Unverifiability of Religious Claims free essay sample

Argues faith-based beliefs are unverifiable noncognitive but meaningful in subjective, functional moral terms. Introduction Over the last several decades, philosophers have grappled with religious claims focusing in particular on the questions of: (1) whether such claims can be proven true or false; and (2) even if they cannot be proven true or false, whether they are, nonetheless, reasonable? This paper examines these philosophical views. Verifiability and Reasonableness of Religious Claims Many contemporary philosophers agree that neither empirical investigation nor deductive reasoning can, with certainty, verify or disprove religious claims such as the claim that God exists (see: Ayer, 1956; Dewey, 1966). In other words, in so far as a religious claimsuch as God existsis intended to be making an empirical claim, most philosophers would not expect the truth..

The Development of Package Tours and Long Haul Destinations Essays

The Development of Package Tours and Long Haul Destinations Essays The Development of Package Tours and Long Haul Destinations Essay The Development of Package Tours and Long Haul Destinations Essay Essay Topic: A Long Way Gone Amadeus Fear Of Flying Package holidays have developed over time, these package holidays have grown with the increasing need of tourists. Package holidays include accommodation, transport and catering. After World War II in 1949, there was an appearance of the first jet airline. Entrepreneurs realised that there was a need for planes to transport passengers; this saw old military planes being transformed into charter flights. One of the first entrepreneurs was Vladimir Raitz, who in 1949 set up his own travel company called Horizon Holidays. He used a DC3 to carry thirty-two passengers to Corsica; this was the first package holiday, however, airfares were expensive, which meant that people continued to travel by steamship. Horizon Holidays in the meantime continued to grow by offering charter flights to Palma, Malaga and Tangiers. It was only in 1952 that airlines introduced the first tourist fares and in 1958 the first economy fares were offered. During the 1960s there was a growth in the amount of people who were travelling. People were able to afford holidays and employers offered paid holiday leave. It was during this time that more people became involved in the travel and tourism industry, and it became harder for tour operators to make a profit. As tourists began to book holidays, both the hoteliers and the airlines began to demand money in advance. On the other hand, to attract more customers, more money was spent on brochures and publicity. This forced tour operators to turn to banks for loans to cover the time between holidays being planned and sold. Bigger tour operators were able to convince hoteliers to build ski scrappers to accommodate more people, it was at this time that tour operators realised that aircrafts had to be improved and safety records had to be increased in order to attract more customers and overcome their fear of flying. During the 1970s more and more people were comfortable with flying, which saw the Transport Licensing Board receive more applications for route licences to transport their customers. It was in 1974 that there was a recession, which saw the price of oil double; the result of this was in the short term some countries saw a decrease in their visitor arrival figures but in the long run there was a rise in the number of inclusive tours sold. This was a shift, away from hotels to cheaper self-catering accommodation. In the 1980s there was a rise in exchange controls, which allowed tourists to travel for as long as they wanted without running out of money. Employers continued to give their employees paid holiday leave, which led to the expansion of winter sun and winter ski markets. There was also a growth in the city breaks market and long paid holidays and cheap airfares led to an increase in long haul package holidays. In the 1990s tourists had become more aware of package holidays and what was included, therefore they were expecting more e.g. quality hotels. People were also more conscious of environmental issues e.g. in May 2002; the Balearic Islands introduced a Euro per day eco-tax. There has also been an increase in eco-packages for tourists (World Tourism Association). Smaller specialist tour operators have found it difficult to compete with the bigger countries that offer cheaper prices. Long haul destinations are destinations that are more than five hours travelling time from the UK. Originally long haul holidays were considered a luxury, as it was expensive and time consuming to get to the destination and at this stage only wealthy tourists were able to experience long haul holidays. Over time, charter operators began to introduce scheduled flights on long haul routes and they used large modern aircrafts, which were capable of flying long distances without re-fuelling. With an introduction to these charter routes, they were able to offer cheaper airfares, which contributed to the growth of long haul holiday destinations. There was also a growth in self-catering resorts at the long haul holiday destinations. As tourists are prepared to sit on longer flights and in some cases transfer flights, they are reaching out to different long haul destinations. Three key long haul destination holidays are: * North America (USA and Canada) * Australasia (Australia and New Zealand) * Caribbean (Jamaica, St. Lucia and Barbados) They all have proved to be very popular with the British tourists. Kenya is another leading destination that offers safaris, beach holidays or a combination of both to tourists. Technological Innovations in the Travel and Tourism Industry: In the travel and tourism industry between the 1950s and today, there have been a number of technological developments. The two main areas involved are: transport technology and communication and information technology. Through improvements, transport technology has revolutionised passenger travel. Today a large number of passengers are transported by aircrafts, ships and trains quickly, safely and cost effectively. Technological advances and aircraft design, after World War II has seen air travel become a mass-market. The potential for air travel through the development of the jet engine meant that travel was fast, comfortable and affordable. It saw the joining of the tour operator and inclusive tour/package holiday become one e.g. Thomson Holidays Ltd offer combined transport accommodation, meals and resort services as one. The Boeing 707 jet airline service was first introduced in 1958 and has seen many improvements up to now, which has resulted in improved transport and has opened the market to foreign holidays. The foreign market was opened as these planes/aircrafts could carry more passengers quickly and cost effectively over longer distances. Other transport technology includes rail and ferries e.g. Eurostar, PO Ferries, Hover Speed and Brittany Ferries. They have all improved their services and lowered their prices. Smaller airline companies, such as; Ryan Air, Easy Jet and Go offer low price tickets in order to retain a market share. Communications and information technology has allowed major airlines to use computers as soon as soon as they became commercially available in the 1960s, to try and automate reservation operations. The British Overseas Airways Co-operation (BOAC) took the first step towards computerisation and they developed the Electronic Reservation System (ERS). IBM and Sperry Univac were working with emerging database software to try and improve on the Passenger Airline Reservation System- (PARS). Later, IBM developed the International Passenger Airlines Reservation System (IPARS) to accommodate the growth of international air travel. Computer Reservation Systems (CRS) and Global Distribution Systems (GDS) revolutionised airline tickets, package holidays, hotel accommodation and other travel and tourism products. GDS were developed from individual airline reservations, which have merged/amalgamated into four major global reservation systems; they are, Sabre, Galileo, Amadeus and World Span. This has allowed co-operations such as, Thomson Holidays Ltd to operate throughout the world and develop partnerships with agencies and tour operators. The CRS have given airlines an advantage as it allows travel agents to use reservation terminals to book seats, which means there is an increase in seat sales for the airlines and a reduction in the operating expenses. On the other hand, travel agents have a competitive advantage, as it is quicker and cheaper to make an airline reservation by a computer terminal than by telephone. The development of the Internet and interactive digital television, has allowed consumers to make their own travel purchases, because of this many airlines, tour operators and travel agents now have on-line bookings. Changes in Socio-Economic Circumstances: Since World War II there have been many factors, which have contributed to the growth of the travel and tourism industry. They are: An increase in the time available for travel activities- legislation dictates that employees are entitled to a paid holiday once a year. In 1951 sixty-six per cent of manual workers were allowed two weeks paid holiday leave, by 1970 fifty-two per cent of workers had three or more weeks paid holiday leave and by the 1990s holiday entitlement had risen to four or five weeks per year. The entitlement of paid holiday leave has helped the UK travel and tourism industry to grow, as consumers now take short holiday breaks in addition to their main holiday. In the 1950s the average working week was fifty hours but now typical hours range from thirty-seven to forty hours per week. This allows workers more flexibility in their jobs and working hours. Increase in disposable income- disposable income is the money that the average person has left over once all the bills are paid. In the UK disposable income has risen, which has led to an increase in consumer spending on holidays and in the travel and tourism industry. The state of the economy affects the amount of disposable income that consumers have, in the 1980s there was an economic boom in the UK, which led to a demand for overseas travel but the early 1990s saw a recession in the UK, which led to a decrease in demand for tourism products. The column graph below shows the increase in disposable income in the UK: Source: Social Trends 31 Improved transport systems and mobility- the UK has a wide and varied transport network, which means that most people have access to some form of transport. This transport network has made travel and tourism facilities more accessible. Car ownership is responsible for the increase in tourism as it is a means of transport for domestic holidays in the UK. The Channel Tunnel has led to an increase in car holidays abroad and the improvement in road networks has allowed access to countryside leisure activities. The column graph below shows the increase in car ownership per household in the UK: Source: Social Trends 30 Changing Needs, Expectations and Fashions: Overtime the travel and tourism industry has gone through many changes, these changes have been dictated by changing customer needs, expectations and the changing fashions. Throughout the ages there has been an improvement in technology e.g. aircrafts have become faster and quicker, this has led to customers changing their holiday destinations from local places to exotic locations. In the 1960s, UK residents tended to have short holiday breaks, mainly at the seaside and holiday centres at this stage were very popular as they catered for all tourists needs e.g. accommodation, catering and leisure activities. As aircraft technology made air travel accessible and affordable for tourists, they started taking holiday breaks abroad and for longer periods of time. Tourists started expecting affordable holidays to destinations such as, Spain and Portugal, which led to the introduction of package holidays. As tourists travelled more often to short haul destinations, they started to develop a desire to explore further a field, which has led to increased long haul holidays. Tourists expectations of air travel and their desire to travel further in the quickest time has led to the improvements in aircrafts and the introduction of planes, such as the Concorde. Once tourists have reached their chosen holiday destination, they expect all their needs to be fulfilled. Different needs by tourists has led to different holiday packages being introduced e.g. full board, half board, bed and breakfast, self-catering etc. Tourists expect the place they are staying at to provide adequate accommodation (price paid is in line with board offered), the food provided is what tourists would like to eat and the activities offered encourage leisure and recreation.

Ritual Development (popular culture) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ritual Development (popular culture) - Assignment Example They often emphasize what is important e.g. graduation ceremonies show the importance placed on education. In Islam once one reaches puberty one is obliged to carry out prayers according to Sharia law, because prayer is one of the pillars of Islam.. Some are quite modern as in the American Jewish Bat Mitzvah which was first enacted in 1922. In my own family some are related directly to faith beliefs such as the way in which washing is carried out before prayer. Others are indirectly so, and are more like folk lore, such as eating a particular food to celebrate Eid and making a light hearted wish. We do not believe that these wishes are likely to come true, but this is a family ritual which helps us to be united in a quickly changing world. Such rituals give stability to a family and to the wider society. Something that doesn’t change in a confused world. A ritual I would like to develop in our family is family walks after Sunday lunch. Some would see this as a more hobby, but claiming it as a ritual means it is more likely to be carried out and the family would be regularly sharing in an enjoyable

Interpreting and Applying Legislation Assignment

Interpreting and Applying Legislation - Assignment Example [1 mark] 2. What is the legal duty placed on employees to take care of their own health and safety while they are working? Refer to the relevant section of the Act in your answer. (Summarise in to your own words –No more than 50 words) Section 19(a) of Public act 1992 describes how the act applies to employees. Employees are expected to ensure their own safety by having protective clothing and equipment, while Section 19(b) seeks to protect other people from employees’ action or in action. [1mark] 3. What is the meaning of the word ‘hazard’ under the HSEA? Section 2 of the public act 1992 provide the definition of hazard as an activity, arrangement, circumstance, event, occurrence, phenomenon, process, situation, or substance (whether arising or caused within or outside a place of work) that is an actual or potential cause or source of harm; subparagraph (i) and (ii) validates this definition as; (i)  A situation where a person's behaviour may be an actua l or potential cause or source of harm to the person or another person; and (ii)  Without limitation, a situation described in subparagraph (i) resulting from physical or mental fatigue, drugs, alcohol, traumatic shock, or another temporary condition that affects a person's behaviour. [1 mark] 4. ... The act guides and safeguard people in there place of work against indemnification and help meet international standards. 5. Why is it important to know what the ‘purpose’ of an Act is when trying to understand it? (Hint: Refer to relevant sections of The Interpretation Act 1999 in your answer). Section 5(1) of the interpretation Act 1999 submits that acts are to be interpreted according to their purpose. Purpose is therefore important for clear understanding and interpretation of an act. [1 mark] 6. What is the meaning of ‘significant hazard’ and what is an employer legally required to do when a significant hazard is identified. Refer to the relevant sections of the Act in your answer. (Provide the definition and then summarise the legal obligations in to your own words –No more than 50 words) A significant hazard is a hazard that can result to serious occupational illness. Section 8 prescribes that employers have a role of eliminating significant ha zard to employees. If it cannot be eliminated, section 9 requires the employer to isolate it from the employees. If elimination and isolation are impracticable, then significant hazard must be minimised (section 10). [1 mark] 7. Where do you find the list of injuries and illnesses that constitute ‘serious harm’? Give two examples of serious harm. Schedule  1 HSE Act 1992 Example of Serious harm; Amputation of body part. Loss of consciousness, or acute illness requiring treatment by a medical practitioner, from absorption, inhalation, or ingestion, of any substance. [1 mark] 8. What is an employer required to do where there has been a serious harm illness or injury? Refer to the relevant section of the Act in your answer. (Summarise in to your own words –No more than 50

PepsiCo’s Restaurants Essay Example for Free

PepsiCo’s Restaurants Essay In the case study, PepsiCo is considering in Carts of Colorado and/or California Pizza Kitchen. Senior Management is faced with the question of whether the necessary capital investment in order to purchase one or both of the businesses can be profitable for each of the acquired businesses, but must also take into consideration that the additional business units will not hinder the profitability PepsiCo itself. Would investing in other companies be the best way to expand PepsiCo? This question is important because it could affect the success of the company. By investing in a company PepsiCo started from Pepsi-Cola and then moved into a more diversified business with mainly soft drinks, snack foods and restaurants. In early 1990s, PepsiCo’s restaurant business is composed of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC, all of them are business leaders in their segment. 1By investing in C1a1r1t1s1 1o1f1 1C1o1l1o1r1a1d1o1, it1 1w1o1u1l1d1 1e1n1a1b1l1e1 1P1e1p1s1i1C1o1 1t1o1 1e1n1t1e1r1 1n1e1w1 1m1a1r1k1e1t1 1a1n1d1 1n1e1w1 1c1u1s1t1o1m1e1r1s1 1a1n1d1 1h1e1l1p1 1t1o1 1a1c1c1e1l1e1r1a1t1e1 1t1h1e1 1s1a1l1e1s1 1g1r1o1w1t1h1 1b1e1s1i1d1e1s1 1o1f1 1o1r1g1a1n1i1c1 1g1r1o1w1t1h. The Cart of Colorado’s (COC) industry is subject to strict government regulations and the uncertain demand for carts and kiosks, so the attractiveness to enter this industry is between low and medium. COC had succeeded in purchasing their largest competitor that generated sales of $2.5 million in 1990, which gives them potential to grow in the manufacturing and merchandising of mobile food carts and kiosks industry. PepsiCo will gain competitive advantage for its link with COC because it will be able to customize the carts and kiosk for its fast food chain; it is more aligned with PepsiCo’s current strategies of quick service. However, the tradeoff will be PepsiCo may focus on too many different strategies and product markets. Focusing on the same customer targets can minimize this tradeoff. It will be an advantage for PepsiCo should go and form a strategic alliance with COC. PepsiCo can use the carts to expand their KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut businesses. In my opinion, I think it would be in PepsiCo’s best interest to invest in the two companies because in this case they are both successful and would help boost PepsiCo sales.

Benefits of Thermo-chemical Networks

Benefits of Thermo-chemical Networks Application cases and economic benefits of thermo-chemical networks ABSTRACT Thermo-chemical potential of absorption and desorption has high potential to capture and use residual heat at low temperature ranges. Due to loss-free transport and storage of the captured energy potential, long-distance transport and medium-term storage offer interesting potentials to utilize residual heat. Therefore, the aim of the EU H2020 project H-DisNet is to develop networks similar to district heating networks using thermo-chemical fluids (TCF) instead of water. The paper will give an introduction to the technology that can provide heating, cooling and drying services in one network and discuss its economics. First, use cases describe promising application scenarios. Requirements are derived from the use cases, first, for the novel technology and, second, the application situations, i.e. the buildings or industrial processes, in which the services are applied. This includes temperature and humidity requirements as well as further conditions of a useful application. Depending on the services requirements, features of the thermo-chemical technology, such as the used TCF, will be determined so that the thermo-chemical technology is able to satisfy the service requirements. Operation modes will be presented the show, how in specific use cases the technology would work. An outline of the operation of a network will be presented. Second, for an economic assessment, conventional existing solutions for the services, for which thermo-chemical technology is proposed, will be described. These conventional technologies form the background for an economic comparison. The aim of the economic comparison is to show the benefits of the thermo-chemical technology for the key stakeholders involved in such a network. The aim is to provide evidence that the thermo-chemical network technology is marketable. INTRODUCTION Nowadays, an always increasing attention has been placed on reducing the energy consumption used for heating, cooling and drying with a resulting abatement in the CO2 production. As a matter of fact, a massive quantity of fossil fuel is used as primary energy source for air-conditioning and industrial operations causing a constant conversion to C02 that is swiftly rising and expediting the global climate change. It has been calculated that the energy depleted for heating and cooling of buildings (residential or in the service sector) and industrial processes accounts for 50% of the EUs annual energy consumption [1]. This is mostly due to the fact that almost half of the EUs buildings are old and lack in efficiency, renewable energy is narrowly used in these sectors and a huge amount of heat produced by industrial processes is dissipated into the atmosphere or into water, missing the opportunity for its recovery. Through the development of an optimized, more efficient and less cost-consuming utilization of the energy sources, it will be possible to achieve a decrease in the energy imports, obtaining a diminution in the costs and, at the same time, an environmental benefit, represented by a reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases. District heating is one of the possible technologies in the direction of this purpose because it remarkably concurs to a better use of the energy sources, particularly the renewable energies. Nevertheless, this technology presents several drawbacks, such as the temperature required that can preclude the utilization of some technologies that work with lower temperatures, the remarkable heat losses occurring during the transportation in pipelines and the need for integration with storage systems in order to obtain the match between the demand and the sources in time and location. Therefore, this paper will be addressed to the description of Intelligent Hybrid Thermo-Chemical District Networks, an innovative type of district network based on the employment of thermo-chemical fluids (TCFs) instead of water as energy storage medium. Through this technology it will be feasible to obtain an energy-efficient exploitation of the resources, particularly the unemployed low-grade industrial heat and thermal renewable, leading to the achievement of a sustainable energy system. Moreover, by the usage of liquid desiccant as TCF in order to obtain a loss-free long-distance transport and a medium-term storage it will be possible to obtain significant cost reductions, making this technology absolutely interesting for citizens, workers and industry. The paper starts in Section 2 with a description of the liquid desiccant technology in order to understand the ability of this system for heating and cooling applications. Section 3 reports the characteristics and the main advantages arising from the integration of the TCF with the district network. Section 4 detects the possible business models interested in the utilization of the Hybrid District Network. The last two section of the paper address the subject from an economic point of view, identifying the cost factors for this kind of system (Section 5) and the associated economic savings related to the different applications (Section 6). LIQUID DESICCANT TECHNOLOGY The current research on Hybrid District Networks is related to the requirement of obtaining a district network which allows the connection with consumers at a greater distance, such as for the heating and cooling of residential and service buildings that are usually located far from industrial plants. In fact, the temperature level of waste heat and renewable energy is generally too low, bringing to higher volumes that are responsible for increased energy leaks and higher costs, related to a higher expense for the pipelines. In this direction, it has to be seen the always growing interest in absorption and reversible thermo-chemical processes for district heating. The closed district network system is a well-developed technology that employs absorption heat pumps and chillers to supply heating and cooling for residential and service buildings (!!REPETITION). However, this technology does not allow to profit from industrial waste energy or renewable energy that are located in a remote position respect to the service, besides not allowing a time shift between the source and the demand side. For this reason, an innovative open system district heating system, based on the employment of liquid desiccant as the thermo-chemical transporter of energy, which allows to split the regeneration and absorption side and to locate them in different places, is under study. Desiccant-based TCFs have the potential to provide simultaneous and multiple on-site functions and services, such as heating, cooling, de/re-humidification, energy storage and energy transport. Liquid desiccants exploit the hygroscopic properties of a salt (MgCl2, CaCl2, LiBr, LiCl etc.) solution for the removal of the moisture from the ambient outdoor air, until the attainment of a situation of equilibrium of its vapour pressure with that of the incoming air. For this reason, the dehumidification capacity of the desiccant can be evaluated through its equilibrium vapour pressure. For example, an industrial process waste-heat driven air-conditioning system is shown in Fig.X in a counter-flow packed bed configuration. FIG. The strong TCF-solution (i.e. TCF-rich relative to water), typically a desiccant, is sprayed at the top of the absorber, ambient air (or gas) enters the absorber at the bottom and transfers its moisture to the TCF. As some heat is liberated, the TCF solution temperature rises and hence the solution vapour pressure. The heat exchange process typically takes place over a packed bed/spray tower or gravity driven wetted wall column designed with the minimum pressure drop (Jain et al., 2007) with output humidity controlled by the temperature and concentration of the TCF solution. The dehumidified air exits at the top of the absorber and can be used to meet plant specific energy demands. The warm but now diluted TCF solution leaves the bottom of the absorber and it is pumped for regeneration. The regeneration process has typically the same configuration as the absorber and it is driven by the incoming industrial process waste heat gas stream; the now diluted TCF is sprayed over this stream and water in the TCF solution evaporates, reducing the gas temperature and increasing its humidity. The now strong TCF solution is pumped back to the absorber to restart the air-conditioning process. Industrial manufacturing plants typically have multiple demands for energy in their locality; the previously described system can exploit the low-grade process waste heat to supplement (or even replace) local demands: (1) Industrial Drying, because the ambient air (or other gases) can be dried and then cooled for utilisation elsewhere on site; (2) Heating and/or Humidification, since the ambient air is heated as it passes through the absorber, which yields a warmer and more humid gas stream that can be used locally with corresponding savings in energy demands; (3) Cooling, by utilising the dry air as the an input into an evaporative cooling system, an additional re-humidification stage can be used to produce a cooling effect and thus to supplement local air-conditioning loads; and (4) Loss-Free Energy Storage, since through the transformation of heat to TCF potential is possible to transport and store heat and TCF potential into the hybrid district network with almost total lack of e nergy loss. As there is significant potential for thermal energy storage thus meeting/offsetting hourly, daily and seasonal energy supply/demand. THERMO-CHEMICAL NETWORK TECHNOLOGY The aim of a Hybrid Thermo-Chemical District Network is to broaden the use of district networks through the realization of a multifunctional optimized system, able to simultaneously fulfill heating, cooling and drying operations and also to be integrated with already existing thermal district networks, leading to the achievement of a more sustainable process. Through the recovery of industrial waste heat and the exploitation of low temperature energy sources (e.g. renewables, such as solar thermal or geothermal) is possible to obtain via the regeneration process a TCF with high energy in the state of TCF-concentrate that is used as a thermo-chemical energy storage medium. This is one of the peculiar advantages of the innovative district network because the thermo-chemical energy storage in the concentrate liquid desiccant is roughly losses, offering the opportunity to enhance the storage term between hours and days, which enables to fill the mismatch in the schedule between available heat and demand, to heighten the transport distance of the heat, that can be long up to 50 km [X] with pipelines characterised by a reduced or absent insulation with a resulting reduction in costs. This feature, together with the increased energy density of the TCF-concentrated (higher than the water, employed in the conventional district heating system) will lead to the obtaining of a very promising system from an economic point of view. Moreover, the characteristics of transport and cheapness of this cutting-edge technology enable to serve also the regions with lower heat demand. Another advantage is that the salts used in the solution as liquid desiccants in an open district network system (MgCl2, MgSO4, CaCl2, LiBr, LiCl, Ca(NO3)2, TEG) are in most of the cases cheap and, for the characteristics of open system, they have to be as much as possible non-toxic and environmental harmless. Particularly, the MgCl2 (produced as by-product from sea-water processing) and the CaCl2 (produced from industrial processes) result to be extremely cheap and hence economically viable. The environmental benefit represented by the reduction in the primary energy consumption and in the CO2 production is another key property of this system. Furthermore, the simpler pipeline infrastructure, which is characterised by the utilization of recyclable plastic pipes without any anti-frost protection, will allow to significantly reduce the exploitation of raw materials. Lastly, the liquid desiccants present hygiene properties that can ensure humidity control of the process air, leading to an amelioration of the indoor comfort and forestalling the maturation of mould fungus. ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF HYBRID DISTRICT NETWORKS The attainment of benefits in terms of financial, technological and environmental features are the main conditions for the spread of the thermo-chemical district network. The aim is to achieve profitability and efficiency for both suppliers and consumers, converting costs into revenues. The implementation of this strategy could lead several benefits to different classes: (1) Citizens could profit from a monthly and yearly cost reduction for energy-effective heating and cooling calculated to be ranging from â‚ ¬ 1500-2000 to â‚ ¬ 300-500 [X], simultaneously achieving a better indoor comfort, ensured by the humidity control of the thermo-chemical system. Moreover, this could lead to a greater stabilization of the energy costs, because the network is mostly based on the usage of renewable energies, which cost is more predictable respect to fossil fuels, characterised by a highly volatile price. (2) Industry could also be enormously interested in the employment of district thermo-chemical networks to extent of reducing its energy costs by 4-10% with investments characterised by a payback period lower than 5 years [X] and of obtaining a sustainable process, able to decrease its energy consumption. Concurrently, this technology could lead to a more environmental har mless process with reductions in the CO2 and air pollution, contributing to a significant improvement in the related health problems. In order to estimate the economic potential of the technology an analysis based on the study of business cases involved on the employment of waste heat has been taken as the point of reference [x]. The main four identified sectors are: (1) Built Environment Business To Customer (B2C); for this business model, the customer base are new buildings and offices together with   the renewal of utility buildings (mostly property of the municipalities), apartments (usually possessed by housing corporations) and offices. Another possibility is the utilization of TCFs into an already existing hybrid network in order to improve its energy efficiency. Municipalities and housing corporations have a fundamental role in this business model because in most of the cases they have a previously established relationship with the formerly defined customers. To extent of achieving the success of the project is indispensable that both of the parts, public party and individuals, have an interest in saving energy and this is ensured by an equal split of the profit between the parts.   (2) Built Environment Business To Business (B2B);

Business continuity and disaster recovery Essay

The mission-critical business systems and services that must be protected by this DRP are as follows: Payroll, Human Resource Data, POS backup media, and Web Servers and their services. b. Internal, External, and Environmental Risks b. i. Examples of internal risks that may affect business are unauthorized access by individuals who are employed by the company, and those who aren’t employed by the company but still have access to individual store’s computer systems, applications, or areas where the servers and backup media are located. Other external and environmental risks include fire, floods, power outages, hardware failure, software glitches and failure, storms, and other acts of nature. II. Disaster Recovery Strategy a. Most cases, having an alternative site (a hot site, or cold site depending on the disaster) would be the correct way of dealing with most disasters. As well as having a backup and retention site to work from, and recover from for the main servers and web services. b. Unwanted access can be turned off, or excluded when logged in via a monitoring service, as well as time restricted login. Any unauthorized logins will be recorded and terminated as well as site information and tracing information. Security measures are implied (camera, onsite security, etc. ). III. Disaster Test Plan a. Monthly walkthroughs of the equipment, as well as quality assurance through the electric company, Internet Service providers, will ensure upkeep of the facilities main sources of outside connection as well as power. Weekly walkthroughs from management will keep the records up to date, as well as daily walkthroughs by IT will keep day to day evaluations up to date. b. Working with the electric company, as well as the internet service provider for the company will ensure that during a â€Å"Blackout† that services will be restored or alternative accommodations are made. Such as Internet Service Provider at the main location has been lost, the backup â€Å"hot† site is then initiated and work to restore the main site is commenced as well as recorded. If the hot site is compromised as well, the cold site and/or the backup media site will then come into play. This goes for in an event where power is lost, or a natural disaster happens at the main location, the services then begin on alternative sites where backup has been made, or at least working services implemented. c. Unwanted access will again be monitored and recorded, as well as terminated upon login. d. During a full interruption of service, where the site as well as backup media, hot site, and cold site are not accessible, emergency protocol is implemented to recover main site as soon as possible with minimal loss. In worst case scenario, the hot site will become the main site until main site become available again.

Healthy Lifestyle Essay

The Role and Issues that arise of the GetFitCrossFit Organization among adults in Brunei. Health, a fortune I wish upon every woman or man I see for without it she or he will not be able to explore the seas. Although the ideal concept would be for everyone to live a healthy lifestyle, the world is evident that this is difficult to achieve. The leading causes of worldwide deaths are diseases which I believe can be prevented (Grifantini, 2010). Simply, health is a necessary commodity to carry out everyday tasks, and if one would like to carry out a task well, one needs to have a healthy mind, body and soul (World Health Organization, 1948). In Brunei, in the recent years, the government keeps campaigning for healthy lifestyles, banks and other companies hold marathons, GetFitCrossFit organization has been rising and is very popular now. However, although these efforts have its role and aim on maintaining and achieving a healthy lifestyle, it may not be affective. Hence, this essay will elaborate on the role and the effectiveness on the GetFitCrossFit organization among adults in Brunei. First and foremost, it is the members’ responsibility to understand the elements of fitness, examine their present fitness status, decide to begin or continue suitable exercise habits and lastly to determine their health behaviors that need to be changed following appropriate steps (Howley & Franks, 1991, p.10). The role of this organization is basically to keep fit and practice a healthy lifestyle. Adding to that, their aim is to make people fast and strong. This organization concentrates on mainly on three fundamental factors that must collaborate in order to benefit from workouts which are exercise, nutrition and recovery. Weightlifting, gymnastics and running are the components used for the exercise in balancing strength a nd conditioning. Balanced diet is really important in terms of reducing processed food and sugar and more natural foods (Rodriguez, 2009). As for the recovery, proper sleeping habits are needed, stretching and make the soft tissues work by massage therapy. The GetFitCrossFit organization is organized and thorough with what they do. Members will have a full fitness assessment before starting because each individual will have a safely designed workout done by the committee. Not only will the members be coached during the workout but also in and out of the gym. Everyone in this organization motivates one another and improves by working hard, having determination and a persevering attitude. This organization’s slogan is  Forging Elite Fitness (GetFitCrossFit, 2012). An individual that enters this organization has definitely made a crucial move towards improving or maintaining their present fitness level but there are issues that may arise among adults in Brunei (Howley & Franks, 1991, p.10). Firstly, setting goals is important so that there is an aim to strive. If there are no goals, there is no motivation and a clear plan. This will lead to not being able to see any results from start although GetFitCrossFit assist one person in making healthy changes; one person still have to decide on what changes to make. Secondly, some people are afraid of pain, injury and torture that they might encounter hence not wanting to join this organization. Some people may go for the first time and after finding out what it is all about, they give up as they do not have the mindset of putting in efforts to be fit and healthy. Thirdly, GetFitCrossFit has a fixed time resulting in the main biggest reason to not join or stop this organization is that they have no time. This shows that prioritizing is really poor among adults in Brunei. Fourthly, some people are afraid of their reputation. They may be embarrassed on their appearance, the mistakes they may make, having weak health and poor stam ina (Why people stop exercising, 2012). Letting go of bad habits such as reductions in smoking, alcoholic drinking, weight, eating unhealthy food and stress are also the major issues (Howley & Franks, 1991, p.211). Lastly, this is rare but some people can’t afford the membership payment which costs hundred dollars per month. Moving on will be the effectiveness of this organization. GetFitCrossFit organization meets every day except on Sundays after 6pm onwards and in the mornings on Saturday. Amazingly, every Tuesday, the GetFitCrossFit outdoor session is held at the University of Brunei Darussalam. The rest of the days, it is held at their gym which is called the box (GetFitCrossFit, 2010). This organization has a blog which will be updated daily to guide their members before the actual workouts in the evenings occur. According to Tobey (1920, p.649), Emerson once stated â€Å"The first wealth is health.† Therefore the members in this organization do not take this as an expense but instead a necessity and money well spent. They see this as an activity of making new friends and having fun as well as getting or keeping fit. Some people get motivated by having a group of people in an organization having to follow rules and regulations rather than exercising alone (Too, 2011). Exercising  and keeping fit does not only improve and maintain fitness level but it can have a huge impact on living longer even not losing weight (Gard ner, 2011). Besides that, GetFitCrossFit promotes its organization really well. For every first Tuesday and Wednesday of the month, eligible students and unemployed may attend their sessions for free (GetFitCrossFit, 2010). The Social Medias such as Facebook, Twitter, Ranoadidas and Bruneitweet plays a big role in advertising their organization (Sheridan, 2012). Even the bruneitweet, Delwin Keasberry, is a member of this organization. Current members share their e xperiences and goals with their colleagues at work, school and their social peers which really motivate them and hence joining this organization. GetFitCrossFit are also known through the newspapers as they help for charities. They also hold motivational talks to different institutions and participate in road shows. In conclusion, exercise and fitness are necessary elements in order to lead a healthy lifestyle. It is definitely clear that in order to live long, one needs to have a healthy life. Although Brunei is trying their best to promote and campaign for healthy lifestyles, the issues as mentioned above may arise. GetFitCrossFit organization has a very good intention, motivation and role but it really depends on how effective the organization is. Advertisement and promotion is really important to show adults in Brunei what GetFitCrossFit clearly does and their aim. To wrap it all up Benjamin Franklin once said that â€Å"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.† (

5 Tips for Styling Numbers

5 Tips for Styling Numbers 5 Tips for Styling Numbers 5 Tips for Styling Numbers By Mark Nichol Below youll find a handful of tips about appropriate use of numbers in various contexts. 1. Money Isolated, casual references to amounts of money of one hundred dollars or less or one hundred cents or less are usually spelled out (â€Å"I made over fifty dollars in one afternoon†; â€Å"Remember when a candy bar cost twenty-five cents?†). Amounts over those limits are generally styled with numerals and a dollar sign, as are smaller amounts when more than one amount is listed and at least one is less than a hundred dollars (â€Å"The chair cost $237, and the table was $89†). When amounts of less than and more than a dollar are combined, use dollar signs and figures in that case as well (â€Å"The price tags read ‘$0.75’ and ‘$1.25’†). Numerous instances of monetary figure call for the use of numerals in most cases, but larger rounded figures may be spelled out, even when inconsistent with precise dollar figures (â€Å"I made over fifty thousand dollars for the first time last year: $51,500.†) Numbers in the millions and higher orders of magnitude may be in combined numeral and spelled-out form (â€Å"The project was budgeted at $2.5 million†). 2. Numerals at the Beginning of a Sentence Sentences should never begin with a numeral; either spell out the number (â€Å"Two thousand eleven was the year the business turned a profit†) or recast the sentence (â€Å"The business first turned a profit in 2011†). Another option is to precede the number with the phrase â€Å"The year,† but doing so introduces inconsistency if every reference to a year, regardless of position in a sentence, does not follow a repetition of the phrase; that solution is also awkward. 3. Number Ranges En dashes (or hyphens, employed in place of en dashes on many Web sites) are used in number ranges for example, to indicate life span, years of rule or years in office, athletic or artistic seasons, or page ranges as an alternative to â€Å"from x to y† or â€Å"from x through y.† An en dash should not be used with the word from. (Incorrect: â€Å"He reigned from 1863-1895†; correct: â€Å"He reigned from 1863 to 1895† or â€Å"He reigned 1863-1895†). The same principle applies for the word between: â€Å"Between 250 and 300 people attended,† not â€Å"Between 250-300 people attended,† is correct. 4. Superscript Many writers submit manuscripts that feature the letters in ordinal numerals in superscript form that is, st, nd, rd, and th raised above the font’s baseline. This form is seldom needed when following the style rule that numbers are spelled out up to one hundred, but when ordinals are required (â€Å"The ribbon read ‘1st Place’†; â€Å"the 101st Airborne Division†), they should be on the baseline, not raised. Instructions for how to change superscript ordinals to baseline ordinals are available through an online search. Also, when a date is written, the ordinal form is extraneous; simply write â€Å"January 1,† not â€Å"January 1st.† (In the absence of the month, the date should be spelled out: â€Å"Her reply followed on the twenty-first.† If a publication’s number style is to spell numbers out only to ten, the form shown her applies: â€Å"Her reply followed on the 21st.† 5. The Plural of Zero In Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, zeros is the first of two alternatives for the plural of zero. The other, of course, is zeroes. The first choice is not the superior one; it is listed first simply because it is simpler. But many editors follow a convention that, for consistency, the dictionary’s first of more than one alternatives is the standard except when the preference for another is codified in the house style guide. Therefore, zeros is generally the correct style. Note, however, that the correct spelling of the present-tense verb form meaning â€Å"focuses† or â€Å"aims† is zeroes (â€Å"Disregarding the pursuing planes, he zeroes in on his target†). If you want to read more on this topic check out these two articles we published in the past: 10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals and How to Style Numbers. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Avoid Beginning a Sentence with â€Å"With†That vs. WhichNeither... or?

Deconstruction of Magazine Article Essay Example

Deconstruction of Magazine Article Essay Example Deconstruction of Magazine Article Essay Deconstruction of Magazine Article Essay Certain techniques of language and layout structures are often utilised in a variety of written media, such as magazines, books and newspapers, in order to manipulate the target audience’s opinions and beliefs. A journalist and their article’s motives can be deconstructed by considering five specific areas: the purpose and message of the article, the target audience and their susceptibility to persuasion, the language techniques being used, the bias of the article and lastly, the tone of the article and the audiences’ reactions. The article ‘Rainbows for Kate’, written by Di Webster (March 6th 2008, Marie Claire magazine), will be analysed for its construction within the boundaries of these areas. In order to persuade a certain group of people, a journalist must construct an article with a direct purpose and with a message. ‘Rainbows for Kate’ was written with the intent to inform readers of how friendship is very strong and is always with you when times get hard. The authors viewpoint is clear as every paragraph she talks about the meaning of life, love and friendship. This article is about how two friends come together from another mutual friend and discuss these three things. The ideal reader of this text would feel sympathy and understand why the writer would want to write this article. Instead of directing an article to the general public, a journalist must select a target demographic in order to successfully market the article and its ideas to a narrower, more specific group of people. ‘Rainbow for Kate’ was published in the middle of Marie Claire, spreading from page 102 – 106. As it was published in Marie Claire, this indicates that the target demographic for the article is an older group of people. More specifically, the target audience includes ambitious, kind hearted adults aged 25 and above, who enjoy life and no matter what life throughs at them they will always keep positive and take it on and all it has to offer. The target demographic is also for an older person as they understand and can relate themselves to this article. They would be easily persuaded because everyone has had an experience with cancer, not necessarily themselves but a family member or a friend and would therefore be sympathetic. It is published in a respectable magazine with an informative and emotional tone; therefore they would not question the journalist’s article. If it were published in a different type of magazine with an alternative reputation, such as Cleo or Cosmopolitan, it would attract a different sort of audience and would also not be accepted so readily. It is the subject matter that appeals to the target demographic, rather than the language. The ideas introduced and discussed in the article, such as what is life all about, why do bad things happen to good people, is there a reason? All these topics interest the target audience. The layout of the article also assists in persuading the readers. The main picture, which spreads across two pages, is a colourful, very bright, has pictures of the friends and all the sketches of what the sass and bide collection is about. These pictures, paintings and clippings further enhance the title, which suggests that grieving in a colourful manner and using friendship as an inspiration is a great way to deal with a loss. In order to further persuade the target demographic, the journalist has incorporated several language techniques in order to convince the reader of just how genuine the friendship and love was in the article. In several sections of the article, quotes and things people did were included in the text. An example of this is when the husband of the lady that is dying says what he loved about his wife. The lady’s friend then goes on to back up his stories. Throughout the article the designer from sass and bide talks about how much she connected with the sick lady and how she cant stop thinking about what they discussed. However, not all techniques and aspects which construct an article are visible to the naked eye. One of the most commonly used techniques is the bias of one side, at the exclusion of another. The excluded opinions are often referred to as the gaps and silences, or silenced voices. In this article, the main excluded groups are the educational toys’ spokesperson or manufacturer, parents, users of educational products and also experts on the positives and negatives of the products’ use. While the article promotes attention and extended physical contact between parents and babies, it does not mention any negatives, or the possibility of giving too much attention. By not including these opinions and ideas or the positives of educational products, a strong biased is created. As there is only one side presented, readers often base their opinions on these facts and points, and do not resist what is being offered. However, not all techniques and aspects which construct an article are visible to the naked eye. One of the most commonly used techniques is the bias of one side, at the exclusion of another. The excluded opinions are often referred to as the gaps and silences, or silenced voices. In this article, there are no main groups excluded groups. All the necessary people to do with the story are mentioned. The text also does not mention any negatives. However, it would defeat the purpose of the article if there were but fortunately there are not any. In conclusion, many techniques and strategies are employed by journalists when writing and producing articles. Articles are written with a strong purpose, and are often written in order to manipulate the readers’ opinions. This can be done through bias, gaps and silences, the targeting of a specific demographic and also the tone it is written in. It is important to remain unaffected by the article, and to critically observe it through different viewpoints.

Apple inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Apple inc - Essay Example res and distribute personal computers, cell phones, portable music digital players, software, computer peripherals, related services etc either through third party sellers or its own retail shops. In early 1990s, Apple Inc dominated the market for personal computer with Apple II and gained wider popularity and achieved strong brand reputation with the development of Macintosh. Apple inc employs more than 34,000 employees throughout its manufacturing plants, own retail stores, offices worldwide and offers wide ranges of technology products and services such as iPods, iPhone, 3G iPhone, iTune, iMusic, iTune, iLife etc. Apple Inc, especially among its major competitors such as Acer, Fujitsu, Dell, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Nokia, Motorola Corp, etc, remains to possess higher competitive advantages since it thrives largely on innovation and has proved greater success with product differentiation in its concerned markets. It operates through more than 350 Apple’s stores worldwide and all of these stores are renowned for its very successful and unique marketing strategy of ‘Own-store retailing’. Apple’s stores continue to add advantages to company’s customer loyalty since these stores attract millions of customers to it as they are provided with customer services, technology-assistance, troubleshooting, fun, gaming, kids’ corner etc. In the first quarter of 2011, Apple reported a 23 percent increase in its total sales exhibiting the total revenues to be $26.74 billion and $ 3.38 billion as the net profit for the same quarter. Most companies become highly admired among its public due to the values that its customers perceive it to be of the highest quality and uniqueness. When it comes to Apple, the company always thrives on innovation, technology and product differentiation. The way Apple designed its products, they style it named them, the way they marketed as well attracted customers and created a positive marketing zeal among their minds. When hundreds of cell

Rockwell Hardness Testing Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rockwell Hardness Testing - Lab Report Example Hardness is a measure of the resistance of a metal to permanent (plastic) deformation. The hardness of the metal is measured by forcing an indenter into its surface. The indenter material which is usually a ball, pyramid, or cone, is made of a material much harder than the material being tested. For example, hardened steel, tungsten carbide, or diamond are commonly used materials for indenters. For most standard hardness tests a known load is applied slowly by pressing the indenter at 90 degrees into the metal surface being tested. After the indentation has been made, the indenter is withdrawn from the surface as shown in the figure. An empirical hardness number is then calculated or read off a dial (or digital display), which is based on the cross-sectional area of depth of the impression. The hardness of a metal depends on the ease with which it plastically deforms. Thus a relationship between hardness and strength for a particular metal can be determined empirically. The hardness test is much simpler than the tensile test and can be nondestructive (i.e., the small indentation of the indenter may not be detrimental to the use of an object). For these reasons, the hardness test is used extensively in industry for quality control. The Rockwell Hardness test consists of many different scales for a range of different hardnesses. The B and C scale are the types used in this experiment. The B scale uses the spherical steel penetrator and the C scale uses the diamond cone shaped penetrator. Procedure for Experiment 1. Make certain the crank .It is kept in forward position, nearest to you. 2. Place the sample on the anvil, in position for test. 3. Select 100 and 150 kg combination of weights (being at the rear of the machine) . 4. Slowly turn the wheel spokes clockwise. This raises the anvil and sample toward the penetrator tip. After contact is gently made, continue raising sample until small pointer is about in line with the small black dot and the large pointer is within the colored sector. The minor load has now been applied to the sample. 5. After step 4, the large pointer on the dial is nearly vertical. Now, turn the knurled collar until the SET line on the dial scale is in line with and under the large pointer . 6. Depress the trip lever. This triggers the mechanism that applies the major load. The crank will automatically move away from you. 7. After the crank has come to rest, gently pull the crank back toward you as far as it will go. If this is done abruptly, a false reading