, this being achieved through a distinctive set of integrated employment policies , programmes and practices. Human Resource Management involves five key models; The Michigan model of HRM (USA) ( Tichy, Fombrun Devanna (1982), Fombrun, Tichy Devanna 1984) The Harvard model (USA) (Beer, Spector, Lawrence, Quin Mills Walton 1984) Guests (1987) Model of HRM (UK) The Warwick model of HRM (UK) (Hendry and Pettigrew ,1990) Storeys (1992) Model of HRM (UK) (lecture notes) 2.3 Background Hilton Hotels Corporation is recognized around the world as a pre-eminent lodging hospitality company, offering guests and customers the finest accommodations, services, amenities and value for business or leisure. The Hilton brand has, for more than 80 years, been synonymous with excellence in the hospitality industry. Hilton is able to offer guests the widest possible variety of hotel experiences, including city center hotels, convention properties, all-suite hotels, extended stay, mid-priced focused service, destination resorts, vacation ownership and airport hotels. (Hilton webpage ). Hilton Hotels was founded in 1919 by Conrad Hilton. Hilton has 2,645 hotels offering over 485,000 rooms to the general public. Currently Hilton employs 135,000 members worldwide. Positions at Hilton range from receptionists to general managers to CEOs. The company manages property holdings under different names around the globe. These include Hilton Hotels, Conrad Hotels and Hampton Inn and Suites. METHODS 3.1 Data collection methods The data used in this research has been obtained mainly from secondary sources. Hiltons corporate website, independent websites, online journals and text books have been used. These sources gave insight into Hiltons human resource management strategies. Text books helped link HRM theory to the practices of Hilton. 3.2 Issues and challenges The first challenge encountered by the group was deciding on which organisation to choose. Several organisations came up but eventually we decided on Hilton Hotels because they had a very attractive website with a lot of information we needed to complete the report. There was also the challenge that comes with working in a group. The Elevator graduate scheme for this year has been postponed. This made it impossible for us to gather adequate information in that section for the report. There were also problems accessing information for the other graduate schemes because such information is only made available during recruitment times. There was the issue of time constraints for the report due to other assignments due in the same week. RESULTS 4.1 Business strategies Traditionally, the firm had focused on place, product and promotion, by establishing the finest hotels in the most attractive, convenient and sometimes expensive places in the world. In the new millennium, particularly after the attacks on September 11th, Hilton has gone after the mid-priced client and the more affluent lodging clientele. The Hilton hotels focuses on the brand identity and quality, structural growth, brand equity, operational efficiencies and 100% customer satisfaction guarantee when it comes to their business strategies. In 2006 a new strategy that boosted the hotels profits was to maintain management contracts rather than full ownerships. Another business strategy of the Hilton hotels was to ensure to keep up to the promises of all the connectivity demands of the Hilton guests. This was done in May 2009 as Hilton hotels connected with BT (British Telecom) and ensured high speed internet usage in 60 Hiltons across United Kingdom and Ireland. This strategy ensured Hiltons commitment to extra ordinary levels of customer services (Wolf G.M. Neumann, Area president UK). Hilton opened midsized hotel segments to mark 20 years of award winning leadership in 2004. Hiltons started carrying out 20% reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, waste output and energy consumption, 10% reduction in water consumption t o prove themselves as environment and customer friendly. 4.2 HR Strategies Goals and Missions The Hiltons want to establish themselves as a world premium choice of hotels and want Hilton to be a brand inclusive of everything. It wants to boost its international connections and mark many locations as Hilton. Hilton hotels want to operate the business in a way that provides for current needs as well as allowing future generations to meet their own needs. Hilton hotels set their annual goals based on the prior years actual results and performance. At the end of the calendar year a hotel must have achieved their goals in each of the Key Performance Indicators of the Balanced Scorecard, the Hilton award winning performance measurement system.   The Key Performance Indicators are   Operational Effectiveness,   Revenue Maximization,   Brand Management,   Loyalty, and   Learning Growth.   Their mission is To be the first choice of the worlds travelers, building on the rich heritage and strength of our brands by: Consistently delighting our customers Investing in our team members Delivering innovative products and services Expanding our family of brands Continuously improving performance in our balanced scorecard (Hilton hotels corporation). The objective of Hilton is to matain a high standard in HRM and to create a business culture which everyone can grow and develop their careers. Giving themselves a 10 year time frame, Hilton is looking to add another 1000 properties to its international decision. They intend to move into areas such as Russia where they have never been before. HR strategy involves a central philosophy of the way that people in the organisation are managed and the translation of this into personnel policies and practices.It requires personnel policies and practices to be integrated so that they make a coherent whole and also that this is integrated with the business or organisational strategy. Hilton offers comprehensive HR support for managed properties. This support includes but is not limited to all of the following areas: full review of HR systems and standards to ensure corporate and governmental compliance, compensation administration, team member relations, risk management, professional education and training, HR information systems, in-house benefits support, legal and labour compliance, HR communications and workforce planning and analysis. Our HR team is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in every area of team member loyalty and support. Hilton follows different approaches to manage HR(Hilton webpage). Ethnocentric approach: In which central values and business practices of home country are prelevant. The criteria for valuation and control are ascertained centrally from the headquarters. Polycentric approach: In this, under the supervision of local managers, subsidiaries are developed in each every country which results in little communication between headquarters and subsidiary. Geocentric approach: it tries to involve more integration between centre and subsidiaries to ensure close co-operation between the different parts of the chain, and implement both universal and local standards for evaluation and control. (Johnson 2003). 4.3 Overview of Hilton HR practices Successful organizations keep people issues at the fore front of their thinking and at the core of their decision making and planning. At Hilton hotel they believe Only those who feel valued can truly add value. This is the ethos behind every decision they make. A highly successful organization is one that has a unique organizational culture. Hill Jones (2001) described organizational culture as the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization. At Hilton, There is a culture of support and sense of belonging that all workers of the Hilton family of hotels are made to feel at the work place. On their careers at Hilton page, emphasis has been laid on the fact that, recruits will be part of a growing company and a special family that is dedicated to a positive, productive and diverse working environment. Management looks forward to the special skills that individuals will bring to the job and at the same time, they have made an assurance that they are committed to the success and growth of their workforce. This implies that, they have in place a very good employer employee relationship at a strategic and operational level which creates job satisfaction ( see appendix A).The word family has been used considerably in their site. And if you join us, what should you expect from Hilton Hotels? Yes, you should expect to work hard, but above all you should expect to be treated as an individual, be rewarded for good performance and giving the little extra touches to our customers those Hilton Moments and, of course, enjoy your time with the Hilton family. So whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting out in this very diverse industry we would be delighted to welcome you to our family. (Hilton Hotel website). It clearly employs that there is an atmosphere of collectiveness of the workforce and a feeling of belongingness which does not only benefit the workforce but the organisation as a whole and effect contribute to satisfactory productivity, motivation and morale. It is therefore not surprising that they have one of the most enviable records of consistent international growth. Their work force is also referred to as team members. Team consists of individuals with different skills, knowledge, ideas and capabilities drawn from different background to execute a particular task. (Stuster 1996). Hayes (2002) suggests that a team is unlikely to function well unless its members are able to communicate effectively with one another and unless it is able to get over the interpersonal problems and conflicts which arise between individuals. Referring to the workforce as team members implies there is effective communication, engagement and also the influence of one another among employees and management, which enhances their performance. Engagement can be seen as ultimately about performance, because harnessing the discretionary effort of people does improve performance. If individuals are performing at their top potential, then it makes sense that teams, divisions, departments and organizations will work more effectively. Customers will receive better service, efficiency will improve, waste will be reduced, and overall performance will be enhanced (LGA, 2009:1). Hiltons HR team is dedicated to the persuit of excellence in every area of team member loyalty and support. 4.4 Training and Development The continuous learning and development of individuals are of crucial and strategic importance to organisations and thereby also to the overall economy. Organisational approaches vary greatly, but organisations that demonstrate a high commitment to HRM policies include as part of this commitment extensive training learning and development enabling them to achieve superior performance through their people. (Beardwell 2007:263). Hilton relates the success of their business to the skills, energy, initiative and commitment of their employees and team members. There is constant review of benefits available to employees to make sure they are competitive and can attract and retain the best people. (CSR Report 2005). Esprit is a Human Resource Management Programme based on Hiltons brand service standards which are truly extraordinary, focuses on courtesy, communication and guest satisfaction. Esprit helps employees develop their skills through ongoing monthly reviews, evaluation, certificates, and rewards for improving their knowledge and skills. This leads to higher employee satisfaction, higher standards of guest service and higher revenue and profits. With such great employee satisfaction Hilton International is able to recruit and retain the best in the industry and maintain high standards of people management (David LeMan, Regional Director of Human Resources Arabian Peninsula).(Hilton annual report 2002). With this approach to human capital investment and development, Esprit sets Hilton apart. It is therefore not surprising they have the worlds best hotel brand. Esprit focuses on the four Hilton core values expressed in its training manual; Customer to know who our customers are and provide them with the product and service they want. Quality that the customer is provided with an exceptional product by exceptional staff in terms of service and flexibility. People to work together and enjoy being part of a team and pulling together to provide excellent service. Profit to ensure that sales are maximized in answering the customers needs and that costs are controlled without compromising quality. (Hilton webpage) Hilton has a history of promoting from within the company. They provide opportunities for personal and professional development. Hilton believes that with their mission of becoming the preeminent global hospitality company the first choice of guests, team members and owners alike, they can only achieve this by constantly developing their workforce so that they can keep in tune with trends and developments in the hospitality industry. Hilton University is a worldwide award winning online portal available for team members to learn, train and develop. With more than 700 courses to choose from, employees can discover the best way to welcome guests, manage their time or coach a team of co-workers. This is available in different languages and a wide range of subjects (700 courses) to offer learning opportunities for staff in order for them to develop their skills on the job. It ranges from management skills, personal development courses, learning a language or financial training covering a range of skills for the hotel industry, from operational and technical to finance and general management. (Treven 2001; Johnson, 2003; Data monitor 2004; Brochure) It is a great way for staff to learn because it has been designed to help individuals learn at their own pace. It can be accessed from the hotel or office and even away from work. There are also virtual classroom sessions where staff can learn alongside other team members. Over 10,000 Hilton employees around the world have completed more than 80,000 courses at Hilton University since its inception (CSR Report 2005). This is a clear indication that a large number of employees take active part in the development programmes (appendix B). People are the only source of differentiation and sustainable competitive advantage. Essential to that is learning. Hence the director general for the IDP claimed that staff management and development will become the primary weapon available to managers to generate success (Rena, 200) cited in (Beardwell 2007: 263). The continuous learning and development of individuals are, therefore, of crucial and strategic importance to organisations and thereby also to the overall economy. (Beardwell 2007:263). Hilton has recognised the fact that majority of its team members are not English speakers. In 2003, the company gave 200 people the opportunity to improve upon their English by assessing an on line programme called Global English. This has benefited those employees involved. Most of those who had the opportunity of taking part are form developing and under-developed countries that did not have access to formal education which is often taken for granted in the West. (Brochure; Article, 200 2; Cushing, 2004). Elevator and premier class are also forms of training and development programs at Hilton (Appendix C for requirements). The aim of elevator is to develop a group of talented, internationally mobile people and fast track them to General Management positions within 5-8 years of starting the Program. It entails an initial 18 month training that consists of two international nine month placement. It is a combination of operational, all-round experience working in the 4 main areas of hotel business operations namely Business, development, Human resources and finance. There is also off the job training and business driven projects to complete. During elevator, progress is constantly assessed to make individuals know how well they are developing. Participants take part in four residential courses during the period. They will also have access to Hilton University the online learning and development tool to make use of their online business library. The elevator programme helped Hilton win the Best Development Program for Young Employees award at the 2005 World wide Hospitality Awards. Premier class is a nine month management and development program for employees aspiring to be department heads within the business. It focuses on key management skills needed to drive personnel and business performance in their hotel. Topics covered in this program include managing people and improving quality. We live in a changing world, new ideas and approaches emerge every day. Problems arise that need new solutions. This means constantly learning to keep up with the rapid change in the business environment. Hiltons learning culture acts as a source of job motivation and job satisfaction for employees which in the long run benefits the organization. 4.5 Performance Management and Reward Systems An organisations reward strategy is perhaps the area which, for employees provides the biggest bridge between rhetoric and reality. It is not only an essential tool in terms of retention, motivation and recruitment, it is an opportunity to demonstrate the culture of the organisation in a way that has real impact on employees. (Briscoe 1995; DAnnunzio-Green, 1997). Hilton believes there is the need to recognize and reward deserving and outstanding employees for their hard work and success. Employee benefit package is made up of a wide variety of features depending on the division and grade of the employee. Equilibrium is a worldwide quality initiative developed by Hilton. The aim is to ensure that individual guest needs are met and because Service quality is central to this, Esprit has been developed to embrace the key principles of employee recognition, respect and reward. HILTON INTERNATIONAL ESPRIT CLUB Only those that feel value can truly add value (Hilton hotel website) Human beings are diverse and complex and have different needs at a particular time. Therefore what satisfy one person will differ from another and also how a person is motivated depends on the needs, motive or drive of the individual. (BuchananHuzynski, 2004). Esprit encompasses a series of competitive training and development initiatives and a rewards program that gives colleagues a choice of benefits. Employees automatically become members of the Esprit club after completion of the training program. Employees are encouraged to create Hilton moments. The reward for this is Star points, bonds or certificates the currency for Esprit. This can be earned through Hilton as rewards for achievement and great guest service. The star points can be redeemed through a range of benefits. Examples are discounted hotel accommodation and food and beverage, health club membership, special rates on flights and car rental and mobile phones. Other reward systems include the the bright idea award, employee of the year or month award. Employees can also be nominated to representatives of the Hilton exchange committee, a forum where team members share ideas with the management to improve the hotel. In addition to the basic pay and remuneration received by employees, additional features are made available such as corporate discounts on hospitality services and travel. 4.6 Recruitment and Selection According to Armstrong (2005) organizations require employees with the right skills to ensure and sustain competitive advantage. Hilton believes that although year after year independent research confirm that they are the worlds most powerful hotel brand operating over 2800 hotels worldwide in more than 80 countries, in order for them to remain number one, they need to attract and develop the right people to be regarded as an employer of choice. Hilton relies heavily on the internet to advertise for candidates. They use websites like CatererGlobal.com, Milkround.co.uk, jorapido.co.uk and their own corporate website careersathilton.com. Occasionally they advertise in their annual brochures. Beardwell (2007) described outsourcing as a distinct business function from inside the business to an external third party. He goes on to say that outsourcing has become more and more common. Hilton receives over 1 million resumes annually. The company was therefore faced with the challenge of streamlining the hiring process in order for them to effectively assess viable candidates from among hundreds of applicants for specific positions. There was also the issue of administration being burdened with huge paper applications. Hilton deployed Oracles PeopleSoft Enterprise Human Capital Management Suite as Hiltons HR system of record worldwide, improving productivity, efficiency, and flow of critical data. (Oracle web site). This move helped them manage over 1.5million resumes annually, reduced administrative cost and burden, and helped to eliminate the paper based recruiting process enabling candidates to apply online. One of the ways in which they achieve this is through their award winning fast track graduate development Elevator program. THE ELEVATOR SCHEME The elevator scheme comprises of four stages selection process Stage 1- Application form: an on-line application form will have to be filled at this stage. Information such as personal details, education and work experience will be required. Based on this form, you may be invited to progress to Stage 2 of the process. Stage 2 Analytical reasoning tests: The applicant will have to go through a number of tests to assess his or her verbal and numerical reasoning ability. Based on the results at this stage, the applicant will be invited to complete Stage 3. Stage 3 Psychometric tests: This stage entails a series of tests that measure the applicants values and preferences. Successful applicants will progress to the next stage. Stage 4 Assessment Centre: At this stage, successful applicants will be accessed as in depth on several competencies. Only those who qualify will be offered a place on the elevator program. (Hilton.co.uk 28/11/09). 4.7 Managing the Employment Relationship . Beardwell (2007) described the employment relationship as containing an economic component, the exchange of work for payment but also includes a sociological dimension centred by power and authority. Hilton Hotels have their own in house team of attorneys and paralegals that provide various forms of legal support to their hotel management teams. Management of Hilton Hotels believes it is their responsibility to provide their employees with training in employment law, antitrust, privacy and ethics. Legal support is also provided in areas such as hotel operations and resources which include online answers to frequently asked questions and periodic newsletters. A prewritten specialized form of agreement is made upon employment between employee and management .This is made up of pay, working hours, holidays, and notes on grievance and disciplinary procedures. Hilton has available a panel of qualified counsel that help manage both insured and uninsured litigation. They respond to government subpoenas like wage garnishments and other legal orders made by the government. Hilton has a principle of equal opportunities based on merit. No employee or job applicant should receive less favor on the grounds of sex, religion, age, nationality, race, disability, marital status, or disability. Hilton strives to meet high ethical standards. They abide by the provision of Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Being a global hospitality and leisure company means Hilton operates in different communities and employs people with different cultures thus the workforce will be diverse. Having an equal opportunity policy works to the advantage of Hilton. This will ensure fair treatment of employees and the avoidance of discrimination. Hilton operates a whistle blowing policy which allows employees to bring acts of discrimination to the attention of senior management. Health and safety throughout operations is practiced for the entire workforce. A culture of risk management to ensure accidents and incidents is kept as low as possible. 4.8 Employment Involvement Hilton stresses much on employee involvement at all levels of the organization. For example, during the graduate development schemes, participants are assessed based on real life situations. Hilton outsourced giving Susan H.Lickert Hospitality Consulting Group (SHL) the responsibility of handling the assessment centre aspect of the recruitment process. SHL designed the process to take the form of a real hotel day to day experience. Candidates are given roles like receiving guests, taking orders etc and are assessed on their performance. This offers a true picture of the high demands in the industry that the selected candidates will go through. This level of training candidates go through prepares them for any situation they are likely to encounter when they take up their roles in the company. It also helps managers to know whether they are progressing the right and the expected way. It is not surprising Hilton has committed and talented managers in their hotels worldwide. Hiltons goa ls and values are embraced from the very beginning by the trainees and this leads to them performing as a team rather than at the individual level. With the SPARK Management program, employees are assigned senior management mentors who support and encourage them to get involved with projects and activities in the company. Employees are also invited to create career development review of what they have learned and what they hope to achieve in terms of career development within their respective departments. 5.1 HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION Whichever major city one finds him or herself there is a big chance of coming across a Hilton Hotel. Hiltons rapid expansion globally, example in the UK was based on the acquisition of competitor hotel chains like Statis. One of their strategies is gaining 1000 more properties within the next 10 years. This is linked to their HR practices. Their international expansion included the purchase of Scandinavian hotel chain Scandic. The acquired hotels are carefully evaluated to see whether their property profiles fit with the property requirements of Hilton Bran. Those that do not meet the requirements are sold. They enjoy economies of scale that lead to increased profit margins because they have the ability to leverage higher brand awareness by owning more hotels and spending more on marketing communications. They also have the opportunity of expanding operations more efficiently and quickly by gaining access to capital markets. (Bowie 2004). 5.2 VERTICAL INTEGRATION To add value, HR needs to achieve vertical integration. Hiltons business strategy, organizational culture and values impact the vertical fit. Hilton has very clear and certain strategic goals and this helps them in achieving a better vertical fit. They are able to merge their Business strategy into designing of HR practices that are compatible with their strategy. Hilton continues to demonstrate that building a satisfied and valuable workforce is not a quick-fix procedure, but an integrated approach that permeates through every aspect of the organization. Hilton tries to recognize the importance of employ

Physics in Volleyball Essay examples -- physics sport sports volleybal

Physics is used in almost everything we do throughout our everyday lives. Sports are almost entirely composed of the physics of the human body in order accomplish the performed action. Volleyball is a sport which has physics at the heart of the game, understanding the physics of the game actually allows a player to improve and become more efficient and effective in his or her game. This essay gives insight into how the rules of physics can be used and are essential in the game of volleyball in all aspects of the game including serving, passing, setting, hitting, and blocking. Volleyball is a game of constant projectile motion with various types of contacts involved in each aspect of the game. In volleyball when serving one must stand behind the end line, which is 30 feet from the net. The net measures 90 inches, or 96 inches for men, from the ground. The goal is to get the ball across the net with as little time as possible so that the other team has less time to react and handle the ball. Traditionally serving has been done from the floor where the server has to create a parabolic motion path for the ball to travel so that it will clear the net and then land within the boundaries of the court. In modern volleyball the game has progressed to more of a vertical game, with jump serving. The advantages that jump serving gives have to do with the physics of projectile motion. The angle in which the server’s initial velocity has to start from is smaller, because as the height increases the slope of the parabola in the motion of the ball decreases. As the height of contact increases the path that the ball follows becomes line like as it crosses the net and if the contact height is high enough and the ball is contacted correctly... ...ember 2004 Zobel, Edward A. "Projectile Motion, General Solution" 2001. 23 November 2004. . Western Washington University."Projectile Motion" .22Novemeber 2004 Bixby, Sarah.University of Alaska Southeast."The Physics of Volleyball" 2004. 23 November 2004 Anon. Science 306(5693) 42-42. "Engineering of Sport- In Volleyball, Crafty Players Serve Up an Aerodynamic crisis. 2004. 23 November 2004.