Norwalk Virus

Norovirus, also known as the â€Å"Norwalk Virus†, is a highly contagious food-related illness that got its name when it was first discovered in Norwalk, Ohio in 1972It is said to be frequently found in cruise ships, daycares and nursing homes that hold large amounts of people in close proximityCauses of Norovirus include a cook or bartender serving food or drink without washing their hands properly, having direct or close contact with someone is infected (touching them and then touching the mouth or nose) and drinking an infected person's water or using their utensilsThe very first cause listed is something an individual may not be able to control, which is why norovirus is so common and contagious.The more ordinary symptoms of norovirus include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps, but the more unlikely symptoms consist of headache, a fever, chills and muscle aches3.A person exposed to this illness can expect to develop symptoms within 24 to 48 hours4, which may f eel like a long amount of time, but isn't as bad as other illnesses. More serious effects of Norovirus can include not getting enough nutrients and fluids in your system, which would lead to malnutrition and dehydration5. There is no medicinal treatment for norovirus, but drinking lots of water and sticking to your regular eating schedule will help in avoiding these effects. The person will be contagious from the moment they are ill to at least 3 days after recovery4, so it is best not to touch them or be near them as much as possible as mentioned previously.Shellfish such as oysters and raw fruits and vegetables are the most likely sources if they have been contaminated by unclean water2. Cruise ships serving large amounts of shellfish that wasn't checked for contamination is guaranteed to get at least one passenger sick, which is why it's better to be mindful of this and stick with the foods that you know are safe to eat. Untreateddrinking water is a major source as well that has been linked to norovirus2, so running water through a filter is essential when wanting to avoid norovirus. Proper hygiene and safe food preparation is key when aiming to prevent norovirus. Wash hands with warm water and soap after going to the washroom, before and after preparing food, and changing a dirty diaper4. Constant hand washing will help insure that the bacteria from one object will not remain on your hands and transfer over to another area. Keeping raw meat, poultry and seafood away from other items in your cart when shopping and having a separate grocery bag is very important in terms of making sure cross contamination doesn't occur4. A person can also prevent others from getting Norovirus by not going to work and avoiding travelling for the duration of their illness. Taking a few days off work will speed up the affected person's recovery and not get anyone else ill at the same time.

Poverty Essay Introduction Essay

Poverty is a serious issue that has been going on for centuries. Every day there are people who die due to hunger but there are solutions to reducing, and even stopping, poverty. Global poverty comes in an abundance of shapes and sizes. One of the main sources of poverty is the lack of investment in the future at all levels. The manufacturer outsources to China because he does not want to invest in long-term employees. The government does not want to invest in quality employees through education, infrastructure, health care, etc. The potential employee does not want to invest in his future through education or training, but would rather have immediate gratification of leisure. A second main source is the lack of certain basic government functions. The government needs to be able to provide stability, through laws and establishing property rights. Without these basic things, there is little incentive for the people to develop new products, or work hard, because it will just be taken a way by someone more powerful. I don’t think government is the solution to everything, but it is necessary for a few basic functions.

Energy Policy in Canada

Each day millions of tons of fossil fuels are being consumed by the world. As most people already energy is the basis of industrial civilization; without energy, modern life would cease to exist. Presently, fossil fuels make up a large portion of present day energy sources. Canada, one of the world's largest industrialized nations uses an abundance energy to support its ever growing society. However, the population of Canada is slowly growing each day and with that the closer demise of fossil fuels. For this reason Canada has implemented an energy policy which in turn is to establish guidelines and standards. In Canada, natural resource ownership is largely controlled by the various national provinces, which are allowed to legislate in the areas of resource development, production control, taxation, and resource extraction. Provincial governments have major responsibility for both the management of resources and environmental protection within their boundaries. The provinces are assisted in varying degrees by private companies in the exploration, development and distribution of natural resources. Because so much of Canadian energy policy lies outside of federal jurisdiction, strategic partnerships and linkages among provinces themselves and between provinces and the government are very important. In many cases, these take the form of shared commitments to provincial and territorial energy programs, building codes, environmental goals, and efficiency targets. However, the government's resolve n environmental issues is still being questioned, however, due to a sharp debate over the matter of legislative versus voluntary measures on climate change For this reason it can be stated that Canada's energy policy has some good policies but is still greatly flawed. Moreover, it is essential that alternatives to hazardous fossil fuels are found and efficiently implemented before the demise of fossil fuels is soon a reality. Also it is imperative that people of the world learn to conserve and prevent further abuse of fossil fuels.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Sixty-six

Bran The oldest were men grown, seventeen and eighteen years from the day of their naming. One was past twenty. Most were younger, sixteen or less. Bran watched them from the balcony of Maester Luwin's turret, listening to them grunt and strain and curse as they swung their staves and wooden swords. The yard was alive to the clack of wood on wood, punctuated all too often by thwacks and yowls of pain when a blow struck leather or flesh. Ser Rodrik strode among the boys, face reddening beneath his white whiskers, muttering at them one and all. Bran had never seen the old knight look so fierce. â€Å"No,† he kept saying. â€Å"No. No. No.† â€Å"They don't fight very well,† Bran said dubiously. He scratched Summer idly behind the ears as the direwolf tore at a haunch of meat. Bones crunched between his teeth. â€Å"For a certainty,† Maester Luwin agreed with a deep sigh. The maester was peering through his big Myrish lens tube, measuring shadows and noting the position of the comet that hung low in the morning sky. â€Å"Yet given time . . . Ser Rodrik has the truth of it, we need men to walk the walls. Your lord father took the cream of his guard to King's Landing, and your brother took the rest, along with all the likely lads for leagues around. Many will not come back to us, and we must needs find the men to take their places.† Bran stared resentfully at the sweating boys below. â€Å"If I still had my legs, I could beat them all.† He remembered the last time he'd held a sword in his hand, when the king had come to Winterfell. It was only a wooden sword, yet he'd knocked Prince Tommen down half a hundred times. â€Å"Ser Rodrik should teach me to use a poleaxe. If I had a poleaxe with a big long haft, Hodor could be my legs. We could be a knight together.† â€Å"I think that . . . unlikely,† Maester Luwin said. â€Å"Bran, when a man fights, his arms and legs and thoughts must be as one.† Below in the yard, Ser Rodrik was yelling. â€Å"You fight like a goose. He pecks you and you peck him harder. Parry! Block the blow. Goose fighting will not suffice. If those were real swords, the first peck would take your arm off!† One of the other boys laughed, and the old knight rounded on him. â€Å"You laugh. You. Now that is gall. You fight like a hedgehog . . . â€Å" â€Å"There was a knight once who couldn't see,† Bran said stubbornly, as Ser Rodrik went on below. â€Å"Old Nan told me about him. He had a long staff with blades at both ends and he could spin it in his hands and chop two men at once.† â€Å"Symeon Star-Eyes,† Luwin said as he marked numbers in a book. â€Å"When he lost his eyes, he put star sapphires in the empty sockets, or so the singers claim. Bran, that is only a story, like the tales of Florian the Fool. A fable from the Age of Heroes.† The maester tsked. â€Å"You must put these dreams aside, they will only break your heart.† The mention of dreams reminded him. â€Å"I dreamed about the crow again last night. The one with three eyes. He flew into my bedchamber and told me to come with him, so I did. We went down to the crypts. Father was there, and we talked. He was sad.† â€Å"And why was that?† Luwin peered through his tube. â€Å"It was something to do about Jon, I think.† The dream had been deeply disturbing, more so than any of the other crow dreams. â€Å"Hodor won't go down into the crypts.† The maester had only been half listening, Bran could tell. He lifted his eye from the tube, blinking. â€Å"Hodor won't . . . â€Å" â€Å"Go down into the crypts. When I woke, I told him to take me down, to see if Father was truly there. At first he didn't know what I was saying, but I got him to the steps by telling him to go here and go there, only then he wouldn't go down. He just stood on the top step and said ‘Hodor,' like he was scared of the dark, but I had a torch. It made me so mad I almost gave him a swat in the head, like Old Nan is always doing.† He saw the way the maester was frowning and hurriedly added, â€Å"I didn't, though.† â€Å"Good. Hodor is a man, not a mule to be beaten.† â€Å"In the dream I flew down with the crow, but I can't do that when I'm awake,† Bran explained. â€Å"Why would you want to go down to the crypts?† â€Å"I told you. To look for Father.† The maester tugged at the chain around his neck, as he often did when he was uncomfortable. â€Å"Bran, sweet child, one day Lord Eddard will sit below in stone, beside his father and his father's father and all the Starks back to the old Kings in the North . . . but that will not be for many years, gods be good. Your father is a prisoner of the queen in King's Landing. You will not find him in the crypts.† â€Å"He was there last night. I talked to him.† â€Å"Stubborn boy,† the maester sighed, setting his book aside. â€Å"Would you like to go see?† â€Å"I can't. Hodor won't go, and the steps are too narrow and twisty for Dancer.† â€Å"I believe I can solve that difficulty.† In place of Hodor, the wildling woman Osha was summoned. She was tall and tough and uncomplaining, willing to go wherever she was commanded. â€Å"I lived my life beyond the Wall, a hole in the ground won't fret me none, m'lords,† she said. â€Å"Summer, come,† Bran called as she lifted him in wiry-strong arms. The direwolf left his bone and followed as Osha carried Bran across the yard and down the spiral steps to the cold vault under the earth. Maester Luwin went ahead with a torch. Bran did not even mind—too badly—that she carried him in her arms and not on her back. Ser Rodrik had ordered Osha's chain struck off, since she had served faithfully and well since she had been at Winterfell. She still wore the heavy iron shackles around her ankles—a sign that she was not yet wholly trusted—but they did not hinder her sure strides down the steps. Bran could not recall the last time he had been in the crypts. It had been before, for certain. When he was little, he used to play down here with Robb and Jon and his sisters. He wished they were here now; the vault might not have seemed so dark and scary. Summer stalked out in the echoing gloom, then stopped, lifted his head, and sniffed the chill dead air. He bared his teeth and crept backward, eyes glowing golden in the light of the maester's torch. Even Osha, hard as old iron, seemed uncomfortable. â€Å"Grim folk, by the look of them,† she said as she eyed the long row of granite Starks on their stone thrones. â€Å"They were the Kings of Winter,† Bran whispered. Somehow it felt wrong to talk too loudly in this place. Osha smiled. â€Å"Winter's got no king. If you'd seen it, you'd know that, summer boy.† â€Å"They were the Kings in the North for thousands of years,† Maester Luwin said, lifting the torch high so the light shone on the stone faces. Some were hairy and bearded, shaggy men fierce as the wolves that crouched by their feet. Others were shaved clean, their features gaunt and sharp-edged as the iron longswords across their laps. â€Å"Hard men for a hard time. Come.† He strode briskly down the vault, past the procession of stone pillars and the endless carved figures. A tongue of flame trailed back from the upraised torch as he went. The vault was cavernous, longer than Winterfell itself, and Jon had told him once that there were other levels underneath, vaults even deeper and darker where the older kings were buried. It would not do to lose the light. Summer refused to move from the steps, even when Osha followed the torch, Bran in her arms. â€Å"Do you recall your history, Bran?† the maester said as they walked. â€Å"Tell Osha who they were and what they did, if you can.† He looked at the passing faces and the tales came back to him. The maester had told him the stories, and Old Nan had made them come alive. â€Å"That one is Jon Stark. When the sea raiders landed in the east, he drove them out and built the castle at White Harbor. His son was Rickard Stark, not my father's father but another Rickard, he took the Neck away from the Marsh King and married his daughter. Theon Stark's the real thin one with the long hair and the skinny beard. They called him the ‘Hungry Wolf,' because he was always at war. That's a Brandon, the tall one with the dreamy face, he was Brandon the Shipwright, because he loved the sea. His tomb is empty. He tried to sail west across the Sunset Sea and was never seen again. His son was Brandon the Burner, because he put the torch to all his father's ships in grief. There's Rodrik Stark, who won Bear Island in a wrestling match and gave it to the Mormonts. And that's Torrhen Stark, the King Who Knelt. He was the last Kin g in the North and the first Lord of Winterfell, after he yielded to Aegon the Conqueror. Oh, there, he's Cregan Stark. He fought with Prince Aemon once, and the Dragonknight said he'd never faced a finer swordsman.† They were almost at the end now, and Bran felt a sadness creeping over him. â€Å"And there's my grandfather, Lord Rickard, who was beheaded by Mad King Aerys. His daughter Lyanna and his son Brandon are in the tombs beside him. Not me, another Brandon, my father's brother. They're not supposed to have statues, that's only for the lords and the kings, but my father loved them so much he had them done.† â€Å"The maid's a fair one,† Osha said. â€Å"Robert was betrothed to marry her, but Prince Rhaegar carried her off and raped her,† Bran explained. â€Å"Robert fought a war to win her back. He killed Rhaegar on the Trident with his hammer, but Lyanna died and he never got her back at all.† â€Å"A sad tale,† said Osha, â€Å"but those empty holes are sadder.† â€Å"Lord Eddard's tomb, for when his time comes,† Maester Luwin said. â€Å"Is this where you saw your father in your dream, Bran?† â€Å"Yes.† The memory made him shiver. He looked around the vault uneasily, the hairs on the back of his neck bristling. Had he heard a noise? Was there someone here? Maester Luwin stepped toward the open sepulchre, torch in hand. â€Å"As you see, he's not here. Nor will he be, for many a year. Dreams are only dreams, child.† He thrust his arm into the blackness inside the tomb, as into the mouth of some great beast. â€Å"Do you see? It's quite empt—† The darkness sprang at him, snarling. Bran saw eyes like green fire, a flash of teeth, fur as black as the pit around them. Maester Luwin yelled and threw up his hands. The torch went flying from his fingers, caromed off the stone face of Brandon Stark, and tumbled to the statue's feet, the flames licking up his legs. In the drunken shifting torchlight, they saw Luwin struggling with the direwolf, beating at his muzzle with one hand while the jaws closed on the other. â€Å"Summer!† Bran screamed. And Summer came, shooting from the dimness behind them, a leaping shadow. He slammed into Shaggydog and knocked him back, and the two direwolves rolled over and over in a tangle of grey and black fur, snapping and biting at each other, while Maester Luwin struggled to his knees, his arm torn and bloody. Osha propped Bran up against Lord Rickard's stone wolf as she hurried to assist the maester. In the light of the guttering torch, shadow wolves twenty feet tall fought on the wall and roof. â€Å"Shaggy,† a small voice called. When Bran looked up, his little brother was standing in the mouth of Father's tomb. With one final snap at Summer's face, Shaggydog broke off and bounded to Rickon's side. â€Å"You let my father be,† Rickon warned Luwin. â€Å"You let him be.† â€Å"Rickon,† Bran said softly. â€Å"Father's not here.† â€Å"Yes he is. I saw him.† Tears glistened on Rickon's face. â€Å"I saw him last night.† â€Å"In your dream . . . ?† Rickon nodded. â€Å"You leave him. You leave him be. He's coming home now, like he promised. He's coming home.† Bran had never seen Maester Luwin took so uncertain before. Blood dripped down his arm where Shaggydog had shredded the wool of his sleeve and the flesh beneath. â€Å"Osha, the torch,† he said, biting through his pain, and she snatched it up before it went out. Soot stains blackened both legs of his uncle's likeness. â€Å"That . . . that beast,† Luwin went on, â€Å"is supposed to be chained up in the kennels.† Rickon patted Shaggydog's muzzle, damp with blood. â€Å"I let him loose. He doesn't like chains.† He licked at his fingers. â€Å"Rickon,† Bran said, â€Å"would you like to come with me?† â€Å"No. I like it here.† â€Å"It's dark here. And cold.† â€Å"I'm not afraid. I have to wait for Father.† â€Å"You can wait with me,† Bran said. â€Å"We'll wait together, you and me and our wolves.† Both of the direwolves were licking wounds now, and would bear close watching. â€Å"Bran,† the maester said firmly, â€Å"I know you mean well, but Shaggydog is too wild to run loose. I'm the third man he's savaged. Give him the freedom of the castle and it's only a question of time before he kills someone. The truth is hard, but the wolf has to be chained, or . . . &rdquo He hesitated . . . or killed, Bran thought, but what he said was, â€Å"He was not made for chains. We will wait in your tower, all of us.† â€Å"That is quite impossible,† Maester Luwin said. Osha grinned. â€Å"The boy's the lordling here, as I recall.† She handed Luwin back his torch and scooped Bran up into her arms again. â€Å"The maester's tower it is.† â€Å"Will you come, Rickon?† His brother nodded. â€Å"If Shaggy comes too,† he said, running after Osha and Bran, and there was nothing Maester Luwin could do but follow, keeping a wary eye on the wolves. Maester Luwin's turret was so cluttered that it seemed to Bran a wonder that he ever found anything. Tottering piles of books covered tables and chairs, rows of stoppered jars lined the shelves, candle stubs and puddles of dried wax dotted the furniture, the bronze Myrish lens tube sat on a tripod by the terrace door, star charts hung from the walls, shadow maps lay scattered among the rushes, papers, quills, and pots of inks were everywhere, and all of it was spotted with droppings from the ravens in the rafters. Their strident quorks drifted down from above as Osha washed and cleaned and bandaged the maester's wounds, under Luwin's terse instruction. â€Å"This is folly,† the small grey man said while she dabbed at the wolf bites with a stinging ointment. â€Å"I agree that it is odd that both you boys dreamed the same dream, yet when you stop to consider it, it's only natural. You miss your lord father, and you know that he is a captive. Fear can fever a man's mind and giv e him queer thoughts. Rickon is too young to comprehend—† â€Å"I'm four now,† Rickon said. He was peeking through the lens tube at the gargoyles on the First Keep. The direwolves sat on opposite sides of the large round room, licking their wounds and gnawing on bones. â€Å"—too young, and—ooh, seven hells, that burns, no, don't stop, more. Too young, as I say, but you, Bran, you're old enough to know that dreams are only dreams.† â€Å"Some are, some aren't.† Osha poured pale red firemilk into a long gash. Luwin gasped. â€Å"The children of the forest could tell you a thing or two about dreaming.† Tears were streaming down the maester's face, yet he shook his head doggedly. â€Å"The children . . . live only in dreams. Now. Dead and gone. Enough, that's enough. Now the bandages. Pads and then wrap, and make it tight, I'll be bleeding.† â€Å"Old Nan says the children knew the songs of the trees, that they could fly like birds and swim like fish and talk to the animals,† Bran said. â€Å"She says that they made music so beautiful that it made you cry like a little baby just to hear it.† â€Å"And all this they did with magic,† Maester Luwin said, distracted. â€Å"I wish they were here now. A spell would heal my arm less painfully, and they could talk to Shaggydog and tell him not to bite.† He gave the big black wolf an angry glance out of the corner of his eye. â€Å"Take a lesson, Bran. The man who trusts in spells is dueling with a glass sword. As the children did. Here, let me show you something.† He stood abruptly, crossed the room, and returned with a green jar in his good hand. â€Å"Have a look at these,† he said as he pulled the stopper and shook out a handful of shiny black arrowheads. Bran picked one up. â€Å"It's made of glass.† Curious, Rickon drifted closer to peer over the table. â€Å"Dragonglass,† Osha named it as she sat down beside Luwin, bandagings in hand. â€Å"Obsidian,† Maester Luwin insisted, holding out his wounded arm. â€Å"Forged in the fires of the gods, far below the earth. The children of the forest hunted with that, thousands of years ago. The children worked no metal. In place of mail, they wore long shirts of woven leaves and bound their legs in bark, so they seemed to melt into the wood. In place of swords, they carried blades of obsidian.† â€Å"And still do.† Osha placed soft pads over the bites on the maester's forearm and bound them tight with long strips of linen. Bran held the arrowhead up close. The black glass was slick and shiny. He thought it beautiful. â€Å"Can I keep one?† â€Å"As you wish,† the maester said. â€Å"I want one too,† Rickon said. â€Å"I want four. I'm four.† Luwin made him count them out. â€Å"Careful, they're still sharp. Don't cut yourself.† â€Å"Tell me about the children,† Bran said. It was important. â€Å"What do you wish to know?† â€Å"Everything.† Maester Luwin tugged at his chain collar where it chafed against his neck. â€Å"They were people of the Dawn Age, the very first, before kings and kingdoms,† he said. â€Å"In those days, there were no castles or holdfasts, no cities, not so much as a market town to be found between here and the sea of Dorne. There were no men at all. Only the children of the forest dwelt in the lands we now call the Seven Kingdoms. â€Å"They were a people dark and beautiful, small of stature, no taller than children even when grown to manhood. They lived in the depths of the wood, in caves and crannogs and secret tree towns. Slight as they were, the children were quick and graceful. Male and female hunted together, with weirwood bows and flying snares. Their gods were the gods of the forest, stream, and stone, the old gods whose names are secret. Their wise men were called greenseers, and carved strange faces in the weirwoods to keep watch on the woods. How long the children reigned here or where they came from, no man can know. â€Å"But some twelve thousand years ago, the First Men appeared from the east, crossing the Broken Arm of Dorne before it was broken. They came with bronze swords and great leathern shields, riding horses. No horse had ever been seen on this side of the narrow sea. No doubt the children were as frightened by the horses as the First Men were by the faces in the trees. As the First Men carved out holdfasts and farms, they cut down the faces and gave them to the fire. Horror-struck, the children went to war. The old songs say that the greenseers used dark magics to make the seas rise and sweep away the land, shattering the Arm, but it was too late to close the door. The wars went on until the earth ran red with blood of men and children both, but more children than men, for men were bigger and stronger, and wood and stone and obsidian make a poor match for bronze. Finally the wise of both races prevailed, and the chiefs and heroes of the First Men met the greenseers and wood dancers a midst the weirwood groves of a small island in the great lake called Gods Eye. â€Å"There they forged the Pact. The First Men were given the coastlands, the high plains and bright meadows, the mountains and bogs, but the deep woods were to remain forever the children's, and no more weirwoods were to be put to the axe anywhere in the realm. So the gods might bear witness to the signing, every tree on the island was given a face, and afterward, the sacred order of green men was formed to keep watch over the Isle of Faces. â€Å"The Pact began four thousand years of friendship between men and children. In time, the First Men even put aside the gods they had brought with them, and took up the worship of the secret gods of the wood. The signing of the Pact ended the Dawn Age, and began the Age of Heroes.† Bran's fist curled around the shiny black arrowhead. â€Å"But the children of the forest are all gone now, you said.† â€Å"Here, they are,† said Osha, as she bit off the end of the last bandage with her teeth. â€Å"North of the Wall, things are different. That's where the children went, and the giants, and the other old races.† Maester Luwin sighed. â€Å"Woman, by rights you ought to be dead or in chains. The Starks have treated you more gently than you deserve. It is unkind to repay them for their kindness by filling the boys' heads with folly.† â€Å"Tell me where they went,† Bran said. â€Å"I want to know.† â€Å"Me too,† Rickon echoed. â€Å"Oh, very well,† Luwin muttered. â€Å"So long as the kingdoms of the First Men held sway, the Pact endured, all through the Age of Heroes and the Long Night and the birth of the Seven Kingdoms, yet finally there came a time, many centuries later, when other peoples crossed the narrow sea. â€Å"The Andals were the first, a race of tall, fair-haired warriors who came with steel and fire and the seven-pointed star of the new gods painted on their chests. The wars lasted hundreds of years, but in the end the six southron kingdoms all fell before them. Only here, where the King in the North threw back every army that tried to cross the Neck, did the rule of the First Men endure. The Andals burnt out the weirwood groves, hacked down the faces, slaughtered the children where they found them, and everywhere proclaimed the triumph of the Seven over the old gods. So the children fled north—† Summer began to howl. Maester Luwin broke off, startled. When Shaggydog bounded to his feet and added his voice to his brother's, dread clutched at Bran's heart. â€Å"It's coming,† he whispered, with the certainty of despair. He had known it since last night, he realized, since the crow had led him down into the crypts to say farewell. He had known it, but he had not believed. He had wanted Maester Luwin to be right. The crow, he thought, the three-eyed crow . . . The howling stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Summer padded across the tower floor to Shaggydog, and began to lick at a mat of bloody fur on the back of his brother's neck. From the window came a flutter of wings. A raven landed on the grey stone sill, opened its beak, and gave a harsh, raucous rattle of distress. Rickon began to cry. His arrowheads fell from his hand one by one and clattered on the floor. Bran pulled him close and hugged him. Maester Luwin stared at the black bird as if it were a scorpion with feathers. He rose, slow as a sleepwalker, and moved to the window. When he whistled, the raven hopped onto his bandaged forearm. There was dried blood on its wings. â€Å"A hawk,† Luwin murmured, â€Å"perhaps an owl. Poor thing, a wonder it got through.† He took the letter from its leg. Bran found himself shivering as the maester unrolled the paper. â€Å"What is it?† he said, holding his brother all the harder. â€Å"You know what it is, boy,† Osha said, not unkindly. She put her hand on his head. Maester Luwin looked up at them numbly, a small grey man with blood on the sleeve of his grey wool robe and tears in his bright grey eyes. â€Å"My lords,† he said to the sons, in a voice gone hoarse and shrunken, â€Å"we . . . we shall need to find a stonecarver who knew his likeness well . . . â€Å"

Preparing for Employment in the Travel and Tourism Industry Essay

A) * Identifying customers needs 1. There should be a staffing plan for any company 2. When a vacancy arises for whatever reason, the impact of the vacancy should be considered against the staffing plan. 3. There may be an opportunity to move staff into different positions better suited to company needs 4. Sometimes major restructuring takes place without a vacancy having arisen, due to changes in the business or economic circumstances of the company, for example a takeover of another company or a major economic downturn. * Job descriptions A job description is a general statement explaining the purpose, duties and responsibilities of a job. It should include the following:- 1. Job title and department 2. Job purpose- the main duties of the role 3. Responsibilities – to whom the job holder is responsible, and all the responsibilities of the post 4. Physical conditions – where the work is performed, the hours, any hazards or special conditions 5. Social conditions – in teams, with client, or alone 6. Economic conditions – salary range, commissions, bonuses, pension, sick pay 7. Prospects for promotion and training. 8. Date it was written – this is important because duties and responsibilities may change over times. * Person specifications A person specification is used to match the right person to the job. It describes a desirable personal attributes of the job holders. It is usually based on a seven-point plan which includes:- 1. Physical make-up – does the job require any special physical characteristics such as strength, good eyesight or height? 2. Attainments – what type of education is needed? What special occupational experience or training is required? 3. Intelligence – how much general intelligence should be evident? 4. Special aptitudes – is a skill in writing or drawing needed? Does the applicant need o be reliable or hard working? 5. Circumstances – does the applicant need o be mobile? Does he or she have to travel away from home? 6. Interests * Advertising Advertising is used to find suitable candidates. There are many possible locations for placing advertising. The most important consideration is reaching the right people, but cost must also be taken into account. The following could be used: – 1. Job centre – usually used to recruit unskilled or semi-skilled staff. As the department for education and employment provides the service which is free. Job centres will also pre-interview for the company. 2. press – local press is ideal for local companies 3. Radio – frequently used for recruitment; more suitable for local jobs. 4. ‘Milk round’- companies visit universities searching for suitable graduated applicants. 5. Internet – on their own websites or through specialist recruitment sites. 6. Recruitment agencies – general or specialist. There are specialist travel and tourism agencies. To fill a permanent position, the agency charges a percentage of the annual salary for the post, so they are expensive. * Roadshows When companies send their recruitment team to venues in major cities to undertake a recruitment drive and it is often called a roadshow. They advertise their presence locally and potential applicant turn up and find out about career opportunities with that company. ‘The milk round’ is a particular type of roadshows when companies travel to universities in an attempt to recruit students who are about to graduate. * Recruitment agencies There are organisations who earn their income by charging a fee to companies for undertaking their recruitment for them. Some are specialist companies. An example of a recruitment agency specialising in travel and tourism is Holiday Resort Jobs, and they have an online resort jobs directory. * Short-listing applications The initial methods of selection involve comparing applications to the job specification and person specification. A list of essential criteria may be used, which will result in many applications being rejected by the organisation. At Canvas Holidays an interview checklist is used to help decide who should be short listed. Essential recruitments include availability, a bank account, and experience (which should involve working with the public), experience of overseas travel or camping. Desirable recruitments include a language and experience of working with children. * Telephone, group and individual interviews * Psychometric testing These are used to test ability or personality. They usually take the form of fairly lengthy questionnaires and the respondent is judged as suitable for a position or not depending on the responses given. The tests are used to support other selection methods rather than as a selection tool that stands alone. * Offer of employment If a person is successful at interview then they can expect to receive a letter which constitutes an offer of employment. This is followed by a contract which lays out the terms and conditions of employment and it will include details such as:- 1. hours of work 2. location 3. start and finish times/shift times 4. holiday entitlement 5. rate of pay * Contracts A contract is an exchange of promises between two or more parties to do, or refrain from doing, an act, which resulting contract is enforceable in a court of law. It is a binding legal agreement. The contract lays out the terms and conditions of employment and it will include details such as:- 1. hours of work 2. location 3. start and finish times/shift times 4. holiday entitlement 5. rate of pay * Induction B) From the prospective of the application, include a description of the different stages including:- * Researching opportunities Before a person applies for a job they have to carry out research to find suitable jobs to apply for and can find jobs in these sources which are as follows:- 1. Newspaper (local and national) 2. Trade magazines such as Travel Trade Gazette and Travel weekly, leisure opportunities and caterer online 3. Careers specialists 4. Recruitment agencies 5. Company websites * Producing a CV Curriculum vitae literally means an account of your life, it is a summary of your own work experience, education and skills. The purpose of a CV is to bring a person to the attention of an employer and get them to the interview stage. Everyone’s CV should be constantly updated, and although you will keep a basic CV on file you should adapt it to fit the particular requirements of each job you apply for. Of altering the emphasis of the CV to make the relevant points stand out. Your CV should include: * Personal information * Work history * Education * Skills * References Personal information Give your name, address, telephone numbers and e-mail address. There is no need to give your gender, marital status or number of children, if any. No need to mention your age either, but if you are young it is a good idea to put your date of birth as there may be jobs you are not eligible for because of you age. Work history This is where you list all your employment, starting with you current or latest job. If you have never has a job, include any periods of work experience or voluntary work you have done. For each job give the job title, the name of the company and what it does, if it is not well known. Add a list of your responsibilities in that position, list them too. Education List your qualifications. As with work history, start with your most recent qualification or course. Include schools from secondary onwards. Do not include GCSEs below ‘C’ grade. Writer the name of the college/ school and against it the qualifications you achieved there. Skills List any other skills you have. Examples include languages, with an indication of your level, driving, licence, and first-aid certificate or lifeguard qualifications. Include your key skills and IT qualifications here too. For IT, say which software packages you can use. References It is usual to include the name and addresses of two referees. One must be an employer or tutor. Alternatively, you can state that referees are available on request – this gives you time to ask referees for permission to give their contact details. Profile Some people choose to start their CV with a brief personal profile. It sums up your skills and experience and gives the employer an instant idea of whether you are suitable for the post. It can easily be adapted to fit a particular post. * Speculative enquiries Letters of application may be speculative- this means a letter is sent even if you don’t know whether a job vacancy exists. * Responding to advertisements When you are writing a response to a job advert, you must always remember to make sure you say which advert you saw the job. Highlight your skills, qualities and qualifications that match job. * Preparing for interview * Advanced preparations The individual has to prepare their interview clothes the night before. They also have to prepare for the question that might be asked from them about the company, why they would like the job? They also need to research their journey, the time it will take to arrive at the place where the interview is being held. The individual must also research about the company for example products and services. * Telephone screening Telephone interviews are very common, they are less time consuming. The telephone interviewee can create an impression of themselves to the other person that is interviewing them on the other end of the phone (telephone interview) 1. Here are a few tips to prepare you for the duration of your telephone interview * Stand up-good body language will affect your voice * Use appropriate language, not slang * Introduce yourself * End the call properly 2. When you are specking :- * Use your voice to make a good impression * Make sure points are clear over the phone * Attending interview * Personal presentation The dress code is very important; you have to look smart for all of your job interviews Make sure that all of your clothes are clear, crease free and your shoes are polished. Make sure you are clean and well groomed. * Projecting a positive image and attitude Make sure that you are friendly at the interview, always make sure that you engage very good eye contact with your individual also have to make sure they know their information from the interviewer about the company. Always remember to be confident * Body language Pay attention to your body language during the interview, make sure that you appear relaxed not stressed. * Responding to and asking questions Questions are often asked about instances where you are able to demonstrate your skills prepare example of questions that may be asked in the real interview. * Time management Always be punctual and on time for all of your job interviews. To save time work out your journey route a few days in advanced for your interview and pre-buy coach/train tickets before your interview day. * Evaluation You may have to apply for many jobs before you receive an offer for employment. Some companies will offer you feedback. If you receive good feedback you have shown your strengths to the interviewer in order to obtain your ideal job! If the feedback from the interviewer is bad, then they will notify you about weaknesses for the interview that took place. After this procedure, you need to reflect on these weaknesses and make sure that you turn these weaknesses into strengths * Responding to job offers If you are offered a job, and you wish to accept it, you may receive and accept the offer by telephone but make sure that you formally accept the job offer in writing. * References It is usual to include the name and addresses of two referees. One must be an employer or tutor. Alternatively, you can state that referees are available on request – this gives you time to ask referees for permission to give their contact details. Task 3B (M2) * Researching opportunities Before a person applies for a job they have to carry out research to find suitable jobs to apply for and can find jobs in these sources which are as follows:- 1. Newspaper (local and national) 2. Trade magazines such as Travel Trade Gazette and Travel weekly, leisure opportunities and caterer online 3. Careers specialists 4. Recruitment agencies 5. Company websites * Producing a CV Curriculum vitae literally means an account of your life, it is a summary of your work experience, education and skills. The purpose of your CV is to bring you to the attention of an employer and get you to the interview stage. A person’s CV should be constantly updated, and although you will keep a basic CV on file you should adapt it to fit the particular requirements of each job you apply for. Of altering the emphasis of the CV to make the relevant points stand out. Your CV should include: * Personal information * Work history * Education * Skills * References Personal information Give your name, address, telephone numbers and e-mail address. There is no need to give your gender, marital status or number of children, if any. No need to mention your age either, but if you are young it is a good idea to put your date of birth as there may be jobs you are not eligible for because of you age. Work history This is where you list all your employment, starting with you current or latest job. If you have never has a job, include any periods of work experience or voluntary work you have done. For each job give the job title, the name of the company and what it does, if it is not well known. Add a list of your responsibilities in that position, list them too. Education List your qualifications. As with work history, start with your most recent qualification or course. Include schools from secondary onwards. Do not include GCSEs below ‘C’ grade. Writer the name of the college/ school and against it the qualifications you achieved there. Skills List any other skills you have. Examples include languages, with an indication of your level, driving, licence, and first-aid certificate or lifeguard qualifications. Include your key skills and IT qualifications here too. For IT, and you should also talk about which software packages you can use. References It is usual to include the name and addresses of two referees. One must be an employer or tutor. Alternatively, you can state that referees are available on request – this gives you time to ask referees for permission to give their contact details. Profile Some people choose to start their CV with a brief personal profile. It sums up your skills and experience and gives the employer an instant idea of whether you are suitable for the post. It can easily be adapted to fit a particular post. * Speculative enquiries Letters of application may be speculative- this means a letter is sent even if you don’t know whether a job vacancy exists. * Responding to advertisements When you are writing a response to a job advert, you must always remember to make sure you say which advert you saw the job. Highlight your skills, qualities and qualifications that match job. * Preparing for interview * Advanced preparations The individual has to prepare their interview clothes the night before. They also have to prepare for the question that might be asked from them about the company, why they would like the job? They also need to research their journey, the time it will take to arrive at the place where the interview is being held. The individual must also research about the company for example products and services. * Telephone screening Telephone interviews are very common, they are less time consuming. The telephone interviewee can create an impression of themselves to the other person that is interviewing them on the other end of the phone (telephone interview) 1. Here are a few tips to prepare you for the duration of your telephone interview * Stand up-good body language will affect your voice * Use appropriate language, not slang * Introduce yourself * End the call properly 2. When you are specking :- * Use your voice to make a good impression * Make sure points are clear over the phone * Attending interview * Personal presentation The dress code is very important; you have to look smart for all of your job interviews Make sure that all of your clothes are clear, crease free and your shoes are polished. Make sure you are clean and well groomed. * Projecting a positive image and attitude Make sure that you are friendly at the interview, always make sure that you engage very good eye contact with your individual also have to make sure they know their information from the interviewer about the company. Always remember to be confident * Body language Pay attention to your body language during the interview, make sure that you appear relaxed not stressed. * Responding to and asking questions Questions are often asked about instances where you are able to demonstrate your skills prepare example of questions that may be asked in the real interview. * Time management Always be punctual and on time for all of your job interviews. To save time work out your journey route a few days in advanced for your interview and pre-buy coach/train tickets before your interview day. * Evaluation You may have to apply for many jobs before you receive an offer for employment. Some companies will offer you feedback. If you receive good feedback you have shown your strengths to the interviewer in order to obtain your ideal job! If the feedback from the interviewer is bad, then they will notify you about weaknesses for the interview that took place. After this procedure, you need to reflect on these weaknesses and make sure that you turn these weaknesses into strengths Task 3b (M2) use the guideline you produced in task 3b (a) as the basis for a detailed assessment of your personal performance when applying for work and for attending an interview. Research opportunities Before a person applies for a job they have to carry out research to find suitable jobs to apply for and I did the same thing to find the right job for me. Ways to find cabin crew jobs are as follows:- 1. Newspaper (local and national) 2. Trade magazines such as Travel Trade Gazette and Travel weekly, leisure opportunities and caterer online 3. Careers specialists 4. Recruitment agencies 5. Company websites For my research opportunities I used the Virgin Atlantic and the cabin crew careers website to find out about the company and to get detailed information of what and what not Virgin Atlantic provides to their member of staff. Also to get information about what they want in their staff and what the roles and responsibilities of cabin crew when working with such a big company like Virgin Atlantic. Producing your CV Curriculum vitae literally means an account of your life, it is a summary of your work experience, education and skills. The purpose of your CV is to bring you to the attention of an employer and get you to the interview stage. I updated my CV before the day of interview so that whatever I have gained so for which I have forgotten to put down could be updated and to also show how much experience I have gained. Your CV should include: * Personal information * Work history * Education * Skills * References Personal information In personal information sector I have put down my name, address, telephone numbers and e-mail address. I have not put down my gender, marital status, because there is no need for me to put it down in a CV. I also don’t have to mention my age, but sometimes you are young it is a good idea to put your date of birth as there may be jobs you are not eligible for because of you age. Work history This is where I have listed all my employment, starting with my current or latest job. This includes all the work experience I have done. For each job I have given the job title, the name of the company and what it does, if it is not well known. I also have added a list of my responsibilities in that position. Education I have listed all my qualifications. Starting with my most recent qualification or the course I am doing. I have also talked about my secondary school education onwards. I have not included my GCSEs below ‘C’ grade. I have also put down the name of the college/ school and against it the qualifications I have achieved there. Skills I have listed all the other skills I have other than my education. Examples include languages, with an indication of my level. I have also included my key skills and IT qualifications too. For IT, I have motioned about the software packages I can use. References It is usual to include the name and addresses of two referees. One must be an employer or tutor. In my CV have put down that the referees will be available on request – this will gives me time to ask referees for permission to give their contact details.

Argument Response Against Dual Language Education

In English First the author is a huge proponent of English only education. Le urges the voting public who is reading the article to vote against installing bilingual education into the student course curriculum. Le dedicates almost the entire piece to focus on the potential pitfalls in trying to introduce two completely different languages into a child’s academic curriculum simultaneously. Before I read this article I would have thought myself in favor of bilingual education. It would appear to be the easiest way to assimilate immigrants to our cultural as well as broadening the cultural horizons of our native English speaking students.I have no idea how arrogant a way of thinking that could possibly be. My own education, coupled with my professional and personal experience, in addition to Le’s essay lead me to the conclusion that English only education is by far the bets way to go. I would like to think I have a very good grasp of the English language; I am constantly being commended on my superior verbal communication skills. That being said my written communication leaves a lot to be desired. Even though I speak very eloquently (at times) I am not seem to properly translate that same level of eloquent into a printable media.I find myself a little bit embarrassed when I have to write formal documents (even this response) due to my lack of practical skill knowledge when it comes to written formats. I blame myself partially for the oversight in my education but mostly I blame my compulsory education instructors. Through out grade school, middle school and high school I was never once ordered to learn how to write a proper sentence. I was made to learn vocabulary and parts of speech surely but it was not until college I was it expected that I know how to put it all together flawlessly and with punctuation.All my writing assignments before I entered college consisted of a series of run on sentences. The sad part is I never got below C+ in any of my written assignments due to my extraordinary level of content. However, I know now that content does not a good paper solely make. My teachers did not do me any favors by allowing me to skate by, especially since I had no idea that I was skating to begin with. After I read Le’s article I stopped to think about the people I interact with on a daily basis, the public at large and especially my colleagues.I must admit on several occasions I find myself mortified to hear the language that comes out of their mouths. Not because of any level of vulgarity but rather the way in which they completely butcher their native language; English. I think the author makes a valid point before we become so consumed with the idea of teaching American children other languages we really should focus on them mastering English in both verbal and written formats. English First† by Yung Le, pgs. 459-461 in A Well Crafted Argument

Southwest Airpine Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Southwest Airpine Analysis - Research Paper Example America’s public transport is quite efficient and this poses a challenge to Southwest’s operations. Bus companies are most notable for offering alternative short-distance travelling services to many Americans who prefer the road than the air. According to Gittell (2005), transportation factors such as scheduling, safety, facilities, security procedures are very important to travelers who might use these factors as criteria not to choose Southwest in favor of surface transportation. The existence of close to 1150 seaports in Texas makes it possible for Texas residents and visitors to travel conveniently and cheaply by sea. Furthermore, commuter rail services provided by organizations such as Capital MetroRail have greatly made surface travel as interesting and fast experience as travelling by air. The road network in Texas is no doubt superb considering the several high standard highways that dot the state. Many potential air transport customers opt to travel by bus (such as Executive Coach Inc) or by private means considering the specific conveniences that come with road transport including the option of making stopovers at interesting sites. The huge number of companies offering care hire services has made the surface travel experience great even to those who cannot afford town cars. Customers who may be dissatisfied by one or more aspects of Southwest’s services may opt to use other means of transport which have better services. One of the greatest strengths of Southwest Airlines is its product positioning. The company has developed an integrated marketing strategy that has helped position its product among its core target market (Lauer, 2010). Most air travelers in the US know that Southwest has the kind of products that they would choose. In its marketing communication, the company positions itself as a â€Å"low-fare, short-haul, high

The life after black gold (oil) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The life after black gold (oil) - Essay Example he world was so huge that crude oil prices that peaked at $147/barrel came down crashing in the range of $40-45/barrel in March 2009 due to fear of reduced demand not only in the US but also across the world. Laws of economics do play its tricks to acquire new price equilibrium in line with changed demand and supply scenario. Reduced crude oil price certainly eased the balance of payments issue of many small developing countries who were mainly importing oil for their domestic consumption (Meyn & Kennan). This financial crisis led to the decline of the US economy and that in turn, affected most of the countries in the world (Gokay). Immediately after the economic crisis in the US, the Wall Street Journal reacted that Chinas economic growth reduced somewhat in the third quarter of 2008 due to lesser demand of its products in the export market. That was supposed to have its ripple effect on employment and thereby domestic consumption. This would have further effect on the private sector investment growth (Marcelis). A year later, real impact of the US economic crisis began bothering Chinese economy significantly. As Andrew Batson reports in Wall Street Journal in 2009, Chinas exports declined by 22.6 percent to $91.94 billion in April. It is pertinent to note that exports from China were already down by 17.1% in the month of March. To prevent severe setback to Chinese economy, government was already providing huge stimulus packages increasing capital spending during March and April. Demand from the private sector was weak and much of the investment spending was coming from Chinas central bank. Fan Jiaping, the economist from the State Information Center categorically said then, "Export demand doesnt show any signs of turning for the better". It is important to note that China is one the largest exporters to the US and therefore not only its exports to the US was impacted but also its imports declined by 23% to $78.8 billion in April 2009. During the period,

Westen Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Westen Civilization - Essay Example The Merovingians were a group of people who ruled the Franks (which included present France) for three hundred years beginning in the fifth century. Like their Roman predecessors, the Merovingians wielded power based upon one’s birthright, the aristocratic were destined to remain that way and likewise, the peasants would continue to live in poverty. As such, it behooved the king to ally the powerful. It was an unusual society in that the wealthy were the ones who practiced and fought the wars. However, the wars and aristocratic lifestyles required a great deal of money for upkeep so the powerful enacted an extensive series of laws known as the Salic Laws. With this, enormous fines were levied that might seem excessive and even ludicrous today. For example, not answering a court’s summons today might result in a contempt charge and a few hundred dollars fine. The penalty for that under the Merovingians was in excess of $180,000! By the year 700, Merovingians had embraced Christianity and the children’s teachings were based upon that philosophy entirely. The one thing that led to the Merovingians’ downfall was their decision to appoint mayoral families to control the royal palace. In the early eighth century, one such set of mayors, the Carolingians, began to peacefully seize power from the Merovingians and the Franks in what is now France. Withstanding an invasion from Muslims and with the blessings of the Pope, Pippin III deposed the final Merovingians in 751. Thus, the Catholic Church began its systematic control of Western governments, which continued unabated for almost one thousand years. Yet is was the son of Pippin III who was to gain the most fame Charles I of the Carolingians, who possessed the more famous name Charlemagne (pp 268-75) lived from 742 until 814. Known as the Father of Europe, the

Issues in the Field of Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Issues in the Field of Engineering - Essay Example The National Academy of Engineering has recognized 14 grand challenges to the field of engineering in the 21st century. Managing nitrogen cycle is one of those 14 challenges that require immediate intervention (University of Iowa). Although the academic literature and previous studies have paid less attention to this issue compared to other challenges like global warming or climate change, it is really a sensitive problem that can have terrible impacts on ecosystems and public health. The human-induced disruptions of the global nitrogen cycle result in serious engineering challenges. The nitrogen cycle plays a central role in the production of food, and hence it reflects a crucial aspect of energy needs. The National Academy of Engineering describes in their web article â€Å"Manage the nitrogen cycle† that Nitrogen cycle is considered as a process where the chemistry of Earth and life meets together as plants extract nitrogen from their surrounding environment to make food. Regulating the impacts of agriculture on the global nitrogen cycle turns out to be a growing challenge to the concept of sustainable development. According to the article â€Å"Manage the nitrogen cycle,† amino acids (building blocks of proteins) and nucleotides (building blocks of DNA) contain nitrogen as a major component, and hence all living things need this element. Nitrogen is supplied in inexhaustible amounts in our planet – nitrogen makes up nearly four-fifths of the earth’s atmosphere and is present in the form of nitrogen molecules (National Academy of E ngineering). However, the atmospheric nitrogen is not readily available for living organisms because nitrogen molecules rarely enter into chemical reactions. Dincer and Zamfirescu point out in their book that the large scale energy released from lightning strikes or the chemical abilities of some microbes

BSBWOR501B Manage personal work priorities and professional Assignment

BSBWOR501B Manage personal work priorities and professional development - Assignment Example In addition, these officers also work together with other sales employees in an effort to improve the sales of the organization. Finally, a marketing officer obtains data and makes reports about the marketing strategies of the company. According to Marshall, (2013, p. 44), marketing officers must have adequate knowledge base, skills and experience in marketing for them to succeed in the field. The minimum education qualifications required for one to succeed in marketing is a bachelor’s degree in marketing. In addition, one must possess skills and experience such as skills in research, ability to do analysis and interpretation of information and skills in report writing. One should also have both written and oral communication skills. The marketing officer should have experience in teamwork and possess creative and innovative minds in order to come up with competitive marketing strategies. The personal goals were set based on the organization and team goals. This enables the marketing officer to maintain teamwork cooperation and also achieve the overall organization goals. The knowledge obtained from organization’s training on goal setting was used to set the objectives. In addition, policies of the organization provided direction in planning and achieving the goals in marketing. Finally, according to Mathur, (2006, p. 56), the personal experience and possession of strong power and skills in persuading people to accept things helps in achieving the goals especially increasing the sales volume. Another motivation for setting goals involves the need for personal performance management and the need to offer role modelling to others. This includes performance appraisal to determine achievement of marketing standards. The goals also help in guiding through the work of marketing to avoid wastage of time. The activities are carried out systematically, that is, allocating timeframe for each

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Health promotion-environmental health - Essay Example t (2003) planning model will be used due to the need to design a societal structure for this intervention combined with some of the characteristics of empowerment. Obesity continues to be a growing problem for the UK and childhood obesity is no exception. The most recent survey statistics (2001) indicate that 8.5% of 6 year olds and 15% of 15 year olds are obese (Chinn, 2001). Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes and heart disease as well as early mortality. The prevalence of this kind of obesity has increased rapidly since the 1990’s. Studies like the one done by Donnelly, Jacobsen, and Whatley (1998) show that school/pre-school interventions work best for the population that is important for this intervention which are children ages 5-15. These studies show that these programs work best when both diet and exercise are combined in the same intervention (Donnelly, et.al., 1998). Increasing physical activity levels improves not only the obesity but the other problems that are developed early by these children such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. It is shown in the reviewed literature that the need for education and activities are important but it is also suggested that those be carried into the home as many children do well in an intervention in school and destroy the gains they have made when they go home. There are many health promotion intervention programs in effect right now due to the urgency of solving the problem. In a meta-analysis completed by Harris, Kuramoto, and Schulzer (2009), 18 studies were reviewed in which 18, 141 children met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. The study duration lasted from 6 months to 3 years and the participants were primarily elementary school children. The results of these studies did not show improvement in BMI but there was decrease in waist size and decrease in lipids and blood sugar. There has also been the new dietary guidelines for healthy eating which was initiated by the Department

Global Business Plan, Hallmark Greeting Cards in Spain Assignment

Global Business Plan, Hallmark Greeting Cards in Spain - Assignment Example Spain’s two main cities, Madrid and Barcelona have a good number of shopping malls in the towns and their outskirts. These shopping malls are popular among the majority of tourists visiting Spain. This potential new market presents Hallmark with risks like currency fluctuations, infrastructure, and another market risk. The company has analyzed Spain’s political-legal environment and come up with a global company structure to accommodate it. An international promotion strategy can give the company advantage over its potential competitors (Grover, 2007). The competition mainly consists of two companies, Stockwell Greetings, and International Greetings. Hallmark looks to utilize its brand’s strong presence in other European countries and its experience in global markets to have an advantage over the competitors. Industrial technology and chemical products are Spain’s top exports (Quora.com, 2014). The company has assessed the economic environment and forecasted the potential start-up costs involved. Start-up costs include takeovers and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Financing is to be done internally through grants (Quora.com, 2014). The market size for greeting cards in Spain is relatively large. It is that over 7 billion greeting cards are purchased every year. Total revenue generated from greeting card sales are said to be over 7.5 billion. 90% of Spanish households buy greeting cards every year. An average household purchases 30 greeting cards annually. Women account for a significant percentage of greeting card purchases. Women purchase over 80% percent of the total sales while Spanish men only buy greeting cards on special events (Grover, 2007). Greeting cards appeal mainly depends on a proper understanding of the customers’ culture. Translation errors brought up by direct translation have a significant

American History - 11 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

American History - 11 - Essay Example In December 1965 King was chosen by NAACP to spearhead the Montgomery Bus Boycott. His inspirational oratory energized the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama. The campaign succeeded after 382 days: Montgomery repealed the law mandating segregated public transportation. In January 1957, in the aftermath of this victory, Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, and 60 ministers and civil rights activists founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which adopted a campaign of non-violent protests to promote civil rights reform. The SCLC conducted meetings on enfranchisement and King gave nation-wide talks on racism. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, King made non-violent activism the keystone of his policy. In 1960, King encouraged the student â€Å"sit-in† movement in several Southern cities, and coordinated the formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. King was now a national celebrity and the symbol of the Civil Rights Movement.   On August 28, 1963, King led the mammoth ‘March on Washington’ which drew more than 200,000 people to the Lincoln Memorial. It was here that King made his famous â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, asserting his belief in the brotherhood of all men. He played a pivotal role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 mandating desegregation of public accommodations and in publicly owned facilities and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.He received the Nobel Peace Prize for 1964. He was assassinated by  James Earl Ray, a former convict, in Memphis on April 4, 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. may be considered one of the greatest personalities who shaped the American Civil Rights Movement. 1. 27-3 Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka served as the turning point in the constitutional battle against segregation. Plessy v. Ferguson  (1896) legalized separate but equal school systems for blacks and whites. By rejecting the contention of the School Board that the

What are the risks when building a new stadium in London Essay

What are the risks when building a new stadium in London - Essay Example Another risk is an economic one. Paying abilities of people depend on a macro-economic situation. If economy goes down the paying capacity of people will go down correspondingly, and in first turn it will impact the industries, which are not related to urgent needs. Among such industries, which may suffer the most, is an entertaining industry, and the football stadium may receive less visitors, or visitors with cheaper tickets, both at football games and at all other events at the stadium like music concerts and so on. During the matches big football stadiums are attended by a tremendous number of people, what may cause environment risks (Baltes & Hayward 1976). Environment issues related to pollution may bring to economical or legal sanctions against the stadium. Technological risks also exist while building a stadium. Yet at the stage of projecting the stadium, the construction project should be thought out and aligned with all the regulations in order to minimize the technological risks (Renn & Benighaus 2013). In particular, such very important stadium construction technologies as the drainage system and retractable roof should be followed

Exchange rate diagram Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exchange rate diagram - Essay Example In Figure 2, as the aggregate demand curve shifts from D0 to D1, the aggregate supply curve also shifts from S0 to S1 since the exchange rate is fixed. The increase in aggregate supply of domestic currency is usually done through the central bank intervention in the foreign exchange market. 2. The higher a country's interest rates, the greater the demand for that currency. ("Exchange Rate", 2006) When foreign interest increases, foreign investments are more attractive. As domestic people want to exchange domestic currency to foreign currency in order to earn more interests, the demand for domestic currency would decrease. Under the floating exchange rate regime, as shown in Figure 3, as the demand for domestic currency decreases, the aggregate demand curve shifts from D0 to D1, causing the exchange rate to rise from e0 to e1. Under the fixed exchange rate regime, however, as the demand for domestic currency decreases from D0 to D1 as a result of the increase in foreign interest, the aggregate supply of domestic currency must also decrease, from S0 to S1, as shown in Figure 4. ...

Fire risk assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Fire risk assessment - Essay Example Fires can be avoided, or minimized, through careful risk management. Risk management involves listing down the risks involved in the premises and dealing with these risks. Human error – and fire – can be dealt with effectively with careful planning and an equal amount of study on the possible causes of fire. This paper is a risk management report on a furniture factory which manufactures dining room furniture and directly sells them to the public. Covered in this report are the application of methods of fire risk assessment and the necessary laws and regulations regarding safety in the workplace. We are concerned of the safety of people occupying buildings and premises. Qualitative and quantitative researches on fire safety are included in the discussion. The report will cover several aspects on fire prevention such as the materials used in furnishings and structures and their susceptibility to different types of fires, disposal and handling of dangerous substances that can cause fire in the premises, and many other aspects of fire safety. It is important to note that fire safety is a broad concept that carries many subtopics which are interrelated but relevant to this report. Fire safety is everyone’s concern but puts a lot of pressure and responsibility on the part of the owner and employer of business. The key legal requirements we would like to discuss in addition to risk management issues are the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) and the Explosives Atmosphere Directives 99/92 EC (ATEX 137), which are closely related to our case study of a furniture factory. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 encompasses fire safety methods and prevention which are applicable only for England and Wales. This law covers many aspects of fire prevention and places a lot of responsibility on the shoulder of the employers and owners of business. It is also an ex tension of the first law, the 1997 Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations, which was not fully followed to the letter by employers and owners of business. (Grice, 2009, p. 23) Under the 2005 Order, the owner or employer acts as the ‘responsible person’ who is entrusted to prevent the risks of fire in his/her business premises, the area of responsibility, and must do everything in his/her power to conduct the necessary risk assessment. The provisions of the 2005 Order are clear about the different circumstances when the fire can occur. Risks of fire can be minimized by following the law. The responsible person must ensure that structures are constructed and maintained within guidelines prescribed by law. Fire prevention is safety itself, and this may correlate or link with the use of the right materials prescribed by the 2005 Order to ensure the safety of the persons in the premises. RISK MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES â€Å"Risk management starts and ends with quality.† (Kent, 2004, p. 31) Risk management means early identification of the threat of risks in the premises and finding out the proper solution to the identified risks. This is known as risk management process. It is one of the most important tasks for any company, business, or organization. Without the implementation of an effective risk management plan, the chances of failure of business are increased. Risk management planning is not only important for the success and stability of the business operation but also is

International monetary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International monetary - Essay Example There is a relationship between real exchange rate and balance of payment crisis. The exchange rate is one of the variables for the BOP crisis (Berg & International Monetary Fund, 1999). The government handles the BOP crises situations by taking up various measures. This paper will discuss the degree of relationship between the measures. The crisis situation in a country’s BOP occurs when it moves beyond the control of the government to remove the current account’s deficit. The crisis situation would lead to deficit in foreign exchange reserves too. Considering these adverse impacts of the BOP crisis, the objective of this paper has been selected that will comprehensively discuss the measures taken up by the government for dealing with the adverse conditions. Nature of the Exchange Rate The exchange rate acts just as the demand and supply of currency in an international market that in turn affects the BOP. There will be minimum effect when a currency of a domestic count ry’s demand and supply is equivalent. This is represented below in figure1 (Pereira, 1998). Figure 1: Interaction of demand and supply with respect to foreign currency and unit prices (Pereira, 1998). The demanded and supplied foreign currencies are exhibited in X-axis, in a specific period. The unitary prices / exchange rates are illustrated in Y-axis for the foreign currencies that are in national currency. At point 4, the demand and supply meet and the exchange rate is maintained. There is less volatility in the exchange rate and it does not develop BOP crisis (Pereira, 1998). If it is now considered that the demand is constant and the supply of the currency has declined, then the rate of exchange declines and there are difficulties in the BOP management. This might lead to BOP crisis if it lasts for long period of time. This is illustrated below in figure 2 (Pereira, 1998). Figure 2: Interaction of demand and supply with respect to foreign currency and unit prices with sh ift in supply curve (Pereira, 1998). The supply has been declined when the demand became constant. The curve SS moves to S†S†. Thus, the exchange rate declines from point 4 to 3. The effect is viewed in the BOP where there are chances of deficits and crisis might be present. The demand and supply of the currency determines the exchange rate fluctuation and its effects are seen in the BOP. The BOP crises are generated with continuous decline in the exchange rate of the domestic country (Pereira, 1998). There are three alternative assumptions of BOP that are discussed here. These theories are known as ‘absorption’, ‘elasticity’ and ‘monetary approaches’ (Ardalan, 2003). Elasticity Approach In this approach the impact of devaluation of the exchange rate on domestic output is believed to be met by distinction in output and employment rather than prices, with the consequences of variations in the level of output is viewed on the balance of payments. The association connecting the balance of payments and supply of money, and linking the supply of money and the cumulative demand are ignored. This is through the assumption of existence of unemployed resources and Keynesian scepticism concerning the influence of money (Ardalan, 2003). According to the Mundell-Fleming Model of elasticity approach to the BOP, there are two effects: (1) The exchange rate outcome contributes to a

The evolution of women in music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The evolution of women in music - Essay Example The role of women varies in different societies and therefore with implementation of policies to empower women to be respected and given opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills, they have been able to express their feelings and frustrations through art and music (Rosman, 15-16). This essay is going to analytically discuss the evolution of women in music. Hartman noted that during the early 1970s and the late 1960s there were few women in the popular music industry, and there were very few opportunities for the female performers (23). The women were disadvantaged in the music industry due to their variation in gender and were believed to be caregivers at home and to ensure food was prepared for their household members. In 1960-1970s the Major record labels had signed up very few women bands such as Birtha, Goldie, Fanny, The Deadly Nightshade and Gingerbreads (Hartman, 34). Miller noted that the women who were already in the industry were forced to create a separate space to record their own music since they were not included in the men’s mainstream of music (25). Women used their music to support civil rights, labor, peace, and the second-wave feminist movement that had emerged. The second-wave feminist movement in the United States was established by the lesbians such as, Meg Christian, Margie Adam and Cris Williamson, activ ists like Bernice Johnson Reagon and Holly Near, and African American musicians such as Mary Watkins, Linda Tillery and Gwen Avery (Rabaka 50-54). Rabaka observed that the feminist and lesbian separatism was viewed as a tactic that focused on women’s energy to provide a big boost to the development and growth of women in music during that time (56). Women started expressing their feelings and experiences in 1972 in various recordings such as the â€Å"Mountain Moving Day† that was released by feminist women

Information Technology Outsourcing in Airlines Essay

Information Technology Outsourcing in Airlines - Essay Example The changing IT environment at overseas branches and operations of firms has such a big impact on the IT related decision making process. Airlines have increasingly been attracted to IT outsourcing companies mostly based in India. Airlines can be regarded as institutions that strive to provide their customers with safety and service quality by making use of certain kinds of IT in their activities. While big airlines have been making use of IT as the main investment related strategic policy alternative, smaller airlines like budget airlines too have been making use of it in order to achieve positive synergies in IT. However while the former have been able to increase their net investment expenditure on IT on a larger scale, the latter have only been able to increase IT related investment on a smaller scale. As a result a clear dichotomy between the two entities can be noticed. Larger airlines have adopted growth oriented information and communication technology (ICT) policy measures primarily with the intention of enhancing growth drivers such as merger and acquisition (M&A) related synergies while smaller organizations have basically relied on capturing niche market segments. IT outsourcing theories are many in number though very few of them successfully capture the essence of the growth pattern of this industry. The impact of IT outsourcing on global airlines has attracted the attention of many researchers and analysts. Particularly in modern industry situations such strategies have become more relevant against the backdrop of rapid competitive and changing environment. The available literature on the impact of IT outsourcing on airlines' corporate strategies suggests different analytical and conceptual frameworks based on modern IT investment programs that are already being put into practice at some big airlines across the world. As the available literature on the subject suggests there is a substantial amount of empirical evidence to support the ICT related operations and their positive impact on growth drivers such as revenues, profits, market share, share price and integration across a number of market segments without truncation at airlines (Glaser, 2002). Independent analysts have identified three forces that determine the ultimate growth prospects of companies. (a). Differences in the local business environmentThe application of processes and procedures in identifying differences in the local business environment is connected with the overall global business strategy of the firm. ICT is a single aspect of this global strategy. If the firm were unable to identify and isolate the important elements in the global operational environment, there would be much less of an opportunity for the

What are Some Main Problems the U.S. Faced during Reconstruction Assignment

What are Some Main Problems the U.S. Faced during Reconstruction - Assignment Example The whites were not ready to treat Africans as equals; they, therefore, went ahead to form groups like the famous Ku Klux Clan among others. These groups were used to threaten blacks, warn them not to vote, and later on turned violent on them. This kind of treatment was an indication that the whites in the south were not ready to live with blacks. They, therefore, came up with a law that allowed segregation (Stampp, 136). The federal government had to craft ways of dealing with this problem by setting up Freedmen`s Bureau to support blacks escaping from the south. Abraham Lincoln`s plan to pardon the southern states which seceded was opposed by Congress, who wanted these nations to be punished. The idea behind his plan was that these nations were to be pardoned if they took an oath of allegiance to the United States and if they also create a new government that guaranteed the end of the slave trade. After the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, a group in the Congress known as Radicals Republicans did not allow the southern senators and representatives to join the Congress (Stampp, 301). And they also came up with their own reconstruction act that made it difficult for these nations to be accepted back to the Congress. The compromise of 1877 did not just bring reconstruction to an end, but it also birthed many things. The first of which was to allow Hayes who was a Republican become president, this was also a way that was used to solved elections dispute and also allowed the withdrawal of the remaining federal troops from the south (Stampp, 217). And after Hayes was sworn in as the 19th president of the United States, he immediately ordered the remaining federal troops to be withdrawn from South Carolina and Louisiana. Hayes also came up with plans for election reforms and committed himself to bring the differences between the North and South to an end. Afterward, the Democratic Party was given freedom in the South. Even though many people look at the compromise as a positive thing, the former slaves did no, to them this decision was taking them back to slavery. This is because during reconstruction they became free and also attained both social and political rights.  

Counter-Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Counter-Terrorism - Essay Example Unlawful enemy combatant status can also be given to anyone attacking the US in a war, such as insurgents, that do not belong to an organized military. They can be detained without charges for the duration of the conflict. Lawful combatants, members of a military, are treated as POWs. The Supreme Court has consistently upheld that "the President has unquestioned authority to detain unlawful enemy combatants, including those who are U.S. citizens, during wartime (Haynes, 2002). Without regards to the suspect's status or charges, torture should never be a matter of policy. Torture is an ethical decision, not a matter of procedure. If an agent is faced with a situation in which they believe torture would be productive, then they should take whatever action is necessary, report it, be prepared to justify it, and be prepared to suffer the consequences. When torture becomes policy, the government ends up debating the legalities of their actions, rather than their effectiveness. Our laws, traditions, and sense of justice can never make torture, even perceived torture, acceptable. 3.) The doctrine of a 'Just War' places limitations and restrictions on the motivations for initiating war, the goals of war, and the engagement of war. Advocates of the just war theory contend that a war is justified if it is formally declared, has a just and defensive cause, has the limited objective of peace, uses proportionate force, is a last resort, and targets only military targets (Anderson, 2003). These guidelines are rather straightforward in a traditional border war or against an aggressive occupation. However, the globalization of terrorism adds a new level of complexity to the... The doctrine of a 'Just War' places limitations and restrictions on the motivations for initiating war, the goals of war, and the engagement of war. Advocates of the just war theory contend that a war is justified if it is formally declared, has a just and defensive cause, has the limited objective of peace, uses proportionate force, is a last resort, and targets only military targets. These guidelines are rather straightforward in a traditional border war or against an aggressive occupation. However, the globalization of terrorism adds a new level of complexity to the meaning of a 'just war'. The war on terror and the Bush Doctrine of pre-emptive action were justified using the just war standards. It was a declared war, and pre-emption was considered a defensive action against future aggression. Its objective is peace, and has no goal of territory or wealth. In addition, it is a last resort without the alternatives of negotiation or diplomacy. However, the definition of military tar get has changed in the modern world. Through one lens, the terrorists are radicalized civilians with a political and social agenda. However, their funding, organization, training, and commitment can be defined as pari-military.

Revenues in sports industry Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Revenues in sports industry - Term Paper Example Consulting company A.T. Kearney states that the sports industry in global scale is prospering, and today the industry is worth about 500-600 USD bn. (which includes sports events like simple games, national competitions, Olympiads etc., infrastructure and constructions, sports products and goods) (Collignon, Sultan, and Santander). Dynamics of sports industry revenues in global scale shows the overall growth of revenues for the past 9 years (table 1): expected revenue in 2014 is 36% more than it was in 2006 ("Changing the game. Outlook for the global sports market to 2015"). The constituents of Revenues are Gate revenues, Media rights, Sponsorships, and Merchandising ("Changing the game. Outlook for the global sports market to 2015") (table 2). According to the structure of revenues, the biggest portion of the total revenues belonged to Gate revenues (34% in 2006). The situation changed in 2014, when Sponsorship took the leading position (31%, which is 1% more than Gate revenues that year). The change of the structure shows that the representatives of other industries use sports industry to win new markets, gain new customers, increase their own rating among competitors and increase profits.Jonathan Jensen and Anne Hsu prove this with their research, which says that "net income at these firms (sponsors) grew faster than at S&P 500 firms in general (7.8% to 6.5% per year)" and "the top 16 (companies), which spent on average $160m a year on sponsorship, saw net income grow by 22.1% annually".

Comparison therapy of Tocilizumab+ MTX vs Riruximab+MTX in treatment Essay

Comparison therapy of Tocilizumab+ MTX vs Riruximab+MTX in treatment of active rhuematoid arthritis - Essay Example rature on two new agents, tocilizumab and rituximab was collected, and the reports examining the safety and efficacy of these two novel agents alone or in combination with methotrexate in the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis were reviewed through a qualitative methodology. Some trials have indicated positive effects of combination of tocilizumab and rituximab with methotrexate. Rituximab successfully causes depletion of B lymphocytes in refractory cases of RA and may be a key component in the interruption of the disease pathogenesis. It is expected that once data from clinical trials are available, tocilizumab will be used with the same goal of increasing symptom-free period and preventing joint destruction. However, based on the results of the literature review, it can be stated that for a long-term therapy of active rheumatoid arthritis, rituximab and methotrexate combination is safer and more efficacious than tocilizumab and methotrexate combination, although more long-term trials are necessary for the later combination. As far as the facts from literature review are concerned, although the efficacy of both these regimens have been established based on standard criteria, and given this scenario, although rough comparison in different parameters of efficacy and safety can be made, a decisive conclusion is not possible without further trial or research. Since there are different parameters of a clinically effective treatment, an identical comparison of both the regimens are needed, with the problem being selection of patients with identical baseline. A comparison is also necessary based on patient’s perception on the symptoms. A future trial involving these criteria may be needed to arrive at a guideline based on these regimens. Figure 6: Percentage of responders according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) improvement criteria and the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) as well as mean change in Modified Health Assessment

Why must religion be based on faith rather than on knowledge Research Paper - 1

Why must religion be based on faith rather than on knowledge - Research Paper Example Are these thoughts about God born out of knowledge or out of strong faith? Philosophers contended that the infinity of God cannot be comprehended by the limited capacity of human beings to understand His greatness. Ancient and medieval philosophers have in fact attempted to empirically grasp God’s existence, albeit done purely through intellectual pursuits. Various theological positions were made and written. Augustine of Hippo, who hailed from North Africa and have converted from Manichaenism to Christianity, posited that thought credo ut intelligengiam or ‘I believe so that I may understand.† Such assert that human reason is essential only for those who possess faith and thus, human being’s rational capacity to reason is effective in obtaining general knowledge about the world and of God. He viewed that part of the innate nature of human being is to commit evil acts. This, for him, is integrated in the Divine plan which allowed persons to choose to do good or evil. The unbearable consequences of bad acts always made human beings choose do what is good. Advocate of naturalism perceived that God is everywhere. He is with nature and in the plurality of realities. They argued that God unify everything and can be known through the layers of emanation which flows with the Divine essence. Plato’s philosophy of idealism, on the other hand, made such epistemic principle that God is intangible, an impersonal entity encompassing the causes of all ideas. Plato professed that God is an abstract, timeless and unchanging reality. God is an absolute being and an eternal being (Plato, 2003). He professed that the perception of God separated the physical world from the intelligible realm (Plato, 2003). Thomas Aquinas (1993), also a medieval thinker, argued that theology is not an object of science and is only philosophically pursued by understanding the metaphysics of God’s existence. He however considered the divine thoughts are scribed in a sacred

Outline in a 1,500 words the characteristics of Social Media and Coursework

Outline in a 1,500 words the characteristics of Social Media and Generation Y and the close relationship between the two with a case example - Coursework Example 89). The paper will reveal the characteristics of social media and the generation Y and will advance to show the close linkage between social media and this generation based on a case example on how social media has facilitated product e-marketing and will go a notch higher to reveal the pros and cons resulting from e-marketing such as increased sales and fraudulent and scamming acts through giving a platform for the scammers and the fraudsters which are mainly the generation Y’s component. Identity distortion is a major issue in social media as people misuse this platform and hide their identities as they try to investigate on other peoples’ ware bouts and will get every detail of the targeted people which is later used to advance their ill motives on such victims. The belief on the existence of the data shadows has made it possible for the monitoring previous transactions made by web user online which are the generated into data necessary for follow ups. An explanation to the definition of social media can be highlighted as situation recently taking over the web presenting a more expansive exposure in respect to degree of connectivity and social networking that facilitates the continuous conveyance of information through the feedback and contribution of web users belonging to any given virtual community. This is a generation that is also known as Millenniums or Echo Boomers which precedes generation X and preceded by generation Z. generation Y is estimated to entail the youths born between the years 1977 and 2000. It is not clear as some state that this generation should the people born between 1978 and 1989. Due to this dissenting explanation is extended to include the age bracket from 1977 to 2000 (Bondarouk & Olivas-Lujan 2013, p. 111). According to Strauss and Howe, the period between 1982 and 2004 formed the bracket of the generation Y in USA. Social media has increased intimacy among the people as people are daily connected via the

Processing and Packaging of a Specified Prepared Chilled Food Product Essay

Processing and Packaging of a Specified Prepared Chilled Food Product - Essay Example This essay approves that the appropriate storage conditions labeled on packed chilled food further minimizes the risk of microbial contamination after processing and packaging. The declared minimal shelf life may be lost when improper storage conditions are used or when the storage conditions are not mentioned on product. Maintenance of appropriate temperature and sterilized environment during pre-processing and processing steps followed by controlled sterilized and chilled atmosphere during packaging and storage results in the effective storage of packed food. The regulation of temperature and sterilized conditions throughout, retards many of the risks generated due to microbial, physical, chemical and biochemical factors. The distribution of processed and packed chilled foods at low temperatures (i.e. refrigerating temperatures) after controlled packaging ensures safety and quality of food at the time of consumption and therefore, must be monitored throughout distribution chain. This report makes a conclusion that the contribution of chilled temperature environment plays a significant role in dealing with the identified microbiological, physical and chemical hazards that have potential to spoil packaged chilled food items. Furthermore, it’s the proper maintenance of sterilized conditions following strict inspection of quality of raw materials that ensure the production of safe food. The regulation of refrigerating temperatures during distribution and storage is equally important as chilling temperature prevent growth of microbes on pasteurized processed food.