Biography of Alan Greenspan

It is somewhat inconceivable that a man often dubbed as the â€Å"second most powerful man in the United States next to the president himself†, was an undergraduate at the Juilliard School, studying the clarinet. A former member of a jazz band and perfectly capable of playing the saxophone, Alan Greenspan is a name known in every American household, where a staggering statistic of 9 out of 10 American adults are acquainted with who Greenspan is, as opposed to knowing who the Vice President of the United States is.Born to a Hungarian Jewish family on March 6, 1926, Alan Greenspan spent his formative years in Washington Heights, New York. Having an aptitude for numbers, Greenspan was the one who was often left with the bands bookkeeping and his natural inclination towards business was what prompted his transition from studying musical arts to studying economics. Thus, enrolling at the New York University on September 1944, he went on to earn two degrees in economics, graduating summa cum laude in 1948 and attaining his MA in 1950.Although he was never able to finish his PhD at Columbia University owing to a lack of a dissertation, he attained it later on at NYU in 1977 without having to make the particular requirement as well as honorary Doctor of Commercial Science on December 14, 2005. Almost 40 years before his appointment as chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan’s professional career began as an economic analyst at the National Industrial [Insert Last Name 2] Conference Board, where he stayed on from 1947 to 1953.He then proceeded to open, along with William Townsend, Townsend, Greenspan & Company, an economic consulting firm in New York City where he served as the firm’s president and chairman for a little over 33 years. Having accepted the job as a coordinator on domestic policy under Richard Nixon during the presidential campaign in 1968 and later as the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in 1974 to 1977 under Geral d Ford, the company was seen to be dwindling down from success.Successors to the chairmanship of the Federal Reserve that was being vacated by Paul Volcker were being nominated and Alan Greenspan’s name was among those in mind. Nominated by Ronald Reagan, Greenspan’s nomination hearing went through on July 21 1987 and confirmed by the Senate on August 11, 1987. He was faced with his first ever crisis; the 1987 stock market rash which was one of the biggest crashes in the history of Wall Street.His period serving at the Fed has allowed him to build credibility and flexibility in affecting the economy, combating recession by lowering the interest rates without so putting so much of a shock on the bond market. Serving as the chairman of the Federal Reserve for four terms under past presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Greenspan was nominated by President George Bush to serve his fifth tem on May 18, 2004, an extraordinary feat that has yet to be s urpassed.Among his many awards and titles that he received during his service was the Presidential Medal of Freedom, bestowed upon him by President George W. bush in November 2005, Knight Commander of the British Empire in 2002 and Commander of the Legion of Honor. Having appointed another successor in the person of yet another former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers to ensure a [Insert Last Name 3] smooth changeover, Greenspan’s stay as a member of the board officially reached a close on January 31, 2006. Converted from being a logical positivist, he became an advocate of Objectivism due to the influence of Nathaniel Branden.He was introduced to Ayn Rand, the Objectivist author who was to become his mentor and friend, by his first wife, Joan Mitchell. A supporter of Rand’s philosophy, Greenspan wrote several literary pieces for the Objectivist newsletters as well as contributions for Capitalism; the Unknown Ideal, Rand’s book published in 1966 among which was an essay supporting the gold standard. A known advocate of laissez faire capitalism, a number of Objectivists find irony in the way that Greenspan supports the gold standard in spite of the Federal Reserve's role in America's fiat money system and endogenous inflation.Harry Binswanger claims that Greenspan falls short of his support of the Objectivist and free market principles as evinced by his publicly expressed opinions and actions while working for the Federal Reserve. Following his retirement from the Federal Reserve, Greenspan has a new company; the Greenspan Associates LLC, working as an advisor, making speeches and offering consulting for other firms. He has written his own memoir, The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World, which was published on September 17, 2007. In it, he tells of his history in the service of the U. S.government as well as issues, present and future, concerning global economy, where he voices out his criticisms of President George Bush , VP Dick Cheney and the Republican-controlled Congress. Having been given his third stint as a private adviser, Greenspan was hired by Paulsen &Co in the middle of January 2008 to get his input on economic issues and monetary policies. As such, he will be advising them on issues the U. S. economy and the world financial markets. [Insert Last Name 4] Works Cited Sheehan, Fred. â€Å"Alan, We Hardly Know You’. 20 July 2007. Safehaven. 12 April 2008. < http://www. safehaven. com/article-8006. htm>

The Voting Rights Act of 1965

The 1965 Enactment By 1965 concerted efforts to break the grip of state disfranchisement had been under way for some time, but had achieved only modest success overall and in some areas had proved almost entirely ineffectual. The murder of voting-rights activists in Philadelphia, Mississippi, gained national attention, along with numerous other acts of violence and terrorism.Finally, the unprovoked attack on March 7, 1965, by state troopers on peaceful marchers crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, en route to the state capitol in Montgomery, persuaded the President and Congress to overcome Southern legislators' resistance to effective voting rights legislation. President Johnson issued a call for a strong voting rights law and hearings began soon thereafter on the bill that would become the Voting Rights Act.Congress determined that the existing federal anti-discrimination laws were not sufficient to overcome the resistance by state officials to enforcement of the 15t h Amendment. The legislative hearings showed that the Department of Justice's efforts to eliminate discriminatory election practices by litigation on a case-by-case basis had been unsuccessful in opening up the registration process; as soon as one discriminatory practice or procedure was proven to be unconstitutional and enjoined, a new one would be substituted in its place and litigation would have to commence anew.President Johnson signed the resulting legislation into law on August 6, 1965. Section 2 of the Act, which closely followed the language of the 15th amendment, applied a nationwide prohibition against the denial or abridgment of the right to vote on the literacy tests on a nationwide basis. Among its other provisions, the Act contained special enforcement provisions targeted at those areas of the country where Congress believed the potential for discrimination to be the greatest.Under Section 5, jurisdictions covered by these special provisions could not implement any ch ange affecting voting until the Attorney General or the United States District Court for the District of Columbia determined that the change did not have a discriminatory purpose and would not have a discriminatory effect. In addition, the Attorney General could designate a county covered by these special provisions for the appointment of a federal examiner to review the qualifications of persons who wanted to register to vote.Further, in those counties where a federal examiner was serving, the Attorney General could request that federal observers monitor activities within the county's polling place. The Voting Rights Act had not included a provision prohibiting poll taxes, but had directed the Attorney General to challenge its use. In Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections, 383 U. S. 663 (1966), the Supreme Court held Virginia's poll tax to be unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment.Between 1965 and 1969 the Supreme Court also issued several key decisions upholding the const itutionality of Section 5 and affirming the broad range of voting practices that required Section 5 review. As the Supreme Court put it in its 1966 decision upholding the constitutionality of the Act: Congress had found that case-by-case litigation was inadequate to combat wide-spread and persistent discrimination in voting, because of the inordinate amount of time and energy required to overcome the obstructionist tactics invariably encountered in these lawsuits.After enduring nearly a century of systematic resistance to the Fifteenth Amendment, Congress might well decide to shift the advantage of time and inertia from the perpetrators of the evil to its victims. South Carolina v. Katzenbach, 383 U. S. 301, 327-28 (1966). Back to top The 1970 and 1975 Amendments Congress extended Section 5 for five years in 1970 and for seven years in 1975. With these extensions Congress validated the Supreme Court's broad interpretation of the scope of Section 5.During the hearings on these extens ions Congress heard extensive testimony concerning the ways in which voting electorates were manipulated through gerrymandering, annexations, adoption of at-large elections, and other structural changes to prevent newly-registered black voters from effectively using the ballot. Congress also heard extensive testimony about voting discrimination that had been suffered by Hispanic, Asian and Native American citizens, and the 1975 amendments added protections from voting discrimination for language minority citizens.In 1973, the Supreme Court held certain legislative multi-member districts unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment on the ground that they systematically diluted the voting strength of minority citizens in Bexar County, Texas. This decision in White v. Regester, 412 U. S. 755 (1973), strongly shaped litigation through the 1970s against at-large systems and gerrymandered redistricting plans. In Mobile v. Bolden, 446 U. S. 5 (1980), however, the Supreme Court required that any constitutional claim of minority vote dilution must include proof of a racially discriminatory purpose, a requirement that was widely seen as making such claims far more difficult to prove. Back to top The 1982 Amendments Congress renewed in 1982 the special provisions of the Act, triggered by coverage under Section 4 for twenty-five years. Congress also adopted a new standard, which went into effect in 1985, providing how jurisdictions could terminate (or â€Å"bail out† from) coverage under the provisions of Section 4.Furthermore, after extensive hearings, Congress amended Section 2 to provide that a plaintiff could establish a violation of the Section without having to prove discriminatory purpose. The 2006 Amendments Congress renewed the special provisions of the Act in 2006 as part of the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Cesar E. Chavez, Barbara Jordan, William Velazquez and Dr. Hector Garcia Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act. The 2006 legislation eliminated the provision for voting examiners.

Notes for Driving

When you become a driver you are part of the â€Å"system†. This â€Å"system† is the Highway Transportation System (HTS) 3 parts to the HTS: 1- People 2- Vehicles – all types 3- Roadways The goal of the HTS is to move people and cargo from one place to another in a safe, efficient, and economical manner. How is the HTS regulated? By local, state, and federal government agencies. The federal government established the National Highway Safety Act. All agencies enforce the following guidelines set forth in this act. 1- Vehicle code – the laws that have been passed – Assure that these laws are obeyed 3- Motor vehicle departments set the rules to assure that driver and vehicle standards are met 4- Rules for the courts to go by for guilty or innocent 5- Engineers plan, build, and maintain roadways The driving task This involves all of the social, physical and mental skills required to drive. You MUST develop habits to perform these tasks with low-risks r esults. Habits you MUST develop: 1- Using knowledge and visual skills 2- Obey all traffic laws 3- Judging time and space – Anticipating how your car will react under normal and emergency situations SOCIAL SKILLS – You must be able to drive while interacting with other people – Courtesy and cooperation make low-risk driving possible PHYSICAL SKILLS You need to practice and develop the skills needed to drive, until they become a habit. MENTAL SKILLS Decision-making is a mental skill you need to develop in order to be a safe, low-risk driver. Developing the IPDE System into your driving. I – identify important information in the oncoming scene. P – predict when and where possible points of conflict will develop.Compare and Contrast Driving in the Winter and Driving in the SummerD – decide when, where, and how to communicate, adjust speed, and/or change position to avoid conflict. E – execute the right action to prevent conflict. There ar e two other systems that can help you in the IPDE system: 1- The Smith System – helps develop seeing habits 2- The Zone Control System – helps you manage the space around your car. You need to develop the system approach to become a defensive driver. This will help you lower your risks and keep you and others from dangerous situations. Your Driving Responsibilities DRIVING IS A PRIVILEGE – NOT A RIGHTThe privilege is based on the assumption that you will be a responsible traffic citizen and obey the traffic laws. ATTITUDE Your attitude toward driving as well as life affects your willingness to develop the habits needed to be a safe driver. ROAD RAGE What is it and what causes it Breakdowns in the HTS. These occur when any part of the HTS does not work well. Collision – occurs when a vehicle has a problem and hits another object. Which is more correct? Collision or Accident? An accident is something that happens by chance†¦ a collision is something th at has a predictable cause. The most common cause for a collision is†¦DRIVER ERROR (P. 9) Causes of deaths: A major cause of vehicle deaths is†¦ LACK OF EXPERENCE Social and Economical Loss Collisions cause social and economical loss by: – property damages (p10) – time away from work or school – medical fees – insurance premiums Your financial responsibilities. – vehicle related costs: fuel, maintaince, and insurance. – Any damage that you cause while driving. Your environmental responsibilities. – air and water pollution – chemical spills – land pollution What you need to do: 1- maintain your vehicle – buy fuel efficient vehicles 3- use fuel efficient driving practices 4- recycle materials you can 5- car pool or use public transportation when you can 6- work with the government to encourage use of energy-efficient driving DRIVERS LICENSE Most of the time young drivers simply make mistakes from inexperie nce. 41% of young people killed in collisions died in single car collisions. GETTING YOUR LICENSE IN SC The Graduated Licensing System 1- Permit – can drive with an adult licensed driver – must have permit for 6 months (180 days) must log at least 40 hours of driving at night 2- Intermediate (restricted) – must have had a permit for 180 days and completed a driver’s education course – can drive from dawn ‘til dusk by yourself – drive at night with a licensed adult – limited number of passengers – must not get into a collision or have any violation for 180 days. Violators turn the clock back to zero. – Repeated violations could land you in traffic school. 3- Full License – unrestricted driving – as related to time of day you can drive alone.Organ Donor Program You may indicate on your license that you wish to be an organ donor. IMPLIED CONSENT PROGRAM (LAW) When you sign your license in SC you give an officer the right to test your blood alcohol content (BAC). If you refuse the test you will lose your driving privilege. WHY DO YOU TAKE A DRIVER’S EDUCATION COURSE Chapter 2 Signs, Signals, and Roadway Markings Traffic Signs There are three types 1- Regulatory – control traffic flow 2- Warning – alerts of a possible hazard or road condition 3- Guide – give direction Stop Signs This is the only red, octagon sign we have.You must come to a COMPLETE(full) stop at this sign. Four-way stops – rules you need to follow 1- The first one stopped gets to go first 2- If 2 cars get there at the same time, the car on the right gets to go first 3- If 2 cars get there together and are across from each other, the car traveling straight goes first 4- If 3 or 4 cars get there together, one needs to enter the intersection to show intent, but with caution 5- ALWAYS CHECK THE INTERSECTION BEFORE ENTERING IT Yield Signs This is the upside down triangle – red and whiteYou must allow others in the intersection or approaching the intersection to go first before you. This is called giving the right of way. Right of way is given, not taken. p. 2 Speed Limit Signs These are white, mostly rectangles, with black writing. They indicate what the safest maximum speed for that roadway in IDEAL conditions. Basic Speed Laws state that when conditions are not IDEAL you must not travel faster than what is safe for the conditions. Advisory Speed Limits are set for certain sections of the roadway. Once you have cleared that section you may resume the posted speed limit.Warning Signs These are yellow signs that warn you of upcoming conditions in the roadway. Most are diamond shaped with black symbols. School Signs indicate where school zones and crossings are. They are shaped like a house (pentagon). No Passing Signs are placed before where the roadway begins to narrow. Construction Signs indicate where construction zones are. They are orange signs with blac k symbols and letters. Railroad Signs – There are two types of railroad signs; a yellow circle with a black â€Å"X† and two â€Å"R†s also black and a white cross with black railroad crossing letters.The yellow sign indicates you are approaching a railroad crossing and the white â€Å"X† indicates where the railroad tracks begin. p. 3 Guide Signs These signs mark routes, intersections, service areas, and other points of interest. Route signs are local, state, U. S. and interstate markers. US = white shield on a black sign with black #s State = white square with black #s and letters Interstate = red and blue shield with white letters and #s Even #s = east and west Odd #s = north and south 3 numbered route that begins with an odd # goes into a city 3 numbered route that begins with an even # goes round a city (beltway) Other guide signs are: Green = give information on destinations and distances Blue = roadway service information (hospital â€Å"H†) Brown = recreation areas and points of interest TRAFFIC SIGNALS Include traffic lights, arrows, flashing signals, lane signals, and pedestrian signals. Traffic lights are red, green, and yellow. Red = stop Green = proceed through the intersection if it is clear to do so. Yellow = slow and stop if you can do so safely. Right turn on red and left turn on red. When can you do it. p. 4 Flashing signals: Red – treat it as a stop signYellow – treat it as a yield sign Arrows tell you the direction in which your lane must travel. Green = proceed if it is clear to do so Yellow = yield and stop if possible Red = Stop only in that direction Lane Signals – these lights will switch the direction of traffic in a certain lane to control the need for traffic flow. Pedestrian Signals – allow walkers to cross at an intersection safely. â€Å"walk† â€Å"don’t walk† When a police officer is standing in the intersection, their directions overrule any si gnal. Roadway markings These are yellow or white lines as well as arrows, stop lines and crossings.Broken Yellow Line = separates two-way traffic and you may pass when it is clear to do so. Solid Yellow Lines = separate two-way traffic and you are not allowed to pass. Shared Turn Lanes = you may enter and wait until it is clear before you turn left across traffic. Broken White Line = separates traffic traveling the same direction. You may pass if it is clear to do so. Solid White Line = indicates the right side of the road and should not be crossed. White Arrows = indicate which direction you are allowed to travel in that particular lane. Rumble Strips — Lane Reflectors – Yellow Curb Markings Chapter 3 Basic Vehicle ControlsINSTRUMENT PANEL Speedometer – tells you how fast you are going Tachometer – tells you how many revolutions your engine makes in one minute Odometer – tells you how far your car has traveled in its lifetime Fuel Gauge – t ells you how much gas is in your gas tank Temperature gauge or light – warns you when the coolant in your engine is too hot Oil pressure warning light or gauge – warns you when the oil is not circulating at the proper pressure Alternator warning light or gauge – tells you there is a problem with your electrical system, the alternator is not generating enough electricity to keep the engine runningBrake system warning light – tells you 1st that your parking brake is engaged and 2nd that there is a problem in your braking system Antilock braking system light – tells you that your ABS is working properly Safety belt light – reminds you to fasten your safety belt Air bag warning light – tells you that your air bags are working properly Turn signal indicators – tells you which direction that you have indicated you are going to turn. Most are small green arrows. High beam indicator – tells you that your high beam head lights ar e on, blue light. VEHICLE CONTROLS Steering wheel – controls the direction of the front wheels.Turn right to go right and turn left to go left. Steering wheel adjustment lever – can tilt the wheel up and down Selector lever – lets you put the car in a gear. Either on the steering column or in the center console. Gear shift lever – lets you put a manual transmission car into a gear. Ignition Starter switch – you start the engine by putting the key into the ignition switch. Page 42 – picture or positions Cruise control – lets you set and maintain a certain speed. Parking brake – keeps the car in place when it is parked. Locations? Clutch pedal – is in a manual transmission car, is located to the left of the foot brake and s pushed down (in) to change gears. Foot brake pedal – push the pedal down to slow and stop the car. Also makes the brake light on the back of your car light up. Accelerator pedal – Located to the right of the brake pedal, push it down to get the car to go faster, release the pedal to get the car to slow down. SAFETY, COMMUNICATION & COMFORT DEVICES Safety belts – always wear you seat belt when your car is in motion. It will help protect you from injury in a collision. Head restraints – padded devices that help prevent head injuries in collisions. Inside and outside rearview mirrors – these mirrors help you see what is behind your car ithout turning around and looking. Blind spots are the areas that your mirrors do not show you. Horn – located on the steering wheel. Hazard flasher control – located on the steering wheel or control panel. Turns on both sets of turn signals when engaged. Windshield wipers and washers – one switch for both usually, it turns on your wipers and squirts water onto your windshield to clean off the dirt. Light switch – controls the headlights, taillights, side marker lights, instrument panel, li cense plate and dome light. Hood release lever – located on the left side under the instrument panel, pull to release he hood, then go out and open by releasing the front latch. Heater, air conditioner, and defroster – heating and air conditioner warm and cool the car passenger area and the defroster keeps the windows clear of moisture. Sun visors – located above the windshield, pull down to block the sun. Seat adjustment lever – usually at eh lower front or left side of the seat. GETTING READY TO DRIVE Outside Checks 1- Walk around the car looking for obstructions and spills. 2- Glance at the tires. 3- Where are the front wheels pointed. 4- Make sure that the windows are clean and clear. Lights also. – Check back window ledge for sight obstructions. 6- Look inside for any unwanted passengers. Getting into the car 1- Have your keys ready, especially if you enter from the road side. 2- Walk around the front of your car and back to the door facing tr affic. 3- Get in quickly, lock the doors and put the key in the ignation. Inside Checks 1- Lock the doors 2- Adjust your seat and steering wheel so that you are about 10 inches from the wheel 3- Your hands should be able to reach the steering wheel with your elbows slightly bent and you should be able to reach the pedals with your knees slightly bent. – Your head restraint should be adjusted to hit the middle of your head. 5- Adjust your rear view mirror and side mirrors 6- Fasten seat belts. DRIVING AN AUTOMATIC VEHICLE Gear selector lever positions: P = park – transmission is locked in this position. R = reverse – used for backing up (backup lights) N = neutral – allows the wheels to roll without engine power D = drive – moves your car forward (overdrive) Low (L1, L2 or 1,2) = allow you to put more power to the wheels at lower speeds Starting the Engine 1- make sure that the parking brake is set 2- gear selector is in park – don’t p ress the accelerator (fuel injection) 4- Turn the key to ON and then START. Release the key when the engine starts 5- Check your gauges, lights and fuel level CHAPTER 4 Managing Risks with the IPDE Process The IPDE Process Every driver uses some kind of process to help them drive. Those who don’t, have a higher risk of collisions. The IPDE process helps reduce these risks. Risk can cause collisions. Factors that contribute to this risk are the driver, the vehicle, the roadway and the environment. Driver-contributed factors: – adjusting the radio – being angry or upset – blurred vision grooming – driving while drinking – cell phones If you are doing one or more of these and the driver you meet is doing one or more of these then you are increasing your risk. You can control what you do but you can’t be sure about what the other driver is doing. Vehicle-contributed factors: – bald tires – bad brakes – dirty windshiel d – broken or burnt out headlights – worn out wiper blades Roadway and environment-contributed factors: – bright sun – construction – dark shadows – snow or ice – sharp curvesGood drivers make an effort to lower these risks if at all possible. Taking care of your vehicle and practicing a process, such as the IPDE, you can lessen your risks while you drive. The IPDE process Safe driving depends of your ability to see and analyze traffic situations correctly. The driving task is mostly a thinking task. When you are not thinking about your task of driving you increase your risk of a collision. By using the IPDE process you can develop the habits that allow you to drive more effectively while thinking of other things. The four parts of the IPDE, identify, predict, decide and execute.The IPDE process can be enhanced with the aid of The Smith System: – Aim High – Get the big picture – Keep your eyes moving – Leav e yourself a way out – Make sure they can see you As well as the Zone Control System: – See a zone change – Check other zones – Create time and space by getting the best speed control, lane position, and communication Identify – you must know when to look, where to look, how to look and what to look for. The sooner you can learn to identify the correct things the more time you will have to react.The Zone Control System aids you in this. You have six zones around your car, each zone is about the width of a lane and extend as far as the driver can see. (pic. 65) An open zone is a space you can drive without a restriction to your line of sight or your intended path of travel. Your target area is the section of the road that is the center of your intended path. Far out there, up the road. A closed zone would be an area that your car can not go into without conflict. Book example is a red traffic light. You have to react to the light. The sooner you ide ntify the closed zones the more time you have to respond.You should develop searching habits in three ranges: 1- your target area range – as far as you can see 2- 12-15 second range – 12 to 15 sec. in front of you 3- 4-6 second range – where your car will be in 4-6 seconds How to develop an Orderly Visual Search Pattern: steps on page 67 Your Field of Vision affects how you search. Most people have a field of vision which covers about 90 degrees to each side or 180 degrees total. Central Vision is what you are focusing on, it’s about 10 degrees. Peripheral Vision is the rest of your field of vision that is not in focus.When you are scanning the scene you need to Aim High in Steering. This means to look down the road, into your target area, and not just in front of your car. You also need to keep your eyes moving, this helps you scan the scene. If you put all of these scanning methods together you will Get the Big Picture. What do you need to look for? Loo k for open zones – you want to look for things that could cause the open zone to close. Look for other users – look for anyone who could affect your path of travel. Ground viewing – look at the vehicle approaching for clues that they will come into your path.Look for roadway features and conditions – intersections, hills, curves, width of the road (multilane to single lane, change in width of lane, surface & hazards) Look for traffic controls – know where controls are located at different times and places. Predict – once you have identified, you need to predict how the hazard might affect your path of travel. How you go through the predicting process will help determine how the hazard may affect you. Learning how to look at a situation is important. You must identify all possible hazards to determine what each one may do. Knowledge of driving laws and this class will help you predict.You know what the driver is supposed to do and how they ar e supposed to react to certain traffic situations. You must however make yourself prepare ahead of time for situations that could occur. Play the head games at times. The main thing that makes you a better predictor is EXPERENCE. You can’t get it if you don’t experience it. The two things that you must be able to predict are the actions of other vehicle users and the way your car is going to react in situations. When predicting the actions of others you need to look at their path of travel, the actions they may make, do I have an open zone? , and where might the point of conflict be?Predicting the reactions of your vehicle is the easiest of this process. You should know what condition your car is in, how are the tires, how soon can I stop, etc. Decide – Once you have identified and predicted what may happen, you now need to decide what you need to do. Maintain, swerve, brake, speed up, or just communicate with my lights or horn. You may decide to change your spe ed. You can avoid conflicts by maintaining, slowing down, or speeding up. To make a change in direction you need to look at your zones. Try to leave yourself a way out or cushion so you are able to move into that area without conflict.You may also avoid conflict by changing you position in your lane. You may need to be centered, slightly left or slightly right in your lane. If you decide that all you need to do is communicate with the other driver you may do this by your lights, horn, car position or eye contact. You want to try to minimize your number of hazards by separating the hazards. Sometimes you are going to have to pick the hazard that will possibly do the least amount of damage. This is compromising space. Give way to the big truck swerving into your lane. Execute- Once you make your decision you need to execute it. Remember, DON†T second guess yourself.The three areas that you have execution control over are speed control, steering, and communication. The hardest th ing when driving is how so I handle multiple conflicts that occur? Being able to use the IPDE process effectively takes practice and time. You are not as good at using it today as you will be next week. You will learn how to use the IPDE process selectively. This means that you start one process and something else will come up that makes you begin the process all over again. Remember this: You used the IPDE Process getting to this class today and you will use it again going to every class you take today.Chapter 5 Natural Laws and Car Control In this chapter you will learn about gravity and energy of motion, friction and traction, stopping distance and controlling the force of impact. Gravity – Gravity is the force that pulls you to the earth. Going up and down hills in a car you can feel the pull of gravity. You need to be able to adjust your driving to accommodate for this pull. The point at which your car’s weight is evenly distributed is called the center of gravity . The lower the center of gravity, the better the handling of the car. Energy of Motion – Energy of motion is called kinetic energy.What you must understand about this energy is the way it will affect your driving. The faster your vehicle is moving, the more energy you have, the heavier it weighs, the more energy of motion it has. Two important facts to know† 1- Your energy of motion doubles when the weight doubles 2- Your energy of motion increases by the square when your speed increases by a certain amount. ( speed doubles – energy quadruples) If your energy of motion increases your stopping distance will also go up that amount. Friction and Traction Friction is the force that keeps your tires from sliding on the road.Traction makes it possible for your vehicle to grip the road for you to change speed and direction. The grooved surface of the tire is called the tread. This tread cuts through the water on the road allowing your tire to grip the road. As the amou nt of tread decreases, the amount of traction also decreases. If the tire tread gets worn almost completely off (bald tire) the possibility of a blowout becomes great. A blowout is when the tire loses all pressure at once. The way your tire is inflated also determines how much of the tire tread is touching the road. An under inflated tire causes the tread to gap in the middle.An over inflated tire causes the tire tread to only touch in the middle (like a balloon) Things that could reduce the traction you have are: 1- bad tires 2- bad shocks 3- faulty steering system 4- road surfaces Checking for traction while you are driving can be done but must be done carefully. – check rear zone – brake gently for response – if you don’t slow down reduce speed Driving on curves can be very tricky. The energy of motion tries to keep your car in a straight line but the traction from the tires pulls you around the curve. Driving around curves: – Speed – red uce your speed to avoid skids 2- Sharpness – the sharper the curve the more traction you will need to go around it. 3- Banked – most curves are banked, this helps prevent your car from wanting to stay in a straight line. 4- Load – The heaver the load or weight of your vehicle the more friction it is going to take to get through the curve. Stopping Distance Total Stopping Distance – the distance your car travels while you are making a stop. Total stopping distance is made up of three parts: 1- perception distance 2- reaction distance 3- braking distance Look at the chart on page 98.To estimate the distance you need to stop you can use the four second rule. – pick a spot in the road, a sign or driveway – When the car in front of you reaches that point begin counting, one-thousand one, one-thousand two†¦ – If your car gets to that same point after you reach one-thousand four you have enough space to stop if you need to. Factors that affect you’re stopping distance: – Speed – the higher the speed the longer the distance – Car condition – worn out tires, etc need more distance – Surface – rain, snow, ice, dirt, leaves & gravel increase the distance Driver ability – if distracted or impaired you increase the distance – ABS – helps when stopping while turning – Hills – up or down hills shortens or lengthens the distance – Loads – the weight of your vehicle, heavier takes longer. Force of Impact The force at which a moving object hits another object is force of impact. Force of impact is determined by: 1- Speed 2- Weight 3- Distance between impact and stopping Safety Belts When you are in a collision, three collisions actually take place. First the car hits an object and stops.Second, you hit the inside of the car or a restraining device (seat belt) Third, your body organs slam against your skeleton or each other. Ther e are two types of restraining devices: 1- restraining devices – seat belts 2- passive restraining devices – air bags (automatic) Air Bags Air bags deploy automatically. They are there to protect your life. When an air bag deploys it comes out at a speed over 200 mph. Air bags are designed to work with the seat belts. Just relying on the air bag will not save your life. To avoid the air bag injuring your arms or shoulders you need to keep your hands about 9 and 3 or a little below.You don’t want to sit too close to the air bag, @ 10 away is good. Tilt your steering wheel to deploy the bag at your chest and not your face. Of course, child seats need to be in the rear seat or facing away from the air bags. Some air bags now have a feature that senses the weight of the person in the seat and will deploy in two stages. Some vehicles have switches for you to turn the passenger air bag off. Other protective devices in vehicles today: n Automatic seat belts n Front and rear crush areas n Energy absorbing bumpers n Side door beams n Reinforced windshields Energy absorbing steering wheel and column n Padded dash n Child seats built in n Head restraints Chapter 6 Performing Basic Vehicle Maneuvers STEERING Straight forward: hands should be at a comfortable spot, look ahead and avoid looking at your feet and hands. You need to pay attention to what is approaching you. Try to avoid over or under-steering: over-steering is when you make too sharp of a turn and you weave from side to side; under-steering is when you don’t turn the wheel enough to keep it on its intended path. When you are trying to back a straight line (driving test skill) you need to: – keep the brake pressed and put the car in reverse 2- turn your body to the right, put your right arm over the back of the passenger seat and look out of the back window. 3- Place your left hand at 12 o’clock on the steering wheel 4- Release your pressure on the brake enough to get m oving 5- Adjust your position by turning the wheel in the direction that you wish to go 6- Keep you foot over the brake (covering) and take quick glances to the front and sides checking for traffic. When you wish to stop keep looking out of the back window until you have come to a complete stop. SIGNALINGMake it a habit to signal your intent every time you plan to turn or stop. You must use your turn signals when you are making a left or right turn, changing lanes, & pulling over to the side of the road. Make sure that you know the hand signals for when you are driving. Left arm out and angled up = right turn Left arm out and pointing straight out = left turn Left arm out and angled down = braking You need to remember to signal early but not too early. CHANGING LANES You must be able to make the lane change smoothly and safely each and every time. Try to get the steering down. You don’t want to over or understeer. Steps for a lane change: – Check traffic in front and t o the side in which you are going to move into 2- Signal your intent and check your blind spot 3- Increase your speed slightly as you steer into the next lane; if it is clear to do so 4- Cancel your signal, if it did not do so automatically, and adjust your speed and steering. MAKING TURNS AND TURNABOUTS Two methods for steering your car: 1- Hand over hand 2- Push – pull Left and Right Hand Turns You should make a turn only after you have checked traffic. 1- Look for pedestrians and oncoming vehicles; check your rear zone for cars getting ready to pass you. – Plan well in advance. Put yourself in the correct lane well before the turn. 3- Obey all traffic signals and controls plus roadway markings. When turning left you MUST yield to oncoming traffic. Procedures for turning: (page 114) 1- Get in the proper lane 2- Brake early and get to the proper speed 3- Do a visual search 4- Before the crosswalk you should be at about 10 mph 5- Turning right you need to check left th en right and begin your turn when your front bumper reaches the curve of the curb line. 6- For a left turn check left then right and then left again.Begin your turn when your front bumper gets to the center of the intersection. 7- As you begin your turn check your blind spot and turn into the first lane you come to. When you are backing to your left you want to look more over your left shoulder to where you are trying to back. If backing right you want to look over your right shoulder. You will use hand over hand steering and do the visual search before you begin the maneuver. Turnabouts Precautions when you are planning to do a turnabout: †¢Be sure that local laws permit it †¢Need at least 500 feet of visibility Don’t do on hills or curves or within 200 feet of an intersection †¢Should not be done where high-speed traffic or any traffic would be †¢Check all zones while doing the turnabout U-Turn Select your spot and signal right to move over and stop. Whe n the way is clear, turn on your left signal and move into the lane Check your front and left rear zones and your blind spot. Turn the wheel hard left and move through the turn until you have completely turned around. Driveway turnabouts Backing into on the right Pull in on the left Pull in on the right Which of these is the safest? Three point turnabout (driving test skill)Check your zones, signal right and pull to the curb (or side of road) and stop Signal left, turn the wheel hard left and pull across the road as far as you can Signal right, put the car in reverse, turn the wheel hard right and back as far as you need to back Signal left, put the car in Drive, turn the wheel hard right and pull forward finishing the turnabout. Parking When you are trying to park you need to have speed control, steering control and accurate judgment. Before parking you need to find a space big enough for your car to get into. Avoid end spaces or beside large trucks or poorly parked vehicles.You ne ed to learn some reference points for parking. You will be exposed to standard reference points, these are for a typical vehicle and driver, and you will learn your personal reference points, ones that you like to use. Angle parking: This parking is done diagonally to the curb. Mostly in shopping center parking lots. 1- Check for peds. Position your car about 6 feet from the parked cars. Signal right and begin braking. 2- Check your right blind spot and continue braking. 3- Move forward until you can see the middle of the space without obstructions. Turn your wheels hard right and ease into the space. – Straighten your wheels when you are in the center of the space and pull forward as far into the space as you can. Perpendicular parking: This parking is when your car is at a right angle to the curb. 1- Set up about 8 feet from the line of parked cars or as far over as you can. Signal right, check your blind spot, and begin braking. 2- Check traffic to the rear and continue br aking. 3- Turn hard right when your front bumper passes the back bumper of the car to the left of the parking space. Slowly enter the space and check your rear right to make sure that you have missed the car. – Straighten the wheels when you are centered in the space and pull forward. Leaving both of these spaces (angle and perpendicular) 1- Ease straight back with your foot covering the brake. 2- When your front bumper is even with the rear bumper of the car to your left turn hard right. 3- Back into the nearest lane and straighten your wheels. Put the car in drive and pull away. Parallel parking (driving test skill) This is parking your car parallel to the curb. Select your space that is 5 – 6 feet longer than your car. 1- While approaching the space, signal right and brake.Stop with your car 2-3 feet away from the car on the right and your back bumper even with the back bumper of the car to the right. Put the car into reverse and check traffic. Turn the wheel hard r ight and ease into the space. 2- When the back of your seat is even with the back bumper of the car to the right straighten the wheels. Ease straight back into the space. 3- When your front bumper is even with the rear bumper of the car to your right turn the wheels hard left. Ease back looking out of your rear window. 4- When your car is parallel to the curb straighten the wheels and stop.Pull forward and center your car in the space. Put the car in park. My cues when we do this in the car: Wheels – hard right, straight, hard left Reference points – back bumpers even, rear of seat even with bumper, front bumper even with the rear bumper, don’t hit the barrier. Parking on hills: Up hill with a curb – turn the wheels left, ease back to touch the curb, engage parking brake, put car in park, turn the car off. Up hill without a curb, Downhill with or without a curb – turn the wheels to the right, ease until you touch the curb (if there is a curb), enga ge the parking brake, turn the car off.Chapter 7 Negotiating Intersections Searching the Intersection When you are approaching any intersection there are things that you need to look for. The main cause of collisions in intersections is the driver's failure to identity a safe path of travel. Clue you need to look for: Signs and lights Roadway markings Crossing traffic Park car on the cross street Turning traffic Rows of fences and mailboxes Traffic stopping Power lines Most intersections are + or X, but some are Y or T When you are approaching an intersection you need to check your front zones to make sure that your path of travel in open.Look for anything that may cause your path to close and cause you to change your plans. The closer you get to the intersection the more you need to search your side zones for obstructions. Scan and focus on what may cause you a problem, don't just keep your eyes in constant motion. Once you approach your point of no return you need to continue thro ugh the intersection but still scan your zones. Your point of no return is the point at which you can no longer make a safe stop outside of the intersection. Sometimes when you get close to the intersection your path of travel closes causing you to need to change lanes.Do this at an intersection only if there is no other option. You are not allowed to legally change lanes within the intersection. If your decision at the intersection is to stop, for what ever reason, you now need to do the full 180 degree scan before you inter the intersection. Controlled Intersections A controlled intersection is one that has signs or lights that determine the right of way. With signs – The two signs that control an intersection are Stop and Yield. At a stop sign you MUST come to a complete stop and at a yield sign you need to slow down and give the right of way to any vehicle in the intersection.At stop signs you need to begin your search of the intersection well back of the stop sign. As yo u approach you need to scan front, as well as 45 degrees to the right and left for anything that may interfere with your path of travel. Crossing Traffic with a blocked view†¢ Search your front and rear zones, look for pedestrians and prepare to make your legal stop at the sign, ease up to the intersection and stop again, scan for obstructions and inter the intersection only when it is clear for you to go through the intersection without conflict. (7 sec gap) Joining traffic – right turns Go through the same checks as above. When you get stopped at the sign and can't see, ease up until you can without going into the intersection and stop again. Look for a gap of at least 7 seconds. When you have a clear path make your turn and accelerate keeping the car about 4 feet from the side of the road. Joining traffic – left turns †¢ Do your scans as with the other approaches. Stop at the sign and pull forward and stop again before entering the intersection. When the w ay is clear (7 sec gap) move forward and recheck your zones. Accelerate into the proper lane and adjust your steering.Light Controlled Intersections When you are approaching an intersection controlled by lights you need to use your IPDE process to determine what the intersection will be like when you reach it. How may the lights change your path of travel? Stale Green Light – this Is a light that has been green for a while, expect It to change Fresh Green Light – this is a light that has Just turned green, you may still not have a safe path of travel. Check your intended path for obstacles. Yellow Light – this is a light that is telling you that the intersection is closing to your traffic lane.If you have reached the â€Å"point of no return† you have to determine whether to proceed through or try to stop, hat can influence this decision? Red Light – at this light you MUST stop. You need to check your rear zones as you apply the brakes. An unprotec ted left turn is a left turn done at an intersection that does not have a left turn green arrow. You MUST be sure that you can complete the turn before beginning it Protected Left Turns At these turns you will have three things apparent 1- Left turn light, this is an entire light sequence (R,Y,G) to guide you at your left turn. – Green arrow – appears with the normal light system, when the arrow goes off you simply do not have a protected left turn. 3- Delayed green light – at these lights you light is green and the opposing traffic light is still red. Turning on Red Light Right on red means that you are allowed to make a right hand turn at a red light AFTER you have made a complete stop and have scanned the intersection. When it is safe to proceed you can make the turn. Left on red is allowed in most states when you are turning left from a one-way street onto a on-way street going to your left.Some states allow this if you are in a left turn only lane (two way traffic) and are turning onto a one way street. A controlled railroad crossing has lights and/or a stop arm. You must come to a complete stop and stay until the lights have stopped flashing and the arm has come up. DO NOT EVER go around the stop arm to cross. Uncontrolled Intersections An uncontrolled intersection is one in which there are no traffic controls. As you approach one of these intersections you MUST expect traffic problems. NEVER assume that the other driver will give you the right of way. You must really use your IPDE process as you approach these intersections.It is best to treat these intersections as yield signs. There are also uncontrolled railroad crossings. Simply slow down, scanning the tracks for trains and do not cross if you see or hear one coming. Determining Right of Way Right of way describes the privilege of having immediate use of a certain part of the roadway. Right of way is GIVEN not taken. You may have to YIELD and allows others to go first in order t o be safe. Judging Gaps A gap is the distance between two vehicles. When you are at an intersection you have to make sure that you can successfully get through the intersection. Chapter8 Sharing The RoadwayWith Motorcycles: About 2000 people a year are killed on motorcycles. The primary reason is there are so many body parts not protected when riding a motorcycle. You MUST use the IPDE process when motorcycles are around. They can hide in spots, they spend longer times in your blind spots and many cyclist take more chances that car drivers do. ‘†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢ ‘†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢ †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢- †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢ ‘ ‘ -i -†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ ‘†¢ -‘- ;†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢; †¢;†¢ Problem areas in which you need to really look for motorcyclist: a vehicle turning left in front of a motorcycle a vehicle turning right at an intersection or into a driveway a motorcycle turning left inblindspots a tailgating motorcyclist one passing you on the right or left – meeting an oncoming motorcycle When you are going to pass a motorcycle you need to stay well back to avoid shocking the cyclist, use the entire lane to make the pass and wait until you can see them in your rearview mirror to move back over. It is just like passing a vehicle. With Bicycles, Mopeds and Motor Scooters: Bicyclist need to remember that when they are on the road they have the responsibility to follow ALL of the traffic laws just as the other vehicles do. They need to wear a helmet, know the rules for riding on roads as well as idewalks, and wear light colored clothing (especially at night), keep from wearing headphones, and keep their bike in good condition. When you encounter a bike you need to increase your scanning to avoid serious conflict. If you pass a bike you need to follow the same rules as passing a car. Remember that some bicyclist do not have great control over their bike and may swerve o r fall into your path. Mopeds and scooters create the same types of problems as bikes do. They are low powered and very small. They are hard to see and the people riding them may not be able to handle them properly.People on mopeds and scooters do not have to have a drivers license but they do have to follow the rules of the road, just as bicyclist and drivers do. Pedestrians Pedestrians are the most vulnerable users of the HTS. It is the drivers responsibility to protect the pedestrians. Children and old people are at most risk. Children do not know about consequences and old people may not hear or see well. When you drive in an area with pedestrians you need to heighten you IPDE usage. Look for pedestrians in areas where you expect to see them. Playgrounds, sidewalks, residential areas, parks, and parking lots.Sharing the roadway with emergency vehicles is a common thing in populated areas. You should yield the right of way to the emergency vehicles when they are traveling with th eir light and/or sirens on. Simply move to the right side of the road if you can and or to the lane as far to the right as possible. If you have to you can stop but make sure that you are as little a hazard as possible. With Trucks: The type of truck you need to really worry about when driving are the big semis (18 wheelers, tractor trailer, transfer). The main reason is that they are sooo big and can do a whole lot of damage to your car in a very little amount of time.These larger trucks make wide right turns. When you are near one and they put on their right turn signal you have to make sure that you are not to their right because the trailer of the truck will turn into your lane when they turn. You need to avoid following these trucks because they have big blind spots which make you hard to see. If you can not see their face in the mirror, they can not see your car. Use caution when passing a truck. Because their blind spots are larger you have to make sure that they see you duri ng your pass as well as before your pass.When you meet a large truck on a two lane roadway you need to prepare for the after wave when they go by. The air that they push to the right and left will make your car jump of vibrate. Also on wet roads the trucks will throw up water that will cover your windshield. Simply grasp the steering wheel tightly and steer through the problem. Chapter 9 Driving in Urban Traffic Adjusting to Urban Traffic Two of the main factors that make urban driving difficult: 1- Traffic is more dense – there are more cars, buses, trucks and pedestrians per mile than on rural roads – City hazards are closer to you – more things are closer to your car than in the country. Mile per mile, city roads have the highest number and variety of hazards. It takes time to do the IPDE process and in cities you don't have as much time to process the information as in the country. When you are on urban streets you have to pay attention and try to identify h azards as early as possible. Following Traffic on City Streets Space cushion refers to the space between your car and the car in front of you. If you have a good space cushion you have some advantages: 1- You can see further ahead and get the â€Å"big picture† – You can be seen better 3- You have more time to do the IPDE process 4- You are in better position to avoid the car in front of you if they stop suddenly. The 3-second following distance. When you are 3 seconds behind you have enough cushion to avoid most collisions in most normal driving situations. 1- Pick out a spot on the road ahead 2- When the car in front gets to that spot begin counting; 1001,1002,1003 3- If your car has not gotten to the spot by 1003 you have enough cushion to avoid a collision. If you reach the spot before you get to 1003, you need to back off a little.The faster you are traveling the bigger your space cushion will be. Being Followed on City Streets A tailgater is a vehicle that is fol lowing you too closely. The main hazard of a tailgater is that if you have to do a sudden stop they will hit you in the rear. They think that they are saving time by going so fast and getting close to you. If you have a tailgater behind you, you need to increase your following distance so you will not have to react as quickly when a car in front of you makes a sudden stop or move. When you are meeting cars in the city you have to really look ahead for your front zone to close.Oncoming drivers may cross the center line and block your path. Reasons that people cross the center line are: 1- driver impairment 2- poor judgment 3- poor visibility 4- reduced space 5- sudden moves for others 6- vehicle failure 7- turning car, buses or trucks 8- double parked vehicles Managing Space on Urban Streets Look ahead – try to see at least one block ahead but if you can see farther, look as far as you can but IDENTIFY possible problems. , When you are approaching a traffic light and you first see the light green you need to expect it to change.If you see a green light but the crosswalk light is flashing â€Å"don't walk† you need to anticipate that the light is getting ready to change. NEVER speed through an intersection trying to beat the light. Covering you brake means that you have taken your foot off of the accelerator pedal and have it in front of the brake pedal, but not pushing it down. You are anticipating that you are going to need to brake. This takes away your reaction distance/time if you need to brake suddenly. Riding your brake means that you have your foot on the brake pedal and you are pushing it down slightly.Most people that two foot drive end up riding their brakes. On city streets that have parked cars on your right you need to anticipate that a car door may open when you get to it. To help avoid hitting the door you need to drive about the width of a car door away from parked cars. Chapter 10 Driving in Rural Areas Characteristics of Rural Tr affic 82% of all of the roadway miles in the US are considered rural roads. When you approach a curve on a rural road with an advisory speed limit, you should be at that posted speed before you enter the curve.Advisory speeds are posted to help keep cars from having a collision on a curve because they entered the curve at too great a speed to control the car. Speed kills on rural roads. Twice as many deaths occur on rural roads as opposed to urban roads. On rural roads in normal (ideal) conditions the 3 second rule for following is sufficient. If you are following another car using the 3 second rule and a car cuts in between you and the other car you need to reestablish your 3 second rule with the new car. The basic speed rule states that you should not drive faster than the road or traffic conditions allow you to.It is more difficult to maintain control of your car at higher speeds. When you are driving on rural roads you are going to encounter slow moving vehicles, animals in the road and oncoming traffic that is close to you. Roadside hazards that you will come across are narrow shoulders, bridges, ditches, guardrails, and trees. You are not going to have as many tailgaters here because of the type of driving you are doing plus there are not as many cars on the road. In rural areas your speed is going to be faster so your IPDE process is affected. At higher speeds you decrease your time to make a decision using the process.So the faster you are driving, the farther you need to look ahead so you can perform the IPDE process. When driving on these roads you may see mailboxes, reflectors on posts, or small utility lines. These are all clues that you are approaching a driveway. When you are driving in the mountains you are going to come to sections of the road that have sharper curves and steeper hills. When you are going down a steep hill you should NEVER shift your car into neutral. If you change gears you need to shift to a lower gear to avoid burning your b rakes. Passing in rural areas is done generally on two lane/two way roads.If you are passing another car you must make sure that you can complete the pass safely and before the passing area ends. When you think that you need to pass another car you need to think before you pass. One main question that you need to ask is, is it safe to pass here? When driving at night on rural roads you are going to encounter car light that pop up from around curves or hills. To avoid being temporarily blinded you need to look to the right side of the road, white line. Chapter 11 Driving on Expressways An expressway is defined as a roadway that has limited-access or controlled-access.Driving on expressways is more dangerous because of the higher speeds and the number of cars. For this reason, collisions on expressways are generally more serious. Expressways have minimum speed limits posted. If you are going below this minimum speed then you are a hazard on the roadway. To drive effectively on express ways you must be willing to cooperate with other drivers. They also have multiple lanes which means that when you change lanes you need to do so one lane at a time. You are driving on an expressway and you need to exit; the ramp you need to get off on is totally Mocked by traffic, preventing you from getting over.Wiat should you do? Go to the next exit and come back up the expressway. If you get onto the wrong entrance ramp you should go ahead and get on the expressway and travel to the next exit, get off and turn around. It is NEVER permissible to back up an entrance ramp. The entrance lane has three parts; the ramp, the acceleration lane and the merging lane. When you are coming down the ramp you need to check for a gap to merge into by looking over your left shoulder as well as into your left mirror. If you are entering an expressway on the entrance ramp and your way is blocked so that you can not merge onto the road you should avoid stopping.Stopping on the ramp in the accelerat ion lane can cause a rear end collision. If you are driving in a group of car on an expressway you are driving in a â€Å"wolf pack†. You are driving in the center lane of the expressway and you keep getting passed on the right and left, you should move into the right lane to avoid being a hazard. Highway hypnosis happens when you get lulled into staring while driving. If you stare for long enough you will put yourself to sleep. If you are taking a long trip on expressway you need to plan ahead for food, fuel and rest This will make your trip more enjoyable and safe.

Problems in Total Quality within the Workplace Assignment

Problems in Total Quality within the Workplace - Assignment Example Unfortunately, this in itself has been a perplexing task since TQM has had various definitions for different people. The TQM philosophy revolves around assumptions that are manifested in people, quality, corporations and the role of top management (Hackman & Wageman, 1995). The strategy outlines four core principles that bring about quality improvement. The first pertains to the process control and design which requires training at all levels of the organization (Hackman & Wageman, 1995). The second pertains to elimination of uncontrolled variance in process standards (Hackman & Wageman, 1995). The third relates to the methodical collection of data and finally, the fourth pertains to continuous improvement (Hackman & Wageman, 1995). However, the implementation of TQM and its application to industries is not as simplistic as its explanation; it is plagued by several problems. Recent research suggests that more than 80% of TQM efforts have failed to achieve desired tangible results since top management fails to set SMART goals (Kearney, 1992). Most organizations have failed to realize significant competitive edge through initiation of these efforts. TQM requires a culture whereby organizations are devoted to increasing quality, often at the expense of short term profits. However, several profit organizations take a myopic view when they aim for short term profits rather than quality. In organizations in the public sector, the issue is that of excessive government intervention and influence on the organization’s activities (Sarkar, 1991). State run organizations are often bureaucratic in nature and tend to deviate from quality improvement activities. In such organizations it is difficult to embed the TQM culture. Furthermore, in certain developing countries the culture is such that it negates change and does not encourage empowerment that is fundamental to the achievement

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The Phaedo - Essay Example Those enemies would be a life wasted on the pursuit of pleasure at the expense of pain (pleasure withdrawn). This very duality of life, according to Socrates, is the bane of existence for all of mankind. If one spends much time caught in the illusion of earthly pleasures then faces a fear of death due to inattention to the betterment of the mind and soul, then that life is sorely wasted. Yet to Socrates, lightly embracing pleasure allows one to enhance pleasure and not fear its removal, for such a person knows that pleasure is merely ephemeral and not a constant. In succeeding to do this, one overcomes the fear of death, for the loss of pleasure is a death in itself. Fear of losing pleasure is fear of death. This is not to say that the form death may take is pleasurable, but Socrates explains that the true philosopher from early on chases death in life, seeks endings and depth, the essence of pleasure and pain and finds within this duality a richness that is exhilarating rather than frightening. To live with death every day, or in other words, living each day preparing to die, is the very stuff of the true philosopher. A life well lived should not be grieved; Socrates wonders why people who face death fear liberation from worldly burdens when life could be lived free of worldly burdens by recognizing them as symbols rather than literal things. In d In discussing the pleasure/pain principle, Socrates explains that the fear of loss during life is an endless exchange of one pleasure for another. He demonstrates this by stating that, like coins, people abstain from one pleasure only to replace it with another in order to be "temperate." Like coins, the balance of pleasures is kept in check, yet there is always the fear of them being removed, lost or taken. The philosopher sees the idiocy of such thinking and allows pleasure to come and go as it pleases, seeing it for what it is. Pleasure is not worth sacrificing one's worldly life to obtain and hold onto it, for it is evasive and fickle. The true coin, Socrates says, is Wisdom. Interestingly, Socrates says flat out that we are born from the dead (in other words, we are dead until we are born); therefore, why should we fear death We already have en existence before we enter this world and we will regain that existence upon leaving this world. As we find good people in this world, so we shall find them in the world from whence our souls came. From this conversation springs the key to the duality in the world through the example of forms; in this world, forms are objects that help us remember; for life is simply an attempt to recall what has been forgotten rather than to know anything. True knowledge and the attainment of wisdom is the synthesis of the formed and the unformed, the born and the unborn, the resolution of all dualities. As Socrates explains (and to put it in modern terms), forms are symbols of what we know and are ties to many memories, each evoking a feeling of pleasure or pain. There is no true learning, only remembering (which is another way of saying that the brain is limited to the mind, but the soul is independent of both). My brother's sweater reminds me of

Depression and Amputees Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Depression and Amputees - Research Paper Example 4): Persistent sadness, anxiousness, or feeling of â€Å"emptiness† Sense of hopelessness and/or pessimism Perception of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness Irritability and restlessness Absence of interest in activities and hobbies (including sex) Problems in concentration, remembering, and in making decisions Insomnia, wakefulness, or excessive sleeping Overeating or loss of appetite Suicidal tendencies and thoughts Pains, aches, cramps, headaches, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment The National Institute of Mental Health emphasized that not all people with depression experience all the symptoms of depression. Further, depression can be major depressive disorder, dysthymia, psychotic, or seasonal (p. 3). The World Health Organization classified depression as â€Å"among the most disabling clinical diagnoses in the world, estimated to affect nearly 340 million people worldwide, and 18 million people in the United States at any one time† (Grede n, 2001, p. 5). Taking self-concept as a possible determinant of depression among the handicapped, Akram and Naseem (2010) investigated the level of self-concept among handicapped persons. The researchers used sample sizes derived through stratified sampling to limit possible error at 5%. They found that self concept â€Å"depends upon age, gender, occupation, and education level† (Akram and Naseem, 2010, p. 84). The researchers reached the conclusion based on their interpretation of one and two-sample t-tests, Chi-square tests, and test of significance of the correlation coefficients. In contrast, Mozumdar et al. (2010) investigated whether depression among persons with lower extremity amputation (LEA) is really higher than the general population. The investigators found that â€Å"the depression levels of the LEA also were not associated to most of the physical health factor† (Mozumdar et al., 2010, p. 887). The Mozumdar et al. (2010) conclusion was based on a sample of 85 amputees out of an original target of 1,000 amputees. A low sample was realized because only a few agreed to give their informed consent. Using a sample of 56 Jordanian patients with â€Å"unilateral lower limb amputation† with mean duration of 8.4+/-5.75 years, Hawamdeh et al. (2008) assessed the prevalence of anxiety and depression among them and found that 63% (N=35) were normal while 37.5% (N=21) were â€Å"abnormal† (p. 629). Originally, 92 amputees were recruited for their study but the investigators reduced the respondents to 56 because failed to contact 25, 6 amputees did not consent to participate in the study, and 5 amputees were excluded because they did not respond to some parts of the questionnaire (Hawamdeh et al., 2008, p. 628). Hawamdeh et al. used a questionnaire that included clinical data that can indicate produce anxiety and depression scores and the participants â€Å"were fully informed about the nature of the study procedure and consent w as obtained from each subject before participating in the study† (p. 628). The study of Nachitz and Lenger (2008) is important because it clarifies that traumatic leg amputees are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease other than depression. Bhuvaneswar et al. (2007, p. 304) revealed that â€Å"posttraumatic appears to be more common in amputees following combat or accidental injury, whereas general rates of PTSD are 20 to 22% in

Critical review of a live poetry reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical review of a live poetry reading - Essay Example nce, it was such a well-planned and well-organized event that they all had a good time, and quite obviously, so did the live audience that comprised teenagers, teachers, the city’s elite, poets-in-the-making and, of course, reporters. In the Cyber Age, for the pessimists who worry that the art of writing and enjoying poetry is on the verge of extinction, the event certainly holds a promise and a hope. They may rest assured. Surely, poetry isn’t about to die. Not so soon! There is no denying that every participant was just as good. Nevertheless, among the best performers were McElwee, Jehanna, Robin Webb and Mona Scott, though it must be acknowledged that it was McElwee’s voice that overshadowed the rest of the programme. Thanks to the open mic scenes that make life in San Francisco a delight. Mona recited a poem titled ‘Advice to a Lover’ (Relationship-Advice-Bootcamp). Though her entire collection dwelt more or less with the theme of love, this particular one was delivered in such an absorbing manner that it almost immediately caught the imagination of every one in the audience, perhaps because it has something to offer for every young man and woman. It was hard to believe that a woman barely in her twenties could accomplish such mastery over the skill of verbalizing the heart’s deepest emotions so effectively. The text of the poem is therefore provided hereunder with the assumption that there might be many readers might find it interesting enough to preserve and add to their library. The title of the poem is itself almost self-explanatory as to what it is about to say. It is rare to find love poetry that is not dominated by the element of tragedy. The final success of the poem lay in its ability to evoke similar emotions in the hearts of the listeners. Usage of words like hath, withal, honies, thee, thyself etc. give the poem a classical, nineteenth century touch. Still the poem, as a whole, sounds perfectly relevant even to the most modern times.

Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth - Essay Example As the essay stresses countries exposed to large capital flows must avoid intermediate regimes. It is also necessary to adopt a corner regime. According to these proponents, corner regimes sustainable regimes for long run. It has been found that SEA countries also shifted from an intermediate regime to intermediate regime. A vast literature has been dedicated to found out the preferred choice of exchange rate regime. The fundamentals identified by the OCA approach has given some guidance for observed regime choices. In 1980s, studies were focused on the role of shocks on the choice of regimes. This research incorporates considerations for macroeconomic stabilization. According to the report findings the real shocks allow flexibility and symmetry of shocks produces OCA. Shocks have been appeared in countries which have weak financial institutions. The counties with weak financial institutions intervene in the market in order to shield banking industries which are confronting large exchange rate movements. There are many authors who agree SEA countries should adopt a currency basket system in order to gain and maintain exchange rate stability and flexibility. As far as the macroeconomics situations of SEA countries are concerned, the most reasonable choice is managed floating regime. It is because managed floating regime is fewer complexes than currency basket system agree that managed floating regime would be less complex than the currency basket ... In 1980s, studies were focused on the role of shocks on the choice of regimes. This research incorporates considerations for macroeconomic stabilization. Authors have argued that nominal shocks actually raise the possibility of a fixed regime. The real shocks allow flexibility and symmetry of shocks produces OCA. Shocks have been appeared in countries which have weak financial institutions. The counties with weak financial institutions intervene in the market in order to shield banking industries which are confronting large exchange rate movements. There are many authors who agree SEA countries should adopt a currency basket system in order to gain and maintain exchange rate stability and flexibility. As far as the macroeconomics situations of SEA countries are concerned, the most reasonable choice is managed floating regime. It is because managed floating regime is fewer complexes than currency basket system agree that managed floating regime would be less complex than the currency basket (Hossain, M. 2011). Financial liberalization index Figure 1 A cross-country index indicating financial liberalization has been used to identify the development in the sector. It ranges between 0 and 18 (Abiad, 2005). This index is made during the period or 1973 to 1995 (Figure 1 and 2). First figure studies three initial countries i.e. Indonesia, Korea and Malaysia. For the last three years FLI is assumed to be constant. These both graphs indicate the exchange rate regime in six countries. The figure indicates that till 1977 all three countries were focusing on fixed regime but due changing conditions in 1979 Indonesia and Korea shifted to intermediate regime. While Malaysia remained consistent to fixed regime. 1993 onwards all three

Describe DoD Dir 8570.1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Describe DoD Dir 8570.1 - Assignment Example The policy positions the professional security information as a distinctive job series and facilitates effectiveness as well as cost-efficiency of commercial certification in America. The directive recognizes the international standard - ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 as it provides a portable certification accepted in the private and public sectors. The directive has far-reaching implications that provide a neutral measure of quality of skills, knowledge, and abilities that every military personnel possesses (a way to standardize enterprise –wide certification). The policy eliminates consistent problems in the future that can be as a result of lack of regulated global recognized qualifications by providing a metric that can be measured easily and reliably (Bieber, 2008). In addition, the directive encourages military personnel to develop and evolve their skills and knowledge in continuing professional education; upgrade those skills and keep them current. It also tries to reduce language disparity in the future between makers of information security policy and those that implement the policy. Therefore, this directive serves as the vanguard for identifying security needs and policy-making requirements that are essential for national and governmental reforms in the future (Smith, 2009) Cooper, S., Nickell, C., Piotrowski, V., Oldfield, B., Abdallah, A., Bishop, M. & Brynielsson, J. (2010). An exploration of the current state of information assurance education. ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 41(4),

Propaganda, Recruitment and Resistance Essay Example for Free

Propaganda, Recruitment and Resistance Essay When war broke out, the British army was professional but small. The government desperately needed a lot more troops, and they turned their heads straight to recruitment. Britain was very different to its allies in recruitment; they started the war recruiting volunteers. The Government believed that as tradition, they should not force any men into conflict; they had never done, and believed they never would. Volunteering was a British thing to do; using posters, and leaflets, they thought would get enough soldiers to volunteer. The Government assumed that many soldiers would come forward as patriots and out of honour, for generations mens predecessors had fought in civil war, Lord Kitchener and the PM Asquith supposed men had to maintain the loyalty. Those who wanted to join the army, joined out of excitement, the thrill of killing, and a break from normal life. They thought that the war was going to be a short, easy war which they would not be a major part of, as they had been reassured that the Naval power would wipe out supplies of food, and arms. These troops would have been highly motivated and ready for whatever was to come at them (or so they thought). Propaganda was a factor in men volunteering; a number of the male citizens were genuinely persuaded by the propaganda and believed what it told them. The Government realised that all men who volunteered were going to train harder, and in the long term where going to be superior soldiers, even if there was a smaller number of them. Women, older men (who had fought in civil wars before them) pressured young men who had not enlisted, also their friends, and relatives were joining. In theatres, actresses interrupted performances to call men up onto the stage and sign up. Those men who were watching the play felt embarrassed, also as if everyone was watching them and urging them to sign up. The Government encouraged this in homes, and although it was an illegitimate way of getting men to join, it was very useful, and many of those who were put under such pressure, crumbled and enlisted. The figures of unemployed men in Britain were rising, and the amount of jobs for these men was decreasing, as they didnt have the necessary skills to acquire a job that paid good money. Prime Minister Asquith seized upon this opportunity to give these unemployed a future in the army. The unemployed had to accept the opportunity, as it paid good money, it was an exciting experience and that they simply they had no where else to go. The men were happy to receive this break away from their dirty, shabby lifestyle. Asquith, and Kitchener exaggerated this prospect, and the unemployed believed that this was easy money, and a gateway to a new life. Men who volunteered into the army where grouped in accordance of what area they came from. Theoretically this was a good idea, but in practice demonstrated a fatal blunder. Pals Battalions as these neighbouring units were named, were awfully effective in making each soldier feel at home, and able to settle in to army life. At the front though it was a different story, as each Pals Battalion went over the top it was usually on the first day of a major battle, which resulted in 70% or more of their men killed or seriously wounded. Local areas in England wit a small population lost many of its younger men in a short space of time. The rest of the male population who did not volunteer chose not to for various reasons. Some men decided not to enlist on occupational grounds. Men who worked in vital industries such as mining felt it was there duty to stay home and continue their essential job. However, this was not the only reason on work-related grounds that people did not volunteer. Some men did not want to fight because they had a well paid job and good career prospects, whilst others left the rest of the population to volunteer because they thought that the war would not last long. They assumed that if they joined the army they would die, they were scared of dying and losing everything that they had worked for. This fear of dying was made a great deal worse when rumours of the conditions on the front line filtered through to the public. They were told of the huge numbers of deaths and casualties that the British were taking. Other chose not to volunteer on the moral or religious grounds. The Quakers did not volunteer because they did not believe the war was the answer. Many other men refused to play God, ad take away another mans life. Some men refused to volunteer because they had people at home depending on them, and they were the main breadwinner of the family, for example children and wives or elderly relatives. The Government thought that the war would be over by Christmas, and this small army would do fine, because the Navy would be the major battle point in the war, where the ships would create blockages, and starve them to surrender. Conscription being introduced from 1914 would have caused pandemonium in Britain, for the fact that the public would have realised that this war was going to be a long and drawn out war. Asquith did not want to cause any panic, and wanted to carry out business as usual, one of his ideas to keep Britain an active and calm country to live in still, although the war was only overseas, but as many exports and imports happened overseas, and where transported into foreign countries, business as usual could not happen. Also the government didnt introduce compulsory military service because they trusted the public to volunteer, as it was a change, it was supposedly exciting, and the thought of becoming a hero was a chance to be loved by your friends, but most importantly, the whole country. Lord Kitchener and Asquith were spot on; by the end of August in 1914 300,000 more soldiers had enlisted. In September of 1914, 462,901 out of 600,000 volunteers stepped up to support the war efforts. The aim for the end of December was an army of 4 million (which even for the Supreme British, I believe was a long shot). Conscription would have faced a battering by civil rights activists if introduced in 1914, as conscription was anti-liberal, and a breach of civil rights and individual freedom. In hindsight, with all the protesters, volunteering was an easier way of recruiting without hassle. Another aggravation of conscription was the cost of it. It was considered that conscription would be a waste of needed money and resources. All of the eligible men must be registered in a system, not all men would turn up to register, resulting in wasted time, which could be used to produce posters to round up troops for volunteering. However by 1915 not enough soldiers were being recruited, and drastic measures hadto be taken to gather enough soldiers to compete with the large German army. In 1916 there was a change in Government. Lloyd George became the new Prime Minister, he was determined to win this war, and his practical mind led to the introduction of conscription. The Government primarily thought that they would recruit enough soldiers without moving to conscription, but they were very wrong. The German land forces were huge, and the previous Prime Minister (Asquith) believed this war would be won by Britains naval supremacy. Again, they were wrong, the trenches was where the major fighting was taking place, thousands of deaths happened each day at the front. As the war dragged on and on, fewer and fewer amounts of men were enlisting to fight, this was mainly due to leaks from the front of the poor conditions, and high amount of deaths were published by the media. As the numbers of deaths on the front grew, the Government started to ban the lists of deaths. This was due to over the top tactics as men were old to walk in lines, shooting to gain breach the trenches of the Germans. As the deaths increased men became more wary of what was really happening in the war, and some men began to see through the lies of propaganda. But deaths were not the only reason why men werent signing up; the wages at home were increasing while unemployment was decreasing, resulting in men taking the chance of staying at home rather than fighting for the army, which at that time had very low pay. The army was made up of lots of previously unemployed men, but as many of those had already enlisted, there was a shortage of men that wanted to sign up. As volunteers piled through in the early months of the war, the Government believed the army was going to have enough men to win this war, on foot and on sea. But as the number of volunteers each month declined, women of husbands who had volunteered, and the general public (except most younger men) began to complain that it was unfair that some men had volunteered and others had not. There had to be a fairer system, those who had not volunteered were getting away lightly. The only way to improve this system was to introduce conscription. Not only were there thousands of deaths occurring on the front every day, but men did not receive the right, or enough ammunition to compete with the constant bombardment of shells, and the onslaught of machine gun bullets ripping through the British defence, it s men. This was called the Shell Scandal. The reason for the shortage of ammunition was due to the amount of workers that had joined up to the army from indispensable war industries. Factories that made shells, bullets, and armour where literally deserted. The pay was substantially higher in the army, it was an exciting prospect and a change for the men that work the same shift, producing the same goods all day. The press began campaigning to introduce conscription, because they knew the real deaths that were taking place at the front, given that the government banned them from publishing the amount of deceased. Bearing in mind that the newspapers had a major influence over the public then, (and still do now) it started to persuade (using propaganda) the public that conscription was acceptable, and the right way forward. The general public began to succumb to the idea, and by the end of the campaigning the national Service league (NSL) demanded the change from the new government. Lloyd George, as a practical man realised that this was the only way to win the war. Conscription commenced in January 1916, but a long time before that there was talk on how the government would assemble all of the eligible men for active military service, and the restrictions they would put on those that could be exempt from military service. They started the process by creating a National Register, which collected together every citizens details from the age of 15 to 65 e.g. name, age, marital status, occupation and skills. All of the data was collected together. It allowed the government to calculate how many men were of military age, and those who would be in the future, but also those who were in reserved occupations, which means those jobs that are essential to the war effort e.g. industry and agriculture. The National register not only provided the government with information, but also opened the door for new ideas. One of these ideas was the Derby Recruiting Scheme. It was named after Lord Derby the Director of Recruiting, as he was the one who manipulated the information from the National Register to his advantage. He asked all British men aged between 18 and 41 if they would be disposed to serve in the army. Although you may have thought like the propaganda posters, the personal, frontal approach would have worked, it didnt. The results were disappointing. Firstly, those who were not in reserved occupation did not like the idea of fighting in the war, those would did want to fight were summoned with two weeks notice and secondly, a plus can be drawn from this, this was the first time an actual system had been put in place for conscription, so things could only get better. After the poor response from all those who were not exempt from the war, there was only one way to get men to fight, that was to force them. Four months after The Derby Recruiting scheme the conscription came in form of the Military Service Act, which required all unmarried men, and widowers without children or dependents e.g. sick mother, between the age of 18 and 41 to join the army. Unmarried men in reserved occupations were exempt from duty, as well as those who were breadwinners or sole supporters in their household, those who had medical disabilities and finally conscientious objectors. But as the National Register was unreliable, needed soldiers were not raced. The change from total volunteering to conscription happened in a short space of time, only four months. Compulsion did not just stop at exempting men, it became universal, on May 3rd 1916 all men despite any circumstances between 18 and 41 were forced into battle. Universal Conscription was now introduced and there was no going back. As soldiers died and needed soldiers were untraceable due to poor organisation, the government looked overseas to all British born people, and for Allied citizens living over here to fight for their natural country. This was another Military Service Act to boost friendship with their Allies. It gave each side more men to fight but mustnt have gone down well with those who tried to flee the country. In two years the British public had gone from hating the idea of conscription to deeming it as acceptable. The newspapers had much to do with bringing the country round to believing the Government, but the Government wanted everyone involved. In November 1917, the Ministry of National Service was formed; the power given to them was unbelievable. They could cancel all exemptions on occupational grounds; almost playing God with peoples lives, as they well knew that 70% of these men would die or become seriously injured, before the war had ended. The government began to keep on rising the age limits, and the limits on who should fight, they were becoming desperate; the age limit was raised to 50, and if deaths were on high occurrence then it would be a staggering 56! Even Ireland was made to abide by the same rules of compulsion that was already in place in England. The British Army wanted to out number the Germans, but in the end they had a lot of soldiers at the front unwilling to fight, even those who had volunteered were becoming reluctant to fight. By the end of the war the British realised that they no longer needed so many men, as they were slowing crushing Germany, and the Minimum age of exemption was 23. Men under that age were considered too weak. Slowly but surely the Government extended the restrictions on compulsion. If there hadnt been a change in government then I believe compulsion would have been introduced at a much later stage, because Asquith was against the idea of forcing men to fight; it was a breach of civil rights.

Key Elements In The Service Concept Tourism Essay

Key Elements In The Service Concept Tourism Essay INTRODUCTION In service organisations, in order to guarantee customer satisfaction, operation managers need to ensure that the customers are delivered the service they require. The service concept is a shared outstanding by customers, employees and shareholders of an organisation of the nature of the service provided and received. Service concept defines what an organisation is selling and what a customer is buying. The service concept can be described as follows : The organising idea : the essence of the service bought or used by the customer. The service experience : how the customer is treated by the service provider and the experience of the customer has of the organisation and its facilities. The service outcome : the end result of the service for the customer. The service process : the way in which the service is delivered. The service value : the benefits perceived by the customer against the cost of the service. In general we can say that : = A service concept acts as service specification. = A service concept should provide sufficient detail to make it clear what the organisation is selling/providing and what the customer is buying /receiving. = A service concept is more emotional than a business model, deeper than a brand, more complex than a good idea and more solid than a vision. = A service concept contains the organising idea for the service. There are some key elements in the service concept which is illustrated in the figure below : Service Concept Service Operation Organising idea Service experience Value of the service Service Outcome Figure : Key elements of Service concepts In this coursework I am going to explain the service concept of Radisson Blu Hotels Resorts. Radisson Blu Hotels Resorts is part of the Rezidor Hotel Group, and currently operates over 155 hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with another  47 projects under development. Radisson Blu is a first class full service hotel brand with key differentiators such as the 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee and the Yes I Can! spirit of service. The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world. Its current consists of 274 hotels in operation and under development in 47 countries accumulating nearly 55,000 rooms. Rezidor manages selected Carlson brands in Europe, the Middle East and Africa: Radisson, Park Inn, Regent and Country Inn. What make Radisson Blu unique to customers ? Most of their competitors have fantastic rooms, comfortable beds,  award winning  architecture and catchy advertisements aimed at achieving and exceeding guest service expectations, but due to some exceptional service concept , Radisson Blu is separate from similar hotels which make them unique to customers. The following exceptional service concepts make Radission Blu popular among customers : Yes I Can! Over a decade in the works, Yes I Can! is Radissions special service philosophy that sets them apart from the competition. Being hospitable is all about giving guests your undivided attention and when guests stay at a Radisson Blu hotel; the hotel manager, the waiter, the receptionist, the porter- everyone plays a vital role in delivering a memorable guest experience. At Radisson Blu , Yes I Can! is the companys mission and a way of life which guides them to meet any challenge and identify every opportunity. Whether their guests are in Glasgow or Capetown, Beijing or Rome, they are assured consistently excellent service. 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee In the fiercely competitive industry, they stand apart from the rest, thanks to their special Yes I Can! service spirit.   They love what they do and as proof of that, they promise to deliver a 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee. Their staff will do everything to ensure that customers leave their hotel happy, so if there is a complaint, it is noted and takes into serious considerations.. If customers complaint remains unresolved or they leave disappointed, any one of their staff can invoke the 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee. This means that customers will not have to pay for their room or the service in question. To keep customers coming back time and again, they strive to provide an exceptional service level at all times.   This is their promise to customers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ or their money back. So, if any customer is dissatisfied with anything during their stay, the hotel wants to let them know so that they will Endeavour to make it right. Express Check-Out Even with their improved departure process with Satellite Reception desks, some guests cannot spare the time to check-out in the morning. For their guests in a rush they offer Express Check-Out to save valuable time and ensure an efficient and accurate check-out, by offering the options of sending invoice by email, mail or a quick pick-up at the reception desk. Late Check-Out Check-out from Radisson Blu hotels as late as  6 p.m. (subject to availability) instead of the normal check-out time at no extra cost. Their aim is to accommodate the needs of their guests and offer tailor made flexible solutions. [emailprotected] All guests staying at Radisson Blu hotels throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa can now get Free high-speed Internet access as part of the Radisson Blu [emailprotected] service concept. Check-in to a Radisson Blu hotel and log on to customers corporate network, access email, download music, shop, customers can do whatever it is they like to do online, and do it for free! Free high-speed Internet access comes with easy-to-follow, simple instructions. The service includes high-speed as well as wireless Internet access. Since most Radisson Blu hotels are wired, all hotel guests can access the Internet from anywhere in the hotel: rooms, meeting facilities or public areas, by using their name and room number. Breakfast on the go! For their guests on the go with no time for a sit-down breakfast, they offer the Grab Run takeaway breakfast. Tea and coffee in disposable cups along with fresh fruits and energy bars are available on a special table in the lobby so that none of their guests miss out on the most important meal of the day. One Touch Service Customers can access the following services with the touch of a button : INFORMATION/CONCIERGE: request special information on local events   ROOM SERVICE: have meals delivered to customers room   WAKE-UP CALL: their front desk will make sure customers wake up on time LAUNDRY: obtain laundry service, or 3-hour express service   HOUSEKEEPING obtain an iron, ironing board or extra pillow and blankets   MAINTENANCE: 24 hour a day service to ensure their is comfortable and convenient Super Breakfast Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and the last impression a guest has of a hotel before leaving. The Radisson Blu Super Breakfast is an extensive buffet featuring a range of food items selected from the best of Continental, North European, and American cuisine. Free high-speed Internet With their easy-to-follow instructions, customers can log on to their corporate network, access email, download music, shop, do whatever it is they like to do online. Long committed to being among the first to anticipate the needs of the busy traveller, Radisson Blu has been offering Free high-speed Internet access to all guests who stay in their hotels. Just check-in to Radisson Blu hotels across Europe, the Middle East and Africa get free access to the Internet as a part of their [emailprotected] Connect service concept. Room Styles They Offer their guests a choice of room styles. A popular feature of Radisson Blu hotels and resorts for over 12 years, there are now more than 20 different room designs to choose from. 3-hour Express Laundry The average guests stays at a hotel for less than two days, which makes getting laundry done a complicated matter. But at Radisson Blu they have dispensed of this complication with 3-Hour Express Laundry. All shirts, blouses, socks, underwear, pants and other pieces of clothing, handed in before 8 p.m. will be returned fresh and clean that same evening. Satellite Reception Satellite Reception desks are individual counters in the lobby that offer guests a more personalized, efficient, informal and relaxed service when checking-in/out. Anne Sà ©monin Bath products Offering a holistic and personal approach to beauty, Anne Semonin is a high-end French brand that is known for its philosophy Every skin is unique. Anne Sà ©monin was among the first to combine essential oils and trace elements, a standard that today is a benchmark in the industry.   Customers can check into one of their hotels and be spoiled with a unique range of her products, exclusively produced only for Radisson Blu Hotels and Resorts. CONCLUSION Thinking about the service concept not only help managers understand their business but also challenges them to view their business in ways that can make it stand apart from other organisations. Service concept is a strong strategic tool that can make an organisation successful if implementations of those concepts are done properly. Every organisations service concept is different and focus is needed on those ideas to get the competitive advantage.