Lightweight Strong Materials In A Composite Surfboard

Lightweight Strong Materials In A Composite Surfboard The composite surfboard is a common place in the sport today. Ever since the introduction of fiberglass composites after World War II, the surfboard industry was truly one of the first to embrace composites. Prior to fiber reinforced composites, surfboards were manufactured out of wood and could weigh over 100 lbs. Today, a composite surfboard the same size (10 feet) might weigh less then 10 lbs. To shed this enormous amount of weight, surfboards took advantage of 3 key materials: Foam Core Polyurethane foam became the core material of choice for surfboards. It is lightweight, provides thickness, and provides buoyancy. The foam core of a composite surfboard is sandwiched between FRP skins and creates the stiffness and structure of the surfboard. Often, a stringer of wood is bonded in the center of the board to provide increased rigidity, much like an I-beam. The surfboard foam industry was dominated by the company Clark Foam up until 2005, at which time the owner decided to shut down with no prior warning. Today, the foam core for composite surfboards is primarily polyurethane foam. However, expanded polystyrene (EPS) is being used more often as the use of epoxy resins increases. Regardless of the foam used it almost always closed-cell, so that it does not absorb moisture. Resin Thermosetting resins have been key to the success of the composite surfboard. Even when boards were made of wood, resins and coatings were used to help prevent the boards soaking in water. As resin technology continues to improve, boards are able to become stronger and lighter weight. The most common resins used in composite surfboards are polyester resins. This is primarily because polyester resin is inexpensive. Additionally, resin manufacturers have perfected their polyester surfboard resins so that they are easy to work with and are crystal clear. It is important that the resins used are water-clear, because a surfboard is as much a work of art as it is a functional piece of equipment. As surfboards age, they turn yellow from the UV rays. Hence, UV resistance is an important factor to the resins used today. With the advancements in resin technology, it is no surprise composite surfboards are being manufactured with epoxy. Epoxy has no VOC emissions during the manufacturing process, and it has much higher strength, fatigue, and impact resistance properties. However, the only current downside to using epoxy is, these boards tend to turn yellow faster then polyester boards. Although, this may soon change with improved formulations. Fiberglass Fiberglass is the structural backbone to surfboards. The fiberglass reinforcement provides the structure and strength to the board. Most commonly, lightweight woven fiberglass cloth is used as the reinforcement. Usually, it is between 4 and 8 ounce fabric. (Ounces per square yard). Often more then one layer is used. Currently, the weaves used are evenly balanced with equal amounts of fiberglass running from nose to tail, and rail to rail. However, engineers are designing boards with different amounts of fiber running in different directions. This provides the strength and the rigidity where required, without adding much additional weight. Future Of The Composite Surfboard Surfers are known for being progressive, and with this comes experimentation with different shapes and materials. Boards today are embracing composite technology and new materials. The composite surfboards of the future are incorporating fibers such as Kevlar, carbon fiber, and Innegra. The various properties of the many composite reinforcements available can allow the surfer or engineer, to tweak the properties to help create the dream board. It also makes a surfboard extremely cool looking to have unique materials and construction. The various properties of the many composite reinforcements available can allow the surfer or engineer, to tweak the properties to help create the ultimate surfboard. It also makes a surfboard extremely cool looking to have unique materials and construction. Not only are the materials being used changing, but the method of manufacturing is evolving as well. CNC machines are commonly being used to precisely machine out the foam core. This creates boards that are almost perfectly symmetrical and exact. At first, the fear of mass production brought concerns of removing the soul from the sport. Meaning, the traditional method of hand shaping boards is being reduced to the job of a computer. However, the opposite seems to be true. Custom boards, which are truly works of art, seem to be as popular as ever. And with composites, creativity in methods and materials to laminate boards seems to give an endless opportunity to customize and personalize boards. The future of the composite surfboard is bright. In the 1950s the use of fiberglass was revolutionary. The new pioneers will continue to push the envelope and will embrace the next generation of composite materials and processing techniques.

Are you guilty of sending those dreaded generic LinkedIn invitations Dont do it!

Are you guilty of sending those dreaded generic LinkedIn invitations Dont do it! At a recent social event, I met a masters degree student who wanted to connect with me on LinkedIn. I found her profile on my handy mobile app and handed her my phone so she could confirm I had the correct person. Before I knew what was happening, she had pushed the â€Å"Connect† button. I had unwittingly sent out (gasp!) a cookie cutter invitation on LinkedIn. I’ll tell you a secret: I once did this myself. That big blue Connect button is just too tempting!! The generic LinkedIn invitation is a pet peeve of most LinkedIn experts and business people on LinkedIn, prompting such snarkily written articles as Why I Didn’t Accept Your LinkedIn Request. While I realize that following instructions will not in a million years prevent you from ever sending out a generic LinkedIn message again, I hope they will at least decrease the occurrence of this social gaffe. Initiating a Connection the Right Way Prior to LinkedIns recent interface update, it was easy to mistakenly send a generic â€Å"I’d like to join your LinkedIn network† message from your desktop app. With the new LinkedIn, you get a nudge not to go down this road. After clicking on the Connect button you’ll have a choice of whether to Add a note or Send now. Click Add a note and you’ll have this nice blank box to fill in: Write your note (300 characters) and send! If you don’t choose to add a note and accidentally hit â€Å"Send now,† your connection will get an email that looks something that looks like this: What would someones incentive be for accepting such a generic invitation? Most people won’t. How to Send a Mobile Invitation the Right Way! When I deliver LinkedIn workshops, I always make a point of teaching people how to send a customized, personal invitation from their phones, so as not to send the dreaded â€Å"I’d like to join your LinkedIn network† canned message. I give careful instructions and invite people to practice by connecting with me. Nine times out of 10, someone in the audience pipes up, â€Å"Oops! I just sent you a generic invitation by mistake!† Despite the potential futility of doing so, I will now explain how to personalize your invitations on your mobile device. To send a customized invitation via iPhone or Android, go to your contacts profile and click the 3-dot †¦ button in the upper right (tie your hands behind your back and do NOT click CONNECT!! LinkedIn will not warn you on your phone that you’re about to send a generic invitation): From the dropdown menu, click Personalize Invite (note this menu might vary depending on what operating system you’re using): And write your message. On some Android devices, after going to a member’s profile, you may need to tap either the Menu or the More button, then Customize Invite, write your message and Send. What Should I Say? If you want to make a connection and youre stuck on what to say, you can say something about someone you know in common, or about a place you used to work together or where they work now. Perhaps mention a conversation they started or participated in a LinkedIn group. Or maybe you have a potential work project for them. Be friendly and let them know you are human! Fixing Mistakes If you accidentally connect with someone without including a message, you can always cancel the invitation or, if you miss the window for cancellation, you may be able to send another message with a customized note later. Note that this second solution will only work for people who accept non-InMail messages, or if you are able to send InMail! To rescind your invitation before it’s accepted, click on the My Network tab: Next, click â€Å"Manage all† in the upper right-hand corner: On the resulting page, click on Sent and you’ll get a list of pending invitations. You can click on Withdraw to cancel that message you sent accidentally. Practice! Now that you know the basics about LinkedIn invitations, heres a chance to practice Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn! If we’re already connected, find someone else you want to add to your network and send them a nice message. You’ll both be glad you did. Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save

Importance of Ethical Behavior Among Employees. Why Do Good People Do Research Paper

Importance of Ethical Behavior Among Employees. Why Do Good People Do Bad Things at Work - Research Paper Example It is the responsibility of the decision makers to take proper moral perspective of the ethical manner in which they should be behaving that will be favorable for the company at large. To choose the right kind of ethical approach in conducting business activities, it may sometimes be necessary to shift from the path of short term profits. The idea is to maintain balance between what is right and what is profitable which may apparently seem difficult. In order to ensure a sustainable business in the long run, the need is to integrate the ethical principles with the company’s strategy. Lack of ethical behavior and social responsibilities can reduce motivation among employees resulting in poor performance and lower profit. Business ethics and social responsibility can have significant positive impacts on the company. A business conducted in an ethical manner can gain the trust of customers which can result in increased sales and profit. Employees will enjoy favorable working cond itions thus encouraging them to remain an integral part of the company which will reduce employee turnover. Aspiring employees will want to work with the company and this can reduce recruitment cost, and also the company will be able to attract the most talented people to join the company. More investors will want to buy shares of the company leading to increase in the price of shares, and this can protect the company from takeover. This paper explores the importance of ethics in employees’ behavior and what motivates them to behave in an ethical manner. Over the last few decades, the growing importance of ethical behavior in business organizations is becoming evident with more and more companies implementing ethics systems in their management. The subject is increasingly being emphasized in course studies of business management. However, there are still organizations that do not recognize the need of ethical behavior, and are still treading the traditional belief that busine ss activities should be focused only on profit maximization. However, general analysis on this subject has concluded that a business organization shoulders the responsibility of ethical behavior, and it does not only entail satisfying the shareholders, but also others who are associated with the business like employees and customers. Implementation of proper ethical management system can lead to an ethical culture among employees thereby improving the overall moral quality of the company. Nevertheless, many organizations still do not consider ethics as important enough to be considered in management systems. These organizations regard ethics as an external factor that has nothing to do with the activities of a business. The fact that business is conducted by human beings and so ethics need to be considered in decision making processes is largely ignored by many organizations (Palomino et al., 2010, pp.16-17). Since business is essentially conducted for making profits, therefore its activities will most naturally focus on profit maximization. Moreover, since business is conducted by human beings, and they are a part of larger society, it is necessary that behaviors of employees have both social and ethical values. In modern times, business is not solely considered as exclusive property of shareholders, but is also considered as a part of society at large. Therefore, the need to project an organization as having ethical values has become very important (Palomino et al., 2010, pp.19). Arguments concerned with business ethics should not be concentrated only on its requirement for competitive advantages, but also should be based on the fact that business is conducted by human beings. If ethics is ignored, then that will inevitably create a de-motivating ambiance

Women and development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Women and development - Essay Example This is mostly the case in African countries and countries of the Middle East. Unlike their American counterparts, most women in African countries and the Middle East face difficulties and are subjected to victimization by men. This paper seeks to compare women’s economic conditions in an undeveloped society in Africa with the conditions in America. Some of the aspects that the paper will explore include education, economic conditions, family structure, as well as health. In addition, the paper will give an explanation of the factors that contribute to the differences between the two cultures. There exist differences between the levels of women empowerment in both the United States and Africa. The economic conditions of women in most African countries are based on involvement in agriculture. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, the involvement of women in the economic activities is based on informal labor. Women in sub-Saharan Africa can be regarded as guardians to their childr en and are the sole providers of the children’s material needs. Women are expected to cater for their children in terms of food, health needs, as well as education needs. This burdens women, and they cannot be said to have benefitted from the numerous advancements in technology with regard to the improvement in machinery used in agriculture (Nallari, 2012). On the other hand, women in the American society can pride themselves of improved economic conditions. For example, in the United States, women economic conditions can be termed as better than the economic conditions of women in Sub-Saharan Africa. American women have an opportunity to gain employment in formal work settings where they receive competitive salaries, just like their male colleagues. American women do not have to bear the burden of child rearing since they have high salaries, which they can use to cater for all the needs of their children. This explains why women play a key role in the economic development of America. Compared to women in Sub-Saharan Africa, American women do not experience poverty. Women from sub-Saharan Africa are subjected to poverty since their ascension up the social ladder is hindered by men. Sub-Saharan Africa women have to do household chores and also engage in meaningful employment in order to provide for their families (Thompson, 2013). In terms of education, women do not get equal opportunities like men in Sub-Saharan Africa, and this has hindered women from career advancement. While the boy child is highly regarded, the girl child is only allowed to gain basic education and their efforts to get higher education are threatened by men. For example, few women have outstanding academic credentials since they cannot access university education (Fallon, 2008). On the contrary, women in America have an opportunity to study with a lot of ease and get as many academic degrees as they want. This is an advantage to women since with academic credentials they can gain em ployment in reputable organizations and improve their status (Thompson, 2013). With little education, women cannot take advantage of numerous job opportunities that present themselves as compared to men. Since high income jobs are a preserve of the well educated, the governments in Sub-Saharan Africa have to the realization that women should also be accorded equal education rights with men. In the recent past, women empowerment has taken center stage in Sub-Saharan Africa as a result of which the society has been challenged to educate the girl child. Consequently, the girl child has started experiencing success in life since education is a regarded as key to a better life in the contemporary world (Mikell,

My Sport Essay -- Personal Narrative

My Sport It all started when I was about eleven or twelve years old. By that time, I was already used to being the tallest girl in class. I caught the attention of all my gym teachers and was about to become a goal to basketball coaches. The sport seemed cool, but something I had never thought about. Time went by and the coaches insisted I should play. I was finally persuaded. â€Å"Why not give it a try?† I thought. I went to camps, practices, a whole process, and learned to sympathize with the sport. Basketball came easy to me and after a while, I became a decent player. I continued to play through junior high school, but it wasn’t until high school that I realized it wasn’t my sport. There, I found a whole diversity of sports, some of which I had never heard of. One day, the crew coach...

Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Mesolithic Art Essay

The earth and the sky factor into Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Mesolithic art and monuments. Paleolithic means Old Stone Age and the art was mainly consisted of paintings in their caves and Venus figurines. Neolithic means New Stone Age and the art was consisted of the Stonehenge, figures, and pottery. Mesolithic means Middle Stone Age and the art consisted of some pottery, hand tools, and some figurines. In the Old Stone Age, (Paleolithic) their art was consisted of mainly paintings on cave walls. People painted animals because that was what they would see in the dark due to the prolonged time of being in darkness in the caves. They didn’t see much sunlight. As time went on, mathematical aspects started to rise from observational astronomy. Some cave paintings became known as an understanding of the path the moon takes around the sun. This is known as the ecliptic. The ecliptic lead to the discovery of the zodiac. Stars, moons, and planets in the Paleolithic culture are not the stars, moons and planets of modern time that we know. They are those whose habitat is the Milky Way and the celestial sphere now. Many of these paintings reflected images that were seen in the night sky. Such as the Bison that were painted in cave walls which is known as the Taurus in the zodiac sign today. The significance of their art was the astronomy and mathematical connections they made and how it created what we now know as the zodiac. The New Stone Age began to connect with the earth and the sun more by the use of famous monuments. In the New Stone Age (Neolithic) the people built villages that were built for family, life, and worship. They worshipped many gods, but their beliefs were strongly based on nature. They also built many walls that were used as a defense. The monuments they built was their main form art that had connection s to the earth and the sun. They created a giant stone monument that was known as Stonehenge. It was made out of earth, timber, and stones. By viewing this monument, it was observed that the Neolithic people had knowledge in architecture, mathematics, and astrology. The Stonehenge was created as an astrological observatory. It is known for this because of the rising and setting of the sun on the summer and winter solstice that can be seen through the monument. It was also considered to possibly have been used as an astronomical calendar. The significance of this monument is how these people had the mathematical and astronomy knowledge to build this in a way to be able to witness amazing views in the sky that come every year. The Middle Stone (Mesolithic) art consisted of mostly pottery and hand tools. During the Middle Stone age, the Mesolithic people made many hand tools because they began to gain more knowledge to be able to farm and capture animals more effectively. They created carved-engraved bone plates. These engraved or painted plates of stones were marked with dots. These dots were considered to be accurate lunar observations. The interpretation of the markings on many artefacts were considered to be marks that correlate with lunar or s olar motion. This showed that the Mesolithic people had some astronomical skills. The significance of these findings show that over time people were gaining skills on astronomy and were creating their observations through the use of art. Over time art has changed dramatically. It started off as just paintings on cave walls and lead to massive monuments that are still standing today. There is significance behind all of the art since the Stone Age times. These people from the stone ages used art to express their knowledge in mathematics and astronomy. They used it to better understand the earth, the sky, the sun, and the stars. They not knowingly created what is today the zodiac and proved they didn’t need any technology to create an astrological observatory.

Euthanasia/Physician Assisted Suicide Should Not be Legalized

I. Introduction An admired man, loved and respected by his family, was burdened with a life or death situation; his. At the age of 72, this man was diagnosed with cancer and being middle class, the costs of treatment seemed more painful than the cancer itself. He was distressed with the thought of putting his family through financial hardships. Living in Oregon, with the Measure 16 law just passing for the legalizing of euthanasia, he felt he had no other choice. Knowing his family would disagree, he decided to ask for his doctors’ advice. The doctor knowing he would receive a cash bonus and be financially better off if he did not provide patient care advised the modest man to be euthanized. He took his doctors advice and there was†¦show more content†¦Unfortunately being aided by a doctor in committing suicide will expand for many groups who just passed that line. Holland is just one blind victim of euthanasia. After thorough study, Gregory Koukl, host of â€Å"Euth anasia, Rights and Metaphysics† states that after twenty years of legalized euthanasia by Doctors, â€Å"One in five people in Holland are euthanized. 11.3%, more than one in ten, of the total number of deaths in that country, every single year (14,691 according to the Dutch government†¦) is cases of involuntary euthanasia.† (Koukl) Over time the guidelines to whether one should be aided in suicide for whatever motive would diminish and be redefined; sad, but evidently that is how it starts. Reason 2: Physician Assisted Suicide violates the Hippocratic Oath Physicians are taught to be responsible and loyal to their patients, which is why they swear on the Hippocratic Oath. The National Institutes of Health’s History of Medicine Division provided a description about the Hippocratic Oath as â€Å"...perhaps the most widely known of Greek medical texts. It requires a new physician toShow MoreRelated Physician-Assisted Suicide Essay - Euthanasia Should Not be Legalized793 Words   |  4 PagesEuthanasia Should Not be Legalized      Ã‚   It is conceivable, that life can deteriorate to the point where persons lose their dignity and self-respect and are unable to communicate; life in such a form no longer meets meets the basic criteria of human- ness.   (OKeefe, A1)   Under these circumstances only should Euthanasia be practiced and then only passively (pulling the plug).   Dutch Death, Euthanasia, doctor assisted suicide, whatever you want to call it, it Read MoreEuthanasia And Assisted Suicide Should Be Legalized Essay1221 Words   |  5 Pages The Oxford English Dictionary states that euthanasia is a gentle and easy death (Oxford English Dictionary). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, active euthanasia is the ending of a terminally ill person s life by direct intervention, such as administering a lethal dose of painkilling drug (Oxford English Dictionary). While passive euthanasia according to the Oxford English Dictionary is the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining medical treatment in the knowledge that the personRead MoreAssisted Suicide And Voluntary Active Euthanasia Essay1270 Words   |  6 Pagesill look to that are familiarized by our society, physician assisted suicide and voluntary active euthanasia. Physician assisted suicide is when the patient is prescribed lethal medicine by the doctor to commit suicide. While, voluntary active euthanasia is when a physician takes an active role in the action of killing the patient. There is often debate on whether or not any of these actions should be l egalized in all states. Physician assisted suicide is legal in Oregon, California, Montana, VermontRead MoreShould Physician Assisted Suicide Be Legalized?1426 Words   |  6 PagesPhysician assisted suicide is also known as assisted suicide. It is a very controversial procedure. It is not favored by many. However, in present day society is little bit inclined towards assisted suicide. There is ongoing debate on the legalization of assisted suicide. The main reason to oppose of assisted suicide is the fear of mistreatment of the patient, abuse of power and so on. In contrary, many see assisted suicide as a way to decrease pain in the end of life. Read MoreAssisted Suicide And Voluntary Active Euthanasia Essay1345 Words   |  6 Pageslook to that are familiarized by our society: physician assisted suicide and voluntary active euthanasia. Physician assisted suicide is when the patient is prescribed lethal medicine by the doctor to commit suicide. Meanwhile, voluntary active euthanasia is when a physician takes an active role in the act of killing the patient. There is often debate on whether or not any of these actions should be legalized in all states. Physician assisted suicide is legal in Oregon, California, Montana, VermontRead MoreEuthanasia Is The Other Form And It Takes Place Against The Patient s Consent1005 Words   |  5 PagesInvoluntary euthanasia is the other form and it takes place against the patient’s consent. Finally, non-voluntary euthanasia is whereby a physician carries out the act despite the fact that the patient does not have the ability to make the decision. To understand the slippery slope her e, it is important to take note of the fact that all these forms of euthanasia are morally demeaning since they do not uphold the right to life. Legalizing PAS would, therefore, imply that the right to life is beingRead MoreI Was A Competitive Cheerleader1534 Words   |  7 Pageshave grown to be a better person and student because of it and thus, I am a strong advocate against euthanasia for numerous reasons. Euthanasia is a controversial topic regarding whether or not physician-assisted suicide should be further legalized. Euthanasia is the act of a medical doctor injecting a poison into a patient s body in order to kill them. Some argue that euthanasia should be legalized to put people out of pain and misery. However, others argue that some people with terminal illnessesRead MoreEuthanasia Essay : Physician Assisted Suicide1566 Words   |  7 Pagesopportunity to pick how your life finished, how would you choose it? In physician assisted suicide, the option to end a patient’s life is provided to a patient with knowledge of the patient s intention. Unlike euthanasia, in physician assisted suicide, physicians makes death accessible, but does not specifically regulate the death (Broeckaert 1). Euthanasia is putting someone to death who is suffering from a pain, illness or injury. Euthanasia means that someone other than the patient commits an action withRead MoreAssisted Suicide E ssay1534 Words   |  7 Pagesmajority of the cases involved in ‘assisted-suicide,’ which is the process of ending their life with help from another person. Assisted suicide, despite the chronic or degenerative illness, has caused great controversy. The debate arises when the question about whether or not the practice should be legalized is asked. Some say that every person has a God given right to do what they want with their bodies, when they want to do it. Others say that palliative staffs should be focusing on studying betterRead MoreAssisted Suicide Should Be Managed1273 Words   |  6 PagesAssisted Suicide Brittany Maynard was twenty-nine years old, she had been married for a year when she was diagnosed with brain cancer. Doctors gave her a prognosis of six months to live. After that, Brittany and her family decided to move to Oregon to take advantage of the Death with Dignity Act. On November 1, 2014, Maynard decided to end her life. Assisted suicide is a controversial topic that has been debated for many years. In a few countries, this procedure has already been legalized. There