EU’s Fifth Action Programme Essay Example for Free

EU’s Fifth Action Programme Essay The introduction of European Union’s Fifth Action Programme into the continent pollution control mechanism has wide range benefits, several of which will be discussed in subsequent sections of this paper. Indeed, the application of the programme will completely change how people in the continent deal with pollution issues. One reason for this change is fact that most of pollution control measures would be done at the grassroots level as opposed to the traditional model of having measures develop and implemented at national and continental level. In explaining benefits of the programme, the paper is divided into five sections, each of which addresses a specific benefit. I. Creation of Responsibility Culture Decentralisation of solution to pollution issues in EU will lead to situation where individuals at the local level take responsibility for pollution problems in their respective localities. In this regard, it would be possible to develop measures that in line with local demands. This is because members of local community understand bets what could be ailing their environment. In addition, having an understanding that there’ll never be outside help will create a culture of responsibility among locals. This could be achieved through preventative measures ensuring that pollution is avoided in the first place, or even minimise effects minimal pollution that might occur. Individual communities and households will that start depending on themselves in matter pertaining to controlling pollutions. This is because they will understand that solutions would only come from local efforts. This factor has the benefit of cultivating competition between communities, because they would have been equalised under the programme. Such competition has the potential of leading to less pollution as communities try to out do each other on the ones that are more prosperous in terms of being pollution free. All this would lead to increasingly pollution free communities facilitated by residents themselves. By implementing the programme, individual communities and countries would not have anyone to blame for the status of their environment’s pollution levels. The involvement of people shall be a boon to stakeholder initiatives directed at reducing pollution. This is because people and groups shall feel freer in dealing with issues that have for many years been preserves of governmental organisations. In addition, stakeholder groups that have been pushing for individual efforts in the protection of environment in localities will now start becoming active. It has to be understood that localised stakeholder groups help individuals in societies to come together to develop initiatives that lead to better communities. Fact that the EU Fifth Action Program will provide them with a voice is indeed of great importance. In addition, individuals that are not in a position to participate in stakeholder groups will be free to develop their own mechanisms to control pollution in their own neighbourhoods. This can even be doe at the family level, where members of the same family join hands in protecting their small environment from pollution. Doing this in several private properties enable the creation of pollution free neighbourhoods. Fact that all this would be done through initiatives developed at local levels is something to be desired, because, as discussed later in the paper, policymakers at national and regional level would be able to concentrate on other pressing matters. Other than leading to productivity in the protection of protecting environment at local level, the programme is also a vital tool of education member of public that it is possible to make changes in their communities without depending too much on the European Union. People in the region will further understand that they have power to make changes. At the end, the mentality that successful measures can only be achieved through intervention of national and regional authorities will be demolished completely. This will lead to the genesis if self dependency in solving pressing issues at local levels without rushing to authorities for help. II. End Paternalism Application of the program in pollution control will also help members of public understand the role of European Union in their day-to-day lives. At it currently happens, members of the public in the region might tend to think that EU exists to solve problems like pollution. In this regard, the people will have to understand that EU’s environmental mechanisms are developed to help member countries harmonise their frameworks. In other words, member countries come together and help develop best frameworks to deal with environmental issues; it is up to the countries and their citizens implement these mechanisms and ensure of they are working. Fact that paternalism has become popular in most European countries could be leading to mentality that EU exists to improve lives of member country citizens. The application this program may help in the process of disseminating that mentality completely. In this regard, people will stop looking for top to bottom solutions in their problems and thus developing bottom to top solutions. In addition, leaders at the local level would feel empowered to lead their congregation in ways that would directly benefit the local community. This new process of solution finding would be good because it has the capabilities of developing preventative measures in the first place. The localisation of decision making processes would also help communities adapt to changes that get effected in the process implementing policy changes. This is a great move from the traditional frameworks that has tasked national governments with responsibilities of helping community members at the lowest level adapt to policy changes. In the new model, it shall be up to local leaders and authorities to help the community. This has positive gains because people have easy access to leadership that would help them in the process. Having the leaders being located close to the people will also improve passage of information between stakeholders, and with it deliver the desired message to the people. As mentioned earlier, the localisation of decision making and policy implementation would lead to competition between communities has the advantage of resulting to greater efficiency. The comparison of performance between communities would help in understanding best practices in the localities would help the areas performing poorly to copy from best performers. This copying from the best would help in the implementation of pollution policies, because each locality would take best practices and tailor them in accordance to local demands, which would be a shift from the traditional model of having one size fits all mechanisms developed at regional and national levels.

Mathematics In The Game Of Chess Maths Essay

Mathematics In The Game Of Chess Maths Essay INTRODUCTION: Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64  squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. Each player begins the game with sixteen pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The object of the game is to checkmate the opponents king, whereby the king is under immediate attack (in check) and there is no way to remove or defend it from attack on the next move. The games present form emerged in Europe during the second half of the 15th century, an evolution of an older Indian game, Shatranj. Theoreticians have developed extensive chess strategies and tactics since the games inception. Computers have been used for many years to create chess-playing programs, and their abilities and insights have contributed significantly to modern chess theory. One, Deep Blue, was the first machine to beat a reigning World Chess Champion when it defeated Garry Kasparov in 1997. Matches between individuals took place as early as the 9th century. The tradition of organized competitive chess started during the 16th century. The first official World Chess Champion, Wilhelm Steinitz, claimed his title in 1886; the current World Champion is Viswanathan Anand from India. In addition to the World Championship, there is also the WomenHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Womens_World_Chess_ChampionshipHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Womens_World_Chess_Championships World Championship, the Junior World Championship, the World Senior Championship, the Correspondence Chess World Championship, the World Computer Chess Championship, and Blitz and Rapid World Championships (see fast chess). The Chess Olympiad is a popular competition among teams from different nations. Online chess has opened amateur and professional competition to a wide and varied group of players. Chess is a recognized sport of the International Olympic Committee and international chess competi tion is sanctioned by the FIDE. Today, chess is one of the worlds most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments. Some other popular forms of chess are fast chess and computer chess. There are also many chess variants which have different rules, different pieces, different boards, etc. History Iranian chess set, glazed fritware, 12th century. New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Knights Templar playing chess, Libro de los juegos, 1283. Chess is commonly believed to have originated in North-West India during the Gupta empire, where its early form in the 6th century was known as caturaà ¡Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ga (Sanskrit: four divisions [of the military] infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariotry, represented by the pieces that would evolve into the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively). The earliest evidence of Chess is found in the neighboring Sassanid Persia around 600 where the game came to be known under the name chatrang. Chatrang is evoked inside three epic romances written in Pahlavi (Medium Persian). Chatrang was taken up by the Muslim world after the Islamic conquest of Persia (633-644) where it was then named shatranj, with the pieces largely retaining their Persian names. In Spanish shatranj was rendered as ajedrez, in Portuguese as xadrez, and in Greek as zatrikion (which directly comes from Persian chatrang), but in the rest of Europe it was replaced by versions of the Persian shÄ h (king ), which was familiar as an exclamation and became the English words check and chess. Murray theorized that this change happened from Muslim traders coming to European seaports with ornamental chess kings as curios before they brought the game of chess. The game reached Western Europe and Russia by at least three routes, the earliest being in the 9th century. By the year 1000 it had spread throughout Europe. Introduced into the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors in the 10th century, it was described in a famous 13th-century manuscript covering shatranj, backgammon, and dice named the Libro de los juegos. Another theory contends that chess arose from the game xiangqi (Chinese Chess) or one of its predecessors, although this has been contested. ___________________________________________________ Mathematics In The Game Of Chess Legend has it that the game was invented by a mathematician in India who elicited a huge reward for its creation. The King of India was so impressed with the game that he asked the mathematician to name a prize as reward. Not wishing to appear greedy, the mathematician asked for one grain of rice to be placed on the first square of the chess board, two grains on the second, four on the third and so on. The number of grains of rice should be doubled each time. The King thought that hed got away lightly, but little did he realise the power of doubling to make things big very quickly. By the sixteenth square there was already a kilo of rice on the chess board. By the twentieth square his servant needed to bring in a wheelbarrow of rice. He never reached the 64th and last square on the board. By that point the rice on the board would have totalled a staggering 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 grains. Playing chess has strong resonances with doing mathematics. There are simple rules for the way each chess piece moves but beyond these basic constraints, the pieces can roam freely across the board. Mathematics also proceeds by taking self-evident truths (called axioms) about properties of numbers and geometry and then by applying basic rules of logic you proceed to move mathematics from its starting point to deduce new statements about numbers and geometry. For example, using the moves allowed by mathematics the 18th-century mathematician Lagrange reached an endgame that showed that every number can be written as the sum of four square numbers, a far from obvious fact. For example, 310 = 172 +42 + 22 + 12. Some mathematicians have turned their analytic skills on the game of chess itself. A classic problem called the Knights Tour asks whether it is possible to use a knight to jump around the chess board visiting each square once only. The first examples were documented in a 9th-century Arabic manuscript. It is only within the past decade that mathematical techniques have been developed to count exactly how many such tours are possible. It isnt just mathematicians and chess players who have been fascinated by the Knights Tour. The highly styled Sanskrit poem Kavyalankara presents the Knights Tour in verse form. And in the 20th century, the French author Georges Perecs novel Life: A Users Manual describes an apartment with 100 rooms arranged in a 1010 grid. In the novel the order that the author visits the rooms is determined by a Knights Tour on a 1010 chessboard. Mathematicians have also analysed just how many games of chess are possible. If you were to line up chessboards side by side, the number of them you would need to reach from one side of the observable universe to the other would require only 28 digits. Yet Claude Shannon, the mathematician credited as the father of the digital age, estimated that the number of unique games you could play was of the order of 10120 (a 1 followed by 120 0s). Its this level of complexity that makes chess such an attractive game and ensures that at the Olympiad in Russia in 2010, local spectators will witness games of chess never before seen by the human eye, even if the winning team turns out to have familiar names. ________________________________________________________ Rules The official rules of chess are maintained by the World Chess Federation. Along with information on official chess tournaments, the rules are described in the FIDE Handbook, section Laws of Chess.[2] Setup Pieces at the start of a game A b C d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 A b C D e f g h Initial position: first row: rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, and rook; second row: pawns Chess is played on a square board of eight rows (called ranks and denoted with numbers 1 to 8) and eight columns (called files and denoted with letters a to h) of squares. The colors of the sixty-four squares alternate and are referred to as light squares and dark squares. The chessboard is placed with a light square at the right hand end of the rank nearest to each player, and the pieces are set out as shown in the diagram, with each queen on its own color. The pieces are divided, by convention, into white and black sets. The players are referred to as White and Black, and each begins the game with sixteen pieces of the specified color. These consist of one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns. ___________________________________________________________________________ Movement White always moves first. After the initial move, the players alternately move one piece at a time (with the exception of castling, when two pieces are moved). Pieces are moved to either an unoccupied square, or one occupied by an opponents piece, capturing it and removing it from play. With the sole exception of en passant, all pieces capture opponents pieces by moving to the square that the opponents piece occupies. A player may not make any move which would put or leave his king under attack. If the player to move has no legal moves, the game is over; it is either a checkmate-if the king is under attack-or a stalemate-if the king is not. Each chess piece has its own style of moving. In the diagrams, the dots mark the squares where the piece can move if no other pieces (including ones own piece) are on the squares between the pieces initial position and its destination. The king moves one square in any direction, the king has also a special move which is called castling and also involves a rook. The rook can move any number of squares along any rank or file, but may not leap over other pieces. Along with the king, the rook is also involved during the kings castling move. The bishop can move any number of squares diagonally, but may not leap over other pieces. The queen combines the power of the rook and bishop and can move any number of squares along rank, file, or diagonal, but it may not leap over other pieces. The knight moves to any of the closest squares which are not on the same rank, file or diagonal, thus the move forms an L-shape two squares long and one square wide. The knight is the only piece which can leap over other pieces. The pawn may move forward to the unoccupied square immediately in front of it on the same file, or on its first move it may advance two squares along the same file provided both squares are unoccupied, or it may move to a square occupied by an opponents piece, which is diagonally in front of it on an adjacent file, capturing that piece. The pawn has two special moves, the en passant capture, and pawn promotion. Moves of a king a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c D e f g h Moves of a rook a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c D e f g h Moves of a bishop a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c D e f g h Moves of a queen a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c D e f g h Moves of a knight a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c D e f g h Moves of a pawn a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c D e f g h * Pawns can optionally move two squares forward instead of one on their first move only. They capture diagonally (black xs); they cannot capture with their normal move (black circles). Pawns are also involved in the special move en passant (below). Check When a king is under immediate attack by one or two of the opponents pieces, it is said to be in check. A response to a check is a legal move if it results in a position where the king is no longer under direct attack (i.e. not in check). This can involve capturing the checking piece, interposing a piece between the checking piece and the king (which is possible only if the attacking piece is a queen, rook, or bishop and there is a square between it and the king), or moving the king to a square where it is not under attack. Castling is not a permissible response to a check. The object of the game is to checkmate the opponent; this occurs when the opponents king is in check, and there is no legal way to remove it from attack. End of the game Although the objective of the game is to checkmate the opponent, chess games do not have to end in checkmate-either player may resign if the situation looks hopeless. It is considered bad etiquette to continue playing when in a truly hopeless position. If it is a timed game a player may run out of time and lose, even with a much superior position. Games also may end in a draw (tie). A draw can occur in several situations, including draw by agreement, stalemate, threefold repetition of a position, the fifty-move rule, or a draw by impossibility of checkmate (usually because of insufficient material to checkmate). As checkmate from some positions cannot be forced in less than 50 moves (see e.g. pawnless chess endgame and two knights endgame), the fifty-move rule is not applied everywhere,[6] particularly in correspondence chess. White is in checkmate a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c d e f g h White is in checkmate. He cannot escape from being attacked by the Black king and bishops. Stalemate a B c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c d e f g h Stalemate if Black is to move. The position is not checkmate, and since Black cannot move, the game is a draw. Time control A modern digital chess clock Besides casual games without any time restriction, chess is also played with a time control, mostly by club and professional players. If a players time runs out before the game is completed, the game is automatically lost (provided his opponent has enough pieces left to deliver checkmate). The duration of a game ranges from long games played up to seven hours to shorter rapid chess games lasting usually 30 minutes or one hour per game. Even shorter is blitz chess with a time control of three to fifteen minutes for each player, or bullet chess (under three minutes). In tournament play, time is controlled using a game clock which has two displays, one for each players remaining time. ________________________________________________________ Notation for recording moves Naming the squares in algebraic chess notation Chess games and positions are recorded using a special notation, most often algebraic chess notation. Abbreviated (or short) algebraic notation generally records moves in the format abbreviation of the piece moved file where it moved rank where it moved, e.g. Qg5 means queen moves to the g-file and 5th rank (that is, to the square g5). If there are two pieces of the same type that can move to the same square, one more letter or number is added to indicate the file or rank from which the piece moved, e.g. Ngf3 means knight from the g-file moves to the square f3. The letter P indicating a pawn is not used, so that e4 means pawn moves to the square e4. If the piece makes a capture, x is inserted before the destination square, e.g. Bxf3 means bishop captures on f3. When a pawn makes a capture, the file from which the pawn departed is used in place of a piece initial, and ranks may be omitted if unambiguous. For example, exd5 (pawn on the e-file captures the piece on d5) or exd (pawn on e-file captures something on the d-file). ScholarHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholars_mateHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholars_mates mate If a pawn moves to its last rank, achieving promotion, the piece chosen is indicated after the move, for example e1Q or e1=Q. Castling is indicated by the special notations 0-0 for kingside castling and 0-0-0 for queenside castling. A move which places the opponents king in check usually has the notation + added. Checkmate can be indicated by # (occasionally ++, although this is sometimes used for a double check instead). At the end of the game, 1-0 means White won, 0-1 means Black won and  ½- ½ indicates a draw. Chess moves can be annotated with punctuation marks and other symbols. For example ! indicates a good move, !! an excellent move, ? a mistake, a blunder, !? an interesting move that may not be best or ?! a dubious move, but not easily refuted.[1] For example, one variant of a simple trap known as the ScholarHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholars_mateHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholars_mates mate, animated in the picture to the right, can be recorded: e4 e5 Qh5?! Nc6 Bc4 Nf6 Qxf7# 1-0 ________________________________________________________ Strategy and tactics Chess strategy consists of setting and achieving long-term goals during the game for example, where to place different pieces while tactics concentrate on immediate manoeuvre. These two parts of chess thinking cannot be completely separated, because strategic goals are mostly achieved by the means of tactics, while the tactical opportunities are based on the previous strategy of play. A game of chess is normally divided into three phases: opening, typically the first 10 to 25 moves, when players move their pieces into useful positions for the coming battle; middlegame, usually the fiercest part of the game; and endgame, when most of the pieces are gone, kings typically take a more active part in the struggle, and pawn promotion is often decisive. Opening A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a game (the opening moves). Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings and have been given names such as the Ruy Lopez or Sicilian Defence. They are catalogued in reference works such as the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings. There are dozens of different openings, varying widely in character from quiet positional play (e.g. the Rà ©ti Opening) to very aggressive (e.g. the Latvian Gambit). In some opening lines, the exact sequence considered best for both sides has been worked out to more than 30 moves. Professional players spend years studying openings, and continue doing so throughout their careers, as opening theory continues to evolve. The fundamental strategic aims of most openings are similar: Development: To place (develop) the pieces (particularly bishops and knights) on useful squares where they will have an optimal impact on the game. Control of the center: Control of the central squares allows pieces to be moved to any part of the board relatively easily, and can also have a cramping effect on the opponent. King safety: Keeping the king safe from dangerous possibilities. A correct timing for castling can often enhance this. Pawn structure: Players strive to avoid the creation of pawn weaknesses such as isolated, doubled or backward pawns, and pawn islands and to force such weaknesses in the opponents position. Most players and theoreticians consider that White, by virtue of the first move, begins the game with a small advantage. This initially gives White the initiative. Black usually strives to neutralize Whites advantage and achieve equality, or to develop dynamic counterplay in an unbalanced position. Middlegame The middlegame is the part of the game which starts after the opening. There is no clear line between the opening and the middlegame, but typically the middlegame will start when most pieces have been developed. (Similarly, there is no clear transition from the middlegame to the endgame, see start of the HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_endgame#The_start_of_the_endgameendgame.) Because the opening theory has ended, players have to form plans based on the features of the position, and at the same time to take into account the tactical possibilities in the position. The middlegame is also the phase in which most combinations occur. Combinations are a series of tactical moves executed to achieve some gain. Middlegame combinations are often connected with an attack against the opponents king; some typical patterns have their own names, for example the BodenHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodens_MateHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodens_Mates Mate or the Lasker- Bauer combination. Specific plans or strategic themes will often arise from particular groups of openings which result in a specific type of pawn structure. For example, the minority attack, that is the attack of queenside pawns against an opponent who has more pawns on the queenside. The study of openings should therefore be connected with the preparation of plans that are typical of the resulting middlegames. Another important strategic question in the middlegame is whether and how to reduce material and transform into an endgame (i.e. simplify). For example, minor material advantages can generally be transformed into victory only in an endgame, and therefore the stronger side must choose an appropriate way to achieve an ending. Not every reduction of material is good for this purpose; for example, if one side keeps a light-squared bishop and the opponent has a dark-squared one, the transformation into a bishops and pawns ending is usually advantageous for the weaker side only, because an endgame with bishops on opposite colors is likely to be a draw, even with an advantage of a pawn, or sometimes with a two-pawn advantage. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Endgame a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c d e f g h An example of zugzwang: the side which is to make a move is at a disadvantage. The endgame (or end game or ending) is the stage of the game when there are few pieces left on the board. There are three main strategic differences between earlier stages of the game and endgame: During the endgame, pawns become more important; endgames often revolve around attempting to promote a pawn by advancing it to the eighth rank. The king, which has to be protected in the middlegame owing to the threat of checkmate, becomes a strong piece in the endgame. It is often brought to the center of the board where it can protect its own pawns, attack the pawns of opposite color, and hinder movement of the opponents king. Zugzwang, a disadvantage because the player has to make a move, is often a factor in endgames but rarely in other stages of the game. For example, the diagram on the right is zugzwang for both sides, as with Black to move he must play 1Kb7 and let White promote a pawn after 2.Kd7; and with White to move he must allow a draw by 1.Kc6 stalemate or lose his last pawn by any other legal move. Endgames can be classified according to the type of pieces that remain on board. Basic checkmates are positions in which one side has only a king and the other side has one or two pieces and can checkmate the opposing king, with the pieces working together with their king. For example, king and pawn endgames involve only kings and pawns on one or both sides and the task of the stronger side is to promote one of the pawns. Other more complicated endings are classified according to the pieces on board other than kings, such as the rook and pawn versus rook endgame. Origins of the modern game (1000-1850) A tactical puzzle from LucenaHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Ramirez_de_LucenaHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Ramirez_de_Lucenas 1497 book Around 1200, rules of shatranj started to be modified in southern Europe, and around 1475, several major changes made the game essentially as it is known today. These modern rules for the basic moves had been adopted in Italy and Spain. Pawns gained the option of advancing two squares on their first move, while bishops and queens acquired their modern abilities. The queen replaced the earlier vizier chess piece towards the end of the 10th century and by the 15th century, had become the most powerful piece; consequently modern chess was referred to as Queens Chess or Mad Queen Chess. These new rules quickly spread throughout western Europe, with the exception of the rules about stalemate, which were finalized in the early 19th century. To distinguish it from its predecessors, this version of the rules is sometimes referred to as western chess or international chess. Writings about the theory of how to play chess began to appear in the 15th century. The Repeticià ³n de Amores y Arte de Ajedrez (Repetition of Love and the Art of Playing Chess) by Spanish churchman Luis Ramirez de Lucena was published in Salamanca in 1497. Lucena and later masters like Portuguese Pedro Damiano, Italians Giovanni Leonardo Di Bona, Giulio Cesare Polerio and Gioachino Greco or Spanish bishop Ruy Là ³pez de Segura developed elements of openings and started to analyze simple endgames. Franà §ois-Andrà © Danican Philidor, 18th-century French chess Master In the 18th century the center of European chess life moved from the Southern European countries to France. The two most important French masters were Franà §ois-Andrà © Danican Philidor, a musician by profession, who discovered the importance of pawns for chess strategy, and later Louis-Charles Mahà © de La Bourdonnais who won a famous series of matches with the Irish master Alexander McDonnell in 1834. Centers of chess activity in this period were coffee houses in big European cities like Cafà © de la Rà ©gence in Paris and SimpsonHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simpsons-in-the-StrandHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simpsons-in-the-Strands Divan in London. As the 19th century progressed, chess organization developed quickly. Many chess clubs, chess books and chess journals appeared. There were correspondence matches between cities; for example the London Chess Club played against the Edinburgh Chess Club in 1824. Chess problems became a regular part of 19th-century newspapers; Bernhard Horwitz, Josef Kling and Samuel Loyd composed some of the most influential problems. In 1843, von der Lasa published his and BilguerHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Rudolf_von_BilguerHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Rudolf_von_Bilguers Handbuch des Schachspiels (Handbook of Chess), the first comprehensive manual of chess theory. ________________________________________________________ Competitive play Contemporary chess is an organized sport with structured international and national leagues, tournaments and congresses. Chesss international governing body is FIDE (Fà ©dà ©ration Internationale des Échecs). Most countries have a national chess organization as well (such as the US Chess Federation and English Chess Federation), which in turn is a member of FIDE. FIDE is a member of the International Olympic Committee, but the game of chess has never been part of the Olympic Games; chess does have its own Olympiad, held every two years as a team event. The current World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand (left) playing chess against his predecessor Vladimir Kramnik. The current World Chess Champion is Viswanathan Anand of India. The reigning Womens World Champion is Alexandra Kosteniuk from Russia but the worlds highest rated female player, Judit Polgà ¡r, has never participated in the WomenHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Womens_World_Chess_ChampionshipHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Womens_World_Chess_Championships World Chess Championship, instead preferring to compete with the leading men and maintaining a ranking among the top male players. Other competitions for individuals include the World Junior Chess Championship, the European Individual Chess Championship and the National Chess Championships. Invitation-only tournaments regularly attract the worlds strongest players and these include Spains Linares event, Monte Carlos Melody Amber tournament, the Dortmund Sparkassen meeting, Sofias M-tel Masters and Wijk aan Zees Corus tournament. Regular

The Negative Impacts Of Tourism Industry Tourism Essay

The Negative Impacts Of Tourism Industry Tourism Essay Negative Impacts of Tourism Industry and the Importance of Sustainable Tourism The UN World Tourism Organization predicts that the amount of tourists traveling internationally from 2007 to 2020 will double in that time period from about 800 million to 1.6 billion (S.F. McCool and R.N. Moisey 2008). Tourism is the result of leaving ones own place and entering into a new place for the purpose of experiencing unknown environments and fantasy landscapes (Lansing and De Vries 2006). Tourism is a contact zone; therefore countries must adapt to each others differences in order to cope with the increasing amount of tourists. When this adaption occurs, it can create many disruptions on the host country involving their culture, how their society functions, and their environment (P. Lansing and P.D. De Vries 2006). The increasing popularity of tourism clearly has positive benefits such as being a large supplier of Foreign Direct Investment, as well as providing jobs for many people, but many say that it is just a continuation of old colonial patterns (Andereck and McGehee 2008). The harsh effects of tourism must be addressed and minimized in order for both the tourists and residents of the travel destination to reach its maximum benefit. I believe that this can be achieved through sustainable tourism, which is a type of tourism that continues to provide opportunity for employment in the local countries, but has minimal impact on the environment, culture and social lives of the host countries (Schloegel 2007). Through an analysis of the negative effects of various cultural, social and environmental impacts of tourism on Third World countries, one can see that sustainable tourism reduces these effects and ultimately will help these countries thrive. With the increasing amount of international travelers, and increasing numbers of tourist destinations, the amount of people entering the country can often be a disturbance to the countrys culture and beliefs. This may occur because of the fact that the vast majority of tourists are from First World countries, therefore it is difficult for host Third World countries to maintain their unique cultures and traditions when there are constant pressures to adapt to the various needs of the First World. This also is a way to notice that tourism is another form of old colonial practices, because they are trying to transform another culture into their own. McRea argues that because many tourists travel to experience the lives and cultures of other people; travellers develop preconceived perceptions of what they are expecting (2003). Moreover, Tooman argues that in order to satisfy these preconceived perceptions, the tourist destinations are required to satisfy these views of the tourists and make alterations in their culture to fit the views of the tourists (1997). This is a change that residents of host countries undergo in order to keep up with the needs of tourists so they can continue to have good service. Depending on the way countries react to these unavoidable changes, the constant pressures of changing can have negative affects on individuals habits, routines, social lives, beliefs and values (Dogan, 1989). Tourism often results in the intrusion on the daily lives of locals, a loss of privacy, and overcrowding of the host country. This negatively impacts the social lives of the local people which then leads to negative feelings about tourism for the people of the host country (King, Milman and Pizam, 1993). The mass tourism industry has created many job opportunities for people of the Third World as it has provided jobs in the travel, hotel, and service industry (King et. Al 1993). Although these jobs have lead to numerous opportunities, the residents of tourist locations must adapt to the rapid changes in their community. The construction of all services that are necessary for the tourism industry to succeed is a lot for the local people to adapt to because it is highly disruptive on the environment. The rapid development of constant new destinations negatively impacts the way societies interact with each other because they experience an overall change in habits, daily routines, social lives, beliefs, and values (Dogan 1989). Due to this, negative feelings towards tourism are formed which has lead to an increase in immoral behaviour of some individuals of the host country (Dogan 1989). Many residents feel that they have become servants of the tourists, because they are only working to satisfy the tourists desires. This may create social tension between tourists and people of the host destination. It changes the way they respond to one another (Vago 1998). Areas with high rates of tourism often experience an increase in population due to the many people that move in from out of town in order to benefit from the new job opportunities that the tourism industry has offered. Many communities, when undergoing a population increase, tend to experience a loss of identity and culture. It is difficult to maintain a particular identity when there are so many people from different backgrounds and beliefs entering the community at a rapid rate. The gradual increase of people into a community results in a change of habits, daily routines, social lives, beliefs and values (Dogan, 1989). This changes the structure of societies in the host country and forces them to adapt to these constant changes. Adapting to these changes may have negative impacts on the lives of the residents of the host countries. For example, if an individual finds that their culture is being severely disrupted in a negative way, they may create perceptions of the tourists, which may lead into immoral behaviours. There has been an increase in crime rates, drug addiction and social conflicts within Third World countries, which can likely be related to negative feelings of tourism (Dogan, 1989). The environment is a key factor in tourist destinations and will often be the deciding factor when choosing a vacation spot. This means the industry is constantly searching for new fantasy environments to build tourist attractions on. With the tourism being a large part of the twentieth century, the demands for tourism locations are increasing. Tourists wish to experience new cultures when traveling, but without the development of new places, the popularity of tourism will decline because the desire to experience new fantasy landscapes will not be fulfilled (Lim and McAleer 2005). This desire has resulted in many countries developing new tourism destinations, which is increasingly placing more of a negative impact on the environment as it is damaging important resources and the natural beauty of many ecosystems such as mountains and beaches (Lim et. al 2005). Due to the construction of many tourist attractions, it is causing the destruction of many unique environmental locations in host countries. This process has a significant impact on the environment, as well as the people living in that location. Constantly building tourist attractions causes air and noise pollution from an increase of vehicles and airplanes; water pollution due to fertilizer leakage, road oil and human waste; wildlife destruction caused by hunting and disruption of natural habitats, destruction of wetlands, plants and trees, which can lead to damaging the soil and beaches (Mowforth and Munt 1998). Not only is the constant construction of new tourist locations damaging to the environment, but it is also has a large disruption on the lives of the local people. The countrys environment is being destroyed for the purpose of meeting the demands of the tourists; therefore their environment is being taken away from them. In some countries, the local people lack clean water because the tourists are consuming so much of it and there is not enough left for some residents of the country (Mowforth and Munt 1998). In addition, it is common to see that once the tourist attraction has been developed, the local residents are not allowed access to it. This creates thoughts of resentment towards the tourists, because they are no longer allowed access to the natural environment that their country offers. In the twentieth century, the cruise ship industry has become increasingly popular. This type of tourism is he least beneficial form of tourism, as it produces about 77% of the worlds marine pollution (Dubinsky 2011: week 6). Cruise ships are so damaging to the environment, that they are only registered in a few countries that ignore the environmental laws. These countries may think that the cruise ship industry is benefiting their economy, but 95% of the requirements are imported from outside the region that is being visited; therefore only 5% of the consumption of tourists is actually from the tourist destination (Dubinsky 2011: week 6). It is shocking to see that the tourism industry is clearly aware of the harmful impact cruise ships have on the environment, yet continue to promote the cruise ship industry. As companies continue to advertise the cruise ship industry the number of passengers on cruise ships will continue to increase, which will only make the environment worse. We need to focus on these issues and make people aware of these harmful impacts, and focus on the future of a sustainable tourism industry. In the generation of today, we are experiencing climate change worldwide. Seeing significant changes in climate is a result of our carelessness to the environment we live in. The tourism industry has clearly contributed to a significant amount of the harmful effects on the environment, but minimal action is being taken on the issue to reduce the signs of climate change. Sustainable development links cultures and their environment. It is crucial that we relate these to each other because if we focus on one and not the other, the mass tourism industry could potentially lead to further negative consequences. It is clear that appropriate action needs to take place in order to reduce the negative effects of tourism. It is unrealistic to diminish all of the affects, but it is it is possible to minimize them. Looking at the negative cultural, social and environmental consequences of the mass tourism industry, one should be motivated to reduce the negative effects of tourism, while still maintaining the positive impacts. The tourism industry must also focus on the impact it will have in the future as well as making it more beneficial for both host countries as well as tourists. The most appropriate method of achieving this is through sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism is a type of tourism that continues to provide the same opportunities for the local people of host countries, but has minimal impact on the environment and culture of the countries (Schloegel 2007). By practicing sustainable tourism, it will benefit the local peoples and communities as well as protect their resources upon which the tourism and recreation industry is built. If the amount of construction of new tourist sites is limited, it will reduce the amount of negative environmental impacts. For example, one could achieve this by limiting the number of new tourist destinations and only use established tourist sites. Other steps that can be taken in order to make tourism more sustainable is to make it mandatory for people to use biodegradable sunscreen because normal sunscreen is very harmful to the oceans. Another way to enforce sustainable tourism is to reduce the amount of chemicals used for eliminating insects, as they are also harmful to the environment. The Brundland Commission Report is an organization that focuses on addressing the increasing concern of the rapid deterioration of the environment and natural resources caused by constant construction in the Third World (Krotz 1996:216). The organization argues that the only way of reducing the negative cultural, social and environmental impacts of mass tourism is through a developmental process that provides for the needs of the present while ensuring that options for the future are preserved (1996). By traveling to many Third World countries such as Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Costa Rica, I have become aware of the many negative cultural, social and environmental impacts of the mass tourism industry. In these destinations, I noticed that many people are dependent on the tourism industry to supply them with jobs. Although there are numerous job opportunities available, most workers are being paid minimum wage relying on tips to supplement their income and they work full days with only one day off per week. This clearly has an impact on the social lives of the local people because the majority of their lives are spent at work and they do not have that much time for themselves and their family. Also by traveling to these countries and often staying at all-inclusive resorts, one of the most significant things I noticed was the amount of consumption of resources seen in the hotels. The amount of waste that is being produced is shocking due to the constant use of things such as plastic water bottles, which do not appear to be being recycled, and discarding of unconsumed food. Recently in Mexico I spoke with one of the workers of the resort I was staying at and he told me that the majority of Mexicans are vegetarians because they cannot afford the price of meat. Yet, at all of the resorts, there are vast quantities of meat. It is also shocking for me to see that many of the local people of host countries are not allowed access to many places that are natural to that country such as beaches. I believe that people should have access to the natural beauty that their country offers. I have also noticed that many travellers are not appreciative of the host countries unique cultures and traditions. Even though these actions are damaging to the countrys culture, they sacrifice their own needs to meet the tourists desires because the industry is necessary for their development. Visiting these countries has provided me insight into many of the negative impacts o f tourism and has made me aware that a significant change is needed within the tourism industry. The mass tourism industry has brought many job opportunities for Third World counties, but as the industry continues to increase, we continue to negatively impact the culture, the way societies interact, and their environment. When there are so many tourists and people moving into the country to take advantage of the many job opportunities, many countries have difficulty holding onto their unique cultures and traditions when there are too many factors that invade and interrupt their culture. These constant interruptions cause the local people to adapt to the different cultures and values of the people touring and moving into the country. This also leads into a change in the way societies interact with one another. Through my own experience, it seems that many people are not aware of all of the negative impacts of the mass tourism industry. By increasing global awareness of the topic and by implementing sustainable tourism practices, we can reduce the amount of negative impacts on the culture, social lives, and environment and ultimately help host tourist countries thrive. Word count: 2471

In-Depth Summary of Expectancy Theory Essay example -- BTEC Business M

In-Depth Summary of Expectancy Theory In today’s organization, there is a need for ways in which to effectively motivate employees. Expectancy theory addresses the underlying issues that are associated with the belief that a performance or outcome is attainable. Developed initially by Edward Tolman and Kurt Levin, introduction of the theory into the workplace was not achieved until quite some time later by Victor Vroom (Bradt, 1996). It is his first utilization of the theory that enabled others to develop and recognize the potential the theory played in motivating individuals. This essay will address not only the fundamental mechanics behind expectancy theory, but also how it can be correlated with education, performance appraisals, and leadership roles in the workplace. When an individual is confronted with a task within the workplace they first assess if the effort that is required will produce a successful performance. Underlying issues such as self-esteem, educational background, and duration of the task all can aid in the individual's perception of probability in achievement. If an individual's perception of the task has a high probability of success, then motivation will ensue. Subsequently, if the individual feels there is little chance, then a lack of motivation occurs. From there the individual will attempt to analyze the probability that if this task is achieved, the desired outcome or reward will be acceptable and bestowed. This analysis of probability is labeled performance-to-outcome expectancy (Moorhead & Griffin, 2001). Desired outcomes vary depending on the individual’s needs, wants, and expectations. It is with this knowledge of diverse needs that the manager is able to realize the potential differences in how to best satisf y the employee’s outcome perception. This assessment of importance of the outcome to the individual is its valence. Having discussed the fundamentals involved with expectancy theory, we will know look more closely at how it can further be applied to motivation through education in the workplace. Studies have shown that there is a definite correlation between education and motivation amongst employees. When an individual assess their effort-to-performance probability, factors such as self-esteem and expectations can play a significant role. Lack of basic fundamental skills among individuals who have ... ...nd a feeling of insecurity there is now more then ever a reason for the organization to develop more effective ways to motivate employees. After analyzing just a few of the hybrids associated with expectancy theory, it is clear that employee perceptions and expectations play a vital role in the success and productivity of the organization. The ability of the manger not only to identify, but also to utilize, this information is essential in fostering an environment of willing and highly motivated employees. Through analyzing and offering education, relevant performance appraisals, and leadership an environment of motivation can be achieved. Works Cited: Bradt, J. (1996, March). Pay Employees for Their Contributions. Personnel Journal New Product News Supplement, 7-9. Clinton, M. (1998, Nov). Uncertain Effects: Can Basic Skills Education Improve Motivation. Technical Training, 9(6), 35-37. Isaac, R. & Zerbe, W. (2001, Summer). Leadership and Motivation: The Effective Application of Expectancy Theory. Journal of Managerial Issues, 13(2), 212. Moorhead, G. & Griffin, R. Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001.

Comparing Divine Punishment in Oedipus Rex and Leda and the Swan :: comparison compare contrast essays

Divine Punishment in Oedipus Rex and Leda and the Swan        Ã‚  Ã‚   Divine punishment is an irreversible occurrence that creates distinct attitudes in characters.   In Yeats' poem, Leda and the Swan and Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, Divine punishment plays a crucial role, and is the basis for the actions of both Oedipus and Leda.    Yeats and Sophocles explore the idea of Divine punishment in various ways.   Yeats shows Leda's attitude towards the experience of the rape, and the result of the rape leads to Leda's attitude towards the Gods, which then leads to many more travesties.   In a similar way, Sophocles shows Oedipus' reaction to Divine punishment when Oedipus realizes that he has killed his father and married his mother.   It was these actions that drove Leda and Oedipus to experience Divine punishment.   As a result, each has suffered even more.    In Yeats' poem, Leda and the Swan, Yeats explores the idea of Divine punishment in using the result of Leda's rape as his subject.   The offspring Leda produced represents the Divine punishment of the story.   In the story, Leda is raped by a swan, which represents Zeus, the most powerful Greek God.   The consequences of this rape includes two children, Helen and Clytemnestra who later marry and experience the fall of the Trojan empire and the killing of Agamemnon, Clytemnestra's husband.   The story of Leda and the Swan creates a vivid portrait of a rape between an all-powerful swan and Leda, the Spartan Queen.   It is peculiar that two such powerful individuals are the subjects of the horrendous act of rape. Zeus is the most powerful of all gods, and Leda herself has great power, being the Queen of Sparta.   Aside from this however, lies another topic, which Yeats attempts to explore, and that is the idea of Divine punishment. The mere thought of punishment from the Div ine, meaning God, is the reason why Leda allows the Swan to continue the rape without a great deal of fight.   Yeats writes, "Being so caught up, so mastered by the brute blood of the air, did she put on his knowledge with his power before the indifferent beak could let her drop?" (Kuehn 140).   Here, Leda must choose whether or not she should put all of her power in Zeus, knowing that he has harmed her.   Her action to not resist the force leads to the Divine punishment.

Gmat Statement of Purpose

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Finance, as a field, had always fascinated me right from my undergraduate college days. I believe my penchant for this field stems from the fact that Finance runs in my family. My grandfather was an accountant, my mother is a postgraduate in economics and my father has a keen interest in keeping up-to-date with the markets. During my days at Engineering College I used to help my father to manage his portfolio of equities and other financial instruments. This was the time I learnt the first lesson of finance from my father i. e. risks and returns are proportionate.In 2001 the Indian stock market crashed. But fortunately, my father had a well-diversified portfolio because of which our returns were protected from the downside risk. This was when I learnt the second principle of finance from my father i. e. diversification reduces risk. While I understood these two principles intuitively, it produced in me a strong urge to learn and understand the complex theory behi nd the working of Finance. This, I believe, was a turning point in my career. I made up my mind to pursue a career in Finance and hence decided to do a Masters program in Commerce.Good academic performance in my school and college, active participation in academic as well as extra curricular activities have helped to develop strong quantitative and analytical abilities and good leadership and communication skills. These have prepared me to handle complex problems and have given me the confidence to pursue graduate studies. To achieve my career goals, I need to learn about current developments and techniques in finance, financial markets and financial applications and acquire hands-on experience of financial analysis.A Master's Degree will provide me with theoretical understanding, an in depth idea of practical approaches in aiding managerial decision-making and research skills to enable me to develop an expertise in the core areas of financial strategies and global corporate financi al operations. In India with the onset of liberalization since 1991 and deregulation of the interest rates, the Indian corporations and financial institutions are exposed to various kinds of risks. The Government and the Reserve Bank of India have initiated appropriate reforms to develop derivatives markets and financial markets on the whole.This has suddenly increased the demand for professionals who can not only understand but also develop new financial instruments to evaluate and hedge the risk. I believe that in order to use financial engineering pro-actively and dynamically for optimum hedging, a finance professional should be well versed with the mathematics that underlies the financial theory. In the future I see myself, as a Finance professional, designing structured financial products by incorporating cutting edge methodologies and sophisticated tools in order to cater to the above mentioned requirements.To achieve this I would like to gain exposure to the latest practices adopted in the field of Finance and Risk Management. To this end I would want to work with a leading investment bank or in the treasury of a commercial bank, which would enable me to help corporations manage their risks. I believe that my educational background has instilled in me the qualities required to meet the rigor of this demanding profession. Graduation in Engineering (Computer Science) has provided a strong foundation in Mathematics and Computer Programming.Mathematics was one subject in which I had always excelled right from my school days. During the course of my Engineering education I took up a project with WIPRO Technologies. This project, which I was offered, required extensive use of C programming language. This project, for the first time gave me a real world experience of programming. This association helped a lot in consolidating my programming skills, especially in C-language. Thus, it inculcated in me problem solving and analytical abilities.I strongly feel that the MCom program specializing in Finance at The Universityis a highly structured program because it provides the right balance between theory and practice. I bring along a strong grasp of fundamentals in Engineering and Mathematics, a penchant for teamwork and leadership and a zest for challenges. I would like to take with me in addition to the knowledge of the latest theory and practices in the field of Engineering, a network of strong and lasting relationships with my teachers and fellow-students. I hope my background and qualifications are found suitable for admission to the MCom program at The University.

Language skill is essential tool in the job market Essay

Language skill is essential tool in the job market. Being able to speak a prefect english language is a skill that a person have over other graduates and being able to boost up the chances of getting the job. English language proficiency works as a determination of people’s opportunity to get a job. Hence it can be concluded that a persons ability and perseverance of a language plays an important and vital role in future employment. A person must have the ability to convey their ideas with a good english and to achieve it a daily practice of the language will give a better result. A better understanding of the language will secure a place for a better job. The characters in both articles teaches that we can improved the language skill if we try to our best. If we got enough self-motivation, it is possible brush up our language skills in our spare time. There are plenty ways to practice and improve the english language skill and one of it is through learning new words from dict ionary. Other than that, Amy tan in her article â€Å"Mother Tongue† celebrates the fact that she did not follow the expectations that people had of her because her maths are better than her english and of her struggle with writing and language. Its shows that self-determination contributes to the success. I agree with you that it is essential that we properly understand the role that English plays and will play in our daily life. For many jobs, communication skills in English are in increasing demand. English is becoming a basic requirement for a job. Importance of the English language in the workplace continues to be a top concern among employers. A person who are more competent, fluent and impressive in speaking in English than other graduates have better opportunities in the job market. Every employee faces interview before getting a job. If that person is not suitable for the respective job in terms of English language, the chances of getting the job will be low.Hence, a good english language skill is important to secure a better job. The characters of both articles also says that we can learn and improve English language if we have a self-motivation and improve our daily communication. We can started with a simple English and improve it day by day .