See information below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

See information below - Essay Example The frustration of being just two credits shy of graduation and newly married is touched on briefly, but is an important fact that helps clarify his frustration. As he takes us on his journey into the horrors of war, we begin to see a pattern of disorganization from those in authority, and vague answers to the young men's questions about their return home. One incident underscores this disorganization clearly. On a mission to a local Iraqi bank, two soldiers are left standing guard outside. While the rest of the group is inside the bank enjoying a precious few moments in air conditioning, insurgents fire upon the two men outside. One of the men is shot very seriously in the neck. Trying to get medevac to the scene proves to be the most difficult part of the incident. It seems commanding officers and their staff, do not leave the compound. Tracking the exact location of the bank and dispatching the appropriate help becomes a source of frustration for the men on the scene. What is tell ing in this scene is not that the two men were fired upon, but the slow and disorganized response from their commanding officers. The promise of going home is held in front of the men frequently throughout the story only to be withheld from them over and over again. They are told, 'just keep up the work a little longer. We'll be home soon.'(Crawford 19) The commanding officers seem unconcerned with the stress and fatigue that these men are facing, and only seem concerned with their own plans of glory and recognition.The imagery that Crawford uses gives us a land that is as bleak and unwelcoming as his first descriptions of the storm. We see a country decimated by war and it's citizens living in squalor. "The building was full of rotting feces. Piles of it, along with MRE toilet paper, littered the floor. The heat had turned the building into an oven, and the smell was overpowering."(Crawford 32) The gritty descriptions of crumbling buildings and human waste flowing in the streets fill the pages and lend to the feeling of a complete breakdown of a society.Interwoven through the stories of fear and exhaustion th ere are some moments of humor that remind the reader that these are ordinary men thrown into extraordinary circumstances. They are trying desperately to hang on to a sense of normalcy in an alien world. The story of Cum, a homeless Iraqi child, and his friendship with Crawford clearly display the overall feeling of desperation. While the story is told in a dispassionate way, the sense that the boy meant a great deal to Crawford is apparent based on his statement that they talked for hours without understanding each other's language. Without language to join them they manage to forge a friendship based on the child's innocent and eager nature. Eventually because of Iraqi attitudes toward Americans, something happens to the child. What that something is, is never made clear, but Crawford's guilt over the incident is palpable.The frequent mention of drugs seems to be another desperate attempt to escape the situation that he finds himself. One incident has a medic injecting Crawford wit h morphine just for the sleep the drug will allow him. Crawford spends a day in bed after the morphine

Research into motivations for mountain biking tourism

Research into motivations for mountain biking tourism The two types of survey taken into consideration were a mail survey and an e-survey. The former is reported to be the most effective method of surveying a membership organisation (Veal 1997). This delivery method was not undertaken though, due to the cost of printing 360 questionnaires and the accompanying letters, as well as purchase of envelopes and stamps. These expenses would increase substantially if reminders were to be sent. Therefore, it was decided that an e-survey would be employed. The advantages of an e-questionnaire included low cost of conducting the survey and the possibility of instant analysis of the collected data (Veal 1997). An additional benefit was the possibility of designing a visually attractive questionnaire. Furthermore, online surveys were selected as they are eco-friendly, owing to the non-use of paper (Survey Monkey 2007), an approach reflecting the basic principles of the Forestry Commission, the administrator of the locations which are a focus of this study. An e-survey is also more advantageous for the respondents as they are allowed to take their time to answer the questions. At the same time, completing a survey online is quicker in comparison with filling out a postal survey (Survey Monkey 2007). The biggest disadvantage can be the general perception of some e-surveys as part of the increasing volume of ‘junk e-mail’, which might play a role in response rates (Veal 1997). The spam and personal data protection concerns were addressed by selecting a legitimate and reputable organisation (IMBA U.K.) to distribute the e-questionnaire. Another disadvantage of a web-based survey, just like a postal one, is its limited administration, which can negatively affect the response rate (Survey Monkey 2007). Further drawbacks of using a web-based survey include technical faults and multiple submissions by the same respondent. Although it was impossible to prevent the former issue, the latter was solved by the use of a tool allowing only one response per computer. 2.3. Survey instrument A two-page, self-administered fully electronic questionnaire was designed using an online survey tool surveymonkey.com. The questionnaire design process offered by Veal (1997) was adopted in the present work. Firstly, literature review was conducted to identify conceptual problems and research questions. Secondly, a list of information required to address the issues as created. Thirdly, questionnaire was selected as a method which would meet the information requirements. The questionnaires used by Green (2003) in a survey on IMBA U.S. members, as well as a study by Cessford (1995) on New Zealand mountain bikers served as a blueprint in the questionnaire design process. The factors examined in the questionnaire can be divided into five groups corresponding to the research objectives: 1. mountain bikers general characteristics (type of mountain biking participated in, level of advancement, frequency of participation); 2. mountain bikers’ demographic and socio-economic characteristics (age, gender, household size, education, occupation and income); 3. the Forestry Commission locations used by mountain bikers (identification of the most popular mountain biking centres in Great Britain); 4. travel patterns of mountain bikers and trip-related factors in decision making (importance of promotional channels and of various destination features in destination choice, spend, means of transport and accommodation used, use of tour operators); 5. the importance of adventure components in mountain biking and the motivations of mountain bikers. The e-questionnaire consisted of 21 questions, 15 of which concerned the respondent’s mountain biking experience, while the remaining 6 their demographics (see Appendix 4). The demographics section was presented on the second page, as inserting all 21 questions on a lengthy single page might discourage respondents from completing the survey. 19 questions were closed, while only 2 open-ended. It was decided that pre-coded questions are a more reasonable option since the questionnaire was respondent-completed and, as reported by Veal (1997), open-ended questions are too time consuming, which can negatively affect response rate. As regards question techniques, 2 kinds of rating scales were employed, namely Likert scale with simple YES/ NO answers, as well as semantic differentials indicating the degree of importance of a particular feature using 5-point scale (1 – not important, 2 – quite important, 3 – important, 4 – very important, 5 – extreme ly important). These two scales were not only easy to construct and administer, but also respondent friendly. Several questions were checklist or multiple choice type, and only 2 were open-ended, though they did not require descriptive answers. The ordering format was based on Veal (1997), who suggested sequencing questions in the following order: easy, relevant and personal. The questions were kept compact and simplified wherever possible, and clarity of layout was assured by using the online survey tool. Introductory remarks specifying the purpose of the survey were included on top of the questionnaire, while confidentiality and anonymity were ensured in remarks preceding the demographic section of the questionnaire. In addition, a thank you page was created at the end of the questionnaire. These measures, coupled with the survey participation request posted on IMBA U.K. forum in advance, were employed to maximise response rate. In order to ensure validity of the questionnaire-based data, ‘dummy’ categories were included. In question 4, listing the Forestry Commission managed mountain biking centres, 3 non-existent locations were added – Mammoth (ENG), Gutter Valley (SCO) and Badger Trail (WAL). In question 8, the same feature was repeated twice under different wording (‘Strong mtb community/ culture’ and ‘Strong mountain biking community/ culture’). This approach is suggested by Veal (1997) as a tool of measuring the degree of error in r esponses. In the pre-testing stage of the questionnaire design, a 21-question draft was e-mailed to 10 members of IMBA UK forum who had earlier declared that they would be interested in completing it. The purpose of the pre-test was to determine whether the instructions and questions were interpreted in a manner which had been intended (Finn et al. 2000). Specifically, wording, sequencing and layout of the questionnaire were to be tested (Veal 1997). Most of those who replied described it as â€Å"easy to complete and not time consuming†. Nevertheless, problems in two questions were indicated. Firstly, extending the list of Scottish mountain biking sites in question 4 was suggested. Upon reviewing the Internet sources, a total of 8 sites were added to the list. Secondly, it was signalled that question 13 asking about an approximate spend per trip was not precise enough. This issue was addressed by specifying the areas of spending that the respondents should consider (travel, food, drink , accommodation).

The Problems With Low Carbohydrate and Low Fat Diets Essay -- Health N

The Problems With Low Carbohydrate and Low Fat Diets The low carbohydrate diets and the low fat diets both claim to be successful methods of losing weight and staying healthy. Both diet plans also attempt to carry out their goals by restricting what dieters can and cannot eat in relation to what is recommended by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Through altering what nutritionists suggest for a healthy regime, low carbohydrate and low fat meal plans potentially put dieters at a higher risk for developing health problems and diseases. Also, diet plans do not necessarily accomplish their goals when maintained over a long period of time. Diets set regulations on what should or shouldn’t be part of a daily nutritional intake. The USDA recommends between 2-5 servings, measured at about one cup per serving, each day from the dairy, protein, fruit, and vegetable food groups, with an additional 6-11 servings of carbohydrates. Low carbohydrate meal plans and low fat meal plans direct dieters to follow nutritional schedules that contrast with the USDA recommended diet plan. Low carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkins diet, significantly lower the daily carbohydrate intake while increasing the amounts of servings from the meat, dairy, and other groups. On the other hand, low fat diets such as the Weight Watchers diet instruct that dieters should consume more servings of carbohydrates and less of fatty foods and foods with animal fats, which include foods from the meat group, dairy products, and others. Both diets largely differ from each other as well as from the USDA recommended meal plan. Carbohydrates, which are chemical compounds such as sugars, starches, and celluloses, are converted by the body into energ... ...r health problems. Diets can be helpful or hazardous to ones health, depending on how they are followed. Works Cited â€Å"The Food Guide Pyramid,† USDA. http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/food/food-pyramid/main.htm â€Å"Low Fat Diets,† Diet-i.com. http://www.diet-i.com/diets/low-fat-diet.htm â€Å"Atkins – The Unhealthy Choice,† Sims, Jeremy. http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/atkins_diet/medical_report.htm â€Å"Low Carb Diet- How Do Low Carbohydrate Diets Work?† http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/logout/news_features/lowcarbdiet.htm UC Berkeley Wellness Letter http://www.berkeleywellness.com/html/fw/fwNut02LowFatDiets.html 1 Sims, http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/atkins_diet/medical_report.htm 2 UCB, http://www.berkeleywellness.com/html/fw/fwNut02LowFatDiets.html 3 Sims, http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/atkins_diet/medical_report.htm

Academic Achievement

The relationship of academic achievement and self-esteem has been seen in a number of studies. These studies have become the basis of programs and strategies implemented by educators to promote healthy self-esteem in students.Self-esteem and academic achievement have a reciprocal relationship (Marsh and O’Hara, 2008). Some would say that self-esteem might be the cause of academic achievement and those who have a positive view of themselves are focused and motivated to learn. While those with low self-esteem are afraid to take risks, and tends to avoid active participation in classroom and school activities.On the other hand, some presupposes that academic achievement results to increased self-esteem and self-confidence.   No wonder, some teachers invest so much of their time and effort to help build their students' self esteem, while others challenge their students by raising their standards, with little regard of other circumstances affecting their students' performance.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In my opinion, it is not an issue of which of the two strategies is better, but rather, it is more an issue of how a teacher can strike the right balance and timing in implementing the appropriate strategy in motivating his student.Most teachers mean well if they put pressure on their students to perform well at school. But I believe that   a teacher can best demand work from an above average or superior student who, for some reason, lacks the motivation, but is innately competitive. Expecting higher standards from these students is likely to lead to academic achievement, and eventually increase their self-esteem and self-confidence.But not all students belong to this category.   An â€Å"ordinary† student has an â€Å"ordinary† view of himself.   He is less driven and finds competition less appealing.He will tend to view academic pressure placed by a well-meaning teacher as an added source of anxiety. To an ordinary stud ent who is experiencing school adjustment problems for instance, or who happens to be having personal difficulties,   the increased demands from a high-driven teacher is a good excuse for him to withdraw, and worse, to drop-out of school (Flook, 2008).Increasing the self-esteem of an under-motivated student and, working on the lack of   confidence of a low achiever   are two different issues. The challenge for teachers is for them to give an individualized approach in setting the standards for their students. It might be more appropriate to gear the academic pressure to those who are capable of handling the challenge. Meanwhile, they may continue to invest their time and effort in building the self-esteem of those who need it most.Teachers play a significant role in   nurturing the fragile egos of their students and improve their self-concept. It is not only their role to cultivate the intellect, but to provide emotional support and encouragement if the situation calls for i t. This strategy is really a gradual process and the results are not immediately seen. But no effort is wasted for a conscientious teacher.He can see the complete picture . He understands that a student's poor self-concept and low motivation are results of several factors, such as family roles or relationship problems, individual traits and characteristics, among many others.   Because self-perception is attributable to many variables, there is no single formula in addressing the problem of poor self-esteem and self-confidence.An effective teacher however, can see the root cause of the problem and act on it. If it is rooted in low competence, he knows which skills to cultivate. He does not set unrealistically high standards. Better yet, he lets his students set their own standards, but he knows just how to encourage them when they fall short of meeting these standards.Sometimes teachers choose not to accept excuses when their students perform less better than they expect. I still think it depends on the situation. Some students will benefit with a little push, and they are good to go. But pushing the wrong student too hard and at the wrong time might make the situation worse. What if the situation calls for the teacher to go out of his way to address his student's personal difficulties and circumstances?   More important than the grades and the homework are character, relationships and sense of self-worth. Are they not?ReferencesFlook, L. and Fuligni, AJ (2008). Family and School Spillover in Adolescents’ Daily Lives. Child Development Journal, 79 (3).Marsh, H. and O’Mara, A. (2008). Reciprocal Effects Between Academic Self-Concept, Self-Esteem, Achievement, and Attainment Over Seven Adolescent Years: Unidimensional and Multidimensional Perspectives of Self-Concept. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34 (4), pp. 542-552.

Islamic Finance & Critical Success Factors Essay

I Would like to take this opportunity to thank all those people who contributed their time and effort and provided their insight in enabling the compilation of this report, it is with much regret that all of their names cannot be mentioned individually here, however special mention needs to be made of certain individuals, without whose input this report would have not been possible. Mr Baratha Devanarayana course coordinator and project supervisor of the Advanced Diploma in Business Management programme at the National Institute of Business Management (NIBM) for the support and advice given in content structuring and format design of the report. Would also like to mention Mrs Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia and Mrs Shamshed Akhtar, Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan whose knowledge and valuable insight on the Islamic finance industry as leading professionals in the field have provided the basis on which the compilation of this report has been made possible. Executive Summary Islamic finance is a financial system based on Shariah law or Islamic law which mandates the prohibition of charging or payment of interest encourages risk and profit sharing between all parties to a contract and emphasizes the need of ethical investment which contributes to the greater good of society as a whole. Islamic finance is now one of the fastest growing financial segments in the international financial system today with an estimated annual growth rate of 15 to 20%. Industry assets worldwide are currently estimated to be between $1. 3 trillion and its industry assets and overseas portfolios are estimated to reach 4 trillion in the medium term. Diverse financial products and services, progress in developing regulatory frameworks and enhanced international linkages are driving industry growth. The critical success factors for Islamic finance to foster the growth of the industry, the application of these critical success factors and there potential applicability in the Sri Lankan context will be analysed, a comparison between Islamic finance and the conventional system on some basic indicators for competitiveness, social development and development finance will be made and the Sri Lankan and regional potential of Islamic finance will be analysed as the research undertaking of this study. The progress that has been made on certain aspects of the Islamic financial system both locally and globally, the importance of Sri Lanka fostering the growth of the Islamic finance industry are some of the issues discussed in this study. As a prelude to the research part of this study the recent developments of Islamic finance both globally and locally and the historical development of Islamic finance will be looked at to facilitate an understanding on how the system has evolved from a single institution a few decades ago to a global industry with a global presence spreading from the Middle East to Asia and the West.

Synchronous Orbits of Communication Satellites essays

Synchronous Orbits of Communication Satellites essays Synchronous Orbits of Communication Satellites The orbits of communication satellites vary for the type of satellite it is. The type of satellite it is depends on the work it is designed for. For example spy satellites (and most of the LEO satellites) need to be close to earth to take clearer pictures. First to understand the elliptical shaped orbits of the communication satellites, one needs to know that an orbit is a regular, repeating path that an object in space takes around another one. There are several types of orbits. The most common orbits are the polar, geosynchronous, and sun-synchronous orbits. The more correct term is near polar orbits. These orbits lean over at an angle near 90 degrees. This allows the satellite to see almost every part of the Earth as the Earth rotates underneath it, while providing a better global view. It takes approximately 90 minutes for the satellite to complete one orbit around the Earth. The orbits of the satellites usually take place about seven hundred to eight hundred km above Earth. These satellites orbit around Earth going from pole to pole. A geosynchronous orbit (GEO) is a circular, low orbit (time) about Earth making a complete turn in 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds, about the same time it takes Earth to turn, so as the Earth spins, the satellite moves synchronously with it. Geosynchronous means "in time with the Earth." A spacecraft or satellite in geosynchronous orbit stays over the same line of longitude while being at 35,790 km above Earth. Often a satellite in geosynchronous orbit stays above the same spot on Earth. When this occurs, it is called geostationary orbit. This orbit is ideal for certain kinds of communication satellites, or meteorological satellites that have a job to do over one part of the world. Because of the fact that planets are not perfectly shaped, the third type of common orbits occurs as the orbit changes to the orbit of the sun, while moving...

Tearing, Ripping, and Rending

Tearing, Ripping, and Rending Tearing, Ripping, and Rending Tearing, Ripping, and Rending By Maeve Maddox English is rich in words to describe the act of cutting and pulling things apart, words like tear, rip, hack, slash, stab, and rend. Writers of violent fictionor journalists reporting the daily newscan choose just the right word to describe an injury: A taxi driver hacked an American to death after an argument over a $1.60 fare, Thai officials said late Sunday. [On a New York subway platform], a 24-year-old man was slashed with a Corona bottle in the neck, arms, and hands, and is recovering at Bellevue. Likewise, writers of romance are able to convey degrees of emotional pain by using the words figuratively. It’s the rejection that stabs you in the heart and crushes your soul. Here are six verbs to describe tearing, ripping, and rending: hack: This verb suggests heavy blows, possibly made in the heat of anger. tear: In modern usage, this is the verb we use with paper or another flimsy substance. If complete destruction is meant, we say â€Å"tear to pieces,† or â€Å"tear in pieces.† rip: This word can also be used of tearing paper, but carries a more forceful connotation. rend: A bit old-fashioned, rend has a Biblical ring to it. Mourners rend their garments; the Lord threatens to rend Solomon’s kingdom from him. The past tense is rent: â€Å"When the town of Sunnydale slid into the hellmouth on ‘Buffy,’ my fellow fans and I rent our hair and blubbered.† (OED example) NOTE: Rend is the verb in the expression â€Å"heart-rending†: â€Å"causing intense sorrow or emotional anguish.† Google Ngram Viewer indicates that the frequently heard eggcorn â€Å"heart-wrenching† first appeared in the 1950s. slash: This word suggests a sweeping blow with a sword, although in our day, a broken beer bottle will do. stab: This word implies the thrust of a short weapon, like a dagger. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Format a UK Business LetterPeople versus Persons5 Examples of Misplaced Modifiers