Theme Analysis of The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien essays

Theme Analysis of The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien essays The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien, is the first book in the fantasy-based trilogy of the Lord of the Rings. The book begins with Bilbo Baggins celebrating his one hundred and eleventh birthday. After his party, he then decides to leave everything behind and join a Fellowship, which has a task of destroying the Ruling Ring, which will give Supreme Power to whoever has possession of it. Just before he leaves, Gandalf asks Bilbo for this ring. Due to the power in which the ring possesses while the ring is in his possession, he does not want to give it up. The novel ends with the destruction of the Fellowship due to the power in which the ring contains. One of the prime facts of the Middle Earth is power. Power is not neutral, but is always evil. It gives wicked the chance to dominate. The good is corrupting and inescapable (Levitin 575). This is shown repeatedly throughout the novel, from when Bilbo gives up the ring, to when Boromir tries to take the ring, and finally, to seeing the control that the ring has over Frodo. One incident in the book, which corresponds with how power is evil, would be when Bilbo had to give up the Ring. The ring is very powerful. The power is so enticing that Bilbo is very weary to give up that ring. When Gandalf asks Bilbo if he wishes to give up the ring, Bilbo seems unsure saying yes and no. When it came to having to give it up he didn't like parting with it at all and didn't see why he should have to (Tolkien 55). Due to the power in which Bilbo feels that the ring had given him, he doesn't want to part with it. By no means does Bilbo want to use the power in an evil manner to dominate all. It is just the thought of power itself that causes this greed to come over him. Although Bilbo in general is a good character, the power of ring corrupts his ways, showing his thirst for power, which he deserves. Another incident, which portrays this corruption of goodn ...

What Everyone Should Know About World War I

What Everyone Should Know About World War I World War I was an extremely bloody war that engulfed Europe from 1914 to 1919, with huge losses of life and little ground lost or won. Fought mostly by soldiers in trenches, World War I saw an estimated 10 million military deaths and another 20 million wounded. While many hoped that World War I would be the war to end all wars, in actuality, the concluding peace treaty set the stage for World War II. Dates: 1914-1919 Also Known As: The Great War, WWI, the First World War The Start of World War I The spark that started World War I was the assassination of Austrias Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. The assassination occurred on June 28, 1914, while Ferdinand was visiting the city of Sarajevo in the Austro-Hungarian province of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Although Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the nephew of Austrias emperor and heir-apparent to the throne, was not very well liked by most, his assassination by a Serb nationalist was viewed as a great excuse to attack Austria-Hungarys troublesome neighbor, Serbia. However, instead of reacting quickly to the incident, Austria-Hungary made sure they had the backing of Germany, with whom they had a treaty before they proceeded. This gave Serbia time to get the backing of Russia, with whom they had a treaty. The calls for back-up didnt end there. Russia also had a treaty with France and Britain. This meant that by the time Austria-Hungary officially declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, an entire month after the assassination, much of Europe had already become entangled in the dispute. At the start of the war, these were the major players (more countries joined the war later): Allied Forces (a.k.a. the Allies): France, the United Kingdom, RussiaCentral Powers: Germany and Austria-Hungary Schlieffen Plan vs. Plan XVII Germany didnt want to fight both Russia in the east and France to the west, so they enacted their long-standing Schlieffen Plan. The Schlieffen Plan was created by Alfred Graf von Schlieffen, who was the chief of the German general staff from 1891 to 1905. Schlieffen believed that it would take about six weeks for Russia to mobilize their troops and supplies. So, if Germany placed a nominal number of soldiers in the east, the majority of Germanys soldiers and supplies could be used for a quick attack in the west. Since Germany was facing this exact scenario of a two-front war at the beginning of World War I, Germany decided to enact the Schlieffen Plan. While Russia continued to mobilize, Germany decided to attack France by going through neutral Belgium. Since Britain had a treaty with Belgium, the attack on Belgium officially brought Britain into the war. While Germany was enacting its Schlieffen Plan, the French enacted their own prepared plan, called Plan XVII. This plan was created in 1913 and called for quick mobilization in response to a German attack through Belgium. As German troops moved south into France, French and British troops tried to stop them. At the end of the First Battle of the Marne, fought just north of Paris in September 1914, a stalemate was reached. The Germans, who had lost the battle, had made a hasty retreat and then dug in. The French, who couldnt dislodge the Germans, also dug in. Since neither side could force the other to move, each sides trenches became increasingly elaborate. For the next four years, the troops would fight from these trenches. A War of Attrition From 1914 to 1917, soldiers on each side of the line fought from their trenches. They fired artillery onto the enemys position and lobbed grenades. However, each time military leaders ordered a full-fledged attack, the soldiers were forced to leave the safety of their trenches. The only way to overtake the other sides trench was for the soldiers to cross No Mans Land, the area between the trenches, on foot. Out in the open, thousands of soldiers raced across this barren land in the hopes of reaching the other side. Often, most were hewn down by machine-gun fire and artillery before they even got close. Because of the nature of trench warfare, millions of young men were slaughtered in the battles of World War I. The war quickly became one of attrition, which meant that with so many soldiers being killed daily, eventually, the side with the most men would win the war. By 1917, the Allies were starting to run low on young men. The U.S. Enters the War and Russia Gets Out The Allies needed help and they were hoping that the United States, with its vast resources of men and materials, would join on their side. However, for years, the U.S. had clung to their idea of isolationism (staying out of other countries problems). Plus, the U.S. just didnt want to be involved in a war that seemed so far away and that didnt seem to affect them in any great way. However, there were two major events that changed American public opinion about the war. The first occurred in 1915 when a German U-boat (submarine) sunk the British ocean liner RMS Lusitania. Considered by Americans to be a neutral ship that carried mostly passengers, Americans were furious when the Germans sank it, especially since 159 of the passengers were Americans. The second was the Zimmermann Telegram. In early 1917, Germany sent Mexico a coded message promising portions of U.S. land in return for Mexico joining World War I against the United States. The message was intercepted by Britain, translated, and shown to the United States. This brought the war to U.S. soil, giving the U.S. a real reason to enter the war on the side of the Allies. On April 6, 1917, the United States officially declared war on Germany. The Russians Opt Out As the United States was entering World War I, Russia was getting ready to get out. In 1917, Russia became swept up in an internal revolution that removed the czar from power. The new communist government, wanting to focus on internal troubles, sought a way to remove Russia from World War I. Negotiating separately from the rest of the Allies, Russia signed the Brest-Litovsk peace treaty with Germany on March 3, 1918. With the war in the east ended, Germany was able to divert those troops to the west in order to face the new American soldiers. Armistice and the Versailles Treaty The fighting in the west continued for another year. Millions more soldiers died, while little land was gained. However, the freshness of the American troops made a huge difference. While the European troops were tired from years of war, the Americans remained enthusiastic. Soon the Germans were retreating and the Allies were advancing. The end of the war was near. At the end of 1918, an armistice was finally agreed upon. The fighting was to end on the 11th hour of 11th day of the 11th month (i.e. 11 am on Nov. 11, 1918). For the next several months, diplomats argued and compromised together in order to come up with the Versailles Treaty. The Versailles Treaty was the peace treaty that ended World War I; however, a number of its terms were so controversial that it also set the stage for World War II. The carnage left behind by the end of World War I was staggering. By the end of the war, an estimated 10 million soldiers were killed. That averages to about 6,500 deaths a day, every day. Plus, millions of civilians were also killed. World War I is especially remembered for its slaughter for it was one of the bloodiest wars in history.

How to Improve Systems Development through Optimization Essay

How to Improve Systems Development through Optimization - Essay Example In addition, the research shows that the information systems development is an extremely knowledge-intensive process that necessitates the integration of particular stakeholder expertise and knowledge (Tiwana, 2006; McSweeney, 2010; Hagerup, 2010). This paper attempts to answer the question: what do information technology managers need to know about how to improve the systems development process through joint optimization? In this scenario, this a detailed research will be conducted to investigate a wide variety of aspects such as IT manager’s skills and expertise that need to improved for managing the IT projects development. This paper also shows how IT managers can improve the systems development process through joint optimization? A persistent statement about information technology (IT) is that â€Å"IT has no innate value†. In other words, possessing IT assets does not allow an organization to attain a competitive edge over other organizations, or to improve busine ss processes or to reduce expenditures. On the other hand, IT plays a positive role only when corporate stakeholders direct information technology in the right direction to offer business value. ... In this scenario, general managers require to be concerned with information technology (IT); the merger of software, hardware, people, data and processes, for the reason that: The absolute degree of the budget spent on information technology has to be handled carefully in order to ensure business value (Lacity, 2012; Grudin, 1991). In addition, a lot of studies revealed that when business managers are involved in IT, it helps them build numerous business plans, like that attaining a competitive benefit, improving and modernizing business processes, expanding their business to international markets and even initiating new businesses. However, it is also the responsibility of senior managers to be familiar with how IT improvements can change industry arrangements, like that influence of information technology on the specific industry. In this scenario, many researchers have argued that when business managers are not concerned in IT development projects and design, such projects and sys tems developments fail, as a result a lot of investment is wasted, or even, businesses completely fail because of badly managed IT projects (Lacity, 2012; Grudin, 1991). Moreover, the information technology and IT projects management knowledge and skills are able to offer a capability to utilize IT resources (like that efficiency of applications similar to on-line resources, word processors or computer presentation systems) successfully and competently. However, IT projects managers should be able to build up their knowledge, capabilities, and responsibilities in using information technology, recognizing the function and influence of information technology as well as implementing

Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Infection Essay

Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Infection - Essay Example This method of prevention involves education about HIV in the society, safe-sex practices, avoiding sharing of contaminated needles for intravenous drugs. Proper moral behavior is necessary to follow these norms (Kapoor, p.248). 3. Prevention of transmission of HIV infection from infected mothers to their babies by anti-retroviral therapy. This therapy is instituted both to the pregnant mother and also to the baby after delivery. Transmission of infection is also prevented by avoiding breast feeding (Kapoor, p.248). All pregnant women attending antenatal clinics during pregnancy should be counseled about HIV infection. They should be educated about the disease and the modes of transmission. The women should be encouraged to take up HIV test voluntarily. They should be informed about the importance and implications of the test and also the course of management if found positive. Women with high-risk behavior should be advised about window period and repetition of the test after 3-6 months if the HIV test is negative (Kapoor, p.248). Any woman who is found to be HIV positive should be taken into confidentiality and counseled appropriately. She should be motivated, be taught 'positive thinking' and informed that 'HIV is not AIDS'. She should also be warned against transmission of the disease to others and how to prevent it by following simple steps like using condoms. The option of termination or continuation of pregnancy should be left to her, but she must be advised about antiretroviral therapy for the baby if she decides to continue the pregnancy (Kapoor, p.248). Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ARV) Administration of ARV to the HIV positive pregnant mother decreases the risk of MTCT by reducing the viral load in the mother and also by preventing fixing of the virus in the baby (Kapoor, p.248). Monotherapy with zidovudine causes only suboptimal suppression. Hence it is recommended to use optimal combination of anti-retroviral drugs as is used in non-pregnant women (Chen, p.1616). The treatment currently used in the treatment of adults with HIV infection is 'highly active antiretroviral therapy' (HAART) (Chen, p.1616). It consists of a protease inhibitor or a nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) such as efavirenz and two nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). However, this treatment should be instituted only after 10-12 weeks of gestation to prevent teratogenic effects. All infants born to HIV positive mothers and having received ARV should be followed up long-term irrespective of their HIV status (Chen, p.1616). Nevirapine (NVP) for Prevention of MTCT NVP is a NNRTI. It directly binds to the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, inhibits the synthesis of viral DNA and thus inhibits the viral replication. After a single dose of 200 mg to the mother, it crosses the placenta efficiently. Added to this advantage, it has a long half-life of 40 hours (Kapoor, p.249). In neonates and infants, the dose is 2mg/kg (Kapoor, p.249). The advantage of NVP therapy is that the administration is a simple two-dose regimen to be taken by mouth. Also, it is inexpensive, easier to maintain confidentiality, does not

Forecasting the Adoption of E-Books Essay Example for Free

Forecasting the Adoption of E-Books Essay Question 1 The size of the market for e-books in the long-run: 293. 7 million x 46. 7% x 8% = 10. 973 million (Total US population x percentage of US population reading literature x Percentage of traditional paper books purchased online in 2003) It will take 10 years to reach 95% penetration of the potential market. Question 2 I predict that the sale of the e-book when it first became available is 0. 751milion (pm) (Assumption: each innovator buy one book. ) Question 3 The long-run total adoption of e-books would be 10. 973 million. (Total US population x percentage of US population reading literature x Percentage of traditional paper books purchased online in 2003) Question 4 I do expect the market for e-books tend to be guided by imitators rather than innovators. According to the table above, I found that the weighted average for e-book of q (0. 0684) is larger than p (0. 2990). In addition, the word of mouth takes an important role in the adoption of e-books. The information about the e-book from the innovators contribute much to the adoption of e-books since people tend to hesitate to change their old reading habit. Question 5 S(t)=[p+(q/m)N(t-1)][m-N(t-1)] Year 1: [0. 0684+(0. 2990/10. 973) X (0)][10. 973-0] = 0. 751 million Year 2: [0. 0684+(0. 2990/10. 973) X (0. 751)][10. 973-0. 751] = 0. 908 million Year 3: [0. 0684+(0. 2990/10. 973) X (1. 659)][10. 973-1. 659] = 1. 059 million Year 4: [0. 0684+(0. 2990/10. 973) X (2. 717)][10. 973-2. 717] = 1. 176 million Year 5: [0. 0684+(0. 2990/10. 973) X (3. 893)][10. 973-3. 893] = 1. 235 million Question 6 The adoption of e-book will be very different from digital music obtained online. The adoption of e-books face more challenges when comparing to the adoption of digital music. To most of the listeners, there is not much difference in experience between listening to a song from an iPod and a CD player. Therefore, they have a relatively low switching cost and more willing to change their habits. On the contrary, to most of the readers, it is definitely very different from reading an e-book to reading a printed book. The feelings of holding a printed book and flipping over a physical book are irreplaceable. So readers are loyal to printed book and hesitate to switch from traditional books to e-books. Hence, it is reasonable to predict that the pace of adopting digital music is faster than the pace of adopting e-books. Question 7 I think both of the attitudes about reading and purchasing e-content have changed a lot in recent years. In the old time, people could read e-content via PC only. Nowadays, people are able to read e-content through various mobile devices. Therefore, they spend more time on reading e-content especially during leisure time and even commuting time. However, the quality of the reading effort is diminishing as the overload of e-content available on Internet. In addition, people tend to rely more on the e-content since it is very convenient, environmentally friendly, high mobility and high accessibility. For the attitude about purchasing e-content, more people are willing to pay for the e-content in recent years. The advanced online payment system plays an important role. People feel more secure and also convenient when dealing online ever than before. Moreover, more well-known and large-scale publishers offer more choices of e-content for readers. Besides, in the light of the prevalent of mobile device, people have more time and chances to read the e-content regardless of the time and places. Thus, people are more willing to spend on e-content than before. Question 8 The hardware plays a paramount important role in the adoption of e-books. No matter how amazing the e-content is, the e-books would not be popularized if the hardware were not user-friendly. However, a good hardware is very likely to boost sales of the e-books. It is because the hardware is a fixed cost while the e-books are the variable cost to the readers. A portable hardware with proper size of monitor and high capacity is very attractive to the readers. They no longer need to neither carry the bulky printed books nor spare some places for storage. Moreover, the hardware enables readers to read comfortably when comparing to read via PC or smart phone. It is good for the readers’ eyes. Last but not least, the hardware contributed to protecting the environment as it saves much paper. Only when the hardware preforms better than the tradition printed books, the adoption of e-books will be success. Question 9 I do expect the size and also the pattern of diffusion are quite different globally as compared to the United States. The size and the pattern of diffusion depend on many factors. Population, culture, attitude to new products, technology and even literacy could be one of the variables of the size and pattern of diffusion. Take Africa as an example; though the population size of Africa is much larger than The United States, the potential size of the market for e-books must be obviously different from the United States. So it is not difficult to understand that the size and pattern of diffusion of various places will not be similar to the United States.

segmental reporting :: essays research papers

1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Review and approval of the previous meeting’s minutes. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Financial overview from Rosaline, on Jim’s behalf. She shared the annual budget of Hope House (see page 7 of Hope House project proposal, Appendix A, attached). Rosaline then explained how money is obtained to meet expenses. There was a long list of either annual, monthly, or semi-regular donors. From month to month, however, there is no guarantee that money sufficient to cover expenses will come in. Rent is paid regularly, but other expenses are not. The people who usually suffer end up being the support staff, and the home is currently behind on their salaries. The home also has a large outstanding debt with Gertrude’s Garden Hospital. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rosaline then provided an overview of some of the Home’s key needs. These included: -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  staff salaries -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a vehicle -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a generator -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  heaters -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  baby care items food and nutritional formula -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  medical care -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  pharmaceuticals   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  among others. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Katherine then provided her overview of the research she carried out on fundraising (see Appendix B, attached). Basically there are 3 ways to make money: a solicitation campaign, selling a product, or hosting an event. There is no one-size-fits all perfect fundraising solution. Katherine emphasized the importance of having quality campaign materials (perhaps we could find a business willing to print these for us free of charge) and good publicity. The general wisdom is that no more than 2-3 initiatives should be undertaken each year so as not to exhaust either volunteers or donors. We also need to determine who our audience is: who would want to give to babies? Roz mentioned that here in Kenya it is generally best not to focus on using the money raised for wages, though Katherine K. said that this would not be a problem abroad. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This led quite naturally to a productive brainstorming session on ways to fundraise. The ideas generated are listed below: -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Java House pancake breakfasts -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leo Club at ISK -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Concert at ISK of local musicians, e.g. Eric Wainaina -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Model United Nations dance -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Golf tournament -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Art exhibition -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Auction -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Develop list of prospective donors and send out solicitation letters (e.g. General Motors, Toyota, Brookside, baby food companies, baby care items companies, etc.) -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Newsletter for donors -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"shopping list†? -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  food drives (already being done occasionally) -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  cans for collecting coins in businesses (already being done to some extent) -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Friends of Hope House† program -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Adopt a Cot program (already being done to some extent) -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  British Army – shipment -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ten pin bowling/mini golf -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Working with one of the theatres for an opening night event on a new film -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dinner/dance at a major hotel or a BBQ around the pool with some entertainment

Company Original Travel Essay

When identifying the different stakeholders based around Nick Newbury’s company, Original Travel, we can pick out those who have the highest power and interest. Nick Newbury and his co-founders, Alasdair and Tom, whose main role is to provide tailor-made short breaks, possess these two factors. Their primary expectations are too make a profit from the sales of their quirky holidays, but also see a growth on the company. By merging Original Travel with Tim Best Travel highlights this growth with a new need to offer the longer, 7 – 14 day holidays, which will â€Å"complement Original Travel’s long weekend breaks† and break it out of its niche. Another category we can identify from the article is Category B, those with low power and high interest; staff of Original Travel. The concerns of staff will also grow when the company merges with Tim Best Travel as this could result in job losses or pay cuts for the employees. These two losses are the primary expectations of these stakeholders which could further result in loss of job satisfaction or failure in social integration when the two companies merge and personalities / working ethics could clash. The unique hand-crafted holidays of Original Travel mean that the customers that use these facilities stay loyal and continue to use Original Travel as their go-to travel agency. Nick Newbury’s secondary role should be too keep these returning customer’s happy by giving them exactly what they want and making each holiday unique to each client. The article explains to us that more than half of Original Travels multimillion pound income is brought in from returning clientele, whilst 40% of the profits are brought in from the longer holidays that Tim Best Travel offers. Sociological factors: Having the knowledge to be able to create hand-crafted breaks. Being able to tailor to all types of customers. Keeping up with their wants and needs as they evolve. One example will be that the older generation are now working for longer and have access to more health benefits, allowing them to go on longer or more adventurous holidays. Technological Factors: Taking into account that holidays can now be booked online from at home. Popular use of comparison websites. Nick may consider advertisement within local newspapers/newsletters to expand his customer base, or setting up his own website which could be accessed through search engines and in advertisement links on relatable WebPages. Economic Factors: The recession taking a hit on England meaning people are having to priorities their spending. â€Å"Top spot in these testing times goes to paying off credit card bills and bank overdrafts† The Daily Telegraph, March 31, 2009. Rise in the unemployment rate which may result in loss of sales from the local/surrounding areas. Environmental Factors: Linking with economic factors – rise in fuel prices which will fluctuate the cost of overseas holidays. Nick can maintain the loyalty of his customers by making the efforts to make his company â€Å"green† by offering more environmentally friendly holidays that don’t involve going overseas. Political Factors: Rising threats in terror across the world that were once holiday â€Å"hotspots† which has also now spread across London where Original Travel is based. Rise in tax on the goods and services which may be used by Original Travel.