Learning To Flycast Essays - Fishing, Fly Fishing,

Learning To Flycast The great outdoors is a provider of a vast variety of ways to relax. These methods can range from camping to hiking to even snow skiing. Though the most effective way to escape from the world and into nature is through fly-fishing. Fly-fishing can place you in the middle of a peaceful stream but yet on the outskirts of a developing world. Although learning to fly fish involves detailed steps and may be time consuming, it is guaranteed to bring you peacefulness and relaxation. The well explained steps provided will teach you the art of fly fishing in a timely manner. First, you must make sure that you have the right equipment. You will need a fly rod, a reel, and fly line. The reel is a device to retrieve line after casting. The fly line is a stretchy elasticized material that connects the fly or lure to the rod enabling a fisherman to retrieve his catch. It does not matter what weight rod you use, just be sure that the weight of the line matches the weight of the rod. Take the pieces of the rod and put them together, arranging the guides in a straight line. Attach the fly reel and pull out some of the line. Take the line and run it though all of the guides, making sure not to miss any of them. Once your preparations are complete, you can begin the fly casting process. Find a quiet, unobstructed place to practice. The best place to practice is on your lawn. Set the rod down and pull about twenty feet of line straight out in front of the rod. Pick the rod back up and grip it by the cork handle. When gripping the rod, place your thumb on top of the cork handle. Plant your feet comfortably on the ground with your toes pointing straight out in front of you. Hold the rod so that it is pointing straight out at King 2 waist level. Using your forearm, lift the rod straight up to the point just past vertical. If you were looking at yourself from the side, the rod should start at the 9:00 position and stop at the 1:00 position. Turn your head and observe where the fly line goes. The line should form a loop and then straighten out parallel to the ground. This is called the back cast. When the back cast is complete, the line should be bending your rod as it straightens behind you. Now you are ready for the forward cast, which is the most important cast in fly-fishing. Get the line back out in front of you and make another back cast. This time, turn your head and watch closely for the instant that the line is perfectly straight behind the tip of the rod. With a slight hammering motion, using your forearm and wrist, quickly bring the rod tip back to the starting position in front of you. Do not try to throw the line, just direct it out in front of you with the tip of the rod. Let the line fall. If you made the cast correctly, the line should be a fairly straight line out in front of you. If it is not, continue trying. Your elbow should start by hanging comfortably at your side, at about waist level. When you make the back cast, it should come up to about the level of your shoulder. On the forward cast, the elbow should then return back to the relaxed position at your side. Your elbow movement should always be more of an up-and-down motion than a back-and-forth motion. In fly-casting, timing is very important. You should always begin the forward cast at the instant the fly line straightens behind you. If you bring the rod forward before the back cast has straightened, you will hear a sharp crack, and the line will fall in a big King 3 puddle in front of you. You cannot get enough power traveling through the rod. After some practice, this timing will begin to feel natural. You will not need to keep looking behind you to watch your back cast. Keep in mind that different lengths of line require different timing.

Digitizing Family Movies - Transfer Videotapes to DVD

Digitizing Family Movies - Transfer Videotapes to DVD Somewhere in your house is a box or drawer full of videotapes - aging home movies full of birthdays, dance recitals, holiday gatherings, a childs first steps and other special family moments. You havent watched the movies in years but, unfortunately, the years are still taking their toll. Heat, humidity and improper storage cause videotapes to deteriorate, decaying the magnetic particles that represent your precious family memories. By converting those old VHS tapes to digital form, you can effectively stop the deterioration in its tracks. It also allows you to use your computer to edit out the boring and blooper moments, add music or narration, and make extra copies for your family and friends. What You Need The basic requirements are easy- a computer and a camcorder or VCR which can play your old videotapes. Other important items youll need include a device to get the video in and out of your computer (video capture), the software to edit it, and a DVD-burner to copy the video onto DVDs. Video Capture HardwareTransferring videotape to DVD is actually pretty easy to do yourself, but will require some special hardware. Depending on your computer setup, you may already have what you need. Three major options for transferring footage from old videotapes to computer include: Transfer footage via a video cardTo transfer video footage to your computer youll need the right cables and hardware. If you have a newer computer, you may already have what you need. Check the back of your computer and follow the cord coming from your monitor. If you see multicolored (red, white and yellow) plugs on the same card, then youre in luck. With a RCA A/V (audio/video) cable youll be able to directly connect your video camera or VCR directly to your computer. If your video card also has a round S-Video jack, use a S-Video cable in place of the yellow RCA video input for superior video quality. If your video card doesnt have RCA input jacks, you can also choose to replace it with a new video card. Transfer footage via a video capture card or deviceA cheaper and often easier alternative to replacing the entire video card in your computer is to add a video capture card. Youll need an empty PCI slot in the back of your computer to install one. Alternatively, there are some wh ich will plug into an available USB slot, which is easier than having to open your computer to plug in the card. Video capture cards usually come with software on CD which will walk you through the steps of transferring video from your VCR or Camcorder to your computer. Transfer footage via a video capture cardIf your computer doesnt have a DVD burner, then the best solution may be to purchase an external DVD recorder. These connect to the computer via a USB port and have built-in video capture technology, allowing you to capture video, edit it, and burn it to DVD with a single device. Digital Video SoftwareIn conjunction with the hardware, youll also need special software to capture, compress and edit the video footage on your computer. The digital video software assists you with capturing the video from your video camera or VCR, and also allows you to cut/edit the footage or add fun special effects such as narration, transitions, menus and background music. In some cases, digital video software may have come with your video capture card or device. If not, there are a number of free video editing programs, such as Windows Movie Maker, that can perform some of these functions. If you want to get fancy, then programs such as Adobe Premiere Elements, Corel VideoStudio, Apples Final Cut and Pinnacle Studio make it easy to get your movies on DVD with professional results. Plenty of Hard Drive SpaceIt may not sound like a big deal, but the hard drive on your computer will need a lot of free space when youre working with video - as much as 12-14 gigabytes (GB) of space for every hour of footage you import. If you dont have that much space to spare, consider purchasing an external hard drive. You can get a 200MB external hard drive for less than $300 enough room for plenty of video, plus a place to backup your photos, genealogy and other files. Working with such large files means that youll also need a powerful computer. A fast processor (CPU) and plenty of memory (RAM) will make it much easier to transfer and edit video. Transfer Edit Your Video Whichever video capture option you use- a special video card, a video capture card or a DVD recorder - the steps for capturing and editing the video from your camcorder or VCR are basically the same: Make the connections. Connect the cords from the output jacks on your old camcorder (if it plays videotapes) or VCR to the input jacks on your video capture card or DVD recorder. Capture the video. Open your video software and select the import or capture option. The software should then walk you through the steps necessary for recording the video to your computer. Save the video at the highest quality possible. Old videotapes are already of poor enough quality, without further degrading the footage more than necessary during the compression process. If youre short on space, then capture, edit and burn small sections of video at a time. Once youve burned the resulting video to DVD you can delete it from your hard drive, freeing up space for more video transfer. Edit out unwanted footage. Once youve transferred the video to your computer you can edit and rearrange the scenes into a nice finished product. Most digital video editing software will have already automatically separated yo ur raw video footage into scenes, making it easy to shuffle things around. Now is also the time to delete the boring stuff and edit out dead time, like the 20 minutes of footage you took with the lens cap on! Generally, this process is as easy as drag and drop. You can eliminate choppiness in the final product by adding cool transitions from scene to scene, such as fades and page turns. Other special features you may want to play with include titles, photos, narration, menus and background music. Create Your DVD When youre satisfied with your edited movies, its time to transfer them to DVD. Again the software will walk you through the steps. Just as with import, youll probably be given a choice of quality settings. For the best image quality limit the video you save on a single DVD to an hour or less. Choose a high-quality DVD-R or DVDR disk (not the rewritable version) on which to burn your video. Make at least one backup copy as well, maybe more if you plan to delete the digital video from your computers hard drive. Other Options for Transferring Video to DVD If you dont have a computer, there are options available for transferring video to DVD, sans PC, using a DVD recorder unit. If you want to do any editing before burning to DVD, youll need a DVD recorder unit with a hard drive. Fancy editing is still best done on a computer, however. Alternatively, you can pay a professional to convert your VHS tapes to DVD, although this service doesnt usually come cheap.

How to Use a Dash

How to Use a Dash The dash (- )  is a mark of punctuation  used to set off a word or phrase after an independent clause or a parenthetical remark (words, phrases, or clauses that interrupt a sentence). Dont confuse the dash (- ) with the hyphen (-): the dash is longer. As William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White explained in The Elements of Style: A  dash  is a mark of separation stronger than a  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹comma, less formal than a  colon, and more relaxed than  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹parentheses. There are actually two types of dashes, each with different uses: the  em dash- also called the long dash, according to Oxford Online Dictionaries- and the  en dash, which doesnt have another name but falls between the hyphen and em dash in terms of length.  The  en dash  is so named because it is approximately the equivalent width of the uppercase letter  N  and the  em dash  is roughly the width of an uppercase  M. Origins Merriam-Webster says the word  dash  comes from the  Middle English word  dasshen, which probably derives from the Middle French term  dachier,  meaning to impel forward. One current definition of the word  dash  is to break, which would well describe what a dash does in syntax. The  Online Etymology Dictionary  says the dash- a horizontal line used as a punctuation mark- first appeared in writing and printing in the 1550s. By the late 1800s, the dash had taken on some very specific roles. According to  Thomas MacKellar, in his 1885 book, The American Printer: A Manual of Typography : The em dash...is frequently used in particular works as a substitute for the comma or for the colon, and is found particularly serviceable in rhapsodical writing, where interrupted sentences frequently occur.   MacKellar noted several specific uses for the dash, including: A sign of repetition in catalogs of goods, where it means  ditto.In catalogs of books, where it was used instead of repeating an authors name.As a stand-in for the words  to  and  till, as in chap. xvi. 13-17. The last use would today be an  en dash, which indicates a range. The En Dash Though the Associated Press does not use the  en dash, the press service nicely describes how other styles  do  use the shorter dash.  Some other styles call for  en dashes  to indicate ranges of dates, times, or page numbers, or with some compound modifiers. For example: He worked from 9–5.  She works from 8 a.m.–5 p.m.The festival will take place March 15–31.For your homework, read pages 49–64. To create an  en dash  using a keyboard on a Windows-based system, hold down the Alt key and simultaneously type 0150. To create this punctuation mark on a  Macintosh-based system  hold down the Option  key  and press the Minus key  [-].  American Psychological Association notes that you would use the  en dash  for: Items of equal weight (test–retest, male–female, the Chicago–London flight).Page ranges (in references, â€Å"...Journal of Applied Psychology,  86, 718–729†).Other types of ranges (16–30 kHz). Angela Gibson, writing for the MLA Style Center, a writing resource for the Modern Languages Association, says the organization uses an en dash when a single compound adjective is a proper noun, as in: Pre–Industrial Revolution city. She notes that the MLA also calls for an  en dash when a compound in the predicate position includes a proper noun: The crowd was Beyoncà © Knowles–obsessed. The Em Dash The AP, which does use  em dashes, explains that these punctuation marks are  used: To signal an abrupt change.To set off a series within a phrase.Before attribution to an author or composer in some formats.After datelines.To start lists. AP style calls for a space on both sides of an  em  dash, but most other styles, including MLA and APA, omit the spaces. On a Windows-based system, you can form an  em dash  on a keyboard by holding down the Alt key and typing  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹0151. To create the em dash on a Macintosh-based system, hold down the  Shift  and  Option  keys and press the  Minus  key [-], notes  Techwalla, adding that alternatively, you can press the  Hyphen  key twice and press  Space. There are two basic ways to use an  em dash  in a sentence: After an independent clause: Author Saul Below, in My Paris, provides an example of using an  em dash  after an independent clause: Life, said Samuel Butler, is like giving a concert on the violin while learning to play the instrument- that, friends, is real wisdom. To set off words and phrases:  Writers have effectively used  em dashes  to shoehorn a parenthetical thought or remark into a sentence, as this quote illustrates: Copper Lincoln cents- pale zinc-coated steel for a year in the war- figure in my earliest impressions of money.- John Updike, A Sense of Change,  The New Yorker, April 26, 1999 Thoughts on the Dash For a tiny punctuation mark, the dash has sparked an unusual level of debate among writers, grammarians, and punctuation experts. The dash is seductive, says Ernest Gowers in The Complete Plain Words, a style, grammar, and punctuation reference guide. It tempts the writer to use it as a punctuation-maid-of-all-work that saves him the trouble of choosing the right stop. Some have expressed support for the dash: The dash is less formal than the semicolon, which makes it more attractive; it enhances conversational tone; and...it is capable of quite subtle effects. The main reason people use it, however, is that they know you cant use it wrongly.- Lynne Truss, Eats, Shoots Leaves Other writers strenuously oppose using the mark: The problem with the  dash- as you may have noticed!- is that it discourages truly efficient writing. It also- and this might be its worst sin- disrupts the flow of a sentence. Dont you find it annoying- and you can tell me if you do, I wont be hurt- when a writer inserts a thought into the midst of another one thats not yet complete?- Norene Malone, The Case- Please Hear Me Out- Against the Em Dash.  Slate, May 24, 2011 So, next time you look in your toolkit of punctuation marks and see the  en dash  or  em dash  just waiting to be put to work, ensure that you are using these marks for the right reasons and following the rules discussed. Ask yourself if your  parenthetical remark  will add nuance and insight to your writing or just confuse the reader. If its the latter, return the dashes to your punctuation tool bag and use a comma, colon, or semicolon instead, or revise the sentence so that you can omit the dreaded dash. Source Gowers, Ernest. Plain Words: A Guide to the Use of English. Rebecca Gowers, Paperback, Penguin UK, October 1, 2015.

ENTREPRENEURIAL SURVIVAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ENTREPRENEURIAL SURVIVAL - Essay Example As a result of this, the paper focuses on the types of accounts and reports small and medium-sized companies deliver to Company House; showing the deadlines, methods of filing these and the consequences for failure to do the same. There are hundreds of millions of businesses set up each year globally. Starting ones business is always a very exciting experience filled with ambitions and expectations. However, statistics show that out of every 5 businesses set up, 4 will fall in a span of three years. This therefore calls for one to pay attention to the list of options at his disposal and the legal framework involving each and every one of them. This refers to an individual who runs by his/ herself an unincorporated type of business. This is always the easiest option that does not involve much framework. This individual incurs taxes under the system of Inland’s Revenue Assessment with income tax come to after deductions of legitimate expenses incurred by the business and one’s personal allowance. The sole trader is accountable for all the company’s debts and profits. This is a cooperation of at least two individuals solely bound with the shared vision of doing business together. They operate within the boundaries of the Partnership Act of 1890. However, this type of structure does not have its own legal personality hence the partners are to answer for any debts the business incurs. The partnerships agreement covers for: Incorporating what the business per takes of blows a new breath into the whole scene as the business is now viewed as legal person different from the directors. The profits and losses incurred are only limited to the company and it too has its obligations. This therefore means that upon the exit of the management or the shareholders, the company does not cease to be. This is also known as a limited â€Å"company†. A limited company has a higher probability of incurring less tax compared to the other types of companies.

Market entry strategy of retailer in China - The case of Walmart Dissertation

Market entry strategy of retailer in China - The case of Walmart - Dissertation Example This area of research was of immense interest because global chain had achieved success and failures in different markets. To evaluate the entry mode choice Wal-Mart was selected for this study, being the largest global retailer. China was selected as the location because of the phenomenal economic growth in recent decades and the high consumer base, both of which have been attracting foreign retailers. Thus, three objectives were set at the beginning of the study. All the three objectives have been achieved based on a study with qualitative data and qualitative analysis. The study finds that both push and pull factors motivated Wal-Mart to entre China. Its home market was saturated and Wal-Mart was driven by the sheer size of China’s consumer base. Since the outcome of any foreign venture depends upon the initial entry mode, Wal-Mart’s entry mode has been evaluated. The study finds that during the time that Wal-Mart entered China it had no alternative but to enter into joint venture but it appears that Wal-Mart did not assess several factors before entering the market. For instance, it did not conduct a proper research on the partner characteristics and the expected synergies; it did not take into account the local business environment, the consumer characteristics and the government regulations. ... While the timing of the entry was perfect (weak retail sector and high potential in China), Wal-Mart tried to impose its home market strategies which did not work in the Chinese business environment. Wal-Mart attempted standardizing operations across countries but this is not feasible in a retail environment. The entry choice of Wal-Mart into China does not conform to the theories governing entry mode choice. This suggests that no single entry mode can be generalized to be the right entry mode. Literature on the subject amply suggests that different factors influence the entry mode choice. This study confirms that different factors have to be taken into account when evaluating the entry mode, without which the expected synergies may not be achieved. The outcome of this study is expected to benefit the retailers that plan expansion into emerging economies. Based on the limitations, the study recommends other areas of research on the subject. Contents Chapter I Introduction 1 1.1 Backg round – Globalization and Retail Sector 1 1.2 China’s Retail Sector 2 1.3 International Retailers’ Presence in China 3 1.4 Wal-Mart in China 4 1.5 International Market Entry Strategy 5 1.6 Rationale for Research 5 1.7 Research Aims and Objectives 7 1.8 Structure of the Study 8 Chapter II Literature Review 10 2.1 Chapter Overview 10 2.2 Motives for Internationalization 10 2.3 Policy Framework in China 12 2.4 Internationalization Theories 13 2.4.1 International Market Selection 13 2.4.2 Market Challenges faced by International Retailers 14 2.4.3 Foreign Market Entry Modes 16 2.4.4 Theories Governing Market Entry Mode Decision 19 2.4.5 The Uppsala Stage Theory of Internationalization 21

Effect of Major Events on Host Community

Effect of Major Events on Host Community Do major events bring lasting benefit to host community? Introduction Most promoters of bids for major events, such as the Olympic and Commonwealth Games or the world cup, submit as part of the reasoning behind the decision to bid the lasting benefits that it will bring economic benefit to the host community in the short and long term. Furthermore, this argument is used as a justification for the considerable involved in staging such events. For example, as can be seen from the budget and capital cost reports from Beijing, which is hosting the 2008 Olympics Games, whilst the operation of the games itself is targeted to make a small profit (see appendix 1, table 1), the construction and infrastructure costs have been estimated at over $1.4 billion (see appendix 1, table 2), which the BOCOG[1] and Chinese government state will be recovered as a result of the longer term economic benefits that these costs will bring to the area, in terms of increased trade, employment, tourism, international and local trade and other local social community benefits. However, whilst researchers of this issue appears to agree, at least for the immediate area where the event is located, for example Beijing, there is an immediate economic benefit during the staging of the events, there is a significant difference of opinion as to a) whether there is a economic benefit for the wider geographical area and b) whether there is a lasting economic benefit for the host community subsequent to the event. Within this paper it is intended to concentrate upon the latter of these two questions in an effort to prove or disprove the following hypothesis: â€Å"Events provide no lasting benefit to the host community.† To assist with this analysis, it is intended to use data from the Olympics in Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000), Athens (2004), together with brief references to the Beijing 2008 Olympics. To assess whether the case is true in relation to other major events, which may not have such a global attraction, the Manchester Commonwealth Games of 2002 have also been included within the selection. Overview of Events As can been noted earlier the operational costs of hosting a major event is sizable and, due to increasing concerns in areas such as security, which includes prevention of terrorism, these have increased significantly over the years (Baade and Matheson. 2002a, p.5). In terms of this expense Baade and Matheson (2002a, p.6) with Salt Lake City as spending $300 million, which must cast doubt on the appropriateness of the $50 million Beijing is planning to spend on this item (see appendix 1, table 1). Thus, it is not surprising that there has been a chequered history in terms of the profitability of staging such massive events. In recent history an example of these extremes can be foun, with Montreal recorded a $1 billion loss for the 1976 games whilst Los Angeles made a profit of $250 million for hosting the same event in the 1984. Nevertheless, in most cases the majority of these operational costs, with careful planning, marketing and promotion, are expected to be recovered from sponso rship and TV rights, which has the potential of bringing in over $1 billion in revenue in today’s terms, if measured against the past expectations CBS (1998). These figures pale into insignificance when compared to the capital and infrastructure cost, which runs into Billion’s of dollars, the return on which cannot be so easily calculated. Thus, in order to achieve a national government commitment to assist with the funding of the event, it is the task of the promoters to attempt to show that these costs will have long-term economic benefits for the community. The following is a brief overview of the capital and infrastructure costs incurred by the four locations chosen for analysis. Based upon 1996 prices, the total direct cost of the Sydney Olympics was calculated to be around A$8.4 billion, (Madden 2002, p.9), which relates to around US$4 billion, although when final figures were available this showed a similar increase against budget as Atlanta. In his study into these costs, Madden (2002, p.9), allocated them over a 12-year period from 1994/95 to 2005/06 as indicated in the following graph: As can be seen from this the majority of the monies post the event was spent on international tourism. Of these costs about $600 million was spent directly upon games visitors, and these would therefore have been recoverable from the games revenues. This leaves approximately $7.8 billion to be quantified as costs that should have a lasting economic benefit, in addition the benefits incurred during the event. Athens 2004 The cost of the games in Athens, originally budgeted to cost $5.6 billion, actually rose to over $8.5 billion Associated Press (2004). Part of this additional cost was caused by an exceptionally large security costs which, being the first games to be held post the 9/11 tragedy, soared to $1.5 billion. With Beijing budgeting to spend $14.25 billion on capital and infrastructure and $1.625 billion on operating costs making a total of just under $16 billion, although many experts are predicting that this figure will increase to over $20 billion, it is clear from the following graph that the costs of the games will have doubled with every staging of the event over a twelve-year period (see figure 1). In 2002 Manchester played host to the Commonwealth games. Originally the budget for this event was set at around  £25 (approximately $50), but the final amount climbed to between  £70-80 million ($140-160 million). Of this amount  £17 million was spent on a performance legacy programme, deliberately targeted to produce long-term benefits for the community. As the Olympic Games increases are significantly higher than the rate of inflation that any of these areas have suffered during the same period, it is apparent that the accuracy of forecasting the longer term economic benefits is becoming even more critical to both the organisers and the regional and national governments that are being asked to help fund these costs. Furthermore, as has been demonstrated with all of these events, the calculations of initial budgeting show considerable under-estimation when compared with the final costs, which suggests that the reliability of the organisers costs in relation to the longer term benefits Long-term Economic Benefits To determine whether the capital and infrastructure cost of an event has a long term benefit to the host community, the assessment of this process can only bet determined by the future economic development that occurs within that geographical location (Fort and Fizel 2004, p.91). Therefore to evaluate the hypothesis set at the commencement of this research, it is intended to use three of these factors, these being increase in GDP, employment and tourism activity. GDP Growth domestic product is an indicator that shows how well the economy is growing, usually based upon a per capita figure. One of the main arguments of those promoting the benefits of hosting an event is that it will contribute significantly towards improving that figure over future years. In reality, this does not appear to be the case when analysing the result for the events indicated. In all cases there were economic improvements in terms of GDP during the periods leading up to the staging of the events, although in some instances, these were not as high had been projected. Similarly, in the longer term, these increases were not sustained. For example, taking Sydney and New South Wales as an example, as can be seen from the following graph, whist there was a significant rise in GDP during the years from 1994/05 to 2000/01, immediately the games were over, this fell back sharply to a year on year decrease. Studies conducted by researchers into the Atlanta and Athens games, including Baade, Robert A. Victor Matheson. (2002) and Gratton and Henry (2001) have shown a similar reaction in relation to the GDP in each of these cases, with rising levels during the build-up period to the games, but little to no benefit for the following periods. This position also appears to be relevant to the economic effects of lesser events, as can be evidenced by the research into the benefits of the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002 (Eurotec 2007). The initial impact was encouraging, as was noted by one of the organisers at the time, who said: â€Å"We estimated that  £22m in business benefits across the northwest derived from the Games at the time,† says Rosin. â€Å"There was  £2.7m added value for every  £1m invested. There has been investment in the financial sectors, in the city centre and in particular in east Manchester. Associated retail development and the creation of employment for local people in this area can be directly attributed to the Commonwealth Games† (Editorial (2007). However, a graph of the impact on output of the games and legacy programme in this case (see figure 4) shows that, as with the Olympics, despite the initial benefits achieved prior and during the time the event was staged, in this case exceeding expectations, the longevity of this was short, with it falling away rapidly within one year. It is apparent from these findings that the significant improvement to GDP would only be temporary in nature and as a result contributes little to the long term improvement of the local community environment (Fizel et al 1999, p.75). Assuming that a study of other events of a similar magnitude to those identified operated upon a similar basis, it is therefore apparent that the GDP benefit would be condensed into the period of the event and limited thereafter, Employment Tourism Tourism is another area against which the success of the games can be measured. Whilst, in most cases there is an increase in the physical numbers of tourists visiting the area in the years leading up to the event and subsequently, the benefit of this has to be evaluated against the additional facilities that have been provided as a part of the capital and infrastructure costs. For example, if one looks at the Beijing games, the intention is to build sufficient hotels in the area to be able to offer 130,000 (BOCOG 2007). As this represents an increase of around 20% of the number of rooms that are available, whilst an increase in tourism will have an impact upon the local economy in some areas, unless it is in excess of 20%, it will have a detrimental impact upon the hotel and catering sector, which will either force down the unit price per room or result in a decrease in occupancy, either of which will reduce the fiscal benefit. Thus the measurement of costs can be evaluated by either their socio-economic, environmental or the estimated direct future impact they will have on a countries gross domestic product (GDP). For Beijing, all of these improvements will therefore provide a useful economic legacy of the games if managed correctly. However, in addition to the intangible benefits, there are the intangible costs that also need to be measured, both in real terms and potential. These can be defined into two main areas being, local but external to the event, future but unanticipated. In addition to the determinants outlined above, there are others than need to be taken into the equation to provide a more detailed analysis. For example, there is the potential displacement issue related to local residents at the time of the event, where homes are lost to make way for the additional infrastructure projects (Fizel 1999, p.72). Secondly, there is the long-term use of the facilities. In the case of Sydney, the authorities are still paying around $46 million a year to maintain facilities that have remained uneconomic since the event (Owen 2005). Finally, the impact that the event has on trade outside of the area also needs to be considered. Research has show that, whilst the immediately area businesses benefit from the event, others further away from its location tend to show a downturn during that period when events are being staged. (Owen 2005). These represent hidden costs that are a) not always taken into account by the bid promoters and b) difficult to quantify in terms of amount and the length of time that they should be calculated over. Conclusion The research conducted for this paper has been limited in terms of the events covered and the timescale over which these have been studied, being restricted to five events over a 12 year period from 1996 to 2008. However, from the analysis of the events used within this paper it can be seen that in the main, the hypothesis set at the commencement of this paper has been proven. Whilst most of the events showed an immediate economical benefit, this did not last for a significant period. Therefore, on balance of probabilities. we would agree with the statement made by Baade and Matheson (2002, p.28) which stated that the evidence suggests that the economic impact of the Olympics is transitory, onetime changes rather than a steady-state chane., Similarly, with the increasing costs of operating and staging these events showing every sign of continuing to escalate, the opportunity to reverse this trend will become even more difficult in the immediate to long term future, especially when on e takes into account the fact that even the cost of the London Olympics has exceeded the budgeted estimates. There appears to be two main reasons for the differential between the projected benefits and the actuality. The first of these relates to the accuracy of initial estimates, which as has been shown within the costings of the events studied, is significantly lower than they should be, which could be result from an effort to make the bids more attractive to the community and nation hosting the event or as a result of problems being experienced within the project management process. Secondly, it would appear that the economic determinants being used by the organisers are failing to pay enough attention to the results of previous events when creating their own model. All of these issues need to be addressed when making such projections and it will be interesting to revisit the issue following the Beijing games in 2008 to see whether any lessons have been learned in this respect. These issues have to be managed correctly if they are to stand a chance of producing a long term economic benef it (Humphreys and Hummer 1995, p. 6). References Arthur Andersen, Hospitality and Leisure Services, â€Å"The Sydney Olympic Performance Survey: The Sydney Olympic Games on the Australian Hotel Industry,† Mimeograph, November 2000, pp.1-7. Associated Press (2004). Games cost Athens over $8.5 Billion. Retrieved 30 November 2007 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5761646/ Baade, Robert A. Victor Matheson. (2002). Bidding for the Olympics: Fools Gold? In Transatlantic Sport, edited by Barros, Ibrahim, and Szymanski. Edward Elgar Publishing. New York, US. Baade, Robert A. Victor Matheson. (2002a). Mega-Sporting Events in Dveloping Nations: Playing the Way to Prosperity. Retrieved 30 November 2007 from http://www.williams.edu/Economics/wp/mathesonprosperity.pdf CBS (1998). Television, sponsorship revenue could top $800 million. CBS Sportsline wire reports. Retrieved 27 November 2007 from http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/olympics/nagano98/news/feb98/revenue2398.htm Country Update (2004). Practicality is the New Watchword as Beijing Olympics Projects Move Forward. Eunited Stataes Embassy, Beijing, China. Editorial (2004). Beijing Olympiad: Profit or Loss? China Today. 5th November. Retrieved 25 November 2007 from http://www1.china.org.cn/english/sports/111340.htm Editorial (2007). Glasgow 2014 – the bid legacy – after the event. Glasgow Business Guide. Retrieved 1 December 2007 from http://www.glasgowbusinessguide.co.uk/show_article.php?artID=156 Eurotec (2007) An Evaluation of the Commonwealth Games Legacy Programme. Retrieved 2 December 2007 from http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/Evaluation_of_Commonwealth_Games_Legacy_programme.pdf Finance (2007). BOCOG Budget. Retrieved 26 November 2007 from http://images.beijing-2008.org/upload/lib/bidreport/zt5.pdf Fizel, John., Gustafson, Elizabeth and Hadley, Lawrence (1999). Sports Economics: Current Research. Praeger Publishers. Westport, US. Fort, Rodney D and Fizel, John (2004). International Sports Economics. Praeger Publishers. Westport, US. Gratton, Chris and Henry, Ian (2001) Sport in the City: The Role of Sport in Economic and Social Regeneration. Routledge. London, UK Humphreys, Jeffrey L and Plummer, Michael K (2003). The economic impact of hosting the 1996 summer Olympics. Retrieved 1 December 2007 from http://www.selig.uga.edu/forecast/olympics/OLYMTEXT.HTM Humphreys, Jeffrey M. and Michael K. Plummer (1995). The Economic Impact of Hosting the 1996 Summer Olympics. Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. Atlanta, US.. Madden, John R (2002). The Economic Consequences of the Sydney Olympics: The CREA/Andersen Study. Current Issues In Tourism. Vol 5, No 1, pp.7-21. Owen, Jeffrey G (2005). Estimating the Cost and Benefit of Hosting the Olympic Games: What can Beijing expect from its 2008 Games. The Industrial Geographer. Fall 2005 Appendices Appendix 1 Table 1 BOCOG operating Budget Source: from http://images.beijing-2008.org/upload/lib/bidreport/zt5.pdf Table 2 BOCOG Construction costs Source: from http://images.beijing-2008.org/upload/lib/bidreport/zt5.pdf 1 Footnotes [1] Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games

Is America a Christian Nation

â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. † Thomas Jefferson wrote those words to express the emotions of a nation that desired freedom, and to shake the foundation of the British Empire. However, this simple, but eloquent phrase has sparked one of the greatest debates in American history. Is America a Christian nation? One question has divided the nation and its politicians since the founding and forming of America.This fiery debate has sparked more controversy than any other debate in modern politics. When the facts are analyzed and examined it points to the side that America was not, and is not a Christian nation. It is not a Christian nation because the Founding Father’s ideas for this country were no meant to be entangled with a national religion. There are clear and precise arguments on both s ides, but one must put aside all biases and see that America’s founders had no intention of making America into a nation that was centered on one religion.Through their own writings, letters, and actions the founders have shown that creating a government that protected the rights and liberties of the people was the primary and fundamental goal. The War for American Independence was not fought because the colonists wanted to separate from England, which already had a national religion, to create another nation based on a religion. It was fought in order to free themselves from the tyrannical monarchs that lived hundreds of miles away. In order to discover the solution to this debate the founding of this nation must be analyzed in detail.Furthermore, it is important to look at this history because this debate deals directly with the founding principles, rather than the evolution of American government. The first question that must be asked is why the founders would be opposed t o a national religion (or Christian nation) if that is what they had before. For instance, one battle cry of the revolution was, â€Å"Give me liberty, or give me death! † It was not, give me religion or give me death, so it was clear to see that the people in America were not revolting because they felt their freedom of religion was in danger. It was an important part f their history though. As a matter of fact, the fear of religious persecution was not far removed from their memories. The men that had come to America had witnessed firsthand the results of a corrupt national church. They had come from the Anglican Church, which was created solely because Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife. Many came to the colonies of America because the corrupt church was challenging their beliefs and not allowing them to worship as they saw fit. These men and woman realized that having a national religion did not give more rights or promote religion, but simply corrupted it.The founders believed that religion should be left up to the people to carry out how they see fit, without interference from any type of government. Those who claim that America was a Christian nation often point to the phrase in the â€Å"Declaration of Independence† where Jefferson invokes the name of the â€Å"Creator. † Even though this seems like a valid point, the truth is that Jefferson and many of the other Founding Fathers were not Christians, but rather Deists. This worldview states that a higher power created the universe and all those in it, but then left it alone and does not care or pay attention to his creation.Jefferson may have been referring to god, but it was certainly not the Christian God of the Bible. Like many of the prominent statesmen of that day, Jefferson knew who he was addressing. In the colonies, the majority of people would be considered Christians. Whether or not Jefferson or the other founders believed in the Christian God, they knew they had to se cure the support of the people. People, would certainly be more likely to follow a plan to take on the greatest empire in the world if they believed their cause was supported by God.Secondly, when supporters of the Christian nation idea point to the Declaration as proof they fail to realize something. The Declaration is not law. Nothing in the Declaration legally guides the way American government or its people function. Even though it set up the foundation for this new nation, it cannot be regarded as any type of legal document that would give evidence of a Christian based nation. However, even if someone were to look at the Declaration as proof, there are more misconceptions. The idea in the Declaration of a government that derives its power from the people is adically different from the theory of divine rights that is seen in the Christian kingdoms of the past. The founder’s idea of a government by and for the people completely rejects the idea of a government where man de rives the right to maintain power from a divine being. Moreover, if the founders had wanted to remain in that type of society than they could have used much simpler terms, rather than using the confusing, vague terms such as â€Å"Creator. † Since the Declaration is not in fact a law, one must look at the actual document that guides the way American government is supposed to act, the Constitution.If the founders had intended to create a Christian nation, then it would follow that their laws would follow in that way. However, this is not the case. In reality, it could not be further from the truth. For example, in Article VI section 3 of the Constitution it states that will be no religious test for public office. If the founders intended for a national religion, then why not make influential, political figures be held to some religious standard? Once again, the evidence points to the founders trying to avoid the route of so many of the nations that came before them.In yet anot her attempt to make sure there was no national religion, the 1st Amendment to Constitution states that, â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. † Clearly, the founders knew that establishing a national religion would result in the persecution of any other religion or belief system. Also, the establishment clause has been interpreted to mean there is a wall of separation between church and state, according to the Supreme Court. Even though this â€Å"wall† is not in the Constitution, it is implied through the 1st Amendment.Finally, the laws and fundamental beliefs were based off the ideas of John Locke and Greek philosophers. The argument that states that common law and the natural rights of man came from any type of religious belief system cannot be used. Therefore, the foundation of this country was not based on Biblical (or any other religious) standards, when it came to the policies and fun ctions of the US government. If the laws and history of the founders point to a rejection of national religion, what about how they lived out these policies? What did their actions and writings say about how they intended to run America?When one looks at the founder’s polices and laws, it is obvious that they never intended for America to have an established religion. Firstly, in 1779 Thomas Jefferson presented the â€Å"Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom† to an assembly in Virginia. This statute would greatly influence the 1st Amendment in that it was concerned with the corruption of national religion and the persecution of those who think differently. â€Å"Whereas, Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or [burdens] or by civil incapacitations tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness. Clearly, the founders were aware of the eminent dangers that would follow creating an establishment of relig ion. Moreover, this statute was supported by James Madison, who is considered to be the author of the Constitution, and a group of Baptists that had been largely persecuted when there was an established religion. Furthermore, before the Constitution was ratified there was much debate over what type of government to have. â€Å"The Federalist Papers† were a series of essays defending the Constitution and a more powerful federal government than that of the Articles of Confederation.One of the main fears of the Federalists was the creation of factions. This meant groups, most likely political parties gaining control and causing a tyranny of the majority. Under the pseudonym â€Å"Publius† James Madison argued that even religious sects could become tyrannical when he wrote, â€Å"A religious sect may degenerate into a political faction in a part of the Confederacy; but the variety of sects dispersed over the entire face of it must secure the national councils against any danger from that source,† Obviously, this is an argument for a Union rather than a confederacy, but it clearly shows the founders fear of a national religion.They believed, like they had seen in the past that an established religion would be nothing more than a corrupt, political faction. Moreover, the most glaring, apparent proof that the founders did not want a national religion was when they were dealing with foreign nations. After the War for American Independence, the former colonies had to deal with the Barbary pirates themselves as they no longer had protection from England or France. Therefore a treaty was signed at Tripoli, in order to ensure peace and friendship between the two battling sides.This document was signed and ratified by President John Adams and was unanimously voted through by the Senate. Article 11 of the treaty states that, â€Å"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in its elf no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the part that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries. Even though this was a treaty it showed what the founders truly believed about the nation that they had created. Furthermore, according to Article VI section 2 of the Constitution all treaties made by Congress shall become the supreme law of the land. There is the idea that this article was merely added to please the Muslim nation, which is a valid point. However, because it was a treaty it became law after it was ratified by the Senate. Why would the founders make such a bold statement that would become the supreme law of the land if they did not really mean it?It is apparent that the founders were clearly stating, in this treaty, what the y had already considered to be true. The study of history is important because it allows people to learn from the mistakes and errors of those in the past. The founders were some of the most intelligent men that have ever walked this earth and were certainly scholars of history. Therefore, they saw the corruption and persecution that was brought upon by the establishments of national religions.In no way were the founders hostile towards Christianity, Judaism, Deism, or any other religious beliefs. If anything, when the arguments are analyzed the founders were trying to protect religions and peoples religious beliefs more than anything else. By not allowing the establishment of religion they ensured that, for example, Christianity would be handled by the different churches and denominations of that religion, and not by a unitary government figure.Through their actions, writings, and policies it was evidently clear that America was never meant to be a Christian nation. In order to mai ntain the principles of liberty, the founding fathers had to create a nation where religion could flourish without the flaws and corruptions that come with combining a source of power with religious belief. If they had not done this, history would have surely repeated itself and the corruption of the church and government would have been much greater.