Database Inventory Computer Sciences Research Paper

Database Inventory Computer Sciences - Research Paper Example The types of interactions can be categorized into four main groups. These are; data maintenance, data definition, data retrieval, as well as data control. So many factors are at play when choosing which type of database system to use when developing a system. The article we look at highlights some of these factors; which will form the basis for the discussion on database systems of this paper. EXPLANATION OF PAPER Database Buyer's Guide Conclusion: Which Database Is Best for You? (2011, October 27). Retrieved March 4, 2012, from Database Journal: http://www.databasejournal.com/features/which-database-is-best-for-you.html This article is a form of guide to be used by customers looking to find the best database to use or to implement a system on; it highlights the pros as well as the cons of the different types of relational database management systems. From the pros and the cons, the customers are able o gauge which relational database management system best suits their needs as well as preferences as far as database management system is concerned. It lists a complete range of database management systems; from web enabled database management systems, desktop DBMSs, cloud DBaaS, and other open source database management options. There are server options as well. ... It then went on to provide a summary of the pros and cons; the advantages and the disadvantages of having or opting for the certain types of the given types of database systems in the market today. The beginning of the article highlights desktop databases and the people who use them. As indicated in the article, this type of databases are mainly popular with small enterprise businesses. This is because they are cheaper than the other types of database systems and are also suitable for the non-interactive, and also the single user batch processes for web applications. The main players in this niche of the databases market are Lotus Approach, FileMaker Pro, and lastly, Microsoft Access. The advantages of these types of database systems is that they are not expensive; they are estimated to cost somewhere in the hundreds of dollars. This is much unlike the other types of database systems which go for as much as thousands of dollars. Additionally, they have graphical user interfaces for e asy interaction with the users. They are also easy to scale in the future; if the need ever arises. As for the cons, they are said to be lacking in security, they do not also work well when users become many; they are easily overloaded and crash under this kind of pressure. Next, the article looks at the pros and cons of server databases. These are the heavy-duty type of servers. These work well with applications like electronic commerce sites. These are multi-user applications. Microsoft and Oracle databases companies mainly sell these types of database systems. They are Oracle databases, and Microsoft SQL Server. The main advantage for this category of databases is that they store a huge chunk of data; as much as millions of terabytes of data. They

Robin Hood Case Study Essay Example for Free

Robin Hood Case Study Essay 1) Create a basic organization chart for Robin Hood and his men. Robin Hood organization has a centralized top-down management style structure. Robin Hood is the CEO of the organization; his four lieutenants are directors of specific departments which are responsible for providing research and gathering information, finances, training, and provisioning. 2) What problems does Robin Hood have? What top 4 issues need to be addressed? * Misalignment of goals of the top executives and the subordinates (Robin Hood’s primarily goal is the personal vendetta with the Sheriff, while the main purpose of the majority of Merrymen is to reallocate wealth from rich to the poor or simply to gain profits) * Obsolete strategy to generate revenues (Travelers started to avoid the forest not to have their goods confiscated) * Food shortage (the growing band started to exceed food capacities of the forest) * The growing strength of the rivals (The Sheriff was growing stronger and becoming better organized) 3) Do Robin Hood and the Merrymen need a new mission and plan? Is continuing with the present course of action an option or is that now obsolete? The old mission of the Robin Hood has become obsolete due to certain changes in the internal and external environment. The old ways to generate revenues do not yield the expected results any longer as the travelers started to avoid the forest. There is mounting evidence that the old strategy is not working as the organization is facing a financial crisis. The declining vigilance and discipline of the Merrymen represent a growing problem that need to be addressed immediately. The shared enmity against the Sheriff which united the Merrymen of the organization has become of secondary importance to the new members leading to misalignment of goals. Therefore, Robin Hood and Merrymen need a new mission in order to respond to both internal and external changes. 4) Do you think make sense to impose a fixed transit tax to counter the decline in revenues? Why or why not? Imposing a transit tax on the travelers as a part of a new strategy of the organization can yield numerous benefits to its members. The flow of customers will increase as rich members will prefer to pay a tax and reach their destination faster going through the Sherwood Forest. They will not be afraid to have their goods confiscated. Transit tax will help to generate constant revenues and provide sustainable income to the group. The problems of insufficient funding and scarce resources will be solved. In order to convince the Merrymen that it is a good idea and not to lose farmers and townspeople as the allies, tax collection should be given a good cause. The part of the imposed taxes can be donated to raise the ransom for popular king Richard. 5) What is your opinion about expanding the band’s operations to a larger area around Sherwood Forest as a way of solving these problems? Why or why not is this a good idea? Expansion of the raiding area is a good tactical move as it can solve some problems associated with financing, scarce recourses, and even discipline. Since travelers are avoiding the forest, the scope of the operations needs to be extended outside of the forest in order to generate revenues. The gang needs to be broken down into smaller units in order to cover the extended area. Consequently it will be easier to train, organize, an enforce discipline in smaller units of Merrymen supervised by managers. 6) Should they try and end the campaign by killing the sheriff? Why or why not? Killing the Sheriff would only satisfy the thirst for Robin Hood’s revenge; however, it is unlikely to solve all the problems that organization faces. In fact it could also worsen the matter. The Prince would appoint the next Sheriff who would be just as bad if not worse. The friends and allies of the Sheriff would seek revenge and put more efforts into capturing Robin Hood. One of the common goals that united Merrymen which is the shared enmity and hatred against the Sheriff will be lost with the death of the Sheriff. 7) What are the pros and cons of accepting the offer of the Barons to assist in securing King Richard’s release from prison? There are numerous advantages in accepting the offer of the barons: * The gang will be granted amnesty and will not face persecution from the authorities any longer. * Robin Hood and Merrymen will eventually end the campaign against the Sherriff. * If the rescue is successful, they will return their law abiding life, become national heroes, and will enjoy the benefits of the new position such as generous rewards and protection from the new king. * By putting a fair and intelligent king on the thrown, Merrymen will help to improve the socio-economic conditions of the population of England. However, accepting the offer is a dangerous and risky venture. * Robin Hood and Merrymen will face a very powerful rival, Prince John, who has an army of trained soldiers, numerous spies, and abundant recourses. * In case of failure of the new campaign, the revenge of t he Prince John can be detrimental and can put an end to Robin Hood and his organization. 8) What course of action of the above choices would you recommend to Robin? Be specific about why you chose this and how it addresses the problems you identified in question 2. Robin should accept the offer of the barons to help to rescue King Richard. As mentioned above the new strategy of the organization will provide numerous benefits and help to solve many existing problems. New mission will align the goals and objectives of the top executive and other members of the group, ensuring consistency in overall strategy. Imposing a transient tax to raise money for the ransom will help to achieve financial strength of the organization. The travelers, farmers and townspeople who are interested in overthrowing Prince John will be willing to help Robin Hood and provide them with provision and financial resources, resolving the problems of the food shortage. Forming strategic alliance with the baron will help to gain competitive edge over the rivals. 9) How should Robin implement your recommended strategy? Make a list of the top five specific action steps (tactics) that he needs to take in order to implement this plan. * Meet with the barons (Inform the barons about accepting the offer, obtain details about King Richard captivity) * Enforce security within the organization (Stop recruiting new agents and improve internal control over Merrymen not to let the spies of Prince John find out about the new plan) * Send spies to Prince John’s court to be aware of rivals’ actions * Introduce a transient tax in order to raise money for ransom * Form a team that will deliver ransom and free King Richard 10) Show a new organization chart for Robin Hood and his men, based on whatever new course of action you recommend in question 8.

Health And Safety In Spa Environment Management Essay

Health And Safety In Spa Environment Management Essay Evaluate the health and safety risks associated with the Spa/ Salon environment All staff have to take responsibility for health and safety and understand the implications if it is not followed. As an Operations Manager, you will have key duties and responsibilities for the health and safety of the spa and you will have to perform various assessments to comply with legislation. For your assessment, you are required to build a portfolio documenting all of the relevant health and safety checks and procedures that you have conducted within a commercial spa. Once you have completed all of the forms, an action plan needs to be designed based on an evaluation of your findings. As a minimum requirement, the portfolio should include: a detailed risk assessment for all areas of the spa, a COSHH assessment manual handling assessment electrical assessment pool testing (spa only) Assessment guidelines When planning your portfolio consider the following: Pay particular attention to the portfolio format. Introduce the portfolio. Make suitable references throughout to back up your statements and assessments. End with a summary or conclusion. Above all remember that your portfolio should demonstrate the following learning outcome Evaluate the health and safety risks associated with the Spa environment. In each section, you will have accessed official documents and websites. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THESE NEED TO BE REFERENCED. Poor referencing will have an impact on your grade for this assignment. To each section you may want to add: Photographs to demonstrate hazards or good practice Web links for references Documents such as your completed risk assessment form (it may be better to attach this as a PDF) The main headings are: Introduction Introduce yourself and your workplace. Introduce your current role in relation to health and safety. Risk Assessment A risk assessment has to be carried out as specified in the Management of Health Safety at Work Regulations What is risk assessment? The first part is to look at all situations within the area and identify all hazards. Who might be affected by these hazards? Staff and public. Can these hazards be eliminated, reduced or isolated? Are there currently control procedures in place? Are they effective? These assessments should be recorded and reviewed every year or sooner if there is a major change in the working environment. Identifying risks gives you a Risk Factor. What is the chance of occurrence = Probability Factor. These two RF PF = Assessment Factor. The higher the assessment factor the greater the need for action to be taken, whether it be changing procedure, issuing PPE or stopping activity altogether. Each area should have its own risk assessment carried out by a competent employee. Each hazard should be identified and then eliminated or isolated by control measures. Each of these assessments should be recorded and monitored at regular intervals. They should be available to all staff. All incidents should be recorded that occur in the area and these should be cross referenced against risk assessments to ensure that the control measures in place are being followed and if inadequate procedures are reviewed. Risk assessment should be carried out by a designated competent person, preferably having that one person doing all so that consistency is maintained in all risk monitoring. You can download the risk assessment form here. Once you have completed it you can add it to your blog in this section. COSHH Assessment Here you will conduct a COSHH assessment of the products and materials you are using. You may already have a COSHH assessment that you are able to refer to. Dont just replicate the information here, think about the issues and concerns that it raises you need to demonstrate that you understand the implications of this assessment. You can find out more about COSSH assessment here Manual Handing Assessment What do you know about manual handing procedures and do you apply them? Here you need to look at how you and your colleagues go about your work on a regular basis and discuss issues and concerns. You can find out more about manual handing procedures and risk here Electrical Assessment What checks need to be done in relation to electrical safety? Are you happy with the standard or electrical safety? Here is a comprehensive guide prepared by the HSE. Pool Testing As a day spa you may not have a pool, but these regulations apply to spa pools too. If you have neither a pool or a spa pool you will need to demonstrate that you understand the basic safety guidelines and that you could competently support health and safety when using a pool or spa pool. For those of you with a pool, you will already have a set of regulations to follow, consider these regulations, are they followed? Do they need updating? This is a good website for additional information Summary, conclusion and recommendations (approximately 1000 words) Having studied all these area of health and safety, you need to draw some conclusions about the regulations already in place, whether they are sufficient or need updating, whether you are your colleagues follow these regulations and if you have any specific concerns. You will also need to reflect on your time in the environment and make recommendations for improvements to working practice. For any concerns it is useful to write a SMART action plan. Detailing the issues and when you would like them to be resolved. Bibliography Reference List Please include a complete bibliography with your portfolio. A sample portfolio has been provided for you to look at in the study materials area. HEALTH AND SAFETY PORTFOLIO 1.Introduction   Before 1974 approximately 8 million employees had no legal safety protection at work. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA 74) provides the legal framework to promote, stimulate and encourage high standards of health and safety in places of work. It protects employees and the public from work activities. Everyone has a duty to comply with the Act, including employers, employees, trainees, self-employed, manufacturers, suppliers, designers, importers of work equipment. (Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, 1998) Any company with more than five employees is legally obliged to possess a comprehensive Health and Safety policy.   (Safety Policy UK, 2006) The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA) aims to:    ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To provide and maintain safe and healthy conditions, with the legal requirements defining the minimum,  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To provide training and instruction to enable members to use the facilities safely and efficiently,  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To make available, as necessary, safety devices and protective equipment and to supervise their use,  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To maintain a constant and continuing interest in Health and Safety matters including Accident Prevention and Safe Working Practices,  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To impress a Duty of Care on all members. (Dr Ian Plummer, 2004)     I carried out my Health and Safety assessment in  XXXXXXXXXX. It is a club Spa located in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom. The Spa has a  strong focus on Sports Therapy; they also offer a range of treatments such as Swedish massage, Deep Tissue Massage and Beauty Therapies. XXXXXXXXXXXXX  carry out their Health and Safety Assessment bi-annually or after a substantial change in the work area as well as after a notifiable or near miss accident as required by the The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Please find attached the completed risk assessment form.RISK ASSESSMENT FORM.doc On the whole I found that (apart from some minor safety issues that we addressed straight away in the spa) the spa was identified as a low risk area. During my evaluation I took several pictures of issues that I thought were possible health and safety issues.   Here you can see that a candle has been left on some towels, although the candle was not lit, it was still warm and there was a potential for the wax to be spilt. Note that these pictures had to be resized before I could upload them. After taking the pictures and saving them as jpeg, I used paint to resize the pictures down to 10% otherwise the pictures would have been too large to upload. Here you can see that the shower head has been left on the floor. This is a potential for both slipts and trips.   In this image you can see that a cotton compress has been left on a radiator. Firstly, this is un hygenic as the heat will encourage bacterial growth, secondly, it is unadvisable to put anything on radiators.   In this final image, you ca see that a rug has been lifted but not replaced properly. This is a potential for trips. Any hassards like this need to be spotted straight away and dealt with by therapists to ensure the safety of their clients. 2.  Risk Assessment   A risk assessment is simply a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm. Workers and others have a right to be protected from harm caused by a failure to take reasonable control measures. (Five steps to Risk assessment, 2006) I assessed all areas of the Spa as it is not big, and after the assessment i was able to identify the following overall factors:   Risk Factor = number of persons who experienced accidents                 (Lenn Evan Goodman (2003), Islamic Humanism, p. 155)                                                                                          Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   number of persons ro risk                            = 16                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Ã‚   100 ( average number of people who regularly visit the Spa)                            = 0.16 Probability Factor = number of persons who experienced accidents                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       number of risk occurence                                          =   16                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           5                                       Ã‚   =3,2 therefore,                      3.2                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   100   ( 3 out of 100 people are at risk)                                       Ã‚   = 0.032 Assessment Factor = Risk Factor + Probabilty Factor                                              = 0.032 + 0.16                                              =0.192 From the Assesment factor  I am able to deduce that the need to take action against the Risks within the Spa is considerably Low, because the lower the Assessment factor, the less need to take action.   Please find attached a COSHH assessment for a cleaning product that we used in the spa.  COSHH_Assessment.docx Whilst conducting my assessment I noticed that a tub of chlorine tablets had been left on a table without the lid on. I could smell the chlorine and therefore I believed that it had been left open for a while. I replaced the lid and stored the chlorine tablets away in the store cupboard. Chrlorine is a respiratory irritant therefore the lid must be replaced as soon as the product has been used. Therapists should be cautious about breathing in the chlorine fumes. 3. Control  of Substances Hazardous  to Health Regulations  (COSHH) Assessment Using chemicals or other hazardous substances at work can put peoples health at risk, causing diseases including asthma, dermatitis or cancer. (Health and Safety UK, 2006)The COSHH regulations require employers to control substances that can harm workers health. The management must ensure that, before any work using a substance hazardous to health is begun, a suitable and sufficient assessment is made of the risks to health created by that work and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of the  COSHH Regulations, and that the assessment is recorded. (University of Leicester COSHH assessment, 2008). COSHH covers chemicals, products containing chemicals, fumes, dusts, vapours, mists and gases, and biological agents (germs). If the packaging has any of the hazard symbols then it is classed as a hazardous substance.  (Health and Safety UK, 2006) However, it doesnt cover lead, asbestos and radioactive substances because these have their own specific regulations. (Health and Safety UK, 2006) The  following   link consist of  various COSHH symbols:   http://www.proshieldsafetysigns.co.uk/signs/4452_Warning_signs_COSHH_symbols.html   4. Manual Handling   Incidents associated with manual handling activities account for 34% of all UK workplace injuries which lead to absences from work of 3 days or more.  The annual national cost to employers from manual handling accidents is estimated at  £90 million.  The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 was introduced to ensure that employers took steps to reduce the risks of manual handling injuries, require that hazardous manual handling is avoided whenever it is reasonably practicable to do so. (Manual Handling, University of Kent, 2005) In the Spa industry manual handling is as important as any other workplace, because the work involves lifting and moving stock. Also working at poorly designed workstations may cause back injury or muscular strain. Therefore, on a regular basis the Spa Staff:   Ã‚            must avoid lifting items which are too heavy,   Ã‚            must use Trolley and lift   Ã‚            must be  trained in proper lifting techniques,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and also  chairs which can be adjusted depending on the size of the  client and therapist is provided (XXXX Spa Therapy Manual Handling, 2009) My only concern with  XXXXXX Spa is that workstations should be designed to ensure staff have sufficient room to move around when working as the space is confined within the Spa. 5. Electrical Assessment   No matter where you work, under the law, therapists and their employers have a number of health and safety responsibilities especially where electrical equipment is concerned. Therefore it is essential that all spa equipment is tested and serviced annually. In return, an electrical compliance certificate for insurance purposes; extended warranties; and effective and safe treatments is received (Electrical engineer-Malcolm Clark, 2005).   Ã‚  5.1  Equipments required to be tested and inspected   Portable appliances   Movable equipment   Hand-held appliances or equipment   Stationary equipment   Fixed equipment Appliances/equipment for buildings Information technology equipment (business equipment) Extension leads (Sasha Lill, 2008)   Ã‚  5.2 Tests requires by the regulation Electrical and mechanical safety Insulation Earth continuity Isolation from mains power sources Control systems and devices Correct fusing Intermittent faults Connection of plugs, leads and electrodes Calibration where equipment produces an output the regulations requires this is serviced  and calibrated in accordance with the manufacturers original specification. (Sasha Lill, 2008) PAT testing needs to be done annually in a Spa as part of the requirements set by the IEE (Institute of Electrical Engineers), according to Electricity at Work Regulations (EWR) were introduced in 1989. PAT is the abbreviation for Portable Appliance Testing an electrical device that tests appliances and equipment for electrical safety. There are three stages to PAT testing:   The first test checks the appliance is securely earthed inside the equipment, mains plug and cable known as earth continuity. The second test sequence checks the electrical insulation of the appliance. A fault can often occur inside equipment (such as vaporisers and appliances like kettles). (PAT testing advice Centre) The third test sequence measures the load or consumption of the appliance, indicating any possible fault/s. Faulty equipment may take more or less current than it was designed to do. ( PAT testing Advice centre, 2003-as amended) The Electrical check in Relax body therapy club spa is carried out annually and all equipments are services annually in compliance of Health Safety At Work Act 1974,and the electrical safety within the spa is satisfactory. 6.  Ã‚  Pool Testing   Swimming pools are a popular facility within the Spa industry and provide an added attraction for Spa users.   Poor maintenance of the pool may lead to low levels of disinfectant (chorine) and clogged filters that may place swimmers at risk for diarrheal diseases and skin, ear, and upper respiratory infections.   (Swimming pool health and safety presentation, Gary Barnes RS, 2000) Follow the following link for guidance of Pool maintenance and testing.   http:// http://www.zodiac.com.au/testing-your-pool-water.aspx It is therefore essential that swimming pools are operated and maintained in a safe manner, not only to prevent these incidents but also to provide a defence, particularly in these days of litigation, and in order to comply with the relevant sections of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.  ( UK Health and Safety-Devononline,2002) Whilst each swimming pool has to be taken on its own merit, certain aspects are common to all. A swimming pool should satisfy the following criteria: Provide a lifebuoy and rescue pole. Provide and display suitable safety notices and depth markings. Provide an adequate means of supervision or control. Provide a means of raising the alarm. Formulate operating and emergency procedures. ( UK Health and Safety-Devononline, 2002) The Basic safety guidelines may include:  Ã‚     Ã‚           SUPERVISION- Adult supervision is a key element in getting the maximum, safest enjoyment from your pool. Never let children under the age of fourteen swim         unsupervised in a pool. Setting pool rules and sticking them is also very important.   Ã‚           SWIMMING ABILITIES-Always find out whether or not guests can swim. Supervise guests who cant swim the way you would a child.   If youre uncomfortable with  someones swimming abilities, make sure they stay in the shallow water area and watch them closely.   Ã‚           MEDICAL PRECAUTIONS- Keep these basic safety items by the pool at all times: i.e. Life preserver, First aid kit including written instructions on how to  administer  Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)   Ã‚           Trained staff in CPR should monitor the swimmers.   Ã‚           WATER CLEARITY Clear water aids in identifying soakers and swimmers in distress, helps swimmers avoid collisions and is an indicator that the sanitizer,  circulation, and filtration systems are functioning.   Ã‚           Safety doors should be installed in all pool cleaner wall suction lines. (Pools Safety Guidelines, 2008)   7. Summary and Conclusion To sum up, a Health and Safety Policy is the essential framework for the successful management of the health and safety function. Successful management of health and safety is a vital  requirement for any business. Having a clear policy, with strong management, commitment, staff involvement and competent people should be a very high priority. Failure can be extremely costly in human, financial, and reputational terms. (Health and Safety Briefing No.8, 2009) Considering the fact that XXXXXX Spa   is reasonably small, with less than 10 employees and not more than 100 clients per month, the Health and Safety regulations in place  are easily followed and well  adhered to both by the staff and the clients. The regulations are also well managed. However, these need updating as far as Risk assessment   for disabled persons and clients with conditions like claustrophobia  are concerned. Confined Space within the Spa does not accommodate wheelchairs and it also put Claustophic people at high Risk. Therefore, I recommend the Spa to replace unnecessary bigger furniture with Smaller and portable furniture; I also recommend that they  move their workstations opposite each other instead of next to each other thus creating more space within the Spa. The above mentioned changes can be made effective at the beginning of the Spas next financial year, without incurring a great financial cost. 8. Bibliography and Refrencing     Ã‚  8.1. Health and Safety UK. (2006). Health and Safety Policy. [online].London. Profesional Health and Safety consultants. Available from http://www.hse.gov.uk/business/policy.htm.         [Accessed: 05 November 2009]   Ã‚  8.2   Label Source. (2008). COSHH Signs. [online]. Cardiff. Available from:  http://www.labelsourceonline.co.uk/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=87. Accessed: [11 November 2009]   Ã‚  8.3 PAT testing advice center. your guide to PAT testing and portable appliance testing. London. Available from:  http://www.pat-testing.co.uk/. Accessed: [16 November 2009]   Ã‚  8.4 Sasha Lill (2008). Health and Safety: Electrical Equipment. [online].   Derby. Available from:  http://www.healthandbeautysalon.com/blog/health-safety/. Accessed: [16 November 2009]   Ã‚  8.5   University of Kent (2005). Manual Handling. [online]. Kent. Available from:  http://www.kent.ac.uk/safety/mhpolicy.html. Accessed: [21 November 2009]   Ã‚  8.6   Zagers pools and Spa (2008).  Pool safety Guidlines. [online]. Holland. Available from:  http://www.zagerspoolspa.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?      Screen=CTGYStore_Code=ZPASCategory_Code=SAFETY. Accessed: [20 November 2009]   Ã‚  8.7   Devon-online (2003). UK Health and Safety. [online]. Devon. Available from:  http://www.devonline.gov.uk/index/information_and_services/environmental_health/eh-healthandsafety-      intro/eh-hs-guidance/eh-hs-swim.htm. Accessed: [20 November 2009]   Ã‚  8.8 Gary Barnes (2000). Swimming pool Health and Safety. [online]. Available

Boxer Rebellion :: essays research papers

When Japan defeated China in 1895, European powers answered with an order they called, “ carving up the Chinese melon.'; Following the division of Africa among European powers, they turned their sights to what they saw as an extremely weak Chinese government. European powers and America began to scramble for what was called “spheres of interest.'; These spheres of interest involved holding leases for all railway and public advantages in different regions of China. Russia got Port Arthur, Britain got the New Territories near the Hong Kong region, Germany got Shantung and America got nothing. America was focusing largely on Guam and the Philippines and had missed the opportunity and so insisted on the “open-door policy'; in China were commercial opportunities were equally available to all Western powers and the political and territorial integrity of China stayed intact.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The imperial court responded to this foreign threat by giving aid to various secret societies. Traditionally, secret societies had been formed in opposition to imperial government; as such, they were certainly a threat to the Ch’ing government. However, anti-foreign sentiment had risen so greatly in China that the Empress Dowager ,ruler of China, believed that the secret societies could be the leaders in a military deportation of Europeans. This policy reached its crucial period in 1900 with the Boxer Rebellion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Boxers, or “The Righteous and Harmonious Fists,'; were a religious society that had originally rebelled against the imperial government in Shantung in 1898. They practiced an animistic magic of rituals and spells that they believed made them invulnerable to bullets and pain. The Boxers believed that the expulsion of foreign devils would magically renew Chinese society and begin a new golden age. Much of their discontent, however, was focused on the economic scarcity of the 1890’s. They were a passionate and confident group, full of contempt for authority and violent emotions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In reality, the Boxer Rebellion could hardly be classified as either a rebellion or a war against the Europeans. China was largely under control of regional Governors General these regional officials ignored the Empress Dowager’s instructions and put forth every effort to prevent disorder or any harm coming to foreigners. The Boxer Rebellion, then, existed only in a few places and centered in Beijing. The Boxers laid seize to the foreign compound in Beijing cutting the Embassies off from their countries. The western response was quick and harsh.

Barriers to Communication in the Health Sector

Barriers to communications in health and social care Communication is simply being able to pass a message and that message being understood by the person it was meant for and well understood and carried out without any problem. When this circle is interrupted either message is lost or not understood then we need to understand why. Barriers in the health sector comes in either: PHYSICAL is when a person can not access the care they want or need because of a physical problem like a walking difficulty or a wheelchair access * EMMOTIONAL:The barriers in the care sector are emotions. If not have dealt with certain feelings before by the feeler. †'Emotions can play a big part in barriers. It is important that workers within the health and social care field do not let their own emotions get the better of them.They must be professional and although friendships can be made it is important not too get attached to a service user or patient. † †'In the health and social care se tting many people may have problems and many things may be hard to deal with but workers must maintain professionals and not show a lot of emotion, yes we can empathise but we should not make a service user feel worse or more upset. * LANGUAGE :If a patient calls at his Gp and he cant speak English and no one can understand what he/she is saying then it might lead to time waste in treating that patient in terms of diagnosing patient ailment which could be deadly in terms of wrong diagnoses or time wasted in getting an interpreter.

The eNotes Blog Stuff that Keeps Smart People Awake atNight

Stuff that Keeps Smart People Awake atNight I dont know about you, but when I  go to bed at night, my brain goes into Super Worry Overdrive. I worry about my bills, my kids, my   first drafts (like Anne Lamott, I am afraid someone will find my unedited work and will assume I have committed suicide when I realized my talent was gone). One of my favorite Tumblrs,   This Isnt Happiness,  Ã‚  recently posted a list of things very intelligent people worry about.   Spoiler Alert: Whether they can continue to continue paying for HBO is not on the list. I had to look up some of the things they worry about. Suddenly, whether my cats need therapy or not (they do) is not as pressing. Apparently, I, and you, have more troubling things to keep us on edge: The proliferation of Chinese eugenics. – Geoffrey Miller, evolutionary psychologist. Black swan events, and the fact that we continue to rely on models that have been proven fraudulent. – Nassem Nicholas Taleb That we will be unable to defeat viruses by learning to push them beyond the error catastrophe threshold. – William McEwan, molecular biology researcher That pseudoscience will gain ground. – Helena Cronin, author, philospher That the age of accelerating technology will overwhelm us with opportunities to be worried. – Dan Sperber, social and cognitive scientist Genuine apocalyptic events. The growing number of low-probability events that could lead to the total devastation of human society. – Martin Rees, former president of the Royal Society The decline in science coverage in newspapers. – Barbara Strauch, New York Times science editor Exploding stars, the eventual collapse of the Sun, and the problems with the human id that prevent us from dealing with them. - John Tooby, founder of the field of evolutionary psychology That the internet is ruining writing. – David Gelernter, Yale computer scientist That smart people- like those who contribute to Edge- won’t do politics. –Brian Eno, musician That there will be another supernova-like financial disaster. –Seth Lloyd, professor of Quantum Mechanical Engineering at MIT That search engines will become arbiters of truth. - W. Daniel Hillis,

Enzyme Activity Ia Essays

Enzyme Activity Ia Essays Enzyme Activity Ia Essay Enzyme Activity Ia Essay Year 11 IB Biology IA Report 2011 5/31/2011 Enzyme Activity Experiment Introduction3 AIM3 Materials3 Method4 Result5 Table 1:5 Table 2:5 Graph 16 Discussion6 Conclusion8 Bibliography9 Appendix 1 (Test tube 3- 45 degrees)9 Appendix 2 (Test tube 1- 5 degrees)9 Appendix 3 (Test tube 2- 20 degrees)9 Introduction Phenolphthalein is an indicator that is pink in alkaline solutions of about pH10. When the pH drops below pH 8. 3 phenolphthalein will go colourless. Here, an alkaline solution of milk, lipase and phenolphthalein will change from pink to colourless as the fat in milk is broken down to form fatty acids (and glycerol) thus reducing the pH to below 8. 3. The time taken for this reaction to occur is affected by temperature. AIM To investigate the effects of increasing temperature on the activity of enzyme Lipase. Materials * Milk, full-fat or semi-skimmed, 5 cm3 per student per temperature assessed * Phenolphthalein in a dropper bottle (see note 1) * 5% lipase solution, 1 cm3 per student per temperature assessed * Sodium carbonate solution, 0. 05 mol dm-3, 7 cm3 per student per temperature assessed * Electric hot water baths set to a range of temperatures, each containing a thermometer, a test-tube rack and a beaker of lipase solution. * Ice * Marker pen * Test tube rack * Measuring cylinder (or syringe), 10 cm3, 2 * Beaker, 100 cm3, 2 (for milk and sodium carbonate solution) * Beaker, 250 cm3, 2 (to act as water baths for temperatures below room temperature) * Thermometer * Test tube * Glass rod * Syringe, 2 cm3 * Stop clock/stopwatch Method 1. Label a test tube with the temperature to be investigated. 2. Add 5 drops of phenolphthalein to the test tube. 3. Measure out 5 cm3 of milk using a measuring cylinder (or syringe) and add this to the test tube. 4. Measure out 7 cm3 of sodium carbonate solution using another measuring cylinder (or syringe) and add this to the test tube. The solution should be pink. 5. Place a thermometer in the test tube. Take care as the equipment could topple over. 6. Place the test tube in a water bath and leave until the contents reach the same temperature as the water bath. . Remove the thermometer from the test tube and replace it with a glass rod. 8. Use the 2 cm3 syringe to measure out 1 cm3 of lipase from the beaker in the water bath for the temperature you are investigating. 9. Add the lipase to the test tube and start the stopclock/ stopwatch. 10. Stir the contents of the test tube until the solution loses its pink colour. 11. Stop the clock/ watch and note the time in a suitable table of r esults. Result Table 1: | Test tube 1 5 degrees| Test tube 220 degrees| Test tube 345 degrees| Test tube 465 degrees| Time (min: sec: usec)| 31:04:86 ()| 16:26:17| 2:09:03| 32:20:74 ()| Notes| The test tube was breakdown before the liquid (milk) turns white| Complete| Complete| The liquid didn’t turn white, and colour of the liquid (Milk) was light pink| Table 2: Time (Min)| Test Tube 15 degrees| Test tube 220 degrees| Test tube 345 degrees| Test tube 465 degrees| 00:00:00| | | Light pink| | 02:00:00| | Pink | Completed| | 04:00:00| | | | Turn light pink| 06:00:00| | Light pink| | | 08:00:00| Turned light pink| | | | 10:00:00| | | | lighter| 2:00:00| | White with Pink| | | 14:00:00| Lighter| | | White with pink| 16:00:00| | Completed| | | 18:00:00| | | | | 20:00:00| | | | | 22:00:00| | | | | 24:00:00| | | | | 26:00:00| Really Light pink| | | | 28:00:00| White with pink| | | | 30:00:00| | | | | Graph 1 Discussion As the introduction of this report shown that the phenolphthalein is an indicator that is pink solution of about pH10, and when the pH drops below pH8. 3 phenol phthalein goes colourless. Through this report, the aim is to investigate the effect of increasing temperature on the activity of the enzyme lipase. The data of the experiment results showed that the sample [Test tube 1] in five degrees took around 31 minutes and 04 seconds to turns into light pink, but the testing wasn’t complete, as the test tube was break down before it completed, but record from another group’s result, it took around 50 minutes for the sample to completely turn white. (Result from Sumin’s group). The sample [Test tube 2] in 20 degrees took around 16 minutes and 26 seconds to complete the reaction and completely turned white. The sample [Test tube 3] took around 2 minutes and 09 seconds to complete the reaction and this sample took the shortest time to complete the reaction. The sample [Test tube 4] took around 32 minutes and 21 seconds to turn into very light pink (White with pink), but it didn’t complete the reaction as the time was run out. As the result, it shows that the temperature between 20 to 45 degrees is the best environment for the fat in milk to broken down to fatty acids and glycerol thus reducing the pH to below 8. and the taken time will increase if the temperature is over 45 degrees and the lipase might not break down the fat in milk or not work at all. The temperature affected the action of the fat breaks down to fatty acids and glycerol (lipase) in this way because when the temperature increase and then the time taken for the reaction will also increase by increase the collision rate between the substrate molecules and enzymes. The fastest time for the reaction is at the suitable and advantageous temperature for the enzymes which is between 20 to 45 degrees (Â ± 5 degrees). The time taken for the reaction will decrease from 5 degrees to 45 degrees, but the time will increase since the temperature is reach and over 45 degrees, as the protein structure of the enzyme will denatured by the high temperature and the enzyme is de-activated and the molecule is lose its shape. (University of Maryland Medical Center, 2009) Recording from the experiment result, the best temperature for the fat in milk breaks down to fatty acids and glycerol is between 20 to 45 degrees and it might not work really well when the temperature is over 45 degrees. On another hand, there are some weaknesses need to be improve in the experiment. Firstly, the water temperature for the Test tubes to stay in was under/ over the temperature that was suggest in the experiment as the temperature of the water was hard to control as the exactly temperature that the instruction suggested, so the group was recommend that a member from the group needs to add extra hot water/ extra ice when the temperature of the water is under/ over the temperature recommended. Secondly, the group set up and put all the test samples in the test tube at the beginning of the experiment and suddenly left the samples in the room temperature for almost 10 minutes before the group start the experiment; therefore, the results from the experiment might be wrong as the solution in the test tube might affects the lipase during the break time. As the result, the group suggest to mix up the solution and the test samples before the experiment starts, and the break time gap is not allowed. Thirdly, the syringe wasn’t used to measure out the lipase, so the group chose to restart the experiment as the results may have changed. However, after restarting the experiment as a whole, the experiment was a lot more successful and there was more care. Finally, these improvements will be use as a reference in the next class experiment. Conclusion In conclusion, the results from the experiment shown that the best temperature for the fat in milk to break down to fatty acids and glycerol is 45 degrees and the reaction will not work really well since the temperature are over 45 degrees. Also, recording from the graph, the test tube 3 (45 degrees) spent less time to complete the process and the test tube 4 (60 degrees) spent more time to turn the colour of the liquid into light pink and the process/ reaction didn’t complete in the end. As well, the information shown at the website of the University of Maryland Medical Centre displayed that the protein structure of the enzyme will denatured by the high temperature and the enzyme is deactivated and the molecule is lose its shape when the temperature is over 45 degrees. University of Maryland Medical Center, 2009). As the result, when the temperature increase from zero degrees to 45 degrees, the time taken for the reaction will decrease, but the reaction starts slow down since the temperature is reach and over 45 degrees. Bibliography University of Maryland Medical Center. (2009). Retrieved from Lipase: umm. edu/altmed/articles/lipase-000311. htm Appendix Appendix 1 (Test tube 3- 45 degrees) Appendix 2 (Test tub e 1- 5 degrees) Appendix 3 (Test tube 2- 20 degrees)

How to Start a Homeschool Co-Op

How to Start a Homeschool Co-Op A homeschool co-op is a group of homeschooling families who meet on a regular basis to provide educational and social activities for their children. Some co-ops focus on elective and enrichment classes while others offer core classes such as history, math, and science. In most cases, the parents of the students are directly involved in the co-op, planning, organizing, and teaching the courses offered. Why Start a Homeschool Co-Op There are many reasons that a homeschool co-op  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ large or small  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ can be a beneficial endeavor for parents and students alike. Some classes simply work better with a group. It can be hard to find a  chemistry lab partner at home, and unless you’re doing a one-man play,  drama needs a group of kids. Sure, you may have siblings or a parent who can help out, but for activities such as science labs, it can be beneficial for students to work with their peers. In  a co-op setting, kids learn how to work with a group of students. They can practice vital skills such as delegating tasks, doing their part to make the group activity a success, and resolving conflicts when disagreements arise. A co-op provides accountability. You know those classes that tend to fall by the wayside? Starting a small co-op is an excellent way to prevent that by adding a layer of accountability. You may find that you have good intentions, are continually pushing aside enrichment classes such as art and nature study. When youre meeting with a few other families, youre more likely to follow through on the classes. It’s much easier to stay the course when other people are counting on you. A co-op is a great solution for teaching difficult subjects or skill-based electives.  A co-op can prove to be the perfect way to tackle subjects like  high school level math and science courses or electives for which you lack the knowledge or skill set. Maybe one parent can teach math in exchange for another sharing her talent for art or music. If you know a parent with a unique skill, such as photography or fluency in a foreign language, they may be willing to offer group classes for a fee.  Ã‚   A co-op can make the subject  more fun for the students. In addition to the prospect of greater accountability, a co-op can make a  boring or difficult subject more fun for the students. While the class may still be dull or complicated, the prospect of tackling it with a few friends can at least make the class more palatable. The students might even find the course fun with an instructor and one or two students who display enthusiasm for it, or who have a good grasp on the topic and can explain it in easy-to-understand terms.   Homeschool co-ops can help kids learn to take direction from someone other than a parent. Kids benefit from having instructors other than their parents. Another teacher  may have a different teaching style,  way of interacting with children, or expectations for classroom behavior and due dates. It’s useful for students to learn  to interact with other instructors so that it’s not such a culture shock when they go to college or into the workforce or even when they find themselves in classroom settings within the community. How to Start a Homeschool Co-Op If you’ve decided that a small  homeschool co-op would be beneficial for your family, it’s relatively straightforward to start one. While you needn’t worry about the complex  guidelines that a  larger, more formal co-op would require,  a small, informal gathering of friends still calls for some ground rules. Find a meeting place (or establish an agreed-upon rotation). If your co-op is going to be only two or three families, you’ll likely agree to gather in your homes. You may also be able to use a room or two at a   library, community center, or church. Wherever you meet, be considerate. Offer to help clean up afterward.  Arrive on time.Start on time. It’s easy to get caught up in socializing for the students and their parents.Leave promptly after the class is over. The  host family may have school to complete or appointments on their calendar.Ask if there is anything you can bring or do to simplify hosting. Set a schedule and guidelines. Small groups can disintegrate quickly if one or two people have to miss the class. Set a schedule at the beginning of the year, taking holidays and any known date conflicts  into consideration. Once all the parents have agreed to the calendar, stick to it. Make arrangements for students who have to miss class to make up the work. If youre completing a DVD course, perhaps students can borrow the DVD set and complete the assignment on their own. For other classes, you may consider making copies of materials or having another student take notes for those who are absent. Be sure to build a few flex days into your calendar for the inevitable disruptions such as inclement weather or times when multiple students are sick or unable to attend class. You will also want to determine how long and how often each class will meet and set start and end dates. For example, will this be a year-long or single semester co-op? Will you meet one hour twice a week or two hours once a week? Determine roles. If the course needs a facilitator or instructor, determine who will fill that role. Sometimes these roles fall into place naturally, but make sure that all the parents involved are okay with the tasks that fall to them so that no one feels unfairly burdened. Choose materials. Decide what materials you’ll need for your co-op.  Will you be using a particular curriculum? If you are piecing together your  own course, make sure everyone knows who is responsible for what. For example, if youre teaching an  art co-op, one parent may already own the curriculum that youll be using, so each student would just need to purchase their own supplies based on a materials list provided by the  instructor.For a DVD course, one parent may already own the DVD set required, and each student would need only to purchase their own workbooks. If you’re buying materials to be shared by the group,  such as a DVD set or a microscope, you  will probably want to split the cost of the purchase. Discuss what you’ll do with the non-consumable materials after the course is over. One family may want to buy out the other family’s share to save something  (such as a microscope) for younger siblings, or you may wish to resell  non-consumables and split the proceeds between the families.   Identify age-ranges. Decide what age students your co-op will include and set guidelines for older and younger siblings. If youre teaching a high school chemistry course, it will be distracting for parents and younger siblings to be chatting in the corner. So decide from the beginning if younger siblings will need to stay at home or if there is another room where they could play under the supervision of a couple of parents. You may also want to consider ability-level rather than age. For example, a wide range of ages could learn a foreign language together depending on what level of reading and writing are involved. However you choose to structure it, a small homeschool co-op with a few families is an excellent means of providing  the accountability and group atmosphere that you may be missing in your homeschool.

Hyundai case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hyundai - Case Study Example Hyundai Motor Company is considered one of the best performing motor companies even in the face of the effects that followed recession. Factors of success within the firm which has beaten fort to take the fourth place in the motor industry applies strategies like the implementation of strong leadership and the continuous introduction of new models in the market to suit the preference of consumers within the different markets (Schmitt). Even with the likes of competitors like Tata and General Motors, among other, Hyundai has managed to do well in markets like Korea and other international markets in spite of having greater production capacity than their sales capabilities. Hyundai’s success is also attributed to their sensitivity to opportunities, say to the diversity that exists within the Middle East and their efforts in partnering with other firms. Their affiliation with Guangzhou Motor Group, in the year 2002, for instance, helped boosts the level of sales within the firm a nd therefore its overall performance (Yeats 54). The firms focus on producing the right products for the markets has also been of essence in helping Hyundai succeed like it has at the global levels. Basically, the demands of the consumers govern the ways by which the firms produce their automobiles. For example, the extremely high quality demand by the Korean populace has all through the time, made the company centre on always producing the best quality products for the markets (Davidson and Goldsmith 34). The stringent competition that exists from other car makers has also forced the firm to continually improve on all the aspects of production (Hyundai Motor America). The firm has even been ranked as the best in terms of customer satisfaction. Hyundai Motor America. Hyundai Motor America Reports Record January Sales. N.d. Web. February 27, 2012. Schmitt,

Building and construction management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Building and construction management - Essay Example .......................................... .......................... p.13 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY An analysis of an expansion project on a residential house is described. The project’s compliance with civil and neighborhood regulations pertaining to the proposed changes is put into perspective. An account of the technical specifications of the proposed changes is included, with detailed explanations of the context for the proposed expansion based on accepted housing construction techniques. Finally, recommendations are given for additional expansions of the project. INTRODUCTION The property in question is a brick constructed, detached house in a neighborhood where most dwellings date back to 1970, and were mostly level in placement. The project location is a corner plot on Guildford road, within the urban boundaries of Fleet. The actual lot encompasses 500 square meters, and is rectangular in shape. The house is equipped with a flat roof double garage attached, with a north-easy s ide elevation. The house possesses a driveway and small garden in the front of the dwelling. The backyard lawn includes a rear garden, a patio and shrubs. The front and rear of the property are shaded with trees. The project will add Dormers to the structure, often suggested as a way to better appreciate trees. (FamilyHandyman.com, 2004), (Sebastino, 2012) Often popular in Queen Anne style houses. (La Chiusa, 2006) A proposal is underway to expand this property with an extension of the first floor; requiring modification and construction of the roofing elements to support the addition. The proposed roof is intended to measure 6 metres at the apex, ranging from 3.5 metres at the eaves. It will include dormers on the front and rear roof elevations. A juliette balcony is to be included in the rear of the expansion. The windows here, and elsewhere for the expansion will be 1.5 metres tall, set down 0.5 meters below the roof's ridge, and 1.4 metres wide. Dormer windows will extended 2.2 metres from the roofline. (Hart.gov.uk, 2008) The garage contains a utility room that will be enlarged to dimensions of 2.5 by 3.8 metres. Tiles, bricks and matching components will be used that are compatible with the portions of the house that already exist. Local developmental plan policies have been consulted, and there is no anticipation of a harmful impact to the house itself, or the community at large. The expansion proposal for the house would be highly visible on Guildford road and neighboring streets. However, the additions are connected to the primary house without intruding onto other properties, and do not contrast sharply with the overall character of the neighborhood. The extension will incorporate elements from the ground floor that rise 3.8 meters anterior to the front elevation and 2.3 metres at the eaves, rising up 3 metres to the top of the roof. The eaves assist in the diversion of rain water away from the walls of the house, reducing the potential for erosion b y separating wetness on the roof from the walls of the house. They may also influence the transmission of heat. (DBH.gov, 2004), (Yourhome.gov.au, 2012) No side windows on the Guildhall property are extant, and the rear windows should not create privacy challenges, due to the distance involved between the adjoining dwellings, in addition to the tree on the edge of the property that allows screening of the immediate line of sight. The property in question is regarded as a natural extension of the pre-existing residence, with no apparent incompatibility with

The impact of financial crisis on five USA companies Essay

The impact of financial crisis on five USA companies - Essay Example However, subprime mortgage loans given to individuals with less than perfect loan carrying capacity and declining home prices coupled with structural changes in the United States economy that had built up a huge deficit in trading with the rest of the world caused the bubble to burst. This left many with write-offs worth many billions and assets whose real value had declined substantially. Because the mortgages converted into mortgage-based securities sold to many around the world, the financial crisis turned global. Businesses now faced a changed business environment, uncertainty and problems raising funds. This dissertation examines the impact of the financial crisis of 2007 – 2009 on selected businesses headquartered in the United States of America. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the years 2008 – 2009 presented the world with the deepest global recession since the great depression and the most important of all reasons for this economic downturn was a global financial crisis (Berlatsky, 2010, Pp. 16 – 20). In an interlinked world, economic problems in one country were bound to have an impact on the others to threaten global financial stability. According to the previously mentioned author, prominent economists suggest that the United States economy that had been the envy of the world for many years now carried mountains of debt that endangered prosperity and the global economy. A desire on the part of Americans to own their homes had resulted in a massive increase in home prices in the United States of America and irresponsible lending at low rates of interest to many who were bad credit risks created a bubble involving rapidly increasing home prices that were to later collapse. In a market wit h collapsed property values, banks could no longer readily recover the amounts loaned to bad credit risks. Because many banks were involved in arrangements involving credit default swaps, the financial strains were to result in the collapse of

Public Pension Funds Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Public Pension Funds - Assignment Example Milliman’s conclusion that the reports are less well funded than what is reported in their internal reports comes from the disparity that it ascertained after conducting a private audit which put the funding around 68 percent while own reports usually report a funding of about 75 percent. The report has a slight difference from other recently published ones because of the approach that was used in it. Despite the slight difference, this could translate to a massive figure when looked at generally. Â  Hawai represents an economy requiring delicate leadership acumen to satisfy the needs of its citizenry. Teachers are part of the workforce who are feeling the brunt of harsh economic times. Salary cuts were imposed on teacher’s salary to cater for a deficit that the current governor, Neil Abercrombie, was left for in the budget. The deficit in the budget is put to be over a billion dollars. On coming to office, Abercrombie did away with the collective bargaining contract which had previously accorded the teachers a bargaining power. In Indiana, the collective bargaining was lost in 2005. Changes have occurred since then that have neither eased their situation nor been of much help.

The Inadequacy of US Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan Literature review

The Inadequacy of US Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan - Literature review Example 1). This research work aims at assessing the effectiveness of the counterinsurgency measures adopted by the U.S. in Afghanistan. Background of the Problem The principal argument of this study is that the US should deploy its resources in a manner that promote capabilities, which improve the competence of the Afghan government and its security forces, in conducting counterinsurgency operations. There have been several instances, wherein the US forces have enraged the Afghan villagers. This has been attributed to the ignorance among these soldiers, regarding the cultural and social traditions of the Afghans. It has been suggested that the US forces should abstain from interacting with the people and permit the Afghan authorities to take the necessary steps (Jones, 2008, p. 93). A major feature of counterinsurgency (COIN) warfare is the battle to win over the hearts and minds of the target population. This has been attempted even with the most seemingly isolated members of the populatio n, in remote villages and rural regions. For this purpose shortwave radio has been employed. This initiative would further alienate the Afghans towards the Karzai government, which is detested in the extreme; local politicians; governors; tribal chiefs; warlords and militia commanders, who are supporters of the highly unpopular Karzai administration (Kilcullen, 2009, pp. 50 – 51). Assistance has been scanty if not totally absent, in the rural areas. These areas had been at the greatest risk from the Taliban, and had been totally dissatisfied with the almost non – existent change. The fate of counterinsurgency in Afghanistan will be determined by what happens in rural Afghanistan. The developments in the urban regions will have little if any bearing on the success of failure of counterinsurgency (Jones, 2008, p. 4). Consequently, counterinsurgency has to reach such people. Rationale How effective was the U.S. Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan? I have examined the relevan t literature pertaining to the present topic, by eminent scholars, like Jones, Kilcullen, Ganesh Sitaraman, Mark, Johnson, Schreer, for answering the question. I have examined strategies, such as the traditional social hierarchies and the different forms of legitimacy, local, specialised knowledge trumps doctrine and theory. I have obtained information regarding the actual state of affairs with regard to fair elections, rule of law, and economic development in Afghanistan. The opinion of the authorities in this area, has contributed to the assessment of the situation. Issues, such as the exercise of power by the government, harmonisation of development, governance and security were provided by Mark. Positive elements in the extant literature, with respect to counterinsurgency are the unbiased opinion of eminent scholars and the provision of the true picture regarding the present situation, regarding the governance of Afghanistan. I will further investigate these issues, after applyi ng the relevant theories and strategies, pertaining to the counterinsurgency measures. As such, I can expand my research on the issues discussed in the literature, and arrive at better conclusions regarding the current problem. Hypothesis The counterinsurgency measures adopted by the US in Afghanistan have proved to be inadequate. This synopsis of insurgency in Afghanistan, brings to the fore the factors that had ensured the success of insurgencies in the past; external support, variations in the quality of the security forces, and challenges to governance. Research Questions What is insurgence?

Entrepreneurship choose one of two questions to write ) Essay

Entrepreneurship choose one of two questions to write ) - Essay Example They also take risks and engage other individuals in implementing ideas. The individuals who develop such ideas posses appropriate characteristics and behaviours for the development and success of a business. These qualities range from creativity, persistent, risk-taking, influence, time management and leadership qualities. An entrepreneur is responsible for the success of the business and any failures result to business closure or a reduction in profits. Various theories and laws define entrepreneurship in the economic world (Bygrave and Zacharakis, 2010). The resonant alternative entrepreneurship theories explain its various aspects including uniqueness, personality, and creativity. The alternative theories are also useful in explaining various elements that facilitate effective business development. The alternate arguments for entrepreneurship describe entrepreneurs and their involvement in business development. The theories focus on either individual entrepreneurs or recognition of opportunities. Most of the alternative assumptions reflect essential entrepreneurial phenomena such as the entrepreneur, the decision-making process and the nature of business opportunities (Alvarez, 2005). The alternative approach to entrepreneurship is an excellent avenue to establishing various elements regarding innovation and contemporary entrepreneurship. They are further useful in explaining the development of successful entrepreneurship characteristics. The alternative theories explain how the uniqueness of entrepreneurs influences their success in implementing business ideas. The applications and the impact of these theories reflect on the individual characteristics of entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurship alternative theories include the discovery and the creative theories (Bygrave and Zacharakis, 2010). The discovery theory entails discovery, existence and exploitation of opportunities, and individual influence. The theory comprises of three different

Public Pension Funds Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Public Pension Funds - Assignment Example Milliman’s conclusion that the reports are less well funded than what is reported in their internal reports comes from the disparity that it ascertained after conducting a private audit which put the funding around 68 percent while own reports usually report a funding of about 75 percent. The report has a slight difference from other recently published ones because of the approach that was used in it. Despite the slight difference, this could translate to a massive figure when looked at generally. Â  Hawai represents an economy requiring delicate leadership acumen to satisfy the needs of its citizenry. Teachers are part of the workforce who are feeling the brunt of harsh economic times. Salary cuts were imposed on teacher’s salary to cater for a deficit that the current governor, Neil Abercrombie, was left for in the budget. The deficit in the budget is put to be over a billion dollars. On coming to office, Abercrombie did away with the collective bargaining contract which had previously accorded the teachers a bargaining power. In Indiana, the collective bargaining was lost in 2005. Changes have occurred since then that have neither eased their situation nor been of much help.

Entrepreneurship choose one of two questions to write ) Essay

Entrepreneurship choose one of two questions to write ) - Essay Example They also take risks and engage other individuals in implementing ideas. The individuals who develop such ideas posses appropriate characteristics and behaviours for the development and success of a business. These qualities range from creativity, persistent, risk-taking, influence, time management and leadership qualities. An entrepreneur is responsible for the success of the business and any failures result to business closure or a reduction in profits. Various theories and laws define entrepreneurship in the economic world (Bygrave and Zacharakis, 2010). The resonant alternative entrepreneurship theories explain its various aspects including uniqueness, personality, and creativity. The alternative theories are also useful in explaining various elements that facilitate effective business development. The alternate arguments for entrepreneurship describe entrepreneurs and their involvement in business development. The theories focus on either individual entrepreneurs or recognition of opportunities. Most of the alternative assumptions reflect essential entrepreneurial phenomena such as the entrepreneur, the decision-making process and the nature of business opportunities (Alvarez, 2005). The alternative approach to entrepreneurship is an excellent avenue to establishing various elements regarding innovation and contemporary entrepreneurship. They are further useful in explaining the development of successful entrepreneurship characteristics. The alternative theories explain how the uniqueness of entrepreneurs influences their success in implementing business ideas. The applications and the impact of these theories reflect on the individual characteristics of entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurship alternative theories include the discovery and the creative theories (Bygrave and Zacharakis, 2010). The discovery theory entails discovery, existence and exploitation of opportunities, and individual influence. The theory comprises of three different

Bombardier Transportation & the Adtranz Acquisition Essay Example for Free

Bombardier Transportation the Adtranz Acquisition Essay Bombardier had evolved from its humble beginnings as a snowmobile manufacturer based in Joseph-Arman an Bombardier’s garage to a global business in which it’s once core recreational products were over shadowed, on a revenue basis at least, by its offerings in transportation, aerospace, and capital. In every segment in which the company operated it was either number 1 or 2 globally. This was not the case for the Transportation group (BT) in Europe, where in 2001 it sat in fourth place behind Alstom, Siemens and Adtranz (AT). However, the AT acquisition presented the opportunity to vault BT to the forefront of the industry. At a price tag of US$715 million (23% of AT’s 2000 revenue) AT was a bargain and an opportunity worth considering for several reasons: Revenue Growth : Unlike all other Bombardier businesses, BT’s revenue was counter-cyclical so growth in the sector would provide better balance to its overall revenue (Figure C1 in Appendix C).With the addition of AT, BT’s annual rail-related revenue could grow to US$7.6 billion in 2001 (up from US$2.2 billion in 2000) with a backlog of US$14.5 billion. 1 While BT was a low margin business it was a cash generator that helped to finance other Bombardier businesses. Geographic Expansion : AT had a presence in a broader range of European markets and the region was viewed as the center of technological development. Asia and South America utilized European engineering and practices so AT provided BT better access to future markets. Completion of Product Portfolio : BT lacked propulsion system and train controls competence. This had been mitigated by outsourcing to competitors and suppliers; however it was a competitive weakness as was exemplified by AT’s exclusion from a key deal in the UK in 2000. AT excelled in these areas, and provided immediate cost synergies and long term strategic strength. Naturally the acquisition was not without its downside. There were many aspects of the deal that warranted consideration: Acquisition Size: While BT had a successfully track record of acquisitions it had never integrated a company of AT’s size. Based on 2000 figures, AT had nearly 40% more employees, just under 50%more in sales, and operated in 60 locales. The differing company structures were also of concern. Financial Performance: AT posted net losses going back 4 years in spite of restructurings. Even at a bargain purchase price, an unsuccessful integration could threaten BT’s income and cash flow. Due Diligence: AT was understandably reticent to let a competitor gain full access to its â€Å"books† should the deal not complete, so BT’s diligence process was not comprehensive. Furthermore BT’s European management had not participated in the deal; only amplifying the potential risks. Customer Loss: The acquisition could trigger the loss of customers or new contracts. Additionally, AT had earned a reputation for poor production and servicing that competitors could exploit. A comprehensive plan would be required to realize the projected synergies, tackle the above noted concerns, and should the deal clear anticipate and address regulator stipulations.

Indias Handicraft Industry: Overview and Analysis

Indias Handicraft Industry: Overview and Analysis The industry chosen is the handicraft industry and the reasons for selecting the same are as follow: Indias art and craftsmanship is considered to be the best in the world. Abundant skilled labour in the industry (approximately 41 lakhs).   Raw materials for most arts and crafts are available locally. Possess a variety of crafts ranging from art metal ware to bamboo and jute products. Wave of oriental fashion Huge potential with large retail chains Tourism being seen as a vehicle of growth Owing to lack of or inadequate data and information on world production and import of handicrafts, it is difficult to make an exact assessment of the size of the global market for handicrafts. Handicrafts accounting for the world imports consist of both genuine handmade handicrafts and similar machine made substitutes. The handicrafts sector is dominated by the imports of works of art, carpets and wood wares followed by basket wares, embroidery and the base metal decorative articles. The Handicrafts sector is one of the star performers among the thrust products identified by the Government of India for export promotion and growth. As a result, exemption is given on sales tax and incentives are given on power connection etc. The business is to be located in Rajasthan. Business Opportunities in Rajasthan Rajasthan is the most preferred State for investments in certain sectors. Easy availability of raw resources and skilled labour, makes it the natural choice for handicraft based industries. Tourism is a thriving and vibrant industry in Rajasthan. The State attracts one third of the tourists coming into India. The flourishing tourism industry helps the development of handicraft industry simultaneously because of the variety and quality of products and the demand in the international and domestic market. This location has been selected due to the following reasons: Availability of raw materials and skilled labor in Rajasthan Land is cheap Water not required for manufacturing process. Abu road is an industrial area and is located close to Mount Abu which is a famous tourist destination Heavy influx of tourists every year at Mount Abu Has a lake called Nakki Lake which can fulfill the minimal water  requirements Elements of the marketing strategy The target market: The company plans to reach the middle class and the upper middle class of the society. Market segmentation: After identifying the target market the company will be manufacturing and developing products that appeal to that section of market. Mass production: The company will have a single marketing plan to mass-produce the products at the plant located in Rajasthan. The four Ps of marketing mix includes product, price, promotion and place. The following shows how the company is planning to use the marketing mix to promote and sell the products. a. Product mix Variety: There will be a lot of variety in the products in terms of design, colour etc. There will be items like bracelets, anklets, necklaces, rings etc. from which anything can be selected by the customer according to his or her choice or need. Quality: The quality of the products will be superior and of international standards as the company will also be exporting them. Design: There will be a variety of designs in each category of jewellery. Sizes: The products will be available in different sizes and shapes as per the specification of the clients and also according to the demand. Features: Guaranteed and unbreakable beads and stones of different colours, different sizes and shapes for all occasions and for all age groups will be one of the companys USPs. Brand name: The brand name of our company is Fine Jewels collection Packaging: The jewellery will be given in small velvet pouches with the brand name on it. This will be given in case of rings, bracelets etc. In case of necklaces and in case of big items, velvet boxes will be given. Services: Services like after sales services will be provided to the clients and if there is any defect or fault in the product it would be repaired or replaced free of cost. b. Price mix List price: The prices of are products will be given on the list .i.e. is when they are sold directly to the retail outlet they are priced according to the list price. Discounts: Special cash discounts will be given to our clients and also discounts for bulk purchases to retailers. Payments: Cheque, credit cards as well as cash payment will be the accepted modes of payment. Credit cards will be useful in case of international transactions. Credit terms: Credit facility of 15 days will be given on purchases only to our retailers. c. Promotion mix Advertising: Product advertisements will be given in local newspapers, distribution of pamphlets and through word-of-mouth awareness. Advertisements will also be given on radio but after one or two years. Sales focus: Sales focus will be on all age groups and towards the middle class and the upper middle class of the society. Direct market: Some of the products will directly be sold to the market. Our main outlets will be in Mumbai and Rajasthan. d. Place mix Channels: The different channels which will be used by the company are retail outlets and through different distributors and also by export. The products will also be displayed in exhibitions. Coverage: The coverage area would be mainly exporting outside India to different countries, as well as Mumbai and Rajasthan. Location: The location will be two outlets in Mumbai, one outlet in Rajasthan. And others will be exported to different countries. Handicrafts are exported to more than 100 countries. There is a great gap between demand and supply in countries like USA, Singapore and Malaysia. Hence, there is always a need for new entrants to fill this gap. The reasons for the outlet at Mumbai are as follows: Mumbai is the fashion capital of India. The target market for our product is the upper middle class and middle class. Products are designed keeping the target customer in mind. Mumbai has the highest number of shoppers in India Competitor Analysis Competition is generally from developing nations like Indonesia and China. The major competition is from Far Eastern countries. In such countries, competitors generally resort to mass producing goods in order to cut costs. Countries like China also resort to dumping of cheap goods into economies. This leads to serious losses for Indian small scale industries are such cheap mass-market goods eat into the still dormant domestic market of handicrafts in India. There are also issues like use of child labour in India and strict labour laws abroad which might restrict exports to some countries. However, Fine Jewels will ensure theses things are considered before going into production. Organisation Structure The business as mentioned earlier will have six partners. The structure will be a flat one. They will be equal partners who will bring in the capital necessary for the starting of business. The financial projections are already given above regarding the use of the initial capital. The partners will look and run the business in equal measure. Financial Projections Amount of Capital Required The initial investment of the firm is proposed to be Rs. 22 lacs. The company being involved in the handicraft products has no investment to make in plant and machinery.   Generation of Capital The required capital is being partly brought in by six partners and partly being arranged from the bank. The partners contribution is Rs 2,00,000 each that is in all RS. 12,00,000 are brought by the partners. The remaining 10,00,000 is taken from the bank as Working Capital loan. Utilization of Capital The capital will be utilized in the following ways: Investment in Land Building admeasuring 1200 Sq ft (3040) is Rs 11,00,000/- Investment in Furniture Fixture Rs 2,00,000/- Tools Equipments Rs 5,000/- Working Capital Rs 8,95,000/- Finance Charges Interest will be paid at the rate of 10% p.a., to the bank, i.e. 1,00,000 p.a., as finance charges. No interest is given to the partners for their capital investment in the Company. Since we produce 1660 units per month we can achieve Break Even Point in 8.33 month (1660 x 8.33 = 13831 units). This is because by that time we will have reached the necessary target of production for the break even Key Workers: Affordable Housing Challenges Key Workers: Affordable Housing Challenges Abstract Affordable housing in London is an issue which affects many individuals and the problem of affordable housing in London is particularly of concern to poorer sectors within London and those in low paid employment (Greater London Authority (2005) 1) (Pacione, M. (1997) 8) and (Greater London Authority (2006) 1). This is a situation which remains unchanged by the fact that there are schemes in place which purport to ameliorate the problems relating to affordable housing experienced by many people living and working in London (Rugg, R. (1999) 19-20). Schemes such as the Key Worker Living scheme which is administered through the offices of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Teachers Housing Association Scheme and London Strategic Housing have been targeted specifically at key workers who experience housing needs in London. However, although the government have made many housing provisions for London based key workers, the problem remains that these provisions arguably do not extend far enough . Specifically, it may be argued that the definition of what a key worker is is perhaps too narrow. It may also be argued that those who fall outside the definition of key worker, but nevertheless experience housing problems are being let down by the government, principally because many of them simply do not qualify for the schemes which have been mentioned above. These arguments will be put forward and evaluated in this paper. The paper will also consider the definition of what a key worker is and how it may not be an adequate definition, given that it is arguably not wide enough. The discussion on the definition of what a key worker is will lead the writer into a wider discussion of whether there is any real need to continue to have a ‘key worker requirement’ to trigger the assistance which is available to those in need of housing support within London. The paper will therefore consider wider economic, sociological and political factors in the analysis of what the gov ernment is doing to help those people who do not qualify as key workers but still cannot afford to live in London and will employ a qualitative, evaluative methodology in doing so. What is the definition of a Key Worker? It is useful to define what is meant by a key worker as this will indirectly provide an indication of the categories of people who fall outside the definition, and assist the writer in determining what the government is doing to help those people who do not qualify as key workers but still cannot afford to live in London. A key worker is a difficult concept to define, since different schemes and housing provisions have differing interpretations of what a key worker may be. Therefore, what may be a key worker within one sphere of housing provision may not be considered a key worker within another. In light of this therefore, how may one go about defining what a key worker actually is? To define the concept of a key worker requires an analysis of all the schemes open to key workers and an analysis of exactly who is eligible for the schemes and why. An extrapolation of this analysis will provide clues as to the best way to approach the problem of defining what a key worker is. Therefore the best way to approach defining what a key worker is, is to identify tenets which are present within all the various interpretations of what a key worker actually is. It is arguable that there are three main tenets which one may identify as being ‘central’ to the concept of what a key worker is. These are as follows: that the worker is employed by the public sector; that the worker is in a frontline position performing a crucial public service and that the worker is in a sector where it is difficult to recruit and retain workers (Department of Communities and Local Housing (2006) 1). Who is included within the definition? The people to whom the status of key worker is attributed to therefore must firstly be employed in the public sector dispensing essential services in a sector where there are problems with recruiting staff and retaining their services. Categorises of people who fulfil this criteria are: clinical staff employed by the NHS, for example nurses (doctors and dentists are excluded); teachers working in maintained primary and secondary educational institutions; police officers, community support officers and prison staff; uniformed staff in the fire and rescue services; probation officers and local authority employed staff (for example educational psychologists) (Department of Communities and Local Housing (2006) 1). Perhaps it is also wise to comment on which workers may not fall within the definition. These sectors may include cleaning staff and support staff within teaching institutions and within other professions. Why assistance is particularly tied to the Key Worker Sector; and What is being done to assist those who are not Key Workers? The rationale behind tying housing assistance to key workers is built upon much common sense. It is sensible to ensure that workers who provide key services are encouraged to stay within key occupations that provide useful services to the general public. Perhaps the need for such a rationale can be brought more sharply into focus by considering what may occur if essential workers were ‘priced out of the market’. A scenario like this will deplete the services which are available to the entire population within a given area and would perhaps impact hospitals and schools in particular. It is plain to see therefore why housing assistance in terms of affordable housing is targeted at these sectors which may be described as containing key workers. However, there is also an argument to be made that these provisions are not enough, and that they fail to acknowledge the wider issue which is that affordable housing affects many individuals who fall outside the definition of a key worker (http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr//2/hi/programmes/moneybox/3572353.stm >>). The reality is that the problem of affordable housing is a pervasive one, and that most low income people living in London are affected by the problem of affordable housing. However, as we have seen explained above, the definition of key worker is quite a narrow construction. Therefore professions such as cleaners and some categories of support staff typically have low incomes but do not meet the criteria which are prescribed to give them key worker housing assistance. The services which these groups provide are indeed essential; they help to support the day to day running of essential services and are therefore crucial to the lives of all of those living in London. It seems logical therefore that such individuals should be given the same levels of support that key workers are given when it comes to the issue of affordable housing. As we have seen explained above, the reality is very different, and critics of the fact that just key workers qualify for many schemes to provide housing support point to the actual need experienced by the individuals involved; not just to the wider usefulness that housing support schemes may afford the general public (which is the justification for the linkage between some housing support and just key workers). However, is it the case whereby the government simply ignore the needs of those who do not qualify for housing assistance as they are not key workers? Clearly this is not the case. The government operate housing associations and special needs facilities for those individuals who have needs due to disability or poverty. Those who are on low incomes may qualify for the new tax credits schemes and indeed for rates relief or housing benefit to help lessen the effects of the affordable housing problem. In terms of specific housing provision, non key workers may take advantage of some Social Registered Landlord Schemes[1] which include Home Exchange and Right to Acquire Schemes. Other schemes include the Seaside and Country Homes initiative which involves the allocation of homes to those considered deserving (not necessarily key workers); the Homefinder Direct scheme which is similar to the Seaside and Country Homes scheme and the LAWN project which makes homes available to ethnic minoriti es (www.cityoflondon.gov.uk). These schemes are intended to assist all those in need of housing assistance and not always just key workers. Also, on a macro and political level the government have attempted to make better use of the space which is available to build affordable housing within London. This has involved the conversions of abandoned commercial sites for use as housing sites (Greater London Authority (2005) Section 5.4). This is intended to ensure that available space within London is used sensibly to help lessen the effects of shortages in housing building sites. Clearly this will be of long term assistance to both key workers and non key workers. On a macro level another example of the government’s efforts in this area is their current emphasis on building ‘sustainable urban environments’, an emphasis which is of benefit to all of those affected by the affordable housing problem, not just those considered to be key workers. The government has also conducted many research initiatives into identifying the root causes of affordable housing problems and aiming to eliminate them. Although these initiatives only address the needs of those affected by the affordable housing problem in an indirect sense, it is clear that the government’s efforts on a macro scale (Karn, V. and Wolman, H. (1992) Ch 1) are intended to help those key workers and those non key workers who are all affected by the affordable housing problem. The problem remains however, that non key workers simply do not get the levels of support that key workers may qualify for, in spite of the fact that perhaps both sectors are equally deserving. Therefore, would the problem of affordable housing be more fairly approached by simply abolishing the requirement for workers to qualify as key workers in order to qualify for housing support within London? Another approach would be to make it easier to fall within the definition of what a key worker is. The answer to these two suggestions is that perhaps there is an argument for this to be the case, but it must be counterbalanced against the fact that resources within this area are limited. It is inevitable that there will be a deserving case to be made for many third parties who do not fall within the current definition of what a key worker is and of course, it is the case that it is desirable for all of those who are in need to receive housing support. As we have seen explained above however, there is a cogent rationale for why support is targeted at the key worker sector in particular. Key workers provide valuable services to the entire community and to neglect them would be detrimental to the levels of available services which all those resident in London often depend upon. The reality is that limited resources have to be dissipated in ways that are prescriptive and designed to exclude some categories of people. This exclusion does not point to an idea that the excluded person is undeserving; instead it points to the fact that there are limited resources which have to be expended in a frugal manner. Bibliography Articles and Reports Department of Communities and Local Housing (2006) Key Worker Eligibility. Publisher: Wandsworth Council. Place of Publication: UK. Greater London Authority (2005) Housing in London: the London Housing Strategy Evidence Base 2005. Publisher: Greater London Authority. Place of Publication: London. Greater London Authority. (2006) London Futures. Publisher: Greater London Authority. Place of Publication: London. Books Karn, V. and Wolman, H. (1992) Comparing Housing Systems: Housing Performance and Housing Policy in the United States and Britain. Publisher: Oxford University. Place of Publication: Oxford. Pacione, M. (1997) Britains Cities: Geographies of Division in Urban Britain. Publisher: Routledge. Place of Publication: London. Rugg, R. (1999) Young People, Housing and Social Policy. Publisher: Routledge. Place of Publication: London. Websites http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/programmes/moneybox/3572353.stm http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/our_services/residents_housing/housing_services/housing_advice_options/council_tenant/ct_fresh_start.htm 1 Footnotes [1] Also known as SRL schemes.

George Orwell 1984: Unmasking Totalitarianism Essay -- Literary Analys

The outlook to the future is usually one filled with hope. When failures of the past and present problems collide together, the future is often seen as a place of hope. This mindset was no different in Britain during the mid 20th century, especially in the late 1940’s. During this time, World War II had finally ended, the days of fighting Nazi Germany was behind everyone, but present circumstances were bleak. Britain was still recovering from the effects of World War II and handling the transition of a new socialist democratic government. At the same time, from the east there loomed Stalin’s Soviet Union with its communism government and Totalitarian ruling mindset. Many were oblivious to the facts surrounding communism and saw salvation in it. In Mitzi Brunsdale Student Companion to George Orwell she states that â€Å"Western support for Stalin often took the form of neo-religious adulation†¦all kinds of personal and social inadequacies drove a troubled g eneration into projecting its neuroses on to a perfected proletarian Utiopia† (139). Many in the west were discouraged with present conditions and looked to this apparent Utopia as their answer. On the other hand, George Orwell stood in direct opposition. His resistance against the Totalitarian rule of Stalin was especially expressed in one of his most popular books called 1984, which as Valerie Meyers in Modern Novelist George Orwell says â€Å"brings home to England the experience of countless who suffered in Totalitarian regimes of Eastern Europe† (114). Through his writings, George Orwell was able to make the evils of Totalitarianism real to the ignorant. In 1984, George Orwell exposed three dangerous aspects of Totalitarianism by showing the oppression of the individual's... ...hose who read his book. Even in the future, every reader is given a ever relevant warning and is faced with the reality of the possibility of such a society existing. With technology advancing and many history defining issues arising, the possibility of elements of 1984 coming true seems to become increasingly real. History always repeats itself, and generations tend to forget the lessons of the past. Works Cited Bal, Sant S. George Orwell The Ethical Imagination. Atlantic Highlands: Humanities, 1981. Print. Brunsdale, Mitzi M. Student Companion to George Orwell. Westport: Greenwood, 2000. Print. Meyers, Jeffrey. A Reader's Guide to George Orwell. Totown: Littlefield, Adams &, 1975. Print. Meyers, Valerie. Modern Novelists George Orwell. New York: St. Martin's, 1991. Print. Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. New York: Penguin Group, 2003. Print.