The History of Bodybuilding

The History of Bodybuilding Among the obscure sports to choose from, one that the public have the least amount of knowledge about is the sport of bodybuilding. That is the competition with the guys in the little Speedo and enough instant bronze tan lotion to kill a horse. But Speedos and bronze tanner aside, the men and women who participate in this sport are in peak physical condition, training year round to maintain a physique that ancient Greeks attributed only to the gods. When it comes down to it, bodybuilding has a lot of similarities to other more recognized sports. They require hard work, much practice, and a relentless dedication to their sport. Bodybuilding certainly covers all of these areas and is a truly competitive sport.Bodybuilding is defined as the process of developing musculature of the body through specific types of diet and physical exercise, such as weightlifting, for competitive exhibition. From 1890 to 1929 was the first time period when bodybuilding became a commercially recognized spor t and gained great popularity from the general public.Ronnie Coleman 8 x Mr Olympia 2009 Melbourne, VIC,...The first famous bodybuilder was Eugen Sandow, who became known as "The Father of Modern Bodybuilding." On March 28th 1891, the first World Bodybuilding Championship was held in London. Five years later, in 1896, the first European Bodybuilding Championship took place. This was also the year in which the first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens with weightlifting as one of the events.The 1940's to the 1970's were known as the "Golden Age of Bodybuilding." Training techniques were advancing along with the equipment used. During this period, bodybuilding enjoyed more commercial success. Movies such as Hercules, Tarzan, and Superman featured bodybuilders-turned-actors. The manufacturing of exercise equipment was at an all-time high, and pros were endorsing specialized nutrition supplements that were specifically geared toward the bodybuilding community.

According to science these are techniques on how to be happier at work

According to science these are techniques on how to be happier at work Being happy at work is important; it is the place where you spend 40+ hours weekly. Your happiness is usually reflected in the work you produce and your overall attitude. Happy workers  tend to be more productive than unhappy workers. We understand you’re not going to be in the best mood every day, especially if you are working a lot of overtime and feel under appreciated. But with these techniques, you can have a higher job satisfaction and be happier at work.  Source [NetCredit]

Letter reference former prof Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Letter reference former prof - Essay Example I believe it will be worth mentioning her unique teaching style that really brought out the best in us, her students. She is a teacher in every sense of the word because she was able to make her students understand the toughest concepts about Molecular Biology almost effortlessly. Her teaching approach is very supportive that made us very comfortable in her class. She always has this unusual calmness and patience that even if we mess up with our experiments, she does not lose her temper. She was always there to guide us and to discover by ourselves certain problems that really made us understand the subject. She was very patient and never made her student feel inadequate whenever we ask questions. She explained it to us very clearly to the point that she made molecular biology very easy even if many students find it difficult. I can remember that I always looked forward attending to her class because I find it stimulating in the atmosphere of support and encouragement which makes Pro fessor X’s class unique. Professor X’s love for knowledge is contagious. Her enthusiasm about the subject matter rubbed on us that made everybody look forward for the next class. Her method of teaching does not only elucidate, but also encourage the students to excel thus encouraging her students to be the best that they can be. Professor X is also an authority on the subject she teaches but despite of her academic stature, she is very generous to accommodate students in her research that allows us to grow in ways that classroom experiences cannot provide. After graduation, she let me work for her as a Research Assistant for two academic years which provided me invaluable learning insight about the practical aspect of Molecular Biology. Professor X does not only encourage us to learn about theoretical concepts but also the experimental aspects of Molecular Biology and its application to the

Social Science Essay How do Humans Relate to each other

Social Science How do Humans Relate to each other - Essay Example Seeking to find something that they can distinctly understand, or even identify with, as it comes to their overall formation of an opinion. To be able to do this enables a clearer idea, or connection, to not just the person for whom a connection is sought, but also that which they are actually saying themselves. In the end, when all is said and done, how humans interact with each other comes down to finding that which we can identify with in another person and seeking to understand such a realization as it comes to a situation(s) which would have occurred in our own lives. Throughout the history of mankind, situations have arisen that have in return shaped not just the physical, but also ideological mindset that in turn translates into what the mind constructs as thoughts, feelings and ultimately the opinions that are had about things at any given moment. While each situation can be quite different as it comes to a given person, at the root of it can be found an underlying thread of similarity in which another person may find solace in the notion that, to some degree, that which was experienced by them does not isolate them from the rest of humanity, but to some degree, would have been felt by someone else as well. In this instance, a connection would be found and people who may have been complete strangers prior to their introduction, would ultimately find their interaction forever changed by this uniform event that would have held some form of significance to all involved. â€Å"Many people believe that creating the opportunity for personal contact fosters positive attitudes toward members of other groups. Indeed, this assumption provides the rationale for numerous international exchange programs for high school and college students. There are also international â€Å"sister city† programs, wherein a U.S. City pairs itself with a city in another country and encourages the

The Oil Politics Essay Example for Free

The Oil Politics Essay The controversy over oil has been raging for quite a while. It has played into the international politics and the politics of terrorism. The Middle East is the most volatile area of the world at present. Israel is viewed as a satellite of the United States located in the Arab world to represent the superpowers interests in the region. Incidentally the Middle East is a region endowed with oil, a precious commodity sought after by every government. The main occupation and foreign exchange earner for these countries is therefore oil and petroleum products with which they use as a bargaining chip in the global arena. The current fluctuation in the price of petroleum around the world is a cause of worry. Some analysts are leveling blame on the oil producing countries claiming they have deliberately raised the oil prices. On their side, the countries have refuted the allegations instead blaming the rise to private entrepreneurs who hoard the commodity with the hope that prices would increase even further. Apart from the Middle East, North Africa has got also oil deposits. Coincidentally the region is also dominated by Arabs, who have formed grouping the organization of petroleum exporting countries OPEC. As importers complain of the rising oil prices, oil exporters celebrate the economic boom as a result of the rise in prices. Their gross domestic product increases and the general standards of living appreciate. As usual with the developed world to get their hands into any opportunity presenting itself, the oil industry is attracting foreign companies into Africa to help in the exploration of oil. New exploration sites are discovered in the vast continent of Africa, especially in the north. The bedeviled state of Mauritania is so far the latest country in Africa to join the league of oil exporters after explorations proved positive results. Since Exploration costs are damn expensive but this is not a hindrance to the exercise Africa is witnessing the largest investment in the continent ever, in the oil exploration field. Since the year 1990 more than US $20 billion has been spend on explorations around the continent and a further $50 billion is expected to have been spent by the end of the decade. Dominating the oil industry are three international companies, shell, Total and Chevron. Shell is a British Dutch consortium which invested 15% of its global exploration and production budget in the continent of Africa. France-based Total and America-based Chevron has invested 30% and 35% respectively in the industry in Africa. The American oil company has planned for United States$20 billion to be invested in Africa for a five year period. The Gulf of Guinea is the most appropriate part of Africa at the moment attracting the different exploration companies. It is an area with deep waters. This area found in the Western Coast of Africa just at the â€Å"armpit† is suspected to be having large deposits of the precious commodity. Some oil has already been discovered within the coverage area of the Gulf but more is still to be discovered as exploration progresses. Other sub-Saharan countries endowed with oil albeit smaller in quantities are southern Sudan and Southern Chad both under semi desert conditions. They have been producing oil and exporting in small quantities. The explorations are however taking place to find out if more can be tapped. The East Africa margin covering Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania are among targets of explorers for oil. The United States is warming up to reap from the harvest of oil and petroleum products from Africa. The country has been watching Africa from a distant making its calculations on how to have the continents oil. Discoveries in Africa increased making headlines in the last decade. The United States predicted an increase of its oil sourced from Africa by 10% from 16% to 25% by the 2015 the year when the United Nations’ millennium Development Goals are expected to have been achieved. In a report released in December of 2000 the United States National Intelligence Council predicted sub-Saharan Africa’s raise to prominence in the global energy markets. The council is a consultant for the central Intelligence Agency. If the predications come true, then the continent would be ahead of Saudi Arabia in terms of oil export to the United States. In close relation to this, the United States Vice President Dick Cheney formed a taskforce to compile a strategic report on oil. The report finalized by stating that West Africa will soon be among the fastest growing sources in the world in production of oil and gas for the United States (Basedau) As stated earlier, the United States receives around 16% of its oil from Africa a figure is expected to increase to 25% in 2015. at the current consumption rate the United States feels there is due need to increase oil energy inputs. This, the National Security strategy notes will be achieved by the United States strengthening its ties with the continent. In an effort for the United States achieving its dream it plans to invest in democracy crusades to strengthen the political systems in prospective source countries of oil. This is time as some of the target areas are marred by violence a situation that may make it difficult for exploration and transportation of oil. Examples in this case are Nigeria, a country rocked by a rebellion in the Niger Delta where oil is mined. The rebellion is led by people complaining of unfairness in the way resources are distributed. Chad is also facing the same problem with so many attempted coups, necessitating intervention by France to bring order and due process. Southern Sudan is equally bedeviled by the political instability problems. Of late, the Southern Sudanese leader Omar Hassan El Bashir has been recommended for arrest by the international criminal court prosecutor Moreno Ocampo for committing acts of genocide among other crimes against humanity. The fact that oil is in Southern Sudan a section that is demanding its independence from the mainland is a sign of worse times to come. This explains why the United States is busy pushing for a democratic regime in the region. On the 17th of May 2001 President Bush remarked on the importance of diversifying the source of energy used. He mentioned that overdependence on one source may result into a rude shock subjecting the United States to blackmail, supply interruptions and price shocks. The alternative available then remains to search for other sources west cost of Africa being in the list. Other areas are Latin America and the Caspian Sea basin (Klare, 2004). In Africa therefore, United States is planning for Nigeria, Angola and the states within the Gulf of Guinea. However the greatest hindrance for the United States would be as mentioned earlier, the political and ethnic tensions in the oil producing countries. The Delta region in Nigeria had the United States and other explores sent packing in 2003 due to the ethnic animosities and demands for more community project funding. The site produces much of onshore oil in Nigeria. The demands of these groups brought about massive vandalism of oil exploration sites causing a downsizing of Nigeria’s oil production instead of increasing. In its commitment to tap oil from Africa, the United States has therefore opted to give military assistance to friendly regimes to help them fight the menace of the cartels and armed groups blackmailing the government. Nigeria and Angola received United States assistance totaling to three hundred million American dollars from 2002 to 2004. The Excess Defense Articles program of the Pentagon also advanced eligibility to the two countries to receive surplus arms for the same reason. The United States has also been considering establishing naval bases especially in Nigeria and the Sao, Tome and Principe Islands. Currently the United States is supplied with oil from various countries with the highest supplier being Canada. Mexico and Saudi Arabia follow in the list in that order with Venezuela and the African country of Nigeria closing the top five list. Five to eight percent of 20 million barrels total United States demand per day is what each of these countries supply to the United States. An analysis of the 2005 oil supply to the United States puts Latin America highest at 34% of the total imports to the United States. The Middle East comes second supplying 24% while Africa supplied 19%. Canada stood at 16% and lastly Europe and Asia exported seven percent to the United States (Kern 2006). Africa’s oil is advantageous for its lack of sulphur thus making it preferable for stringent refined product requirements. It gives it a growing share in the market for refining centers in the United States. It is estimated that the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, holds 3% of the total oil reserves globally. This is to the environs of 40 billion barrels, in the West African region alone (Kern 2006). The figures provided are conservative as the total estimates proven or otherwise may be more by four percent- that is 7%. West Africa countries the Bush Administration is targeting include- and the order remains arbitrary- Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Chad, Nigeria, Gabon and Congo. The fifth largest supplier of oil to the United States, Nigeria is the largest producer in Africa with a daily pumping of 2 million barrels. The figures also represent the quantity produced per day by Iraq before it was unilaterally invaded by the United States in March 2003. Being a member of the international cartel- the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries- Nigeria has to go by the policies and standards set by this grouping. They include limiting production to a certain level subject to the world market conditions. Due to a weak political system, Nigeria, with a population in excess of 130 million people is wallowing in the miasma of corruption and bad governance. Its annual per capita income reduced substantially from US $1000 to a mere $390 in 2006 with most of the proceeds from oil finding its way into individual’s pockets. The continent’s most populous nation earned more than US $300 in 25 years to 2006 but the revenue was shared among the bourgeoisie and the political elite. Only 1% of the population benefit effectively from 80% of the oil proceeds according to the World Bank (Kern 2006). In its recommendation, a 2005 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies pointed out that America should prioritize explicitly the security and governance issue in the Gulf of Guinea in its foreign policy towards the continent. Titled â€Å"A Strategic US Approach to Governance and Security in the Gulf of Guinea† the report called for a promulgation of a robust and comprehensive policy for the West African region (Kerk 2006). As a matter of strategy the United States is considering softer military interventions in the continent. Through the Pentagon’s Trans-Saharan Counter-Terrorism Initiative, the United States provides military training to some nine African countries on ways of dealing with terrorism and on how to effect regional security. The US is further planning on establishing military bases in some African countries bordering the ocean for strategic reasons. Nigeria The damning story is the bloodshed and the hostage taking in Nigeria in Ogoniland. Hostage taking of foreigners is a way of life with the perpetrators demanding for resource control and access to oil money. The continent in general is a hotspot for oil, as east Africa is just about becoming the next oil boom for the continent, after the successful explorations in the west. In the East however, China would be the beneficiary due to proximity, the reason why it has its explorers in Kenya and Sudan. Nigeria is a strategic partner for the west. As the anchor for British and American foreign policies in Africa, the country has developed warm relations with the west. It is the most populous country in Africa with one out of every six Africans being a Nigerian (Ghazrinian 2007). The country has a large experienced army participating in peace-keeping missions around the world. The oil in Africa has not been used to its optimum potential. It is a bad news in some countries bringing on to the continent proxy wars of the west. China for instance gets 30% of its oil from Africa (Ghazvinian 2007). Of this 10% is from the Sudan where the Asian country has been accused of supplying ammunitions to the Sudanese Government, the ammunitions which are used to terrorize the people of Darfur in southern Sudan. The positive side of the Chinese is however, the human resource base they help build in Africa. They have participated in the development of infrastructure in Africa, as is the Angolan case where they jetted in for construction of railway line and tarmac roads with minimal conditions. Getting to the central African country of Chad, a country marred by violence and political instability. The country is in the Sahel region, twice the size of France with a 400 km-long paved road. It is among the poorest countries on earth, with the national airline having only one airplane. Ironically, the country lacks any gas station yet it produces the commodity. Its people are languishing in hell yet the country exports crude oil through Cameroon to Europe and America. The oil is traded through ExxonMobil Company. Worth mentioning also is the fact that some of these oil producing countries have the largest gaps between the poor and rich. In fact they are gulfs, not even gaps. The rich continue flourishing out of oil proceeds with the lower cadre of society languishing in abject poverty, malnutrition, diseases and low education, and living on less than a US$ a day! This then encourages prostitution as the effluent individual use the poor fellows as sex objects thus contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS among other infections venereal diseases (Ghazvinian 2007). The oil factor is a cause of anarchy in most African countries. Democratic reforms are poised to increase with the decrease of oil revenues, as taxes would take up the position currently received for oil revenue. The regime has been neglecting the tax-paying middle class, concentrating instead on oil revenue thus neglecting social reforms. The case in Gabon is a pretty example. It is only when world oil prices fell and prospects for a decline in Gabonese oil realized that the Omar Bongo regime considered the economic reforms by the Breton Woods institutions aimed at democratization. The opposition gained a voice in governmental affairs as was a rise in civil society groups. He had to limit state allocations in 1986 after facing a rear break in the oil industry (Basedau). The presence of petrol-dollars retards people’s thinking on alternative income. Banana project, for instance, has been neglected yet it can earn handsomely to the nation and entrepreneurs in particular. Now they have left unpicked bananas as they import goodies from abroad. Sao Tome and Principe is yet another tiny African Island rocked in political instability but rich in oil resources yet to be exploited. It is facing a dilemma over how to share billions of barrels of oil reserves, offshore its territory. Anticipated are hostilities from its neighbors including the popular Nigeria. As tiny as it is, the country is so different from Africa: from its politics, society and culture. It is more European with little if any traces of African lifestyle (Ghazvinian 2007). In a 2003 speech in Washington USA, Sao, Tome and Principe President Fradique de Menez reiterated his hope and commitment that his Island would not drown into civil war, ethnic hatred and economic regression, because of oil. Oil is instead supposed to bring more development and economic satisfaction to the population (Ghazvinian). The country is however miserably poor with only high school but without any university. Half of the capital city is occupied by government officer. The national budget sums to a meager $50 million financed majorly from agriculture and fishing. Agricultural produce are coffee and cacao, putting the island in the list of the major recipients of direct aid relative to GDP as 35million is received annually in the form of international development aid. The country is not strange to armed coups. It is among the African countries who political cultures are informed by armed coups. Between 1991 and 2007, the island experienced fourteen changes of guard, with more uncertainties expected in case oil would be discovered. Nigeria is on record as having help crush an armed rebellion in Sao Tome in 2003,a clean indication of its involvement in the tiny African state.

The Great Plague Of Europe Essay -- Diseases/Disorders

The Great Plague killed nearly half of the European population during the fourteenth century. A plague is a widespread illness. The Illness was also known as the â€Å"Black Death†. Most of the European people believed the plague was the beginning of the end of the world. They were scarcely equipped and unready for what was to be entailed. It was by far one of the worst epidemics yet to be seen in those times. The Great Plague of Europe made its way all throughout the continent and its population. The plague started on the western side of Europe; off the coast of Italy. It arrived by sea between the fall of 1347 and through early spring 1348. Italy was affected so hard that only one out of seven victims would recover in those parts. The plague reached Spain, France, England and Russia before making its way to the East within three years. The medieval pandemic swept through Asia as well, China was most affected as it lied in the center of travel. The Black Death was caused through various transmissions. The most common cause was through rodents. Rodents such as rats had been seen all over the cities. These rats carried excessive amounts of fleas with them. The fleas itself are what caused the actual spread, from the rats to the human populations, by ingesting the infected blood from its host. The pandemic then spread from one area of Europe to the next, by trade routes, after the rats boarded upon merchant ships and traveled down the rivers. The most common water way used was the black sea. The disease spread from the port cities to the surrounding countryside. A few ports tried to stop all ships from entering in hopes of not getting infected, but instead it just spread more when they turned to an inviting port near by. It spread ... ...dren.about.com/od/theblackdeath/a/death_defined.htm>. Wattenburg, Ben. "Human extermination." Gadsden Times [Alabama] : A4+. Web. 20 May 2012. . "black death." History.com. A&E Television Networks, LLC, 1996-2012. Web. 20 May 2012. . "Killing Game." Blogspot.com. N.p., 27 Dec. 2006. Web. 8 May 2012. . "Plague the black death." national geographics 1996-2012: 1+. Web. 4 May 2012. "The Black Death, 1348." eyewittnesstohistory.com. eye wittness to history, 2001. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. .

Team Sports Economis Assignment

Name: James Sumner Student ID: 33255189 Question: Critically evaluate the approaches and policies to achieve competitive balance in North American Sports and European sports through an examination of competitive balance philosophy and policy in North American and European professional sports organisations. Illustrate your analysis with examples from both the European and North American professional sports leagues. Tutor: John Embery Statement of Authenticity: I confirm that this submission is all my own work. Any quotations are properly referenced using the Harvard referencing method.All errors and omission are my responsibility alone. Word Count: 1744 There is a lot of distinction today between the North American and the European model for sport in order to achieve what each seems to perceive as the right competitive balance. This can be defined as ‘the actual performance of a league to the performance that would have occurred if the league had the maximum degree of competitiv e balance in the sense that all teams were equal in playing strengths. The less the deviation of actual league performance from that ideal league, the greater is the degree of competitive balance’ (1).This essay will outline what policies and approaches both the American and European sports models have in order to achieve competitive balance by looking at each continents system of competition, the extensive system of team and player restraints in America such as salary caps compared to the relaxed system Europe has and also amateur and professional sports in both models. It is important to note that not all sports adhere to their so called ‘model’. Sports in America such as football, baseball, hockey and basketball are very diversified in terms of rules, scheduling, commercialization etc.The European model is largely based on one sport, football/soccer which we know is not what other sports follow. In North America there is a closed system of competition meaning no promotion or relegation from a league. This means that the same teams compete in the same league every year. From this we can conclude that the North American model supports equality and fairness not competitiveness, which could then be perceived as good for achieving competitive balance in the sense that teams do not have to worry about being relegated to a lower division.This would also mean that teams get to know their counterparts very well which would also add to the competitive balance aspect of sport. However no promotion or relegation may also be deemed as uncompetitive and unbalanced because teams know each year they will still be competing in the same league the season after. This could lead to clubs getting complacent and happy to be in mid-table of their respective leagues as the amount of money all teams earn is astronomical. In NFL the Dallas Cowboys were valued in 2012 at $2. billion (2. ) yet didn’t even finish in the top 6 of their respected league (3). In Europe teams can fluctuate up and down divisions therefore making our sports more based on competitiveness and the will to win which could also be interpreted as competitively balanced or unbalanced. It could achieve higher competitive balance because it allows better teams to move up and play against other better teams but it could also be unbalanced because teams moving up may not have the same resources as other teams in that league.For example Barnsley does not have the same amount of resources Manchester United has if they were promoted. An extensive system of team and player restraints in America certainly improves the goal of competitive balance. There is a salary cap on not just players but also clubs as well. Since most leagues compute their caps on the basis of revenues for the preceding season, the cap is actually a fixed sum. In North America the NBA, NFL, NHL and Canadian football league have all installed salary caps (4).For example in 2006 the NFL had a salary cap of approximately $102 million. If a team breaches the league’s salary cap for the season then the fines and penalties incurred are then shared between the rest of the teams in that league (5). These salary caps were put into place to achieve two main objectives: increasing competitive balance and for clubs to be financially stable. To say this has been a success is an understatement as many clubs not just in the NFL but also the NHL and NBA are now worth more than half a billion dollars.Competitive balance is also extremely high as 13 different clubs have won the NFL in the last 21 years compared to that of only 5 in the English Premier League (6). Salary caps have prevented large clubs becoming too dominant in America which is exactly what has occurred in Europe, in Spain there is only Barcelona or Real Madrid, in England there is Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea competing for the titles. This is partly due to player’s demands for wage rises and bonuses. M ost clubs simply cannot offer a player ? 80,000 per week.To give an example in terms the amount big clubs spend on wages to compared to smaller ones in 2009 Manchester United spent ? 123. 1 million while West Bromwich Albion spent ? 30. 0 million (7). This is the main reason why competitive balance in the EFL has drifted further apart in recent years. The media, other big organisations from different industries and even governments have heavily criticised the way European football clubs are run because of this and also because clubs can then not afford to pay off their debts. There is one sport that is an exception in Europe and that is rugby union.They have imposed salary caps on players since 1999 and it has been largely successful for them as well. No clubs have fallen into financial meltdown since the measure was introduced and players have been happy to comply with the cap (8). As previously outlined there are also lots of player restraints that come with playing sport in Ameri ca. For example clubs have the power not the players. The players are owned by the league not the clubs and must go as a group/union to the league if an issue arises. The ‘draft’ is a system where players are chosen from the colleges/universities by the clubs.The picking order for this is determined by the clubs previous season’s finish in the league with the clubs occupying the lower league positions getting the first pick. This hugely increases competitive balance as obviously they will pick the best players which in theory would bring the teams closer together in terms of quality for the next season. Therefore before the start of each season each team has just as good a chance of winning the league as the others. With the NFL having 13 different champions in 21 years it shows that that the system works and is a lot more competitive than football in Europe. 9) The policy or approach that ties these team and player restraints together in North America is called ‘the collective bargaining system’. These are largely labour agreements between the league, clubs and players where issues such as minimum and maximum salary caps are agreed. This system has been described as the ‘very essential difference compared with Europe, where the sports industry concept and player unions have been relatively weaker and not equipped with the necessary bargaining powers’ (10).According to Fort there are also 3 other major differences between the American and European models that affect competitive balance. The fans, sports organisations and team objectives are all different. There is evidence to support this assumption as studies have shown that both sets of fans want different things. America does have better policies to keep the competitive balance fair but in terms of the rules of the games the balance is a lot closer in Europe. For example in Europe we have draws in football making the balance higher, Americans have overtime in th e NFL until one of the teams score.Also in Europe we have lower scoring games such as 1-0 or 1-1, in America this is considered boring and teams regularly score over 30 points in a game. Therefore some aspects of European sports do have a higher competitive balance than some American sports. There are also major differences between amateur and professional sports. In America there is a sharp distinction between the two levels each with its own integrated structures. Athletes that compete in Amateur sports in America are unpaid whereas quite a lot of amateur players in Europe are.These athletes are also governed by more than one organisation. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Amateur Sports Alliance of North America (ASANA) are just two of these. This is a more horizontal system rather than the vertically integrated system Europe has which means that professionals and amateurs do not compete against each other. This could be seen as a good approach to achiev e competitive balance as there are amateur and professional levels for a reason, mainly because the level of skill required in professional sports is a lot higher.Therefore by keeping them separate each athlete knows where they stand. You are either a professional and get paid or you’re an amateur, not a mixture of both like we have in Europe. The pyramid structure of European sports organisations such as UEFA and the FA for example brings together amateur and professional sports into a vertical system governed for the common good by integrated associations and federations. In this vertical system there is not such a sharp distinction between amateur and professional sports.For example Bath City, an amateur team, beat Grimsby Town, a professional team in the 2009 FA Cup first round (12). Therefore the two different levels of sport in Europe can compete against each other. This approach to achieving competitive balance could be seen as both positive and negative in terms of ac hieving competitive balance. The positive side is the fact that with our promotion and relegation system amateur teams can develop into professional ones. AFC Wimbledon set up after Wimbledon FC was liquidated by the supporters and had amateurs playing.They had five promotions in nine years propelling them into the football league making them a professional club (13). The negative side to having little distinction between the two levels is that big professional teams can play small amateur teams which would not be good in terms of achieving competitive balance as the gap in skill level would be too much for the smaller teams. It has been shown therefore that the North American and European sports models are very different in their policies and approaches to achieving competitive balance.Salary caps for players and limiting the amount sports teams can spend in America has proved positive for achieving competitive balance. Thirteen different champions in 21years proves it has been a s uccess. The closed system and promotion and relegation system both have aspects that bring competitive balance closer but also aspects which take it further away. References/Bibliography 1) Noll 1991 2) Mike Ozanian. (2012). Dallas Cowboys Lead NFL With $2. 1 Billion Valuation. Available: http://www. forbes. com/sites/mikeozanian/2012/09/05/dallas-cowboys-lead-nfl-with-2-1-billion-valuation/. 3)

Clothes Can Tell a Lot About a Person

Prisoners Freed Chapter: 27 Page: 217 â€Å"My island was now peopled, and I thought myself very rich in subjects; and it was a merry reflection, which I frequently made, how like a king I looked. First of all, the whole country was my own mere property, so that I had an undoubted right of dominion. Secondly, my people were perfectly subjected. I was absolute lord and lawgiver, they all owed their lives to me, and were ready to lay down their lives, if there had been occasion of it, for me.It was remark-able, too, we had but three subjects, and they were of three different religions. My man Friday was a Protestant, his father was a Pagan and a cannibal. And the Spaniard was a papist. However, I allowed liberty of conscience throughout my dominions. But this is by the way. † -Robinson here start to talk about how he's very comfortable and happy of his island and his people that they allowed their lives to him, and mention that he allowed liberty of conscience throughout his dom inions. religious freedom† Chapter: 27 Page: 220-221 â€Å"He told me they were all of them very civil, honest men, and they were under the greatest distress imaginable, having neither weapons nor clothes, nor any food, but at the mercy and discretion of the savages; out of all hopes of ever returning to their own country; and that he was sure, if I would undertake their relief, they would live and die by me. † When Robinson was afraid of the Spaniard's men and he might be ill used for his kindness to them and make his case worse than it was before the Spaniard start to tell him about their case and their condition after that Robinson resolved to venture to relieve them. Chapter: 27 Page:224 â€Å"I was fast asleep in my hutch one morning, when my man Friday came running in to me, and called aloud, â€Å"Master, master, they are come, they are come! I jumped up, and regardless of danger I went, as soon as I could get my clothes on, through my little grove, which, by t he way, was by this time grown to be a very thick wood; I say, regardless of danger I went without my arms, which was not my custom to do; but I was surprised when, turning my eyes to the sea, I presently saw a boat at about a league and a half distance, standing in for the shore, with a shoulder-of-mutton sail, as they call it, and the wind blowing pretty fair to bring them in: also I observed, presently, that they did not come from that side which the shore lay on, but from the southernmost end of the island.Upon this I called Friday in, and bade him lie close, for these were not the people we looked for, and that we might not know yet whether they were friends or enemies. † -Here when Robinson jumped up and went out without his arms. He thought that the boat is for his friend but he found out that they're an Englishmen. He was onfused because they might be his countrymen and friends or enemies and because of that he starts to observe them. Chapter: 28 Page: 226-227 This put me in mind of the first time when I came on shore, and began to look about me; how I gave myself over for lost; how wildly I looked round me; what dreadful apprehensions I had; and how I lodged in the tree all night for fear of being devoured by wild beasts. † -Robinson said that after he saw three prisoners with the Englishmen and after he observed the outrageous usage by the seamen they remind him of himself. Chapter: 28 Page: 228-229 â€Å"I came as near them undiscovered as I could, and then, before any of them saw me, I called aloud to them in Spanish, â€Å"What are ye, gentlemen? They started up at the noise, but were ten times more confounded when they saw me, and the uncouth figure that I made. They made no answer at all, but I thought I perceived them just going to fly from me, when I spoke to them in English. â€Å"Gentlemen,† said I, â€Å"do not be surprised at me; perhaps you may have a friend near when you did not expect it. † â€Å"He must be sent directly from heaven then,† said one of them very gravely to me, and pulling off his hat at the same time to me; â€Å"for our condition is past the help of man. â€Å"All help is from heaven, sir,† said I, â€Å"but can you put a stranger in the way to help you? for you seem to be in some great distress. I saw you when you landed; and when you seemed to make application to the brutes that came with you, I saw one of them lift up his sword to kill you. † -Robinson catch the right time when most of the seamen were sleeping and go to the prisoners and talk with them and ask them about their condition and asked them how can help them. After that he found out that one of them is the captain of the boat his men have mutinied against him.And the other his mate and a passenger. Chapter:28 Page:230 â€Å"my conditions are but two; first, that while you stay in this island with me, you will not pretend to any authority here; and if I put arms in your hands, you wil l, upon all occasions, give them up to me, and do no prejudice to me or mine upon this island, and in the meantime be governed by my orders; secondly, that if the ship is or may be recovered, you will carry me and my man to England passage free. † -When Robinson agreed to venture upon their deliverance and to recovered the boat . his was his conditions with the captain and the two men and they accepted that and said that they would live and die with him so according to that Robinson gave them arms and pistol and musket so they complete their plan and succeed and kill the two who was the cause of the revolution and control the rest. Chapter:28 Page:239 â€Å"At length they came up to the boat: but it is impossible to express their confusion when they found the boat fast aground in the creek, the tide ebbed out, and their two men gone.We could hear them call one to another in a most lamentable manner, telling one another they were got into an enchanted island; that either there were inhabitants in it, and they should all be murdered, or else there were devils and spirits in it, and they should be all carried away and devoured. † -Robinson ordered Friday and the captain's mate with him to make a trick for the seamen which is to halloo as loud as they could to draw the seamen as far into the island and among the woods as possible. So Robinson can go to the boat and deal with the men inside it.And when they came back to the boat deadly tired they and didn’t find their men. Chapter: 28 Page:240-241 â€Å"In a word, they all laid down their arms and begged their lives; and I sent the man that had parleyed with them, and two more, who bound them all; and then my great army of fifty men, which, with those three, were in all but eight, came up and seized upon them, and upon their boat; only that I kept myself and one more out of sight for reasons of state. † -now each and everyone of the seamen yield to them and they won the battle.Chapter:29 Page:245 â€Å"I was at first ready to sink down with the surprise; for I saw my deliverance, indeed, visibly put into my hands, all things easy, and a large ship just ready to carry me away whither I pleased to go. At first, for some time, I was not able to answer him one word; but as he had taken me in his arms I held fast by him, or I should have fallen to the ground. † -When the captain recover the boat he gave Robinson a boat so he couldn’t express his feelings he was so happy and surprised.And he thought the captain was sent to him from heaven to deliver him. Chapter:29 Page: 246 â€Å"When we had talked a while, the captain told me he had brought me some little refreshment, such as the ship afforded, and such as the wretches that had been so long his masters had not plundered him of. † -Here we notice the love between the captain and Robinson from this quotation we read what the captain bring to Robinson many kind of food and cloth. Robinson was very happ y with it and as he said â€Å"he clothed me from head to feet† Chapter:29 Page:247-248 I could not tell what was best for them, unless they had a mind to take their fate in the island. If they desired that, as I had liberty to leave the island, I had some inclination to give them their lives, if they thought they could shift on shore. † _Robinson let the prisoners choose their fate to stay in the island if they want but the captain doesn’t want to leave them in the island. Chapter:29 Page:248 â€Å"When they had all declared their willingness to stay, I then told them I would let them into the story of my living there, and put them into the way of making it easy to them.Accordingly, I gave them the whole history of the place, and of my coming to it; showed them my fortifications, the way I made my bread, planted my corn, cured my grapes; and, in a word, all that was necessary to make them easy. † -When all the prisoners declared their willingness to stay. Robinson start to tell them about the place history and some ways to make their life easier and give them his firearms and description of the way he managed the goats and how to make both butter and cheese and give them some food which the captain had brought him to eat and bade them be sure to sow and increase them .Chapter:29 Page:250 â€Å"In this vessel, after a long voyage, I arrived in England the 11th of June, in the year 1687, having been thirty-five years absent. † -Robinson left the island The 19th of December in the year 1686 after he had upon it eight and twenty years two months and nineteen and arrived in England the 11th of June in the year 1687.

Biography of Marco Polo, Merchant and Explorer

Biography of Marco Polo, Merchant and Explorer Marco Polo (c.1254–January 8, 1324) was a Venetian merchant and explorer who followed in the footsteps of his father and uncle. His writings about China and the Mongol Empire in The Travels of Marco Polo had a significant impact on European beliefs about and behavior toward the East and inspired the travels of Christopher Columbus. Fast Facts: Marco Polo Known For: Exploration of the Far East and writing about his travelsBorn: c. 1254 in the city-state of Venice (modern Italy)Parents: Niccolà ² Polo, Nicole Anna DefusehDied: January 8, 1324 in VeniceEducation: UnknownPublished Works: The Travels of Marco PoloSpouse: Donata BadoerChildren: Bellela Polo, Fantina Polo, Moretta PoloNotable Quote: â€Å"I have not told the half of what I saw.† Early Years Marco Polo was born into a prosperous merchant family in 1254 in what was then the Italian city-state of Venice. His father Niccolo and uncle Maffeo had already left Venice for a trading trip before Marco was born, and Marcos mother died before the expedition returned. As a result, young Marco was raised by relatives. Meanwhile, Marcos father and uncle traveled to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), encountering Mongol uprisings and the Byzantine re-conquest of Constantinople along the way. The brothers then headed east to Bukhara (modern-day Uzbekistan), and, from there, were encouraged to meet with the great Mongolian emperor Kublai Khan (the grandson of Genghis Khan) in his court in what is now Beijing. Kublai Khan took a liking to the Italian brothers and learned a great deal from them about European culture and technology. A few years later, Kublai Khan sent the Polo brothers back to Europe on a mission to the Pope, asking that missionaries be sent to convert the Mongols (no mission was ever sent). By the time the Polos returned to Venice the year was 1269; Niccolo discovered that his wife had died in the interim, leaving him a 15-year-old son. The father, uncle, and son got along well; two years later, in 1271, the three left Venice once again and headed east. Travels With His Father Marco, his father, and his uncle sailed across the Mediterranean Sea and then traveled overland, crossing Armenia, Persia, Afghanistan, and the Pamir Mountains. Finally, they set off across the Gobi Desert to China and Kublai Khan. The entire journey took about four years, including a period during which the group stayed in the mountains of Afghanistan while Marco recovered from illness. Despite the hardships, Marco discovered a love for travel and a desire to learn as much as he could about the cultures he encountered. Upon reaching Beijing, the Polos were welcomed to Kublai Khans legendary marble and gold summer palace, Xanadu. All three men were invited to join the emperors court, and all three immersed themselves in Chinese language and culture. Marco was appointed to become a special envoy to the emperor, which entitled him to travel throughout Asia, thus becoming the first European to see Tibet, Burma, and India. His service to the emperor was exemplary; as a result, he received the titles of governor of a Chinese city and earned a seat on the emperors council. Return to Venice After a successful stay of more than 17 years in China, the Polos had become extraordinarily wealthy. They finally left as the escorts to a Mongolian princess named Cogatin, who was to become the bride of a Persian prince. Though they had the use of a fleet of Chinese ships, hundreds of passengers and crew members died during the voyage home. When they reached Persia, the brides Persian prince had died as well, leading to a delay while the right match was found for the young princess. During the multi-year trip, Kublai Khan himself died, which left the Polos vulnerable to local rulers who exacted taxes from the Polos before they were allowed to leave. The Polos returned to Venice as strangers in their own land. When they arrived, Venice was at war with the rival city-state of Genoa. As was the custom, Marco funded his own warship, but he was captured and imprisoned in Genoa. Publication of The Travels of Marco Polo While in prison for two years, Marco Polo dictated an account of his travels to a fellow prisoner (and author) named Rusticello. In 1299, the war ended and Marco Polo was released; he returned to Venice, married Donata Badoer, and had three daughters while reviving his successful business. During this time, The Travels of Marco Polo was published in French. Published before the invention of the printing press, the book was copied by hand by scholars and monks, and each of the surviving 130 or so copies is different. Over time, the book was translated into many different languages and distributed worldwide. At the time of its publication, few readers believed that the book was literally accurate, and many questioned whether it was written by Polo or Rusticello. It seems likely that much of the book is hearsay, as it contains both first-person and third-person passages. Nevertheless, most of the books description of Kublai Kahns court and customs have been authenticated by historians. The Strange Worlds of Marco Polo In addition to accurate, first-hand descriptions of Asian customs, Marco Polos book also provided Europes introduction to paper money, coal, and other important innovations. At the same time, however, it includes stories of people with tails, lands occupied almost entirely by cannibals, and other impossible or unlikely claims. His description of coal is accurate and, in the long run, was very influential: Throughout this province there is found a sort of black stone, which they dig out of the mountains, where it runs in veins. When lighted, it burns like charcoal, and retains the fire much better than wood; inso- much that it may be preserved during the night, and in the morning be found still burning. These stones do not flame, excepting a little when first lighted, but during their ignition give out a considerable heat. On the other hand, his account of the Kingdom of Lambri (theoretically near Java) is pure fiction: Now you must know that in this kingdom of Lambri there are men with tails; these tails are of a palm in length, and have no hair on them. These people live in the mountains and are a kind of wild men. Their tails are about the thickness of a dogs. There are also plenty of unicorns in that country, and abundance of game in birds and beasts. Death Marco Polo spent his final days as a businessman, working from home. He died there at almost 70 years of age, on January 8, 1324, and was buried under the church of San Lorenzo, though his tomb has now vanished. Legacy As Polo neared death in 1324, he was asked to recant what he had written and simply said that he had not even told half of what he had witnessed. Despite the fact that many claim his book to be unreliable, it was a sort of regional geography of Asia for centuries, serving as inspiration for Christopher Columbus- who took an annotated copy along on his first voyage in 1492. Even today, it is considered one of the great works of travel literature. Sources BBC. Marco Polo. BBC History.â€Å"The Travels of Marco Polo/Book 3/Chapter 11.† Codex Hammurabi (King Translation) - Wikisource, the Free Online Library, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.ï » ¿Khan Academy. Marco Polo. Kahnacademy.org.

Green Sea Urchin Fact Sheet

Green Sea Urchin Fact Sheet With its sharp-looking spines, the green sea urchin may look frightful, but to us, it is mostly harmless. Sea urchins arent poisonous, although you might get poked by a spine if youre not careful. In fact, green sea urchins can even be eaten. Here you can learn some facts about this common marine invertebrate. Sea Urchin Identification Green sea urchins can grow to about 3 across, and 1.5 high. They are covered in thin, short spines. The sea urchins mouth (called Aristotles lantern) is located on its underside, and its anus is on its top side, in a spot that is not covered with spines. Despite their immobile appearance, sea urchins can move relatively quickly, like a sea star, using their long, thin water-filled tube feet and suction. Where to Find Sea Urchins If youre tide pooling, you might find sea urchins underneath rocks. Look closely - sea urchins may camouflage themselves by attaching algae, rocks, and detritus to their spines. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: EchinodermataClass: Echinoidea Order: CamarodontaFamily: StrongylocentrotidaeGenus: StronglyocentrotusSpecies: droebachiensis Feeding Sea urchins feed on algae, scraping it off of rocks with their mouth, which is made up of 5 teeth collectively called Aristotles lantern. In addition to his work and writings on philosophy, Aristotle wrote about science, and sea urchins - he described the sea urchins teeth by saying they resembled a lantern made of horn that had 5 sides. Thus the urchins teeth came to be known as Aristotles lantern. Habitat and Distribution Green sea urchins are found in tide pools, kelp beds, and on rocky ocean bottoms, to areas as deep as 3,800 feet. Reproduction Green sea urchins have separate sexes, although it is difficult to tell males and females apart. They reproduce by releasing gametes (sperm and eggs) into the water, where fertilization takes place. A larva forms and lives in the plankton for up to several months before it settles on the sea floor and eventually turns into an adult form. Conservation and Human Uses Sea urchin roe (eggs), called uni in Japan, are considered a delicacy. Maine fishermen became huge suppliers of green sea urchins in the 1980s and 1990s, when the ability to fly urchins overnight to Japan opened an international market for urchins, creating a Green Gold Rush, in which millions of pounds of urchins were harvested for their roe. Overharvesting amid a lack of regulation caused the urchin population to bust. Regulations now prevent overharvesting of urchins, but populations have been slow to recover. The lack of grazing urchins has caused kelp and algae beds to flourish, which in turn has increased crab populations. Crabs love to eat baby urchins, which has contributed to the lack of recovery of urchin populations. Sources Clark, Jeff. 2008. After the Gold Rush (Online) Downeast Magazine. Accessed Online June 14, 2011.Coulombe, Deborah A. 1984. The Seaside Naturalist. Simon Schuster.Daigle, Cheryl and Tim Dow. 2000. Sea Urchins: Movers and Shakers of the Subtidal Community (Online). The Quoddy Tides. Accessed June 14, 2011.Ganong, Rachel. 2009. Return of the Urchin?(Online). Times Record. Accessed June 14, 2011 - no longer online as of 5/1/12.Kiley Mack, Sharon. 2009. Maine Sea Urchins Making a Slow Recovery (Online) Bangor Daily News. Accessed June 14, 2011.Maine Department of Marine Resources. Green Sea Urchins (Strongylocentrotus drobachiensis) in Maine - Fishery, Monitoring, and Research Information. (Online) Maine DMR. Accessed June 14, 2011.Martinez, Andrew J. 2003. Marine Life of the North Atlantic. Aqua Quest Publications, Inc.: New York.Meinkoth, N.A. 1981. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Seashore Creatures. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.

Dissertation Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Proposal - Dissertation Example 2. STATEMENT OF RESEARCH 100 words i. Identify and list your objects of study: these must be PRIMARY sources that you can see/ visit/ access directly now and later. Make it very clear what and where these are. (WHAT exactly are you researching) This research aims to explore the existence of Feminism if any in the field of arts, media and design. The research takes into consideration the various transformations that have happened over the centuries in order to have an insight on the transformational process. The study will focus completely on the feminism aspect in arts and media studies and will tend to explore the stages involved. ii. Define the significance of the subject. (WHY you are researching this) Arts have been a successful medium for girls in schools and it has been one medium that is free from all sorts of gender inequality and the lack of opportunity. Although arts have been successful among the girls as far as the education is concerned, however there has been explicit o mission of this gender in art education books. This research will attempt to find out the issues of gender in the art and media design and how it has been carried out over the years in terms of the social and economic contexts. iii. Define the approach you will adopt: provide theoretical approaches that may be relevant to your study - explain how; reference carefully.

Implications of Automating the Seat Switch Substrate Production Assignment

Implications of Automating the Seat Switch Substrate Production Process - Assignment Example The purpose of this report is to analyze the benefits that would accrue to the firm when it adapts automation process in the production of seat switch substrate. Advantages of adopting automation will see a reduction of cost and an ease in the achievement of demand. After reviewing whether to outsource a manufacturing company for automation or use our own team for the automation, it was found that our own team is the best in terms of value for money. The investigation of automating seat switch substrate production process considered the merits and demerits that will accrue to the incorporation, the cost of automating and implications to the employees. The automotive industry has experienced numerous changes over the years. Until the mid-1970s, North America vehicle assemblers designed the whole product, including parts and some of the machinery used to produce them. There was a very minimal role played by external players in parts design and testing. Factors such as increased competi tion, globalization, and popularity of foreign vehicles led the automobiles to rely on suppliers. Polymer Technologies Inc. was started in1985 as a tool and die shop, in 1996 it was struggling financially and could make annual sales of $9 million and was losing money. This prompted Polymer to change its strategy and began making integrated metal and plastic to produce higher margin switches, relays, electromechanical products and decorative products for the automobile industry. The company worked closely with its customers, and the company’s automation group has been a key player in making test equipment which was crucial in quality control. Seat switch is an integral component of power automobile seats, the product controlled seat movements by translating instructions from the driver-or passenger –controlled switches into a signal to motors which moved the seat.