The Use of Creatine in Sports Essay -- Athletics Steroids Drugs Sports

The Use of Creatine in Sports The first weeks of my senior season of football were the toughest times I had ever had in my life. We had two practices a day. We had one practice early in the morning, and one late in the afternoon. Physically, I wasn't at a level like most of my teammates. I felt like I couldn't do anything on the high school level; plus I was being thrown around like a rag doll. I needed something that would help me reach my potential. That's when I tried creatine. I started out taking small doses of creatine as an energy booster before practice, noticing that I wasn't getting tired and out of breath like I once was. I continued to use the supplement before I did any type of exercising activity, although I never exceeded the daily amount. I used the supplement for about three weeks, noticing muscle development and body fat loss all over my body. Gradually, I started reducing my dose each day until my supply was gone. In my short three weeks of taking creatine, I gained about 4-5 pounds of lean muscle. I was being noticed in practice and was getting more playing time in games. I was still unsure about what consequences I would have to face if I continued to use the substance. I needed to know more. Everything has a price; l wanted to figure out what mine could be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It's been called the drug that separates the great from the greatest. It has helped athletes all over the world reach their potential. Creatine is an all natural food and supplement drug that works like anabolic steroids without the side effects. It has the capability to help produce muscle mass, energy, and speed all in one pill. Over the past few years, creatine has become a controversial issue in the athletic world. A lot of research has been put into creatine although long-term effects are left unknown, leaving the controversial question of whether creatine should be legal or illegal. Being a former user of creatine showed me how I could maximize my potential athletic ability, although leaving me cynical about harm to my body. I wanted to know more specifically how it works on the chemical level and major side effects and precautions I should take if I were going to continue using the supplement. The only way for my to find the answers to my questions was with research. I began interviewing people who knew more about creatine while at the same time I began my own rese... ...arch 12, 1999 Bernards, Neal. War on Drugs. San Diego: Greenhaven Books, 1990. Creatine and Muscle Building. [Online] Available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.mayohealth.org/mayo/askdiet/na/get960901.htm, April 14, 1999. Creatine FAQ’s. [Online] Available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.nutrasense.com/nutrasense/creatine.html, March 13, 1999. Dreyfuss, Ira. [Online] Available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.nando.net/newsroom/aploth/1996/mor/feat/archive/091596/mar/75430.html, March 15, 1999. High Power Creatine. [Online] Available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.whole-salecreatine.com/1013/faq.htm Jalloh, Ali. Telephone interview. 27 April. 2000. Klein, Scott. Creatine. [Online] Available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://nimbus.ocis.temple.edu/~sklein/#ABOUT, May 6, 1998 London, David. Creatine Concerns in England. [Online] Available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/wc98/full/wc98.htm, April 5, 1999. Marks, Alexandra. â€Å"Schools Wrestle with ‘Bulk in a Bottle’†. The Christian Science Monitor. September 30, 1998. Mumby, Chris. Personal interview. 2 Mar. 1999. Potratz, Adam. Personal interview. 3 Mar. 1999. Sahelian, Ray. Creatine Nature’s Muscle Builder. [Online] Available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.raysahelian.com/creatine.html, March 12, 1999.

Mencius :: essays research papers

Mencius believes that it is our nature and mind that determine what we are. It is our fate that governs our fortunes and determines our lease on life. Fate was originally a patent to a fief-holder, given by the Son of Heaven as Heaven's deputy to a feudatory. In extended usage it became our lot in life - the fate ordained by heaven. While people guard their minds and determine their conduct, they cannot determine their fate, which is in Heaven's hands. So, Mencius believed that though all humans are innately good, the realization of that good comes with self-cultivation and self-knowledge. Hsun-tzu could not accept Mencius idealistic view of human nature, nor did he believe that Heaven was the sole arbiter of human behavior. He believed that the importance of humankind in the universe is equal to but different from the importance of Heaven and Earth: "Heaven has its seasons, Earth has its riches and man has his culture. This is what is meant by the Trinity." Humanity's fun ction is to utilize the resources of Heaven and Earth to create its own culture. This can be done through the strength acquired from social organization. However, because the social organization needs to be regulated, lest it break down, and because "desires are many, but things are few", Hsun-tzu taught that people need to be restricted and guided by rules and morality. In my view of these two philosophers, I feel that Mencius' views are much more common in most religious traditions today. Mencius beliefs are a lot like Christianity, which is the religion that I am most familiar with. He believes that Heaven is a moral force whose mandate is to be respected and followed by human beings. We follow Heaven's mandate by knowing and nourishing our human nature.

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 20

The New York Halls of Justice and House of Detention was a slablike stone structure that rose heavily from the street like an old tombstone. The interior was a portrait in gray, with grim-faced policemen and haggard criminals. And us. Vampires caught in a human system for a bloody crime we didn't commit. The twistedness of it all was remarkable, but it did nothing to alleviate our current situation. With our hands tied behind our backs, a young policeman marched Damon and me up several flights of worn wooden stairs and into the chief's office. He commanded a small square of the larger floor. Sketches of wanted men lined his walls, one man's eye struck through with a large nail. The chief himself was a grizzled veteran with a full black beard, except for where a smooth, diagonal scar cut through his skin. He looked at our rap sheet and let out a low whistle. â€Å"The whole Sutherland family? That'll be in the papers tonight.† I flinched at hearing such insensitivity coming from the lips of a normal human. What sort of monsters did he deal with that the death of an entire family was no more than a news item? â€Å"We didn't do it,† I said. â€Å"No, of course you didn't,† the chief said gruffly, running a finger along his scar. â€Å"No one who ends up here has ever done it. But the courts will get it sorted out, and everyone will get what they deserve.† We were unceremoniously dumped into a holding cell that was larger than the entire one-person jail back home, where Jeremiah Black spent many a night sleeping off his drunken stupor. I never expected to see the inside of a cell myself. â€Å"We didn't do it,† Damon whined, imitating me and shaking his head, as soon as the guard left. â€Å"Could you make us sound any more ridiculous?† â€Å"What, are you afraid of us coming off as sissies?† I asked. â€Å"Would you rather I just bared my fangs at him?† A rasping chuckle came from the corner of the cell, where another prisoner sat slumped against the wall. His hair receded from his forehead in a deep V and he had the arms of a dockworker. â€Å"Nice clothes,† he said with malicious growl, eyeing our formal suits and clean-shaven cheeks. â€Å"What are you in for, rich boys?† â€Å"Killing a family,† Damon answered without pause. â€Å"You?† â€Å"Beatin' in the heads of the likes of you,† he answered back just as quickly, cracking his knuckles. He took a swing at Damon, but my brother reached up and, with hands faster than the human eye, deflected the blow, and pushed the man against the wall with a loud crack. The giant didn't so much topple as just crumple straight down, falling into an unconscious puddle around his own feet. None of the officers came running, and I wondered if fighting in the cells was an ordinary occurrence. Damon sighed as he stepped around the man. He sat down on the floor in a moment of exhaustion that was almost human, almost like the old brother I used to know. â€Å"Why is it we always end up locked behind bars with each other?† â€Å"Well, at least this time you're not being starved,† I answered drily. â€Å"Nope. No chance in that,† Damon said. His eyes surveyed the police standing on the other side of our bars, taking in each person. Then he leaned his head up against the wall and gave the peeling paint a grudging sniff. â€Å"And I think there's more than a chance that there are a couple of rats in here for you, too.† I sighed, sliding down the wall and sitting next to him. I did not understand this new Damon. His shifts in mood were frightening. One moment he was the soulless vampire who killed without remorse, the next he was someone who seemed like my old childhood companion again. â€Å"What's the plan?† I asked. â€Å"You're looking at it,† he said, getting up and indicating the dead man at our feet. â€Å"Guard! Man down in here.† When the guard approached and saw the body on the ground he seemed annoyed, but not surprised. The guard didn't lean too close – he had survived long enough to know not to. But it was close enough. Damon flared his eyes. â€Å"Forget we were ever here. Forget what we look like. Forget who brought us in, our names, and everything about us.† â€Å"Who's us?† the guard asked, hypnotized but slow on the uptake. â€Å"The man I came in with,† Damon snapped, pointing at me. The guard nodded faintly. â€Å"Forget everything about us. And then – send over the other guard, all right?† The guard wandered back to his post, somewhat dizzily at first, then cocked his head as if he had just remembered something. He went to one of the guards on patrol and pointed at the jail cell. Not at Damon, through Damon. It was like Damon didn't exist anymore in his reality. â€Å"One down,† Damon muttered. He looked tense. Again I wondered how many people he really could control at once. The second guard approached. He had a scar across his face that twisted one eye shut, and he smacked his billy club as he walked. But before Damon could compel him, he said the absolute last thing we expected. â€Å"Your lawyer is here.† I looked at my brother. He looked back at me in equal surprise. He raised an eyebrow as if to say: Did you arrange this somehow? I very slightly shook my head. Damon straightened his shoulders as a clang sounded and the door to the stockade opened. The smell of rotten eggs and death filled the room as another man walked in – the lawyer. He was huge. Larger than the prisoner Damon had knocked out, with long arms and a huge chest. His hands were monstrous, with stubby fingers that gripped a leather portfolio. He came into the room slowly, with the careful tread of someone or something too large and dangerous for its surroundings, like the pace of a panther around its tiny circus cage. His clothing was of a foreign cut, comfortable, rich linen and silk that allowed his massive body to move easily beneath its folds. And his eyes†¦ They were small and blue, but not the clear blue of my brother's. They were mottled, milky almost, and too ancient for the rest of his body, moving quickly but incorrectly, like a bird's or a lizard's gaze, but with a powerful intelligence behind it. This man was not human. He didn't feel like a vampire, not exactly. But there was something just below his surface waiting for a chance to explode. The Power radiating from him was greater than anything I had experienced. And my instincts told me that even though he had come under the auspices of being our lawyer, this man was not here to help us. He surveyed us in the jail cell and smiled slightly. â€Å"You may go,† he said to the guard behind him. His voice didn't even rise, but quietly reverberated in a way that carried to the far end of the empty holding cells. And yet they went. Quickly, and with something like relief on their faces. We were left alone with this beast. â€Å"Good evening, gentlemen,† he said, smiling in a way that made me sick. â€Å"Who are you?† Damon asked, clearly trying to sound bored. But I could hear the fear in his voice. â€Å"Who am I?† the man repeated in a heavy accent. â€Å"Does it help to know the name of the one who will kill you? It didn't seem any comfort to your wives.† The words fell like stones to the floor, heavy and final. The man casually put a giant hand up to rest on a bar. â€Å"You killed the Sutherlands,† I whispered. â€Å"Yes.† He smiled and pursed his lips. â€Å"It was fun.† â€Å"You tore them apart like paper dolls,† I said, even though I knew he could tear me apart, too, could scatter my limbs like the petals that had lined my wedding altar. â€Å"You†¦ broke them.† â€Å"Young vampire, you must know the hunger of the beast,† he said with a smile that wasn't at all amused. â€Å"There are other hungers, for other things, that once awoken cannot rest until they are satisfied.† The whites of the man's eyes glowed red, and there was a hush in the air, like great Power was being summoned. I could practically smell the fear coiling off Damon in large strips. But I began to grow angry. Rage boiled in my stomach and shot out through my body. This man had butchered an innocent family and enjoyed it. This was what my new life as a vampire meant – layers and layers of evil, and even more horror and destruction, just when I felt I had reached the very bottom. â€Å"Why?† I demanded, coming forward as far as the bars would let me. â€Å"What did they ever do to you?† â€Å"Why?† the beast asked. He leaned forward, mocking my bravado. As he neared, mere centimeters from my face, a sickening stench of old blood and decay swept over me. It was like a thousand years of death and dismemberment followed him around, a trophy from each corpse he was responsible for. â€Å"Recompense.† He said each syllable carefully. â€Å"Recompense?† I echoed. He bared his teeth. â€Å"Yes, recompense. For taking Katherine. And destroying any chance to break the curse.† Katherine? What did she have to do with all of this, with this abomination in front of us? With the Sutherlands? And what curse? I looked over at Damon. She had always shared more details of her life, of being a vampire, with him. But my brother was wide-eyed and gaping like a fish, even more stunned by hearing her name than I was. I thought about the blissful, ignorant weeks I spent as her slave and lover, never imagining that she would lead me straight into hell. The man backed up a few steps, including Damon in his foul stare. â€Å"Yes, you understand now,† he said, nodding. But we didn't. â€Å"I – † Damon began to speak. â€Å"SILENCE!† the man roared. Suddenly he was pressed up against the bars, a blackened fingernail inches from Damon's throat. â€Å"Do you dare deny it?† With a chilling deliberateness, he pushed an iron bar aside like it was a curtain. The metal screamed in agony. In a flash of darkness he had stepped through, and wrapped a giant hand around each of our throats. â€Å"You took Katherine. I take your new life from you. An eye for an eye, as you people are fond of saying. Right?† â€Å"I†¦ don't know what you're talking about,† I said, choking. The monster threw back his head and laughed. â€Å"Of course you don't.† He snapped his head back, suddenly fixing me with his eyes and a sneer on his lips. He didn't believe me. â€Å"Katherine never mentioned Klaus?† Even after her death, Katherine continued to haunt us. I looked over at Damon. There was a pained, heartbroken look on his face. It was gone in an instant, but for that one moment I thought I saw through to my old brother. He was shocked by the fact that Katherine, the love of his life, had been involved with a creature as heartless as the one that stood before us. I felt for him. Unbidden, half a dozen images of Katherine came to my mind. Her amber eyes that commanded attention. Her long black hair hanging in waves around her neck, as if she had just done something that might have disheveled it. Her tiny waist and mischievous smile. She had been irresistible. And Damon and I weren't the only ones to have felt her pull. The man tightened his grip on my throat, and I could hear the groaning of vertebrae. In a moment we would be on the floor, our necks snapped as easily as that of the prisoner Damon had killed. Then suddenly I was free. Damon fell to the ground beside me, also released from the stony grip that held him. From outside the cell, the monster smiled viciously. â€Å"I will see you two later,† he promised. And then, almost as an afterthought, he used a delicate finger to push the jail bars back into place. â€Å"And remember, I am always watching.†

Race and Your Community Essay

My community is very diverse. On the left side of my house you will find a young, white on white, married couple and to my left the opposite is true; you will find an older, black on black, married couple. If you walk down my street you will find a wide range of colors and ages any of which may be married or single, in an interracial relationship or of the same race. The feeling tends to be live and let live, or so I thought until I actually spoke with some of my friends that are either of color or are in interracial relationships. What I found was shocking to me and that is that racism is very much alive in my community. I am a white female and I am 35 years old and I am married to a white man that is 30 years old. I have three children from a previous marriage and they are also white. Because the media tends to be geared toward people of white skin I would have to say that they represent people like me. Our local news station consists of two Hispanic news anchors and the rest of the journalists are primarily white, but I do know of one black gentleman. Every where you go in my community the two races that you see represented are whites and Hispanics. I’m not sure what the thinking is concerning the lack of recognition for the other races, but it does bother me that it is so very obvious in its exclusion of others. I am assuming that these decisions are made by leaders within the community, but who they might be I am not sure. I really don’t have much to do with â€Å"leaders† in my community outside of my Pastors and their view is very much the same as mine and that is that people are people and God made us all to be equal. My Pastor has a daughter that is mix and maybe this is one reason he is so open to all races and people. The one thing that you will notice when you walk into my church is that it looks like a racial rainbow. There are a great many races and ethnic groups represented and it is a great place to be. You have pretty much every kind of interracial marriage that you can put together with the races represented and out of this you have some pretty awesome children. I have the honor of working with the little ones and I think that it is so cool that they are growing up in a world that is so open and colorful. At least this is what I thought before I actually spoke with some of the adults about their daily lives as a person of color or in a mixed marriage with mixed children. I spoke with one woman named Roni; I have known this woman for 8 years and what I found out I will have to say was a shock to me. I was telling her some things that I was learning in this class and asked her what she thought about racism and if she experienced any form of it. I have to tell you that I honestly did not expect her to yes. Well, she did and she went on to tell me how when her oldest son was in Kindergarten she was at the Principals office on numerous occasions because of how her son was being treated. He even came home singing a song once that was slanderous towards black people. Obviously her son didn’t know what he was singing but she did and it grieved and angered her. Roni is a Hispanic woman that is married to a black man so keep this in mind when picturing her in the office of a white principal discussing racially slanderous songs that her son was taught in his class. I had such a hard time even empathizing with her. As a white woman I do not even think I have ever been a situation remotely like this. Needless to say she had to be very careful how she worded things to make the principal take responsibility for what was going on in the school. She went on to tell me many other stories of how her children were mistreated in class because of their skin color and how people look at them and stereotype them because they are not white. I would love to tell you that this was the only example of racism but I would not be telling you the truth. My best friend is a white woman in her mid-twenties and she is married to a black man and they have 4 children together. Her kids call me Aunt ShaSha. I was there when these children were born and I love them dearly. I see them as children and it never occurred to me that others may see them as anything else. Well, as I mentioned before I do not have any issues within the community. Everyone is friendly and helpful and I am usually welcomed with a smile, well if I am dressed nice but that is another paper, so imagine my shock when I took her children out to the grocery store and people actually treated my differently because I had mixed children with me. This was not the first time I had been in public with the children but it was the first time that I was out with them alone and to my dismay people actually looked down their noses to me and for the first time I realized what it must feel like to be a woman living in an interracial world. At first I thought maybe I was just having an off day so I talked to Alanna (the children’s mother) about it and she confirmed that she is treated like this on a regular basis. She went on to tell me a story about being at the doctor’s office and how the doctor was ugly to her and her son and even went so far as to refuse to treat her son. She complained to the department head and the issue was resolved, but she assured me this was not the only incident concerning racism. There is a section of my community where the racism is in reverse; it is blacks being racist towards whites. I honestly couldn’t figure it out and I was upset about it as well. In my ignorance I was upset about them always complaining about the slave days and how their ancestors were mistreated and so on and so forth. I wanted to shout to them to let it go and move on and to look around because those days were over and not everyone is racist anymore. Well, through this class I have learned so much about them and what has transpired over the last 100 years and have come to realize that it really hasn’t been long enough for the younger generations to separate it in their thinking yet and that they are upset for many reasons but one valid reason is that they have never been apologized to for the travesty they had to endure at the hands of greedy and self-serving people. I am so thankful for this class because it has afforded me the opportunity to get shocked out of my little bubble and to really get to know my brothers and sisters and some of what they go through on a daily basis. I think that my community does a good job at representing minority group interests. Our schools have ESL programs in place and there is a community health clinic that runs off of a sliding scale for those that cannot afford medical insurance. There’s child care provided at no cost by the government. I don’t mention these things to portray that all minority groups are poor, but the numbers show that there is a poverty issue among some minority groups and so I am thankful that these services are provided. I am one such person that cannot afford medical insurance at this time so I am grateful for these services. I honestly don’t know what other services need to be implemented but you can be sure that I will be talking to more people and finding out. I feel so liberated! I find myself wanting to stop people and ask them what their experiences are and how it affects them and what they would change and why. I am just not sure how people will receive those kinds of questions from a 115 pound, white woman. I think that if there was one area that I could change it would be advertising because I honestly do not believe that America is represented by the people that model for these pictures or advertisements. I would love to use people of color. Not just black or Hispanic, but the real color of America, at least in my community, is mix. It is Philippine and white or Puerto Rican and Black, but it is definitely colorful and diverse. I love my community. I know that it is not perfect but no community is or will ever be, but what my community has is a huge mix of people who the majority of love one another or at least accept everyone. Through this thinking I would have to say that we are the same. There are the ones that still have some growing to do, but progress is being made and through education and time more progress will be made.

Economy Oil and gas Essay

Qatar occupies a small peninsula that extends in to the gulf from the east side of the Arabian Penisula countries bordering it are Saudi Arabia to the west and the United Arab Emirates to the south it’s located in the Middle East and borders Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia. Its population is approximately 907,229 with a population growth of 2. 4 %. The birth rate is 15. 6/1000 and has an infant mortality of 17. 5/1000. The life expectancy is 74. 1 and the population density per square meter is 214. Males from 0-14 years and 15-64 years are more than females and generally males are more than females. The death rate is currently 4. 82/1000. The total fertility rate is 2. 75 children per woman. Life expectancy is 76 years for women and 71 years for men. The population is under threat as women are marrying later in life and the abortion rates are increasing The official language in Qatar is Arabic and English is the second common language. The highest percentage of its population is Arab that forms approximately 40% the Pakistan and Indians constitute each 18% of the total population while Iranian and other races form 24%. 95% of its citizens are Muslim. Qatar’s total area is 11,437 km2 all of which is on land. The climate is arid mild and has pleasant winters but very hot and humid summers. The terrain is mostly flat and barren desert that is covered with loose Island and gravel. The natural resources in this state are petroleum and natural gas. Qatar territories include a number of islands and the most renowned Island is Hawar Island. Halul is the export terminal for the offshore oil fields. (http://www. infoplease. com/ce6/world/A0840678. html) It consists of flat rocky surfaces but has some hills and sand dunes, which reach an altitude of 40m above the sea level, in the western and northern parts. It has a rainwater-draining basis in the North and Central areas. The climate is a desert one with hot summers and mild winter. Coral reefs along the ports and shallow waters make navigation difficult especially on those areas where channels have not been dredged. Long summers from June through September have intense heat and alternating dryness and humidity with temperatures exceeding 55 degrees centigrade. From November through May there are moderate temperatures. Winter temperatures can fall to 17 degrees centigrade. The country receives very little rainfall that fills small ravines and the dry wadis. Water is saline and hence unsuitable for drinking or for irrigation purposes due to the high mineral content. Desalination of seawater is a common practice in Qatar. Through desalination In the North West there are jagged limestone outcroppings that rise over 40 meters high. To the South, impressive sand dunes rise up to 60 meters. Other notable features include coastal salt pans that are elevated by limestone formations along the west coast where Durkhan Oil fields and massive sand dunes surrounding Khor al Udaid which is an inlet of the gulf in the South East known as inland sea. Halul, the most important island, lies about 90 kilometers east of Doha and it serves as a storage area and as a loading terminal for oil from surrounding offshore fields. Qatar is limestone and dolomite peninsula of both flat and rocky surfaces and extreme desert conditions. The coasts are generally low with marine terraces and Sabkhas in several places. The sand dunes have moved progressively southwards due to the effect of the prevailing winds. Major Sand dunes are situated in the south eastern parts while limestones are to the western and northern parts of the country. Most land is quiet, uncultivated and scenically beautiful. It contains geographical features that are peculiar to the western side of the Arabian Gulf. There are the rainwater draining basin to the north and central parts which are considered the most fertile and attract heavy agricultural investment. Khor al-Udaid is a deep inlet from the sea on the south east coast. It is a ‘water sanctuary’ and fishing for commercial purposes is banned. It is a sea bay that harbors sea animals like sea turtles, water fowls, and sea birds. It is also an important breeding ground for dolphins. Flamingos also gather there during winter. It also has ponds like the Umm-Said sewage pond and Salwa road ponds. Al-Aliyah Island is also an important feature. It is located 13kilometers to the north east of the capital, Doha. It consist weathered limestone rocks and has uneven patches of salt tolerant bushes. It is an abode of shore birds, gulls, and* Al-Dhakita mangrove located 7 km north Al Khor consist of a group salt water bays. With dense mangrove growth with broad mud flats and salt marshy vegetation. It has valuable fish and shrimp stocks and is important destination for wintering birds and water ducks and flamingoes. Sabkha refers to flat saline areas of sand or silt lying above the water table and often containing soft nodules and veins of gypsum and a hydrite that was deposited over a long time by the action of wind blown sand. They have a crust of halite and gypsum. Caves or dulus are also widespread in Qatar. Ground water and rainwater reaction with soft surface and subsurface dissolves in limestone and gypsum creating cavities and the ceilings may collapse exposing the interior. It contains ten substantial caves although most have collapsed to form depressions and dolines of the northern Qatar. Sand dunes are also prominent features in Qatar. They have a crescent shape as the wind ward face is ripped off by the wind action. The leeward side collapses under the driving wind. Qatar has an interesting plateau of tertiary limestone standing out in the desert about 20meters high. This is between Dukhan through Umm Bab towards the Saudi Arabian border. Low hills are mushroom shaped due to erosion of underlying softer rocks. Gypsum crystals are also common. They are found south of Umm Said and are formed when high tides bring sea water into Sabkha. As the water evaporates, it forms gypsum crystals that appear as low crystalline forms. To the western side Geodes are found. Natural hazards that are dominant here are haze dust storms and the common sand storms. Most of its population is literate and the illiteracy levels are very minimal. Political system The government type of Qatar is emirate. The capital city is Doha. There are 10 municipalities that include. Al Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumaliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan, Al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Said and Umm Salal. The 3rdSeptember is the national holiday when people commemorate their independence. The capita city Doha is located on the central East Coast and it’s major functions are administrative, commercial and it is a population center. It is located on a harbour. Other ports include Umm Said Al Khor and Al Wakrah, Umm Said and Doha handle commercial shipping . The legal system is based on Islamic and civil law codes and the Amir controls the discretionary system of law. However civil codes are being implemented. The Islamic law dominates family and personal matters. Amir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani has been the chief of the state since 27th June 1995 after a bloodless coup. His father was not able to handle the country’s economic reforms. Since it is a monarchial government the father did not lose his title as much power was already in his sons. Crown prince Jassim did not want to be king and he abdicated in favor of his younger brother. He rose to power after outdoing his father Amir Khalifa. The government is constitutional monarchy and the president’s fourth son Tamin bin Hamad is the selected heir. Amir Hamad was the Armed forces commander and defense minister when he seized power from his father who was out of the country. He retains that title to date. He survived an attempted coup in 1996. He had also taken his father t court on alleged state fund misappropriation. However this matter was solved outside the court. Amir Hamad Khalifa father had deposed his cousin Emir Al-Thani family continued to hold power after independence in 1971. Government departments are responsible for ensuring economic and social progress. The emir’s leadership is influenced by consultation’s consensus and personal appeal. He is not accountable to anyone and he cannot violate the Islamic laws sharia. In per taking his functions he must seek the opinion of the leading notable and religious leaders. Expatriate and residents are excluded from elections. The role of municipal council is not executive but offering advice to the minister. . The prime minister is Hamad bin Jasim bin Jabir al-Thani since April 3rd 2007. His deputy is Abdullah bin Hamad al-Atiyah. He replaced Abdullah bin Khalifa who resigned April 2007. The cabinet comprises of council of ministers all of which are appointed by the monarchy. Elections are rarely done since the system of ruling is monarchial. However in April 2003 it held nationwide election for a 29-member central municipal council (CMC). The CMC has consultative powers geared to improving the efficiency in provision of municipal service. The advisory council or Maljis al-shura has 35 members who are appointed by the monarchy. Council members have their terms extended after every four years. However since the establishment of a new constitution in 2005, 10 more positions were to be introduced and the public had a chance to elect 2/3 of the seats while Amir the president appoints the other 1/3. Introduction of the first constitution would guarantee freedom expression assembly and religion and increment of parliament seats. Elections are to be conducted late this year. Amir appoints all judges based on recommendations of supreme judiciary council. The branches of the judiciary are courts of first instance appeal and cassation. Since it’s a monarchial government there are no political leaders or parties and political pressure groups. Women were allowed to vote for the first time in 1999 and municipal consisted of 29 members. Democracy is being incorporated ever since Amir brought liberal changes in to the economy. Economy Oil and gas are the dominant trade goods. They both account for more than 60% of the countries GDP. They also contribute to a tune of 85% of the country’s export earnings and 70% of the government’s revenue. They are the reasons the country is one of the world fastest growing countries. They have seen it’s per capital rise to equal that of European Union. Due to sustained high oil prices the country is able to build its budget trade surpluses and foreign reserves. The oil reserves in this country are more than 15 billion barrels and they can sustain continued surplus for more than 20 years. Natural gas reserves are also abundant. They exceed 25 trillion cubic meters, which is more than 5% of the word total and 3rd largest in the world. The country is undertaking measures to develop its gas field in ensuring that the country becomes the world’s top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter. Foreign investment is also being encouraged so that non- energy projects can be improved by liberalizing the economy further. The country’s GDP real growth rate in 2006 was 7. 1% and the per capita GDP was $29,800. Composition of the GDP is mainly industry, which is 75. 8%, and service sector, which is 24. 1%. The unemployment rate was 3. 2% in 2006 and the inflation rate was 11. 8%. The major trading partners with Qatar are Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, France, U. S, Saudi Arabia, united Arabs emirates, Germany and UK. Major imports are machinery and transport equipments manufactured goods, food and live animals. Japan receives the largest proportion of Qatar exports. Other important trading partners include South Korea and France. The service sector accounts for approximately a ? of the total GDP and creates employment for the Qatar people. The government is promoting the tourism sector in an effort to trying to make it match other industries in the economy. Qatar is the richest country in the Islam-dominated countries rising global demand for oil ensure increase prices of oil and this leads to increase economic growth. The economy of this country is not diversified it depends so much on oil and gas. Qatar’s industrial plants are located in Umm Said. There is a fertilizer plant for urea and ammonia a steel plant and a petrochemical plant. These industries use gas as their source of energy ands they are owned by state or European and Japanese firms. http://www. nationsencyclopedia. com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Qatar. html To control the influx of expatriate workers Qatar is tightening the administration of its foreign manpower programs. Foreign educated Qatar’s are returning back home to develop their home country. Development of other industries will enable the economy to withstand future possible negative oil shocks. Real economic growth had slowed down in 2002 after OPEC enforced oil output cuts. The gas industry was however not affected. Private investment is encouraged to ensure that the country’s economic growth does not decline with changes in the market. Steel industries have been making profits for the past 10 years, non-oil sectors in Qatar are building and construction, real estate communication, agriculture, fishing water and electricity and banking. The state provides incentives to foreign investors, which include security loans from Qatar Industrial bank QIB eliminates quantitative quotas on imports no income tax on salaries of expatriates no export duties and no taxes on corporate profit for pre determined periods. The country has a comparatively high public sector external debt. Debt has been incurred to finance LNG and other industrial products. The GDP is raising and thus the ratio of public external debt to GDP is declining. http://www. nationsencyclopedia. com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Qatar. html The economic challenge that the country faces is to maintain global competitiveness. There is need to improve on the macro-economic management and the public sector institutions. Absorption of new technologies ought to be done at a faster rate. This translates to more revenues being redirected in imports over reliance on one industry is an issue that needs to be addressed. Diversifying the economy is a safe approach of ensuring toast hock ups in oil industry will not adversely affect the countries economy. Investment in quality education will also be a wise approach of addressing the country’s issue. It will reduce the number of foreign employees in the country by substituting them with the locals. Leadership or quality of government also ought to be changed. Democracy will go along way in maintaining economic stability in the long run. The monarchial system needs to be reformed. Levels of unemployment ought to be completely eradicated investing heavily in human capita and education city project sponsored by the Qatar foundation has seen worlds top universities and research centers to the country. Qatar joined other emirates of the Tricia coast in forming the United Arab Emirates but together with Bahrain they disagreed about the merger but instead formed independent nations. (Crystal Jill,1995) A border dispute with Saudi Arabia was settled in 1992 although the dispute with Bahrain remains unsolved. It signed a defense pact with the US and it became the third country in the Gulf to do so. It is home of the immensely popular but controversial Arabic Satellite Television Network Al Jazeera. Contraversial because it is accused of not being free and fair in its broadcasts. Al Jazeera is not only popular in the Arab world but also globally. It was the only channel allowed to operate from Afghanistan and the first to air Osama bin Laden’s statement in October 2001. It favors those who are its allies and does not criticize or air anything negative about its own Government. (El-Nawawy et al, 2002) Pollution from oil and gas industries has negative impact on the diversity of species. It is an issue that ought to be addressed. Qatar is surrounded by sea on three sides and its territorial waters encompass 35,000 square kilometers. Marine life has to adapt to the harsh conditions of salty water and soaring temperatures.

An Outline for the Education in Kuwait Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

An Outline for the Education in Kuwait - Essay Example Secondly, it is more or less sure that the author of this paper was a second language speaker of English. This is because the word choice, the syntax as well as the run-on sentences need to be edited or revised by an editor to avoid any misunderstanding or confusion while reading the article. Reviewing by Each Chapter The first chapter of this paper focused on the background as well as the structure of the essay with the background concentrating on the team from Singapore and the timeline on which the team worked on. The main research question of the diagnostic study was hidden on page 6 as part of the ‘structure of the paper’. Proper writing procedures require that both the purpose of the study as well as the research questions be explicit to the reader and be stated clearly in the introduction section for better guidance. In chapter two, the researchers stated the outcomes as outlined in the document of Kuwait’s vision 2023. The target of the desired outcomes wa s clustered around the making of a complete ‘human’ product. Nevertheless, the seven desired outcomes were general, vague and the explanation of each outcome was shallow and limited to social aspects. Moreover, the researchers did not explain the rationale for stating those seven outcomes within the framework and scope of the study. The desired outcomes failed to have a properly framed link to the labour market and the economic side of the country. The seven outcomes did not state anything about decision-making, critical thinking and creativity, which are fundamental elements in a human product. The third chapter talked about the core pillars that support the education system and the conceptual framework of the diagnostic study within the country. The researchers needed to explain the objects for the eight pillars as the basis for supporting the education system. The team needed to explain the objects that made them choose each pillar with a cohesive definition as used within the study. In the pillars, the researchers failed to place performance management systems under the human resource policies as applied within Kuwait. Furthermore, the curriculum pillar as used on the fourteenth page did not have a clear definition and a teacher as was elaborated and explained in detail on pages 15 to 18 short compared it to the education. Conventional writing has it that the reader needs to know the theories behind the conceptual framework as used in any study. The conceptual framework should lay down assumptions,  principles and  rules, and then bind them together to produce a broad  concept, which is easily understandable by all readers. Due to the short explanation in the conceptual framework part, the whole essay from the study appears quite unclear. This chapter, therefore, requires to be holistically revised in order to make it the guidance and the lens to the entire essay. Even if this study was about diagnosing the system, the reader needs to co mprehend the rules behind using a quantitative and qualitative method, which are not clear as from the study. An analysis of the fourth chapter uses 2400 participants, which does not specify whether this figure was a sum to all the students, parents, teachers as well as the principle. The study needed to have a tabulation of the different categories of participants as well as give a clear picture of the all the participants.     Ã‚  

Patton Lessons in Leadership by Alan Axelrod Essay

Patton Lessons in Leadership by Alan Axelrod - Essay Example The main focus of the said work is the collection of the knowledge and the lessons brought about by George S. Patton, one of the most successful military general in the US. The most significant of the said concepts is the application suggestions to the corporate America even in the absence of war (Axelrod, 2001). The ideas of George S. Patton can be considered innovative but unconventional for his time. Although this is the case, upon the study of the published work, a significant affirmation regarding the feasibility of the ideas can be considered as the driving force for the popularity of the presented concepts and ideas. The views of Patton covered an extensive variety of experiences he related to leadership in any form, specifically the needs of the present era (Axelrod, 2001). One of the most evident attributes of Patton is his confidence to execute his decisions and views, a character that can be considered to have an important role in his capability to achieve goals, act upon what he planned and motivate his people. When one observes a leader such as Patton, at some point, following his goals and views can be inevitable. This can be attributed to his achievements during his leadership. The different concepts in leadership based on Patton can be related to the leadership image, communication in the organization, setting up of priorities, teamwork, performance, loyalty and achievement. The ideas presented in the published work mainly revolve in the corresponding applications of the concepts and methods Patton applied in military leadership during the war and the needs of the corporate world in terms of leadership. One of the ideas is projected in the development and upholding of the image of the leader. According to Patton, to be able to achieve success as a leader, the image for the people to follow is one of the most important factors.