Explain and Contrast Three Major Interpretations of the Fourth Essay

Explain and Contrast Three Major Interpretations of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by the Supreme Court - Essay Example The Warrant Approach Before the 1960s, the courts approached the interpretation of the Fourth Amendment by closely linking the two clauses on reasonableness and warrant. The first is deemed a mere introduction to the second clause, which implies that so long as warrants are employed in conducting the search and seizure, then the principle of the Fourth Amendment is met because the warrant is the embodiment of the reasonableness clause. On the other hand, any search and seizure conducted without the use of a warrant is ipso facto unreasonable and defies the reasonableness clause of said Amendment (Harr & Hess, 2007, pp. 178-179). This approach is underpinned by the idea that unless within established exceptions, warrantless searches or seizures in which there have been no prior approval by the court are unreasonable because they are conducted outside the realm of the judicial process (cited in the dissent of Stewart in US v Edwards 415 US 800 (1974). The conventional Warrant Approach is evident in the cases of Coolidge v New Hampshire 403 US 443-454, US v. Chadwick 433 U.S. 1 (1977), Payton v New York 445 US 573 (1980), Go-Bart Importing Co v US 282 U.S. 344, the dissent in US v Edwards 415 U.S. 800 (1974) and Camara v. Municipal Court 387 US 523 (1967). In Coolidge, the US Supreme Court reversed and remanded the conviction of the defendant on the ground that the evidence supporting it was inadmissible for violation of the Fourth Amendment. The search warrant for the search of the defendant’s car was invalid because it was issued by the Attorney General who was the chief prosecutor of the case and was therefore not a â€Å"neutral and detached magistrate.† Because there was, in effect, an absence of warrant, the search was deemed done outside the judicial process and was per se unreasonable. In Chadwick, the Court ruled that opening a footlocker inside the trunk of a car without a warrant contravened the Fourth Amendment because of the heightened p rivacy expectation attached to it. In Payton, a New York law allows the police to enter a felony suspect’s home and arrest him without a warrant. The Court ruled that this law violated the Fourth Amendment because it allowed a search without prior authority granted by a neutral magistrate. In Go-Bart Importing, the Court reversed again a judgment of conviction on the ground that the search of a desk and a safe and the seizure of evidence therefrom on the basis of a search warrant issued by the US Commissioner were invalid under the Fourth Amendment. Finally in Camara, the Court ruled that searches conducted by government health and safety inspectors are subject to warrant under the Fourth Amendment because they intrude upon the privacy of persons protected by it and unless the owner consents to the search, the same is deemed unreasonable. The Reasonableness Approach In the 1960s, the US Supreme Court broadened its interpretation of the Fourt

The Key to Success Essay Example for Free

The Key to Success Essay Everyone wants to be a success in life. Whether it’s as simple as wining a soccer game or as big as ending up in the Genius World Book, many have goals that most people want to succeed in. In order to succeed, however, there are many traits that could be beneficial to have. Some basic factors that can lead to success are having a positive attitude and being responsible. The main key to success would be to have a positive mind set. Success will take a lot of time and effort and life just reminds humanity to keep on training. Every failure is a closer step to success. Giving up on something won’t help with gaining success or reaching the ultimate goal. For example, if a player wants to score a goal during one of the games and misses the first couple of times, thinking that it won’t be possible won’t get anyone anywhere. Everyone should always believe that anything can happen. It is very important to fuel the mind with positive energy. With positive energy fuel, anyone is capable of accomplishing things that others would have thought to be impossible. Success will come eventually, along with the right actions. Being responsible is another important aspect to being successful. If something is hard, speak up and ask for help because sitting around won’t help. Education and doing well in school will help teens get a better chance at being successful. For instance, doing homework on time is a responsibility that will lead to success at school. A failure to do so will result in a poor grade, which will then affect the overall grade at the end. Managing time efficiently is also crucial in order to gain success. If a certain task is given to do at work and there are other things to complete at the same time, one must try to work around and find time to finish all. This will also increase someone’s chance at success. If an employee is unable to finish the task, there are consequences from the boss. 100 percent responsibility and effort is needed in order to be on the road to success. Having a positive attitude plus the right actions will definitely help in the long run to becoming a success. It’s the little things like these that get people on the right track. Success doesn’t come without difficulty. There is a lot more to it and it will take some time, but thinking positively that anything is possible and being responsible will help get the task done.

michael jordan :: essays research papers

Michael is married, and he and his wife Juanita have 3 kids, named Jasmine, Jeffrey and Marcus. He has been on two Olympic Gold Medal teams. Once as a college player in 1984 and the second time on Dream Team I in 1992. Air Jordan, is one of the two most explosive dunkers of all-time, the other being Dr. J. He has won the Slam Dunk Contest Twice (1987 and 1988, competing previously in 1985), then basically retired from the competition. Michael dons a brand new pair of Air Jordans for each game, usually donating the pair after the game. Jordan's father, James, was killed in a robbery in 1993. This devastating event in Michael's life was partially responsible for him leaving the NBA. He claimed that basketball held no more challenges for him. He turned to Baseball for a challenge where he played in the White Sox organization. He was quick, and could play defense, but he just couldn't do enough with the bat. His return to basketball came on March 19, 1995 against Indiana. The Bulls had retired Jordan's number 23 on November 11, 1994. When Michael returned he wore number 45, but soon returned to his familiar number 23. After a shaky return at the end of the 1995 season (only scoring 26.9 ppg), he was back in full form for 1995-96, winning another scoring title. He was named the MVP for the fourth time in 1996 and won his fourth NBA Championship and won his fourth NBA Finals MVP Trophy. Jordan was only the second person, the other was Willis Reed in 1970, to win the MVP for the regular season, Finals and AS Game. Jordan did it in 1996 after making his return and leading the Bulls to an NBA record 72 wins. Jordan led his Bull's to a Sixth NBA Championship in 1998, and he added a fifth MVP Trophy in 1998, after losing out to Karl Malone in 1997. He also beat Karl's Jazz for the Title that year. Jordan joins Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Russell as the only five time winners of the MVP, Jabbar has actually won it six times. Jordan was named MVP in 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996 and now in 1998. In 1996 he was also selected to be on the All-Interview team, along with Malone, Barkley, Magic and Jayson Williams. He was a repeat on the All-Interview in 1998 when everyone asked him about his retirement.

Classroom Etiquette and Dealing with Disruption

University of California, Davis Office of Student Judicial Affairs Establishing Classroom Etiquette and Dealing with Disruption The tone of the classroom interaction has a significant impact on the educational environment. These days, the pervasive use of devices such as cell phones and the fact that some students may be unaware of University behavioral standards or the impact of their actions on others can lead to repeated distractions and interruptions. University of California Standards of Conduct for Students provide that students may be disciplined for â€Å"disruption or obstruction† of teaching or other University functions, and for failure to identify themselves to or comply with the directions of University officials, as well as other violations of conduct standards (see UC Standards of Conduct at http://sja. ucdavis. edu/scs. html) Set the stage for a positive classroom experience by: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Stating reasonable and clear expectations in advance Defining conduct standards and discussing rules of etiquette in your syllabus and during class Giving examples of desired conduct as well as unacceptable behavior Explaining the reasons for your classroom expectations and inviting student comments and suggestions Being a role model for expected behavior and keeping your relationship with students friendly and professional Responding when disruption occurs: If you believe inappropriate behavior is occurring, start by cautioning the whole class rather than warning a particular student. A technique is to stop class, calmly indicate the problem (e. g. side conversations, cell phones) and state that class cannot continue until the behavior stops. Before resuming, enlist the support of others by reminding the class that the disruptive behavior is taking away from class time and may result in some exam material not being covered in class. Students also have academic freedom, so it is important to exercise authority with compassion and self-restraint. It is best to correct innocent mistakes and minor first offenses gently, without ridiculing students’ remarks. †¢ If it becomes necessary to speak to an individual student about disruptive behavior, do so after class in a discreet manner. If the situation requires an immediate response in class, calmly and courteously ask the student to stop the conduct and to talk to you after class or during office hours. You may want to inform the class that students may be disciplined for disrupting class, and to reiterate that message if you talk with an individual student outside class because of his or her behavior. Remind the student that continued disruption may result in permanent removal from the class. †¢ A student should be asked to leave class if he or she engages in disruptive behavior that impedes your ability to teach the class productively. You have the right to contact the police if the student refuses to leave. If the student’s refusal to leave creates a safety risk or makes it impossible to continue class, you may also dismiss class for the day. If this happens, immediately contact Student Judicial Affairs (SJA). †¢ If a student is persistently disruptive refer him/her to SJA for disciplinary action. However, a disruptive student cannot be permanently removed from a class without a formal review, either through the student disciplinary process or through academic channels including the department and dean’s office (see Dir. 88-128) For more information about confronting cheating, about the disciplinary process, or about the Code of Academic Conduct, please call SJA at (530) 752-1128 or see our website at http://sja. ucdavis. edu. †¢ UC Davis Office of Student Judicial Affairs, January, 2007 What is disruptive behavior? Depending on the size and nature of your class what is considered â€Å"disruptive† may vary. In general, disruption and obstruction include b ehavior that interferes with, disrupts, or prevents normal classroom functions or activities. Disruptive behaviors can range from mildly distracting to clearly disorderly, violent, or dangerous. Depending on course rules set by the instructor, disruption in the classroom may include: †¢ †¢ †¢ side conversations, ringing cell phones or using a cell phone to talk or send text messages interrupting the instructor or other students monopolizing class discussion and refusing to defer to instructor, or listen to others; persisting when the instructor has indicated that the student’s remarks are off topic and it is time to move on entering late/leaving early, oving about the classroom filming, photographing, or taping the class yelling, arguing, swearing, bullying, or other intimidating behavior reading, sleeping, eating, drinking, or not paying attention shuffling through papers, cleaning out a backpack or purse during lecture showing up to class under the influence of alcohol/drugs †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Who decides what is disruptive ? Faculty have the authority and discretion to set rules that foster student learning. As a matter of academic freedom these rules can be tailored to the subject matter and the instructor’s teaching methods and learning objectives. For these reasons, the course instructor is the one who makes a determination about what constitutes disruptive behavior. SUGGESTED EXPECTATIONS TO INCLUDE IN A SYLLABUS The following expectations are to enhance your ability to learn in this class, to avoid disruption and distraction, and to improve the quality of the classroom experience. Repeated failure to meet these expectations may result in a lower grade for the course. Entering/Exiting Class: †¢ †¢ Please arrive on time to class and stay for the entire class period. Late arrivals and early departures are disruptive. If despite your best effort you arrive late, please quietly take a seat at the back of the classroom. Similarly, in the rare event that you must leave class early (e. g. for a medical appointment), email me in advance to let me know, then sit close to the rear door and leave as unobtrusively as possible. If you can’t be there on time or must always leave early because of a class or work conflict, either seek specific permission from me or do not take the class. During exams, ask permission before leaving to use the restroom. Try to use the restroom before coming to class. †¢ Noise: †¢ †¢ When class begins, please stop your conversations. Wait until class is completely over before putting your materials away in your backpack, standing up, or talking to friends. Electronic Devices: †¢ No taping, filming, or photography in class without my prior permission (whether by camera, cell phone, or other means). These activities are distracting and inhibiting to faculty and other students, may infringe upon privacy or copyright, and have a chilling effect on classroom discussion. Cell phones should be turned off. No talking on cell phones, text messaging, or emailing on laptops during class. Wait until after class to return any calls received. No listening to iPods or other electronic recording devices during class. †¢ †¢ Email Etiquette: †¢ †¢ †¢ You are expected to write as you would in any professional correspondence. Email communication should be courteous and respectful in manner and tone. Do not send emails that are curt or demanding. Do not expect an immediate response via email (normally, a response will be sent within two business days). If your email question is sent at the last minute it may not be possible to send you a response before an assignment is due or a test is given. Do not post personal information about yourself or others about third parties to the class list serve. For example, if you are having trouble with a lab partner you should see the instructor in person to discuss the specifics of the issue. Participation: †¢ †¢ †¢ [If participation is used as part of calculating the student’s grade] Because participation is counted as part of your grade, missing class could negatively impact your grade. Disrupting class could also lower your participation grade. Keep on the topic at hand. If you have questions off the current topic, address these outside of class at office hours or by email with the TA or instructor. Do not talk out of turn. Wait to be recognized before speaking and do not try to dominate a discussion with your questions or comments – give others a fair opportunity to participate. Common Courtesy: †¢ †¢ †¢ Do not read the newspaper during class. The shuffling of pages can be very distracting. Food and drink are discouraged in class. There may be times that you need a beverage or small snack during class. Avoid bringing in large meals or food that is noisy when unpackaged or chewed. Show respect for me and fellow classmates. Do not interrupt another who is speaking. It is okay to disagree with an idea but not okay to ridicule or make fun of another person and his/her ideas. Raised voices, derogatory language, name-calling, and intimidating behavior will NOT be tolerated. Do not disturb others by engaging in disruptive behavior. Disruption interferes with the learning environment and impairs the ability of others to focus, participate, and engage. †¢

Book Review, Summer of My German Soldier

Book Review, Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene The book, Summer of My German Soldier, is an example of historical fiction, set in Arkansas, America during World War 2. It tells the story of 12 year old Patty, a Jewish girl, who shelters a young German soldier who escapes from the camp for German prisoners in her hometown. The story opens with the arrival of the German prisoners of war at the train station. From the first chapters we find out about the daily routine of Patty and her family.The reader learns important information about the setting and the characters which explains their behaviour throughout the novel. We learn of the lack of warmth and love from Patty’s parents and also of the contrasting loving relationships with Ruth, her nanny, and her grandparents. In addition, we see evidence of the father’s brutality when he beats her savagely because she breaks a window. Her isolation, feelings of failure and of not being good enough for her parents are a lso shown. These chapters also highlight the racism, discrimination and prejudices in the community which make people feel like outcasts. Related article: Mother of a Traitor SummaryThe people in the community are also quite frightened by what the German prisoners might do to them. In chapter 3, Patty meets Anton for the first time when the POWs come into Patty’s father shop to buy hats. Her feelings for him develop from this moment. In chapter 7, the build-up to the climax begins when Anton escapes from his prison camp and Patty decides to shelter him in her hide-out. In the following chapters we learn more about Anton’s life with his English mother and German father.He comes from Gottingen in German and he used to study history at university. A few chapters later, Anton has to leave Patty because he is being hunted by the FBI. Before leaving, he gives her a 24 carat gold ring, his most valuable possession. In chapter 14, there is a change of setting, Patty goes back to school, and her adventure with Anton is finished. Patty’s need for attention eventually lands her in trouble when she talks about the ring. Her father doubts her story about being given it by an old man whom she helped and he beats her in the middle of the store.An FBI agent questions Patty about the old man and the ring and shows her a photo of Anton. Patty denies knowing the person in the photo but unfortunately for her, the FBI agent has the shirt that she had given to her father for Father’s Day, and then given to Anton. Patty is horrified and grief stricken when she sees the bloodstained shirt and learns that Anton has been shot and killed. Unable to deny the facts, Patty is considered a traitor by her family and community and becomes even more of an outcast.I think that the moral of this story is to not judge people by their colour, religion or nationality but to consider each person as an individual. If Patty was not Jewish, people would have been less harsh in their judgement. Had people judged Anton by his character, instead of his nationality, they would have realised that he was no different to any young man growing up in America at that time. Overall, I enjoyed reading this novel, it was interesting and a bit unusual to read a WW2 novel set in America. I found the characters realistic and not stereotypical, particularly Anton and Patty.As a teenager, I can identify with Patty’s character and I would have acted in the same way as her. The reader sees Patty develop from a timid, unloved child into a confident and strong individual. Although I enjoyed the novel, I found some weaknesses. There is very little action in the first six chapters, they are mostly concerned with setting the scene and giving background information. In addition I would have liked more details about Anton after he left Patty, it would have made the story more exciting. I would recommend this book to teenagers and young adults.

A Modern Cinderella and Other Stories

A Modern Cinderella and Other Stories â€Å"A Modern Cinderella and Other Stories† by Louisa May Alcott includes four short stories, each with different themes, tones, structure and point of view. Yet on a careful reading of these four stories one can discern a common theme that can be loosely applied to all the four stories. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Modern Cinderella and Other Stories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This common theme of love and compassion is brought out in each of these stories in a very distinctive way, making each one stand out in its own right. This essay will compare and contrast the various literary elements of the four short stories and highlight the common theme of love and compassion running through the entire collection. The structure of each of these stories is laid out in a way to have maximum impact on the readers. A Modern Cinderella starts out like Cinderella’s story and shows one sister toiling h ard while other rest and ends like Cinderella when John produces the slipper. The beginning and the end justify the title for the rest of the story is nothing like the fairy tale and lays out the daily trials of simple folks. But while the Cinderella like start hooks the reader, the happy ending gives reader something to cheer about after the tragedy that had befallen the family in the middle of the story. The structure provides a perfect blend wherein comparison with the fairy tale is juxtaposed with the harsher realities of life. Debby’s Debut follows a simple structure of a love triangle where the love of the two suitors is alternately discussed to create the suspense as to which of the two Debby will chose. Although the reader is told that Debby loves Evans and there are a number of signs pointing towards Evans as the eventual winner, the depth of Leavenworth’s love is discussed in enough details to create doubt in the reader’s mind, especially in light of the pressure from Aunt Pen. This story follows the classical structure of a love triangle to keep the readers interested. The Brothers has an ebb and flow like structure. It starts slowly but the momentum builds up and reaches its high point when Robert’s identity is revealed. The tension continues as Robert proceeds to kill Ned and Faith tries to stop him. Once Robert agrees to back off, the narrative once again slows down only to rise again towards the climax. This structure has a very dramatic effect on the story and gets the reader involved in the lives of the lead characters.Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Each of the stories introduces the loving and compassionate nature of its lead characters in the opening scene. The first story, A Modern Cinderella, starts on a hot summer day when the main protagonist, Nan, is toiling alone in the kitchen while her younger sisters laze around. The arrival of John in this setting and subsequent change in Nan’s demeanor immediately makes the reader aware of the spark between these lead characters. Similarly in the Debby’s Debut, the reference to Aunt Pen’s intention of finding a suitable match for Debby, gives the first hint of an impending romance. The themes of The Brothers and Nelly’s Hospital center more around the compassion of its lead characters for other creatures. In The Brothers, nurse Faith Dane finds compassion in her heart for both the rebel soldier as well as the Mulatto, when it is clear that no one else in the hospital want to have anything to do with either of them. The main theme of Nelly’s Hospital is her compassion for her living being and once again this theme is introduced early in the story. Thus, each one of the four stories gives very specific and clear hint about their main theme in the early stages. Another idea repeated throug h the stories is that of loving one’s enemy. In The Brothers, Faith immediately agrees to care for the rebel soldier declaring that though she could not quite love her enemies, she was â€Å"willing to take care of them† (55). This theme of loving one’s enemies is repeated in Nelly’s Hospital, When Nelly compares the snake with a Rebel soldiers and yet decides to help it. In Debby’s Debut, Debby feels compassion for Clara, who would have been considered competition by other girls in her place. Astute enough to realize that Leavenworth was flirting with Clara to get her attention and that Clara might be falling for him, Debby chides Leavenworth for his actions. In the Modern Cinderella, although her sisters are not her enemies and are not intentionally cruel to her, at the beginning of the story, they come across as the â€Å"wicked stepsisters† and yet Nan jokes about them when John asks where they are. At this stage, the reader is not awa re of the true nature of the relationship between the sisters, and Nan’s charitable description of her sisters’ activities hint at her compassionate constitution. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Modern Cinderella and Other Stories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus the idea of compassion towards enemies is firmly established across the four stories. The common theme of love and compassion is supported by author’s tone which is mostly optimistic in each of the stories. Modern Cinderella starts with the various domestic problems facing Nan, but the entry of John quickly turns the tone into optimism. The sisters share a loving relationship and even though Di and Laura tend to avoid house work and responsibilities, John’s reproach of their attitude is playful and their reaction suggests at the tight bond shared by the sisters. Despite all the problems faced by lovers, the tone never be comes pessimistic. Even the death of the sisters’ father does bring down the narrative and when Nan falls ill, it is quickly balanced by Laura’s optimistic thoughts about her sister and her resolve to become more like Nan. In Debby’s Debut, the tone is earnest and joyful as Debby attempts to please her aunt but cannot help herself from enjoying simple pleasures of life. As Debby enjoys her life despite Aunt Pen’s strict rules, the readers get pulled into the lively girl’s adventure and enjoy the vacation with her. In keeping with the subject of the story, The Brothers has a rather solemn tone. Although Robert’s experiences as a slave make him bitter, it does not affect the tone of the story which remains optimistic throughout. Finally, Nelly’s Hospital has an earnest tone as all the major characters chip in to help Nelly in her noble cause. As mentioned, each one of these stories remains optimistic even in the face of adverse circu mstances and avoid any kind of negative tone. The stories make ample use of foreshadowing to prepare the readers for the budding romance of its lead characters. In Modern Cinderella, Nan is facing a number of problems in the kitchen as she is trying to prepare the dinner all alone. But with the arrival of John â€Å"seemed to soothe all unpropitious powers with a sudden spell† (5). Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is the first hint of about Nan’s feeling for John. Similarly, the mention of John giving â€Å"his own gift in his mother’s name† hints at John’s feeling for Nan long before he confesses about it to his mother. In Debby’s Debut, the readers get the first hint Frank Evans and Debby may fall in love which each other by referring to Evans as â€Å"her fate† (26). In The Brothers, Robert’s trance like conduct when Faith first sees him gives the first hint that something is right. These foreshadowing makes the readers look forward to impending romance in The Modern Cinderella and Debby’s Debut, while incites the curiosity in The Brothers. The stories introduce conflict at various stages in the plot. In a Modern Cinderella, the conflict first arises somewhere in the middle of the story when John’s mother advices him to wait a year before proposing to Nan. It is further heightened by the death of the sisters’ fathe r which puts the responsibility of the family on young Nan’s shoulders. In Debby’s Debut, conflict is present from the very start since the Aunt Pen obviously wants Debby to marry rich and Evans comes from a working class background. Leavenworth’s growing affection for Debby further complicates the conflict. In The Brothers, the conflict is introduced rather late when Robert discloses his true identity and his intentions of taking revenge. The introduction of the conflict at various stages makes the readers react in different ways in each of these stories. In the Modern Cinderella, just as the reader is starting to believe that the main protagonists will soon get together, the introduction of conflict brings back the suspense. The love triangle and Aunt Pen’s clear preference for the rich Leavenworth keeps the suspense alive throughout the story in Debby’s Debut. In The Brothers, once the conflict is revealed, readers develop sympathy for Robert and subsequently, when the Rebel recovers, readers get the feeling of injustice towards the former slave. The strategic positioning of the conflict in each of these stories keeps the reader involved and raises varying emotions. Coming to the point of view, Alcott uses various points of view in the four stories to make the desired impact. Both Modern Cinderella and Debby’s Debut are romantic stories and so the omniscient point of view of these stories keeps the readers aware of the feelings of each of the characters and heightens the conflict and suspense in these stories. The Brothers uses a First Person narration resulting in a limited point of view which in turn heightens the suspense of the proceedings. The third person narrative of Nelly’s Hospital provides readers with the facts as seen from the perspective of a young girl. This helps the readers appreciate Nelly’s efforts and empathize with her concerns. Thus using the right point of views makes conflic t and the suspense of each one these stories stand out and helps the reader to identify with the characters. While each of the stories has their own ironies, The Brothers is perhaps one of the most ironic tales ever told. Robert finds himself caring for and trying to save the man who was responsible for his wife’s death. Even though he hates Ned, for an entire week he works hard to improve his condition so that he can learn what happened to his wife. When Robert tries to kill Ned to take revenge for her wife’s death, Faith ironically evokes the dead woman’s memory to stop him from committing murder. And in the end, even though he had been wronged again and again by his former master, he is unable to get his revenge when not him but another soldier kills Ned while he dies as a result of wounds inflicted upon him by Ned. Robert feels avenged and says that â€Å"it’s better so†, perhaps because the way the things played out ensured that Robert was n ot guilty of murdering his own brother. Once again the readers witness the irony of the situation since even though he had been wronged by Ned in so many ways Robert continues to think of him as his brother. While The Brothers is full of irony, other stories in the collection also have their ironic moments. In A Modern Cinderella, the biggest irony is perhaps the fact that the girls lose their father on the happiest day of their life. Just a few hours after he accepts Phillips proposal to allow Laura to marry him, he is found dead in his garden. Alcott further brings out this irony in announcing the death. She refers to fields of grain and ripening fruits, all of which are symbols of prosperity and life and then mentions almost offhandedly that â€Å"In the silence of the night a greater Reaper had passed by†¦leaving only tender memories† (18). In Debby’s Debut, we witness the happy irony of Debby falling in love with the poor Mr. Evans despite her aunt’s best efforts to get her married to the rich Leavenworth. Also, while Aunt Pen tries to educate her niece in the sophisticated ways of the rich society, ironically it is Debby’s simple and honest demeanor which attracts Leavenworth to her. The stories also make ample use of symbols, metaphors and imagery to get the message across. A Modern Cinderella starts with a description of the sisters’ house and its surrounding and refers to the trees as â€Å"patriarchal elms stood sentinel upon the lawn, as they had stood almost a century ago† (3), just as their fathers â€Å"paternal love †¦ had been its strength and stay† (20). The problems facing Nan as she braves the house work all is best captured by the words â€Å"domestic purgatory†¦, kitchen† (4). Later, when it is obvious that Nan has fallen in love with John, the grove which she had visited since childhood to enjoy its solitude no longer felt deserted and â€Å"all things seemed to wear one shape†(13), an obvious reference to John. Just before announcing the death of their father, Alcott tells the readers the good news of Laura’s impending engagement. A little later, John and Nan walk out into the garden to look for Nan’s father. As they are walking down the garden, Alcott describes the scenery as â€Å"Fields of yellow grain were waving on the hill-side, and sere corn blades rustled in the wind, from the orchard came the scent of ripening fruit, and all the garden-plots lay ready to yield up their humble offerings to their masters hand† (18). These words serve a dual purpose at this point of the story. Besides bringing out the irony of the old man’s death, they also refer to the happiness felt by the young lovers in wake of the recently receive good news. Although the sisters always had a close bond, the death of their father brought them closer and prepared them for the long life that lay in front of them. Alcott has described this formation of a close bond between the sisters using the metaphor â€Å"the soil was made ready, and in the depth of winter the good seed was sown, was watered with many tears, and soon sprang up green with a promise of a harvest for their after years† (20). As the girls grew closer and became more responsible, their actions are described as â€Å"herbs of grace† (21). Time heals all wounds and by spring the girls had taken control of their lives and moved on after their father’s death. This aptly symbolized as â€Å"spring cleaning†. In Debby’ Debut, the contrast between old age and youth is brought out by the fact that while even though they had both had the same exhausting journey, Aunt Pen chose to sleep earl while Debby was forced to be patient even though she wanted to play at the beach. Also, while Debby rose early, Aunt Pen continued to sleep till much later. The rising sun is an apt symbol for Debby’s youth and her soon to foll ow debut. The youngsters at the summer watering hole had completely different dispositions in the privacy of their home but took on more polished roles in the each other company. This change in their personalities is captured by Alcott using the words â€Å"actors and actresses† to refer to the young crowd. In the Brothers, the various injustices faced by Robert are compared with Michael Angelo’s bronze prisoner. Also, Robert refused to adopt the last name of his masters but later took Faith’s last name as a sign of his respect for the woman who gave him a second life free of vengeful thoughts. Another symbol is Alcott’s reference to the fact that â€Å"all colored men are called boys†. Robert is described as a twenty five year old strong-limbed and manly person. Yet he is referred to as a â€Å"boy† because of his race. As Patterson points out, this confuses his identity, just as his being of mixed race results in him belonging to neither race. Similarly, being a contraband â€Å"he is neither a slave nor free† (Patterson para 5). By referring to this manly person as â€Å"boy†, Alcott symbolizes the confused nature of his identity. Thus Alcott has made ample use of imagery, symbols and metaphors to get across her message in her stories. Alcott also had a tendency to borrow heavily from her own life and experiences and this lends the realism to her stories. A Modern Cinderella, tells the story of three sisters. As pointed out by Keyser, this sister theme is repeated over and over again Alcott’s writing. A Modern Cinderella like several other of Alcott’s work, including her most famous novel, Little Women, â€Å"are based on the experience of Alcott and her sisters† (Keyser 84). Similarly, Alcott’s brief work as a nurse during the Civil War is reflected in The Brothers and Nelly’s Hospital. On the other hand, Debby’s Debut reflects her limited knowledge of fash ionable society since by the time she wrote the story it was no longer considered necessary for poor girls to â€Å"make hay and eat bread and milk out of a bowl† (Harris 117). It is obvious that her stories were much more realistic when they were directly inspired from her personal experiences. In conclusion, the four stories in the collection each have a unique take on theme of love and compassion and loving ones enemies. Each one of these stories skillfully uses the various literary elements to create the mood and deliver the punch at the right places. The fourth story, Nelly’s Hospital is simple tale of a little girl who feels compassion for living beings. Although the story is not as dramatic as the other three stories, it portrays the innocence of childhood and brings out the healing power of a kind deed. A Modern Cinderella and Debby’s Debut are classical love stories told in a simple way. And The Brothers highlights the importance of forgiving those wh o have sinned against us. Each one of these stories provides a new insight into human nature and has a literary structure to keep its readers hooked from the first word to the last. Work Cited Alcott, Louis May. A Modern Cinderella and Other Stories. Web. Harris, Sharon M. Rebecca Harding Davis and American Realism. USA: University of Pennsylvania Press. 1991. Print Keyser, Elizabeth Lennox. â€Å"The Most Beautiful Things in All the World† Little women and the feminist imagination: criticism, controversy, personal essays. Eds. Janice M. Alberghene, Beverly Lyon Clark.USA: Psychology Press. 1999. Print. Patterson, Mark. Racial sacrifice and citizenship: the construction of masculinity in Louisa May Alcotts The Brothers.. Studies in American Fiction 25.2 (1997): 147+. Literature Resource Center. Web.

Environments Shape Organizations

Environments Shape Organizations Introduction Organizations’ performance largely depends on the environment under which they operate. Here, environment can mean either internal or external factors that directly or indirectly affect how an organization operates towards achieving its set goals.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Environments Shape Organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These factors are known for causing either positive or negative impacts that consequently influencing how that organization works. In most cases, environments dictate how organization operates, and the more stable an environment is, the more successful it will be. At times, organizations can change their way of operation or structural body in order to match with the environmental conditions. Environment also has a contribution towards the strategic plan of the organization. This is important because it provides means in which set goals and objective s are achieved. For an organization to perform best, it must have competitive advantage in that, it must be in a position to offer different goods and services in a different manner with the immediate organizations or of the same goods and services but in a different way that is most likely to satisfy the customer. Other factors in the surrounding that are likely to have an impact on an organization include; the market in which it operates, availability of skilled labor, availability of required resources and raw materials, accessibility, availability of potential customers and their level of demand for the products. The internal factors may include; management, organizational structure, availability of funds and synergy aspects in the organization (Draft, Marcic, 2010). In some cases, organizations can change the environment under which they operate; this is due to the objectives, goals, vision and mission of the organization. Due to the services delivered, organizations can affect its surrounding either negatively or positively. The type of environment available is bound to determine how an organization will operate either for the better or worst.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More How environment shape organizations The ability of an organization to succeed depends with the ease with which it adapts to the new environment. This is due to the fact that environment has the capability of affecting how resources are utilized and how products are received by the customers. In most cases, organizations are affected internally by factors such as regulation measures for safety and other services such like packaging and advertising. Work processes and organizational structure is also affected (Harrison, 2005). Environmental factors that are bound to affect an organization are divided into two categories, that is; PEST and SWOT. Under pest, po litical, economic, social and technological (PEST) aspects are considered. On the other hand, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) are considered. These factors are determined through analysis that is PEST and SWOT analysis respectively. PEST analysis and at times referred to STEP analysis can be defined as macroeconomic factors that are capable of influencing strategic planning in an environmental scan. In the United Kingdom, environmental and legal factors have been chipped in amounting these acronyms to PESTEL or PESTLE. Today, ethics and demographic factors have been included to make the acronyms STEEPLED. PEST analysis is important as it helps an organization know some of the factors that have to be put in mind for a successful operation. Usually, it enables an organization understand its current position, its potentials, performances of its market and how to continue in its field of operation without much hindrances. The earlier mentioned macroeconomic facto rs do not directly affect an organization but do affect demand and supply of goods and services eventually affecting its performances. PEST analysis is vital especially when a company wants to join a new market as it helps identify the available opportunities (What is PEST analysis? , n.d) Main aspects of PEST analysis Economic Factors considered here include; changes in various rates such as inflation, exchange and interest. Economic growth in a country is inclusive; this factor is core for any business progress as it determines it’s easy or difficult of succeeding. This is so because it affects demand and available capital plus its cost.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Environments Shape Organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In cases where capital is readily available due to its cheap cost, organization can be in a position to invest easily with hopes of making profits. It is also apparent that demand of some goods and services grows with the positive growth of a country’s economy. Chances for successful exploitation of a certain strategy is also determined by the economic conditions at the very time, it is possible for an organization to perform well during economic recession while another can only succeed during economic rise depending on the services or goods being provided. It is therefore possible for the latter one quitting the market making a way for the former to get into the market. Many organizations leave the market during times of economic crisis. Exchange rates are also known to determine hoe cheap or how expensive imported goods are, this suggest the price at which goods and services offered by the organization will be sold or bought at. Inflation rates have a great influence on a company’s progress because with a continued increase in good’s prices over time, demand decreases and this affects sales in a company leading to its colla pse. Variations in rates of interests can have adverse effect on organizations during loan repayment or any other payment. This is in the sense that, repayment is made b use of the agreed rate regardless of the rise or drop in rates at the time of payment. If for example, during time of crediting the rates are high then they drop during payment, the company is likely to gain in terms of monetary value and vice verse. All these rates are interrelated and they have an impact on how an organization operates. Political The government has an influence on a country’s economy through; tax policy, political stability, employment rules, environmental laws, tariffs and trade restrictions. In most case the government have the mandate to determine the goods to import or export and those ones not to. Also, it can decide on the countries to trade or not trade with. These decisions affect organizations either positively or negatively.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Interest rates are influenced by inflation rates which greatly depend on the banks restrictions outlined by the government’s priority. The government has a big role in the determination of how organizations are funded. Political stability has also a direct effect on how a company can perform. During political crisis, many companies are unable to operate leading to their low performances, as compared to the times when there is peace in a country. Qualified labor is required for best performance which ii only possible through training that is directly influenced by the government. A country’s infrastructure and health are also under the control of the government and they have an impact on the companies’ progress in terms of goods and services delivery and adequate labor respectively. Social Demography, age distribution, health issues, safety concerns and profession stance are some of the factors under this. A company’s performance and its products demand ar e dictated by social aspects. For example, young people have vigor and are more willing to work as compared to the aging employees, this has a direct effect on how a company operates and if young labor is to be incorporated, labor value increases. Demand of a company’s products depends on age distribution and the number of people working. It is therefore important for a company to recognize how demand changes with fashion in order to operate to an optimal customer satisfaction. Technology Technology is comprised of automation, technological advancements, research and development (R and D activity). These factors have influences such as lowering entry barriers into the market, maintaining economic level quantity (EOQ) and decisions outsourcing. Technology leads to innovations and creation of new industries. Technology offers a company competitive advantage thus creating threats to the existing ones. It has a hand in improving an organization’s services and products thou gh this can be an additional cost due to the required training before it is being implemented. Environmental Specific industries are prone of environmental and ecological factors such as weather and climate change. Such organizations include; insurance, tourism and agriculture. Knowledge of these factors influence companies’ performance and how they deliver creating. This paves way for new market and demolition of the ones in operation. Legal These factors include laws such as antitrust, employment, consumer, discrimination, security and health. All these laws affects ways in which an organization works and the rate of its product’s demand. PEST analysis is an appropriate and effective tool of creating a clear image of the environment under which organizations work. Threats and opportunities of a given organization are determined through this analysis hence supporting strategic planning that helps in attainment of the set goals in a more sufficient manner compared to i ts surrounding competitors. Together with PEST analysis, SWOT analysis can be used in order to determine environments of barriers involved include revenge from already industry players, capital required, accessibility to distribution routes and scale economies. Availability of product’ substitutes A threat to an organization’s products and services is experienced when there exists new and equal substitutes. These encourage customers to switch to these alternatives thus affecting an organization’s performance. Apart from a customer’s readiness to go for substitute, other threats that result from this are; how the new substitutes work in the market and their cost, also how much it costs to switch to this alternatives. Customer’s/ buyer’s bargaining power Bargaining power for buyers is high when there are many suppliers and more distribution channels for a product. This is a threat to an organization as there will be no constant customers as th ey will always have a variety means of the required products at a price that is friendly to them. Profits are cut down tremendously when there exists such a threat. Suppliers’ bargaining power Suppliers have a key role in the determination of a company’s profitability. This is because they supply material such as raw materials, labor and expertise. When the bargaining power for suppliers is high, then the profits made will be lower. This is possible when a firm is not the only customer to the supplier or when a supplier is the only one serving the firm. In such cases, a supplier can be reluctant to work with a firm or hike the supply cost and this has a great effect on an organization. Intensity of competition from rivalry Rivalry to an organization is brought about by various aspects such as availability of competitors whereby if there are equal organizations in mode of their structure, then competition will be high as compared to when there are rare industries of the same size. Others may include industries’ costs, product differentiation level, exit and entry costs and strategic objectives (Strategy- analyzing competitive industry structure 2004). Conclusion It is evident that an organization’s shape is determined by the environment in which it operates. Factors affecting an organization can be either external or internal. In business these factors can be evaluated by use of analysis strategies such as the SWOT, PEST and porter’s competitive models. Usually, the identified micro and macro environment are known to influence an organization’s performance in the market either positively or negatively. Therefore, an organization’s ability to achieve its set goals heavily depends on these environmental factors. Environment is also capable of determining how organizations enter new markets or exit. Environments are therefore very important as it can help organization know what products to deal with or how to attain a competitive advantage over its rivalries. References List Draft, R. Marcic, Dorothy. (2010). Understanding Management. Wodsworth: Cengage Learning. Five competitive forces model porter. (2011). Retrieved from valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_porter_five forces.html. Harrison, M. (2005). Diagnosing organizations: methods, models and processes. London: Sage Strategic management. (n.d). Retrieved from quickmba.com/strategy/pest/ Strategy- analyzing competitive industry structure. (2004). Retrieved from http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/porter_five_forces.htm SWOT analysis examples: Reports on different companies. ( n.d). Retrieved from marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-swot.html. SWOT analysis method and examples, with free SWOT template. ( n.d). Retrieved from businessballs.com/swotanalysisfreetemplate.htm. What is PEST analysis? (n.d). Web. Available from coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/pest-analysis.php.

USS Virginia (BB-13) in the Great White Fleet

USS Virginia (BB-13) in the Great White Fleet USS Virginia (BB-13) - Overview: Nation: United States Type: Battleship Shipyard: Newport News Shipbuilding Drydock Company Laid Down: May 21, 1902 Launched: April 6, 1904 Commissioned: May 7, 1906 Fate: Sunk as a target on September 1923 USS Virginia (BB-13) - Specifications: Displacement: 14,980 tons Length: 441 ft., 3 in. Beam: 76 ft., 3 in. Draft: 23.8 ft. Propulsion: 12 Ãâ€" Babcock boilers, 2 Ãâ€" triple-expansion engines, 2 Ãâ€" propellers Speed: 19 knots Complement: 916 men Armament: 4 Ãâ€" 12 in./40 cal guns8 Ãâ€" 8 in./45 cal guns12 Ãâ€" 6-inch guns12 Ãâ€" 3-inch guns24 Ãâ€" 1 pdr guns4 Ãâ€" 0.30 in. machine guns4 Ãâ€" 21 in. torpedo tubes USS Virginia (BB-13) - Design Construction: Laid down in 1901 and 1902, the five battleships of the Virginia-class were meant as a follow-on the Maine-class (USS Maine, USS Missouri, and USS Ohio) which was then entering service. Though intended to be the US Navys latest design, the new battleships saw a return to some features that had not been incorporated since the earlier Kearsarge-class (USS Kearsarge and USS ). These included the mounting of 8-in. guns as a secondary armament and the placing of two 8-in. turrets on top of the vessels 12-in. turrets. Supporting the Virginia-class main battery of four 12 in. guns were eight 8-in., twelve 6-in., twelve 3-in., and twenty-four 1-pdr guns. In a change from previous classes of battleships, the new type utilized Krupp armor instead of the Harvey armor that had been placed on earlier vessels. Power for the Virginia-class came from twelve Babcock boilers which drove two vertical inverted triple expansion reciprocating steam engines. The lead ship of the class, USS Virginia (BB-13) was laid down at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company on May 21, 1902. Work on the hull proceeded over the next two years and on April 6, 1904, it slid down the ways with Gay Montague, daughter of Virginia Governor Andrew J. Montague, serving as sponsor. A further two years passed before work on Virginia ended. Commissioned on May 7, 1906, Captain Seaton Schroeder assumed command. The battleships design differed slightly from its subsequent sisters in that its two propellers turned inward rather than outward. This experimental configuration was intended to improve steering by increasing prop wash on the rudder. USS Virginia (BB-13) - Early Service: After fitting out, Virginia departed Norfolk for its shakedown cruise. This saw it operate in the Chesapeake Bay before steaming north for maneuvers near Long Island and Rhode Island. Following trials off Rockland, ME, Virginia anchored off Oyster Bay, NY on September 2 for an inspection by President Theodore Roosevelt. Taking coal at Bradford, RI, the battleship moved south to Cuba later in the month to protect American interests in Havana during a revolt against the regime of President T. Estrada Palma. Arriving on September 21, Virginia remained in Cuban waters for a month before returning to Norfolk. Moving north to New York, the battleship entered drydock to have its bottom painted. With the completion of this work, Virginia steamed south to Norfolk to receive a series of modifications. En route, the battleship sustained minor damage when it collided with the steamer Monroe. The accident occurred when the steamer was pulled towards Virginia by the inward action of the battleships propellers. Leaving the yard in February 1907, the battleship installed new fire control equipment at New York before joining the Atlantic Fleet at Guantanamo Bay. Conducting target practice with the fleet, Virginia then steamed north to Hampton Roads to take part in the Jamestown Exposition in April. The remainder of the year was spent conducting routine operations and maintenance on the East Coast. USS Virginia (BB-13) - Great White Fleet: In 1906, Roosevelt became increasingly concerned about the US Navys lack of strength in the Pacific due to the growing threat posed by Japan. To impress upon the Japanese that the United States could easily move its main battle fleet to the Pacific, he began planning a world cruise of the nations battleships. Designated the Great White Fleet, Virginia, still commanded by Schroeder, was assigned to the forces Second Division, First Squadron. This group also contained its sister ships USS Georgia (BB-15), USS (BB-16), and USS (BB-17). Leaving Hampton Roads on December 16, 1907, the fleet turned south making visits in Brazil before passing through the Straits of Magellan. Steaming north, the fleet, led by Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans, arrived at San Diego on April 14, 1908. Briefly stopping in California, Virginia and the rest of the fleet then transited the Pacific to Hawaii before reaching New Zealand and Australia in August. After taking part in elaborate and festive port calls, the fleet steamed north to the Philippines, Japan, and China. Completing visits in these countries, the American battleships crossed the Indian Ocean before passing through the Suez Canal and entering the Mediterranean. Here the fleet parted to show the flag in several ports. Sailing north, Virginia made a visit to Smyrna, Turkey before the fleet rendezvoused at Gibraltar. Crossing the Atlantic, the fleet arrived at Hampton Roads on February 22 where it was met by Roosevelt. Four days later, Virginia entered the yard at Norfolk for four months of repairs. USS Virginia (BB-13) - Later Operations: While at Norfolk, Virginia received a forward cage mast. Leaving the yard on June 26, the battleship spent the summer on the East Coast before departing for Brest, France and Gravesend, United Kingdom in November. Returning from this excursion it rejoined the Atlantic Fleet at Guantanamo Bay for winter maneuvers in the Caribbean. Undergoing repairs at Boston from April to May, 1910, Virginia had a second cage mast installed aft. The next three years saw the battleship continue to operate with the Atlantic Fleet. As tensions with Mexico increased, Virginia spent an increasing amount of time in the vicinity of Tampico and Veracruz. In May 1914, the battleship arrived at Veracruz to support the US occupation of the city. Remaining on this station until October, it then spent two years in routine duty on the East Coast. On March 20, 1916, Virginia entered reserve status at Boston Navy Yard and commenced a significant overhaul. Though still in the yard when the US entered World War I in April 1917, Virginia played an early role in the conflict when boarding parties from the battleship seized several German merchant ships that were in the Port of Boston. With the completion of the overhaul on August 27, the battleship departed for Port Jefferson, NY where it joined the 3rd Division, Battleship Force, Atlantic Fleet. Operating between Port Jefferson and Norfolk, Virginia served as a gunnery training ship for much of the next year. After a brief overhaul in the fall of 1918, it commenced duty as a convoy escort that October. Virginia was preparing for its second escort mission in early November when word arrived that the war was over. Converted to a temporary troopship, Virginia sailed on the first of five voyages to Europe to return American troops home in December. Completing these missions in June 1919, it was decommissioned at Boston the following year on August 13. Struck from the Navy List two years later, Virginia and New Jersey were transferred to the War Department August 6, 1923 for use as bombing targets. On September 5, Virginia was placed offshore near Cape Hatteras where it came under attack by Army Air Service Martin MB bombers. Struck by a 1,100 lb. bomb, the old battleship sunk a short time later. Selected Sources DANFS: USS Virginia (BB-13)NHHC: USS Virginia (BB-13)NavSource: USS Virginia (BB-13)

International Accounting Standards Board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Accounting Standards Board - Essay Example The IASC Foundation is managed by 22 Trustees. The Trustees include highly experienced public and private sector professionals who belong to various parts of the world (IASB, n.d.). The IASC was established in 1973. The goal of IASB is "to provide the world's integrating capital markets with a common language for financial reporting" (IASB, 2008). Main objectives of the IASB, as defined by IASC Foundation constitution, include the following (IAS Plus, 2009): As shown above, IASB is appointed by IASC Foundation (which is appointed by and reports to the Monitoring Board). ISAC Foundation also appoints other advisory bodies that advise IASB on various activities. These include Standards Advisory Council, Working Groups for Major Agenda Projects, and International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee. IASB develops IFRS using a standard 'due process'. IASC can review the process of standards development during any/ all step(s). The main steps of the process are described below (IASC Foundation, 2006. pp. 8-13): 1. Setting the agenda: The agenda is set with a view to address needs of most of the users of financial statements; mainly the investors. Some factors which are considered include the relevance and reliability of information that can be provided to users, availability or pre-existing guidance on the topic and possible convergence, resource constraints and the expected quality of potential standard. 2. 2. Project planning: At this stage, it is decided whether to do the project alone or as a joint project with other standard setting bodies. The project team is identified, assembled and finalized during this stage of the due process. 3. Development and publication of a discussion paper: Although not mandatory, but IASB usually publish a discussion paper to seek public comments and suggestions on the topic, agenda, and the targets. The comments are analyzed to determine if any improvement can be made. A discussion paper is developed after preliminary research on the topic and similar standards. 4. Development and publication of an exposure draft: Exposure draft development and publication is a mandatory step in the process. The exposure draft is developed after extensive research and details the proposal, agenda, and recommendations for the standard. Once developed, it is published to obtain comments. The comments are then analyzed to make required modification in the standard,

Health and environment questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Health and environment questions - Essay Example Economic growth would considerably reduce because of the estimated prevalence of AIDS and hence social development based on education, medical care, etc. will be adversely affected. (McFarlan et al, 2001) In order to tame the tide of AIDS in Africa, the developed countries must address the fundamental issues. Adult education is important, since the population has to learn the key facts about the disease. The developed countries must invest in medical campaign. The population must be informed about the use of condom, contraception, and risks of having multiple sex partners. The American organization USAID can play a vital role in this regard. The Canadian government is also active in this direction. Last but not least, the population already affected by AIDS must be given inexpensive and steadfast medical relief so that the epidemic may not spread. Diseases like TB, Malaria, etc., which are related to immunodeficiency must also be controlled. Precautionary principles have only been accorded their significance for less than two decades (O’Riordan & Cameron, 1994). With the lapse of time, the importance of precautionary principles has increased manifold. Chernobyl disaster in the erstwhile USSR or Bhopal gas tragedy in India could probably be avoided if the authorities worked on the precautionary principles in time. For example, before introducing a new technique to produce nuclear energy, evaluation must be done on its probable effects during an accidental meltdown. Therefore, the government and regulators cannot remain regardless of the consequences of contaminated land and polluted aquifers that might add polluting or potentially polluting agents to water, air, or land. Moreover, media response to precaution should also be aligned to environmental principles and ethics. (O’Riordan & Cameron, 1994) The risks related to the increasingly powerful information and communication

Critically discuss being drinking among women and particularly among Literature review

Critically discuss being drinking among women and particularly among asian women - Literature review Example This is because they are the largest group between the two that is experiencing rapid growth in binge drinking. This paper seeks to explore the theoretical implication of binge drinking while focusing on Asian women. As a modern phenomenon, binge drinking is more of a problematic form of drinking as opposed to pleasurable drinking. There has been numerous instances of debate on binge drinking in the media, especially in the TV and the newspaper with shameful representations captioned by examples such as â€Å"Binge Britain’s Night of Shame†, â€Å"Booze Britain† and â€Å"Ladette to Lady†. From these contexts, it is clear that the people being described in the TV and the newspaper are young people who engage in unacceptable behavior after alcohol intoxication. There are also alcohol policies put in place by the government to promote sensible behavior when drinking (Nicholls 2009). In academic studies, there are misconceptions about the phenomenon of binge drinking being a new manifestation of the 21st century. What is also questionable is its mere existence and how exactly it is presented in practice because most of the people who go out drinking on weekends are painted by the media and the government as being binge drinkers when they do not overtly comprehend the nature of their drinking themselves (Haydock 2009). Academic accounts also identify a problem with the fact that binge drinking is considered a new phenomenon, given that there are numerous aspects that influence the â€Å"newness† and they vary with race, culture, age, gender among others. For instance according to Measham and Brain’s (2005), the â€Å"culture of intoxication† is a representation of â€Å"determined drunkenness† which is a calculated and deliberate attempt made by a person to get drunk (Measham & Brain 2005). However, according to Hall and Winlow’ s (2006), binge drinking is considered a means by which people engage more in broader friendship

Market Analysis- Opening a Tapas Restaurant in Pearland Texas Research Proposal - 1

Market Analysis- Opening a Tapas Restaurant in Pearland Texas - Research Proposal Example â€Å"Pearland is on its way to becoming the next major employment center in the Houston region† (Living in Pearland par. 1). Thus, it transpires that the city offers a highly conducive environment for launching a new restaurant, which can operate well in this region due to several factors. The population growth in this town shows a high market potential of Tapas Restaurant. Pearland is near to Hobby Airport and therefore the restaurant can cater to tourists and business people who travel to this area. Pearland Park and restaurant is one of the main attractions of Pearland city. Besides, Pearland Art League can be another potential source of market for the restaurant as it invites several people round the year for many functions. These are the market potential in Pearland. The restaurant has competitors there such as Pear Tree, Santa Barbara Italian Restaurant and Busy Bee Cafà © etc. The potential target customer groups for Tapas Restaurant include the employees and visitors of Texas Medical Center, Johnson Space Center’s workers, visitors to Pearland Park and Hobby Airport etc. Besides, there are several well established families living in the area. Since there are no outlets of Tapas Restaurant in this region, Pearland City is a potential market for opening such a restaurant. This restaurant’s target customers are youth and upper middle class people. Target market identification involves the process of determining the group of potential clients from the inhabitants of a community, which may comprise several sections. Once this is done, the firm concerned has to make sure that they are in position of gratifying the desires and requirements of each section. Marketing aims, which add to the achievement of the general industry objectives should be recognized for all target markets. The objectives must be in quantitative language, should indicate the target market and must also point out the period within which the goals must be

The Ethical Conduct within AIM and ECA Research Paper - 1

The Ethical Conduct within AIM and ECA - Research Paper Example Personal values stand up to be critical issues within the workplace in recent scenario. On a long-run basis, if the employers and the employees consistently don’t follow the code of business standard, the organizations cannot prosper. Differentiated professions entail various ethical codes and professional behavioral standard. In this regard, two such professions i.e. Australian Institute of Management (AIM) and Early Childhood Australia has been considered in this essay. These professions have been considered for deriving information regarding ethical conduct and behavioral standard practiced within it. The AIM is a non-profit entity, which promotes the development of education and the learning’s within the field of management along with leadership. Furthermore, the aforementioned aim of AIM is to foster development within industry, government and the commerce. The mission of AIM is to accelerate the excellence of management and the leadership skills by promoting and d eveloping the professions at differentiated levels. Moreover, the vision of the institute is to develop skilled managers for societal development Early Childhood Australia (ECA) ensures the quality, equity and the social justices related to issues pertaining to education and children’s care from birth till the age of eight years. This particular profession inculcates certain values such as; rights of the children, openness, and honesty and societal inclusion of children among others (Early Childhood Australia, 2013). This essay intends to explain the code of professional behavior within AIM and ECA. Furthermore, the essay will reflect about the importance of ethics and professional conduct within the workplace. Reflective view on the ethical and unethical behavior in the light of AIM and ECA will be inculcated within this essay. Comparison and contrast between the ethical code of AIM and ECA will also be a part of this essay. Discussion Importance Of Codes Of Ethics Within Wo rkplace The workplace ethics is often defined as â€Å"To conform to an accepted and especially professional standard of conduct†. The acceptable set of behavior within an organization is termed as the code of conduct. It aims to encourage a higher standard of practice within an organization. The code of conduct assists the employees in attaining development within the organization through their working efficiency (Baker, 2006; Code of Conduct, n.d.).This section intends to explain the importance of ethical code within AIM and ECA. AIM being a learning institute need to adhere to strict ethical conduct for an overall development. AIM’s ethical conduct represents a set of procedures that aim at accelerated management skills and its ethical role within an organization. Members of AIM need to discharge their responsibility with immense integrity. Correspondingly, the members observe and adhere to the standard mentioned within ‘Good management Practice’ that i s determined by AIM on regular basis.

Market Analysis- Opening a Tapas Restaurant in Pearland Texas Research Proposal - 1

Market Analysis- Opening a Tapas Restaurant in Pearland Texas - Research Proposal Example â€Å"Pearland is on its way to becoming the next major employment center in the Houston region† (Living in Pearland par. 1). Thus, it transpires that the city offers a highly conducive environment for launching a new restaurant, which can operate well in this region due to several factors. The population growth in this town shows a high market potential of Tapas Restaurant. Pearland is near to Hobby Airport and therefore the restaurant can cater to tourists and business people who travel to this area. Pearland Park and restaurant is one of the main attractions of Pearland city. Besides, Pearland Art League can be another potential source of market for the restaurant as it invites several people round the year for many functions. These are the market potential in Pearland. The restaurant has competitors there such as Pear Tree, Santa Barbara Italian Restaurant and Busy Bee Cafà © etc. The potential target customer groups for Tapas Restaurant include the employees and visitors of Texas Medical Center, Johnson Space Center’s workers, visitors to Pearland Park and Hobby Airport etc. Besides, there are several well established families living in the area. Since there are no outlets of Tapas Restaurant in this region, Pearland City is a potential market for opening such a restaurant. This restaurant’s target customers are youth and upper middle class people. Target market identification involves the process of determining the group of potential clients from the inhabitants of a community, which may comprise several sections. Once this is done, the firm concerned has to make sure that they are in position of gratifying the desires and requirements of each section. Marketing aims, which add to the achievement of the general industry objectives should be recognized for all target markets. The objectives must be in quantitative language, should indicate the target market and must also point out the period within which the goals must be

Ultrasound portfolio Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ultrasound portfolio - Research Paper Example Scientists have to scrutinize on the compression and decompression of ultrasound in the transmitting medium, such as water or air. This is only done successfully when the velocity of the traveling sound is constant while in the transmitting medium. Therefore, a simple explanation denotes that around is the epitome of longitudinal waves considered to be in an oscillating movement, which goes back and forth. The oscillation is considered to be in the same direction as the traveling sound waves, thereby encompassing successive zones of compression (Gent 1997). Similarly, the indulgence of successive zones of compression leads to rarefaction. Fig. 1 Courtesy of Hendrick, W., Hykes, D. and Stachman D. (2005) Ultrasound Physics and Instrumentation. New York: Elsevier-Mosby. In the figure above, it is evident that there is a consistent flow of waves, as reflected from the compression and transverse waves. In this figure above, the top waves denote the compression wave, while the bottom deno tes the transverse wave. This is a consistent flow of sound waves, used in the physical examination of the principles underlying sound waves. The audible frequency in this diagram is considered to be in a kind of consistent frequency, which is used as one of the physical principles of ultra sound. ... Movement in Doppler ultrasound is detected when there is a change in the sound frequency. The sound frequency change is evidently seen as the movement reflects visible change. When sound is exposed to different mediums, it is duly reflected, depending on the reflecting surface. After a reelection, the surface will detect the direction of the sound. In addition to this, the reflecting surface will dictate change in the frequency of sound, thereby changing its frequency over time. Transducers have the ability of generating electric charges when there is an applied mechanical stress or energy to their physics. Therefore, when there id a continuous operation mode in a transducer, then the voltage will have a directly proportional sound wave. However, this only depends on one principle. The basic principle in this part is that, the voltage should never be turned off. In the end, the voltage on a transducer will generate an equal sound wave. On the other hand, some transformers are not ope rated in a continuous mode. This is the pulsed mode, where the frequency has change over time. When the pulses are introduced to the transducer, it produces different wave lengths, depending on the pulsed frequency. In moist cases, the wavelength produced by ringing a transducer is doubled by the thickness. One physical principle underlying ultrasound is that, sound travels around corners. Evidently, human beings and animals have the ability to hear sounds, even when the sound is at a far distance and around corners. This evidently shows that the basic physical principle of sound is negotiating corners. This is scientifically referred to sound diffraction (Bates, 2004). However, there is a

Issues of Terrorism Essay Example for Free

Issues of Terrorism Essay The September 11 terrorist attack made a big impact around the world. It opened not only the eyes of the United States but also awakened fear from every peace loving country worldwide. The people behind this were the most feared terrorist group, the Al Qaeda. Masterminded by Osama Bin Laden, this network of extremists aims to remove the Americans and their influences among the Muslims and their nations, including pro-Western leaders and supporters. Bin Laden also dreams of unifying all Muslims, by any means necessary, under one Islamic nation (Laura Hayes, 2006). Another infamous terrorist organization is Al Jihad, also known as the Egyptian Islamic Jihad or EIJ. It is an Egyptian Islamic extremist group that collaborated with Bin Laden’s al-Qaeda in the mid 2001. It aimed to overthrow the Egyptian Government and have Islamic governance over the region. It also planned attacks on US and Israeli installments in Egypt and abroad (al-Jihad, 2001). Al Qaeda and al-Jihad share a common goal, along with other terrorist groups from other countries like. The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Abu Sayyaf Group and Jemaah Islamiya of South East Asia (al-Qaeda (a.k. a. al-Qaida, al-Qaida), 2004). That goal is to â€Å"free† the Muslim countries from Western Influence and establish an Islamic government of their own. Islamic countries which are influenced by the West are not safe. These terrorists would continue on coming up with plans to infiltrate and destroy the United States, along with Europe and other western countries (Utley, 2004). The possibility of getting attacked again by these terrorists is not far. As the victims tighten their defenses, these terrorists would also adopt new strategies on how they could carry on with their plans. . al-Jihad. (2001). from http://www. fas. org/irp/world/para/jihad. htm al-Qaeda (a. k. a. al-Qaida, al-Qaida). (2004, July 7, 2005). from http://www. cfr. org/publication/9126/ Laura Hayes, B. B. (2006). Al-Qaeda: Osama bin Ladens Network of Terror. from http://www. infoplease. com/spot/al-qaeda-terrorism. html Utley, J. B. (2004). Thoughts on Terrorist Targets Retrieved January 6, 2004, from http://antiwar. com/utley/? articleid=1900

Concepts in Disaster Management

Concepts in Disaster Management CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Broader Views on Disaster Management 2.1.1 Definition of Disaster Disaster has been defined in some different ways. Indeed, there is no precise definition for a disaster (Eshghi Larson, 2008). In complete form, Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) defines disasters as â€Å"A situation or event which overwhelms local capacity, necessitating a request to the national or international level for external assistance, or is recognized as such by a multilateral agency or by at least two sources, such as national, regional or international assistance groups and the media† (Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), 2004). Below et al. (2007) propose â€Å"an accumulation of widespread losses over multiple economic sectors, associated with a natural hazard event, that overwhelms the ability of the affected population to cope† as a definition of a disaster. International Federation on Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) defines a disaster as â€Å"a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that exceed the communitys or societys ability to c ope using its own resources†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (IFRC, 2008). van Wassenhove (2006) proposes â€Å"a disruption that physically affects a system as a whole and threatens its priorities and goals† as a definition of disaster, while Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC, 2008) defines disaster as â€Å"a serious disruption of the functioning of society, causing widespread human, material or environmental losses which exceed the ability of affected society to cope using only its own resources†, which is similar with Reliefwebs (2008) definition. Emergency Management Australia (EMA, 2008) defines disaster as â€Å"a serious disruption to community life which threatens or causes death or injury in that community and/or damage to property which is beyond the day-today capacity of the prescribed statutory authorities and which requires special mobilization and organization of resources other than those normally available to those authorities†, while emergency is defined as à ¢â‚¬ËœAn event, actual or imminent, which endangers or threatens to endanger life, property or the environment, and which requires a significant and coordinated response. (EMA, 2008). 2.1.2 Disaster Types With a wide variability of disaster definition, it is understandable to have different initial classifications for disasters (Eshghi Larson, 2008; Shaluf 2007a, b). Canadian Disaster Database (2008) categorises disasters into five different types as summarized in Table 1. Table 1. Disaster types (Source: Canadian Disaster Database, 2008) Disaster types Encompasses Biological Epidemic, infestation Geological Earthquake, landslide, tsunami Meteorological and hydrological Cold wave, drought, flood, hail/ thunderstorm, heat wave, hurricane/ typhoon, snow avalanche, storm surges, storm-freezing rain, storm-unspecified/ other, storm-winter, tornado, wildfire Conflict Terrorism, civil unrest Technological Accident-industrial, accident-other, accident-transport, fire, hazardous chemicals van Wassenhove (2006) proposes a metrics (see Table 2) to understand disasters. Table 2. Categorization of disasters based on van Wassenhove (2006) Natural Man-made Sudden-onset Earthquake, hurricane, tornado Terrorist attack, coup detat, chemical leak Slow-onset Famine, drought, poverty Political crisis, refugee crisis In general, Shaluf (2007a, b) categorises disasters into three types: Natural disasters, which are catastrophic events resulting from natural causes such as volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc. Man made disasters, which are those catastrophic events that result from human decisions. Hybrid disasters are those disasters that result from both human error and natural forces. In further detail, Shaluf (2007b) breaks down each type of disasters and gives examples and characteristics, as can be seen in Table 3. Table 3. Disaster types, taken from Shaluf (2007b) Disaster type Characteristics Sub-disaster Name of disasters Natural A natural disaster is a natural phenomenon; A natural disaster is an unplanned and socially disruptive event with a sudden and severe disruptive effect; A natural disaster is single event over which no human has control; The impact of natural disaster is localized to a geographical region and specific time period; The consequences of a natural disaster are felt at the place and time of its occurrence; The disaster can be a high-impact disaster (e.g. a flood) that has a greater direct effect on the community over a longer period; Rapid onset disasters include earthquakes, flash floods, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, tsunamis, slow onset disasters, droughts, floods, and epidemics Natural phenomena beneath the earths surface Earthquakes Tsunamis Volcanic eruptions Topographical phenomena Landslides Avalanches Meteorological/ hydrological phenomena Windstorms (Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes) Tornadoes Hailstorms and snowstorms Sea surges Floods Droughts Heat waves/ could waves Biological phenomena Infestations (locust swarms, mealy bug) Epidemics (cholera, dengue, ebola, malaria, measles, meningitis, yellow fever, HIV/ AIDS, tuberculosis) Man-made Characteristics of socio-technical disasters: A socio-technical disaster is a man-made event; A socio-technical disaster occurs in an organisation due to the interaction between internal factors and external factors; It arises suddenly: when the disaster occurs it does so as a shock; A socio-technical disaster is a complex system of interdependence; The impact of a socio-technical disaster sometimes transcends geographical boundaries and can even have trans-generational effects (e.g. Three Mile Island, Bhopal, Chernobyl); Socio-technical disasters do not always have their worst consequences at the point of occurrence; the worst effects can occur long after the event; Socio-technical disasters are characterized by a low probability/ high consequences event; Sudden-impact disasters (e.g. air/road/rail accident) are usually of short duration and have a limited direct effect on the local community; Socio-technical disasters arise not because of a single factor but of accumulated unnoticed events; Disaster involves management procedures which must be maintained, and management problems must be coped with under the conditions of a major technical emergency involving threats of injury and loss of life; Rapid onset disasters include fires, technological disasters, industrial accidents, and transportation accidents; An inquiry report is required Socio-technical Technological disasters Fire Explotions (munitions explosions, chemical explosions, nuclear explosions, mine explosions) Leakage Toxic release Pollutions (pollution, acid rain, chemical pollution, atmospheric pollution) Structural collapse of physical assets Transportation disasters Air disasters Land disasters Sea disasters Stadia or other public places failures Fire Structural collapse Crowd stampede Production failure Computer system breakdown Distribution of defective products Warfare National Civil war between armed groups in the same country Civil strikes Civil disorder Bomb threats/ terrorist attack Inter-national Conventional war War between two armies from different countries Sieges Blockades Non-conventional war Nuclear Chemical Biological Hybrid The characteristics of a hybrid disaster can be the characteristics of both man-made and natural disasters Natural and man-made events Floods ravage community built on known floodplain Location of residential premises, factories, etc., at the foot of an active volcano, or in an avalanche area Landslides Slightly different from those, EM-DAT (2008a) classifies disasters into three groups: Natural disasters Technological disasters Complex emergencies Regarding its scope in terms of sufferer number and/ or geographic areas affected, Gad-el-Hak (2008) distinguishes disasters into five categories as can be seen in Table 4. Table 4. Disaster scope in terms of number of victims and/ or geographic area affected (Source: Gad-el-Hak, 2008) Scope Category No. of sufferers Geographic areas affected Scope I Small disaster Or Scope II Medium disaster 10-100 persons or 1-10 km2 Scope III Large disaster 100-1,000 persons Or 10-100 km2 Scope IV Enormous disaster 1,000-104 persons Or 100-1,000 km2 Scope V Gargantuan disaster > 104 persons Or > 1,000 km2 While the definition of natural disasters and technological disasters are principally the same as those proposed by Shaluf (2007a, b), complex emergencies need a further exploration. Alballa-Bertrand (see Alballa-Bertrand, 2000) proposes the following definition for a complex humanitarian emergency or, in short, complex emergency: ‘A purposeful and unlikely neutral response, intended mostly to counteract the worse effects of the massive human destitution that derive from an overt political phenomenon, which takes the form of a violent, entrenched and long-lasting factionalist conflict or imposition with ultimate institutional aims. On the other hand, ReliefWeb (2008) defines a complex emergency as â€Å"A multifaceted humanitarian crisis in a country, region or society where there is a total or considerable breakdown of authority resulting from internal or external conflict and which requires a multi-sectoral, international response that goes beyond the mandate or capacity of any single agency and/or the ongoing UN country program. Such emergencies have, in particular, a devastating effect on children and women, and call for a complex range of responses.† While Complex Emergency Database (CE-DAT) (2008) defines complex emergency as all crises characterized by extreme vulnerability that display the following features: There exist the unwillingness or incapability of the government to give effective response, leading call for external assistance; Political oppression or armed conflict; Displacement; Increased mortality. 2.1.3 The Increasing Trend of Disaster Occurrences Lichterman (1999) predicts that the frequency of disasters and their effects seem to be increasing. By reviewing various related published sources from 1900-2005, Eshghi and Larson (2008) confirm Lichtermans prediction. A disaster leads to a severe trouble of society, including extensive human misery and physical loss or damage (Davis Lambert, 2002). Both natural and man-made disasters are likely to raise another five-fold over the next fifty years (from the year 2005) due to environmental degradation, rapid urbanization and the spread of HIV/AIDS in less developed world (Thomas Kopczak, 2005). More than 250 million people in the world are affected by disasters every year (IFRC, 2008). In the sense of natural disasters which are then divided into biological, geophysical, climatological, hydrological, and meteorological disasters -, CRED (see Scheuren et al., 2008) reports that there were 414 natural disaster occurrences (excluding biological disasters) in year 2007 which killed 16 847 persons, affected more than 211 million others and caused over 74.9 US$ billion in economic damages. Until year 2004, over 90 percent of natural disasters occurred in developing countries (United Nations ISDR, 2004). By including biological disasters and regrouping natural disasters into three different categories, as follows: Hydro-meteorological disasters: comprising floods and wave surges, storms, droughts and related disasters (extreme temperatures and forest/scrub fires), and landslides avalanches; Geophysical disasters: earthquakes tsunamis and volcanic eruptions fall into this category; Biological disasters: consisting of epidemics and insect infestations; International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) (2008) provides data which shows that there is an increasing trend on the occurrences of natural disasters from 1900 to 2005, as can be seen in Table 5. Table 5. Distribution of natural disasters: by origin (1900-2005, by decades*) *) 2000-2005, six year period The increasing trends of the occurrences of natural disasters between 1900-June 2008 is also documented in EM-DAT (2008b). Regarding the victims, there were 3,470,162,961 people affected by natural disasters for the period of 1991-2005 with a total of 960,502 deaths. Most of the victims (98.1% of people affected and 92.1% of people killed) were located in developing countries and least-developed countries (IFRC, 2008). 2.1.4 Disaster Management Disaster management also known as emergency management (Reliefweb, 2008) is defined as comprehensive approach and activities to reduce the adverse impacts of disasters (Reliefweb, 2008), while disaster operations could be considered as the set of activities that are performed before, during, and after a disaster which are aimed at preventing loss of human life, reducing its impact on the economy, and returning to a normal situation (Altay Green III, 2006). Using the terminology of disaster relief operations (DRO) as substitute to disaster operations, Pujawan et al. (2009) state that DRO consists of a variety of activities such as assessing demands, acquiring commodities, finding out priorities as well as receiving, classifying, storing, tracing and tracking deliveries. Regarding its phases, disaster management could be divided into four phases (Altay Green III, 2006): disaster mitigation, disaster preparedness, disaster response, and disaster recovery. 2.1.5 The Importance of Logistics in Disaster Management Logistics could be defined as follows (see Sheu, 2007a: 655): â€Å"Logistics is the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, effective flow and storage of goods, services and related information from the point of origin to the point of consumption for the purpose of conforming to customers[] requirements at the lowest total cost.† Its system operation consists of network design, information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging (see Wu Huang, 2007: 429). There are several Operational Research (OR) techniques utilised in logistics context, including the use of transportation model to determine the location of warehouses and the use of assignment/ allocation model to locate production facilities (Slats et al., 1995: 12), to name a few. In particular, humanitarian logistics could be defined as â€Å"the process of planning, implementing and control ­ling the efficient, cost-effective flow and storage of goods and materials, as well as related information, from point of origin to point of consump ­tion for the purpose of meeting the end beneficiarys requirements† (Thomas Mizushima, January 2005). Similarly, Thomas and Kopczak (2005) define it as â€Å"the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost-effective flow and storage of goods and materials, as well as related information, from the point of origin to the point of consumption for the purpose of alleviating the suffering of vulnerable people†. Whereas Sheu (2007a) proposes ‘‘a process of planning, managing and controlling the efficient flows of relief, information, and services from the points of origin to the points of destination to meet the urgent needs of the affected people under emergency conditions as a definition of emergency logistics. Moreover, disaster relief is usually put aside for sudden upheavals such as natural disasters (earthquakes, avalanches, hurricanes, floods, fires, volcano eruptions, etc.) and very few man-made disasters such as terrorist acts or nuclear disasters (Kovà ¡cs Spens, 2007). Relief itself could be understood as â€Å"assistance and/or intervention during or after disaster to meet the life preservation and basic subsistence needs. It can be of emergency or protracted duration† (Reliefweb, 2008). It has been already generally well-known that logistics play a vital role in emergency management. Sheu (2007a) declares that, due to the possibility of disasters occurrences anytime around the world with huge effects, emergency logistics management had appeared as a worldwide-noticeable subject matter. People which are affected by disasters and are uprooted from their rights for food, housing, livelihood and other means of supporting themselves need the delivery of food, medicine, tents, sanitation equipment, tools and other necessities (Whybark, 2007). The science of logistics and supply chain management is becoming more vital for humanitarians (van Wassenhove, 2006), and â€Å"the subject of disaster management is an absolutely fascinating one that is growing in importance† (van Wassenhove, 2003: 19). Oloruntoba (2005) states that, regarding the Indian Ocean tsunami context, the scale of damage and subsequent response lead to problems of coordination, transportation and dis tribution among responding groups. In other affected areas of the Indian Ocean tsunami, Thomas (summer/fall 2006) reports that, at the 60-day point, regardless of the enormous relief efforts, only 60% of the families reported receiving well-timed and sufficient aid. It is therefore acceptable to conclude that good logistics planning plays an important role to the success of an emergency program (Davis Lambert, 2002: 109). Humanitarian logistics is essential to disaster relief for some reasons (Thomas Kopczak, 2005): It is crucial to the effectiveness and speed of response for main humanitarian programs, such as health, food, shelter, water, and sanitation; It can be one of the most expensive elements of a relief effort as it includes procurement and transportation; Since the logistics department handles tracking of commodities through the supply chain, it is often the repository of data that can be analyzed to offer post-event knowledge. In his paper, McEntire (1999) states that the disaster studies must discover ways to improve the provision of relief after certain catastrophe hits. This statement is in line with Perrys (2007) finding which accentuates the availability of logistician cadres as a key element of disaster response, as part of needs assessment and for procuring, transporting, and distributing the relief provisions. Regarding the relief of the Indian Ocean tsunami, the humanitarian organizations providing those relieves acknowledged that relief can and needs to be faster and more efficient (Thomas, 2005). Together with hurricane â€Å"Katrina† disaster, the Indian Ocean tsunami lead to the gap of â€Å"the inability to connect the aid provided with the aid received† (Thomas, 2005) in spite of the unprecedented giving during those two misfortunes. It is also pointed out by Tolentino Jr. (2007) that the Indian Ocean tsunami has provided the will to radically improve disaster management and pl anning, an issue Trims (2004: 224) research agrees with, in a broader disaster relief context. Furthermore, the development of new technology for track/trace and disaster relief supply chains is proposed as one of ways to improve the delivery of humanitarian relief (Baluch, 2007). In the context of the participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in worldwide emergencies (e.g. volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, war), Beamon and Kotleba (2006) point out that the capability of an NGOs supply chain and logistics operations directly influences the success of a relief effort. Whereas Pujawan et al. (2009) propose information visibility, coordination, accountability, and professionalism as successful requirements of logistics for DRO. 2.2 Some Previous Works in Logistics Management The following paragraphs will give a short overview on several aspects in logistics management, especially those which are perceived as having relevance with the current research. They include distribution network design problem, location-allocation problem (LAP), vehicle routing problem (VRP), and location-routing problem (LRP), respectively. 2.2.1 Distribution Network Design Problem Citing Chopra (2003), distribution can be seen as â€Å"the steps taken to move and store a product from the supplier stage to a customer stage in the supply chain†. While distribution networks can be defined as â€Å"networks that carry the flow of some commodity or entity, using a routing rule that is intended to be effective and even optimal† (Whittle, 2007), and distribution network itself could be viewed as similar with the terminology producer network (Ambrosino Scutellà  , 2005: 611). Distribution network design problem tackles the issues of optimizing the flows of commodities through an existing distribution network as well as improving the performance of the existing network by selecting the most appropriate setting of the facilities in the network aimed at satisfying the companys goal at one hand and minimising the overall costs at the other hand (Ambrosino Scutellà  , 2005: 611). It involves facility location, transportation and inventory decisions (Ambrosino Scutellà  , 2005: 611). In other words, the aim of distribution network design problem is on deciding the best way of moving goods or products from resource/ supply points to destination/ demand points which is performed by determining the structure of the network, in a such a way that the customer demands are satisfied and the total distribution costs are minimized (Ambrosino et al., 2009: 442). In Amiris (2006: 567-568) paper, distribution network design is stated as involving the simultaneous decis ions on the best settings of both plants and warehouses and on the best strategy in the sense of product distribution from the plants to the warehouses and from the warehouses to the customers, respectively. Meanwhile, the term â€Å"distribution system design† refers to â€Å"the strategic design of the logistics infrastructure and logistics strategy to deliver products from one or more sources to the customers† (Goetschalckx, 2008: 13-1) and similar to Ambrosino et al.s (2009) statement on distribution network design problem focuses on five phases of interconnected decisions, as follows (Goetschalckx, 2008: 13-2): Establishing the appropriate quantity of distribution centers (DCs); Setting up the location of each DC; Allocating customers to each DC; Allocating appropriate commodities to each DC; and Determining the throughput and storage capacity of each DC. Various models and approaches that have been built for designing distribution system or distribution network, to name a few, are (Goetschalckx, 2008: 13-8-13-15; Lapierre et al., 2004): K-median model, location-allocation model, warehouse location model, Geoffrion and Graves distribution system design model, models that focus on mathematical description of cost functions on each route in order to incorporate returns to scale, models of which concentration are in shipments on hub-to-hub routes regarding discounts, and models that aim at solving the freight transportation problem precisely. 2.2.2 Location-Allocation Problem (LAP) As previously stated in Goetschalckx (2008), LAP could be seen as part of distribution network design problems. Given the place of a set of customers with different demands, LAP is concerned with the selection of supply centres positions dedicated for serving the customers as well as the decision of the allocation of the customers to supply centres, with both of them are aimed at optimizing a given criterion (Hsieh Tien, 2004: 1017). It is also assumed that there is no interaction among supply centres. The criterion could be single such as transportation costs (see, for example, Goetschalckx, 2008; Zhou Liu, 2003; Manzini Gebennini, 2008) or it may comprises several aspects (see, for example, Mitropoulos et al., 2006). The following paragraphs provide some previous researches on LAP. The un-capacitated-type LAP with rectilinear distances could be found in Hsieh and Tien (2004). In this paper, the authors propose a heuristic method which is based on Kohonen self-organising feature maps (SOFMs). Sometimes distribution networks are built in hierarchies, where high-level distribution channels are constructed in straight lines from which low-level channels stem. Furthermore, destinations are allocated to branching facilities in high-level channels through low-level channels. Due to cost considerations, the number and locations of branching facilities as well as the allocation of the destinations to the aforementioned branching facilities need to be determined correctly. Eben-Chaime et al.s (2002) paper addresses this type of problem by formulating appropriate mathematical optimisation models and subsequently proposing heuristic solution methods. Capacitated LAP with stochastic demands is addressed by Zhou and Liu (2003). More specifically, they propose three types of stochastic programming models: (1) expected value model (EVM), (2) chance-constrained programming (CCP), and (3) dependent-chance programming (DCP). To solve these models efficiently, the authors develop a hybrid intelligent algorithm within which three type stochastic simulations are used. The proposed algorithm integrates the network simplex algorithm, stochastic simulation and genetic algorithm. In more recent paper, Zhou and Liu (2007) address the LAP with fuzzy demands by developing three types of fuzzy programming models fuzzy expected cost minimisation model, fuzzy -cost minimisation model, and credibility maximisation model with respect to different decision criterion. To solve these models, the authors apply a hybrid intelligent algorithm developed previously (see Zhou and Liu, 2003). Nonetheless, instead of using stochastic simulations, they are developing and employing fuzzy simulations. Similar with the abovementioned paper, Wen and Imamura (2008) also address LAP with fuzzy demands. For this type of problem, they build a fuzzy -cost model under the Hurwicz criterion. The problem is subsequently solved using the same algorithm as in Zhou and Liu (2007). The establishment of mixed integer programming optimisation models for multi-period, multi-stage LAPs could be found in Manzini and Gebennini (2008). In their paper, the authors develop optimisation models each for the following classes of multi-period, multi-stage LAPs: (1) single-commodity, multi-period, two-stage LAPs, (2) multi-commodity, multi-period, two-stage LAPs, (3) single-commodity, multi-period, two-stage open/ closed LAPs, and single-commodity, multi-period, three-stage LAPs. The application of various search methods to a generalised class of LAPs known as multi-facility location problem with generalised objects (MFLPO) is presented by Bischoff and Dà ¤chert (2009). The end of the paper gives comparison of the involved search methods for various sizes of test problem. Research on LAP in health service context could be found in Harper et al. (2005) and Mitropoulos et al. (2006). The former addresses the need to plan health services which takes geographical aspects into consideration. The problem is formulated as a stochastic LAP. The latter paper, on the other hand, develops a bi-objective model to solve the LAP arise in determining the location of hospitals and health centres and the allocation of the patients to those facilities. 2.2.3 Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) In its most basic form (e.g. Bulbul et al., 2008; Laporte, 2007), VRP is concerned with the optimal delivery or collection routes for a limited number of identical vehicles with limited capacities from a central depot/ warehouse to a set of geographically scattered customers. It assumes that the vehicles are at the central depot/ warehouse initially. It also requires the existence of the routes that connect the central depot/ warehouse to customers and customers to customers as well. In this type of VRP, a route must start and finish at the depot and a customer is visited by exactly one vehicle. The total demand of customers served by one vehicle could not exceed the vehicles capacity, and the ultimate goal is to minimise the total routing costs. Since its introduction by Dantzig and Ramser in 1959 (Bulbul et al., 2008), it has given rise to a rich body of works (Laporte, 2007). In 2008, searching the words vehicle routing problem by using Google scholar search results more than 21,700 entries (Golden et al. (eds), 2008). Laportes (1992) paper provides various exact methods and heuristics developed to solve the VRP. Several meta-heuristics intended to solve the classical VRP could be traced from his more recent paper (2007), while Toth and Vigos (2002) paper presents various existing exact algorithms for the solution of classical VRP. The comparison of descent heuristics, simulated annealing, and tabu search in solving VRP is addressed by Van Breedam (2001). Jozefowiez et al. (2008), on the other hand, give a survey on works that have been carried out on multi-objective VRP. A range of VRP variants can be seen in Crainic and Laporte (eds., 1998), Bulbul et al. (2008), and Golden et al. (eds., 2008). Other variants also exist: VRP with stochastic demands and VRP with backhaul. Different classification of VRP could be found in Pisinger and Ropkes (2007) paper. The following sub-sections mention examples of works on some of them, while new directions in modelling and algorithms for various types of LRP could be found in Part II of Golden et al.s (eds., 2008) edited book. 2.2.3.1 VRP with Time Windows In this type of VRP, customer i may only be visited within a time window [ai, bi] (see, e.g., Kontoravdis Bard, 1995; Badeau et al., 1997; Bouthillier Crainic, 2005; Fà ¼genschuh, 2006; Hsu et al., 2007; Kim, et al., 2006; Dondo Cerdà ¡, 2007; Kallehauge et al., 2007). 2.2.3.2 VRP with Pickup and Delivery When the vehicles need to deliver commodities to customers and collect items for example, defective products from them as well, then this is called a VRP with pickup and deliveries. Research papers by Nagy Salhi (2005), Wassan et al. (2008), Wassan et al. (2008), Gribkovskaia et al. (2008), Hoff et al. (2009), and Ai Kachitvichyanukul (2009) are several examples on it. 2.2.3.3 VRP with Backhaul In this type of VRP, the customers are separated into two mutually exclusive subsets so that the first subset of customers receives commodities whereas the second one sends back the products. Additionally, the second subset of customers are only served after the first one. The first subset is called line-haul customers and the second one is named backhaul customers. The f