Critically evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of expansion via Essay

Critically evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of expansion via organic growth versus expansion via acquisition. using real - Essay Example This global business related news is encouraging in the context of financial downturn of the year 2008, still casting its shadow on the global growth of large businesses. Luypaert & Huyghebaert (2007) attempt a statistical analysis of the expansion via acquisition strategy becoming a trend, as in 2005 only, 29,585 acquisitions got materialised. Companies prefer to grow and expand through acquisitions rather than organically because it is the quicker way of growth relatively to internal growth as the aimed company is well positioned with its production, distribution and customer base. It also minimises the risk of investing for the increasing growth of the company. Otherwise also, expansion via acquisition could prove to be cost-efficient way out relatively to organic growth, especially when the replacement cost of assets is higher than the concurrent worth of the aimed assets. Another benefit of the expansion via acquisition is that in comparison to organic growth, it can be acquired by paying through the stock as well. It can be a way-out for companies facing cash-crunch or for those companies already deficient in debt power. Literature reveals that during flourishing stock market behaviour, bidding companies prefer to pay for the acquisition through stock. Irrespective of this fact, expansion via organic growth and via acquisitions is mutually inclusive investment decision for a firm; it can be an added advantage to choose any of the expansion methods rather than selecting a single alternative. Before taking a decision to go either for internal expansion or expansion via acquisition, thorough research needs to be made to gather industry impact and aggregate market variables for opting out external expansion. There might be the possibility that firm size may artificially hold the impact of industry concentration whereas the market-to-book ratio may reveal the comfort of bidding firms to reward aimed shareholders with stock if stock markets are flourishing. Ind ustry features are crucial factors like the potential for economies of scale, industry concentration, sales growth and deregulation, and aggregate market variables, like historical volume of merger and acquisition, stock prices, GDP growth and the output spread (Luypaert & Huyghebaert, 2007). In a mutually inclusive relationship between internal growth and expansion via acquisition for making investment, a company may opt for growth via expansion additionally to organic or internal growth. Financially sound companies with enough investment possibilities would prefer to practice both options of growth for leveraging from competitive advantage as early as possible. In case, firms face cash crunch, they might prefer an alternative of the two. Strategies for both kinds of growth options need not to be necessarily related. Statistical research on the connection between external and internal growth is limited with complicated outcomes. Hay and Liu, as cited by Luypaert & Huyghebaert (2007 ) evaluate M&A in the UK across 1971–1989 and find that M&A and organic expansion are supportive to each other. On the opposite side, Dickerson et al., as cited by Luypaert & Huyghebaert (2007), employing data on UK listed companies in manufacturing during 1948–1970 and 1975–1990, note that the connection between organic growth and the possibility of expansion through acquisition is surely negative, which underscores that these growth strategies are to be used alternatively (Luypaert & Huygh

How did the hurricane Katarina impact the reservation price on the Term Paper

How did the hurricane Katarina impact the reservation price on the housing market in New Orleans, before and after the catastrop - Term Paper Example Almost 80% of New Orleans city was covered with floods. About 1800 people lost their lives to the hurricane; property of $80 billion worth belonging to the Orleanais was damaged, and in August 2005, after the floods swept in, millions of civilians were left with no homes. Hurricane Katrina was graded the sixth among the strongest storms that had ever been experienced and was the costliest. The strength of this storm waved to over 30 deep sea miles and when it was at its extreme, the winds from the hurricane covered more that 75 deep sea miles from the central point moving on to the east side. Over 400,000 employees lost their jobs following hurricane Katrina and this led to the financial crisis suffered by the Gulf Coast. This paper will discuss the effects and impacts on the reservation price on the housing market in New Orleans before and after the catastrophe (Bergal, 2007). Katrina engendered storm outpours and deluges, which in turn led to a 75% area flooding in the metropolitan of New Orleans. More than half of the embankment and failures in the floodwalls were brought into being by overlapping in that, as the storm outpours aggravated farther up the acmes of either or both the embankments and their floodwalls, the subsequent erosions fructified than expected and gave rise to breaches/failures. The most articulate and coherent missteps included the failures that took place on the banks adjacent to the 17th street and London avenue estuaries. These three failures could have resulted from the implosion and inadequacy in part of the basal foundation soil concealing the levees, conjointly with sand boils and sinkholes. According to analysts, Hurricane Katrina caused the death of more than 1,100 Louisiana residents. One third of the incidences of death took place in hospitals and shelters in flooded areas. The drowned victims made up to two thirds and the most of the casualties were elderly people because 60% of the reported cases were those of people aged 65 and over. The number of deaths was higher in areas with large water depths. Hurricane Katrina and the Social Contract Game theory Arguably, if the destruction that New Orleans went through resulted from terrorist attacks, it would have been ranked highest historically (Miller, 2006). This is not as a result of the many innocent lives that were lost or the valuable property that went into destruction, but because of the evident social order destruction in the region. A terrorist envision would bring nothing better than planting seed of hatred and watering them with the blood of innocent citizens, and increasing the mistrust among the government and the citizens in fulfilling their respective duties in the â€Å"social contract†. Socrates arguments gives a clear trace of the social contract concept though scholars like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and the likes of Rousseau later modernized the concept (Binmore, 1998). To analyses the concept, late 20th century scholars used game-t heoretic reasoning. In this, they concentrated on thee 2*2 matrix games. The most accurate 2*2 game is the â€Å"Stag Hunt†. Taking after Rousseau, it gives a description of developing cooperative effort ideas among human generations. Player 2 Hunt Stag (Cooperate) Hunt Hare (Defect) Player 1 Hunt Stag (Cooperate) 4,4 1,3 Hunt Hare (Defect) 3,1 2,2 What the above Table on Stag Hunt elaborates is the fact that with cooperation, it is easier to realize excellent results that

Tourism Planning Policies And Infrastructure In Egypt

Tourism Planning Policies And Infrastructure In Egypt Many councils, states or counties as a whole has understood the positive impacts of tourism economically, this sector pours a big share in the countrys economy, if analyzed, planned, chosen. Formulated and implemented strategically. There are many unfortunate countries that have not identified tourism as a sector. For this reason there is no establishment or body to look after and run this sector. Tourists have been travelling for centuries, sometimes just to relax, to have leisure time,underwent recreational activities, for attending conferences and seminars; and to meet friends and relatives. Gradually, the concept became wider when the tourists started taking interest in the history and culture of the destination like Egypt- Pyramids. Having realizedby the authorities that tourists take good interest in their heritage and history, this led the country to maintain their cultural places, events and festivals to exhibit to the tourists. Therefore new trend of cultural tourism emerged. Cultural tourism is a genre of specific interest tourism based on the search for and participation in new and deep cultural experience, whether aesthetic, intellectual, emotional or psychological. (Stebbins 1996) It makes the countries to market its rich and diverse cultural events to its local population and tourists alike. Boarding participation in the arts, increasing opportunities for arts, preserving and promoting cultural resources and investing in communitys quality of life are among the reasons. State arts agencies are key players in supporting and leading cultural tourism initiatives. For this reason successful projects need to undergo with collaboration, assessment, research, marketing and visitor services. This development of successful strategies will link the arts and tourism in communities. Tourism can present both advantages and problems. On the positive side, the preservation of heritage history and culture will attract the number of tourists and bring prosperity. At the same time maintenance of these resources will be ideal for the local population as it will create familiarity and affection with ancient history and forefathers. On the other hand, from the negative perspective the issue of controlling tourism will be challenging. Mass tourism will result in to fulfill the curiosity of the tourists and the cultural amenities will be destroyed. The Great Sphinx of Egypt with Candle Holder Poly Resin Destination Egypt: Egypt is a very well-known destination for cultural tourism. Ever since it was visited by Herodotus during the ancient time, he was surprised to see the vast differences between Egypt and his homeland. This image has been maintained throughout the middle and modern history. The discovery of Pharaonic antiquities long time ago has added a special charm to Egypt, beside its unique religious and cultural monuments. Egypt enjoys various fields of tourism, the most important are, archaeological or cultural tourism as one of the oldest types of tourism in Egypt, where the ancient civilizations are visible to the naked eye, an incarnation of the nation that constructed these civilizations since the dawn of history. Despite the multiple types of tourism and Egypts cultural tourism remains the unrepeated unique and non-competitive component of tourism as Egypt possesses one third of the worlds known monuments. The Great Sphinx at Giza in Egypt Therefore, historically speaking tourism has been a key ingredient in Egypts economy for about the last 200 years. However, over the last generation, tourism has become an essential component of the economy and is now the source of 45% of the countrys annual foreign currency earnings. Impacts of tourism: Until recently, growth in tourism was thought achievable without imposing any negative impact on Egypts cultural heritage resources. It used to be considering as non-consumable industry and a great tool to countrys development strategy. Similarly, it was regarded as a vital element to Egypts economy. But the constant research about the sector revealed that tourism consumes resources of the host nation, not just natural and man-made resources, but cultural ones, too. Cultural resources are finite and have to be managed like any other scarce resource. Positive impactsof tourism: The rise of tourism can lead the local population of Egypt to learn good things from diverse culture. This can open the door to many opportunities. For example Egyptians speaking Arabic, will come in the interaction of Asian, European, American tourists, this can influence them with their language and may lead to learn it. So that they can communicate with the tourists such a desire can make the establishments or centers to offer courses based on the languages. This can further import the native expertise and give many choices to the learners. Worldwide profile: It is the heritage of Egypt that has made it worldwide known destination. Many European and American tourists show their urge to visit the destination and see the pyramids from their eyes. The culture and heritage rich destination Egypt is taught in colleges and other vocational courses. This treasure of heritage and culture has made Egypt very important. Restoration and conservation: The heritage of Egypt is consistently restored and conserve. Conservation department is devoted to the preservation of cultural heritage for the future. It includes examination, documentation, treatment and preventive care of the historic treasure. Since it is being protected by the country for tourists, thereforeit is also greatly used by the local population. The nation knows about their ancient history which is alive in them after centuries through the preservation and maintenance of these objects. Social cohesion: It describes the bond or glue that brings the people of Egypt together in society, particularly in the context of cultural diversity. These cultural heritage and history bring them closer, united and signs their mutuality. Such a practice passes on from one generation to another and Egyptians take pride to be the part of world class ancient history. General development of infrastructure: Access to the cultural heritage site is just not possible for tourists with effective and modern infrastructure. People on holidays, curious for learning and view would like to save their energy to tour around to fulfill their purpose of tourism. This modern means of infrastructure will then are used by the locals and make their life easier too. Not only has this but such advancement queued up the country to earn title of a developed country. Negative impacts of tourism: Mass tourism: The interesting history of the Egypt has led the destination to deal with mass tourism. This form of tourism was unable to responsibly control and had ruined the area of natural beauty. It has also polluted the beaches and destroyed the habitats of wild as roads and hotels are built. Therefore such a loss and damage to such resources and infrastructure had reduced numbers of visitors. The air travel, sources of mass tourism is a major cause of global warming. Culture and tradition sensibility: Large number of tourists has undermined traditional beliefs, values, and customs and in particular risk commercializing the very culture Egyptians is proud of. Many incidents of their insensitivity to local population and tradition have caused great offence, for example the indecent dressing, indecent behavior etc. Reliance on tourism: Mass tourism ruins the environment of the destination. The incidents in past where the Egypt heritage and cultural threats emerged alarmed the local authorities to limit the tourism. It was felt that nature conservation, park management, red sea tourism need to be sustained. These authorities are now playing to implement such measures that will not destroy their treasure of history and also welcome the tourist to view and admire their ancient history. Regardless of the economic benefits tourism brings, it is very significant for the Egyptian tourists board to balance the requirements of locals and facilities tourists need. For example the sightseeing in Luxor, where the valley of the Kings is the site where the Pharoahs underground tombs have been constructed, and tomb of Tutankhamun, Rames III and IV etc. are the most visited sites. These sites in particular suffer from pollution, damage and other negative effects greatly. In short, the civilization of Egypt was in extreme danger, until the government decided to be equipped with some meaningful strategy to deal with the issue. At the same time, the influence of the European tourists industry has really motivated the government to choose the direction where the economical merits of the industry will be enjoyed but not at the risk of losing the traditions, values, monuments and other physical amenities. For this reason, effective destination planning must define the level of acceptable tourism development in Egypt and provide control to maintain that level. Pollution: Mass tourism always hooks up with pollution that is destruction to its environment, physical amenities, natural resources etc. therefore, the pollution controls should be built into all forms of infrastructure. In this regard, educational programmers should assist and invite tourist to respect and understand the local way of life, culture, history and religion. The Egyptian tourism policy should think on these lines that tourists need not to cross border line to negatively influence the local civilization, traditions, values and beliefs. Disney-fication: It means the transformation of something, usually society at large. Luxor is known for its Disney-fication as city officials approved a controversial plan to excavate an ancient processional route and develop it as a key tourist attraction. Buried in soil for centuries, the 2.7 kilometer Avenue of Sphinxes once connected the temples of Luxor and Karnak in what was then ancient city of Thebes. Such crucial impacts of culture and heritage have forced the low income families to lose their homes where water and electricity was cut off past few months ago. Government policies: The development of cultural and heritage sites on the price of influencing the local population living or houses should not be the practice of the ministry tourism in Egypt. Such a project should not be planned and implemented. When there is no source of reliable compensation schemes. The director of Luxor antiques Mansour Boraik believed uncoiling the avenue of Sphinxes was their dream, since it was the longest and biggest religious route ever built in the ancient world. Therefore many houses have demolished already. Regardless of the economic positive impacts that tourism carries, such a move by the government will increase the hostility of the local population against tourists. Reconstruction and restoration of cultural sites: Every year the government of Egypt spends billions of pounds to maintain and reconstruct the ancient architecture and monuments. Such a big budget of economy is invested on these sectors whereas; there is a need to pour handsome investment in other sectors like sports, education, health and industry. Just like many touristic islands and destination, the complete reliance ondevelopment of tourism sector only can cause many disasters and the countrys economy can face a big collapse. Local population belief: Since tourist mingle up with local population from diverse background with different lifestyles, religions, languages, values, beliefs, practices etc. Therefore, it is quite likely that host population will start getting fascinated with unique practices and thus follow them. For example, Egypt is an Islamic country and the local dress code is completely different than European tourists. Local people might get influence from European tourists and start following their dress code. Security measures: Tourism industry brings the people of all beliefs and religions together into the destination. Egypt had recently become a target land for terrorism. People from their home country fly to Egypt to satisfy their thirst of viewing historical places and learn about the ancient history. But unfortunately, destination has become marked by terrorist to kill foreigners. For this reason, new measures of security are needed to be implanted to make sure that just like local people, tourist feel the same safety and security, this might need a heavy budget on security and safety equipment. Failure to achieve the best means of security can spread a very negative reputation all around, which can drastically influence the number of tourists in future. Tourism planning policies and infrastructure: The Egypt tourist authority: The tourism industry being the largest in the Egypt needs to undergo very effective destination planning. The planning should enable the policy makers to understand the linkages between tourism and each of the economic sectors so that optional planning and management strategies can be implemented for the destination. The lucrative economic benefits of tourism are of course not ignorable but at the same time the utilization of natural, man-made, cultural and heritage resources of Egypt should not be misused. In past the policy makers were ignorant about this fact. Since tourism is generating a big share of income for Egypts economy for two centuries. But now is the time to understand the world phenomenon that tourism has increasingly important socioeconomic and cultural impact. So the heritage, nature, and culture have to be protected. Egypt has experienced many red signals that reflect the concern about controlling or limiting tourism. At the end of the 1980s, Egypts government took the decision to develop tourism, when other sources of rent income were in crisis and the government was in danger of being destabilized. Since then, tourism has been a great success story in Egypt and contributes substantially to the economic development of the country. The tremendously increasing tourism revenues have significantly contributed to the stabilization of the political system. Progressive sustainable tourism program is the initiative of ministry of tourism of Egypt to put environmental protection and conservation at the top of Egypts tourism development agenda in current as well as future tourism development plans. Being an undisputed gateway to one of the worlds fastest growing tourism markets, and with 200,000 hotel rooms planed over 15 years, Egypt has realized one of the worlds largest tourism development plans. Associated with this rapid growth are the international popularity of its natural environment and the potential threat of degradation to both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Many conferences have been organized by the Minister of Tourism, Dr.Mamdouh El-Beltaugi, about Egypts Red Sea Sustainable Tourism Initiative. Sustainable tourism which is an effective development philosophy can advance environmental conservation and promote the sustainable use of natural resources, and a catalyst for economic and local community development in Egypt. For example, over 1.2 million tourists visit the Red Sea coast annually, bringing in over $1.2 billion in foreign exchange and generating more than 275,000 jobs. The Red Sea has become one of Egypts premier tourism destinations, based in large part on its unique and fragile marine environment. In recent years, however, tourism development has come increasingly into conflict with protection and conservation of Red Sea resources. To assure that future tourism development in the southern Red Sea preserves the environmental resources that make the area so attractive to tourists, the Egyptian government proposed development of a land use management plan identifying zones for different types and levels of development and preservation. In addition, to counteract tourisms negative effects while still encouraging economic growth, the government proposed a program to protect designated marine and coastal areas through the establishment of nature reserves, and to build the capacity of national and local government agencies, as well as private tourism enterprises, to cope with the many challenges presented by a booming tourism industry. Urban tourism: Primary elements of urban tourism: Cultural Facilities: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Museums and Art Galleries à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Theaters and Cinemas à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Concert Halls à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Convention Centers and other Visitor Attractions Sport Facilities: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Indoor and Outdoor Amusement Facilities: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Night Clubs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Casinos and Bingo Halls à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Organized Events à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Festivals Physical Characteristics: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Historical Street Pattern à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Interesting Buildings à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ancients Monuments and Statues à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Parks and Green Areas à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Waterfronts (Harbor, Canal, River) Socio-Cultural Features: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Liveliness of the Place à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Language à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Local Customs and Costumes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cultural Heritage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Friendliness à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Security Secondary elements of urban tourism: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Accommodation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Catering Facilities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Shopping à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Markets Additional elements of urban tourism: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Accessibility à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Transportation and Parking à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tourist Information(maps, signs, guides) Sinbad Aquapark is a beach front hotel, situated in Hurghada, Egypt. It isjust fifteen minutes from HurghadaAirport; this well-featured resort hotel includes a water park and extensive sporting facilities. Sindbad Club Aqua Park and Resort has 685 guestrooms. http://www.wayfaring.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Sindbad-hotel-2.jpg Room features Air conditioning, Bathroom with shower, Minibar, Room safe, Satellite TV, Small lounge, Telephone, Television, Windows that open Writing desk. http://www.wayfaring.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Sindbad-hotel-agua-park.jpg Facilities at the hotel include various bars and restaurants, large swimming pool with Jacuzzi, childrens swimming pool, aqua park with water slides and wave pool, childrens club, tennis, billiards, bowling. http://www.wayfaring.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/aqua-park-Sindbad-hotel.jpg Wellness centre with Jacuzzi, sauna, massage, medical centre, cosmetics studio and hairdresser and full entertainment programmed for adults and children. Emerging Issues: There are number of distinctive features tend to characterize Egypts urban tourism destinations, some of which could represent focal points of remedy. Such features include: The Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza in Egypt Privatization: There is a great shift from Public sectors development to the privatized in Egypt to maintain and offer visitors an exciting experience. Hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, transportation etc are becoming privatized which is creating a leakage in the economy. The earnings of public sector are equally distributed into the establishment of new services and sector nationally because it is meant to be spending likely. But on the contrary, privatized firms businesses benefit the individuals and specific family for what the countries remain under developed. Convention Centers and Exhibitions: There are significant numbers of visitors to Egypt whose primary purpose of visit is not leisure-related. As convention Centers and Exhibitions are often regarded as one of the staples of urban tourism thus at the destination of Egypt, up to forty percent of those staying overnight have come for this type of business tourism. Convention Centers and Exhibitions are perceived to be strong growth sectors in which the visitor spends an above average amount and which operate for most of the years in the Egypt. Employment, publicity, image improvement, and urban regeneration are benefits that generally justify the big financial investment for those centers. Besides these advantages, it is important to remember that the conference business cannot be separated from the rest of the tourism industry particularly because most participants are also seeking urban amenities in an exciting environment. Infrastructure: Substantial existing attractions and infrastructure generally developed for non-tourism purposes in Egypt. This has made the city life very congested and of course polluted. The Egyptian Tourism Authority needs to realize the importance of green tourism to be environmental friendly. Hotels have been established like the woods in a forest which also lead to noise pollution and air pollution. Attractions: A large number, variety and scale of primary and secondary attractions have been developed which is most of the time tourists have occupied, this lead to a jealousy and frustration in host population towards tourists. The more the disputes will take place the negative impacts will emerge which mainly will ruin the publicity of the destination. Example SINDBAD HOTEL. Development: Local residents are significant, often majority, users of attractions and infrastructure. These attractions utilize money, man power, land and other resources which can be used to undergo projects like Golf, school hospital bank orleisure Centre etc. In short, the approach of the government to spend on urban tourism can turn out to be a threat in future. Distribution of the resources: Tourism is just one of many economic activities in the city, with implications for the awareness and perceived importance of tourism issues by business, government and residents. The competition for resources within cities like Luxor, Alexanderia, and Cairo also has implications for the provision of visitor services, and the cost and availability of land and labor. Strategic planning of the destination: The involvement of a multiplicity of public and commercial organizations with varying levels of interest in tourism, which has implications for the complexity of planning and policy-making processes, day-to-day operational management, and the coherence of marketing activity. At the same time, many things have not changed. The Egyptians remain a very hospitable people who truly seem to love sharing their glorious past with visitors. They are a warm people who, meeting a foreign visitor for the first time, still have a habit of inviting them home to dinner, which is usually made into a feast of sorts. So as we head into the middle of the first decade of the 21st Century, we find an Egypt that is more than ever ready to accept modern western tourists, perhaps as never before. New and sometimes very luxurious hotels are springing up everywhere to accommodate them, and younger, savvier tour operators are planning wonderful and exciting ways to entertain and engage tourists. Egypt is a land of enchantment and mystery, and now is the best time ever to experience the Mother of the World Mass tourism VS Sustainable tourism:http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTQpcTdij9YrlMdAj3PoyDm7LgA0EFTXAA6JA55EuW4wgTamGtxt=1 The term mass tourism is problematic to define with any precision and they claim that the term refers to the production, structure and organization of tourism akin to an industrial process whereby economies of scale are sought to meet market needs. Poon (1993) defines mass tourism as a large-scale phenomenon, packaging and selling standardized leisure services at fixed prices to a mass clientele. Further to this Fayos-Solà   (1996) went as far to suggest that the operational model of mass tourism no longer suffices to achieve competitiveness in tourism enterprises and regions and he proposed that a new paradigm, the New Age of Tourism (NAT), is gathering strength owing to its ability to face to prevailing circumstances. There are probably a hundred reasons why people visit Egypt. These days, perhaps the bulk of tourists actually come from various European countries for an inexpensive beach vacation, quite often in large groups by chartered airlines. For them, it is simply the least expensive means of taking a warm, beach vacation in a nice resort along the Red Sea coast of Egypt or in the Sinai. Many of these vacations are arranged by large European operations that use mass tourism to arrange considerable hotel space at very inexpensive rates. More lucrative to the Egyptians, and certainly a major source of tourism to Egypt, are the classical tourists, who come to Egypt specifically to visit the ancient monuments. Beach goers may also arrange classical tours as extensions of their holidays, but normal classical tourists will usually follow a much defined route, from Cairo along the Nile Valley down to Aswan, though they may also opt for various extensions, including a brief visit to one of the beaches. Sustainable tourism in Egypt: Egypt national tourist strategic planhttp://www.mga-ai.it/images/480/Egypt2_480.jpg After the disastrous effects of Mass Tourism Egypt is looking into the possibilities for diversifying its tourism opportunities throughout the country. The main target for expanding the tourism sector is nature-based tourism. The coral reefs and rich marine life in South Sinai and the Red Sea coast have made these two areas among the premier scuba diving destinations in the world. Many beach resorts are now in operation and there are still hundreds to be constructed. However, previous tourism development in Egypt has resulted in a series of negative environmental impacts. The ambitious development plans to receive 16 million tourists by 2017 should take into consideration sustainability concepts. The government and developers have significant roles to play in adopting and implementing environmentally sound policies and practices to avoid the degradation of the natural heritage of Egypt for the sake of the current as well as future generations. Egypt in 21st Century plan is prepared by the cabinet of the Egyptian Government in 1997,and it lays out the long-term national development plan in the beginning century. Tourismwas positioned as one of major leading industries in the strategy.Following are the tourism development strategies in the 21th century: To increase the number of visitor arrivals to 27 million by the year 2017 To extend length of stay from 7 days in 1997 to 9 days by the year 2017, and to increase total bed nightsfrom 26 million in 1997 to 230 million by 2017 To raise the accommodation capacity to 618 thousand rooms by the year 2017 To focus on tourism development projects in South Egypt To formulate integrated development programs for new tourist areas To establish new tourist camp sites for safaris in the middle of Sinai and in Wadi El Gemal of Red Sea To preserve the ancient Egyptian civilization To supply new sites for tourism development with all the required facilities like in the Red Sea, Sinai, theNew Valley, Luxor and Aswan. The impact of tourism on the Egyptian society is significant. Direct economic benefits of tourisminclude generation of employment, increase of foreign exchange earnings, incomegeneration and contribution to government revenues These benefits are the main source of income to strengthen the other sectors of Egypt greatly. Tourism also provides indirectimpacts on the economic sectors, such as agriculture, fisheries, handicraft manufacturingand construction, which supply the goods and services for tourism sector. Furthermore, the improvement of transportation and other infrastructure facilities andservices encourage the economic and culture development of the community in theregional area. Conclusion: The Egyptian national tourism sector marketing strategy emphasizes on quality, and aimsto foster and encourage high-quality tourism services at competitive prices. Since 1982,Egypt has developed a new strategy aiming to increase the number of tourists visitingEgypt. The plan was, and still is, to boost tourism demand by attracting visitors beyondthe main tourism incoming markets, namely visitors from the European Community, USA, Canada and the Arab countries and target new potential markets. Thepredominant new markets Egypt must aim to attract are: Scandinavia, Southeast Asia, EasternEurope, and Southern and Latin America. Up till now the Egyptian tourism sector has notachieved the desired travel movement from Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia and Malaysia. Egypt Scandinavia and Eastern Europe countries such as Poland, Czech Republic, Romania and Russia, they only yielded a total of 600 000 tourists compared to 3 274 377 tourists from both western and southern Europe (Papadopoulos, 2003). The main customers are the Germans followed by Italians, Russians, English, French and Saudi Arabians. Egypt mustpromoted through advertising campaigns in the mass media, participation and attendance in various exhibitions and the continuous renewal of advertising material. Egyptian organizations need to participate in all major international events, while tourist planners have developed for the demanding tourist, cultural and athletic activities reinforcing Egypt as a tourist destination and attracting people interested in these events. There is also a great need to protect Egypts unique desert and its environment and heritage resources. Sustainable development and preservation ofEgypts natural resources should be the pillars of the Egyptian tourism plans. The primary concern is to protect the environment by limiting tourism projects in natural reserves. Generally, tourism properties, hard buildings, are only allowed in 12.5% of the land. In recognition of the countrys potential for tourism, high standards of tourism services quality are strictly enforced and green marketing orientation need to be adopted within all tourism marketing activities. The budget allocated to promote Egypt as a macro-tourist destination abroad is about $50 million a year. Almost 90% of the promotion budget is spent on promotion campaigns through direct media such as the press, TV, billboards, movie and public transport advertisements. The remaining 10% goes to the international network of tourist offices. The Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA) must focus its promotion activities on the European tourist market, which is considered the main market segment, as it provides about 65% of the inbound tourists coming to Egypt. ETA promotion policies should also take into consideration the changes that took place in Europe, as there are ten countries that have recently joined the European Union and they are mainly from the Eastern bloc. The ETAhas to look closely at these new potential tourist markets. The Arab tourist market constitutes the second major region sending tourists to Egypt, about 16% of the total number of travelers, and there is a need to design a new strategy that offers the Arab tourist markets requirements. Egypt has to highlight its focus of marketing campaign to attract not only culturaltourists, but also to highlight the Red Sea Resorts, with their beaches, diving activitiesand the environmental tourism facilities, taking the sustainability requirements intoconsideration (El-Khadem, 2004; Ministry of Tourism, 2004).

The Allegory of the Cave: Turn Around :: essays research papers

The Allegory of the Cave: Turn Around   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Putting the Allegory of the Cave into my own words seems comparable to the Christian idea of using the lord's name in vain. First, I'd like to introduce a phenomenon I have observed throughout my life time. I call it soul resonance. Bear with me here. When two objects emit sympathetic vibrations, the sound or force multiplies. Example: Two tuning forks of the same frequency are struck upon each other and held a few feet apart. The vibration is much stronger. Something basic about each object recognizes a similar quality in the other, and amplifies it. As with so many other laws of science, this law applies to many other phenomena. I believe this is what people feel when they first hear the Allegory of the Cave . . . soul resonance. Somehow, something deep inside tells them that here we have found a singular truth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Allegory, taken as the story of one man, narrates his life from ignorance to enlightenment. He sits within a cave, facing away from a blazing fire. He stares at the wall opposite him, watching pretty shadow puppets. He listens to the exotic, wonderful, and large words whispered in his ears by the puppeteers. He would naturally turn around, or perhaps even stand, but chains bind him to the ground, and the puppeteers have servants who hold his head in place. One day, a situation arises where he finds that the chains are broken, and he stands. This is against the will of the servants, but they have no physical power over him, if he does not allow it. He turns round and sees the fire and the puppeteers and then he realizes that all has been lies. He is not what they have told him. He does not feel what they have said he does. The fire blinds him. The puppeteers, seeing they have lost another to knowledge, quickly get rid of him by pushing him into the dark cave that looms off to the side, hoping for his demise. The man is lost, he has gone from darkness to light to darkness once again. Something within him tells him to climb, and he does, scrabbling. He cuts himself many times, and many times he almost falls to his demise on the rocky ground below. He pauses often. Until there comes a time when he sees a distant light at the exit/entrance to the cave. When he sees this light, he is not sure whether this is yet another shadow puppet on the wall, but it is upward and that is where he must go.

France and the United States Essay

This paper seeks to provide comparative analysis of early childhood education policy between France and the United States. The discussion will focus on the programs origin and what the programs were intended to achieve. The study will look at the focus, of the programs, the beneficiaries and the cost. In analyzing the early childhood policy outcome in the two countries, the paper assesses the successes as well as the shortcomings of the policy programs. The federal government has not developed a policy on early childhood education that is applicable in the nation. As opposed to the comprehensive early child education policy in France. The U. S. government has only been supporting specific preschool programs for those children from poor neighborhoods and low income families. This trend is also evident in the various states which have not been able to come up with early childhood policy that can be used uniformly by education stakeholders throughout the state. Earl childhood education program is largely left in the hands of private education providers through kindergartens. (Mitchell, A. , Ripple, C. , & Chanana, N. , 1998, p. 24). The Early childhood education policy by the government is defined in its actions which in regulating the demand and supply of early childhood education services. In implementing early childhood policy, the government provides direct and indirect financial subsidies to private providers of these services in the form of grants, contracts and tax incentives. Provision of direct and indirect financial support to parents of children in early childhood program. This support may be in the form of cash benefits, tax benefits to offset the cost of this service and vouchers to pay for the service. The government also participates by regulating players in the field of early childhood education through legislation. Early childhood education program in the U. S are run on a full day of part time basis and they include pre-kindergartens, kindergartens, compensatory education programs and nursery schools. The other programs that support early childhood education include childcare centres, family support programs, before and after school programs, family type day care homes. Because there is no clear line between the government and private support in this sector. (OECD Country report, 2000, p. 5) There is no clear data concerning the cost of early childhood education in United States. However, the federal spending on the program has been very minimal compared to grade k-12. Studies in the year 2002 reveals that the states spent 2. 5 billion dollars on early childhood education while the federal government spent 6. 5billion on early childhood program. This is in exclusion of funds spent on pre-primary education for special students. This is the contrary of the case in France where the government full funds its early childhood education program. Then enrolment in early childhood program for the year 2002 was estimated at 750,000 with 85% enrolled in private institutions. In the United States, the government has a policy that ensures quality, affordability, and availability of child care for all families. The Child Care Bureau administers federal funds to states, territories, and tribes to assist eligible families including low-income families. The childcare bureaus provide childcare for children when the parents work or participate in allowable education or training activities. Through the Child Care Bureau funds various Technical Assistance projects that promote quality, strengthen program administration are supported. The funds are also used to finance Good Start which is the president’s initiative towards early childhood education as well as carry out research to help policy makers. The child care programs in the United States involved the administrators, parents and other stakeholders than in the case of France that is more regulated from above. According to OECD report (2000, p. 21). Most children are enrolled in private institutions compared to those in public institutions with most parents taking their children for part time programs. This is illustrated in the table below showing enrolment in early childhood education programs in thousands. The only early childhood policy that received direct support by the federal government is the introduction of Head start program to take care of those children from low income families. This program is funded by the federal government of the U. S since it caters for the children of the financially deprived parents from poor neighbourhood. According to OECD report (2000, p. 18) The cost of funding this program has increased steadily, reaching almost $4. 7 billion in fiscal year 1999 and $5. 27 billion in fiscal year 2000. This program was started as a strategy to deal with problems associated with children from poor neighbourhood. Dealing with their emotional, cognitive, social and cognitive deficits ensured a well rounded individual who was prepared to adopt a life style that made them productive individuals from poor homes. The major aim is however to academically prepare students for their primary school studies. According to Mitchell, A. , Ripple, C. , & Chanana, N. (1998, p. 34-50). Research shows that those students who had undergone early childhood programs like Head Start had fewer referrals for remedial classes or special education. These students were also more likely to remain in regular classes throughout their public school years. Fewer retentions rate as preschool graduates were less likely to repeat grades. The students maintained excellent scores very few of them had failing grades in their school years. The students were acknowledged by their teachers as having greater social and emotional maturity and had a high probability of completing their high school studies without dropping out. Due development of positive attitude about school at an early age, these students had greater academic motivation, on-task behavior, capacity for independent work, and time spent on homework. Lower incidence of absenteeism/detentions. Graduates had lower incidences of absenteeism and detentions. Preschool graduates had much higher scores on measures of attitude toward school and toward particular subject areas those who attended early childhood education are found to have better self-esteem, greater internal locus of control compared to those who never attend the program. Preschool education is believed to help in preventing unwanted pregnancies among young school girls. The program is also believed to reduce incidences of indiscipline like drug abuse and delinquent acts among students, this some researchers believe is due to the introduction of rules and regulations to students at an early age hence contributing to positive upbringing. Due to improved self esteem developed from an early age, preschool graduates are more likely to participate in social activities like sports and community work. As opposed to those who did not attend early education, the beneficiaries have a better meaning for education and develop high future aspirations. This also contributes to the likelihood of them enrolling and completing their secondary education. These benefits of early childhood education are extending to the society as beneficiaries have a higher possibility of securing better paying jobs hence reducing dependency in the society. There is high unlikelihood that these people will engage in antisocial behavior in the society. (Morgan, G. , Azer, S. , Costley, J. , Genser, A. , Goodman, I. , Lombardi, J. , and McGimsey, B. , 1993, p. 45, 78). The Head Start program is however accused of contributing to inequality in the education arena as those who are considered financially stable have been ignored. This is no longer a shortfall in France as their early childhood policy caters for all children despite their family backgrounds. The increasing number of mothers securing jobs is however increasing government participation in provision of early childhood programs especially in those kindergartens which are integrated in public primary schools. For instance, District of Columbia is made kindergarten attendance a legal requirement for children. (OECD Country report, 2000, p. 14) The diagram below illustrate the increasing number of working mothers with children under age six due U. S policy on Early childhood education and care between 1960 and 1999. Despite lack of comprehensive policy regarding early childhood education, a lot of expenditure has been incurred in supporting efforts towards achieving the same. The figures reported by OECD report( 2000, p. 23) is an illustration of cost of efforts employed by U. S to achieve ECEC as compared between 1992 and 1999 constant dollar reported in millions of dollars. As opposed to the United States, France has a clear government policy regarding earl childhood education. The program is publicly funded and caters for those children between the ages of 2-6 year olds known as Ecole Maternelle. The system has specific programs for those children under age three and it is administered under the Ministry of Education delivered under education auspices of the ministere de la Jeunesse, de l’Education nationale et de la Recherche. (Oberhuemer, P. , & Ulich, M. , 1997, p. 27). These programs are freely provided by the government for eight hours during the day including breaks like lunchtime. Extension beyond these hours is optional and those parents who work for longer hours can pay for additional hours that their children are taken care of at early childhood education centres. Since these programs are meant to benefit children and their parents who earn poorly, the additional charges levied on parents take into consideration the parent’s income. Any child starting school has to go through ecole maternelle which is the preparatory level in the education system. (OECD Country report, 2004, p. 4-7). Early preschool education is divided into three sections namely: the little section, middle section and large section. The little section is meant for three year olds, the middle section is for four-year-olds and large section is for five-year-olds. Two year olds belong to very little section. France is also committed to empowering the low income parents just like Head Start in the United States hence the government organizes bridging activities for those who are about to start schooling in poor neighborhoods. Such a program is supposed to familiarize the learners with the academic in readiness for school system. The table below shows the trends in the percentage of children in the ecole maternelle by age as from the year 1960-2002 according to French background report in 2003.

Joseph Schumpeter

Initiative An individual or group takes the initiative. 2. Organization Resources are brought together in organization to accomplish some objective (or the resources in existing organization are reorganized) 3.Administration Those who took the initiative to take over the management of the operation 4. Relative Autonomy The initiators assume relative freedom to dispose of and distribute resources. 5. Risk taking The organization’s success or failure is shared by the initiator’s superiors and subordinates. Entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy. The Philippines is an entrepreneurial country.Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), including micro-enterprises, account for 99 ppercent of all business establishments and 60 ppercent of the exporting firms in the Philippines. According to the Department of Trade and Industry, SME's currently employ about 55 ppercent of the Philippine labor force and contribute 30 ppercent to total domestic sales volume. Current problem s that Filipino entrepreneurs encounter today in setting up and maintaining their competitiveness in their community are the * inadequate access to technology * financing capital * marketing advice * logistical problemsTo further emphasize the importance of developing entrepreneurship education, a recent study by the Center for Asia Pacific Studies reveals, â€Å"out of every 100 children enrolled every year, 66 will complete elementary education, 42 will finish high school and only 14 will earn a college degree. † A study by Smart Communications adds,† only 7. 7% of graduates get employed†. This mearns that out of 100 children that goes to school, only one will end up getting a job. The importance of developing an innovative and entrepreneurial culture is a crucial part of the Philippines developed state future.Entrepreneurship directly leads to more business, more job opportunities and better quality of life. Starting and running a business can be a real option for young people, offering an alternative mearns of achieving both financial and personal independence. Supporting youth entrepreneurship can benefit both the Filipino Youth and the economy. It can: 1. create employment opportunities, through self-employment and by providing additional employment opportunities; 2. give young people a sense of meaning and purpose; 3. premote innovation and resilience in young people; and 4. help young people develop life skills.

Commentary on Lorna Sage, Bad Blood Essay Example

Commentary on Lorna Sage, Bad Blood Essay Example Commentary on Lorna Sage, Bad Blood Paper Commentary on Lorna Sage, Bad Blood Paper This passage revolves around a young girls life, how it has changed and what it has become. It is ironically, how a friendship has evolved into something that the two girls who are exposed in this passage have never thought it would become. Sage introduces us to what we can conclude to be herself in the first paragraph of this passage, whilst introducing us to her dear friend (or shall we say greatest enemy?) in the second paragraph. The relationship between Gail and the narrator is one of typical young girls relationships with another girl. Sage develops the relationship between these two young girls from two very contradicting ways; Hate to Love. As the narrator mentions; now she was my sworn enemy. This quote makes it quite obvious how the narrator felt about Gail. When you use the word sworn enemy, it emphasizes the amount of hatred you have towards that person, which makes it crystal clear to us how the relationship between Gail and the narrator was. Yet, ironically, this all changes, within no more than 2 words from that quote, when the narrator opens up the relationship between her and Gail when she says; (she even had a funny name, like me) In this quote, the narrator starts to open up to Gail, accepting her, as she starts to compare her to herself. That is where the relationship actually began. Although they started off bullying each other and beating each other up, as shown when Sage says; Once shed thoroughly trounced me in public this quote, also, is pretty much right to the point, very straight forward, the narrator speaks openly and sort of what proud of being trounced, of being whitewashed by Gail, because it let to something they both treasure now a days, a relationship that could never go astray, a relationship and friendship that they dont want to let go ofbut, does that mean anything? holding hands painfully, giggling together hysterically If this was read about a guy and a girl, the reader would quite quickly come to the conclusion of a special kind of relationship being introduced, but this one friendship isnt like this. This friendship is consistent of the truth and of the honestly and loyalty towards the other. That is what the holding hands painfully can be referring to. The girls do not want to let go of this friendship, theyve been through a lot and they are not willing to let something come in and take that away from thembut, also, does that imply on anything? days of our adolescent intimacy In which point of view can we take this quote? Doesnt this usually imply on a strong relationship between two people? One that consists of love, warmth and of for sure intimacy? You cant go around now and hear a girl saying that she has had days of adolescent intimacy with another girl without thinking that something isnt rightright? And, adolescences is a period of time when two people should come together and figure out the feelings they have towards each otherto figure out why it is really classified as intimate and not something different, something filled with a little bit less of love. The word hell, what does that imply to? Pain? Ache? Struggle? Or all three? The first passage, or to be more specific, the first line, the first phrase even, emphasizes what hell is in perspective of the narrator. The use of the ; means that there is a list after that word that will make it clear what the narrator meant to say, or what the narrator meant when he/she put the word into the passage itself. small peoples purgatory. The word purgatory is linking itself to hell, because it means that this person is being pulled into a world that is painful for no reason. The description techniques of this passage are very straight forward, no awkward words are being used or tongue-tied phrases being put into place. The way the narrator describes Gail is indeed straight to the point, and that makes it much easier for the reader to become acquainted with the character, with Gail. Although, if taken into deep consideration, the way the narrator actually goes through Gail, can seem like there is a sense of jealousy towards her, because maybe she is better in some things that the narrator is; Was she already going to dancing lessons? Straight forward rhetorical question, we, the readers wouldnt know the answer to because we havent had the full life of Gail, but what we can conclude is that she is asking this out of jealousy, not out of interest. If she was going to dancing lessons, the narrator would want to be just like her and start going to dancing lessons as well, which leads to the respect felt towards Gail from the narrator, although they were once sworn enemies. admire the ringlets and the dresses with smocking on the yokes it does mention somewhere before this quote that Gail lives with her grandmother, we havent come to know the reason for this yet, but what we can tell is that Gail is being treated like a doll by her grandmother, maybe because the grandmother doesnt have anything better to do. She does these beautiful embroideries that are referred to as smocking on the yokes on Gails dresses and makes it look like she is very high class, maybe even if she really isnt. The fact that this passage is written by the real point of view of the narrator, we get to actually feel what Sage felt through those horrible days at school during those first few days and what she felt when her and Gail actually got to know each other and carry their friendship forward well into the future. I guess this plays a really important part on the way we can understand this passage, for example, would you enjoy a passage that was all about two girls (or even two guys, let us not be sexist!) that was all about bullying and all about racism and socialism and so on? This passage, with the emphasis of the narrators feelings into it, shows us exactly how real friendships turn out to be, and it is true, this passage does reflect on the real way strong relationships are actually made! (I would know, its happened to me!) but for me, this passage was really a play back to my old life. Ive gone through exactly what Sage, or the narrator has gone through, and turned out with a friendship stronger than ever! When youre young, without a doubt you ought to feel jealousy towards a certain person in your grade/year, for some reason or another, which will, believe it or not, lead to a really strong friendship.

MrAntonio42@yahoo.com essays

MrAntonio42@yahoo.com essays Significant Social Issues Teens Face When a person thinks of a drug abuser one usually pictures a person that looks like they had just jumped out of a garbage bin. What most people do not realize is that most drug users are the people who have steady jobs and are professionals such as doctors, lawyers, and nurses. Drug abuse doesnt necessarily mean the person abusing is abusing illegal drugs. Prescription drugs and or over-the-counter drugs are also abused. Facing everyday problems in these recent years many people turn to drugs as an escape from the existence they hold. Drug use has rapidly increased in the last twenty years and has become a national crisis. More people are experimenting with drugs at a younger age. Due to the rapid increase in drug abuse, our government has looked to rehabilitation as a form of prevention and education to an alternative to jail. Using drugs in these days are becoming more and more common among younger people everyday. The most common drugs experimented with are tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana. These are gateway drugs. It is almost as if you can ask anyone between the ages eight and fifteen if they smoke weed or drink Hennessey and the answer is a frightening yes. Young people start using and abusing drugs with older friends who offer it to them and make it look like the in thing to do. These inexperienced teenagers feel the need to fit in with the crowd so badly that they do not think about the effects or the consequences the drugs will have on them in the long run. Teenagers not only learn and experiment with their peers, but sometimes they learn at a very early age because of their parents habits. I have seen many cases where the teenagers are allowed to sit down with their parents and smoke or drink. I could never sit down and drink with my mother. That goes to show you how using drugs is more casual. In the 1950s mor...

Profile of the Nuralagus

Profile of the Nuralagus Just how big was Nuralagus? Well, the full name of this megafauna mammal is Nuralagus rexwhich translates, roughly, as Rabbit King of Minorca, and not incidentally makes a sly reference to the much, much bigger Tyrannosaurus rex. The fact is that this prehistoric rabbit weighed over five times as much as any species living today; the single fossil specimen points to an individual of at least 25 pounds. Nuralagus was very different from modern rabbits in other ways besides its enormous size: it was unable to hop, for example, and it seems to have possessed fairly small ears. Name: Nuralagus (Greek for Minorcan hare); pronounced NOOR-ah-LAY-gus Habitat: Island of Minorca Historical Epoch: Pliocene (5-3 million years ago) Size and Weight: About four feet long and 25 pounds Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; small ears and eyes Nuralagus is a good example of what paleontologists call insular gigantism: small animals restricted to island habitats, in the absence of any natural predators, have a tendency to evolve to larger-than-usual sizes. (In fact, Nuralagus was so secure in its Minorcan paradise that it actually had smaller-than-usual eyes and ears!) This is distinct from an opposite trend, insular dwarfism, in which large animals confined to small islands tend to evolve to smaller sizes: witness the petite sauropod dinosaur Europasaurus, which only weighed about a ton.

STDs in the Print News Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

STDs in the Print News Media - Essay Example The alarming STD problem in the US is brought about by a combination of factors, the primary one being that people are not knowledgeable about the disease - its causes and effects, modes of transfer, dangers and risks. This shows in the lifestyle of most Americans and their condescending attitude toward premarital sex, multiple sex partners, casual and unprotected sex. Such practices erode the moral fabric of American society and, on the health implications of STDs, deprive this country of a healthy and robust citizenry. On the need to address the perceived lack of awareness of Americans on STD, it is agreed that media is a potent medium for that purpose. But the question is, does American media recognize the extent of the problem and the role it is being called upon to play The media in modern times has served as the primary means people use to gain insight into the various issues that bedevil American society. Media feed people information about current issues ranging from politics, global affairs, economics, and public health and is the information mix with the most extensive reach. The influence of media in people's lives is so vast it can sway public perception and opinion towards one side (Stoughton, 1994). Thus media can promote awareness of important issues such as STDs just as easily as it can prompt awareness regarding violence. This paper will discuss the role of one form of media, newspapers, in increasing public knowledge and awareness of STDs. News articles published in the nationally-circulated newspapers that tackle the issue of STDs will be analyzed to determine the ways in which the issue is presented and discussed. The primary objective is to determine how the print news media informs the public about sexually transmitted diseases. Four daily newspapers representing American mainstream media are herein presented for their views and editorial policies on the subject of STD: the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Miami Herald. The four newspapers enjoy the widest circulation and readership and carry the potential to sway not only public opinion but also government policies. Methods In this section, past studies will be discussed to determine the scope and intensity of coverage that the print news media devote to the subject of STD. Also, news articles from the nationally circulated newspap

Police and alcohol abuse Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Police and alcohol abuse - Research Paper Example Alcohol forms a significant component of cultural, social and interpersonal associations in most societies across the world. According to Doherty and Roche (2003), alcohol is the most widely used drug in the world in spite of its well documented adverse effects on health and social order. Medically, research has demonstrated that consuming moderate amounts of the beverage is beneficial to health by reducing incidents of cardiac ailments especially among the elderly (Lindsay, 2008). However alcohol abuse is a major global concern, affecting people in various professional backgrounds. The adverse effects of excessive alcohol consumption to the user and others are documented in numerous research studies. Excessive alcohol consumption is a major contributing factor of premature death, high morbidity rates and accidents in the population. In addition, it increases of interpersonal violence and aggravates mental illnesses such as depression resulting to high suicidal rates in the contemporary society (Doherty and Roche 2003). In the police force, alcohol consumption does not only cause health problems, but also impacts negatively on the officers’ performance. In a profession that requires high levels of alertness, alcohol use lowers reaction time and reduces mental and physical coordination. A combination of these factors results to reduced productivity in the work place, high levels of absenteeism and increases the risks of work related injuries and accidents(Lindsay, 2008). Research findings on drinking habits of police officers indicate that they drink higher quantities of alcohol in a given occasion compared to the general population (Amaranto, et al 2003). Several factors are attributed for alcohol abuse in the police.

Assignment 3-3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment 3-3 - Essay Example My light hearted approach towards life was given a new meaning after the MBTI exposure. It was as if I could now comprehend my surroundings better than before. Whenever I would now look at the people around me the first that would cross my mind would be the assessment of their individual personalities. This, I felt, was a very constructive tool concerning my job as a sales persons’. As a much acclaimed personality assessment or developmental tool, Myers Brigs Type Indicator offers a type of Jung’s personality type theory. It was for this theory that the MBTI was partly developed, proving to be even more useful in people’s lives. The portrait of an ESFP is just like that of your memorable and everfamous ex roommate at college. The charismatic personality an ESFP possesses makes him the talk to the town with his impulsive and strong approach to life. His concrete nature is accompanied by steadiness of judgement cpabilities and boosting motivation. You reap what you stands particularly true in this situation. A situation to which sales managers should always adhere to. The person opposite to you would always respond in accordance with the way you would treat him. In order to get better sales or margins you need to reward our counterpart with activity, success and best behaviour. This mode of conduct needs to be an integral part of today’s style of management. Unfortunately, the novice sales managers of today overlook this very unavoidable principle of success and yet expect newer accounts and boosting responses. A manging sales representative at ‘Chase’ by profession, and also a multilinguist mastering four different languages I get to travel a lot as part of my job specifications. The most challenging tasks are when an overseas endeavour such as the opening of a new branch or office abroad needs to be established. Always upfront, I

What Foreign Pressure Could Do And What It Could Not Do In Japan Essay

What Foreign Pressure Could Do And What It Could Not Do In Japan - Essay Example It had declined to yield in several other instances. However, because of its high dependency on America for economical stability, Japan was keen to grant America what it demanded at some point. During the SII talks, the negotiators tackled several topics. These talks occurred on the same sitting and this makes it obvious that political changes did not affect its stand on many issues. The negotiations lasted for a year during which Japan defended its policies against the American criticism. America presented its compilation of demands to Japan. It is worth noting that Japan did not show any signs that it would cooperate on any of the issues under discussion. In the end, Japan agreed on American demands concerning macroeconomics and Japanese distribution system. Japan also yielded to some compromise concerning its land policy. Regarding their business practices, Japan made minimal concessions. However, Japan completely objected to make any policy change regarding the keiretsu business group. America had applied uniform pressure with threats to force Japan to make readjustments in most of their policies. However, Japan’s compromise to some demands and objection to others was clear evidence that foreign pressure cannot exert changes to some of its policies. One fact became evident: Japan has its limit in conceding to foreign demands. All the demands from the American side aimed at penetrating the Japanese market. The American government wanted the government to invest its savings on infrastructure and other public spending projects. The land policy issue sought to force the Japanese government to reduce the cost of urban land through change of tax policies. This would enable American investors to venture...Japan has had many trade policies that America feels are very restrictive. America has great interest in penetrating into the trade scene with Japan. Japan’s decision on whether to yield to the pressure has highly depended on its domestic situations . The author of the book helps the reader analyze how much foreign pressure can achieve in Japan. In addition, the author brings out new ways in which the American government could have put into place to achieve its demands. The author highlights two case studies in the book that help the reader understand the effect of foreign pressure on Japan (Schoppa 10). One of these studies is the ‘Structural Impediments initiatives talks’ headed by President Bush. Earlier in 1988, America had described the unfairness in trade relationship with Japan. The book elaborates the American demands at the time and the threats coming along with the demands. Foreign pressure has had immense results in Japan several times. From history, policy change in Japan comes under the influence of foreign pressure. It is clear that foreign pressure did not prove to have the potential to force Japan to change all of its policies. According to Schoppa, it is possible that the negotiation tactics of the two governments were different.

Scan virus for all domestic animal in Saudi Arabia Research Proposal

Scan virus for all domestic animal in Saudi Arabia - Research Proposal Example Such illnesses spread to humans due to failure to understand the natural environment. Over the past decade, many people have lost their lives globally because of serious infections caused by animals. Examples of such illnesses are Ebola and AIDS. A few years ago, a virus spread by domestic birds affected many people in Eastern Asia. In Saudi Arabia, a virus that spread from domestic animals to humans is corona virus. This virus spread to humans through their interaction with camels. Reports indicate that about 800 people were infected with the virus in the Middle East (Merson, Black & Mills, 2012). The first case of infection was reported in Saudi Arabia in the year 2012. It causes serious respiratory illnesses. About 27 percent of people infected with the virus die. People with weaker immunes systems as such the elderly and those with other illnesses such as diabetes are more vulnerable to the viruses. The public health departments have been focusing on scanning only wild animals fo r virus. It is also crucial for them to start focusing more on scanning domestic animals. If action is not taken in time, more people will die of the infections caused by viruses spread to humans by domestic animals. Failure to scan domestic animals has contributed the deaths of many people in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the world. This is because animals have viruses that cause deadly infections to humans (Merson, Black & Mills, 2012). Apart from corona virus, another virus that uses domestic animals as hosts is rabies. Rabies is among the most infectious illnesses. Studies show that it is responsible for thousands of deaths each year in the world. Rabies is transmitted to human when bitten by infected dogs and cats. Apart from dogs, poultry farmers are also at high risks of being infected by viruses such as H5N1. In the year 2007 April, Saudi Arabia reported a fist case of H5NI. Birds spread this virus when they

Business-Level and Corporate-Level Strategies Essay - 8

Business-Level and Corporate-Level Strategies - Essay Example This paper will discuss the business level and corporate level strategies Eni SpA used to remain competitive in the ever-changing petroleum industry. Business level strategy is a set of commitments and actions a company takes to provide good value to customers thereby gaining a good reputation (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011). This may include establishing niches and product improvement to add value to already existing products and services. A successful business level strategy has to consider the five Ws; where, who, when, what and how v. At first, the organization has to determine its clients, the goods and services the client needs, how to deliver the best products and services and the competitors’ price for the same products and services (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011). Eni SpA’s business level strategy is fair pricing and consistency of products. In that regard, Eni had to invest in exploration of oil resources across the world (Maloney, 2012). This would allow Eni to provide petroleum products to its customers throughout. The company was successful in getting some oil reserves in Kazakhstan, Libya and Congo. The oil field Eni SpA struck in Kazakhstan is probably the largest old field the company has ever struck (Maloney, 2012). However, the numbers of oil fields are dwindling by the day. As such, the success rate of getting a good and productive oil field is challenging. With that knowledge, Eni had to acquire oil companies in other countries. This would guarantee Eni’s ability to meet the customers’ demands and expectations (Maloney, 2012). Eni SpA has also focused on the changes in the market dynamics as a business level strategy. In this case, Eni SpA determines whether there are any risks to the business environment in the future (Maloney, 2012). Currently, Eni SpA noted the shift from fossil fuels is gaining momentum. This is likely

Scan virus for all domestic animal in Saudi Arabia Research Proposal

Scan virus for all domestic animal in Saudi Arabia - Research Proposal Example Such illnesses spread to humans due to failure to understand the natural environment. Over the past decade, many people have lost their lives globally because of serious infections caused by animals. Examples of such illnesses are Ebola and AIDS. A few years ago, a virus spread by domestic birds affected many people in Eastern Asia. In Saudi Arabia, a virus that spread from domestic animals to humans is corona virus. This virus spread to humans through their interaction with camels. Reports indicate that about 800 people were infected with the virus in the Middle East (Merson, Black & Mills, 2012). The first case of infection was reported in Saudi Arabia in the year 2012. It causes serious respiratory illnesses. About 27 percent of people infected with the virus die. People with weaker immunes systems as such the elderly and those with other illnesses such as diabetes are more vulnerable to the viruses. The public health departments have been focusing on scanning only wild animals fo r virus. It is also crucial for them to start focusing more on scanning domestic animals. If action is not taken in time, more people will die of the infections caused by viruses spread to humans by domestic animals. Failure to scan domestic animals has contributed the deaths of many people in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the world. This is because animals have viruses that cause deadly infections to humans (Merson, Black & Mills, 2012). Apart from corona virus, another virus that uses domestic animals as hosts is rabies. Rabies is among the most infectious illnesses. Studies show that it is responsible for thousands of deaths each year in the world. Rabies is transmitted to human when bitten by infected dogs and cats. Apart from dogs, poultry farmers are also at high risks of being infected by viruses such as H5N1. In the year 2007 April, Saudi Arabia reported a fist case of H5NI. Birds spread this virus when they

How to Become an Interior Decorator Essay Example for Free

How to Become an Interior Decorator Essay Analyzing interior designing websites provide excellent information to aspiring interior designers and decorators. Interior designing and interior decorating appears to be an easy, fun career. How hard can it be to transform rooms into a fantasy comparable to DisneyLand? Researching sites allows the student to make necessary accommodations to achieve their objective. Atotalwaste. com/interiordecorator is a site providing easy to understand and clear distinctions between a designer and decorator. The site very clearly lists the job duties and education requirements of a designer and decorator. It states the list of organizations associated with interior designing. The difference of what a designer does and a decorator does are listed. The site explains why the requirements for interior designers are more thorough. Interior designers are responsible for a lot more than just the physical appearance of a room or home they are decorating. They are also responsible for the safety and welfare of the public. The contribution of the designers is clearly outlined. Everyone on the outside looking in, envisions designers making buildings, rooms, and houses look very pretty. The article lists duties that no one realizes. Designers work on public buildings, such as airport terminals. Interior designers are hardly imagined as someone responsible for airport security. The site gives an overall positive image of interior designers. The designers are spoken in higher regard than decorators. â€Å"Anyone can be an interior decorator† does not show a flattering or respected image of decorators. It compares designers and decorators like nurses and nurse’s aids. Designers depend on decorator’s assistance. â€Å"I do not want to have to spend years of studying, worrying about things like building codes, and write an examination to be certified. Can I just start decorating people’s houses without going through all that. † People attracted to this profession are not likely to have such an attitude. Toward decorators, a hard language is used. Decorators are shown as more of a working class profession instead of professionals. Many designers start off as interior decorators, but have goals to become designers. Respected, upper class people are drawn to this profession, both designing and decorating. There are some people who just want professional advice to decorate their houses or friends houses, but they are not drawn to the profession. In that situation, they would attend a lecture or meeting given by a professional designer or decorator. The site speaks much softer and flattering of designers. Health, codes and safety, except for a brief overview of designer’s responsibilities, are not mentioned. It does mention that professional standards are set by the American Society of Interior Designers or the Interior Designers of Canada. Certification and testing through National Council for Interior Design Qualification are mentioned. The specifics are not. Exact privileges once designers fulfill requirements are not listed in the site. Designers are responsible for health, codes and safety, but no actual details are listed. Overall this site does speak well of interior designers. Interior designers work for and earn the prestige and respect they receive. Unknown important responsibilities of designers are mentioned. It shows surprising facts that designers have a very important role to play. Interior designers are not just there to make a beautiful fantasy happen. It looks that way. Atotalwaste. com provides somewhat uncommon information on interior designing profession.

Less Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement

Less Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement For decades, the only weapons law enforcement had at its disposal were lethal weapons and physical force using a wooden night stick or baton. New less harmful or less lethal weapons were needed due to the ever increasing violence in our communities and the demand for better crime control, especially after the widespread scrutiny of law enforcement after highly publicized use of force incidents such as the arrest of Rodney King in Los Angeles. Less lethal weapons are defined as weapons that are intended to incapacitate a subject without causing permanent injuries or death while also inflicting minimal damage on surrounding environments (Davison, 2009). They are often also known as non-lethal weapons, but this is a misnomer as no weapon can be completely non-lethal even when used properly and cautiously; moreover, any use of force by law enforcement can inherently involve a risk of death. The use of less lethal weapons can have physical and mental effects on the individual being subjected to them. There are numerous factors concerning the environment and the subject when choosing the type of less lethal weapon to deploy. Less lethal weapons use in law enforcement is vital as they frequently contend with subjects who have not yet committed a criminal act (as in the case of crowd control) or with mentally unstable subjects or those under the influence of an intoxicant. Officers must balance their use with what is accepted as reasonable force to avoid violating a subjects civil rights while, at the same time, satisfying the public that the least amount of force necessary was used. Many subjects use the judicial process to challenge the use of less lethal weapons. Some of the different categories of less lethal weapons available to law enforcement include: specialty impact munitions, distraction devices, chemical munitions, and conducted energy devices. Specialty Impact Munitions Specialty impact munitions (SIM) were used as early as the 1960s in American Law Enforcement. During this period, police used wooden baton rounds to quell riots and the first bean bag round was designed (BAE SIM, 2009). The use of specialty impact munitions are intended to cause pain (the lowest expected response) and sometimes sufficient blunt trauma to disorient or incapacitate a subject (the maximum desired effect) (BAE SIM, 2009). Low energy specialty impact munitions are used for pain compliance, while high energy specialty impact munitions are used for incapacitation. Some degree of injury is expected to occur as it is necessary to achieve compliance or a momentary degree of incapacitation. The intent with specialty impact munitions is to minimize the amount of injury that is painful. In most instances, bruising is the only injury, but abrasions, contusions, lacerations, and fractures have occurred. Specialty impact munitions can also have an immense mental effect on an individual often causing anxiety, fear, and/or panic. By pointing a firearm directly at a subject and firing a projectile, the subject may have the fear of actually having been shot by a firearm. The pain associated with the impact may reinforce this belief. Specialty impact weapons can also cause mental distraction in a subject as they cope with the physiological pain that the body feels and also the perceived danger. If the subject panics, however, it could lead to less control as their fear may lead to the fight or flight response. Specialty impact weapons include rubber balls, bean bags, foam batons, rubber batons, and wood batons which are usually encapsulated in either 12-gauge shotgun shells, 37mm rounds, 40mm rounds, or grenades (BAE SIM, 2009). Specialty impact munitions can be used in a variety of situations. Police uses include perimeter control, temporarily incapacitating barricaded subjects, and subduing emotionally disturbed subjects. Correctional uses include performing cell extractions in correctional or prison settings, quelling riots or crowd management, and regaining control of areas. There are several factors to consider when using specialty impact munitions including distance from the subject, impact areas, munitions selection, and delivery system. Long range engagements may affect the accuracy of the specialty impact munitions. Additionally, the energy of the specialty impact munitions will decrease over distance and a sufficient amount of energy may not be available to incapacitate the subject rendering it ineffective. While, close range engagements with a subject increase the potential for incapacitation, they also increase the risk for serious injury such as penetration wounds and broken bones. Distraction Devices Websters Dictionary defines distraction as the state in which the attention is called in different ways; confusion; perplexity and that which diverts attention (Distraction, n.d.). Distraction devices are a low explosive device that emit heat, light, and sound with the intent of distracting a potentially dangerous subject (BAE DD, 2009). They are also commonly called diversion devices, flash sound diversion devices, and referred to as a flashbang. Flashbangs were designed in a United Kingdom military facility in Porton Down as an experimental stun device called a stun grenade. They were first deployed in a 1977 hostage rescue mission in Mogadishu, Somalia. Law enforcement then became interested in them. However, the first distraction devices were inappropriate for law enforcement use due to several factors including: unreliable fuses, the long delay in detonation (friction type fuses had a 6-12 second delay), excessive noise level, metal fragmentation, and the cardboard containers became soft when exposed to moisture (BAE DD, 2009). Finally, a cost effective distraction device with container that was safe to ship and easy to handle was developed. The Los Angeles Police Department was the first department to explore the use of the flashbang in preparation for the 1984 Olympic Games (BAE DD, 2009). Distraction devices have both a psychological and a physiological effect on the subjects they are used on. A psychological or mental distraction is one that effects how a subject thinks and reacts based upon human instinct, the chemical makeup of his nervous system, and learned behavior (BAE DD, 2009). The most common psychological distraction is confusion or making someone think that something has, is currently, or is going to occur even though it is not the case (BAE DD, 2009). Another psychological distraction is the response to fear or their flight or fight response. Fear can cause trembling, sweating, dry mouth, and loss of fine motor control (bladder and bowel). No other less lethal weapon has the potential to impact all of the bodys five senses like the distraction devices (Stanley, 2008). Physiological or physical distractions are distractions that the body just cannot control because when exposed to the appropriate stimulus, the sensory organs of the body react. Physiological distractions have three dimensions: visual effects, auditory effects, and equilibrium effects. Exposure to intense light bleaches the retina and causes restriction of the pupil which, in turn, causes a subject to see white spots (much like the flash from a camera). A test conducted by the Arizona Department of Public Safety concluded that it could take up to two minutes for the pupil to return to normal size and ten to thirty minutes for restoration of normal vision (BAE DD, 2009). The sound of distraction devices can be as loud as 174.5 decibels. To put this in perspective, a lawnmower equals approximately 90 decibels; a chainsaw, 100 decibels; standing in front of rock concert speakers is equal to 120 decibels; and a gunshot or jet engine at 50 feet away is equal to 140 decibels (BAE DD, 2009). Distraction devices affect equilibrium by disturbing the fluid in the ear canals which affects the subjects balance. The advantage of physiological distraction is that it will work every time. The combination of effects: sound, light, the smell and taste of smoke, along with the pressure wave of energy striking the skin is enough to cause a sensory overload for anyone in the immediate proximity of the blast (Stanley, 2008). The disadvantages to physiological distractions are they require direct exposure and can vary in duration as sensory overload varies greatly from person to person and from device to device. Some subjects will show little or no effect, others may be merely disoriented, while still others can be frozen in pace for several seconds. The three primary effects of a distraction device are: heat, light, and sound. The heat effect is the least damaging of the three. The heat produced from the explosion of the distraction device has a short duration (50 milliseconds), but can exceed 2000 degrees centigrade (BAE DD, 2009). The heat and flame (thermal incendiary) effect is usually seen as a bright flash or fireball at the instant of the explosion. The light generated is very intense and short of duration (less than 50 milliseconds) (BAE DD, 2009). The explosion from a distraction device creates a blast pressure wave which is the almost instantaneous creation of a volume of gas forcing the existing gases of the surrounding area out and away from the blast at high speed. It is essentially a powerful sound wave. Distraction devices are available in two types: those that only produce sound and light (flashbangs) and those that also eject either projectiles or chemicals (projectile/chemical grenades) (Stanley, 2008). A flashbang is a thermal incendiary with a combustion capacity and fire potential. Its heat can exceed 2000 degrees centigrade but is short in duration. The light from a flashbang also has a short duration but is intensely bright at six to eight million candelas. As a comparison, a typical law enforcement flashlight produces approximately 30,000 candelas, while the light from a 35mm camera flash equals 50,000 candelas (BAE DD, 2009). The sound (blast pressure) from a flashbang can cause injury. A primary blast almost always affects air-filled structures such as the lungs, ears, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Secondary blast pressure occurs when the action of the blast pressure wave reflects off surrounding surfaces. Soft or porous surfaces absorb the wave and decrease its reflec tion while hard or flexible surfaces enhance the reflection (BAE DD, 2009). Distraction devices come in canister type, grenade (with rubber balls or pellets), and a 12-gauge cartridge (aerial diversion). The most common method of deployment is by hand. The officer properly grips and controls the device, then pulls the pin and deploys the device. A flashbang pole is used to deploy the device through a window. The least frequent method of deployment is launching or throwing as the officer cannot see where the device will initiate. This method is generally used outdoors as a crowd management tool. The hazards of deploying distraction devices include the presence of children and the elderly, fire, and smoke. Children may become hysterical and can young infants can suffer hearing damage as their auditory system is still developing. Elderly people often have health problems that may be aggravated by the exposure to the distraction device or they may be bedridden and need help becoming ambulatory. A fire extinguisher should always be present when a distraction device is utilized in case a fire erupts. Distraction devices emit smoke that creates tactical and health concerns as smoke may obscure the officers vision and by-products of flash powder are not healthy to breathe. Another potential hazard is secondary blast projectiles which can be created from the blast pressure. Rocks or other small objects on the ground easily become ballistic when a distraction device is thrown next to them. A flashbang pole deployed through a closed window can cause ballistic glass fragments. Flashbang court cases are not abundant. They are challenged more in criminal court than in civil court. Civil cases include personal injury, property damage, death, negligent supervision, deliberate indifference, or civil rights violations. The first court case concerning the use of distraction devices was Langford v. Gates, 43 Cal. 3d 21, 729 P.2d 822 (1987). Langford claimed use of the flashbang device violated her 4th, 5th, 9th, and 14th Amendment rights because its use against residences constituted unreasonable force. The court did not issue an injunction against their use, citing in their ruling that flashbangs were used in more than 25 cases since 1984 and they presented no more than minimal risk of injury (Langford v. Superior Ct., 1987). Therefore, their use could not be accounted unreasonable. In Garcia v. Texas, 829 S.W.2d 830 (1992), the defendant challenged his confession and his waiver of rights (BAE DD, 2009). He stated it was involuntary and violated his 5th Amendment because it was made after he was subjected to a forcible entry and a stun grenade. The Texas Court of Appeals upheld his conviction. In civil action, a Wisconsin prisoner received $49,000. in 2009 for the permanent harm he suffered after a flashbang grenade was thrown into his cell in an effort to subdue him (Foley, 2009). He experienced ringing in his ears for months afterward and now suffers from tinnitus. Chemical Munitions Chemical munitions, developed during World War I, that produce temporary effects of excessive tearing, closing of the eyes, and shortness of breath are commonly known as tear gas. Chemical munitions can be a good tool for law enforcement because when used correctly, they are effective, but their effects will dissipate quickly when a subject moves away from the contaminated area. There are five purposes in the deployment of chemical munitions, including to: disperse, dislodge, distract, disorient, and detect (BAE CM, 2009). Chemical munitions are a primary means of dispersing violent crowds and dislodging barricaded subjects, but can also be used to help detect a barricaded subjects location by forcing the subject to cough or make some other noise. When the chemical munitions fails to dislodge the barricaded subject, its continued application can tire the subject and potentially diminish his desire to fight or resist. Chemical munitions can also be used to visually impair subjects or limit their access where evidence (especially drugs) may be destroyed. Additionally, they can be utilized to mask the movement of specialized police tactical teams such as S.W.A.T. Protective masks that filter particulates and absorb gas vapors should be worn by law enforcement when some types of chemical munitions are utilized. The most common types of chemical munitions used by law enforcement are: Cloroacetophenone (CN), Orthoclorobenzalmalononitrile (CS), and Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) (BAE CM, 2009). Cloreacetophenone (CN) CN was invented by German chemist Carl Graebe in 1869 and was used for training soldiers in the use of their protective equipment (BAE CM, 2009). Studies of CN revealed that although it had mild effects, it could still incapacitate a subject for a short period of time (BAE CM, 2009). This made it a good weapon for use against rioting citizens and barricaded subjects. CN is lighter than CS, but five times more toxic; however, it has milder physiological effects relative to CS and OC (BAE CM, 2009). The physiological effects of CN include extreme tear production, voluntary closure of eyes, and mild stinging/burning of the eyes, mouth, throat, and nasal passages (BAE CM, 2009). Its psychological effects include some mental disorientation and confusion, as well as fear or panic due to the physiological effects. The reaction time for CN is usually one to three seconds, but often varies depending on the ambient temperature and the mental state and physical condition of the subject. After exposure, the effects should dissipate 5-15 minutes after the subject is removed from the contaminated area. Subjects under extreme influences of drugs and alcohol and mentally disturbed subjects are less likely to be troubled by the effects of CN. And animals that are exposed to CN suffer little, if at all (BAE CM, 2009). CN is used by law enforcement is aerosol sprays and chemical dispensing grenades. Orthoclorobenzalmalononitrile (CS) Law enforcement in the United States began using CS in 1965 as an aid to disperse crowds and subdue barricaded subjects (BAE CM, 2009). It is currently the most used riot control agent by law enforcement. CS is an irritant that causes a burning sensation to the moist areas of the skin, especially the eyes, mouth, throat, and nasal passages. The sensation is consistent with an instant sunburn (Stanley, 2008). Other physiological effects are excessive tear production and mucous discharge from the nose involuntary closure of the eyes, shortness of breath, feelings of suffocation, and sneezing and coughing. Psychologically, CS may cause disorientation and confusion. The subject may also experience anxiety, fear, and panic. The reaction time for CS is usually 3-7 seconds but can vary depending on the chemical composition of the CS and the mental and physical condition of the subject. The after-effects usually dissipate 5-15 minutes after the subject is removed from the contaminated area. CS is often blended with OC to increase its effectiveness. CN and CS are available in solid (pellets or powder) and liquid form. For pyrotechnic use, or when the chemical agent is vaporized and carried by smoke particulates through the atmosphere, a granulated raw agent of CN/CS is combined with a fuel mix and then pressed into various sized pellets (BAE CM, 2009). Powder is made with micro-pulverized forms of CN or CS mixed with Magnesium oxide and cabbosil (BAE CM. 2009). Munitions in the powder form are not pyrotechnic, making them ideal for indoor use. To convert CN or CS to a liquid form, it is pulverized into a very fine powder and then suspended within a liquid carrier (BAE CM, 2009). The most effective form of CN or CS is when it is mixed with a fuel mix and burned (pyrotechnic). The least effective form of carrier is a liquid as it tends to settle faster (BAE CM, 2009). CN or CN can be delivered by hand deployment up to 50 yards and with a launcher for deployment more than 50 yards from the police line (BAE CM, 2009). Chemical munitions can be delivered by expulsion or blast devices that eject chemical agents into the atmosphere using a detonator, blasting cap, primer and powder, or CO ² cartridges. Pyrotechnic is a delivery method where agents are released into the atmosphere by means of compressed slugs or pellets and a fuel mix that is then carried by smoke. Other delivery methods include fogging systems, aerosols, and liquids. Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) Oleoresin capsicum is oil and a resin extracted from the cayenne pepper plant (Chan et al, 2001). The first commercial OC product for law enforcement was developed in 1974 in a Florida home (BAE OC, 2009). OC use was then adopted by FBI special agents in 1990. Later that year, a violent subject who had been sprayed with an oil-based OC spray containing isopropyl alcohol was unintentionally set on fire after a conducted energy weapon was also deployed. This led the development of a safer, water-based OC product. The California Department of Justice conducted a two-year study documenting the se and effectiveness of two distinctively different OC products (BAE OC, 2009). The study helped establish industry standards for selection criteria that are still in use today. OC is an inflammatory where the desired result is to affect the respiratory system. Approximately 85% of the subjects contaminated with OC will move seeking fresh air (BAE CM, 2009). OC comes in both powder and liquid forms and is designed to stay airborne as long as possible. OC powder and liquid munitions are not as persistent as CN and CS and, therefore, may not be as effective, but it is easier to decontaminate a subject and clean and area that has been exposed to OC munitions (BAE CM, 2009). OC is also considered to be safer and less toxic than CN and CS (Chan et al, 2001). The physiological effects of OC are a burning sensation of the upper respiratory system and exposed skin, inflammation of eyes and mucous membranes, and involuntary intermittent blinking or complete shutting of the eyes. The inflammation of the respiratory system causes a sensation of shortness of breath of feeling of suffocation which usually results in coughing. The psychological effects include anxiety, fear of the expected pain, and panic which may cause auditory exclusion where the subject doesnt respond to verbal commands (BAE OC, 2009). There is no standard reaction time for OC products because the reaction time relies on the subjects mental state, the humidity, and the temperature. OC can be delivered in a pepper fog, pepper spray, or pepper foam application. The pepper fog application has a range of 3-4 meters and is effective on single or multiple subjects. Less accuracy is needed due to its wider spray area. The disadvantage of the wider spray area is the potential for users and by-standers being affected by the spray. Its range and effectiveness can also be reduced by high winds. Pepper spray or direct stream has a range of 5-7 meters and its delivery is similar to the stream of a water pistol. There is less of a possibility of user and by-standers being affected by the spray when delivered in this form. It also has a longer range and is less affected by wind. The direct stream delivery has a narrower spray area and requires more accuracy. It is not as effective as a fog pattern on multiple subjects. The foam spray pattern has a range of 3-6 feet and is used in climate-controlled environments such as courtrooms, hospitals, schools, and jails. It has better surface cohesion, reduced cross contamination, and causes virtually no respiratory difficulties. However, it does have a very limited range. After exposure to OC, decontamination should encompass physiological as well as psychological effects. To provide physical relief, eyes should be flushed with water, exposed skin surfaces should be decontaminated, and the subject should be exposed to fresh air. For psychological effects, verbal rapport should be established with the subject and efforts should be made to calm and relax the subject (BAE OC, 2009). It can take from 15 minutes to one hour for the subject to recover from the effects of OC. Liquids are released when the launched projectile breaks apart upon hitting a hard surface, thus releasing the chemical munitions. There are many factors that should be considered before chemical munitions are deployed. Tactical considerations for outdoor deployment include: wind conditions, weather conditions, crowd make up, escape routes, terrain surfaces, fire hazards, sensitive structures nearby (hospitals, schools), and counter-measures present (gas masks). When the chemical munitions are deployed indoors, there are different factors to consider such as entry/exit points, whether the power/water is on or off, the presence of hazardous materials, the subjects location, the location of weapons, the medical condition of subjects, and the subjects access to counter-measures (gas masks, etc). Critics continue to claim that OC spray is not safe. A National Institute of Justice funded study of the safety and effectiveness of OC spray in three North Carolina jurisdictions concluded that the use of pepper spray contributed to only two of the 63 in-custody deaths with both of those involving people with asthma (NIJ, 2003). The other 61 deaths were caused by disease, drug use, positional asphyxiation, or a combination of these effects (NIJ, 2003). Another study by medical researchers at the University of California-San Diego found no evidence that the exposure to pepper spray alone did not pose a significant risk for positional asphyxiation (NIJ, 2003). They also recognized that the use of OC spray reduced the number of injuries to officers and suspects, as well as excessive use of force complaints against law enforcement (NIJ, 2003). Conducted Energy Devices (CED) Conducted energy devices (CED), or electronic control devices (ECD), affect the neuromuscular functions of the body. Their pulse mimics the electrical signals used within the body to communicate between the brain and the muscles. This stimulates the pulsed communication used within the nerves and interferes with communication to the muscles which causes the Central Nervous System to be overwhelmed resulting in uncontrollable muscle contractions and temporary immobility (Steverson, 2007). CEDs are available to law enforcement in many different forms including handheld devices, belts, and shields. Handheld devices Most handheld CEDs are more commonly known as Tasers, even though Tasers are a brand of CED manufactured by Taser International. The Taser was invented in the 1960s by Jack Cover, a lead scientist at American Aerospace working on the Apollo Moon Landing Project (Taser, 2009). The name, Thomas A. Swift Electric Rifle (TASER) was derived from one of his favorite boyhood books (Taser, 2009). The handheld CED uses compressed nitrogen to discharge two electric darts or probes that remain connected to the cartridge on the gun by a thin high-voltage insulated wire. The probes deliver electricity in 5-second bursts. CEDs deliver a high voltage, low amperage shock. In order for the shock to be delivered, both probes must connect with the subject to complete the circuit. Although the probe deployments are more effective, the handheld CED also has a drive stun back up feature where it can be used without the cartridge as a stun gun. However, the drive stun does not usually result in incapacitation since it doesnt have a significant impact on the central nervous system (Taser, 2009). It is used as a more as a pain compliance technique. The handheld CEDs work well in enclosed environments and close quarters such as houses, jails, emergency rooms, and crowd control. Their cartridges have a range of 0-21 feet, 0-25 feet, and 0-35 feet (Taser, 2009). They have a good deterrent effect and unlike chemical munitions, decontamination is not a factor. The effectiveness of handheld CEDs can be limited by loose or thick clothing, low nerve or muscle mass on a subject, or wire breakage. Considerations must be made for increased deployment risk when activating handheld CEDs on subjects: in an elevated position (risk of falling), operating machinery, in flammable environments, in water (risk of drowning), obviously pregnant, and frail or infirmed. There are also problems with becoming too reliant on CEDs. Some agencies found that officers relied so heavily on handheld CED use to gain compliance from a subject that they bypassed non-violent conflict resolution techniques, such as negotiations; consequently, agency policies were revised on its use. One Northwest Florida agency does not allow the use of CEDs on subjects who merely refuse to comply (without physical resistance) with a verbal command. One feature developed on Taser CEDs is the anti-felon identification system that uses small confetti-like tags laden with the cartridge serial number in every cartridge. Once the Taser is deployed, the area is sprayed with the confetti-like tags leaving the cartridge serial number behind. Since there are too many to retrieve them all, this leaves a record of who the spent cartridge was registered to. To help prevent overuse and intentional abuse of the Taser, there is also a dataport that can be utilized to record the date and time of every trigger pull of the weapon. Opponents of CEDs have repeatedly claimed that they are responsible for many in-custody deaths. However, a study by the Department of Justice concluded that there is no conclusive medical evidenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that indicates a high risk of serious injury or death from the direct effects of CED exposure (DOJ, 2008). Furthermore, their reported link to deaths in subjects suffering from excited delirium, a syndrome characterized by agitation and psychosis, also has no foundation as those individuals are already unstable medically and at a high risk of mortality, even with medical intervention and the absence of CED deployment (DOJ, 2008). Belts Electronic stun belts became popular in 1994 when the Bureau of Prisons decided to use them in their medium and high-security lock-ups (Cusac, 1996). One brand of stun belt is the Remote Electronically Activated Control Technology (R.E.A.C.T.) belt manufactured by Stun-Tech, Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio (Staples, 1997). Electronic stun belts that are strapped around a subjects waist are primarily used for prisoner escorts and transports. The stun belt is a 4-inch wide elastic band with two metal prongs powered by a battery that are positioned over the left kidney and activated by a remote control (Staples, 1997). Once activated, it sends a 50, 000 volt shock in 8-second bursts to the back muscles of the subject wearing the belt. Their use can be advantageous to law enforcement personnel as they can be activated remotely. The officer can be as far 300 feet away from the subject when manning the control (Cusac, 1996). Use of the stun belt in courtrooms settings has been shrouded in controversy. In Hawkins v. Comparet-Cassani, the stun belt was place on defendant Ronnie Hawkins after he was being difficult and acting up in the lock-up area of the courthouse (Hawkins v. Comparet-Cassani, 2001). Once in the courtroom, the defendant continued to act in a disruptive manner and made several statements out of order so the judge ordered the officers to activate the stun belt. The court concluded that mere placement of the belt on a detainee raises serious questions going to the merits of the 4th Amendment and 8th Amendment claims and also addressed that it had the potential to compromise an individuals ability to participate in his or her own defense (Hawkins v. Comparet-Cassini, 2001). In People v. Mar, 28 CAL.4th 1201 (2002) the California Supreme Court ordered a new trial after the defendant, James Allen Mar, was unwillingly required to wear a stun belt during his trial (Ofgang, 2002). The court ruled that because of the nature of the device and its effect once activated, requiring an unwilling defendant to wear a stun belt during trial may have significant psychological consequences that may impair his ability to assist with his counsel and therefore violated his 6th Amendment right to counsel (Ofgang, 2002). Shields An electronic stun shield generates an electric shock that is only delivered when a subject touches the shield after it has been activates. Convex type electronic shields are used for crowd management or riot control and concave type electronic shields are used for capturing a subject (Stanley, 2008). The convex shield is used to push subjects away, while the concave is used for pinning subjects preventing their movement (Staples, 2008). Conclusion In an effort to minimize the risk of death and serious injuries to officers and citizens and limit damage to the adjacent areas, law enforcement agencies have employed the use of less lethal weapons. Less lethal weapons are available in a variety of devices that cause distraction, pain compliance, and temporary immobility. Some are better suited for open areas or outdoor environment, while others work well in smaller, enclosed areas. The use of less lethal weapons can cause physiological and psychological effects of varying severity. These effects lead to their success at being effective. Although the use of less lethal weapons reduces injuries to subjects, it also increases scrutiny of law enforcement use of force and often the liability of court action. Less lethal weapons come in a variety of devices that