Lost Sales Forecast

TERM- PAPER Lost Sales Forecast Table of Contents Introduction3 Carlson Department Store Sales data for September 1992 through August 19964 Countywide Department Stores Sales data for September 1992 through August 19965 Choosing the appropriate forecasting method6 Trend and Seasonal Components in Forecasting7 An estimate of lost sales for the Carlson Department Store10 Conclusion10 Introduction The Carlson Department Store suffered heavy damage when a hurricane struck on August 31, 1996. The store was closed for four months (September 1996 through December 1996) causing our sales drop to $0.The task of this report is to analyze sales in our department store in past 48 months and develop estimates of the lost sales at the Carlson Department Store for the months of September through December 1996. The Carlson Department Store is involved in a dispute with insurance company concerning the amount of lost sales during the time the store was closed. Two key issues must be resolved: 1) The amount of sales Carlson would have made if the hurricane had not struck, and 2) Whether Carlson is entitled to any compensation for excess sales from increased business activity after the storm.More than $8 billion in federal disaster relief and insurance money came into the county, resulting in increased sales at department stores and numerous other businesses. Carlson Department Store Sales data for September 1992 through August 1996 Certain conditions should be met by any good forecast. A good forecast should usually be based on adequate knowledge of the relevant past. With our company – The Carlson Department Store – we have the sales data for the 48 months preceding the storm available. This amount of historical data fulfills the requirement for the volume of relevant data.Table  1 shows the sales data for the Carlson Department Store for the months of September 1992 through August 1996. Table 1: Sales for Carlson Department Store [mil. $] |Month |1992 |1993 |19 94 |1995 |1996 | |February | |1. 80 |1. 89 |1. 99 |2. 28 | |March | |2. 03 |2. 02 |2. 42 |2. 69 | |April | |1. 99 |2. 23 |2. 45 |2. 48 | |May | |2. 32 |2. 39 |2. 57 |2. 3 | |June | |2. 20 |2. 14 |2. 42 |2. 37 | |July | |2. 13 |2. 27 |2. 40 |2. 31 | |August | |2. 43 |2. 21 |2. 50 |2. 23 | |September |1. 71 |1. 90 |1. 89 |2. 09 | | |October |1. 90 |2. 13 |2. 29 |2. 54 | | |November |2. 74 |2. 56 |2. 83 |2. 97 | | |December |4. 20 |4. 16 |4. 04 |4. 5 | | Series of numbers is often difficult to interpret. Graphing the observations can be very helpful since the shape of a complicated series is more easily discerned from a picture. The data for Carlson Department Store, as can be seen in Graph 1, indicate some seasonal fluctuations. It can be seen that the sales in last quarter are higher than in the first 3 quarters of a year, with the highest volume of sales in December. [pic] Countywide Department Stores Sales data for September 1992 through August 1996 The data for all department stor es in the county are summarized in Table 2.Table 2: Department Store Sales for the county [mil. $] |Month |1992 |1993 |1994 |1995 |1996 | |February | |48. 0 |48. 6 |45. 6 |51. 6 | |March | |60. 0 |59. 4 |57. 6 |57. 6 | |April | |57. 6 |58. 2 |53. 4 |58. 2 | |May | |61. 8 |60. 6 |56. 4 |60. 0 | |June | |58. 2 |55. 2 |52. 8 |57. 0 | |July | |56. 4 |51. |54. 0 |57. 6 | |August | |63. 0 |58. 8 |60. 6 |61. 8 | |September |55. 8 |57. 6 |49. 8 |47. 4 |69. 0 | |October |56. 4 |53. 4 |54. 6 |54. 6 |75. 0 | |November |71. 4 |71. 4 |65. 4 |67. 8 |85. 2 | |December |117. 6 |114. 0 |102. 0 |100. 2 |121. 8 | Sales of all department stores in the county, as can be seen from Graph 2, show similar seasonal fluctuations as sales of Carlson Department Store. pic] From the above graph one can also observe that in past 3 years (years 1993-1995) the volume of sales in the month of September went down, and slowly went up again in October and November and usually reached its peak in December. The unusual b ehavior in September 1996 pulls our attention. For the first time in 4 years history we observe that the sales volume in September compared to August sales went up by 11. 7 % whereas in September 1993 they were down by 8. 6%, in September 1994 down by 15. 3%, and in September 1995 actually down by 21. 8%.The question is why such a change occurred? And the answer is that more than $8 billion in federal disaster relief and insurance money came into the county, which resulted in these increased sales at department stores. Choosing the appropriate forecasting method There are many different forecasting methods. One of the challenges we had to face was to choose the right technique. Smoothing methods are appropriate for a stable time series. When a time series consist of random fluctuations around a long-term trend line, a linear equation may be used to estimate the trend.When seasonal effects are present, seasonal indexes can be computed and used to deseasonalize the data and to develop forecasts. When both seasonal and long-term trend effects are present, which is also the case of Carlson Department Store as well as the case of all department stores in the county, a trend line is fitted to the deseasonalized data; the seasonal indexes are then used to adjust the trend projections. Trend and Seasonal Components in Forecasting The procedure of forecasting the sales for months September through December 1996 (had there been no hurricane) for The Carlson Department Store is summarized in Table 3.Table 3: Procedure of forecasting sales for Sep. -Dec. 1996 |   |   |Sales |12-month |Centered |Seasonal |Deseasonalized | | | | |Moving |Moving |Irregular |Sales | | | | |Average |Average |Value | | |1992 |Sept. |1. 71 |- |- |- |2. 09 | |   |Oct. |1. 90 |- |- |- |1. 95 | |   |Nov. |2. 74 |- |- |- |2. 35 | |   |Dec. |4. 20 |- |- |- |2. 41 | |1993 |Jan. 1. 45 |- |- |- |1. 46 | |   |Feb. |1. 80 |- |- |- |2. 13 | |   |Mar. |2. 03 |- |- |- |2. 09 | |   |Apr. |1. 9 9 |- |- |- |2. 05 | |   |May |2. 32 |- |- |- |2. 24 | |   |June |2. 20 |- |- |- |2. 37 | |   |July |2. 13 |- |- |- |2. 28 | |   |Aug. |2. 43 |- |- |- |2. 2 | |   |Sept. |1. 90 |2. 24 |- |- |2. 32 | |   |Oct. |2. 13 |2. 26 |2. 25 |0. 95 |2. 18 | |   |Nov. |2. 56 |2. 28 |2. 27 |1. 13 |2. 19 | |   |Dec. |4. 16 |2. 26 |2. 27 |1. 83 |2. 38 | |1994 |Jan. |2. 31 |2. 26 |2. 26 |1. 02 |2. 32 | |   |Feb. |1. 89 |2. 33 |2. 29 |0. 82 |2. 23 | |   |Mar. |2. 02 |2. 34 |2. 33 |0. 87 |2. 08 | |   |Apr. |2. 23 |2. 34 |2. 34 |0. 5 |2. 30 | |   |May |2. 39 |2. 36 |2. 35 |1. 02 |2. 31 | |   |June |2. 14 |2. 36 |2. 36 |0. 91 |2. 30 | |   |July |2. 27 |2. 36 |2. 36 |0. 96 |2. 43 | |   |Aug. |2. 21 |2. 37 |2. 36 |0. 94 |2. 38 | |   |Sept. |1. 89 |2. 35 |2. 36 |0. 80 |2. 31 | |   |Oct. |2. 29 |2. 35 |2. 35 |0. 97 |2. 34 | |   |Nov. |2. 83 |2. 36 |2. 36 |1. 20 |2. 42 | |   |Dec. 4. 04 |2. 39 |2. 37 |1. 70 |2. 31 | |1995 |Jan. |2. 31 |2. 38 |2. 38 |0. 97 |2. 32 | |   | Feb. |1. 99 |2. 38 |2. 38 |0. 84 |2. 35 | |   |Mar. |2. 42 |2. 38 |2. 38 |1. 02 |2. 49 | |   |Apr. |2. 45 |2. 42 |2. 40 |1. 02 |2. 52 | |   |May |2. 57 |2. 44 |2. 43 |1. 06 |2. 48 | |   |June |2. 42 |2. 45 |2. 44 |0. 99 |2. 60 | |   |July |2. 40 |2. 47 |2. 46 |0. 7 |2. 57 | |   |Aug. |2. 50 |2. 49 |2. 48 |1. 01 |2. 70 | |   |Sept. |2. 09 |2. 51 |2. 50 |0. 84 |2. 55 | |   |Oct. |2. 54 |2. 53 |2. 52 |1. 01 |2. 60 | |   |Nov. |2. 97 |2. 55 |2. 54 |1. 17 |2. 54 | |   |Dec. |4. 35 |2. 56 |2. 55 |1. 70 |2. 49 | |1996 |Jan. |2. 56 |2. 58 |2. 57 |1. 00 |2. 57 | |   |Feb. |2. 28 |2. 61 |2. 59 |0. 88 |2. 69 | |   |Mar. |2. 9 |2. 63 |2. 62 |1. 03 |2. 77 | |   |Apr. |2. 48 |2. 65 |2. 64 |0. 94 |2. 55 | |   |May |2. 73 |2. 65 |2. 65 |1. 03 |2. 64 | |   |June |2. 37 |2. 67 |2. 66 |0. 89 |2. 55 | |   |July |2. 31 |2. 66 |2. 67 |0. 87 |2. 47 | |   |Aug. |2. 23 |2. 66 |2. 66 |0. 84 |2. 40 | |   |Total |   |   |   |   |113. 72 | Columns 1 and 2 represent al l the years and months.Column 3 shows the monthly sales data of Carlson Department Store. The first step of the deseasonalizing process is to calculate the moving averages. We had to decide how many observations to use in the moving average. One selection method is to calculate the mean error and the mean squared error of the differences between the actual data and the forecast. The series with the smallest squared error would be preferred. The Management Scientist results for the Carlson Department Store show that the 12-month moving average gives the smallest squared error. The 12-month moving average values are shown in the Column 4.If the number of data points in a moving average calculation is an even number, we need to center the moving average values to correspond to a particular time period, as we did in the calculations in Column 5. By dividing each time series observation by the corresponding centered moving average value, we could identify the seasonal-irregular effect in the time series. Column 6 summarizes the resulting seasonal-irregular values for the entire time series. By dividing each time series observation by the corresponding seasonal index, we remove the effect of season from the time series.Deseasonalized sales data are shown in Column 7 and a graph of the data (graph 3) is on the next page. The first step of the decomposition procedure has now been completed. The new series has eliminated the seasonality. The next step is to calculate the trend. The observation of the deseasonalized sales data of Carlson Department Store appears to indicate that a straight line would be most appropriate form of equation that would describe the trend. Graph 3: Deseasonalized sales data of Carlson Department Store [pic] Applying regression analysis we have arrived to this the linear trend equation: Tt = 2. 875 + 0. 0118t. The slope of 0. 0118 in the trend equation indicates that over past 4 years the Carlson Department Store has experienced an average gro wth in sales of about $0. 0118 per year. If we assume that the past 4-year trend in sales is a good indicator for the future, we can use the equation above to project the trend component of the time series. Substituting t = 49, 50, 51, and 52 into the equation we yield the deseasonalized sales of Carlson DS for September through December 1996. For September 1996 we get $2. 67 mil, for October 1996 $2. 68, November 1996 $2. 9 and for December 1996 $2. 70. In order to apply the seasonal effects we multiply these projected deseasonalized sales by the relevant seasonal indexes calculated in Table 4. Table 4: Seasonal Indexes |Month |Seasonal-Irregular Component Values |Seasonal | | | |Index | |Jan. |- |0. 63 |0. 64 |0. 65 |0. 69 |0. 65 | |Feb. |- |0. 78 |0. 80 |0. 81 |0. 87 |0. 82 | |March |- |1. 12 |1. 11 |1. 4 |1. 06 |1. 11 | |April |- |1. 00 |1. 01 |0. 99 |1. 02 |1. 01 | |May |- |1. 04 |1. 03 |1. 03 |1. 03 |1. 03 | |June |- |0. 99 |0. 97 |0. 97 |0. 98 |0. 98 | |July |- |0. 96 |0. 92 |0. 98 |0. 98 |0. 96 | |Aug. |- |1. 07 |1. 09 |1. 10 |1. 02 |1. 07 | |Sep. |- |0. 98 |0. 93 |0. 88 |1. 05 |0. 96 | |Oct. |- |0. 90 |0. 8 |0. 99 |1. 03 |0. 98 | |Nov. |1. 00 |1. 02 |1. 00 |1. 04 |1. 00 |1. 01 | |Dec. |1. 47 |1. 45 |1. 41 |1. 37 |- |1. 43 | An estimate of lost sales for the Carlson Department Store By multiplying the projected deseasonalized sales by the relevant seasonal indexes calculated in Table 4 we will arrive to the levels of sales for months September 1996 through December 1996 had there been no hurricane: September 1996 $2. 19 mil. October 1996$2. 62 mil November 1996 $3. 14 mil December 1996$4. 1 mil The above-described procedure for forecasting sales for Carlson Department Store can be applied to countywide department stores too. It would give following results: The estimated countywide department store sales had there been no hurricane (and no disaster relief money) for September 1996 is $46. 65 mil, for October 1996 $51. 22, for November 1996 $64. 4, and for December 1996 $99. 3. Comparing these figures to the actual sales of the countywide department stores one can see that the actual sales are over-valuated. I attribute this to the $8 billion of disaster relief money.Had the county department stores not received the disaster relief money they would probably continue their downward trend described by function Y = 63. 64 – 0. 13t. The slope of –0. 13 in the trend equation indicates that over past 4 years countywide department stores have experienced an average decline in sales of about $0. 13 per year. Conclusion The task of this report was to resolve two key issues. 1. Estimate the amount of sales Carlson would have made if the hurricane had not struck. We have come to a conclusion that the sales for September 1996 had there been no hurricane would be $2. 9 mil, in October 1996 it would be $2. 62 mil, in November 1996 it would be $3. 14 mil and in December 1996 it would be $4. 71 mil. 2. Find out whether Carlson is e ntitled to any compensation for excess sales from increased business activity after the storm. More than $8 billion in federal disaster relief and insurance money came into the county, resulting in increased sales at department stores and numerous other businesses. Based on our estimates we strongly believe that the countywide department stores would made much lower sales haven’t they received the relief money.Therefore we believe that our department store is entitled to compensation for excess sales from increased business activity after the hurricane and we will inquire the insurance company to cover our lost sales for months September through December 1996 in the amount of $12. 66 mil. †¢ Reference: †¢ Keat, P. G. , Young, K. Y. : Managerial Economics. Economic tools for today’s decision makers. 3rd edition. †¢ Anderson, D. R. , Sweeney, D. J. , Williams, T. A. : Quantitative Methods for Business. 8th edition. †¢ Barr, Richard. Southern Methodist University. â€Å"The Appeal of Network Models†. 1997. 5 Feb 1997.

Mobile Technology Essay

Mobile technology is the technology used for cellular communication. Mobile code division multiple access (CDMA) technology has evolved rapidly over the past few years. Since the start of this millennium, a standard mobile device has gone from being no more than a simple two-way pager to being a mobile phone, GPS navigation device, an embedded web browser and instant messaging client, and a handheld game console. Many experts argue that the future of computer technology rests in mobile computing with wireless networking. Mobile computing by way of tablet computers are becoming more popular. The most popular tablet at the moment is the iPad, by Apple. Tablets are available on the 3G and 4G networks. Contents 1 4G networking 2 Operating systems 3 Channel hogging and file sharing 4 Future of smartphone 5 External links 6 References 4G networking One of the most important features in the [4G] mobile networks is the domination of high-speed packet transmissions or burst traffic in the channels. The same codes used in the 2G-3G networks will be applied to future 4G mobile or wireless networks, the detection of very short bursts will be a serious problem due to their very poor partial correlation properties. Recent study has indicated that traditional multi-layer network architecture based on the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model may not be well suited for 4G mobile network, where transactions of short packets will be the major part of the traffic in the channels. As the packets from different mobiles carry completely different channel characteristics, the receiver should execute all necessary algorithms, such as channel estimation, interactions with all upper layers and so on, within a very short time to make the detections of each packet flawless and even to reduce the clutter of traffic. Operating systems Many types of mobile operating systems (OS) are available for smartphones, including: Android, BlackBerry OS, webOS, iOS, Symbian, Windows Mobile Professional (touch screen), Windows Mobile Standard (non-touch screen), and Bada. Among the most popular are the Apple iPhone, and the newest – Android. Android is a mobile operating system (OS) developed by Google. Android is the first completely open source mobile OS, meaning that it is free to any cell phone carrier. The Apple iPhone, which has several OSs like the 3G and 3G S, is the most popular smart phone at this time, because of its customizable OS which you can use to download applications (â€Å"apps†) made by Apple like games, GPS, Utilities, and other tools. Any user can also create their own Apps and publish them to Apple’s App Store. The Palm Pre using webOS has functionality over the Internet and can support Internet-based programming languages such as Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), HTML, and JavaScript. The Research In Motion (RIM) BlackBerry is a smartphone with a multimedia player and third-party software installation. The Windows Mobile Professional Smartphones (Pocket PC or Windows Mobile PDA) are like that of a personal digital assistant (PDA) and have touchscreen abilities. The Windows Mobile Standard does not have a touch screen but uses a trackball, touchpad, rockers, etc. The original smartphone OS is Symbian, with a rich history and the largest marketshare until 2011. Although no single Symbian device has sold as many units as the iPhone, Nokia and other manufacturers (currently including Sony Ericsson and Samsung, and previously Motorola) release a wide variety of Symbian models each year which gave Symbian the greatest marketshare. Channel hogging and file sharing There will be a hit to file sharing, the normal web surfer would want to look at a new web page every minute or so at 100 kbs a page loads quickly. Because of the changes to the security of wireless networks users will be unable to do huge file transfers because service providers want to reduce channel use. AT&T claimed that they would ban any of their users that they caught using peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing applications on their 3G network. It then became apparent that it would keep any of their users from using their iTunes programs. The users would then be forced to find a Wi-Fi hotspot to be able to download files. The limits of wireless networking will not be cured by 4G, as there are too many fundamental differences between wireless networking and other means of Internet access. If wireless vendors do not realize these differences and bandwidth limits, future wireless customers will find themselves disappointed and the market may suffer setback. Future of smartphone The next generation of smartphones are going to be context-aware, taking advantage of the growing availability of embedded physical sensors and data exchange abilities. One of the main features applying to this is that the phones will start keeping track of your personal data, but adapt to anticipate the information you will need based on your intentions. There will be all-new applications coming out with the new phones, one of which is an X-Ray device that reveals information about any location at which you point your phone. One thing companies are developing software to take advantage of more accurate location-sensing data. How they described it was as wanting to make the phone a virtual mouse able to click the real world. An example of this is where you can point the phone’s camera while having the live feed open and it will show text with the building and saving the location of the building for use in the future. Along with the future of a smart phone comes the future of another device. Omnitouch is a device in which applications can be viewed and used on your hand, arm, wall, desk, or any other everyday surface. The device uses a sensor touch interface, which enables the user to access all the functions through the use of finger touch. It was developed at Carnegie Mellon University. This device uses a projector and camera that is worn on the person’s shoulder, with no controls other than the user’s fingers. Acknowledgment I have taken efforts in this project. However, it would not have been possible without the kind support and help of many individuals and organizations. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of them. I am highly indebted to (Name of your Organization Guide) for their guidance and constant supervision as well as for providing necessary information regarding the project & also for their support in completing the project. I would like to express my gratitude towards my parents & member of (Organization Name)for their kind co-operation and encouragement which help me in completion of this project. I would like to express my special gratitude and thanks to industry persons for giving me such attention and time. My thanks and appreciations also go to my colleague in developing the project and people who have willingly helped me out with their abilities.

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Business law - Essay Example After its establishment, Enron had adopted along with executed certain unethical accounting techniques with the specific objective of hiding its liabilities and other loses during the growth of its stock price. During this time, various experts of the US already provided warning to the company about its increasing debt, but Enron avoided this and moved on to the development of its business by making substantial investments. The financial collapse of Enron was a lesson for the other business houses prevailing in the US1. With this concern, the assignment focused on broadly discussing the unethical accounting practices conducted by Enron that made the company to face bankruptcy. The various responsibilities of the account practitioners in the company have been revealed in order to verify whether they are liable for leading the company towards facing bankruptcy or not. The prime objective of this paper is to determine that the conduct of unethical accounting practices had eventually mad e financial collapse of Enron. Case Background Enron had made a rapid growth since its formation. By the year 2001, it became the seventh biggest natural gas and electrical company in the entire region of the US. The scandal of Enron can be noticed for the reason of its increased level of earning business reputation and gaining substantial profits. After several years, Jeffery Skilling, the new CEO of the company appointed numerous skilled executives who were capable of hiding outstanding amounts that to be presented in the financial statements by using the methods of poor financial accounting. The company filed for bankruptcy in the year 2001 after experiencing a long-run loss in its business. It has been viewed that an increment in the annual revenue of the company was only US$ 9 to US$ 10 during the period of 1995 to 2000. This represents the loss that suffered by the company while conducting its business. It can also be viewed that the stock price of the company had a drastic fa ll from $90 per share to $1 from the middle of the year 2000 and lasted up to 2001 which created a great loss for the shareholders. After this incident, Enron checked its financial statement for the last five years and came to realize a total loss of $586 million2. Due to this heavy loss, Enron filled bankruptcy on December 2, 2001. It can be apparently observed that several problems faced by the company and its shareholders after the bankruptcy. In this regard, most of the employees of Enron were accused with charges and had been imprisoned. Enron lost a huge figure of customers due to bankruptcy and also for a case which was running in the US Supreme Court. The court ordered to pay back the customers with partial return. Being unable to overcome all these losses and negative reputation, Enron failed to restore its previous position in the market where it operates. In relation to the case of Enron, it can be affirmed that there were several reasons for which the company had experie nced bankruptcy. One of the major causes was the practice of unethical accounting practices that prevailed within the company. In this similar concern, the company adopted certain unplanned measures of financial reporting in order to hide the

Causes of Juvenile Deliquency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Causes of Juvenile Deliquency - Essay Example In this essay, there are three important factors that are considered to explain the causes of juvenile delinquency which include the fast-paced globalization, poor family bonding and extreme case of peer influence. The fast-paced globalization offers many significant things to people, but it simply tries to distort reality. Embracing advancements in all areas of life have important benefits to mankind but this specifically resulted to having different lifestyles at present compared from the past. Young people before may have productive learning opportunity and a clear view of reality. For instance, this is most probably because of the absence of fast-speed broadband connection. Nowadays, young people may have the opportunity to connect to the internet anywhere at anytime because of the presence of advanced communication gadgets and connectivity. Having these cutting-edge technologies are integral components of globalization. However, on the other end, these would be able to fulfill t he young people’s desires, wants or needs in just an instant leading some of them to live highly unproductive lifestyle. For instance, watching pornographic materials and any programs with illicit sexual contents may fill their desires for sex at an early age and even consume their time that should have been given to highly productive activities in life. They can also generate various ideas from the advancement of technology, but on the other end it would either help or destroy their learning advantage and view of reality. Today, young people are just simply exposed to instant information that may either destroy or help them depending on how they acquire and use it. Poor family bonding is another reason why children may potentially grow as violent individuals. Family is the basic unit of the society and it is at home that a child’s character should be substantially developed or formed. Excellent parenting is necessary nowadays. This activity requires different componen ts or aspects and one of it is having quality time for family bonding. It is by doing this activity that children or juveniles will be guided by their various decisions or plans in life by their parents. They would also have the opportunity to feel within themselves that they have family that cares for their needs or other relevant essentials in life. As a result, they could build trust and confidence in themselves which would always give them the best opportunity for deciding the best things for their lives. In other words, poor family bonding simply leads a child to the other way around. In this case, a child may lack the right perspective of viewing the right things for their lives because in the first place they have not experienced the opportunity to look at the right perspectives in living. As a result, various street children in the world ended up in juvenile confinement as they engaged themselves in heinous crimes or violence when they grew up. Another important factor that contributes to juvenile delinquency is an extreme case of peer influence. This substantially happens if various needs of children or young adults are not satisfied at home. Their outlet would be their friends which is the usual case in wherever part of the world. Young people usually confide

Software Usability SLP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Software Usability SLP - Research Paper Example The homepage provides a brief description about the content of the main sections making it more user friendly to the customers. Each section is further divided in to subsections and different categories for convenience. Related links are also provided with the content of each section. A link is provided in the home page to the blog which was started in July 2009 and has several usability articles. Unlike a typical personal or commercial website, this blog is written by authors with sound professional background adding more value to the authenticity and accuracy of the article. Comments for the blog articles were also written or moderated carefully by the experts and beneficiaries in the field. Commercial advertisements such as Google ads are not run in the website following the usual practice of official websites. However site promotional announcements and RSS feeds are displayed right top corner of the homepage and other sections. The design, fonts and the colors used in the site are user friendly and comfortable. The site provides a range of specific and undiluted information on usability. However categorization seems to be lacked in this site. Most of the articles are written randomly without relating to existing articles. Although the search option is provided in the website, it is still confusing to find the needed information. If information in the main sections categorized under relevant topics and lessons (instead of random articles) are provided this will be more convenient for the target audience. Most of the articles provided in the site are short in length. Although they provide information on major topics directly, the users who visit an official government website expect more informative content than briefed information. Although the accuracy and the authenticity high number of articles as well as the length in the site is not adequate for a government official

Systems Security IT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Systems Security IT - Assignment Example Moreover, Trojan is operational by initiating an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) that waits for any action from the hacker who has full control over the botnet (Rapoza, 2008). Apart from IRC, hackers utilize root kits to compromise weak system with no updated security patches and have security loop holes that facilitate hacker’s objectives. As there are countless computers connected to the Internet, they use tools to capture and identify vulnerable systems and uses IP spoofing for (Spoofing.2011) manipulating the original IP addresses for gaining access in to the system. Furthermore, these compromised systems are from different geographical locations, it is difficult to identity suspicious traffic, as it represents different time zones. As botnets are considered as a major player in a Denial of Service attacks, it can be prevented by honey pots and bastion hosts that will identify suspicious broadcast at the initial level. As mentioned previously, that a zombie army initiates flooding and broadcasting attacks from various locations to the specific target. The characteristic of this attack encompasses threats from distributed source and is known as distributed denial of service attacks (DDoS). Computer network encyclopedia describes it, as the incorporation of hundreds or even thousands of computers that were previously compromised used for transmitting huge volume of unwanted traffic to the target. DDoS attacks are considered to be lethal in the world of Internet has imposes significant risks for businesses, governmental organizations, army networks etc. (Ghazali & Hassan, 2011) research on DDoS attacks has revealed vulnerabilities not only in the network architecture or infrastructure, but also in the protocol specifications along with Internet. Exhibit 1.1 demonstrates types of flooding DDoS attacks along with protocols: High rate flood attacks: This type of attack is achieved by traffic generation from many machines that may be in total of

My Ethical System and Its Justification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

My Ethical System and Its Justification - Essay Example Faith is good because it serves as an unseen yet strong force that compels me to reject evil and choose good. Prudence is good, because it helps me become wiser. Justice is good, because it brings harmony to society as it ensures fairness. When everything is fair, resentment and retaliation could hardly win, which results to peace and order, thus making people’s lives happy and contented. Compassion is good because it awakens our responsibility to care for others. An act that could also help others becomes better persons. The more this world has better persons, the better place this world will be. Humility is good because it frees me from guilt and makes me feel good. Self-control is good because it restrains me from my ill desires while realigns me to what I ought to be. Fortitude is good because it gives me the strength to stand for what is right, whatever the consequence. And hope is good because it keeps me does what is good even in darkest hours. ... My philosophy resembles that of Aristotle’s Nichomachean ethics, which belief is that man ought to live a virtuous life to achieve genuine happiness (Pakaluk 49). We similarly share this belief added to the fact that we both believe in the four cardinal virtues that define what is good. However, unlike Aristotle’s, I believe that added to the four cardinal virtues, which speaks for intellectual virtue, emotional virtue, volitional virtue, and social virtue, there is a need for spiritual virtue like faith – the strongest weapon man can hold onto. II. Justifying my ethical system My ethical system is grounded on my belief that man’s being – as being the master creation and the highest form of creation – must live a virtuous life. This is what differentiates man from animals; this is the way by which man can achieve the task to which his/her being rests – the steward of creation. In man lies the progress and doom of the world; in man lies the future of humanity. The world can only be a happy place to live in if man truly lives a virtuous life, because by living a virtuous life, as defined above, man is not only able to better his/her self, but is also giving others the opportunity to see the difference between good and evil. Thus they can have an enlightened choice. Moreover, it is only in living a virtuous life that man can bring harmony to society and to humanity, thereby achieving genuine happiness in life. It is no secret that what make life in this world miserable and what makes this world chaotic are man’s evil ways, as most are blinded with power, fame, material gratification and selfishness. Man’s evil ways is also dehumanizing – something that is against man’s

How will the Joint Venture Kmart Survive in the Mexican Market Essay

How will the Joint Venture Kmart Survive in the Mexican Market - Essay Example The Mexican customer(Harvard Business School, 1999) is mostly from the uneducated sector. Most of the parents force their children to leave school after having five years of education. This is because the parents need a helping hand to augment the small family income. Since the ElPuerto de Liverpool and Kmart International have already agreed by signing the joint venture contract, the issue now is whether the joint venture will survive or not in until the next performance evaluation period. Since The Mexican customer behavior is different from the customer wants and needs of the American people, there is a need study what the company's next moves will be in order to survive. El Puerto de Liverpool has signed a joint venture agreement with Kmart International to put a Kmart retail store in Mexico. Mexicans earn an average of United States $3.94 per day. The Managers in companies in Mexico are asking for a basic income of United States $ 10,000. This is because they come from rich families. Mexicans buy in small quantities daily from the butcher, fish shop, baker and street vendors due to their low income. Most of the working population of Mexico belong to the below fifteen year old age. It is customary for parents to stop sending their children to school. The children are asked to help work and feed the family. The advantage here for Kmart is that young people always prefer changes in procedures of doing things. They prefer to while the time from 2:30 to 4:30 having siesta or snacks. They prefer fresh food and dislike frozen food. In the Canadian & US retail environment, people prefer to buy in big quantities in department stores and retail stores, often, once a week because food in the these countries are low priced. The Mexicans, Canadian & Americans prefer to buy food and other products from the United States. "If it is from the US, It must be better". Mexicans usually spend 38.75% of their total income purchasing Food. The rest of the money is spent on Drinks and tobacco. K mart went bankrupt in Canada when NAFTA was implemented here. But at the same time, Walmart Canada was the number one in terms of sales in Canada. In fact, Kmart was not considered a threat to the market share of the other two retail stores in Canada. We can evaluate the success of the joint venture by the sales and net income that it will generate. If the joint venture results in big sales, then the joint venture is a success. Another criteria for evaluating a joint venture is whether it has been giving taking care of the environment by not polluting the environment or taking care of its waste disposal system. Still another major criteria is whether it has adhered to Mexico's government rules and regulations. The last criteria is whether it has hired Mexican employees and thereby helping the unemployment situation of Mexico. By hiring Mexican employees, it has helped Mexico economically and socially. By following the rules and regulations of Mexico it has accomplished the political requirements of the company.As to whether to put in place one, two or more stores immediately or one stores every month, the recommendation is to start first with a test project. The test project is

Describe the various stages of the typical lifecycle of an individual in the UK today and identify the most relevant financial products that should be considered at each stage Essay Example for Free

Describe the various stages of the typical lifecycle of an individual in the UK today and identify the most relevant financial products that should be considered at each stage Essay Describe the various stages of the typical lifecycle of an individual in the UK today and identify the most relevant financial products that should be considered at each stage To date, the interpretation of the concept of life cycle of the individual has a lot of variations. In this case, the main of them wearing in one degree or another echo of the financial and economic issues, is: The sequence of qualitatively different stages of development of the organism. Model income and consumption over the life. With regard to the first definition, then there also exists a certain gradation, which is the existence of several theories regarding the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the stages of the life cycle. The most famous theory of division of the life cycle of an individual on the steps of the theory are researchers such as Alpheus Hyatt, Sullivan, Thomas S. Dalton, Randy B. Evans, and also such theory as of E. Erikson and Joel Martin. The most expedient and convenient to the financial context of the question is the theory of the division of the life cycle of an individual to a number of stages by Alpheus Hyatt. This theory is the basis for the division of the life cycle of an individual to 3 stages: formation, productive phase and effective step. Phase formation covers the time period from the moment of birth of the individual up to 25 32 years. This period is due to the formation of life basis, so on the first stage of the life cycle is the formation of the moral aspects of the personality, the initial accumulation of experience and the formation of an information foundation that actually affects the formation of a set of financial products most commonly consumed by the population of the United Kingdom in the future. Productive stage is the second stage in the life cycle of an individual, including an individual residing in the United Kingdom. This stage lasts from the end of the formation phase of up to 54 62 years. This cycle is considered to be working during it productively apply the knowledge and experience gained and accumulated during the formation phase. These years were marked by a high capacity for work and the desire to implement ideas and achieve their goals. Finally, the third stage of the life cycle score is final. It extends from the end of the productive phase until the end of life. It was during this cycle; individuals are satisfied with the achievements and receive a reward for all his works and deeds, not only morally, but also in material terms. As for the second definition of the life cycle of the individual, in this case it should be noted that in the context of the problem, the latter is more rational in terms of financial and economic sense, and as the former requires more detailed consideration, but at the same time, the latter is specifies the elements of a continuation and development stages of the first definition, namely, its financial and economic sense. In this regard, it is worth noting that in the present world context of the above issue, it is a rational assumption that, as a rule, children who actually represent the first stage in the life cycle, live at the expense of their parents, if we talk about the first part of the first phase life cycle, namely up to 18 years, speaking about the citizens of the United Kingdom. In addition, the first stage of the life cycle, as well as generally achieved the highest level of consumption, which is due to a period of the early years of adulthood, and forcing a number of items to purchase household goods and parenting. Such financial and economic characteristics of the first period of the life cycle, flows smoothly into the second, but in the first case applies the highest consumption level in the second half stage , what concerns the productive phase of the life cycle, in this case, the highest consumption level in the first half of the spread phase. This model leads to a model of savings, which are usually small in the early years of adulthood, high in the period after the children have grown and become negative during retirement. Thus, the youth begins with low incomes (1th stage of the life cycle), which is gradually increased until it reaches middle age (the 2nd stage of the life cycle), and then the characteristic of income is the sharp decline stage (third stage of life cycle), due to retirement. Usually, the third stage of the life cycle as well due to the receipt of earned income and more (to the end of life), but usually in smaller amounts. Consequently, the assets of households tend to grow until retirement and a reduction thereafter. Start and whether the finish if in fact the assets at zero depends on how society relates to the question of inheritance: the majority of people, particularly those who living in the UK leave positive assets at the time of his death, if only because they do not know when it will happen. Also worth noting, and take into account when considering the life cycle of a typical person in the UK today, the fact that the life-cycle model of savings assumes that the distribution of assets will be uneven between households, even if their incomes and social positions within the same life cycle. Along with all the above, it should be noted that all life cycle stages listed above are typical for any individual residing in the territory of more and less economically developed countries in general, and for individuals residing in the territory particularly the United Kingdom. Considering the financial products as part of normal everyday life of individuals living in the United Kingdom in each of these stages of the life cycle, it should be noted that financial products are integral part of daily life. With regard to the factors described through the use of financial products throughout the life cycle of the individual resided in the UK to date, it should be noted that the most common financial products today are shares, loans, particularly mortgages, deposits, options, futures, swaps, those insurance some aspect of life and objects, as well as commodity contracts and interest rates. All of the above financial products individuals residing in the United Kingdom is used throughout the life cycle. At the same time, depending on the stage of the life cycle of an individual uses certain financial products, inherent to its needs relevant to this stage. At the first stage of the life cycle, so from birth to 25 32 years, United Kingdom for individuals most relevant is the use of such financial products, such as long-term and Short-term loans, particularly mortgages, compulsory insurance, in particular, Medical insurance, pension insurance and liability insurance, in addition, quite common in the above-mentioned period of the life cycle of an individual is the UK property insurance. At the second stage of the life cycle, so from 25 32 years and 54 62 years of the United Kingdom most individual relevance use financial products such as stocks, options, futures and swaps , as well as commodity contracts and interest rates. At the same time, so it should be noted that at this stage of life do not lose relevance and financial products such as compulsory insurance and property insurance, as well urgent to use life and health insurance. Thus, considering all of the above it should be noted that the second phase of the life cycle of an individual residing in the UK, today used the widest range of financial products than during other stages. The reason for this state of affairs is the fact that it was during the second stage of the life cycle, as a rule, most individuals who living in the UK reach a peak of career, have a family, get a certain amount of real estate and other property, as well as characterized by the highest level of wages for all life cycle. In the third stage of the life cycle, the most relevant financial products used by individuals of the United Kingdom are the deposits, most types of insurance, especially with regard to life insurance, as well as the most reliable stocks and other securities. As seen from the above, in the third stage of the life cycle most individuals are trying to best protect their use of financial products, reducing the risks to minimum that is logical, given that the reporting stage of the life cycle lasts from 54 62 years until his death. Analyzing the life cycle of an individual United Kingdom, as well it should be noted that the only financial product that is gaining relevance for UK citizens at the stage of formation, and does not lose so for productive and efficient life-cycle stages is insurance. In this case, depending on the stage of the life cycle are added only certain types of insurance and insurance objects. This situation is related not only to the existence of the United Kingdom of compulsory insurance, which in itself suggests the beginning of the use of insurance to meet individual age and continues until death, but also the factor that the whole life cycle of the individual accompanies a number of risks of varying complexity and specifically, these risks relate to most other financial products used by individuals throughout life. Of course, the actual separation of the above financial products for individuals residing in the United Kingdom is far from ambiguous, since it depends not only on the age group that falls under one or another individual, but also on other factors, for example such as the scope of activities, family status, presence of children, average salary, and others. For example, the likelihood that students will benefit from the mortgage insurance or property is extremely small, but if the stage of formation (in the second half of the stage) the individual is enrolled in higher educational institution (for example in postgraduate) has a wife and / or children, the probability of acquiring such individual mortgage and other long-term loans, as well as property insurance, increases dramatically. Along with this, there is an example of a large homeowner or just an entrepreneur and working diner, which are on the second stage of the life cycle. Range of financial products an individual representing the first and second class will be significantly different. For the first and most urgent is to use various tools to expand their existing business, by finding additional sources of joining the capital, one of which is the acquisition of commodity contracts, options, futures and swaps, as all of these financial products can not only increase the capital of the individual, but and to do this in the shortest possible period of time in comparison with other financial products. For an ordinary worker, all financial products relevant to a wealthy individual would not be as relevant for a given individual will acquire greater relevance compulsory insurance and the use of shares and promissory notes. However, at this graduation, presented earlier are the most widespread and the most relevant classification of financial products such individuals regarding the use of the United Kingdom. Reference List 1. Alpheus, H. (1902) Cycle in the life of the individual (Ontogeny) and in the evolution of its own group (Phylogeny).

The Nurture Assumption Essay Example for Free

The Nurture Assumption Essay I have always held the belief that Nature v Nurture is not a zero-sum game. To steal a line from T. S. Elliot’s The Hollow Men, I believe humans are born into this world a â€Å"shape without form. † That shape, of course, is our nature; the sum of our genetic make-up and natural tendencies based on some combination of predisposition and innate sense of self. The form, then, necessarily reflects our experiences and the way those have restructured our ‘self. ’ The nurture of our mind, particularly at a young age, is instrumental in providing depth and context to our natural shape. Both aspects of our ‘self’ are complimentary. Just like we are unable to understand shape without the context of form, we are similarly unable to understand humans without an understanding in the dynamic of both nature and nurture expressed through our behavior, desires, and interactions. Raising a virtual child did not change my initial thoughts on the collaborative importance of nature vs. nurture. However, I was curious to see what my child, Chase, would be like at 18, and so I answered each question thoughtfully based on what would be best for him. The feedback about Chase provided substantial evidence to backup my nature vs. nurture belief. The influence of nature on Chase’s development was evident in several life stages throughout the program. To begin, the assessments in Chase’s life revealed above average performances in multiple subject areas. This advanced state in development is a common result of a psychological perspective called the Core Knowledge Perspective. This states that infants are born with innate special purpose knowledge systems, which results in rapid early development. In the virtual child program, Chase was, â€Å"advanced in his gross and fine motor skills and seemed to have little goals that involved two steps of planning ahead. † On the flip side, after the positive feedback in specific areas, nurture highly influenced additional development in those areas. By choosing answers like, â€Å"encourage Chase to point to toys that are out of reach so you can get them for him, and encourage Chase to keep trying when there is an obstacle you know he can overcome†, his development is influenced by my decisions and nurturing. Chase was also above average in the language development area. Multiple early childhood development specialist assessed Chase and they determined that he was at a higher level in language development than his fellow peers. Some of their notes included statements like, â€Å"Chases language skills are developing rapidly† and â€Å"he scored in the above average range on tests of language comprehension and production, and provided unusually complete and grammatically mature sentences â€Å"he seems to know an unusual number of names for things. † Chase’s language development can be characterized by a psychological study called, Multiple Theories of Language Development. The combination of the Interactionist Theory and Behaviorist Theory combine the following influences on language development: inner capacities, the environment, and social context. Therefore, I can conclude that Chase’s advanced language development is a result of influences from both, nature (inner capacities), and nurture (environmental social). Chase showed signs of attachment to me and I immediately began several intervention strategies in order to prevent a serious attachment issue in the future. Attachment is an innate survival mechanism and is a system used to control things such as proximately, security, and emotional regulation. Thus it is obvious that attachment is determined through nature. However, studies have shown that children subject to feelings of attachment often have long term effects on behavioral characteristics like personality and communication. Chase was showing signs of attachment by reacting negatively in situations of separation. He was â€Å"hesitant to part with†¦Ã¢â‚¬  both, my â€Å"partner† and I, and he â€Å"started crying† immediately after the handover at the daycare. Moreover, this behavior is linked to the sensitivity and responsiveness of the mother/caregiver and is collinear to the influence of nurture. Lastly, Chase had a â€Å"larger than life† personality; he was very outgoing, and had a natural curiosity about him. His personality was influenced by the mutualistic relationship between nature and nurture. A specific focus on the science behind Chase’s temperament revealed a foundation of nature. The genetic contributors can be described as the â€Å"Biological Basis for Temperament. † Chase is characterized as uninhibited and outgoing, which is determined by obtaining qualities such as: positive reactions and approach to new stimuli, low heart rates, stress hormones and symptoms, and higher left hemisphere frontal cortex activity. In addition, temperament is also influenced by nurture. Therefore, his outgoing personality is the result of many factors like, his environment, relationships with family members, non-family peers, and etc. He was described as, â€Å"very outgoing and friendly with new people†, having â€Å"several good friends and gets invited to parties†, and â€Å"one of the most outgoing and popular seniors at the school. † I tried to choose answers that introduced Chase to new situations and people. Consequently, nurture also played a significant role in shaping Chase’s outgoing temperament. In conclusion, my previous thoughts about the influence of nature vs. nurture on human development go unchanged. As mentioned above, both aspects of our ‘self’ are complimentary. Just like we are unable to understand shape without the context of form. The only change that may have occurred from the Virtual Child program is the reinforcement of my initial understanding of nature vs. nurture.

Global issue in nursing shortage

Global issue in nursing shortage The increase in nursing shortage is a global issue. The rate of turnover and migration through health care system professionals is highly increasing which cause shortage in some countries or hospitals. This shortage is considered vital as it affects patients health status and quality of delivered care. In order to achieve health care effectiveness, health care systems have to overcome the shortage of qualified health personnel. Hiring graduated nurses and retaining employed staff nurses is very essential. The aim of this paper is to discuss generally the global nursing shortage and particularly the nursing shortage in UAE. Nurses play an important role in health care systems as they are considered the front line of any health care system. The crisis of nursing shortage is highly increasing worldwide. Buchan Aiken, (2008) defined nursing shortage as the unwilling to work in specific conditions rather than the shortage of people having nursing qualifications. Health care systems face difficulties in recruiting retaining nurses due to two reasons; nursing shortage and staff turnover. For example, the turnover rate in USA in year 2000 was between 10%- 30%, while in UK it was between 15%- 20% (Zurn et al. 2005). Turnover can be either voluntary like looking for a better income or better working conditions, and less work stress and overload, or involuntary like dismissal or medical disability. However, nursing shortage is considered a problem due to aging population, population growth and higher patient expectations (Simoen et al. 2005). In USA, the ratio of nurse: patient is 10:1000, while in Asia and Afr ica it is 0.5:1000 which is huge shortage (Buchan Aiken, 2008). The impact of nursing shortage Nursing shortage has a depressing impact on health care systems. The inability to overcome this shortage will affect the improvement of health care systems. Nursing shortage can be noted when there is an imbalance between nursing skills and the actual number of nurses (Buchan Aiken, 2008). On the other hand, not all available nurses are willing to work in their field due to payment and benefits issues which make them to choose non-nursing employment or no employment. Moreover, the shortage is widely noted in nurses who have specialty in some areas like critical care or emergency (Kingma, 2007). Causes of nursing shortage There are plenty of factors which lead to nursing shortage like decrease number of new recruited staff, inappropriate use of nursing skills, inadequate career support, gender-based discrimination in some cultures, and poor recruitment policies (National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, 2007; Buchan, 2006). Nurses keep searching for better opportunities to improve their skills, knowledge, and economic level. Therefore, nurses migrate from one country to the other. Barriers to nursing migration When nurses take the decision to migrate they keep in consideration some obstacles that they might face.   One important issue to think about is certificate accreditation and requalification process. Other issues include the cost of living, the need to learn new language, and adapting a new clinical environment (Chandra and Willis, 2005; Kingma, 2006). Socially, there are some other barriers to migration; leaving families to stabilize persons condition, facing new culture and environment, and racism which may lead to discrimination (Chandra and Willis, 2005). Ways to decrease turnover rate In order to overcome turnover problem, health care systems have to change their style of management. One way is by involving staff in decision making which make staff responsible. Promotions are also considered another way of decreasing turnover rate as staff will remain in hospitals to achieve and reach better positions. Moreover, staff self-scheduling is a good way of decreasing turnover rate as some staff dont like to work weekends, nights, or overtime (Stordeur Hoore, 2006). Nursing shortage in UAE Nowadays Emirati women have the right to join different educational and working fields. They are supported by low and government to improve their selves. However, Emirati women are not very involved in all fields like nursing. The dependency on expatriate nurses in UAE is very considerable as the percentage of Emirati national nurses is only 3% (FDON 2003). In 1960s, expatriate nurses started to turn up in UAE, while there were basic healthcare services in some areas like Dubai and Ras Al Khaima (al Rifai et al, 1996). As stated by Al Rifai Van Der Merwe (2002), the MOH is the largest health care source and it has more than 17000 employees, 10000 from different countries and backgrounds. Around 6000 work in MOH and the rest are divided in the privet sector (Al-Rifai van der Merwe2002). Disadvantages of hiring expatriate nurses Delivering the appropriate nursing care with respect to cultural and back ground differences is threatened by hiring expatiate nurses who are sometimes not fully aware of the surrounding culture. This issue may develop a conflict between nurses and patients, and increase the gap between them. However, this conflict may affect the quality of nursing care as nurses may try to enforce their own believes and values on patients. On the other hand, patients might be affected by not continuing treatment or following the treatment regimen properly because of stress, cultural conflict and ethical issues (El-Haddad, 2006). Factors that lead to nursing shortage in UAE There are some factors that lead to low percentage of national nurses in UAE. An important factor is gender-bias; the general idea in the country is that women have to take care and nurse their own families and that nurses are the handmaids for doctors. Another factor is the difference in nursing programs with the lack of updated educational resources. One more, is the low English level of students with the lack of Arabic educational resources (El-Haddad, 2006). Establishing Federal Department of Nursing Emirates Nursing Association Federal Department of Nursing was established in 1992 by MOH. A team of professional nurses and administrative staff were specially made to evaluate the nursing profession (Al-Rifai van der Merwe2002). On the other hand, the establishment of Emirates Nursing Association started much earlier; in 1970s. To start with the process of establishing an association there should be 50 national nurses according to UAE low. The effort remained over 30 years until finally in 2001 national nurses were able to start the Emirates Nursing Association which was considered an important event in the history of UAE. Since that time nationals started to join nursing field and be effective members within the health care system (El-Haddad, 2006). WHO recommendations to improve nursing programs According to (WHO, EMRO, 1998) recommendation in 1995, nursing programs have to be standardized within 15 years. The program would be designed as a four years university program with a certificate of bachelor of nursing science. On the other hand, nurses who have diploma degree will have the chance of continuing their education by joining bridging programs, which is encouraged and supported by the government until all nurses within the 15 years period time will have the BSN degree. This program will improve the nursing education and will improve the quality of care in the health care system. Nurses will be more updated and will have a solid base to build on their skills and experience, and will be able to work according to high level of standards. With regards to patients, patient will have better outcomes as they will be receiving a high quality of care. On the other hand, the number of practical nurses who depend on skills only will decrease by time (WHO, EMRO, 1998). Conclusion To conclude, there is a global nursing shortage worldwide. Population growth, searching for a better income and being involved in a better working environment are causing nurses to migrate from one country to the other; causing an increase demand of recruiting and retaining nurses. In UAE, nursing profession started to improve and develop recently. The need for a high number of national nurses made the government to encourage students by giving them a high standard level of education, higher income, and improving staff by giving them the chance of continuing education. The mission of government by this development is to prove the effective role of national nurses, overcome nursing shortage in UAE, and to improve the quality of care being delivered to patient as their expectations and level of knowledge are increasing. In my opinion, nurses are the forefront in the health care system and the better the level of nurses the system has, the better outcomes achieved. References Al- Rifai, F. et al, (1996). The Nursing Profession and Future Directions in Arab GCC States [Arabic Document]. Executive Board of the Council of Arab GCC States Health Ministers, Riyad. Al-Rifai, F. van der Merwe, A., S., (2002). Licensing and regulation of nurses in the United Arab Emirates. In policy and politics in Nursing and Health Care (Mason, D., Leavitt, J. Chaffee, M. eds). Sounders, St. Louis, MO, PP. 728-734. Buchan, J. Aiken, L., (2008), Solving nursing shortages: a common priority, Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17, 3262-3268. Buchan, J., (2006). Evidence of nursing shortage or a shortage of evidence?, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 56, 457- 458. Chandra, A., and Willis, W. K. (2005). Importing Nurses: Combating The Nursing Shortage. (In Context. Healthcare and Public Policy). Hospital Topics 83 (2): 33-7. El-Haddad, M., (2006). Nursing in The United Arab Emirates: an historical background, International Council of Nurses, 284-289. Federal Department of Nursing FDON), MOH, UAE(2003), Annual Report. FDON, Abu Dhabi. Kingma, M. (2007). Nurses on the Move: A Global Overview, Health Services Research 42:3, part2, 1281-1298. Kingma, M., (2006). Nurses on the Move: Migration and the Global Health Care Economy. Ithca, NY: Cornell University Press. National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (2007). Toward a Method for Identifying Facilities and Communities with Shortages of Nurses, Summary report. US. Department of Health and Human Services, Health resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Washington DC. Simeon, S., Villeneuve, M. Hurst, J. (2005). Tackling Nurse Shortages in OECD Countries. OECD Health working Papers 19, DELSA/ ELSA/ WD/HEA (2005). Stordeur, S., Hoore, W., (2006). Organizational configuration of hospitals succeeding in attracting and retaining nurses, Journal compilation, 45-57. World Health Organization-Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (WHO-EMRO), (1998). Nursing Education in The Eastern Mediterranean Region- Guidelines   on Future Directions [EMRO Technical Publication Series 26]. World Health Organization-Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, Alexandria. Zurn, P., Dolea, C., Stilwell, B., (2005). Nurse Retention and Recruitment: Developing a Motivated Workface, World Health Organization Department of Human Resources for Health, ICN 2005, Issue 4, Geneva, Switzerland.

Who is the real Shakespeare? Essay -- William Shakespeare Playwrights

Who is the real Shakespeare? One of the largest mysteries of current time is the debate over who the author of the plays commonly attributed to William Shakespeare really is. Commonly termed as the â€Å"authorship problem,† many skeptics believe that the William Shaksper of Stratford (the spelling of his name originally) could not have been the true composer of the plays he is traditionally attributed with. Although the thought of someone besides Shakespeare composing the plays is not popular with the American and European world, there are excessive theories concerning the truth behind the possibility of the works being authentically his. Doubts about the true composer of Shakespeare’s works generally arise from the fact that there is no logical match between the working-class William Shaksper of Stratford and the work, and the absence of proper documentation that connect him to any of the works. According to Volker Multhopp in his essay â€Å"Why I am not a Stratfordian,† â€Å"This man achieved the absolute pinnacle of English literature in an era when class was paramount, yet his own origin was absolutely ordinary-- middle class† (1). According to the Oxford Society in the â€Å"Shakespeare Authorship FAQ,† â€Å"Nothing about the Stratford man rings true: his character, his background, his education, his family, his friends, his behavior towards his debtors and his neighbors, his recorded conversation and his attitude to money and property† (1). With all of the evidence pointed against the Stratford man as being the author of the world’s greatest literature , Stratfordians claim that the consequential details of his life pointing against him merely make him an unmitigated genius. Doubts about the... ...st literature of all times. It is possible that the Stratford man could have befriended aristocrats and gained the favor of Elizabeth herself, even having guidance from other aristocrats. On the other hand, because there is no evidence that the Stratford man was the author of the works, it is hard to accept the common man as the William Shakespeare that the plays were accredited to. Perhaps the reason that Shakespeare’s works have not been attributed to any other man would attest to the fact that scholars are not willing to accept the implications that the man celebrated to be the world’s most ingenious literary figure is not, in fact, who he was thought to be. However, the search for evidence leading to the true author will continue out of the ethical implications that credit must be given to the true author of the world’s greatest literature.

The Yellow Wallpaper :: Essays Papers

The Yellow Wallpaper The story of The Yellow Wallpaper begins with a family going away on vacation. It is revealed later that there are repairs or renovations being done on their regular house. The wife in the story believes at first that the house is haunted since no one has occupied the house for so long, but she finds out that it was only because of an ownership dispute. The main reason that the family goes on vacation is because the woman is sick. Her illness is most likely some form of a mental disorder. Her husband, who happens to be a physician, tell her that all she needs to get better is rest and to be around no stimuli. The woman automatically thinks something is wrong with the house, but she could not figure it out right away. One of the first things she does not like about her and her husband’s room is the wallpaper. She claims that it commits every artistic sin and is not made with any laws of radiation, alternation, repetition or symmetry. The woman starts to see mages in the wallpaper, and then she sees them move around and change as the light in the room changes. As time goes on, she begins to see a woman creeping around behind the front patter on the wallpaper. She eventually sees the woman in the wallpaper shake the front pattern that acts as a form of a jail for the woman. The wife writes that she thinks the wallpaper woman gets out from her â€Å"jail† during the day since she sees her creep around outside her window during the day. Towards the end of her vacation, the woman tries to figure out a way to get the top layer of the paper off from the bottom one. On the last night, she pulls off yards of the top layer while the wallpaper lady helps her out. Then in the morning, the wallpaper begins to laugh at her and she declares that she will finish getting off the top layer that day. She continues to pull at the paper while it laughs at her. At the end she decides to climb behind the first layer of wallpaper and creep as the wallpaper lady did. Her husband arrives and gets into the room after some time and then faints because he realizes his wife has gone stark raving mad!

French Revolution Human Nature

What is human nature? Are humans self-interested and savage or are we socially conscious and kind? The people of the French Revolution give us an answer to these questions. The French Revolution was a time of rebellion and revolution and provided an immense change to the country of France. The revolt was started by drought, rising prices, and increasing frustration with the government by the citizens of France. The rebelliousness followed the previous age of Enlightenment. Enlightenment philosophers such as John Locke and Thomas Hobbes searched and discovered new ideas about the nature of people and the role of government. Locke believed that every man was born with natural rights and will behave well as long as they have these. Hobbes on the contrary believed that we are all savage creatures who use violence to get our own way. Through events such as The Declaration of the Rights of Man and The Tennis Court Oath, John Locke’s understanding of human nature can be judged as more accurate than that of Thomas Hobbes. The actions that the French people took during the Tennis Court Oath mirror Locke’s beliefs about humanity. In the Tennis Court Oath, the Third Estate challenged the awful monarchy of King Louis XVI by a pledge that they would not leave the tennis courts of Versailles until a new constitution that would meet the peoples needs was written. The Oath states, â€Å"that all members of this assembly immediately take a solemn oath never to separate, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of the realm is established and fixed upon solid foundations† (Tennis Court Oath). This event is completely related to Locke’s beliefs that every man should have the right to revolt to acquire natural rights and freedoms. In his Second Treatise on Government, John Locke wrote, â€Å"upon the forfeiture of their rulers†¦the people have a right to act as supreme, and continue the legislative in themselves†¦as they think good† (Locke). Locke supported and encouraged people to understand that if a government was not treating them fairly or reasonably then the people have the right to form a new government that they like. The measures taken by the Third Estate supported the beliefs of Locke by taking over to get their natural rights. Locke was correct by predicting that people would do what they had to get their natural rights. Locke’s beliefs that people only want their natural rights are supported in The Declaration of Rights of Man. The National assembly finalized the Declaration on August 26, 1789. The Declaration’s basis comes from Locke’s idea of individualism. In John Locke’s Second Treatise on Government, he states, â€Å"Men being by nature all free, equal, and independent, no one can be put out of this condition and subjected to the power of another without his own consent†¦ these laws ought to be designed for no other reason than for the good of the people† (Locke). John Locke believed that all people are born worthy and deserved natural rights. In the Declaration of Rights of Man, the initial article says, â€Å"Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good† (Declaration of the rights of Man). The two documents are extremely similar. The intention of the Declaration of the Rights of Man was to make everybody happy with freedom and equality. Locke believed that all men are born free and equal, and the National Assembly therefore included that thought it into the Declaration of the Rights of Man. It is obvious from the text and spirit of the Declaration of the Rights of Man, that John Locke has the best understanding of human nature. The French Revolution was a time of rebellion and revolution that brought immense change to the country of France. When looking at the Tennis Court Oath and The Declaration of the Rights of Man, John Locke’s thoughts and ideas are obvious. He believed that people should be free and shouldn’t tolerate anything less. Locke was correct about people wanting their freedoms, as this was both the action and intent of the French, we can see that his beliefs of human nature were correct. Government should be for the people and should never be unjust; but if a government is unfair to the people than Thomas Hobbes is correct that people reserve the right to revolt. This does not make them savage or self-interested it is just the people using their natural rights. Works Cited â€Å"Declaration of the Rights of Man – 1789 . † The Avalon Project. Yale Law School, n. d. Web. 28 Feb. 2010 . â€Å"The Tennis Court Oath. † Revolution. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Feb. 2010 . Locke, John. â€Å"The Second Treatise of Government. † 1689. The Potowmack Institute .

Himalayan Tourism in Nepal

Mountaineering It was mountaineering that first opened up Nepal to the outside world. Of the world’s 14 highest peaks above 8,000 m, eight of them crown Nepal’s north, including the highest Mt. Everest. Not surprisingly, the fascination of scaling these physically demanding peaks draws crowds of visitors from abroad year after year without let up. The mountains are open for climbing in all the four climbing seasons: †¢spring (March-May), †¢summer (June-August), †¢autumn (September-November) and †¢winter (December-February).The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation issues permits for the bigger mountains while the Nepal Mountaineering Association issues permits for the smaller trekking peaks between 5,587 m and 6,654 m. Mountaineering Trekking Rock Climbing Rafting / Kayaking / Canoeing Jungle safari Hunting Bird Watching Paragliding / Ultralight / Cable Car Mountain Flights Mountain Biking Bungee Jumping / Canyoning Boating / Fishing / Angl ing Horse Riding / Pony Trek Golf Pilgrimage City Tours Nightlife / Clubbing Dining ShoppingEvents / Festivals MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference, Exhibition) Special Interest Adventure Sports & New Products http://welcomenepal. com/promotional/tourist-activities/mountaineering/ ————————————————- Tourism History in Nepal Nepal is tourist's heaven for adventure, cultural and environmental enrichment. Variation in natural landscape of Nepal consists of valleys and plains known as Terai in the south, and the breathtaking Himalayan peaks in the north add great flavor for tourist.Though exact date and history of tourist incoming to Nepal is still unknown, it can be assumed that first tourist started coming to Nepal only after first road system was built in 1950 that connect some of the Nepal's cities with Indian boarder in the south. Since then international tourists flow to explore Nepal’s rich cultures, picturesque Himalayan landscape. George Mallory and Andrew â€Å"Sandy† Irvine who had disappeared in 1924 in an attempt to conquer Everest. However it was on In 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa first conquered Mt.Everest (8848 m). Till now several people has attempted and successfully conquered the world's highest mountain. Annapurna I was the first 8,000-metre (26,200 ft) peak to be climbed. Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, of a French expedition led by Maurice Herzog (including Lionel Terray, Gaston Rebuffat, Marcel Ichac, Jean Couzy, Marcel Schatz, Jacques Oudot, Francis de Noyelle), reached the summit on 3 June 1950. Its summit was the highest summit attained on Earth for three years, until the first successful ascent of Mount Everest. However, higher non-summit points at least 8,500 meters (27,900 ft)-had already been attained on Everest in the 1920s. ) In the mid 1950 small groups of wealthy individuals, sponsored st udents travel east from England by Land Rover or Bedford Dormobile to climb mountains or carry out scientific studies and surveys, often publishing accounts of their travels afterwards. They travel overland and their trails follow Western Europe crossing Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Kasmir, Manali and Kathmandu till Goa, India. They travel through buses and stay in cheap hotels along their trails and love to socialize with local people and food.They passes journey of over 6,000 miles in each direction, and it took in high mountain passes, scorching deserts, and some very rough roads. During 70's Nepal became safe tourism destination for those groups due to its perfect climate, peaceful place and unique cultures. Many reasons had attracted these groups for traveling like spiritual enlightenment escape from wars in the west and rigid lifestyles, some for business or still some just wanted to explore and see the world. They were simply great adventure lovers and were known as Hippies of 70's. These group of people were known as Hippies or freak.In some way or the other they have great contribution of introducing Nepal as one of the best travel destination. Eventually, people in Nepal started opening hotels, resort, western restaurants with modern facilities to attract the tourist. Modern tourist activities in Nepal included Trekking, Rafting, Peak climbing, Wildlife safari and many more adventure sports like Bungy jumping, paragliding ,mountain climbing, mountain flight etc. Nepal has always attracted and become best tourist destination in the world mainly due to their excellent hospitality, friendly people, unique cultures and awe-inspiring Himalayas and mountains.Nepal Tour packages Nepal Historical Culture Tour – 05 Days 4 nights/ 5days customized tour itinerary for Nepal historical and cultural tour Best Nepal Tour – 10 Days Nepal best tour package for 9 nights/10 days which is customized by Nepal Mountain Tour – 15 Days Nepal mountain tour most of destination is mid hill region for 15 days Nepal Experience Tour – 14 Days 13 nights/14 days Nepal experience tour takes you to experience real Nepal Nepal Pilgrimage Tour – 12 Days 11 nights/12days Customized Tour Package Best Nepal Combo Tour – 10 DaysSightseeing-Hiking-Rafting-Safari, 10 days Customized Tour Package Nepal family holiday – 11 Days Nepal family holiday for 11 days is suitable for any age group of family Buddhist pilgrimage tour – 8 days – 08 Days Buddhist pilgrimage tour in Nepal is popular for among the travelers those†¦ Lumbini tour – 11 Days Lumbini tour is targeted for those travelers who want real peace and spiritual enlightenment. Complete Buddhist Circuit Tour – 12 Days 12 days Complete Buddhist circuit tour, Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath ; Kushinagar Annapurna Region Trekking Annapurna base camp trekking – 11 DaysAnnapurna Base Camp trek offers magnificent views, easy walks†¦. An napurna circuit trekking – 15 Days Annapurna circuit trekking covers approximately 200 km trekking trail†¦ Annapurna Sanctuary Trek – 09 Days Annapurna Sanctuary Trek offers magnificent views and easy walks †¦ Classic Annapurna Base Camp Trek – 09 Days Classic Annapurna base camp trekking journey to Annapurna offers†¦ Classic Annapurna Circuit Trek – 12 Days Classic Annapurna Circuit trek is approximately 200 km trek†¦.. Classic Tilicho Lake Trek – 19 Days Classic Tilicho Lake Trek joint together along the same†¦..Ghorepani Poon Hill trekking – 10 Days Ghorepani Poon Hill trekking trail is one of the most visited areas†¦ Muktinath Jomsom Trek – 14 Days Muktinath Jomson Trek made more popular due to easy accessibility Jomsom Muktinath Overland Tour – 12 Days Jomsom Muktinath Overland Tour to this region made more popular†¦ Tilicho Lake Trek – 19 Days Tilicho Lake Trek combined with Class ic Annapurna Circuit trail†¦. Trishuli Rafting Annapurna Trek ; Jungle Safari – 14 Days Trishuli Rafting Annapurna Trek ; Jungle Safari here we have†¦ Ghorepani Ghandruk trekking – 12 DaysGhorepani Ghandruk trek route is one of the most visited areas of Annapurna trail†¦ http://www. himalayanmentor. com/tourism-history-in-nepal. html ————————————————- Nepal General Information Nepal is an outstanding multi adventure destination on the planet with its unique geographical kaleidoscope variations. The country is home of world’s highest mountain including Mt Everest and other thousand of mountains higher than 6000m. It is also birth place of Lord Buddha and Gurkhas’ homeland country where travelers can experience and enjoy their exotic holiday undoubtedly difference.Country’s amazing geographical orientations are the main natur al rewards so the adventure seekers get more opportunities than their quest of challenge. Besides, Nepal is a fascinating land of ancient history, vibrant culture of tolerant people and home of living Goddess. Since 1950's when its' borders were first opened to the outside world, the abode of the Himalayas, Nepal, offers probably the best trekking holiday, extreme mountain climbing, adrenaline river run, wonderful wildlife safari activities, historical-cultural sightseeing tours and many other adventure holiday options.Visiting remotes of countryside exploring there traditional people’s life style and encountering their culture make you to feel precious insight into fast disappearing world and embark on truly life-enhancing journey of discovery. Fact Figures of Nepal Location: South Asian Region, China’s Tibet Autonomous Region in the north, and India in the South, East and West and geographically Nepal is located between 800 4†²- 800 12†² east longitude and 260 22†²- 300 4†² north latitude.Total Area: 147, 181 Square Kilometer (about 200 Km width north to south ; 885 km east to west) Area Covered on Earth: 0. 01% of Earth ; 0. 1% of Asia Geography: 64% Mid-Hill Mountain (Mahabharat Range), 6% Churia Hill( Siwalik Range), 13% Plain Land of Terai, 17% Himalayan Alpine Region approximately Time Difference: + 5:45 of GMT National Language: Nepali National Greeting: Namaste (means I salute the divine in you) Sea Port: None, Landlocked by India south, east and west and by China’s Tibet Autonomous Region in the north Population: 29. million, according to year of 2009 estimation Religion: Multi Religious Country (about 80% Hindu, 10% Buddhist, 4% Muslim ; 6% others religious) People: More than 60 ethnic groups and about 70 different spoken languages Culture: Multi Culture Country Source of Economy: Traditional Agriculture, Tourism ; Cottage Industry Main Highlights: Mt Everest 8848m ; Birth Place of Lord Buddha (Lumbini) Polit ical System: The Multi-Party System ; Federal Democratic Republic since 2008 Passport ; Visas:All the travelers should have valid passport for at least six months and visa can be obtain from Nepalese embassy or consulate in your country, however visa is stamp at the time of arrival in Airport. Children bellow 10 years need not pay any visa fee. Travelers willing to get entry visa at the air port or at any entry points in Nepal are required to fill a visa form with passport and photographs while passing through the immigration. Chinese citizen are requested to apply in the Nepalese embassy or other Nepalese diplomatic missions as there is no provisions of on arrival visa for them.Transit visa Transit visa can be obtained from the Airport Immigration Office for a period of 48 hours on presentation of confirmed air ticket. Visa Fee * Gratis visa for 30 days available only for tourists of SAARC countries * Multiple entry 15 days – US$ 25 or equivalent convertible currency * Multi ple entry 30 days – US$ 40 or equivalent convertible currency * Multiple entry 90 days – US$ 100 or equivalent convertible currency Visa Extension . It can be extended at the Department of Immigration, Maitighar, Kathmandu. Visa extension fee for 15 days or less is US $ 30 or equivalent convertible currency and visa extension fee for more than 15 days is US$ 2 per day * Tourist visa can be extended for a maximum period of 150 days in a single visa year (January – December). Currency ; Exchange Nepal’s official currency is the Nepalese Rupees. Nepalese Rupees are found in denominations of 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. Coins are found in denominations of Rs. 5, Rs. 2, Rs. 1 and 50 paisa. One rupee equals 100 paisa.All Major Banks, hotels, and the exchange counters in Kathmandu, Pokhara Chitwan and other touristic towns provide services for exchanging foreign currency. However, only 10 percent of the total amount may be converted by the bank. ATM i s widely in use in Kathmandu and other cities. Foreign Currency and Credit Card Credit cards like American Express, Master and Visa are widely accepted at major hotels, shops, travel- trekking agencies and restaurants. Remember to keep your Foreign Exchange Encashment Receipt while making foreign exchange payments or transferring foreign currency into Nepalese rupees.Time and Off Day Nepal Standard Time is 5 hours 45 minutes ahead of GMT and 15 minutes ahead of Indian standard time. Saturday is the official off-day in Nepal and all the Nepal Government offices remain closed. http://www. himalayanmentor. com/nepal-general-information. html http://images. search. conduit. com/ImagePreview/? q=number%20of%20tourist%20arrival%20in%20nepal%20in%20table;ctid=CT3289075;searchsource=10;CUI=UN34246542992609027;UM=1;start=0;pos=4 http://images. search. conduit. com/ImagePreview/? =number%20of%20tourist%20arrival%20in%20nepal%20in%20table;ctid=CT3289075;searchsource=10;CUI=UN34246542992609027; UM=1;start=0;pos=4 http://images. search. conduit. com/ImagePreview/? q=number+of+tourist+arrival+in+diagramin+nepal;ctid=CT3289075;SearchSource=10;FollowOn=true;PageSource=ImagePreview;SSPV=;CUI=UN34246542992609027;UP=;UM=1;start=0;pos=16 About Nepal| | General Information about Nepal Official name: Nepal Adhirajya (Kingdom of Nepal) Area: 147. 181 Square kmPopulation: 23. 5 million Capital: Kathmandu Political System: Multiparty Democracy with Constitutional Monarch Language: Nepali, English Religious Groups: Hindus (89. 5%), Buddhists (5. 3%), Muslims (2. 7%), Jains (0. 1%), Christians and others (0. 023%) Currency: Nepalese Rupee (NR)| | | Right click on image to zoom in| | National Holiday: 07 July (Birthday of the King)Information about Nepal Nepal is the only Hindu kingdom in the world. Nepal is spread across the main heights of the Himalayas and has always been a land of fascination.Nepal is a land of great contrasts with high Himalayan mountains, vast and icy glaciers, tiny houses, ancient history, artistic monuments, exotic wildlife sanctuaries, greenery and diverse cultures. It is the land where Lord Buddha was born over 2,500 years ago. Nepal is rectangular in shape, landlocked and covers an area of 147,181 square km. Nepal is situated between Tibet in the north and India in the South and has thus produced a remarkable mixture of people and culture thus offering a fascinating diversity of ethnic and cultural groups.After Nepal's long period of isolation Kathmandu has become the gateway to Nepal. The Kathmandu Valley is the cultural and political centre of Nepal. The capital of Nepal is Kathmandu. About half a million people lives in Kathmandu. Every aspect of Nepali life can be seen in Kathmandu, which is the center of travel and adventure activities. The Kathmandu Valley is magnificent for its wealth of unique temples. Nepali is the official language of Nepal and is spoken by most of the people. Till 1951, Nepal was a closed book for foreign visit ors. Till 1964, it was reserved only for hardy climbers and explorers.In recent years, the country has opened its doors to foreign and Indian tourists and millions of them visit this country every year. The experiences of the travelers who visit the Nepal for the first time are very different. Some of the tourists feels like stepping out of a time machine, some are thrilled by the pleasant atmosphere, while, some of them feel like living in a permanently air-conditioned state. Nepal can be visited throughout the year and in any season. |   | History of Nepal In the earlier days, Nepal was divided into small principalities which were fighting against each other.It was not till the arrival of the Mallas from north India that Nepal was launched into its first flowering of social and artistic creativity. The Mallas also took control of a major part of Nepal and Tibet. But, pattern of small, independent kingdoms continued and Nepal could not be unified. The Mallas had three separate ki ngdoms in the Kathmandu Valley itself, with their capitals at Kathmandu, earlier known as Kantipur, Patan, known as Lalitpur and Bhadgaon, known as Bhaktpur. The Mallas left their stone inscriptions in temples and carved them on the bases | | | of statues.As the Mallas grew weaker due to family feuds, they were replaced by the Shahs. It was during the rule of King Prithvi Narayan Shah (1730-75) that Nepal became more unified. He came from the Gurkha region. He was the first to use these tough fighters to strengthen his rule. The Gurkhas are still valued as great fighters and a large number of them are serving in the Indian and British armies. The King Prithvi Narayan Shah was responsible for the exclusion of European traders from the country. As the Shah dynasty became weak, the Ranas took over Nepal in 1846. The monarch only became a figurehead while the Ranas ruled the country.Nepal lost war to the British in 1857 and accepted their nominal allegiance. As a result, the Gurkhas fou ght several wars for Great Britain. They sided with them during the first War of Indian Independence in 1857. The British were so pleased with their loyalty that they returned some of the territories they had occupied after the defeat of the Nepalese. Subsequently, the Gurkhas fought other battles for Britain, including World War I & II. They fought in all parts of the World. After a popular revolution made by the ninth King Tribhuvan of Shah dynasty in 1950-51, the Ranas were defeated.The King Tribhuvan died in 1955 and was succeeded by his son Mahendra. Nepal became a member of the United Nations in 1955. The King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev was the 10th king in the dynasty. The King Birendra abolished party system. In 1990, a popular democratic revolt led to the re-establishment of a multi-party democratic system based on adult franchise. The new democratic Constitution of the kingdom was promulgated on November 9, 1990. The king remains the titular head of the government. In 19 94, Nepal elected communist party to form the government which has since been replaced by coalition government.Geography of Nepal Nepal is bounded in the north by Tibet – the autonomous region of China, in the east by Sikkim and West Bengal, in the south by Bihar and in the west by Uttar Pradesh. The land extends approximately for 885 km from east to west, and 193 km from north to south. The land in Nepal can be broadly divided into three regions which are Himalayan region, Mountain region and Terai region. The altitude of the Himalayan Region ranges between 4877 metres and 8848 metres with the snow-line running around 4877 metres. It includes all the major peaks of the Himalayas.The mountain region covers about 64 percent of the total land area of the country. It is formed by the Mahabharata Range which soar up to 4877 metres. The lowland Terai region lies at an altitude of 305 metres and occupies about 17 per cent of land area. Kachanakawal, the lowest point in the country, has an altitude of only 70 metres. It is located in Jhapa district of eastern Terai. The land rises from the Terai, the southern plains covered with tropical jungles and fertile farm land at almost sea level to the high Himalaya mountains in the north with valleys and lush hills in between within a distance of less than 200 km.The lowlands of the Terai are about one hundred metres above sea level. This, together with monsoon rains along the slopes facing south has resulted in compacting virtually all climate zones on the earth. Except the Terai region in the extreme south, the mid-valleys are seldom higher than 1220 metres above sea-level. Out of the ten peaks, eight highest peaks lies in Nepal. The Himalayas are the youngest and the highest mountain chains in the world. About a third of its 1000 km. long Himalayan range lies within Nepal.It has a convergence of 1310 magnificent pinnacles and peaks over 6000 metres including the world’s eight of the 14 giant peaks over 8000 metres high. Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak and Kanchanjunga, the third highest peak lies in Nepal. The other six peaks in Nepal are Lohtse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Manalsu and Annapurna I. Some of these unconquerable mountain peaks provide a vivid contrast with hand-sculpted landscape of farms in mountain valleys. |   | Flora and Fauna in Nepal Nepal is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of bio-diversity due to its unique geographical position and altitudinal variation.The elevation of the country ranges from 60m above sea level to the highest point on earth, Mt. Everest at 8,848 m, all with in a distance of 150 km resulting into climatic conditions from Sub-tropical to Artic. Nepal, occupying only 0. 1% of the earth is home to 2% of all the flowering plants in the world, 8% of the world’s population of birds (more than 848 species), 4% of mammals on earth, 11 of the world’s 15 families of butterflies (more than 500 species), 600 indigenous plant families, 319 species of exotic orchids. Climate in Nepal Nepal is a land of extreme contrasts as far as the climatic conditions are concerned.Nepal has four major seasons, namely, Winters from December to February, Spring from March to May, Summers from June to August, Autumn from September to November. The climate in Nepal ranges from the subtropical | | | monsoon conditions in the Terai region to cool temperate conditions in the higher areas and an alpine climate with snow and extreme day temperature in the mountains. As Nepal is situated in the northern hemisphere, so during the summers, it is the rainy season in Nepal. The monsoon lasts across the whole country from June to September when over 75% of the annual rainfall occurs.The amount of rainfall decreases from south to north and from east to west. The Mahabharat Lekh forces the moist monsoon air stream to rise that causes heavy rains on the hills in the south, especially in the Terai region. The Spring sea son is warmer than the autumn. In the high mountains in winters, the temperature drops below zero, while in the Kathmandu valley, daytime temperature rarely drop below 10 degrees Celsius. Pokhara is lower and warmer and more pleasant than Kathmandu in winter but hotter, more humid and less comfortable in summer.The post-monsoon period from October to November is characterized by settled weather, clear skies, no rain and moderately high temperatures. As winter approaches it gets cooler, especially at night. This is an ideal time to visit Nepal. Nepal can be visited the whole year round. Light weight clothing is recommended for May through October. Warm garments are required in October – March. An umbrella or a raincoat is a must for the rainy season. |   |  °C| Jan| Feb| Mar| Apr| May| June| July| Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. Day| 22| 24| 26| 29| 28| 28| 31| 30| 31| 28| 26| 23| Night| -5| -1| -2| 6| 7| 8| 10| 18| 19| 14| 5| -3| Rainfall| 1| 5| 2| 6| 10| 15| 21| 20| 12| 4| 1| 0| | | Economy of Nepal Nepal is primarily an agricultural country. About 90% of the population is engaged in agriculture, and there are very little industries. The Terai region occupies 23% of the land area and contains 42% of the population, is the most productive region. It accounts for over 80% of Nepal’s rice, and 65% of its wheat. Cash crops like sugar cane, jute, tobacco and tea also important. The Hill region occupies 43% of the area and contains 50% of the population.The fertile Kathmandu Valley contains 10% of the hill population and is the center of government. The mountain region occupies 34% of area, but only 8% of its people. This region is inhabited by the pastoral nomads. Most hill and mountain farm households own livestock whose main contribution to human existence is through their provision of manure and draught labour. A small surplus of grain and industrial products are exported to India. Carpet, jute, brick, sugar, cigarette, saw mill, rice mill, o il mill, beer and garments are the major industries. Tourism is one of the biggest foreign exchange earners. |   | People of NepalNepal has more than 61 ethnic groups and 70 spoken languages. It is believed that the first inhabitants of Nepal were Mongoloid or Tibetan who migrated to the fertile valleys in the south. They were mainly Buddhists who follow the Tantric rituals of Tibetan Buddhism. In the early centuries of the Christian era, they were joined by Indo-Aryans or Hindus from northern India, who took the charge of the country. They were followed by the Lichhivis who were Buddhists converted by Lord Buddha himself. The people were charming, naturally friendly and virtually untouched by the social, political and commercial changes taking place beyond its borders.Those early travelers were effusive in their praise of this wonderful but economically backward land. Today, the different races and tribes of people | | | live in different regions of Nepal. They follow varied cust oms, traditions, wear different costumes and speak different languages. The Rais, Limbus, Magars and Gurungs mainly lives in the eastern mountains and on the southern slopes of Annapurna Himachulti and Ganesh Hamal. They are popularly known as the Gurkha soldiers. The Sherpas popularly known as â€Å"tigers of snow† live to a height of 4000 metres and are the tough mountain climbers.The Sherpas have easy access to Bhot (Tibet) for trade and social intercourse and therefore Tibetan influence on their culture and civilization remains distinct. The Newars and Tamangs mostly inhabit the Kathmandu valley. The Tharu and Dhimals live in the Terai region. Brahmins, Chhetris and Thakuris are spread over the hills and valleys. The midlands are inhabited by various Tibeto-Burman and Indo-Aryan speaking hill and valley people. The people of Nepal mostly wear the handmade natural fiber cloth men and women in cotton, hemp, and wool. More†¦ Religion in Nepal About ninety per cent of th e people are Hindus, 5. per cent are Buddhists, 3% are Muslims and the rest of the people comprises of other religion. Hinduism and Buddhism are the two major religions in Nepal. There is a complex blend of Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal. Although a Hindu kingdom, all deities are worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists alike. A remarkable feature of the land is the mutual bond of friendship between the people of the two religions. Buddhists are mainly found along the northern border area and in the eastern part of the country. Hindus are found in the south and west and Muslims are mainly concentrated along the border with India.Festivals of Nepal The rich cultural heritage of Nepal is manifested by the diverse social customs and festivals. Some of the festivals which are celebrated in Nepal are Nepalese New Year, Linga Jatra or Bisket, Buddha Jayanti, the Red Machhendranath Rath Jatra, White Machhendranath Rath Jatra, Dhumji, Losar Festival, Gai Jatra, Desain, Durga Puja, Indra Jatra, Di wali and Shivaratri. More†¦ Languages of Nepal Most of the people speak the Nepali language. The Nepali is written in Devanagri script and is the official language of Nepal.Nepali, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Tamang and Nepalbhasa are the various languages which are spoken by more than half a million people. English and Hindi are widely understood in the urban centers. Tourist Attractions in Nepal Nepal offers an incomparable scope to connoisseurs of art and culture to see and study the different aspects of fine arts in its painting, sculpture, woodcarving and architecture. The three main historic cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur with numerous historical monuments, old places and palace squares, shrines and temples, ageless traditions and legends make it a veritable living museum.The city of Nepal comprises of three royal cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. The tourist attractions in Nepal are Kathmandu, Nagarkot, Dhulikhel, Daman, Pokhra, Royal Chitwan National Pa rk, Lumbini, Patan and Bhaktapur. The famous tourist attractions in Kathmandu are the Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Stupa, Bodhnath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple, Temple of Living goddess Kumari and Changu Narayan temple. |   | Wildlife in Nepal The main vegetation found in the Terai region are deciduous forests. The sal and teak are the main trees that are found in the Terai region.The grasslands are found in the far west and smaller areas in the mid west. The wide variety of wildlife is also found in the national parks in the Terai region. There are few wild animals in the central zone because of the lack of forest and other natural vegetation. Nepal is also home of a wide range of bird life like Impeyan pheasant, mahseer, snowcock, snow partidge, choughs, buntings and redstart. The country has managed to preserve more endangered species of flora and fauna than any other area in Asia. Nepal has nine National Parks and three | | Wildlife Reserves, which include areas in the highest mountains in the world as well sub-tropical lowland of the plains. Some of the famous national parks are Bardia National Park, Chitwan National Park, Sukla Phanta National Park, Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Everest National Park, Langtang National Park, Shey – Phoksundo National Park, Rara National Park, Khaptad National Park, Makalu – Barun National Park and Conservation Area, Annapurna, Manaslu Conservation Area, Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve. More†¦Entry Regulations in Nepal All the tourists, except the Indian nationals must have a valid passport and visa, before entering Nepal. But, now Indians traveling to Nepal by air have to show upon arrival at entry point either a passport, Voter’s Identity card issued by the Election Commission of India, or an identity card with photograph issued by the Nepal – based Indian diplomatic mission for identification of Indian nationals will also be considered in case of exceptions. C hildren under 10 years need not show any identification.Foreigner who intends to visit Nepal must hold valid passport or any travel document equivalent to passport issued by the Govt. for visiting a foreign country prior to apply for visa. No foreigner is entitled to enter into and stay in the Kingdom of Nepal without valid visa. The tourist visa can be obtained from any Royal Nepalese Embassy or Consulate valid for a period of 30 days. Visas can also be obtained for 15 days on arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu or at the other places.Chinese citizen are requested to apply in Royal Nepalese Embassy or other Nepalese diplomatic missions as there is no provision of on arrival visa for them. On arrival at the airport, you must produce the disembarkation card and fill up the embarkation card when you depart. All the tourists are also required to pay an airport tax. Currency in Nepal The main currency of Nepal is the Nepali rupees (NR). The facilities for convert ing foreign currency into the Nepali Rupees are available at the international airport, banks and hotels. The hotel bill can also be settled in the foreign currency.Tourists are also advised to obtain the encashment receipt in the exchange of foreign currency. It will help them to reconvert the leftover Nepali Rupees into dollars. The Indian Nationals can also bring the Indian rupees which can be easily accepted in the shops and hotels. Foreign currencies must be exchanged only through the banks or authorized foreign exchange dealers. The receipts from such transaction are to be obtained and retained. Customs Formalities All baggage must be declared and cleared through the customs on arrival at the entry.Personal effects are permitted free entry. A tourist may bring in dutiable goods, such as tobacco and liquors, within the prescribed quantity free of duty. Carrying narcotics, arms and ammunitions are strictly prohibited. Visitors can export souvenirs to their respective countries. The export of antiques requires special certificated from the Department of Archaeology, Kathmandu. Time in Nepal The time in Nepal is 5 hours 45 minutes ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time and 15 minutes ahead of Indian Standard Time. |   | Cuisine of Nepal The cuisine of Nepal is similar to Indian cuisine.Some of the dishes are prepared in similar way like the Indian dishes. The Nepalese cuisine is quite simple. The cuisine varies according to ethnic groups and castes, depending on ingredients available and affordable. Indian, Chinese and Tibetan flavors and aromas can easily be detected in Nepalese meals although Nepal's cuisine maintains its own flavour. Nepal's climate has made it possible for the country to grow crops such as rice, lentils, wheat, corn and potatoes. In Nepal, rice is the most common food and in most of the hotels almost all the 3 meals comprise of rice.The menu comprises of varieties of | | | Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Italian and German dishes. The Nepali food is generally very spicy and hot. It is eaten without starters, soups or courses. Whilst Nepalese cuisine is somewhat basic, it certainly does not lack in flavor, make extensive use of spices and flavorings such as ginger, garlic, coriander, pepper, cumin, chilies, cilantro, mustard oil, ghee and occasionally yak butter. A typical Nepali meal consists of rice, at least one lentil curry called Dal, Bhat (rice), Sag (green vegetables), Tarkari (curried vegetables), chutneys, pickles and desserts.Juju Dau, Dahi or curd and Sikarni are various desserts. Most of the people in Nepal are vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are not a part of the daily menu. Beef is typically not eaten in Nepal for religious reasons. Local liquor, tongba and thon (rice beer) are popular drinks of Nepal. Shopping in Nepal Kathmandu is a shopper's paradise. While roaming in the markets, one could see that Nepal is highly influenced by the Hinduism ; Buddhism. All the masks, figures and various items are based on Hinduism and Buddhism.The most popular shopping items in Kathmandu are the Tibetan carpets, Jewellery, pottery, art and craft items, leather jackets, hand made belts, statues of Lord Buddha, wooden toys, decorated metal knives and varieties of hand-made garments like shawls, sweaters, trousers and caps. The customers can get a better bargain as the first price quoted is always higher than the price that will eventually be accepted for commodities. Accommodation in Nepal Nepal has every category of accommodation facilities. These range from the international standard star hotels to budget hotels and lodges.In order to have an assured quality service, it is advisable to use the facilities and services of government registered hotels, lodges, travel agencies, the licensed tour guides only and engage an authorized trekking guide or porter only through a registered travel or trekking agency. How to reach Nepal Nepal is adequately served by major international airlines besides its own national carrier – Royal Nepal Airlines. Some of the airlines which operates flight to Kathmandu are China, Lufthansa German Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines, Indian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Thai International and Singapore.It also operates flight to Europe, USA, India, China and Japan. The tourists can also enter into Nepal from India through the Terai region by a picturesque highway built by India. It is also not difficult to reach any part of Nepal through any means of transport, but there is no railway network within Nepal. All visitors entering Nepal by land must use no other entry points other than Kakarbhitta, Birgunj, Belhiya, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Dhangadi, Mahendra Nagar in the Nepal-India border and Kodari in the Nepal-China border. The overland tourists entering the Kingdom with