Legal and ethical issues Essay

I will explain the legal and ethical issues relating to the use of business information. I will try to obtain ASDA’s policies on ethical issues in relation to business information and explain how they comply with their legal obligations. Asda aswell as many other businesses store and use information about the general public. To help protect business information there are laws made that a business has to follow. There is a Data protection act (1998) that was made to ensure information was protected. This meant that any information stored by a business must be, obtained lawfully, used only for the purposes stated during collection, accurate and up to date, etc. Asda – â€Å"Our Privacy Mission Statement† â€Å"At Asda, we value the trust placed in us by customers, suppliers and colleagues who give us their personal data. Data security is one of our highest priorities and we aim to be as clear as possible about what we do with personal data and why we do it.† Asda ensures their customers on their website (asda/privacypolicies.com) that our information is secured. They explain what they use and do with your private details.They also offer people the opportunity yo change their registration details. Asda explain how the address of the customer is only used for delievery purposes only and no reason other than that; Your date of birth is given to provide proof to asda that you are at the age to pruchase certain items such as, alchol or insurance. Ethical issues within a business are moral principles concerning acceptable and unacceptable behaviour within a working environment. Asdas Ethics statement  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Our corporate ethical responsibilitiy is to ensure George is recognised by customers and colleagues as a trusted and innovate leader in the field of ethical sourcing and enviromental protection and over the last two years we are focused on 3 main areas: Ethical, sustainable packaging and recycling Etical code At george we are founded members of the ethical trade initative (ETI) and use  this as a starting point for our ethical standards. Over the past 10 years ASDA?George has worked hard to promote the welfare of workers in the countries from which we have source.† Asda explain that ETI is the Base code, which addresses such points as child labour, forced labour, working hours, freedom of association and living wage). All sites that want to produce for Asda/George, will recieve an initial audit. This will help george decided if the site is good for use. If the site is voted green and there are no issues found the site will not be revisted for the minimum of 2 years, if the sire is given yellow this would mean there are minimal issues within the site and are given an action plan for a years time. Orange or (most cases) Red there are major violations occulation child labour, the site will have a 30 day appeal, before being delisted. Recycling Asda aim to ensure their george departments are zero waste. They aim to do this by either selling all stock to customers, and any damaged and recycable clothing to the New Life Foundation. Also Asda give any undamaged and un-sold stock to the salvation army.

In What Ways do Gender Relations Affect Work Organization and Management? Essay

With the influx of women into the workforce during the last 20 years, there has been increased attention to comparisons between men and women on a number of work-related attributes and behaviors. With this increased attention, there has also been some confusion about whether women and men differ to a significant degree, how much they differ, and whether these differences truly are meaningful regarding behavior at work. The principal goal of this work is to consider gender issues that affect work organisation and management. The discussion of gender and work which is included in this paper is selective in focusing mainly on recent research, in which the topic has been considered explicitly. The cases considered provide useful examples of the role of gender in work. The discussion uses definition of gender as ‘a system of culturally constructed identities, expressed in ideologies of masculinity and femininity, interacting with socially structured relationships in divisions of labour and leisure, sexuality and power between women and men’ (Nicolson, 1996. p. 54). Although women and men have always engaged in purposeful activity, the set of activities that many people consider work or employment is not always clear. Historically, men and women worked side by side together in the fields. Today, however, a distinction is made between paid, public work external to the family and unpaid, private work in the home. Each of these spheres of work has come to be sex-typed, with paid work being viewed by many as the domain of males and unpaid work in the home the domain of females. These perceptions are changing but are still deep-seated in many respects (Nicolson, 1996). Stereotyping involves generalizing beliefs about groups as a whole to members of those groups. For example, if you believe that older people are more likely to resist change than younger people, you may infer that an older person you have just met is likely to be rigid and to have a hard time adapting to changes. Through stereotyping, we can categorize people into groups on numerous demographic bases, including gender, race, age, religion, social class, and so forth, and our perceptions of specific individuals will be influenced by what we know or think we know about the group as a whole. Gender stereotypes are socially shared beliefs about the characteristics or attributes of men and women in general that influence our perceptions of individual men and women (Nicolson, 1996). The stereotype literature suggests that our general beliefs about groups of people can affect our assessments of individual group members (Biernat, 1991). Stereotypes can contribute to shared misperceptions of coworkers, job candidates, performance, and credentials (Haworth 90). Stereotypes not only affect the decisions we make about men and women but also affect self-perceptions, decisions, and choices made by those men and women. Furthermore, gender stereotypes can create a self-fulfilling prophecy, in the sense that both men and women may feel pressure to behave in ways that correspond to gender stereotypes. Thus, stereotypes can affect both how men and women behave in the workplace and how their behavior is perceived. In recent years, the influx of women into the workforce in general, and into nontraditional occupations in particular, has led to increased attention in the popular media. One result of the recent profusion of books, magazine articles, and newspaper stories dealing with these topics is an increasing level of confusion about whether there are, in fact, sex or gender differences between women and men; or if there are such differences, in what ways (i.e., personality, skills, leadership, intelligence, etc.) men and women differ, how much they differ, and whether the differences really mean anything (Nicolson, 1996). Given our social expectations of men and women based on gender stereotypes, it is not surprising to observe some differences between men and women in numerous domains at work. For example, men and women differ in their expectations for success on specific tasks, and these expectations are related to achievement motivation on the task. This finding has been interpreted as meaning that women have lower expectations for success than men, and that is why they do not attempt new tasks or perform as well as men on subsequent tasks. However, an equally plausible explanation is that women face more barriers than men on the job, especially sex discrimination, and are less likely to be successful due in part to biased evaluations. Furthermore, women may take this into account when forming their expectations about occupations that do not require lengthy training programs or extensive time commitment. That is, success expectations for a woman may include an implicit assessment of the sexism within her current environment as well as an assessment of her ability to perform a given task (Haworth, 2004). There is evidence (from studies conducted in the 1970s and again in the 1990s) suggesting a small but consistent impact of gender stereotypes on work-related decisions and on men’s and women’s self-perceptions of their behavior, performance, and worth (including expectations for pay).However, the observed differences must be interpreted with much caution. One conclusion drawn from these differences is that women are deficient in some ways compared to men. It is easy to attribute the cause of such differences to internal, skill, personality, or biological explanations. The reliance on internal or person-based explanations inhibit and often precludes the search for equally compelling external, situation-based explanations for gender differences. Most behaviors that reflect gender differences are learned behaviors, and by labeling them as masculine and feminine, scientists may reinforce the association of that behavior with gender (Haworth, 2004). The positive expectations associated with physical attractiveness generalize beyond interpersonal relationships such as dating and marriage into the work setting. Perceptions of attractiveness have a moderate effect on perceptions of the person’s intellectual competence. The link between attractiveness and perceptions of intelligence appears to be similar for both men and women. However, attractiveness appears to have a stronger effect for women than for men on perceptions of job performance (Lewis & Bierlys, 1990). Applicants and employees with higher physical attractiveness are expected to do better work. Once completed, their work is evaluated more positively than identical work by less attractive individuals. In one study, highly attractive authors were evaluated as having better ideas, demonstrating better style, being more creative, and generally producing higher quality work. In the interviewing setting, if an interviewer believes that physical attractiveness is an important job attribute, then being attractive is an advantage. There is extensive research evidence that attractiveness positively influences entry-level employment decisions. Other research has shown few significant effects. Although there is some evidence to the contrary, physical attractiveness appears to interact with the sex-type of the job to influence work evaluations (Crompton, 1996. p. 8). Physical attractiveness is a positive feature for women when applying to lower level positions (e.g., clerical) but not for higher level positions (e.g., management), whereas physical attractiveness is advantageous for men in a wider range of positions. These advantages and disadvantages are similar for such work decisions as evaluations of applicant qualifications, hiring recommendations, starting salary, and rankings of hiring preferences (Nicolson, 1996. p. 68). At work, physical attractiveness is usually an advantage for women and men, but for women, there are limits to these positive consequences. Attractiveness is most beneficial for women working in traditional feminine areas or just entering an organization. However, when women enter more traditionally masculine work, physical attractiveness can be a liability (Biernat & Wortman, 1991. p. 4). One interpretation of these findings is that because women who are physically attractive are also perceived as more feminine (Aaltio, 2002, p. 55), the negative female stereotype of being less intelligent or competent may be activated or salient. Especially in masculine occupations where competence is of great perceived importance, attractive women may face discrimination. Workplace romance can influence organizational effectiveness in a number of ways, including the breakdown of the legitimacy of organizational promotions and structure, excessive transfers, and more terminations (Pierce et al., 1996). Especially when a romantic relationship involves a supervisor and a subordinate, it is likely to result in perceptions of favoritism and inequity concerning promotions among coworkers. When coworkers perceive such favoritism they can become both alienated from the work group (Pugh, 1997) and envious which can result in an imbalance of power within the organization (Grint, 2005). Furthermore, when the power structure within an organization breaks down, channels for advancement become closed off and promotion and raise decisions become distorted and unpredictable. When one investigates the basis for promotions and who is promoted, it is important to examine the values, informal guidelines, and norms surrounding such decisions. Therefore, the relationship between workplace romance and promotion decisions may depend, in part, on the culture of the organization. Should employees participating in a workplace romance be transferred or relocated? Managers appear to perceive job relocation as a reasonable intervention to workplace romance (Pierce, Byrne & Aguinis, 1996. p.7) especially when employees engage in such behavior against formal organizational policy. Furthermore, employees might expect such transfers as a consequence. Some experts (Andrews & Knoke, 1999) suggest that management should offer relocation as one option for couples to consider. However, female participants are more frequently relocated than males, and fewer of these women occupy top-level management or higher status positions. Therefore, organizational relocation decisions in situations of workplace romance may be discriminatory based on the employees’ gender or organizational positions. The decision to terminate or dismiss an employee because of his or her involvement in a workplace romance may also be viewed as a detrimental managerial action, one representing a punitive form of organizational intervention. Yet employees are often dismissed for participating in a workplace romance. Furthermore, a female participant is more likely to be terminated than a male participant, the participant who is lower in status or less â€Å"valuable† to the organization is more often terminated, and extramarital affairs are more likely to result in employee termination as compared to other types of affairs. However, there is a need to identify managerial prejudices and inequitable decisions based on gender, so that if terminations are made within the context of workplace romance, an employee is terminated based on poor performance rather than gender or organizational status (Haworth, 2004). Our personal physical attractiveness plays a tremendous role in our interactions with others in our work lives. There is evidence that attractiveness influences what people expect from us, how people respond to us, and what decisions we make are made about us. Yet many organizational texts do not address this topic. We believe that physical attractiveness is a pivotal factor in the development of relationships, friendships, and romances in the workplace. Furthermore, these relationships greatly shape men’s and women’s experiences of work (Haworth, 2004). The physical attractiveness stereotype is generally, â€Å"What is beautiful is good.† This view appears to hold for younger and older persons and for men and women. Yet the stereotype is subtle, and often we deny its influence on our behavior. Attractiveness appears to influence the expectations we have about each other including intelligence, interpersonal skills, honesty, and guilt or innocence of a crime. Furthermore, attractiveness appears to influence a number of work-related decisions including hiring decisions, work evaluations, interview ratings, and salaries (Pierce, Byrne & Aguinis, 1996). Physical attractiveness is a key factor in interpersonal attraction and liking as well as in the development of romantic relationships at work. Although such factors as propinquity, familiarity, attitude similarity, and reciprocity of liking are important, an attractive individual is more likely to engage in interpersonal relationships than a less attractive individual. Furthermore, interpersonal attraction is one antecedent of sexually intimate relationships including romantic relationships at work. Workplace romances appear to be increasing among American workers. The rise seems to be associated with greater acceptance of office dating, especially among coworkers (less so between a manager and subordinate), and organizational cultures that convey more liberal attitudes about the appropriateness of such behavior. There are numerous outcomes or consequences of workplace romances, and such outcomes may depend, in part, on the type of romance occurring: true love, the fling, or a utilitarian relationship. More negative coworker and organizational reactions occur with utilitarian relationships, followed by flings and true love. Although workplace romances can promote perceptions of inequity among coworkers and increased legal liability for the organization, these reactions are usually is associated with manager-subordinate romances and perceptions of sexual harassment (Pierce, Byrne & Aguinis, 1996). The central argument of this paper is that gender relations are constitutive of the structure and practices of organizations and that this is key to understanding how men define and dominate organizations. These gendered processes operate on many levels, from the explicit and institutional to the more subtle, cultural forms that are submerged in organizational decisions, even those that appear to have nothing to do with gender (Crompton, 1996. p. 60). They include the way men’s influence is embedded in rules and procedures, formal job definitions and functional roles. For example, the structure of a management career, based on men’s experiences, needs and life-cycle patterns, assumes a history of continuous, full-time employment. Or the way in which gender is mapped onto organizational authority resulting in a sexual division of labor whereby it is prescribed that women are better suited to personnel management than other management functions. References Aaltio, Iiris. (2002). Gender, Identity and the Culture of Organizations. Routledge: London. Andrews, S.B. & Knoke, D. (eds) (1999). Networks in and around Organizations, Stamford, Conn.: JAI Press. Biernat M., & Wortman C. B. (1991). â€Å"Sharing of home responsibilities between professionally employed women and their husbands.† Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61. Crompton, Rosemary. (1996). Changing Forms of Employment: Organisations, Skills, and Gender. Routledge: New York. Grint, K. (2005). The Sociology of Work, 3rd edn, Cambridge: Polity Press. Haworth, John T. (2004). Work and Leisure. Routledge: New York. Lewis K. E., & Bierly M. (1990). â€Å"Toward a profile of the female voter: Sex differences in perceived physical attractiveness and competence of political candidates†. Sex Roles, 22. Nicolson, Paula. (1996). Gender, Power, and Organization: A Psychological Perspective. Routledge: New York. Pierce C. A., Byrne D., & Aguinis H. (1996). â€Å"Attraction in organizations: A model of workplace romance†. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 17. Pugh, D.S. (1997). Organization Theory: Selected Readings, 4 edn, thLondon: Penguin.

Annie Dillard The Chase

In the first paragraph of â€Å"The Chase†, the narrator of the story a seven year old girl is informing the audience about the game of football. She says â€Å"It was all or nothing† (Dillard 121). Basically stating that in football you have got to give all of your effort and not hesitate at all if you want to make the tackle and stop the offense. This do or die attitude is reflected later in the story during the chase scene. It is also the climax of the story. Being that a bunch of kids are together unsupervised, there is going to be some trouble. That is exactly what happens next. The children are all gathered during a winter snowy day making snowballs next to a street throwing them at passing cars. Its wide black door opened; a man got out of it running. He didn’t even close the car door. † This kind of unexpected thrill we can all relate to. Dillard adds even more by putting in the little details that make the reader feel the anger of this man and the feeling of we’re caught by the children that we have all felt as a kid is described in that same quote. By using these details in the story the re ader can put themselves into the shoes of the characters. Dillard uses lots of active descriptions that are very real throughout the chase scene. She uses actual street names like Edgerton Avenue, Lloyd Street, Willard and Lang. This use of actual real names of streets makes the story. The reader can almost get lost in the chase itself with Dillard’s use of rapid transitions like up, around, under, through, down some, across, smashed. After the chase is over and the children are caught the reader feels tired Annie Dillard The Chase In the first paragraph of â€Å"The Chase†, the narrator of the story a seven year old girl is informing the audience about the game of football. She says â€Å"It was all or nothing† (Dillard 121). Basically stating that in football you have got to give all of your effort and not hesitate at all if you want to make the tackle and stop the offense. This do or die attitude is reflected later in the story during the chase scene. It is also the climax of the story. Being that a bunch of kids are together unsupervised, there is going to be some trouble. That is exactly what happens next. The children are all gathered during a winter snowy day making snowballs next to a street throwing them at passing cars. Its wide black door opened; a man got out of it running. He didn’t even close the car door. † This kind of unexpected thrill we can all relate to. Dillard adds even more by putting in the little details that make the reader feel the anger of this man and the feeling of we’re caught by the children that we have all felt as a kid is described in that same quote. By using these details in the story the re ader can put themselves into the shoes of the characters. Dillard uses lots of active descriptions that are very real throughout the chase scene. She uses actual street names like Edgerton Avenue, Lloyd Street, Willard and Lang. This use of actual real names of streets makes the story. The reader can almost get lost in the chase itself with Dillard’s use of rapid transitions like up, around, under, through, down some, across, smashed. After the chase is over and the children are caught the reader feels tired

Consequences of Partisan Polarization Research Paper

Consequences of Partisan Polarization - Research Paper Example From this study it is clear that partisan polarization inhibits the building of legislative coalitions, resulting to legislative gridlock. Partisan polarization is ideologically biased, and this negatively affects social and economic policies. Partisan polarization negatively affects the efficient operations of government offices making the government incur many costs. Partisan polarization has changed the equilibrium of powers among national institutions at the expense of the Congress. Judges and executives are now acting unilaterally without the consent from the legislatures. Partisan polarization has led to an increasing conflict between the Red states and the Blues states. Hence, partisan polarization has almost paralyzed every aspect of the country including political and social aspects, which are the core of government operations and functioning.This report highlights that  polarization may bring about greater variation in policy. Sometimes, it can produce new policy initiati ves, and then roll these new policies back. However, there exists a dispersion in the policy-making system in America, which makes it theoretically reasonable to believe that the central effect of polarization result in less public policy.  Systems of bicameralism and power separation need an extraordinary level of consensus to vote for a new legislation. Therefore, the systems quite often require that the enacting coalitions be bipartisan. Experts have used two theories to explain patterns in significant legislation in the post-war period.  

Recent developments in financial reporting of one country Essay

Recent developments in financial reporting of one country - Essay Example Investors and analyst both rely on information and the more they can understand the information being provided to them by an organization the lower they would consider the risk is. Therefore national accounting bodies are continuously changing their accounting standards to make them more global. This global approach increases the reliability, understanding and comparability for analyst and stockholders. The recent financial crisis has also encouraged the national accounting bodies to take a more stern approach to reporting standards. The general risk averse environment can lead to more sterner reporting requirements by accounting bodies in order to safeguard interests of users of this financial information. One significant movement in this regard is the movement towards ‘fair value accounting’ methods. The aim is to use a more realistic approach towards reporting balance sheet items. The focus is being shifted from reporting historical prices of balance sheet items to reporting the expected future benefits received from the item (e.g. PV of expected future cash flows). This would enable users of financial information to better assess the value of company assets and thus value the entity more accurately. However this would also lead to increased volatility in value of assets. This is because the fair value of an asset is more volatile as compared to historical cost. A p otential impact of these rules would be companies looking to invest in less volatile assets to reduce the risk with their holdings. The recent economic turmoil in international markets, along with factors mentioned aboveencouraged Canada financial institutions to bring major changes to its reporting standards. Canada has used GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) for many decades. The Canadian GAAP however would now be abolished in order to shift to the IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards). Private, Public and non-profit entities all are affected by this major shift

Analyze the relationship between humans and technology in the novel Essay

Analyze the relationship between humans and technology in the novel and in the present - Essay Example But amidst the shining avenue of technological advancement, human civilization forgets the curse that it brings with it. The dark abbeys lying behind the gleaming and shining pavement of human civilization is casted with curse, tears, agony and bloodshed of million innocent people who become mere scapegoats and prey in the hands of lured and power hungry class who tear asunder the faith and the dreams of numerous innocent faces for their own interest and power play. The novel ‘Fail Safe’ by Eugene Burdick, throws light on the darker side that the technological glitch brings and discusses about the apocalyptic attitude which Americans possessed during the peak hours of the Cold War. This feeling and foreboding eclipsed the entire American society and pervaded throughout the nation. First introduced in the year 1962 to its readers, the novel ‘Fail Safe’ was written when entire America was still staggering from the Cuban missile crisis. At such point of time ‘Fail Safe’ was written to portray the fact that more the countries would indulge into the development of nuclear capabilities, more the potential for newer enemies would prowl on their horizon. ‘Fail Safe’ is written against the background, when disaster would have trucked any moment and during the period of political doldrums â€Å"Fail Safe† continued to deliver powerful response through the issues captivated within the periphery of the novel. Before trying to relate the difference of relationship between the humans and technology in the novel and the similar articles during the contemporary time, it is quite essential to note and understand the background of the write-up. Analyzing the background of the write-up essentially and poignantly involves the background of the creative mind behind the framing of the plot. The background of the writer who yields various documentations in the form of hypothesis or direct testimony of his experience or recorded experience

The cons and pros of fair value versus historical cost accounting and Essay

The cons and pros of fair value versus historical cost accounting and deprival value - Essay Example Financial reporting requires extremely accurate form of measurement to deliver information to lenders and shareholders who are obliged to know how wisely their money is being spent (Barth 2007). Van Zijl & Whittington (2006) reveal that the current form of measurement is increasingly emphasizing on the use of current value to replace historical costs. The principle reason behind the establishment of accounting standards was to ensure that financial information produced by organizations are accurate, reliable, complete, timely and relevant. In addition, accounting standards would ensure that organizations not only demonstrate accountability but also maintain it while meeting statutory reporting requirements such that the stakeholders are accounted for organizational financial performance to support decision making (Cooper 2007). Currently, the measurement basis for measuring amounts in financial statements includes among others historical cost, amortized historical cost, fair value an d value in use. This paper evaluates the pros and cons of fair value versus historical cost accounting and deprival value. 1.0. Current cost should be used in financial reporting Historical cost accounting works well for liabilities that are not traded; representation of liabilities for contractual business obligations like long term deferred revenue, and other complex issues of life insurance and pension liabilities (Macve 2010). However, more emphasis is given to existing stakeholders and stewardship compared to service to investors in capital market and usefulness in economic decisions emphasized by fair value approach which replaces historical costs (Whittington 2008). Historical cost accounting and deprival value characterize the conceptual framework of ASB while fair value is a recent concept that is available only for the last 20 years in FASB, the IASB and the ASB and is increasingly applied in financial reporting. Penman (2007) argues that while historical cost accounting h as been used in items whose measurement using fair value would be unreliable or expensive to quantify, fair value is considered to be informative given that it is applied within mixed measurement system. Defining and measuring current value Fair value is defined by Penman (2007) as the amount that would be obtained from selling an asset or the amount that would be given away in defrayal of a liability in a transaction deemed as methodical and between wiling and well-informed participants. As a result, fair value accounting information reflects the future and not the past, events or transactions (Whittington 2008; Barth 2006). Barth (2007) reveals that the measurement decisions are made by standard setters through focusing on the application of the definitions of elements in financial reporting and the qualitative attributes of accounting information on the basis of financial reporting objective. The use of qualitative attributes is intended at recognizing the desired measurement cha racteristics while the financial reporting objective brings out the context within which the evaluation of measurement will be evaluated (Barth 2007). 2.0. Importance of deprival value concept Van Zijl and Whittington (2006) argue that deprival value is the implying measurement at substitute cost for an asset that has a recoverable amount superior than the costs to be incurred for replacement. The value of an asset is restricted to replacement costs since the loss incurred in losing an asset

Choose one of Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Choose one of - Essay Example For organizational leaders ethics, professional and personal, play a pivotal role in the over all work environment of the organization. Most of the leaders become overwhelmed with authority and power that they lose the sense of ethical requirements of the organization and lead themselves and the followers to chaos. However, there are certain other leaders although few in number that devote their lives and soul to the organizational success and set themselves as the examples towards ethical excellence leading the whole organizational standard to comply accordingly leading the organization to highest levels of success. Leaders are not just men who lead a group of people; in fact, leaders in modern terms are performers, benchmarkers and takers who take the whole team along each step they take towards organizational success. This is why, it is of vital importance that the leader set good ethical examples to get good returns (Gary Johns Alan M. Saks. Organizational Behaviour). A leader is the person who leads his team towards a pre-determined goal and with greater effectiveness and lower cost. Leadership ultimately means the ability to lead a group of people towards a goal by visualizing the targets, communicating them to his team and achieving the maximum efficiency. Leadership in terms of organization is on the other hand vague and always a incomplete term. It is because the role and type of leadership changes with the organization where the leadership comes in action. The requirements of organizational leadership change from organization to organization and hence it becomes difficult to dub a specific type or person as a leader that can suit to all organizations. Most of the organizational scientists include merely the interpersonal interaction between the leader and the follower as the essence of organizational leadership, however many other considerations need to be undertaken in the realm of the subject. Apart from cognitive relationship, the incogn itive

Book Analysis over Beyond the Learning Organization by Jerry W. Gilley Essay

Book Analysis over Beyond the Learning Organization by Jerry W. Gilley - Essay Example I will furthÐ µr givÐ µ dÐ µtÐ °ilÐ µd rÐ µviÐ µw of his book Ð °nd tÐ °lk Ð °bout somÐ µ Ð µssÐ µntiÐ °l principlÐ µs of orgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l bÐ µhÐ °viour. â€Å"BÐ µyond thÐ µ LÐ µÃ °rning OrgÐ °nizÐ °tion† is thÐ µ book thÐ °t rÐ µfÐ µrs thÐ µ importÐ °nt knowlÐ µdgÐ µ of Ð °n orgÐ °nizÐ °tion Ð °s Ð °n â€Å"institution thÐ °t lÐ µÃ °rns powÐ µrfully Ð °nd collÐ µctivÐ µly, continuÐ °lly trÐ °nsforming itsÐ µlf to bÐ µttÐ µr mÐ °nÐ °gÐ µ Ð °nd usÐ µ knowlÐ µdgÐ µ for corporÐ °tÐ µ succÐ µss, Ð µmpowÐ µring pÐ µoplÐ µ within Ð °nd outsidÐ µ thÐ µ orgÐ °nizÐ °tion to lÐ µÃ °rn Ð °s thÐ µy work Ð °nd to utilizÐ µ tÐ µchnology to mÐ °ximizÐ µ lÐ µÃ °rning Ð °nd production† (p.7). JÐ µrry GillÐ µy providÐ µs Ð ° broÐ °d dÐ µscription of orgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l Ð °ctivitiÐ µs Ð µmphÐ °sis sustÐ °inÐ °blÐ µ dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µnt of its opÐ µrÐ °tions Ð °nd pÐ µrformÐ °ncÐ µ. StÐ °rting from thÐ µ discussion of trÐ °ditionÐ °l dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µntÐ °l orgÐ °nizÐ °tions, thÐ µ Ð °uthors furthÐ µr trÐ °nsfÐ µrs to thÐ µ foundÐ °tions of dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µntÐ °l lÐ µÃ °dÐ µrship, orgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l rÐ µÃ °dinÐ µss, humÐ °n rÐ µsourcÐ µ potÐ µntiÐ °l, cÐ °rÐ µÃ µr dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µnt strÐ °tÐ µgiÐ µs, dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µntÐ °l compÐ µnsÐ °tions Ð °nd rÐ µwÐ °rds; furthÐ µr goÐ µs on discussing thÐ µ bluÐ µprint in Ð °ction within Ð °n orgÐ °nizÐ °tion, pÐ µrformÐ °ncÐ µ mÐ °nÐ °gÐ µmÐ µnt Ð °nd grÐ °duÐ °lly comÐ µs up with conclusions rÐ µgÐ °rding thÐ µ building of dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µntÐ °l orgÐ °nizÐ °tion. ThÐ µ trÐ °nsformÐ °tion from trÐ °ditionÐ °l or lÐ µÃ °rning orgÐ °nizÐ °tion into Ð ° dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µntÐ °l orgÐ °nizÐ °tion is Ð °s much philosophicÐ °l Ð °s prÐ °gmÐ °tic. In dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µntÐ °l orgÐ °nizÐ °tions, lÐ µÃ °dÐ µrs philosophicÐ °lly rÐ µcognizÐ µ thÐ °t mÐ µmbÐ µrs of thÐ µ Ð µntirÐ µ orgÐ °nizÐ °tion must bÐ µ involvÐ µd in thÐ µ rÐ µÃ °lizÐ °tion of its mission, vision, Ð °nd goÐ °ls for Ð °ll to Ð µnjoy prospÐ µrity. PrÐ °gmÐ °ticÐ °lly, dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µntÐ °l orgÐ °nizÐ °tions will not bÐ µ succÐ µssful unlÐ µss lÐ µÃ °dÐ µrs, mÐ °nÐ °gÐ µrs, supÐ µrvisors, Ð °nd Ð µmployÐ µÃ µs collÐ µctivÐ µly blÐ µnd thÐ µir tÐ °lÐ µnts towÐ °rd Ð °chiÐ µvÐ µmÐ µnt of

Sports Drinks Essay Example for Free

Sports Drinks Essay Energy drinks, sports drinks, recovery drinks†¦call them what you will, their names still suggest that theyre designed for hard-working athletes. These days, however, it seems that everyone is tipping them back. But who really needs them? I recommend sports drinks for intense exercise that lasts for more than an hour, says Suzanne Farrell, R. D. , a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. For anything under an hour, water is fine. Thats because you dont need a 200-calorie burst of refreshment for a brief stint on the treadmill (remember, taking in more calories than you burn will eventually lead to weight gain), and your body isnt depleted of the electrolytes these drinks are designed to quickly replace. If your routine frequently falls into the intense exercise for more than an hour category, and youre shopping for a sports drink, be sure to read the nutrition label. Make sure your sports drink contains potassium and sodium—the electrolytes your body sweats out. And you can skip the vitamin-enriched drinks. According to Farrell, you should be getting your vitamins and nutrients from food; sports drinks make a poor substitute. And, finally, study your choices. Sports drinks are trendy and, as a result, lots of options—and imposters—have popped up. Make sure youre consuming a drink designed to fit your workout level—without excessive calories. And beware of energy drinks filled with nothing but sugar and caffeine—Red Bull, Full Throttle, Mountain Dew AMP and the like shouldnt be confused with sports drinks.

Introduction To Disaster Management

Introduction To Disaster Management Disasters are seen as the effect of hazards on vulnerable areas. Hazards that occur in areas with low vulnerability do not result in a disaster. Great damage, loss, destruction and devastation to life and property are the results of Disasters. The immeasurable damage caused by disaster varies with the geographical location. In the concerned areas disasters have the following effects: It completely upsets the normal day to day life. Harmfully persuade the emergency systems Depending on the intensity and severity of the disaster the normal needs and processes are badly affected and deteriorated. Disasters are the effect of hazard on vulnerable or defenseless areas. Hazards that occur in areas with low vulnerability do not result in a disaster. 1.1.2 Types of Disasters: Disasters can be classified as: Natural disaster Human-Made disaster 1) Natural Disasters: Natural disasters are the result of biological, geological, seismic, hydrologic or meteorological conditions. They are a threat to, people, structures and economic assets Few examples are: Earthquake Cyclones Hurricanes Floods Landslides 2) Human-Made Disasters: Human-made disasters are Emergency situations which are the results of deliberate human actions. They involves situations in which people suffers casualties, losses of basic services and means of livelihood. Few examples are: Oil Spill An airplane crash War Civil strife Major fire 1.1.3 Difference between EMERGENCY and DISASTER situations: A situation in which community is CAPABLE of coping is EMERGENCY. Emergency situations are generated by a real occurrence of events that require immediate attention of emergency resources. A situation in which community is INCAPABLE of coping is DISASATER. Disaster situations are natural or human-caused events which causes severe negative impact on community. 1.2 WHAT IS A HAZARD? 1.2.1 Definition: Hazard is a chance or possibility of being injured or harmed. OR Hazard is the possibility of laying yourself open to loss or misfortune. Hazards can be classified into two Modes: Dormant Mode Active Mode 1) Dormant Mode: The situation that has the potential to be hazardous, but no people, or environment is currently affected by this. For example: An unstable hillside, has a potential for a landslide but there is nothing below or on the hillside that could be affected. 2) Active Mode: An incident in which hazard has actually occurred, creating an Emergency situations or Disasters. Classification of Hazards: Hazard can also be classified as: Natural Hazard Man-Made Hazard Natural Hazard: Definition: These hazards are caused by a natural process. Examples of some Natural hazards are: 1) Volcanic Eruptions: Ashes and different toxic gases are expelled through volcanoes from deep inside the earth 2) Droughts: A part of a land suffers from lack of rain during specific period of time which causes severe damage to the crops, soil, animals and people also. 3) Tsunamis: Very large waves which caused by an Earthquake, Volcanic eruptions smashes into a shore. 1.2.4 Man-made Hazard: Definition: These hazards are created by humans. Examples of some Man-Made hazards are: Global Warming: Projected increases in the Earths atmospheres average temperature. In the 20th century the Earths average temperature rose about 0.6 degree Celsius. Crime: It is a kind of Sociological hazard. Crime is a breach of laws and rules. For example Breach of contract. Industrial Hazard: It is a kind of Technological hazard. Industrial hazards often have an environmental impact. For example Bhopal Disaster ( worst industrial disaster to date). 1.3 VULNERABILITY, CAPACITY AND RISK: 1.3.1 Vulnerability: Definition: Susceptibility of a person, group or society to physical or emotional injury. OR Person or group liable to injury. As far as Hazards and Disasters are concern, the concept of Vulnerability is to link the relationship that people have with their environment to social forces and institutions and the cultural values that sustain them. 1.3.2 Capacity: Definition: Within a community all the available resources, that can reduce risk level and disaster effects. Frequent term used in Disaster is Capacity building. Capacity building is the efforts to develop human skills within a community to reduce risk levels. 1.3.3 Risk: Definition: Occurrence probability of a hazard that trigger a disaster with an undesirable outcome. Risk involves an exposure to a chance injury or loss. Risk generally described in terms of probability. Risk can also be defined as the probability of a loss, risk depends on three elements: Hazard Vulnerability Exposure 1.4 DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE: 1.4.1 What is Disaster Management? Main idea: To prevent disasters wherever possible or to mitigate or lessen those disasters which are inevitable. Through Public awareness and Hazard management disasters could be prevented or mitigated. 1.4.2 What is Disaster Management cycle? Definition: Disaster Management Cycle is a cycle which has phases to reduce or prevent disasters. It is a cyclic process it means the end of one phase is the beginning of another phase, although next phase can be started before the completion of previous phase. Some times several phases are taking place concurrently. During each phase, timely decision making can results in greater preparedness, better warnings, and prevent further disasters. The complete Disaster Management cycle includes the shaping of public policies and plans that addresses the causes of disasters and lessening their effects on people, property and infrastructure. 1.5 PHASES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE: Disaster Management Cycle has four phases: Phase 1- Mitigation Phase 2 Preparedness Phase 3 Response Phase 4 Recovery 1.5.1 Phase 1 Mitigation: 1.5.1.1 Goal: The Goal of Mitigation activities is to get rid of or reduce the disaster occurrence probability, or to mitigate the effects of unavoidable disasters. Definition: Mitigation refers to all actions taken before a disaster to minimize its impacts. Example: Public education Building codes and zoning Mitigation includes: Reviewing building codes Zoning and land-use management Implementing preventative health measures There are two types of Mitigation activities: Structural Mitigation: It refers to constructing projects to reduce economic and social impacts. Non-structural mitigation: They are the policies which raise awareness of hazards. Non-structural mitigation activities also encourage developments to lessen disaster impact. Through Mitigation we can educate businesses and public in order to reduce loss or injury. At home Mitigation activities: In your home Strengthening vulnerable areas such as roof tops, exterior doors and windows. In your home build a safe room. 1.5.2 Phase 2 Preparedness: 1.5.2.1 Goal: The goal of Preparedness activities is: for any emergency situation, achieve a satisfactory level of readiness through programs that support the technical capacity of government. 1.5.2.2 Definition: Preparedness activities are the Plans/preparations made to save lives or property. 1.5.2.3 Preparedness includes: Implementation/operation Systems of early warning. Preparedness plans Emergency exercises Emergency communication systems Public education Through early warning systems people will react appropriately when any early warning is issued. Preparedness actions depend upon the incorporation of suitable measures for development plans at national and regional level. To save lives and minimize disaster damage, individuals, government and organization develop plans and this all is done in Preparedness phase. 1.5.2.4 Disaster Preparedness and Disaster Mitigation: Disaster mitigation and Disaster Preparedness go hand in hand. To ensure that existing infrastructure can withstand the forces of disaster, disaster preparedness includes implementation of mitigation measures. 1.5.3 Phase 3 Response: 1.5.3.1 Goal: The goal of Response is to give instant assistance to maintain life, improve health and hold up the morale of affected population. 1.5.3.2 Disaster Response includes: Assisting refugees with transport. Give temporary shelter and food. Establish semi permanent settlement in camps. Repairing damage infrastructure. The basic needs of people are more focused in Response phase until permanent solutions can be found. 1.5.4 Phase 4 Recovery: 1.5.4.1 Goal: To help people restoring their lives and infrastructure as soon as possible. 1.5.4.2 Types of Recovery Activities: Recovery activities can be: Short term recovery activities Long term recovery activities Until all system return to normal or better, recovery activities continues. 1.5.4.3 Recovery activities in disasters include: Building Temporary housing. Public information. Educating public about Health and safety education. Concealing programs for people. Reconstruction Economic impact studies From recovery to long-term sustainable development there should be smooth transition. DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: 1.6.1 EMS: EMS is the acronym for Emergency Management System. EMS can facilitate the effective management of Disasters. Information Technology can improve the system of Disaster Management and support all the phases of the DMC (Disaster Management Cycle) 1.6.2 PHASE I: Mitigation and Prevention: To reduce the impact of disasters, effective Disaster Management plays a key role. Disaster Management uses different effective technological tools to help the process of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. For example: Tracking system: the cargo of Hazard Management (HAZMAT) can be track by advance Vehicle-mounted hardware and when shipment carrying Hazardous materials deviates from its route centers of Disaster Management issues notification to management centers. Inventory systems: For any emergency situations Inventory Systems ensures that the suffient supplies are available. It monitors the inventory levels of important equipment and supplies and maintain the record of important supplies on regular basis in form of Databases. Detection: For detecting and monitoring the hazardous cargo, Roadside Detectors are used. These Roadside detectors also confirm that cargo is not deviating for its route. 1.6.3 PHASE II: Preparedness: Preparedness deals with the development of plans before any emergency or disastrous situations. Emergency management system helps Phase II of DMC via technological services like: Telemedicine: It is a connection between ambulances which are responding and emergency medical facilities available very near. By using telemedicine doctors can give advices to medical personnel for the treatment of those patients who are on the way to hospital. Advanced ACN: Advanced ACN is the acronym for Advanced automated collision notification. They inform emergency personnel through vehicle mounted sensors and wireless communication about incidents like collisions or crashes. They also tell the incidents exact location and characteristics. 1.6.4 PHASE III and IV: Response and Recovery: To provide immediate help or assistance to the population affected by disasters is the Goal of Response Phase. While the Goal of Recovery Phase is the restoration of peoples live as soon as possible after the disaster or any emergency situation. Emergency management System with the help of Technology can help the Response and Recovery phases through different systems and software like: Scheduling and Coordination software: In order to make the response process organized, structured and efficient complicated scheduling system can monitor and coordinate many response activities. Early Warning System: In transportation infrastructure a vast variety of sensors are used which provide an early warning systems. This early warning system used to detect large-scale disasters and emergencies and also man-made disaster or technological disaster. Large-scale disasters include earthquakes, tsunamis etc and man-made or t echnological disasters include HAZMAT incidents, act of terrorism, nuclear power plant accidents. Response management: Emergency vehicle fleets can be track by Response management by using the technology of Automated vehicle location (AVL) and two-way communication between dispatchers and emergency vehicles. Chapter No:2 TYPES OF DISASTERS: 2.1 INTRODUCTION: According to [11] CRED (Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disaster), Belgium, defines Disaster as: A disaster is a situation or event which overwhelms local capacity, necessitating a request to a national or international level for external assistance OR Disaster is also defined as Great damage, loss or destruction results from a sudden catastrophic event. Many [11] different types of events like weather or earths geology are represented by Disasters. There exist a close association between a disaster and extreme weather events like cyclones, floods, tornadoes etc. The database of disaster events are maintained by CRED. It maintained the disaster events from 1900 to present. Possible causes of increment in disasters: There [11] are many causes for increase in disasters but some common causes are as under: Environmental changes related to economic development may affect the potential for disasters. Change of Global climate from the build-up of greenhouse gases may lead to a greater frequency of extreme weather events (heat waves) in the future, as well as sea level rise. Several existing coastlines may be threatened in this event. Industrialization without controls may increase the risk for technological disasters. Consumption of fossil fuels with industrialization. 2.1.1 What are the Types of Disasters? Disasters can [1] be broadly classified according to their: Causes Natural or Man-made disaster Speed of onset Sudden or Slow Earthquakes, Cyclones, Tsunamis are the examples of Natural disasters. The two most common examples of Man-made disasters are The Bhopal gas release and the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Forest fires (initiated by man) may be another example. There can be a sudden onset or slow onset of disaster. Sudden or Quick onset of disaster means they can occur suddenly in time and slow onset of disaster means they may develop over a period of time or gradually. 2.2 NATURAL DISASTES: 2.2.1 Definition: Natural [1] disaster occurs naturally in proximity to, and pose a threat to people, structures or economic asserts. They are caused by biological, geological conditions or processes in the natural environment for example cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods etc. Few examples of Natural disasters are: Earthquake Tsunamis Flood Cyclone Now I will discuss above Natural disasters. 2.2.2 Earthquake: Earthquake is the vibration of earths surface due to underground movements. Earthquakes also called as tremor or temblor. Sudden release of energy in the earths crust leads to a natural disaster called Earthquake. This sudden release of energy waves are called as seismic waves. Epicenter of earthquake is called as the origin point of these seismic waves. Among the most unpredictable natural disasters people can experience, Earthquake is the one. During earthquakes tens of thousands of people are put in danger. Some International Statistics of Earthquake: More than half a million deaths worldwide caused by Earthquake between 1999 and 2009. Each year more than one million Earthquakes occur worldwide. Measurement of Earthquake: To measure the size of an Earthquake there are many ways. Some of these ways depend upon the damaged amount caused by the Earthquake and some depend upon seismic energy generated by the earthquake. To measure earthquake there are two scales which are very popular: Seismographs Richter scale Seismographs: Seismic waves are generated by Earthquakes these waves can be detected by a sensitive instrument called Seismograph. Nowadays Digital seismographs are high-technology seismographs which can record ground shaking over seismic amplitude and covers broad band of frequencies that is why they are also called as Broadband Seismograph.The study of Seismograph is called as Seismology. Richter scale: Earthquakes intensity and magnitude can be represented by Richter scale. If the intensity of earthquake is 3 on a Richter scale then that earthquake is not harmful. Extremely harmful earthquake has the reading of 7 or above on the Richter scale. Nowadays modified versions of Richter scales are used for earthquake measurement throughout the world. Richter scale is also called as Richter magnitude scale because it measures the magnitude of earthquake. 2.2.3 Tsunami: Ocean [1] wave generated by submarine earthquake, powerful volcanic eruption or underwater landslide is called Tsunami. Tsunami [12] often generated by earthquake in a subduction zone (an area where an oceanic plate is being forced down into the mantle by plate tectonic forces). Tsunami also called as seismic sea wave. Sudden Large displacement of water causes Tsunami. Tsunami travels at a great speed across the open ocean and builds into large deadly waves in a shallow water of a shoreline. Tsunamis consist of multiple waves with an extremely low period and wavelength. The [1] largest earthquake event recorded in Samoa was on 26 June 1917, measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale. The event originated in Tonga (approximately 200km south of Apia) and it triggered a tsunami of 4 to 8 metre run-ups in Satupaitea, Savaii. The tsunami arrived less than ten (10) minutes from its point of origin, meaning it travelled at a speed of more than 1,000km/hr. Hence, when an earthquake occurs, you must listen to the tsunami warning, for example, people living in low-lying coastal areas must relocate to higher and safer grounds immediately. Tsunami speed: Tsunami in a pacific ocean can travel at speeds up to 450mph (half of the speed of sound). The height of Tsunami waves are about 30 to 100 feets. Damage caused by Tsunami: Substantial [13] amount of damage can be caused by Tsunamis. Entire coastal villages can be destroyed by a single Tsunami. It can remove all the sand from the beach sand which took hundred of years to accumulate. Safety: The approach [13] of Tsunami can be determined by many technological methods but nature has its own methods of warning people. If in a certain area the coastal water is abnormally high or low, then this is the warning for Tsunami. 2.2.4 Floods: Flood occurs when [1] large amount of water flow from river or from broken pipe onto a previously dry area. The origin of flood can be very [11] quick or they may develop over a period of days or weeks following an extended period of rain or quick melting of snow. Flash flood have sudden onset. Drowning is the main hazard from flooding. This is most common in flash flood. The common risk factor for flash flood victims is driving in an automobile, many victims of flash flood drown within their vehicle. Health concern from flooding: A longer [11] term health concern from flooding is the development of disease from inundated sanitation stations. Large floods pose a hazard to existing sanitation and drinking water systems. Importance of Flooding: For [1] local ecosystem, flooding can be environmentally important. For example some river floods bring nutrients to soil such as in Egypt where the annual flooding of the Nile River carries nutrients to otherwise dry land. Flood also affect economy. How to mitigate impact of flood: pre-event [11] measures: early warning for flash flood events public education on flood hazards like automobile driving post-event measures: maintaining proper sanitation system proper control of population 2.2.5 Cyclones: Chapter no 3 THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT: INTRODUCTION: The Advanced Information Technology plays a great role in planning and implementation of different measures for the reduction of hazards. The advanced information technology includes: GIS Remote Sensing Satellite Communication Internet The quality and analysis power of natural hazards can be update by Geographic Information System (GIS). In the selection of mitigation measures GIS can direct development activities. The identification of hazardous areas and before time warning for many future disasters can be done by Remote Sensing Communication satellites contribute a lot to provide communication in emergency situations and timely relief measures. For hazard reduction the addition of space technology inputs into monitoring of natural disasters and mechanisms of mitigation is very important 3.2 WHAT IS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: The management of emergencies concerning all hazards, including all activities and risk management measures related to prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Emergency management can rebuild and restore society back to functional level in no time after a disaster. The basic purpose of emergency management is to: 1) Save as many lives as possible 2) To protect and preserve the environment 3) To protect the economy 3.2.1 Emergency Management System: Definition: It is a technological tool used to improve and enhance the Emergency Disaster Management. Emergency management system can help Disaster Management in several areas, such as: Materials: To ensure that the warehouse is stock with all the items needed for national survival in any disaster, before any overseas help arrival. Manpower: In first aid and shelter management train personnel. Evacuation Plans: Testing of General disaster and Evacuation plan. Communication: To establish reliable Communication system. Transportation: To establish effective Transportation plans for example transportation through air which facilitates the food delivery supplies process to the victims of affected areas which are cut-off from any vehicular traffic. Examples of Emergency Management System at work: Management of Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT): By means of Air, Sea and Land, EMS provides secure transportation of dangerous and hazardous materials. EMS uses special devices for tracking the shipment of HAZMAT. Emergency medical services: EMS notifies the emergency personnel with important and valuable information on emergency incidents. For example EMS is equipped with automated collision notification system to detect vehicle collision. Recovery and Response: EMS has efficient Sensors which can detect natural disasters and warn population before hand. IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT, APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Through Information Technology the suffering of the disaster victims can be minimized. There are several tools of Information Technology which are useful in the management of any disaster. In this Report I am focusing the following Information Technology tools used in Disaster Management: Geographic Information System (GIS) Remote Sensing Global Positioning System (GPS) 3.3.1 GIS in Disaster Management: 3.3.1.1 Introduction: GIS is the acronym for Geographic Information System. For Disaster Management GIS can work in many ways, such as: They are the kind of information system which are well capable of storing, integrating, analyzing, editing, sharing, and displaying the information which is geographically-referenced. GIS can create the interactive queries, edit data and different maps and can easily present the final results of all these operations. The quality and power of analysis of assessments of natural hazards can be improved by GIS. In the selection of mitigation measures, emergency preparedness and response action, GIS also guide and assist different development activities. Applications of GIS: For the following activities GIS applications are very useful. Creation of hazard inventory map: At all the district and inter-municipal levels, the developmental projects pre-feasibility study can be very efficiently done by GIS. To locate important facilities: Through GIS we can take information on physical locations of drains, shelters and other physical facilities. Management and Creation of associated Database: Planners can make projects at feasibility level. These projects can used to make risk maps for existing cities, disaster preparedness planning and relief activities after disaster. Vulnerability assessment: To expand Disaster Management organizations by creating awareness of disaster with government and public is done by innovative and interactive technology tool GIS. Emergency shelters and the use of GIS: Shelter [1] operators use GIS technology to take the personal details of persons being housed at the shelters. GIS technology would also give information to the shelter operators on the general makeup of the shelter like that how many children, adults, disable or any special occupant are in the shelter or need shelter. Relief Distribution and the use of GIS: GIS generate maps of the affected areas where bunch of victims are located then with the help of these maps food drops processes will take place. These maps will also identify the unique needs of persons within these bunches. Vulnerable areas: The areas which are prone to disasters are highlighted by GIS. This will help the disaster managers to do planning before the occurrence of disaster and it also facilitates the coordination of efforts during and after the event. GIS Advantages: There are more advantages of GIS than challenges. Some GIS advantages are as under: It can [1] represent spatial information over a wide geographic area. To take more detailed view of contents GIS uses 3D graphics. Integration of different information of geo-spatial can be facilitated by GIS. Information of geo-spatial includes maps, models and other forms of graphics. GIS distributes updated informaton. It also efficiently analyzes, collects and manage that information. For individuals who wants to use GIS only little tranning is required. This feature of GIS makes it versatile and easy to use. 3.3.1.4 Challenges of using GIS in Disaster Management: GIS [1] can sometimes reveal personal and people-specific information which can significantly affect peoples life. Form GIS information sometimes vital and hard decisions have to be taken in the best interest of affected people. To get the output which is meaningful and useful from the system, large amounts of inputs are required. GIS delayed the decision making process during emergency because it require huge amount of information and vast amount of time to analyze that information. Disaster Management Cycle and GIS: Planning: To [1] realize the need for planning which is based on the present risk is the most important stage of DM. For forward planning GIS plays a key role. GIS provides a structure for disaster managers to view spatial data by computer based maps. Mitigation: For structural and non-structural mitigation, GIS can play very important role. Areas which are at risk are spatially represented by GIS. GIS also identifies the risk level associated with particular hazard. Disaster managers use GIS to determine the level of mitigative structures that should be in place given the vulnerability of an area or population. Preparedness: GIS can play a vital role in the identification of resources and areas which are at risk. The link between partners and critical agencies is established by GIS and the use of GIS in the establishment of that link will help disaster managers to know the location of stations of relevant partner agencies. In the context of Disaster Management, maps of GIS can provide information on the human resources present in an Emergency Operation Centre as well as on the ground personnel such as security, health providers and other key responders. This is particularly useful since the technology can help with strategic placement of emergency personnel where it matters most. Through GIS we can make sure that communication networks and road infrastructure are capable of handling the effe

Bipartisanship :: essays research papers

Recently, the debate of whether bipartisanship has completely left this country incapacitated due to the lack of cooperation between Senators and House members with conflicting opinions has grown especially due to the Clinton Impeachment Debates. Many individuals feel that the only reason William Jefferson Clinton was impeached in the House was due to the fact that the majority of the House is republicans. This research proposal will attempt to define if the concept of bipartisanship does exist. If it does exist, what are the contributing factors to it (convincing individuals, convincing corporations, money, the Senators or House member’s families)? These can be considered to be the independent variables. Presently, the Internet consists of numerous, almost uncountable, sources on bipartisanship. Many magazines and newspapers are major contributors to this subject as well. The amount of scandal contributing to this particular issue creates a level of curiosity that intrigues a ll aspects of this society. When the public seems to want press on a particular issue, they seem to get it. The most notable feature of the current state of journalism in the U.S. is the total dereliction of duty on the part of national political reporters. More than fifty congress critters, senators, and state governors have announced their retirements in the past year, after they received packets from a group of hackers called the Fifth Column detailing illegal and unreported income from bribes, kickbacks, payoffs, and whatnot. This story of the wholesale sell-out of the U.S. political process should rank as one of the top stories of the decade. But the national media blandly reports the contrived explanations ("I just want to spend more time with my heretofore neglected family") and speculates on the sad loss of Washington country-club camaraderie that used to keep such fine people in public office forever. There are certain hypotheses in question on this particular issue. Hypothesis #1: Other than wartime issues, republicans seem to vote with republicans while democrats choose to vote with their fellow democrats on various issues. Hypothesis #2: Money, big corporations, and fellow party affiliates affect the voting patterns of Senators and House members. Hypothesis #3: Due to the fact that there are contributions coming in at both sides for different politicians, nothing actually gets accomplished. This can compared to a negative (-1) added to a positive (+1) which eventually comes back to equal 0 (consequently resulting in some aspects of government effectiveness going back to â€Å"square one†).

Enzyme :: essays research papers

The plot of enzyme activity Vs. pH is often "bell shaped" since two different amino acid groups of the enzyme are being titrated to different states of ionization at the different pH values. This means that only one of the two possible ionization states of the amino acid side chain is effective in enzyme catalysis - in other words, if an acidic side chain like Glu is involved in catalysis, it probably only works when it is ionized; since Glu side chain carboxylic acid groups have a pK around pH 5, at pH values below this pK, the enzyme will be less active; while at pH values above the pK, the enzyme will be most active. At higher pH values, another group, for example, the amino side chain group in a Lys may control the activity. So at pH values below the pK of the Lys amino side chain, which is about pH 9, the enzyme is active, while at pH values above the Lys side chain pK, the enzyme will be less active. In the end, the pH optimum lies somewhere between the pK values for these two groups that control the enzyme's activity. B. Temperature Optimum Most enzymes have an optimum temperature, which may be related to the type of organism from which the enzyme was isolated. Some organisms like plants grow well near room temperature and so their enzymes are most active at a temperature around 30 to 40Â °C. A general rule of thumb from chemistry is that a reaction's rate approximately doubles with a 10Â °C increase in reaction or assay temperature. However, since enzyme are held together by weak non-covalent bonds, at higher temperatures, the enzyme catalyzed rate slows down rather than increases: Of courese, at low temperatures, all the molecules in the solution slow down and so does the enzyme catalyzed reaction. At high temperatures, the thermal movement of the molecules become to great for the enzyme to hold its shape or conformation and so it begins to denature and lose its activity. Animal enzymes often have temperature optima near 37Â °C (especially human's since this is body temperature). For thermophilic organisms, like ba cteria or blue-green algae which grow well in near boiling hot springs, much higher temperature optima are found; some enzymes even have temperature optima near 90Â °C. In the end, the temperature you use for an enzyme assay may depend on the equipment available to you in the lab.

Why Isnt Consciousness Empirically Observable? Emotional Purposes As Basis For Self-Organization :: Logic Philosophy

Why Isn't Consciousness Empirically Observable? Emotional Purposes As Basis For Self-Organization ABSTRACT: Most versions of the knowledge argument say that if a scientist observing my brain does not know what my consciousness 'is like,' then consciousness is not identical with physical brain processes. This unwarrantedly equates 'physical' with 'empirically observable.' However, we can conclude only that consciousness is not identical with anything empirically observable. Still, given the intimate connection between each conscious event (C) and a corresponding empirically observable physiological event (P), what P-C relation could render C empirically unobservable? Some suggest that C is a relation among Ps which is distinguishable because it is multi-realizable; that is, C could have been realized by P2 rather than P1 and still have been the same relation. C might even be a 'self-organizing' process, appropriating and replacing its own material substrata. How can this account explain the empirical unobservability of consciousness? Because the emotions motivating attention direc tion, partly constitutive of phenomenal states, are executed, not undergone, by organisms. Organisms-self-organizing processes actively appropriating their needed physical substrata-feel motivations by generating them. Thus, experiencing someone's consciousness entails executing his or her motivations. That there is something empirically unobservable about phenomenal consciousness follows from a modified knowledge argument. Traditional versions (Jackson 1986; Robinson 1982; Noren 1979) hold that if experiencing were equivalent with physical brain states, then complete empirical knowledge of brain states should constitute knowledge of everything about my experiencing; but complete empirical knowledge of brain states would not constitute knowledge of everything about experiencing (those alone wouldn't reveal 'what it's like' to have that experience); therefore, experiencing is not equivalent with physical brain states. This argument can be criticized for unwarrantedly assuming that everything 'physical' is empirically observable (from an experimenter's standpoint). E.g., Jackson assumes that the 'what it's like' aspect isn't "expressible in physical language" (291), but the reason for granting this assumption is that 'what it's like' is inexpressible in terms of possible empirical ob servations. Without the assumption that everything 'physical' is empirically observable, we can conclude, not that consciousness is non-physical (since there might be 'physical' processes that are observationally inaccessible), but simply that consciousness isn't identical with anything empirically observable. Still, given the intimate connection between each conscious event (C) and a corresponding empirically observable physiological event (P), what P-C relationship could render C empirically unobservable? If identical, they should be equally observable. I.e., if P Â ® EO and C Â ® not-EO, then PÂ ¹C.

Abusive Relationships: Why Stay in the Relationship and What Determines Leaving Essay

It is often asked why a woman doesn’t leave an abusive relationship. Society tends to assume that the decision is as simple as a normal break-up, if not easier because there is an obvious reason to leave. But there are many factors involved into the relationship and many things to consider when making the decision to stay or to leave. In abusive relationships, what determines staying and what determines leave? It is estimated that annually 3 million occurrences of domestic violence occur and that one in four women will become a victim of such violence. Of those victims, more than four people are killed daily as a result of domestic violence (DVRC). With abuse possibly escalating to a point of death, why would a spouse stay in a relationship? Conclusions have been drawn as to why a woman might stay in the relationship, including internal and external resources. The external resources would include such things as an income, social support, housing etc. Internal resources would include a person’s self-esteem, mental health status, whether they suffer from depression or anxiety. Pamela Choice and Leanne Lamke stated that different theories needed to be taken into consideration when observing a women’s decision to stay or leave. The theories included learned helplessness, psychological entrapment, the investment model and reasoned action or planned behavior. Learned helpless is a situation where the victim feels she had no other options, that not matter what she does the situation will remain the same. Psychological entrapment is where a women tries to make the relationship a nonviolent one, but instead the violence continues causing her to feel that she should have tried harder. This situation often leaves the woman feeling that a nonviolent relationship is attainable and questioning if it is worth the investment, and if so, she then feels that there is too much invested thus far to leave, in turn causing the feelings of entrapment. The investment model determines whether maintaining the current relationship is worthwhile, is she better off to leave and is she satisfied in the relationship. Finally, the reasoned action model is where a women is able to determine if she is able to actually leave, is it within her control and is it more beneficial for her to leave than to stay in the relationship. External forces also contribute to a woman’s decision to leave. Establishing employment, housing and other essential tasks also become extremely difficult during the separation from an abusive partner (Bell 2007). With such struggles, within two months 60% of women end up returning to their partners (Bell 2007). In Carlson and McNutt’s study observing partner abuse and mental health, they looked at the women’s personal history of abuse. Whether or not she been exposed to violence as a child or as an adult. Also the effects the abuse has on a women’s mental health including depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. They found that many battered women had low levels of social support which in turn lead to higher levels of depression and more difficulty with problem solving. In a self-evaluation, many of the participants reported higher levels of symptoms for anxiety and depression (Carlson 2002). Women in an abused relationship tend to have a certain level of dependency upon their partner, causing them to feel trapped. Women who are more likely to be economically dependent and unemployed (especially with children) are at a higher risk of being in an abusive relationship (Bostock 2008). Bostock et. al studied what reasons were involved in a woman decision to stay in a harmful relationship. They investigated twelve women from rural Northern New England between the ages of 21 and 56, on various aspects of the relationship. Theses aspects included how the abuse began, the ways of abusing, the impact of the abuse, what factors contributed to recognizing the abuse as intolerable and what helped in gaining independence. They concluded that a women’s reason for stay was fear of the abuser, a feeling of commitment to the relationship and insufficient funds or resources. To help leave the relationship the women studied pulled upon their sense of hope, humor and spirituality and reclaiming their identity (Bostock 2008). In 1976 Richard Gelles studied abused wives and why they stay. In his article he stated that women do not break off a relationship for a number of reasons including negative self-esteem, the belief the husband will reform, economic hardship, difficulty of employment, surviving alone, the children’s wellbeing (economically) and the stigma with divorce. He also discovered that a woman would be more likely to stay in an abusive relationship if she had been exposed to abuse as a child, growing up with idea that it is allowed for a man to hit his wife. Another contributing factor to a women’s decision to stay is a lack of outside resources, not seeing many alternatives to the current situation. If the abuse is inconstant and not considered severe, then she will remain with the spouse (Gelles 1976). The decision to leave an abusive relationship was studied by Michael Strube in 1984, and his work was cited through many other journals. The population consisted of 251 women of low to middle income, varying in age from 17 to 69 to have been exposed to moderate of life threatening violence. Of the 251 women, 177 had decided to leave the abusive partner and those who stayed reported doing so because of love-the abuser promised changing behavior, economic hardship or lack of resources. Strube concluded that a woman was more likely to remain with the abuser if the violence was considered less frequent and less severe. Also, if the woman was exposed to violent models as a child she was more likely to remain as opposed to women who had not. But women who had previously been in an abusive relationship were less likely to remain in another relationship, because they had developed intolerance to the abuse. Strube also found that women with fewer resources, such as economic and social support were less likely to leave. Studies have found though that ending a relationship does not end the abuse, violence is often high is situations where the women is separate from the abuser as opposed to if she was involved in a relationship. Another factor involved is how the separation occurred rather than whether or not the separation occurred (Bell 2007). The decision to leave a relationship is difficult it becomes increasingly difficult when the partner is violent. The women, individual mentally have to â€Å"prepare† themselves as such to leave the relationship, and evaluate every aspect of their life and their future. Without sufficient support and resources leaving a dangerous and harmful situation is virtually impossible. To seek the support and resources a certain level of self worth and esteem is essential, providing the woman with an appreciation for her future.

Conflict Family

Ordinary People by Judith Guest is the story of a dysfunctional family who relate to one another through a series of extensive defense mechanisms, i. e. an unconscious process whereby reality is distorted to reduce or prevent anxiety. The book opens with seventeen year old Conrad, son of upper middle-class Beth and Calvin Jarrett, home after eight months in a psychiatric hospital, there because he had attempted suicide by slashing his wrists. His mother is a meticulously orderly person who, Jared, through projection, feels despises him. She does all the right things; attending to Jared's physical needs, keeping a spotless home, plays golf and bridge with other women in her social circle, but, in her own words â€Å"is an emotional cripple†. Jared's father, raised in an orphanage, seems anxious to please everyone, a commonplace reaction of individuals who, as children, experienced parental indifference or inconsistency. Though a successful tax attorney, he is jumpy around Conrad, and! , according to his wife, drinks too many martinis. Conrad seems consumed with despair. A return to normalcy, school and home-life, appear to be more than Conrad can handle. Chalk-faced, hair-hacked Conrad seems bent on perpetuating the family myth that all is well in the world. His family, after all, â€Å"are people of good taste. They do not discuss a problem in the face of the problem. And, besides, there is no problem. † Yet, there is not one problem in this family but two – Conrad's suicide and the death by drowning of Conrad's older brother, Buck. Conrad eventually contacts a psychiatrist, Dr. Berger, because he feels the â€Å"air is full of flying glass† and wants to feel in control. Their initial sessions together frustrate the psychiatrist because of Conrad's inability to express his feelings. Berger cajoles him into expressing his emotions by saying, â€Å"That's what happens when you bury this junk, kiddo. It keeps resurfacing. Won't leave you alone. † Conrad's slow but steady journey towards healing seems partially the result of cathartic revelations which purge guilt feelings regarding his brother's death and his family's denial of that death, plus the â€Å"love of a good woman. Jeannine, who sings soprano to Conrad's tenor†¦ † There is no doubt that Conrad is consumed with guilt, â€Å"the feeling one has when one acts contrary to a role he has assumed while interacting with a significant person in his life,† This guilt engenders in Conrad feelings of low self esteem. Survivors of horrible tragedies, such as the Holocaust, frequently express similar feelings of worthlessness. In his book, â€Å"Against All Odds†, William Helmreich relates how one survivor articulates a feeling of abandonment. â€Å"Did I abandon them, or did they abandon me? † Conrad expresses a similar thought in remembering the sequence of events when the sailboat they were on turned over. Buck soothes Conrad saying, â€Å"Okay, okay. They'll be looking now, for sure, just hang on, don't get tired, promise? In an imagined conversation with his dead brother, Conrad asks, â€Å"‘Man, why'd you let go? ‘ ‘Because I got tired. ‘ ‘The hell! You never get tired, not before me, you don't! You tell me not to get tired, you tell me to hang on, and then you let go! ‘ ‘! I couldn't help it. Well, screw you, then! ‘† Conrad feels terrible anger with his brother, but cannot comfortably express that anger. His psychiatrist, after needling Conrad, asks, â€Å"Are you mad? When Conrad responds that he is not mad, the psychiatrist says, â€Å"Now that is a lie. You are mad as hell. † Conrad asserts that, â€Å"When you let yourself feel, all you feel is lousy. † When his psychiatrist questions him about his relationship with his mother, Calvin says, â€Å"My mother and I do not connect. Why should it bother me? My mother is a very private person. † This sort of response is called, in psychological literature, â€Å"rationalization†. We see Conrad's anger and aggression is displaced, i. e. vented on another, as when he physically attacked a schoolmate. Yet, he also turns his anger on himself and expresses in extreme and dangerous depression and guilt. â€Å"Guilt is a normal emotion felt by most people, but among survivors it takes on special meaning. Most feel guilty about the death of loved ones whom they feel they could have, or should have, saved. Some feel guilty about situations in which they behaved selfishly (Conrad held on to the boat even after his brother let go), even if there was no other way to survive. In answer to a query from his psychiatrist on when he last got really mad, Conrad responds, â€Å"When it comes, there's always too much of it. I don't know how to handle it. † When Conrad is finally able to express his anger, Berger, the psychiatrist says to Calvin, â€Å"Razoring is anger; self-mutilation is anger. So this is a good sign; turning his anger outward at last. † Because his family, and especially his mother, frowns upon public displays of emotion, Conrad keeps his feelings bottled up, which further contributes to depression. Encyclopedia Britannica, in explicating the dynamics of depression states, â€Å"Upon close study, the attacks on the self are revealed to be unconscious expressions of disappointment and anger toward another person, or even a circumstance†¦ deflected from their real direction onto the self. The aggression, therefore, directed toward the outside world is turned against the self. † The article further asserts that, â€Å"There are three cardinal psychodynamic considerations in depression: (1) a deep sense of loss of what is loved or valued, which may be a person, a thing or even liberty; (2) a conflict of mixed feelings of love and hatred toward what is loved or highly valued; (3) a heightened overcritical concern with the self. † Conrad's parents are also busily engaged in the business of denial. Calvin, Conrad's father, says, â€Å"Don't worry. Everything is all right. By his own admission, he drinks too much, â€Å"because drinking helps†¦ , deadening the pain†. Calvin cannot tolerate conflict. Things must go smoothly. â€Å"Everything is jello and pudding with you, Dad. † Calvin, the orphan says, â€Å"Grief is ugly. It is something to be afraid of, to get rid of†. â€Å"Safety and order. Definitely the priorities of his life. He constantly questions himself as to whether or not he is a good father. â€Å"What is fatherhood, anyway? † Beth, Conrad's mother, is very self-possessed. She appears to have a highly developed super-ego, that part of an individual's personality which is â€Å"moralistic†¦ , meeting the demands of social convention, which can be irrational in requiring certain behaviors in spite of reason, convenience and common sense†. She is furthermore, a perfectionist. â€Å"Everything had to be perfect, never mind the impossible hardship it worked on her, on them all. † Conrad is not unlike his mother. He is an overachiever, an â€Å"A† student, on the swim team and a list-maker. His father tells the psychiatrist, â€Å"I see her not being able to forgive him. For surviving, maybe. No, that's not it, for being too much like her. † A psychoanalyst might call her anal retentive. Someone who is â€Å"fixated symbolically in orderliness and a tendency toward perfectionism†. â€Å"Excessive self-control, not expressing feelings, guards against anxiety by controlling any expression of emotion and denying emotional investment in a t! hing or person. â€Å"She had not cried at the funeral†¦. She and Conrad had been strong and calm throughout. The message of the book is contained in Berger's glib saying that, â€Å"People who keep stiff upper lips find that it's damn hard to smile†. We see Conrad moving toward recovery and the successful management of his stage of development, as articulated by Erikson, â€Å"intimacy vs. isolation†. At story end, his father is more open with Conrad, moving closer to him, while his mother goes off on her own to work out her issues. Both trying to realize congruence in their development stage (Erikson), â€Å"ego integrity vs. despair†.

Death by Chocolate Essay

How have the makers of Death by chocolate made their advertisement successful? Discuss the various techniques used and how they have been used. This is an analysis of the advertisement ‘death by chocolate’. It is an advert promoting a chocolate cake. The advertisement is rich in techniques which have been purposely included to tempt consumers to indulge themselves and give in to the temptation of the cake. Looking at both pages of the advertisement it seems that there is a concealed message which could possibly be summarized as, â€Å"go on, be a devil. † It is almost as if such devilish whisperings jump out at us. This message is communicated by the trident shaped fork in the hand of an ambiguous woman. Although we are given a motionless picture, there is an overwhelming sense of movement towards the cake. The makers have included this as one of the techniques of the advertisement so that the consumers feel that they are holding the fork. The visual imagery is designed to ‘bring the devil out in you. ‘ Although the chocolate cake is brown, it is laced with a devilish crimson colour which adds to the Satan theme. It is interesting in this context that the word ‘consumer’ is an old name for Satan which again is another technique used. It is clear that the makers of the advert have worked according to the principle that it is the visual impact of an advertisement that is most effective. Most of the second page is covered with a silky textured crimson colour on a white backdrop that mirrors the combination of the crimson streaked chocolate on a white plate. Red is the colour of the devil, but it is also the colour of danger, excitement and fury. White is the colour of virginity and the plentiful red suggests a loss of virginity. This technique is very effective as the contrast of the colours remind us of the ‘naughtiness’ inside us which drives us to indulge ourselves in this mouth-watering cake. The producers of this advert have also relied upon visual influence and the psychological imagery conjured up by the slogan and larger writing rather than the small text. The slogan, ‘it’s no angel cake’ is designed to reinforce the ‘evil’ theme. The clever remark on the word angel causes reader to dwell on this word and think about its meaning. Puns are always mentally stimulating and enjoyable, and it is as if the enjoyment gained from it is presented to the reader as a sample of the cake itself. In fact one gets the feeling that the designers have tried to make the whole advertisement ‘tasty’. The name of the advertisement itself, ‘Death by Chocolate’ is intended to be entertaining and comical. Although the word ‘death’ is used, the intention is not to bring to mind fear or anxiety, but in fact, the effect is far from gloomy. The reader is invited to ‘die’ and be wrapped up in the chocolate, or at least to be ‘dying to eat the chocolate. ‘ For those who are fully tempted by the advertisement and go on to reading the small text, there is much more in store. The text starts off on the, ‘naughty devil’ theme already developed by the visual imagery. The humour in the image of a vicar in The News of The World adds to the atmosphere of sheer ‘evil’. The use of brackets is another technique used which gives the reader the feeling that they are being told a secret, making them feel more involved with the text. This reinforces the effect of the use of the second person to make the reader feel personally addressed. The next part of the text tries to use words to convert the visual imagery of the pictures and colours into a sense ‘taste. ‘ Words such as ‘cakey-wakey’, ‘dark’, ‘bitter’ and ‘sweet’ reinforce in the words which the readers have seen in picture, and the two together try to combine to bring the images to life. The French word, ‘mi lange’ produces an exotic feeling that appeals to the average person. The combination of the words ‘bitter’ and ‘sweet’, which in this contexts maybe oxymoron’s gives a feeling of devilish menace. The words ‘lascivious’ develop the theme of being ‘naughty’ and gives verbal expression to the stark crimson on a virgin white background. Immediately after this we have a reference to ‘sensual’ pleasure. It seems that the makers of this advertisement are trying to sell a chocolate cake by appealing to peoples sexual desires which nowadays is a very popular technique used by producers. The sexual imagery is completed by the reference to Lolita at the end, who was a youthful twelve year old girl corrupted by an older man. In conclusion I think that the producers have been very successful in making this advertisement effective as a whole by creating strong visual imagery and reinforcing it with subtle but direct language. I feel that there is a clear and successful attempt to appeal to human weakness and carnal desire, which is arguably what makes this advertisement a successful one.

The Hobbit

‘The Hobbit’ is a beautiful story written by J. R. R Tolkien, and is full of happy, emotional quotes and lovely characters. Tolkien gives detailed descriptions of his characters using humour and often captures his young readers’ attention with short poems. For example, he begins his story with the sentence ‘In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ and continues it, which then becomes a legend! Tolkien has spun a fascinating tale with adventure involving dragons, magicians, hobbits, dwarves and skin-changers etc. The protagonist, Bilbo Baggins with his heroism, self-esteem, courage and quirks like stealing skills, is an adorable character. Although he is a figment of the author’s imagination, his kindness and poignant insights infuse him with qualities akin to the best of humans. The author had started this story as a way of entertaining his own grandchild, and true to this, the book adheres to a conversational style of story-telling. For example, he writes ‘The mother of our particular hobbit- what is a hobbit? and starts describing the hobbit before describing Belladonna Took, the hobbit’s mother. The poetic quotes throughout the course of the story also reveal the writer’s style, which tells it apart from other legends, for example – ‘Far over the misty mountains cold To dungeons deep and caverns old We must away, ere break of day, To find our long-forgotten gold’ The author’s use of foreshadowing makes the plot very interesting and keep the reader’s interest alive. For example, Thorin’s key and map are revealed to be an important part of the story towards the end. Readers love these unexpected turn of events and surprises in the story! Another example of foreshadowing is when Bilbo gets the power and courage to overcome hurdles and fear in the battle of the five armies, which he could only access after he got the ring. The author has used a novel way of capturing his young readers’ attention by introducing a chapter full of riddles between Gollum, the goblin and Bilbo, in the Misty Mountains. Using riddles, Tolkien has not only successfully heightened the interest of his readers, but also given glimpses of all aspects of the story! The interesting twists in the story and Bilbo’s good luck at narrowly escaping death or loss at crucial times in the story also have a gripping effect on the readers. Children love to see the arrival of Gandalf, the magician, when Bilbo is in need, as they also delight in his escape from the clutches of the goblins and the elves in barrels after he steals the ring, and his courage and skill in getting out of the giant spider’s trap. I also like the Greek term exemplified in Gandalf’s rescue in the Misty Mountains, which is ‘deux ex machina’, which means a God given man for help. Again, due to sheer luck, Bilbo is able to get away from the dragon’s lair. But a sad part of the story is the destruction of Laketown by Smaug, the dragon. The readers are relieved when Bard slays Smaug. Bilbo and his group get a further taste of adversity when the goblins and wargs, who have also heard about Smaug’s death, come looking for their share and cause the battle of the five armies. Thorin becomes a martyr for their group, while Bilbo is struck with a rock and loses consciousness. The author reveals Bilbo’s wise and compassionate side when Bilbo gives the Arkenstone to Bard in an attempt to stop conflict between Bard and Thorin before the battle. I liked the last part when Bilbo returns back with Gandalf and Beorn, who help their group win the battle of the five armies as well as many skirmishes in Mirkwood before that. The enjoyable part here is that Bilbo gets amused by seeing an auction going on at his place! I love the story and also its moral that we should not let our fears get in the way of what we want to do or be in life. The cheerful quotes and poems provide a lot of fun to the readers as well! The Hobbit This summer I read the book, â€Å"The Hobbit†, by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was a really interesting book with ups and downs just like any other. It was an adventure about a little hobbit named Bilbo who slowly discovers how brave and courageous he is. He is accompanied by 13 dwarves and occasionally a wizard named Gandalf. Together they face Goblins, Trolls, giant Spiders, Elves and even a dragon. There were things that I really enjoyed watching lay out and things that I felt brought the story line down. Throughout the book, I noticed that Gandalf had great confidence in Bilbo. I love the way that he knew Bilbo had potential and wouldn’t let anyone say differently. Bilbo was a weak and timid little hobbit who had no idea what the world was like and what dangers were ahead of him. Gandalf could see the adventurous heart in Bilbo when no one else could. He had chosen him to be the fourteenth member of the team and was not going to be moved by any creature. In the beginning of the book, Bilbo is flabbergasted when Gandalf tells him that he will give him what he asked for. â€Å"I beg your pardon, I haven’t asked for anything! † (Tolkien 7) He was so scared to think that he would have to go on such a perilous journey. He had never been past the safe comfort of his hobbit-hole and was not ready to cross that line. Gandalf somehow knew that deep down Bilbo was longing for adventure. â€Å"In fact I will go so far as to send you in this adventure,† (Tolkien 7) He had an incredible faith for him that showed up quite a few times. Even though Bilbo did mess up, he would still stand up for him â€Å"Let’s have no more argument. I have chosen Mr. Baggins and that ought to be enough for all of you† (Tolkien 19) â€Å"I brought him, and I don’t bring things that are of no use. †(Tolkien 85) Bilbo was extremely unsure of himself and didn’t know how he could be of help. Because of this, the dwarves assumed that he had no significance on their expedition and that he was even a weigh down. â€Å"You! You! You miserable hobbit! You undersized burglar! † (Tolkien 247) They would persistently put him down, but Gandalf always took little Bilbo’s side. It was so fun to see Bilbo become the courageous, sneaky and cunning conqueror that he really was inside. He thought that he would never be able to do the things that he did. Every now and then he would start to warm up to the idea of danger but then catch himself and hide once again. It took quite a while for him to see how brave he was, but he got it in the end. Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank you. † (Tolkien 7) Later he fights giant spiders and out-talks Gollum. He turns out to be the bravest one on the expedition! He was the most valuable person and they would not have completed their quest without him. One thing that I really didn’t like was when the dragon came along. The whole book they talked about how the dragon would be the most difficult to handle. When they finally get to the mountain, all the dwarves can think about is the dragon. They have to hide by the secret door and be totally silent so that they don’t wake it. Bilbo sneaks into the mountain to spy around. He finds the dragon and makes it so upset that it tries to destroy everything in its path. The dragon is the only thing holding them back. The thought of the battle they were going to have was exciting. They left you in the suspense of who was going to fight it and who would get hurt and still give everything. As the dragon is rampaging through Esgaroth, Bard shoots it with one arrow. The dragon falls dead. That’s it? I was definitely hoping for something more than that. I felt like they led up to it really well and then didn’t even have anything happen. The way that the characters spoke really reflected who they were. Gollum, for example, called himself â€Å"my precious† and never spoke to anyone but himself. It was almost like his trademark. Gandalf was ‘the wise one’. His word choice made him seem mysterious like an old wizard should be. â€Å"Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on? † (Tolkien 5) On page 41, however, I feel like he ‘lost his cool’ when he yelled at Bilbo for asking an acceptable question. It seemed to make him less wise and more†¦ cranky. Bilbo of course talked of his hobbit-hole and how he wished for food and warmth. The dialogue of the character seemed as if it was their own. I think that they made Bilbo too old for the way he acts. He is always curious to know about things but so scared. He is never ‘just there’. Like a younger person, he is always alert and ready to see what is happening next. He is good at sneaking around and is very clever and active. T he book was very interesting, and I enjoyed reading it, but the speeds changed too much. You couldn’t feel the suspense as much because the same thing happened over and over, and they didn’t go on very long: they would get captured and then they would escape. It was all very creative but I would have liked to be able to get into the moments more. After they get their share of money and fight the Goblins, nothing happens. That should be extremely close to the last page of the book. The story line is over, which leads to the conclusion. When Bilbo and Gandalf go back to the Hills, it is excruciatingly laid out. The next whole chapter was on their slow journey back. The overall theme was that you can think that there is nothing to you, like Bilbo thought about himself, and think that you are small, weak, and afraid, but that is all in your head. When you set your mind to it, you can ‘get it done’, no matter how big or strong you are. â€Å"This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected,† (Tolkien 4) â€Å"He suddenly felt he would go without bed and breakfast to be thought fierce,† (Tolkien 18) All of his fear was conquered and then came the confidence. â€Å"He soon realized that if anything was to be done, it would have to be done by Mr. Baggins, alone and unaided,† (Tolkien 158).