Extreme Sports Essay -- Skydiving Snowboarding Sporting Essays

Extreme Sports Works Cited Missing â€Å"Extreme sports have boomed since the early '90s† (Petrecca 16). It is hard to believe that such activities as sky diving, snowboarding, bungee jumping, and the up and coming razor scooter have been labeled as so-called â€Å"extreme sports†. What characteristics must a sport have to labeled extreme? Perhaps it is the lack of safety, or the inability to create specific rules for these sports. Maybe it is the fact that these sports are just recently becoming mainstream so there is no other classification other than extreme sports. In any case, these activities are definitely something new and interesting to sprawl out in the mainstream of sports, which will do nothing except become larger and more popular. â€Å"Man, I shouldn’t be here† (McClearn 165). Looking down at the earth from 1,200 meters up, through an open airplane’s door, anyone will probably feel the same way. The thrill and the risk of jumping out of a plane sends shivers down some person’s backs, however there are also those who it makes want to live even more. â€Å"Some are drawn to the sphincter-wrenching terror of free fall† (McClearn 165). The excitement of jumping out of plane may be enjoyable for the person, but not for the wallet. For the first year of sky diving, a person can expect to pay up to $7000; however the price does decrease as more equipment and experienced is accumulated. The price, although expensive, is worth it, â€Å"And the feeling of cheating death is simply pric... Extreme Sports Essay -- Skydiving Snowboarding Sporting Essays Extreme Sports Works Cited Missing â€Å"Extreme sports have boomed since the early '90s† (Petrecca 16). It is hard to believe that such activities as sky diving, snowboarding, bungee jumping, and the up and coming razor scooter have been labeled as so-called â€Å"extreme sports†. What characteristics must a sport have to labeled extreme? Perhaps it is the lack of safety, or the inability to create specific rules for these sports. Maybe it is the fact that these sports are just recently becoming mainstream so there is no other classification other than extreme sports. In any case, these activities are definitely something new and interesting to sprawl out in the mainstream of sports, which will do nothing except become larger and more popular. â€Å"Man, I shouldn’t be here† (McClearn 165). Looking down at the earth from 1,200 meters up, through an open airplane’s door, anyone will probably feel the same way. The thrill and the risk of jumping out of a plane sends shivers down some person’s backs, however there are also those who it makes want to live even more. â€Å"Some are drawn to the sphincter-wrenching terror of free fall† (McClearn 165). The excitement of jumping out of plane may be enjoyable for the person, but not for the wallet. For the first year of sky diving, a person can expect to pay up to $7000; however the price does decrease as more equipment and experienced is accumulated. The price, although expensive, is worth it, â€Å"And the feeling of cheating death is simply pric...

Report Education System in Japan Essay

Japan has already begun to experience a population decline, with the result that many universities are already having difficulty maintaining their student populations, although entry into top ranks of the universities remains hugely competitive. The emerging and foreseeable trend is that many universities will have to try to attract large numbers of foreigners or diversify or face closure. It is also now said that a university education in Japan is within easier reach of students today, but that the quality of that higher education is now in question despite the many educational reforms that have been set in motion. Each academic year begins in April and comprises of two semesters. Basic general degrees are four-year degrees, a feature adapted from the American system. Undergraduate students receive instruction via the lecture and seminar group method. The general degree may be followed by two-year Master’s degrees (generally a combination of lectures and guided research) and then a three year Doctorate (largely based on research) where these are offered. Graduate education in Japan is underdeveloped compared to European countries and the United States with only slightly more than 7 percent of Japanese undergraduates going on to graduate school as compared to 13 percent of American undergraduates. Postgraduate educational offerings are weak and the number of universities offering postgraduate programmes or a wide variety of programmes, is small, compared to that in other industrialized western countries. Japan has about three million students enrolled in 1,200 universities and junior colleges and consequently the second largest higher educational system in the developed world. Japan also has one of the largest systems of private higher education in the world. The 710 odd universities in Japan can be separated into 3 categories: highly competitive, mildly competitive and non-competitive (the schools that are first-tier being the infamously difficult to enter ones). Public universities are generally more prestigious than their private ones with only 25 percent of all university-bound students being admitted to public universities. More than 65 percent of high school graduates continue their studies; of these, over 70 percent are enrolled in private colleges and universities. Only about 10 percent of private institutions receive their financial resources from public funding, with most public funds on higher education being spent on the national and local public universities. Despite the impressive statistics, Japanese universities are considered to be the weakest link in the country’s educational system. While many western writers have, time and time again, attributed the economic success of Japan to the well-educated and highly literate population of Japan, recent writings and studies tend to be far more critical, lamenting the deplorable state and quality of higher education in Japan today. Despite the famed exam rigors and competitiveness, declining standards in education and the high school student’s lack of interest in studying have lately been under spotlight. Some attribute this disinterestedness to the fact that academic effort no longer assured automatic rewards with the disintegration in the formerly stable and guaranteed lifetime employment system. Japanese students are also widely known to traditionally consider their university days to be a social playground, a reward for the hard work and having made it there, and, as many critics have recently pointed, professors demand relatively little from their students. Despite the institutional change and sweeping national reforms underway in response to these criticisms, the key problems remain unresolved: the pyramidal-structure of the university system and entrance exam wars; the centrally-controlled curriculum and lack of individuality and creativity of students as well as the lack of competitiveness in educational suppliers.

The Soviet Model Of Industrialization - 885 Words

The years of 1953 to 1957 marked a period of experimentation within the domestic Chinese economy. Following the successful redistribution of land between 1949 to 1952, the Chinese government created the ambitious First Five Year Plan (FFYP), aimed towards the fast industrialisation of heavy and light industry. The Plan followed closely the Soviet model of industrialisation, translating it into the Chinese context, and having the advantage of hindsight and experience to avoid some of the â€Å"grosser Soviet mistakes† (Central Intelligence Agency, pp 2). China had long been an agrarian country, with agricultural output accounting for about half of the countries total GNP. There existed a strong reliance on agricultural production as a foundational support for the economy (Uhally 1988, pp82-83). It was as a result that the plan was contingent on the centralised procurement and distribution of agricultural output, chiefly grains, to finance investment in the production of capital goods. Within the plan, the proportion of the state budget devoted to agriculture was set at a low 6.2 percent. Yet the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) nursed some grandiose ambitions for agricultural production and socialisation. In doing so, they would have to first solve the contradictions that were evident in the ownership of land by peasants after the redistribution. Under a fully socialist state, such a system of private enterprise was not feasible, as mentioned in the First Five Year Plan: â€Å"To buildShow MoreRelatedCollectivization Of The Soviet Union1469 Words   |  6 Pagesled up to and during the time of the Eastern Bloc can teach people many things in regard to all aspects of life. The Soviet Union was established in 1918 under a Communist regime, which replaced the old monarchy ruled by the Czar. However soon after 1918 a massive forced development of the Soviet Union and all their republics began. During this period of development, the Soviet Union carried out the policy of collectivization. Collectivization was the seizure of private land, objects and other thingsRead MoreUrban Segregation And Its Effects On Residential Preferences Shaped By Liberal Market Forces And National Identity890 Words   |  4 Pagessegregation patterns† (Leetmaa) among ethnic groups in post-communist Tartu, Estonia within the context of immigration policies implemented during the Soviet communist era. Using two dimensions – â€Å"preferences and segregation –ethnicity and neighbor affluence† (Leetmaa ,163), the study explores the possible causes of residential segregation in post-Soviet Tartu and its effects on residential preferences shaped by liberal m arket forces and national identity. The research is presented through an urbanRead MoreHow accurate is it to say that Mao Zedong’s agricultural policies from 1949 were the most important reason for the famine of 1959–62?1287 Words   |  6 Pagescreate a massive socialist industrial government inspired by the Soviet Union. This idea introduced a model, which prioritize industrialization known as the â€Å"Big Push Model†. China started prioritizing investments into the heavy industry, which would reshape the Chinese economy and create a Command economy. Mao’s economic policies seemed be working in the earlier years of its development, but Mao soon became obsessed with Industrialization (and putting less priority on agriculture) and competing withRead MoreCommunism in the Soviet Union and Why It Failed1561 Words   |  7 PagesCommunism in the Soviet Union and Why it Failed Communism is defined as a system of political and economic organization in which property is owned by the community and all citizens share in the enjoyment of the common wealth, more or less according to their need. In 1917 the rise of power in the Marxist-inspired Bolsheviks in Russia along with the consolidation of power by Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, the word communism came to mean a totalitarian system controlled by a single politicalRead More Communism In The Soviet Union And Why It Failed Essay1551 Words   |  7 Pages Communism in the Soviet Union and Why it Failed Communism is defined as quot;a system of political and economic organization in which property is owned by the community and all citizens share in the enjoyment of the common wealth, more or less according to their need.quot; In 1917 the rise of power in the Marxist-inspired Bolsheviks in Russia along with the consolidation of power by Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, the word communism came to mean a totalitarian system controlled by a singleRead MoreCompare and Contrast the Economic Policies of Stalin and Mao.941 Words   |  4 Pageseconomically, politically and socially. Mao can be seen to have adopted the policies of Stalin, both inspired by the Marxist ideologies of Lenin. Both Stalin and Mao recognized the economic backwardness of their respective countries and wanted to use industrialization and collectivisation as the primary means of increasing their economies. Although the original plans were very similar, the actual undertaking of the plans in addition to the results and how it helped consolidate both leaders may slightly varyRead MoreStructure Of The Paper : The Article Is Presented Using The Journal Style Scientific Paper Format989 Words   |  4 Pagessegregation in post-Soviet cities’ within the context of Soviet immigration policies. The purpose of the study â€Å"explores how inherited segregation patterns have evolved in the city of Ta rtu, Estonia† (Leetmaa ,162) in the post-Soviet period marked by Estonian statehood and a free-market economy. The historical material is divided into four sections: 1) Soviet Era Migration – Introduces the Soviet socialist political and economic migration policies that were intertwined with the â€Å"industrialization and urbanizationRead MoreThe Cold War And The International Political Economy1076 Words   |  5 Pagesup until the 1960s, the international political economy was stable, at least for the most part. It was during this time that the United States was still asserting itself as a global hegemony. The tense relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union left communist governments out of the liberal economic sphere of influence. The article goes on to talk about how the United States emerged as a global power shortly following the end of World War II, and highlights the imperialist policiesRead MoreInside a Totalitarian Regime: Key features of Stalinism Essay1652 Words   |  7 PagesStalinism, thus differentiating Stalin’s policy from Lenin’s and Marx’s theory? Was Stalinism a logical outcome of the Marxist theory or a betrayal of communism? In this perspective, one must analyze Stalin’s key policies, collectivization, industrialization and Cultural Revolution in comparison with Marxism and Leninism and within the framework of Communism in one country. Indeed, unlike Lenin who envisioned to spread the Socialist Revolution worldwide, Stalin believed that in its primary statesRead MoreThe And Institutions : The Key Of Development1311 Words   |  6 Pagescomplex nature of large groups of people were not compatible with the kinship model. The formation of a state emerged gradually. Instead of a completely egalitarian system, a centralized government emerged along with a rule of law, social stratification, a division of labor, and the provision of public goods. The success of the modern state is still evident, as many developed countries in place today follow a similar model. Statehood and the institutions established within them provide a stepping