Comparision Of Jack London Essay Research Paper free essay sample

Comparision Of Jack London Essay, Research Paper In Arthur Gordon # 8217 ; s short story # 8220 ; The Sea Devil # 8221 ; and in Jack London # 8217 ; s short account # 8220 ; To Construct a Fire, # 8221 ; unmistakably in malevolence of the numerous distinctions the two stories have a lot more similitudes. To begin with, despite the fact that there are more likenesses between the two accounts, there are as yet numerous characteristics that depict the antithetic nature between the two short stories. For delineation, when the angler ( in Jack London # 8217 ; s story ) utilized his knowledge to show signs of improvement of his adversary ; # 8220 ; Merely by using his encephalon would he be able to conceivable endure, and he approached his encephalon for an answer. # 8221 ; ( 12 ) On the different manus, when the juvenile grown-up male ( in # 8220 ; To Construct a Fire # 8221 ; ) froze when struck by perishing, # 8220 ; he was aware of the terrified inclination that it caused # 8221 ; ( 364 ) Besides, In # 8220 ; To Construct a fire # 8221 ; the youthful grown-up male received counsel ; # 8220 ; he realized that he should hold tuned in to the man. # 8221 ; ( 357 ) Conversely, In # 8220 ; The Sea Devil # 8221 ; the old grown-up male did non have any guidance. Moreover, In Jack London # 8217 ; s account the youthful grown-up male larned an exercise, yet he kicked the bucket ; # 8220 ; Then the grown-up male drowsed off into what appeared to him the most comfortable sleep ever. # 8221 ; ( 365 ) Perversely, the grown-up male in Arthur Gordon # 8217 ; s account took in an exercise ; # 8220 ; He knew a certain something. He realized he would make no all the more throwing completely at dim # 8221 ; # 8230 ; # 8220 ; No, non he. # 8221 ; ( 13 ) Furthermore, In Jack London # 8217 ; s story, the mystery plan to a great extent took topographic point ashore and in the twenty-four hours cut. Despite what might be expected, in Arthur Gordon # 8217 ; s account, the mystery plan to a great extent took topographic point in H2O and at dull. Moreover, in # 8220 ; To Construct a Fire, # 8221 ; the main character had a blade for an arm ; # 8220 ; With his powerless authorities he could neither draw nor keep his sheath blade. # 8221 ; ( 363 ) as opposed to this, in # 8220 ; The Sea Devil, # 8221 ; the central character did non hold an arm of any sort. Every one of these distinctions show that despite the fact that there might be more likenesses, there are as yet numerous distinctions. Second, there are numerous similitudes between the two short accounts. For representation, in both of the accounts, the old grown-up male and the juvenile grown-up male were solitary. This is appeared by a team of quotes: # 8220 ; He realized he would make no all the more throwing totally around evening time. # 8221 ; ( 13 ) And in London # 8217 ; s story, # 8220 ; he was # 8221 ; ( 357 ) . . . # 8220 ; As he turned # 8221 ; ( 358 ) . . . # 8220 ; He was bound. # 8221 ; ( 359 ) These three quotes show that the author did non m ention another individual, along these lines the grown-up male was solitary. In addition, In â€Å"The Sea Devil† and in â€Å"To Build a Fire, † both of the main characters harmed their authorities. To epitomize this, the quote in â€Å"The Sea Devil, † â€Å"He lifted his different manus and felt the hot blood start instantly.† ( 13 ) And in Gordon’s story, † . . . he got aware of esthesis in his had. His substance was burning.† ( 362 ) Furthermore, in London’s account, the subject was grown-up male versus nature. This is outlined by the quote, † . . . he came around a curve in the path and ended up lying in the snow.† ( 364 ) Likewise, in Gordon’s story, it is appeared by the quote, â€Å" . . . what's more, the H2O would immerse his lungs in a single fresh agonizing surprise, and he would be finished.† Furthermore, in â€Å"The Sea Devil, † the main character was unidentified. His name was non referenced one time in the full account. Correspondingly, in â€Å"To Build a Fire, † nor was the juvenile man’s name. In addition, in Gordon’s story the old grown-up male had terrible luck. This is outlined by the quote, â€Å"He shooting over the side of the boat as though he had roped a runaway locomotive.† Comparatively, In London’s story, this is appeared by the quote, â€Å"He was irate, and reviled his fortune aloud.† Furthermore, the two accounts had a remarkable lewd figure. In â€Å"The Sea Devil, † it was the Devil Ray and in â€Å"To Build a Fire, † it was the Canis familiaris. Besides, in â€Å"To Build a Fire, † the juvenile grown-up male made numerous absurd mistakes. One of which is delineated by this quote, â€Å"It was his ain mix-up or, rather, his blunder. He ought to non hold manufactured the fire under the tidy tree.† Likewise, in â€Å"The Sea Devil, † it is delineated by the quote, à ¢â‚¬Å" . . . he knew, in the brief moment wherein thought was as yet conceivable, that those copy spins had been made non by two mullets, however by the flying tips of the colossal light emission Gulf Coast.† All these similitudes show that the accounts are extremely comparative from numerous points of view. In choice, in # 8220 ; The Sea Devil, # 8221 ; and in # 8220 ; To Construct a Fire, # 8221 ; the accounts had numerous distinctions, however a lot increasingly run of the mill similitudes. The two stories were grown-up male versus nature, the character was anonymous, the central character was solitary, and a lot more backings. These all advancement my theory thus, plainly in malignance of the numerous distinctions the two stories have a lot more likenesses.

Briefing on impact of current trends or future of PR for CEO's 'TED' Essay

Preparation on effect of current patterns or eventual fate of PR for CEO's 'TED' discourse - Essay Example Prior, during the underlying time of human progress, correspondence acquired transformation human life, and their ways of life were improved altogether. Be that as it may, with expanding complexities in human life, the procedure of correspondence has become for intricate and progressed. By and by, legitimate and fundamental correspondence is considered as one of the significant need for social enhancements. In the post-present day age, communicational procedure has procured extensive significance. With the slow globalization and modernisation, different parts of correspondence have been arranged and their significance has been recognized for bring steady upgrades. Open connection is one of the significant ideas that have been inferred during the most recent three decades. Besides, open connection is additionally a vital piece of an economy and its general public. The overseeing specialists and political forces utilize open connection for imparting their message to the mass populace i n a majority rule society. David W. Guth has recognizes that open connection has a significant commitment in rising a law based society as it â€Å"plays a basic job in the free progression of data in majority rule societies† (Guth, 2000). During the social emergency, legitimate correspondence through open connection is authentic solution for settle down the overall issues. This paper will endeavor to introduce the on effect of current patterns or eventual fate of open connection. The instructions on the expressed theme will center to contribute for the arrangements of a TED discourse conveyed by CEO. In this way, it is important to clarify and cover the significant parts of open connection that impactsly affect open connection related way of thinking, issues and various techniques for future achievement. In this procedure, from the start, the significance of open connection in post-current association will be clarified. Next, the effect of ongoing changes in open connection practice will be broke down by concentrating on explicit regions. The examination of fate of shared understandings and two way interchanges are fundamental for understanding the future pattern of open connection. Next two areas will make sense of significant issues in open connection followed by a conversation on open connection techniques for notoriety the board. At last, the general conversations, investigation and discoveries will be finished up. Significance of Public Relation in Post Modern Organization The development of current exchange and business is significant territory where open connection assumes very curial job. Because of globalization and mechanical headways business exercises has experienced through numerous upgrades. The procedure of correspondence and open connection has been upgraded with assistance of cutting edge innovation. The post-present day associations including non-benefit and benefit causing associations to have understood the need of legitimate open c onnection for their authoritative notoriety and achievement. It has become fundamental instrument for accomplishing the present moment and long haul authoritative objectives and goals. The open connection rehearses in business association is significant assignments in promoting exercises that causes them in accomplishing upper hand and in creating customer dependability. Hiebing has given a standard meaning of open relatio

Your Quick Guide to Lay vs. Lie

Your Quick Guide to Lay vs. Lie As some of the most commonly confused words in the English language, lay vs. lie (and determining which to use) present problems for English writers and speakersâ€"even native ones. However, knowing whether to use lay or lie in a particular context requires knowing specific rules related to conjugating the verbs in present, past and past participle tenses. Well review these rules here.Lay vs. lie in present tenseThe present tense rule related to lay vs. lie is the easiest to remember. Keep in mind that in this article, we are referring to lie in its meaning to recline rather than untruth.Lay requires an object while lie does not. For example, you can lay a blanket over someone, because the object (blanket) is receiving the action of the verb. However, when you lie down, there is no object, so lie is the correct choice.Remember that Bob Dylan song, Lay Lady Lay? Well, Dylanâ€"although a great songwriterâ€"used the verb incorrectly in his song. And then people wonder why English langua ge rules are so difficult to remember!The correct way, then, to sing that song would be lie Lady lie, lie across my big brass bed. However, well trust that Dylan had his reasons for conjugating the verb incorrectly in his hit track.Lay vs. lie in past tenseHere is where the grammar rules get really tricky with this particular pair of wordsâ€"in the past tense. Why? Because the past tense of lie is lay. What this means is that if you are supposed to use lie in the present tenseâ€"for example, I need to go lie downâ€"youll have to change that to lay if speaking past tense.Consider this example: Yesterday, the cat lay in the window sill all day long.Sounds incorrect, doesnt it?Thats because most people get it wrong. If youre like most, your first inclination would be to use laid as the past tense verb form here, but that would be incorrect. Laid is the past tense of lay, so you would only use that if lay is the correct verb form to use in present tense.Heres an example: I laid the pape r down on the table, but someone lost it.Lay vs. lie in past participle tenseNow, lets look at the past participle of both verb forms, starting with lie. The past participle of lie?is lain.Consider this example: I have lain in bed all day and havent accomplished anything.So, if lay is the correct form of the verb in present tense (meaning there is an object that is placed down), the past participle tense is laid (which is the same as the past tense, so at least something about this is easy!)Heres an example: She has laid her purse somewhere and forgotten where.

John Altoon s Jazz Players From 1950 - 1396 Words

John Altoon’s Jazz Players from 1950 is an oil on Masonite painting located in the Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach, California. Altoon’s piece conveys a sense of art deco style with his use of bold contour line outlining geometric shapes along with his use of strong saturated colors. Altoon’s Jazz Players reflects Modernism by exemplifying cubism as well as Harlem Renaissance art through the use of angular, geometric shapes and the depiction of the â€Å"New Negro.† John Altoon was born in 1925 in Los Angeles and died in 1969 at the of age 43 due to a massive heart attack (Orange County Museum of Art Website). Altoon’s other works were known for being involved in L.A. avant-garde during the 1950’s and 1960’s. After studying at the Chouinard Art Institute and the Otis College of Art and Design he established his own style that somewhat reflected Abstract Expressionism (Orange County Museum of Art Website). Altoon uses geome tric shapes, angles, and lines in Jazz Players, which echoes Picasso’s modern cubist principles. His entire piece is composed of geometric shapes including triangles and rectangles. These principles make the piece more flat and two-dimensional. Altoon’s piece prominently demonstrates shallow space due to the subject matter consuming the entire work. His depiction of space therefore elicits a sense of flatness embodied in his work. The use of shapes throughout the piece abstracts the form and creates a distortion of the jazz player’s bodies and

The Three Branches Of Federal Government - 1290 Words

â€Å"We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.† The Constitution is the framework of our government, containing seven articles. The first three describe the three branches of Federal government which are legislative, judicial, and executive. The second three outline the rights and responsibilities of state governments and in relation to the Federal government. Lastly, the seventh article establishes the procedure used by the thirteen states to ratify it. These powerful words ensure our freedoms and equality are justly maintained. The Founding Fathers established the three branches of Federal government to guarantee that no one person or group of people could amass immense power. Each of the th ree branches, (legislative, executive, and judicial) are balanced by the powers of the other two coequal branches. The main reason for having three different offices is so that they can cooperate and turn in work together in a more organized fashion so that the main focus is always with the people. The legislative branch’s most important role is writing the nation’s law. It has checks over the Executive Branch by having the ability to override presidential vetoes, they may remove theShow MoreRelatedThree Branches of the U.S. Federal Government862 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Barbara Cherry Phase 1 IP CJUS290-1402A-01 Prof. Christine Lee 04/14/2014 Describe the 3 branches of the U.S. federal government.   1. Explain the role of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The role of the Legislative Branch is that they are the only branch that can create new laws. They have an enormous amount of power. 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This helped shape the American government by giving citizens of our country the responsibility to and the right to have a say in the rules that are being created. †¢ Separation of Powers: Separation of Powers is when the government shares power between the three branches which are executive, legislativeRead MoreThe National Government Of The United States1445 Words   |  6 PagesThe National Government of the United States of America consists of three branches. These branches of government, which include the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch, separate the government s power into a form of checks and balances. The system of checks and balances has been set in place to allow the three branches to limit the power of the other branches, this way, no branch is more powerful than the others. Each of these three branches of government will be furtherRead More The 3 Branches of the American Government Essay1532 Words   |  7 PagesThe 3 Branches of the American Government The constitution was established by men who had experienced the dictatorships of Europe and had escaped from its grasp. They sought to establish a form of government that would never allow a dictatorship or tyrant ruler to hold power over the people like in the places they had fled. With their creation of the foundation of what our government is today they created a system where 3 branches were all of equal power and each could be overruled by another

Contemporary issues in Forest Schools Free Essays

string(240) " when the children attended formal schooling, after Forest School, at the age of 7, they arrived with high self-esteem and strong social skills and were confident and competent learners, attributes that would boost their academic learning\." Introduction This report explains the philosophy behind ‘Forest Schools’ and why it has been introduced in England and its relevance to the Early Years National Curriculum.It will outline the History and benefits of ‘Forest Schools’ in the Early Years; how it can address current crises in the U.K. We will write a custom essay sample on Contemporary issues in Forest Schools or any similar topic only for you Order Now ; and explains the problems encountered in delivering the initiative.It looks into the implementation of ‘Forest Schools’ locally, taking into consideration the necessity to change attitudes and the complications with logistics of putting this approach in place. ‘Forest School’ approach has not been a Government led initiative, although they do appreciate its benefits.The Department of Health (DOH) and Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCFS) have realised ‘Forest Schools’ are a positive step towards the health and education of young children (Alexander and Hargreaves, 2007). The UK Parliament House of Commons Select Committee on Education and Skills, agreed with the principle of outside classroom education saying, â€Å"we are convinced that out of classroom education enriches the curriculum and can improve educational attainment† (U.K. Parliament, 2004; part 7, para. 1). The Early Years Curriculum has seen many alterations in the last ten years to accommodate the changing requirements for educational settings.The British educational culture is formal, lessons are planned and children assessed routinely.As the need for children to attend educational settings at an earlier age and pedagogy changes to keep in line with new research, the curriculum changes accordingly. The UK Government believes parents should return to work as soon as possible after Maternity Leave to help to eradicate child poverty and childrens’ learning would benefit from early intervention too. Ball (2010 p, 49) states Surestart emerged as an early intervention to â€Å"†¦give children†¦ a good start†¦. in their learning and development†¦ and combined with Child Tax Credits, is intended to enable more mothers to return to the workforce.† To allow mothers to return to work, Government felt it their responsibility to provide adequate provision for affordable, flexible childcare in Childcare Act 2006 and so the DCSF was set up in June, 2007.Its role was to promote educational excellence, raise standards in education, reduce child poverty, re-engage disaffected children and to ensure integrated services.The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) became statutory in September, 2008, it is central to the development and welfare of children and also acknowledged the importance of outdoor learning (DfES, 2007).This policy combined the ‘Curriculum for Guidance for the Foundation Stage’ (QCA/DfEE, 2000), ‘Birth to Three Matters Framework’ (DfES, 2002) and also ‘National Standards for Under Eight’s Day Care and Childminding’ (Sure Start, 2003). There has been much discussion questioning the approach to educating the under 7’s (Yelland, 2005). The Cambridge Primary Review made 7 5 recommendations. (www.guardian.co.uk/education accessed 21.2.2011)In comparison in other countries children do not start formal education as early as in the U.K.In Primary Review interim report, 2008, it indicates that these countries reap social and emotional benefits, without any delays in education. Over time children have become disconnected from nature according to Richard Louv (2005). He identified this as ‘nature deficit disorder’.An article in the Spring 2011 National Trust magazine states, â€Å"there is growing empirical evidence to show that exposure to nature brings substantial mental health benefits†. Policy makers, education services, health care providers, residential developers and organisations such as Natural England, British Mental Health Charity and the National Trust are beginning to realise there needs to be a deep cultural change to connect children back with nature. In the 19th Century outdoor life was a normal part of a child’s life and this was where they learnt their skills for life and, therefore, they did not need the educational system for guidance.However, industrialisation meant that families moved to urban areas to find work which resulted in children being separated from the countryside and fresh air. (Knight,2009)Thence, mainly the middle and upper classes used the countryside and educationalists and health professionals began to notice the effects caused by the lack of outdoor space. The MacMillan sisters founded outdoor nurseries to counteract this insisting quality time to play and fresh air were needed for healthy bodies and minds (Pugh and Duffey,2010).Susan Isaacs started a nursery for privileged children, based around the outdoor environment.Badon Powell initiated the Scout Movement to improve the welfare of boys in our society and he encouraged them to engage with the environment.The Outward Bound Movement was introduced by Kurt Hahan in response to the moral decline of young people.These educationalists initiatives were in response to crises in society caused by industrialisation. Practitioners are always looking for new ways of helping children learn.Rudolph Steiner schools’ endorse outdoor play for learning (Pound,2009). Froebel realised the importance of play and Stalozzi the importance of physical education (Pound, 2009).Over time society seems to have lost sight of the importance of regular outdoor opportunities, e.g. playing fields have been sold to boost funding.Recently there is talk of the Forestry Commission selling forests to private enterprises and charities – Article in the Daily Mail, 2011, â€Å"Outcry stalls ?100m forest sell off†.The government identified the need to be active outdoors but their actions do not confirm.Increase in reports of crime in society means parents no longer feel it is safe to let children play, outdoors, unsupervised. There are many reasons for the lack of outside play but children need fresh air and exercise for their wellbeing. Research endorses outside play as being essential to children’s learning and well-being. (Bilton, 2008) One response to learning in the outdoors, is ‘Forest School’, an idea derived from a culture of education in an outdoor environment in Scandinavia (Knight, 2009). Williams-Siegfredsen (2005, p.26) acknowledged â€Å"for Foundation Stage children Forest School exactly addresses their developmental needs, fostering skills t hat then help them to succeed in our conventional learning environments†. Practitioners from the Early Years department of Bridgwater College visited a nursery in Denmark in 1990.Children were playing outside in all weathers, being in woodland, close to nature.They learnt about the environment, how to look after it and how to respect each other.Their physical skills were developed as they ran and balanced, they had open fires and whittled with knives.It was noted that when the children attended formal schooling, after Forest School, at the age of 7, they arrived with high self-esteem and strong social skills and were confident and competent learners, attributes that would boost their academic learning. You read "Contemporary issues in Forest Schools" in category "Essay examples" (Knight, 2009)The Bridgwater practitioners brought the idea back to England and developed it in their college nursery. The Forestry Commission paid The New Economics Foundation (NEF) to research the benefits of ‘Forest Schools’ (See Appendix 1)They found children who attended ‘Forest Schools’ took pride in their surroundings, had improved confidence, could work well in a team and had more motivation to learn and so in 2002 The Forestry Commission saw the relevance of ‘Forest Schools’ and supported it by piloting ‘Forest Schools’ in England, replicating the research.In 2003, Green Light Trust (GLT) launched ‘Forest Schools’ across England and ran Open College Network (O.C.N) courses to train practitioners. Knight (2009) recognised that not only could ‘forest school’ approach help with educational attainment but could also help tackle other current social crises in the UK, such as child well-being, obesity, child behavioural problems and poor social skills. Child well-being One in three children are living in poverty in the United Kingdom (UK) this rate is the highest in the industrialised world. Child poverty creates problems in education, employment, mental and physical health and social interaction.Tony Blair set targets to end child poverty, in the UK, by 2020. The Government introduced ‘Every Child Matters (ECM)’ (DfES, 2003) to protect all children and improve their well being it was intended to â€Å"personalise learning to meet the full diversity of learners needs† (Chemisnais, 2008). The child’s wellbeing in ECM (2003) is defined as: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieve, making a positive contribution to society achieving economic wellbeing. Since 2003 ECM has underpinned all government initiatives. ECM (2003) was designed to bring together all relevant agencies and share information to protect the wellbeing of all children by â€Å"encouraging a holistic approach to children and young people, with the possibility of support for parents and carers through universal services such as schools, health and social services and child care† (Ball, 2010, p.190). However in 2007 UNICEF reported that England was 21st out of 21 industrialised countries in a survey on child well being. Child wellbeing cannot eradicate child poverty but motivates children to want to better their life.‘Forest Schools’ has been identified as a philosophy which will â€Å"encourage and inspire individuals of any age through positive experiences and participation in engaging and motivating achievable tasks and activities in a woodland environment, helping to develop personal, social and emotional skills: independence, self discovery, confidence, communication skills, raised self-esteem† (www.foresteducation.org).The government promoted outdoor learning in its ‘Learning outside the classroom’ manifesto (DfES, 2006).It aimed to identify weaknesses and strengths in educational settings so as to share practice and overcome barriers to learning in the outdoors, but it did not prescribe how to go about it. The report did not recognise that not all educational settings have the facilities needed for out door learning, e.g. inner city schools find it harder to access a woodland environment and logistics could prove costly.The Forest school approach was not mentioned in this report and is not known about by many practitioners it seems – â€Å"only a handful of British schools have fully embraced the Danish model† (The Independent www.independent.co.uk. Feb. 2010).It has proved challenging for the researcher to access information as to how many settings practise the Forest School ethos in the U.K. Obesity Obesity in children has been identified as a National priority. The World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts there will be 700 million obese adults in the world by 2015 (www.news.bbc.co.uk.) Childhood obesity is constantly in the news for example an article in www.news.bbc.co.uk/health stated ‘childhood obesity soars in UK† It is a modern problem, data on obesity was not available fifty years ago. (see appendix 1) The DOH quoted â€Å"one in four children is obese† (DOH, 2006). Early interventions are being sought as part of an anti-obesity campaign to counteract this costly problem.The Government recognised the need to reduce obesity in its report â€Å"Healthy weight, healthy lives† in January, 2008.The DOH and the DCSF, have also endorsed the need to increase levels of exercise in children.Many causes of obesity have been recognised.The two obvious causes being eating too much and lack of exercise. Another reason for obesity is â€Å"sedentary behavio ur/low energy activities† suggests Knight (2009, p.32), e.g. using motorised transport, sitting in a classroom, listening to music, using the computer.The issues of TV viewing and use of computers contributing to the lack of exercise is discussed by Sue Palmer in ‘Toxic Childhood’ (2006).Slage says that lack of exercise is more the cause than the food intake, agreeing with BUPA, (2007), who say â€Å"it’s habits in eating and exercise† and these trends need to be reversed.Children are not getting outside playing time so government suggests it is down to schools to give the children time for outside play and the opportunity to make decisions.DCSF increased the amount of Physical Education (P.E.) in schools in 2007.However, P.E. is often sacrificed due to curriculum constraints and lack of time, suggesting exercise has a low priority in society. The BMA report ‘Preventing childhood obesity’ considered competitive sports are not for all children.‘Forest Schools’ offers a good alternative.Children appreciate walking in the countryside and ‘Forest Schools’ encourages children to form good habits they can take into later life.Knight (2009) says, it is easier to change habits whilst they are young.The DOH says that habits and attitudes to exercise are formed whilst they are children and stay with them when they become adults. Not only do the children form good habits, but children take the idea home to their parents, therefore, it could be considered as part of an anti-obesity campaign for the whole population (O’Brien and Murray, 2006, p.44) However Forest School developed from a Scandinavian lifestyle and culture, one which is family orientated, with a love of the outdoors and being active, in a country which has a natural abundance of woodland unlike the UK.Not only does the environment impact on the implementation of ‘Forest Schools’ in the U.K, but the traditional cultures of countries affect it too, e.g. attitudes towards maternal employment, views of the child, source of funding and control over provision (See Appendix 4). Forest School sessions run for short periods of time, (normally 10 sessions, half a day each week) it is unrealistic to think that the Forest school experiences will remain with them into later life.Adults are needed to supervise and take their children out walking in the countryside, on a regular basis, to instil these habits but parents do not always have the time or the inclination, even if the child is keen to continue, therefore, making it an unlikely solution to solving obesity . Behavioural problems and poor social skills ‘Forest Schools’ not only act as an early intervention to obesity but are recognised as a means to tackling behavioural problems.BUPA, 2007, realised obesity not only caused chronic illness but also affects children’s emotional wellbeing, causing depression, low self-esteem dissatisfaction and dislike of their appearance. Consideration to social and emotional issues needs considering.Children used to play on building sites, this was not allowed but in the past adults turned a blind eye to it, whereas this would now be considered, ‘bad behaviour’. Has society changed its perception of ‘bad behaviour’ Children seek adventure and because of all the boundaries and restrictions their behaviour is identified as anti-social. As children have lost their outside play spaces, e.g. closure of school playing fields, they have also begun to lose their independence and freedom, which means children are losing their ability to be decisive and take risks.Outside places where children can play are (parks or forests) are often not open to unaccompanied children and are bound by so many restrictions, e.g. the necessity to lay soft surfacing. As the UK has become a ‘risk averse’, litigious society, playgrounds have been made so safe that the excitement has been taken out of them. The Play Safety Forum (www.hortweek.com Jan. 2009) now encourages parks to be a little more adventurous and slowly loosening their approaches to safety, to encourage risk taking opportunities, e.g. parks now have skate boarding ramps. However outdoors is perceived as more risky than indoors but in taking away the chance for children to learn about danger, we are taking away children’s rights (UNCRC, 1989).Children need to learn how to take safe risks and how to assess dangers and respond accordingly.‘Forest Schools’ offer them the opportunity to take risks in an area that is as safe as possible and in so doing it might change the perception of what ‘anti-social behaviour’ is. The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum (DfES, 2007) describes how government initiatives have impacted on children’s poor social skills.As parents return to work whilst the child is still very young, the child does not get devoted, uninterrupted attention and the relevant positive feedback from one consistent person needed to develop self awareness. Continuity of care isn’t always possible in childcare settings due to changes in staff, making children’s boundaries inconsistent which are needed to learn right from wrong and for developing self confidence and self-esteem.As a child builds in confidence their self-image improves and they respect themselves and then they can respect other people’s diversities and cultures. (Knight,2009) ‘Forest Schools’ as an early intervention helps children prepare for the stress of modern day living.‘Forest Schools’ can help children to boost their confidence, self-esteem, self-control and improve their attitude whilst building relationships to encourage a sense of community.But Forest School mainly happens within the school community. However, Sue Palmer (2006) links the way children are raised by their parents, to their behavioural problems and says that it leads to lack of motivation and social skills.Children spend more time at home with their parents than in school.QCA 2000 identifies the role of a parent partnership and suggests that settings â€Å"extend relevant learning and play activities, so that they continue at home† (Devereux and Miller,2004).It is unrealistic to think that the short time spent in a Forest School experience can replace children’s day to day life experience.Brofenbrenner (1979) suggests that the mesosystem (go vernment initiative), macrosystem (educational setting) and microsystem (family), combined, can impact on a child’s experiences. Forest School in the local area. As previously mentioned, there appears to be little information regarding â€Å"Forest Schools† within the local area.Nursery settings appear to be the main users of this approach.Funding is more available for nurseries or schools where the need is seen as greater.Grants are offered by the Forest Education Initiative, One Planet Living, Green Watch and Big Lottery, in the local area. Individual settings are responsible for incorporating ‘Forest Schools’ approach into their outdoor routines as appropriate.Some use local outdoor centres, others have land-owners permission, some use woodlands on school grounds, whilst others share their grounds.Provision is patchy but is spreading quickly with little written evidence to support it.The responsibility of the NEF is to research social issues and support proposals for change, developing ways of researching to measure outcomes (Murray, 2004).They have gathered short-term evidence but need to further research the long term . Murray and O’Brien (2005, p.79) acknowledge the lack of research on the long-term effects of ‘Forest Schools’ on young children.It is difficult to identify behavioural or educational achievement as being due to outdoor education.(Swarbrick, Eastwood and Tutton, 2004) report that in one of the longest running ‘Forest Schools’ projects, in Somerset, children going into the primary phase of schooling are going in with increased confidence.The NEF have provided a self-appraisal tool kit, consisting of a project story board, reporting templates and the evaluation poster workshop, for local settings to gather evidence on the eight outcomes of ‘Forest Schools’ (See Appendix 3).Effective Early learning programme (EEL, 2003) suggests assessing children’s involvement as an excellent measure of the quality of the experience and their material could be used to evaluate the quality of children’s involvement and adult interaction with children on Forest School visits (Swarbrick, Eastwood and Tutton, 2004). Evidence is needed to persuade head teachers, staff and parents to support the concept and ethos.FEI has set up a group to maintain the ethos of the ‘Forest Schools’ approach in the U.K., as it is likely the original idea will be lost due to the lack of understanding.It has been deemed important to keep checking that settings are adhering to its unique ethos.Knight (2009) developed a description of a true ‘Forest Schools’ ethos and the researcher has compared the local rural co-educational pre-preparatory independent school to her criteria, below: On hearing about ‘Forest Schools’ the setting decided that a member of staff would go on an Open College Network (OCN) level 1 course to access more information about this philosophy and to find out how the school could make the most of its existing facilities.The member of staff has now taken the OCN level 2 course and the information acquired has been circulated throughout the pre-preparatory department and put into practise with every child fortnightly in place of a PE lesson. The setting tries to keep the ethos of ‘Forest Schools’ but does not meet all of Knight’s (2009) criteria. To protect the ethos of ‘Forest Schools’ it is important to discuss the problems in collaboration with practitioners and parents in the local community.Some schools find it difficult to fund the logistics, for example, wheelchair access and transporting the children to the Forest School can be expensive, therefore they bring the idea into the school grounds and try to create a natural area within it.O’Brien (2004) would consider this as unsuitable as it does not provide the greenery to allow opportunities of creating ‘secret places’, which he regards as important for a child’s development.The setting needs to be different to get the atmosphere and encourage creativity.In the report ‘A school becomes a Forest School’ an inner city urban Primary School has converted ‘a nearby patch of abandoned woodland into their very own natural setting’.This was assisted by a Park Ranger who believes that ‘any school is never fa r away from a natural setting, whether it is a local park or an abandoned allotment’ (www.tes.co.uk June, 2010). Head teachers need to know that the investment is worth it (staffing, outlay for clothing, equipment, transport), but it is difficult to prove the success that ‘Forest Schools’ claim.‘Observations’ are time consuming and removes an adult from participating with the children.If sessions are recorded then it is difficult to transcribe due to background noise and tricky to record information about individual children. Head teachers and staff are conscious of the need to achieve targets.Adults generally agree with the concept that ‘Forest Schools’ improve confidence and self-esteem but feel the need for academic justification for taking a day out of the classroom to go into the woodland.The question might be asked, do children learn a lot in ‘Forest Schools’ Hovelynck Peeters, (2003) argue that outdoor education needs to be examined for educational value as well as pleasure. The Curriculum for Excellence advocates that ‘real life’ learning has always proved successful in different ways for different children (DfEE, 1997 cited in Ball, 2008, p.90). During a Forest School session there is no need to have separate PHSE lessons as this is incorporated with academic skills such as numeracy and literacy, which is initiated through the children’s interests. Ofsted report ‘Learning outside the classroom’ (DfES, 2006) found that outside education ‘when planned and implemented well, learning outside the classroom contributed significantly to raising standards and improving pupil’s personal, social and emotional development’. However, according to Knight, a true Forest school should be ‘play-based, and, as far as possible, child-initiated and child-led’ as that is when children learn the skills needed to socially interact (Knight, 2009). The Early Years Foundation stage agrees children need to initiate and lead play (DfES, 2007) and is supported by Bruce, who also adds that the children need a varying degree of intervention and support from adults, as â€Å"sensitive co-ordinators† Bruce (1997, p.48). Practitioners realise children get a deeper understanding of the world when they use all their senses to explore, but it takes courage to let the children lead the learning and to change their perception that children can be outdoors all day and still learn, e.g. mark making equipment is not only for indoor use and outdoor space is not just for letting off steam. ‘Forest School’ approach has been perceived as more beneficial for students who struggle in the classroom but Maslow (1949) would argue that the skills acquired are beneficial for self-actualisation, which benefits all students. Sue Palmer (2008) identifies that all real play involves an element of risk and the more ‘real play’ is allowed the better they become at managing the risks, agreeing with Lindon (1999, p.11).Staff and parents are inevitably concerned about the risk involvement when letting children loose in a woodland environment. Parents are reassured and many settings have twilight meetings for practitioners and parents to meet and access the woods to identify the risks.The teachers explain to the children how to avoid accidents and practise being safe. Lindon (1999, p.10) takes the view that â€Å"a well intentioned focus on keeping children as safe as possible has shifted towards looking for anything and everything that can go wrong†. Practitioners and parents need to be educated about the need for risk taking.New policies are called for to allow for more risk and all practitioners need to be involved.It is challenging for practitioners to learn to trust the children to test their boundaries, rather than to intrude.However, we live in a culture of ‘safety first’, where children aren’t encouraged to play outside due to the fear of abduction, blame or legal action.In other countries such as Scandinavia, Forest School type activities are a normal part of early education and they worry less about litigation.In reality self-preservation is instinctive in children and they tend to stay quite close to an adult in an unknown environment until they have built their confidence.An article â€Å"I climbed right up to here† (www.forestschool.com March 2011) says that the word ‘risk’ would be better named ‘challenge’ and children should be allowed to work through the challeng es.Practitioners can make more informed decisions regarding risk taking as they observe the children they work with.Blair recommends that schools use generic risk assessment forms in â€Å"It’s safe to go outdoors† (TES, 2005).If the children are not allowed to take risks because of Health Safety regulations they may express themselves in challenging behaviour.Mortlock (2000, p.22) believes ideal learning should be adventurous but hazards manageable. True ‘Forest Schools’ have a saying, â€Å"there is no such things as bad weather, only bad clothing† (Knight, 2009). Parents are inevitably concerned about their children’s wellbeing and the risk of becoming ill if allowed to be outside in all weathers.Waterproof clothing is usually provided for only one group of children at a time and one size has to fit all.The clothing is ideal for wet weather but in summer the children often wear short sleeves and short socks, leading to small scratches and grazes.If the clothing is not stored on the site, it is impractical to think young children will carry the clothes to the site, to allow for England’s unpredictable weather.It can also become colder as children walk deeper into the woods, therefore it proves difficult to decide which clothing is suitable for the weather.Adults also need to be suitably attired depending on the weather.Realistically ‘Forest School’ experience does not appeal to all practitioners. Training the staff can also be costly and once the training has been paid for staff may move onto another school, leaving the setting without an O.C.N. Level 3 trained member of staff, required for a Forest School.The model needs to be sustainable once the funding has gone, it must not rely on one enthusiastic, well trained, member of staff. CONCLUSION O’Brien and Murray (2006) called ‘Forest Schools’ a marvellous opportunity for children to learn.This report has looked at the advantages and disadvantages, both nationally and locally and found that the approach works well in Denmark but is difficult to adapt to our National culture and climate.Swarbrick, Eastwood and Tutton (2004) recommend â€Å"a secure justification for Forest School would need to include some measurement of progress and attainment in order to place the project firmly in the arena of measuring quality in ways that would justify investment on a national scale†. Locally an up-to-date data base of schools and settings engaged in Forest Schools would be necessary.Government is promoting outside learning to improve attainment of which ‘Forest School’ approach has been identified as a possible initiativebut it would seem that the main target is in improving childrens’ attainment rather than improving the learning experiences and well-being of each child. How to cite Contemporary issues in Forest Schools, Essay examples

Oliver Twist Essay Summary Example For Students

Oliver Twist Essay Summary We then meet the character Fagin who introduced himself to Oliver. Fagin and his gang are thieves, but Oliver realizes this yet. Fagin and his friends started a game, Fagin hid things in his pocket and Oliver had to try and take them without Fagin noticing. I as the reader realized that Fagin and his friends where trying to teach Oliver how to pickpocket, but in the story Oliver himself believed it was just a game. Oliver only realized when he went off on the streets with Fagin and the dodger, he saw the dodger reach into a mans pocket and run off. Oliver was caught and accused of stealing. Young Oliver was being taken to court, I imagine he would have been afraid and worried of ending up in prison, he would have felt helpless. But thinking back at his terrible childhood, he may have thought that prison would have been better the going back to the workhouse. Either way, a child in that position would more then likely be afraid, I know I would be. I think Oliver is a very strong character because he has lived through a terrible childhood but still keeps fighting. After everything hes been through he still refuses to go back to the workhouse or the undertakers. I personally felt sympathy towards Oliver because I believe that no child should have gone through the kinds of things he did. I think that in the end Oliver got what he disserved, a nice family and home with parents who take good care of him. In conclusion, Olivers life had been completely turned around by the time we reached the end of the novel, he started off in a terrible home and even worse guardians. And in the end he found himself good parents and a nice home. I believe dickens wanted his readers to react with joy after reading the end, I as a reader felt happiness and relief for young Oliver. I think that reading Oliver Twist can be enjoyed as much if not more nowadays then many years ago. I also think that the novel influenced the readers and made them think about how the lifestyle was like many years ago compared to today, it certainly made me appreciate the fact that things arent the way they used to be. Nitesh Khetani 10T English Coursework Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Oliver Twist section.

Barriers in Business Communication

Barriers in Business Communication Communication is essentially the process by which information is transferred from the source to the desired actual recipient(s) through a medium. The medium is the route by which the message is transmitted. Once the receiver of the information gets the message they are bound to give a feedback or act to the message given.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Barriers in Business Communication specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are various forms of communication within a work place and each organization will use the form of communication that suits them best. Whichever form of communication used is not an issue so long as the information gets to the right recipient and at the correct time. Business communication is therefore an important tool in the workplace. This is because of the fact that organizations are essentially made up of people who have to communicate to each other so as to ensure smooth running of the operations and fulfillment of organizational goals and objectives. Due to this, communication is among the top management principles of any organization (Kondrat, 2009, p.1). Through communication all the other systems of the organization can be well monitored and run. It is true to say that communication is the backbone of any organization since without communication the top management will not be able to delegate duties, the workers will not be in a position to know what they are obliged to do in time, changes in the organization will not be known and also the organization will not be able to know what their competitors are doing. Communication Barriers The workplace environment is made up of a range of factors some of which affect the communication systems in an organization. These factors include personal factors of an individual, those that bring visual problems by hindering the message and last but not least the auditory factors. Visual factors will comprise of distance, lightening, weather conditions, the visibility and the angle of viewing. A clear example is when there is not enough lighting in a room, the people inside will not be able to communicate effectively. Auditory factors will involve factors such as noise, echoing or the distance between the sender and receiver. A good example is people working in factories that produce a lot of noise during their operations. Other barriers of communication in the work place include; Conflict In cases where the superiors are not in good terms with the subordinates then communication becomes a problem. The workers will not be ready to listen to whatever is being said since they have conflicted in other grounds. When this happens it is always advisable that peace is made as early as possible so as not to affect the operations of the organization.Advertising Looking for research paper on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Poor Timing Good timing of the message to be communicated is always very important. In cases where the message reaches the recipients earlier or later than desired it may not be well perceived. For example if the top management issues a notice whose deadline is very near, the workers may not welcome it as they may not have adequate time to achieve it because of their duties. Attitude The attitude or behavior of either the giver or receiver of the information may affect communication (Kondrat, 2009, p.1). If the receiver of the massage is not willing to receive the message then communication will not take place. In the same way the sender of the message may not be willing to send the message, for example if the workers are not ready to voice out their side of the story then the management may not be able to know their problems hence ineffective communication. Conclusion From the above discussion, communication is thus very essential in the organization and should be properly manag ed if at all the organization is to be successful. The main objective of communication is to make sure that the information is correctly delivered and feedback given. By understanding the possible factors that may affect communication in an organization, it is possible to take measures to counteract them hence making communication effective. Since in most cases in an organization the senders of the messages are the top management they should therefore make sure that the information they send will be well received by the employees. They should get appropriate channels of communication and also good timing of the message. For example calling a parade just before the employees have had their lunch will be a waste of time as no one will be ready to listen to you. In such a case the management ought to be clever enough such that the give incentives just before communicating to their subordinates as way of encouraging them to listen. It is for the same reason that the sitting allowance is given for meetings. Reference List Kondrat, A. (2009). Effective Communication in the Workplace. Web.

Biography of Norman Rockwell, American Painter

Biography of Norman Rockwell, American Painter Norman Rockwell was an American painter and illustrator best-known for his  Saturday Evening Post  covers. His paintings depict real American life, filled with humor, emotion, and memorable faces. Rockwell shaped the face of illustration in the mid-20th century and with his prolific body of work, its no wonder hes called Americas Artist. Dates:  February 3, 1894–November 8, 1978 Rockwells Family Life Norman Perceval Rockwell was born in New York City in 1894. His family moved to New Rochelle, New York in 1915. By that time, at age  21, he already had a foundation for his art career. He married Irene OConnor in 1916, though they would divorce in 1930. That same year, Rockwell married a school teacher named Mary Barstow. They had three sons together, Jarvis, Thomas, and Peter and in 1939, they moved to Arlington, Vermont. It was here that he got a taste for the iconic scenes of small-town life that would make up much of his signature style. In 1953, the family moved a final time to Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Mary passed away in 1959. Two years later, Rockwell would marry for the third time. Molly Punderson was a retired teacher and the couple remained together in Stockbridge until Rockwells  death in 1978. Rockwell, The Young Artist An admirer of Rembrandt, Norman Rockwell had a dream of being an artist. He enrolled in  several art schools, starting with The New York School of Art  at 14 before moving on to The National Academy of Design when he was just 16. It wasnt long before he moved on to The Arts Students League.   It was during his studies with Thomas Fogarty (1873–1938) and George Bridgman (1865–1943) that the young artists path became defined. According to the Norman Rockwell Museum, Fogarty showed Rockwell the ways of being a successful illustrator and Bridgman helped him out with his technical skills. Both of these would become important elements in Rockwells work. It did not take long for Rockwell to start working commercially. In fact, he was published many times while still a teenager. His first job was designing a set of four Christmas cards and in September 1913, his work first appeared on the cover of  Boys Life.  He continued working for the magazine through 1971, creating a total of 52 illustrations. Rockwell Becomes a Well-Known Illustrator At the age of 22, Norman Rockwell painted his first  Saturday Evening Post  cover. The piece, titled Boy with Baby Carriage appeared in the May 20, 1916, issue of the popular magazine. Right from the start, Rockwells illustrations carried that signature wit and whimsy that would make up his entire body of work.   Rockwell enjoyed 47 years of success with the Post. Over that time he provided 323 covers to the magazine and was instrumental in what many called The Golden Age of Illustration. One could say that Rockwell is easily the best-known American illustrator and most of this is due to his relationship with the magazine. His depictions of everyday people in humorous, thoughtful, and sometimes wrenching scenarios defined a generation of American life. He was a master at capturing emotions and in observing life as it unfolded. Few artists have been able to capture the human spirit quite like Rockwell. In 1963, Rockwell ended his relationship with the  Saturday Evening Post  and started a ten-year stint with  LOOK  magazine. In this work, the artist began to take on more serious social issues. Poverty and civil rights were at the top of Rockwells list, though he did dabble in Americas space program as well. Important Works by Norman Rockwell Norman Rockwell was a commercial artist and the amount of work he produced reflects that. As one of the most prolific artists in the 20th century, he has many memorable pieces and everyone has a favorite. A few in his collection do stand out, though. In 1943, Rockwell painted a series of four paintings after hearing President Franklin D. Roosevelts State of the Union address. The Four Freedoms addressed the four freedoms Roosevelt spoke of in the midst of World War II and the paintings were appropriately titled Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want,  and Freedom from Fear. Each appeared in the  Saturday Evening Post,  accompanied by essays from American writers. That same year, Rockwell painted his version of the famous Rosie the Riveter. It was another piece that would fuel patriotism during the war. In contrast, another well-known painting, Girl at the Mirror in 1954 shows the softer side of being a girl. In it, a young girl compares herself to a magazine, throwing aside her favorite doll as she contemplates her future. Rockwells 1960 work entitled Triple Self-Portrait gave America a look into the quirky humor of the artist. This one depicts the artist drawing himself while looking in the mirror with paintings by the masters (including Rembrandt) attached to the canvas.   On the serious side, Rockwells The Golden Rule (1961,  Saturday Evening Post) and The Problem We All Live With (1964,  LOOK) are among the most memorable. The earlier piece spoke to international tolerance and peace and was inspired by the forming of the United Nations. It was gifted to the U.N. in 1985.   In The Problem We All Live With, Rockwell took civil rights on with all his painterly might. It is a poignant picture of little Ruby Bridges flanked by the headless bodies of U.S. marshals escorting her to her first day of school. That day marked the end of segregation in New Orleans in 1960, a monumental step for a six-year-old to take on. Study Norman Rockwells Work Norman Rockwell remains one of the most beloved painters in America. The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts was established in 1973, when the artist gave most of his lifes work to the organization. His goal was to continue to inspire arts and education. The museum has since become home to over 14,000 works by 250 other illustrators as well. Rockwells work is often loaned out to other museums and frequently becomes part of traveling exhibitions. You can view Rockwells  Saturday Evening Post  work on the magazines website as well. There is no shortage of books that study the artists life and work in great detail. A few recommended titles include: Claridge, Laura. Norman Rockwell: A Life.  New York: Random House, 2001.Finch, Christopher. Norman Rockwell: 332 Magazine Covers.  New York: Artabras Publishers, 1995.Gherman, Beverly and Family Trust Rockwell. Norman Rockwell: Storyteller With A Brush.  New York: Atheneum, 2000 (1st ed.).Rockwell, Norman. Norman Rockwell: My Adventures As an Illustrator.  New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1988 (Reissue edition).Rockwell, Tom. The Best of Norman Rockwell.  Philadelphia London: Courage Books, 2000.

Stress and Law Enforcement Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Stress and Law Enforcement - Research Proposal Example In particular, police officers have families as well, they go through the same emotional process as other humans do (Goldberger & Breznitz, 1993), and thus, as stress has become one of the most common issues in the current society, police officers are no different, and there have been observations of adverse impact of such on them as well. RESEARCH STATEMENT In this regard, the researcher will focus on the following research statement: â€Å"To identify and analyze the factors of stress and their impact on police officers† PRELIMINARY LITERATURE REVIEW Brief analysis of literature (Constant, 1991) has indicated that stress has become one of the most common issues in human lives these days, and almost every human is now under the varied impact of stress due to various factors (Monat & Lazaruz, 1991). Experts (Franken, 1994) have specified that different levels of stress influence an individual differently; however, studies have indicated evident impact of stress on neurological , as well as psychological functions of individuals. In addition, stress has nowadays not remained a disease but a normal aspect of humans where every individual confronts and reacts to it in a diverse manner. Literature review has identified the Biopsychosocial Model of Stress (Bernard & Krupat, 1994) that has been very imperative in understanding different aspects of stress, and thus, it will be a part of this preliminary literature review. According to this model, stress exists with its three components: â€Å"an external component, an internal component, and the interrelationship between the external and the internal components† (Bernard & Krupat, 1994). Advocates of this model believe that diverse environmental events begins the waves of stress; however, these waves when come in contact with internal component causes a reaction in human body, and the then interrelationship causes different stress levels and diverse impact in individuals (Cannon, 1932). In 1967, psychiatr ists from the University of Washington (Holmes & Rahe, 1967) carried out a study to inquire about the impact of stress on causation of illnesses in humans. For this purpose, approximately five thousand patients participated in the study that enabled the researchers to come to forty-three causes of stress (Holmes & Rahe, 1967). However, experts now believe that the causes have jumped up to more than forty-three due to stressful lives of humans in today’s society. When it comes to law enforcement officers, undoubtedly, they face stressful situations more than any other professionals do due to the very nature of a police officer’s job. It has been observations that law enforcement officers although perform duties according to a schedule like other professions. However, unlike other professions, police officers cannot keep their work aside from their daily routines, and a horde of responsibilities always follows police officers at their homes as well that is one of the maj or causes of higher stress levels in law enforcement officers. One of the major reasons behind higher stress levels is that by becoming a law enforcement officer, the individual not only put his own life in danger but also of his family members and friends that has so far been the most common factors of huge stress levels in

Global Financial Crisis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Global Financial Crisis - Research Paper Example (Avgouleas, 2008). In addition other major investment banks such as Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, UBS, and JPMorgan have all announced negative earnings in their last financial reports as well as plans to lay off a significant number of workers. This paper carries out a comparative review of how the credit crunch affected Northern Rock in the UK and other major United Kingdom based bank. These other banks include, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Halifax Bank of Scotland and Bradford and Bingley. The first part of the paper provides an overview of the current financial crisis stressing on what caused the crisis. The second part looks at the different business models of these institutions, their risk management strategies, control procedures put in place following the crisis. Section 3 looks at the regulatory environment of both banks; the liquidity position, debt to equity ratio and the financial positions of the company. The last section provides conclusion and recommendation. Sub-prime loans are loans offered to borrowers with no prior track record of good credit history. (Shaffer and Hoover, 2007). Due to the risk inherent in the loans, they are often issued at very high interest rates so as to compensate for the extra risk that they carry. (Shaffer and Hoover, 2007). A sub-prime crises or credit crunch is said to exist when a significant number of sub-prime loans have been issued to unscrupulous borrowers. (Shaffer and Hoover, 2007). These crises pose difficulties to both financial institutions and the borrowers. The outbreak of the recent sub-prime crises came after warning signals of write-downs in the value of mortgages late last year. (Schumer and Maloney, 2008). House prices in the U.S witnessed an unusual growth between 1997 and 2005. For example, prices increased by approximately 85% during this period. The period 2001 and 2005 witnessed the highest rates of appreciation. (Schumer and Maloney, 2007). Sub-prime delinquencies and foreclosures were therefore mitigated by house price appreciations during these years. This is so because borrowers facing difficulties to make regular mortgage payments could depend on the appreciation of the value of their property to solve their financial problems by refinancing the mortgage and withdrawing cash from the increased equity in the house thereby sustaining the new mortgage for a while. However, house prices began to decline in 2006, and as at October 2007, prices were down by approximately

The Aspects Of Deep Sea Life

The Aspects Of Deep Sea Life The discoverer of the titanic, Dr Robert Ballard famously referred to the deep sea as far more alien than going to mars or the moon. The deep sea is one of the largest virtually unexplored ecosystems on the planet; it is found at a depth of 1000 fathoms [1] and is subject to adverse changes in temperature, pressure and light penetration amongst other factors. Therefore as expected fish decrease in abundance, and species diversity. This trend is prominent as in order to survive the harsh conditions of the deep sea, fish need a number of specific adaptations. Allowing them to ultimately survive, feed, and reproduce. The deep sea is one of the most hostile environments in the world, which a living organism is subjected to. As you progress from the surface (the epipelagic zone) through to the abyssopelagic zone near the basin of the ocean; the environmental characteristics begin to alter dramatically. Light, pressure, oxygen, temperature and food are abiotic factors that have all led to the fascinating adaptations of deep sea life. Pressure alone increases by 1 atmosphere for each 10m in depth which is an astonishing rate. The deep sea temperature remains between 2-4Â °c, which is just another factor inhabitants must overcome in order to survive, along with a reduced quantity and accessibility of essential factors like ;oxygen, food and light[3]. Figure 1From the surface to its deepest depth the ocean is 11km deep, and with this distance comes a vast change in physiological feature of fish as they try to survive the changing conditions. The bottom of the deep sea exists in darkness as little light penetrates through the surface. Therefore most inhabitants have to rely on their senses to survive. The fish require light to survive; they use it to locate food, during the mating season and to identify prey or predators. It is a vital resource but as light is absent in the deep sea, Many fish have developed special adaptations in order to survive. The viper fish (shown in figure 1) possesses large eyes to catch the little light present. This helps them to locate prey as well as avoid predators. [4] Light cannot penetrate any deeper than the epipelagic layer, therefore the only light present is that produced from the inhabitants themselves. A percentage of deep sea fish are able to create light through the chemical reaction; bioluminescence. Most of the light created by marine organisms is blue-green in colour. As blue light travels best in water and most marine organisms are sensitive to blue light.'[6] Anglerfish produc es the chemical luciferin which reacts with oxygen to create light. The light helps species communicate, attract a mate or prey, or deter predators. As the bioluminescent lure is believe to mimic the movements of zooplankton. [6] Being the lower layer of the ocean, it is no wonder the pressure is immense for the fish of the deep. The pressure exist between 200-600 atm , and in order to survive this immense pressure deep sea creature have special adapted bodies which have no excess cavities, e.g. Swim bladders that would collapse under intense pressure, instead they have neutral buoyancy where there bladders are filled with lipids. The deep sea dragon fish lives at a depth of 5000 meter, to survive the dragon fish has soft ,flabby, flesh and bones this aid its ability to survive under the extreme pressure. The deep waters are extremely cold reaching a maximum temperature of 3 degrees, deep sea temperature is relatively stable with the exception of hydrothermal vent where hot water is emitted, but there is little fluctuation in water temperature. The cold water slows the metabolism of the fish, so many of the deep sea animals move very slow and have special enzymes that deal with the unique environment. The sea cucumbers carry high levels of unsaturated fat in their cell walls to maintain membrane fluidity in this cold, high-pressure environment. The cold water is the poorest environment for oxygen content. As oxygen concentration decrease as the temperature does. Fish have evolved by being more effective at removing oxygen from the water by posing a large gill surface area. However in the deep sea oxygen is not replenished as due to the lack of light penetrating, photosynthesis does not occur. In addition the nutrient salt concentration of the deep sea is much higher than found above a s the sea floor act of a graveyard for dead biological material. Therefore fish of the deep sea have a low metabolic rate to conserve energy reducing their need for oxygen. Also fish posses hemocyanin respiratory protein; this protein has a very high affinity for O2 and large Bohr effects. [6] They also have a short diffuse distance from water to blood allowing the oxygen to be used immediately, satisfying over half of their oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange through the skin, so more oxygen can be collected through the day. Due to the lack of photosynthesis, plant life exists at its lowest percentage in the deep sea. Zooplanktons and phytoplankton rarely find themselves in the deepest depth of the ocean. So many of the deep sea fish are predators but this means food is minimal in the waters. There are a number of fascinating feeding mechanisms that deep sea fish have employed. Firstly the formation and use of the bioluminescence for hunting, fish use their ability to produce light to mimic patterns that attract prey, the angler fish uses light producing bacteria that help create a special fishing rod like fin that hangs over the head. This light helps attract the prey. The viperfish use light in its mouth to lure the prey into its awaiting stomach. [7] Some deep sea fish do migrate upwards during the night when less predatory are present to feed but as food is in such low concentration , energy conservation is a high priority to deep sea fish and therefore most of the fish hunt by the lie and wait metho d. As deep sea fish poses a well developed lateral lines, this is a sense organ that can detect movement and vibrations in the water. This allows the deep sea fish to detect prey passing them so they can dart out to capture them. [8] With the shortage of food available in the deep sea, the inhabitants must be prepared to eat whatever they find and thus must be equipped for this; they have large mouth and huge jaws. piscivorous is a sit and wait predator, its morphological characteristics are large body size, large gape, long sharp depressible teeth and large eyes. Some have non functioning gill racks so that smaller fish can pass through to its mouth easily ,nearly all deep sea fish have protruding, flexible, huge mouth and extended alimentary canal in order to store more food and prolong the digestive time. Other deep sea fish like lamprey feed on the dead carcasses that fall from above, they are adapted to this mode of feeding as they contain barbells around there mouth which help s them feel for food in the mud. But it is the black dragon fish that is most evolved for predation as it has the ability to produce red light below its eye so can see other fauna where most fish have an inability to see red light. In order to live with the lack of food deep sea inhabitants posses a large lipid rich liver that do not function for buoyancy but as an important energy source. This allows them to use this in times of extreme shortage. The most reliable food source for the deep sea environment is the constant rain of organic debris from the organism above. larvaceans have adapted to produce a mucus that can catch this marine snow so it has a steady food supply. With the shortage of food and the increase of carnivores in the deep sea, one of the most important aspects is protection against predators. Deep sea fish have developed many ways to survive the jaws of another inhabitant. Firstly coloration plays a massive role, as fish can produce a variety of colours and some fish like the flat fish can change it coloration to match it surroundings at the time. fish have distinct marking on their body to disguise themselves, the jacknife high hat have dark lines that run through its eyes to hide them, so you cannot tell where the fish or looking or if it is in fact a fish. Butterfly fish trick there predators with the presence of spots on their bodies that resembles eyes. Other fish exhibit collation known as counter shading, this means they are dark on top against the dark background and light on the bottom, so if a fish look up its disguised by the little light showing. Some fish have mirror like scales that reflect the light so the fish will mi rror the background. Most fish that inhabit the deep sea are usually red or transparent as this means they will not be detected by predators. Other forms of protect is the ability to produce venom, sting rays have poison glands that can help catch prey and ecsacpe predators. Others use electric organs that can be used as a defence mechanism or simply to feed . deep sea shrimp has an antennae that sense chemical in the water to help avoid predators whereas giant squid have two eyes , a larger one that looks to the surface catching light , this light in then passed onto the smaller one which can now look down with the possession of light to see any prey or predatory below. Successful reproduction in lightless habitats in based mainly on chemical communication, as the fish must provide effective fertilisation in the absence of any visual orientation [9]. In the deep sea many of the fish are simultaneous hermaphrodites; they can spawn with any individual encounter [10]. Overall reproduction is very similar in the deep ocean to that of the fish at the surface, although fish in the deep sea are known to produce large quantities of sperm and eggs to increase their chances of successful reproduction. The darkness of the habitat makes locating a mate is difficult as they are few and far between, so deep sea fish have evolved to be able to detect the smell of other fish in water, Latern fish have developed small body organs on their sides called photophores, these pigments can produce light that are arranged in specific pattern, these can be seen at long distances and are recognised by potential mates. Viper fish have a unique method of fertilization. Once there eggs are fertilized they float to the surface and become part of plankton, but as larva develop into juveniles they tend descend to the bottom, which mean food is not scarce during their essential development stage. This method increases the survival of viper fish by over 50 %. The angler fish is yet another fish who has a unique method of reproduction , the angler fish method ensure successful reproduction as the male anglerfish has a over developed olfactory organ which allows them to locate the female , the male is small and is therefore more active than the female . Once the female is located the male bites down and becomes a permanent attachment and begins to receive his nourishment from the female while he provides the sperm. The female can have more than one male attach which mean productivity is high and survival is more likely. All fish characteristics their body to suit their environment, deep sea fish are no different those near coral reef are vertically compressed like angel fish; it allows them to move about in the crevices of the reef. As their highest priority is manoeuvrability [11] Sting rays that inhabit the benthic zone of the sea have a depressed shape. They have extended pectoral fins giving them a heart shaped disc. Fish that live on the floor of the ocean rely on their shape and camouflage to catch prey and to survive against predators. The benthic fish bury themselves in the floor of the ocean to hide from their predator; their anterior down turned mouth is useful for bottom feeders. There pectoral fins have sensory receptors and taste buds to locate food. The most amazing adaption of bottom dwelling fish is there negative buoyancy which allows them to lay on the bottom of the ocean with ease. This is just another adaption deep sea inhabitant have secured in order to live. Deep sea fish are often described as bizarre looking as they have adapted their bodies to suit their habitat. These adaptions include large eyes, adjusted body shape, self-luminous cells and sensory organs. The deep sea is virtually unexplored compare to any other environment, meaning knowledge is minimal the only reason for the lack of understanding is our inability to research in the extreme conditions, the fish of this fierce habitat are extremely adapted, removal of the inhabitant alive is rare. proving that deep sea fish have evolved massively. They no longer resemble inhabitant from the layers above. You can go as far as to say they are almost a species of their own. But ultimately adaptations are highly important in surviving any environment but in the deep sea the fish have had to evolve immensely just to survive. [1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/habitats/Deep_sea [2] http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/ocean-layers.html [3] http://marinebio.org/Oceans/Deep [4] http://www.suite101.com/content/adaptations-of-deep-sea-fish-a230044 [] [6] http://www.eoearth.org/article/Bathypelagic_zone?topic=49523 [7] http://www.allthesea.com/Deep-Sea-Fish.html [8] http://www.suite101.com/content/adaptations-of-deep-sea-fish-a230044#ixzz17YRH7Amz [9] Deep sea and extreme shallow water habitats: affinities and adaptions by Franz Uiblein, Jorg Ott and Michael Stacowitsh 1996 [10] http://www.marinebiology.org/fish.htm [11] Adapted from http://www.mbari.org/earth/mar_tech/EITS/ob_deep/od_back.html

Part Three Chapter IV

IV ‘Very sad,' said Howard Mollison, rocking a little on his toes in front of his mantelpiece. ‘Very sad indeed.' Maureen had just finished telling them all about Catherine Weedon's death; she had heard everything from her friend Karen the receptionist that evening, including the complaint from Cath Weedon's granddaughter. A look of delighted disapproval was crumpling her face; Samantha, who was in a very bad mood, thought she resembled a monkey nut. Miles was making conventional sounds of surprise and pity, but Shirley was staring up at the ceiling with a bland expression on her face; she hated it when Maureen held centre stage with news that she ought to have heard first. ‘My mother knew the family of old,' Howard told Samantha, who already knew it. ‘Neighbours in Hope Street. Cath was decent enough in her way, you know. The house was always spotless, and she worked until she was into her sixties. Oh, yes, she was one of the world's grafters, Cath Weedon, whatever the rest of the family became.' Howard was enjoying giving credit where credit was due. ‘The husband lost his job when they closed the steelworks. Hard drinker. No, she didn't always have it easy, Cath.' Samantha was barely managing to look interested, but fortunately Maureen interrupted. ‘And the Gazette's on to Dr Jawanda!' she croaked. ‘Imagine how she must be feeling, now the paper's got it! Family's kicking up a stink – well, you can't blame them, alone in that house for three days. D'you know her, Howard? Which one is Danielle Fowler?' Shirley got up and stalked out of the room in her apron. Samantha slugged a little more wine, smiling. ‘Let's think, let's think,' said Howard. He prided himself on knowing almost everyone in Pagford, but the later generations of Weedons belonged more to Yarvil. ‘Can't be a daughter, she had four boys, Cath. Granddaughter, I expect.' ‘And she wants an inquiry,' said Maureen. ‘Well, it was always going to come to this. It's been on the cards. If anything, I'm surprised it's taken this long. Dr Jawanda wouldn't give the Hubbards' son antibiotics and he ended up hospitalized for his asthma. Do you know, did she train in India, or – ?' Shirley, who was listening from the kitchen while she stirred the gravy, felt irritated, as she always did, by Maureen's monopolization of the conversation; that, at least, was how Shirley put it to herself. Determined not to return to the room until Maureen had finished, Shirley turned into the study and checked to see whether anyone had sent in apologies for the next Parish Council meeting; as secretary, she was already putting together the agenda. ‘Howard – Miles – come and look at this!' Shirley's voice had lost its usual soft, flutey quality; it rang out shrilly. Howard waddled out of the sitting room followed by Miles, who was still in the suit he had worn all day at work. Maureen's droopy, bloodshot, heavily mascara-ed eyes were fixed on the empty doorway like a bloodhound's; her hunger to know what Shirley had found or seen was almost palpable. Maureen's fingers, a clutch of bulging knuckles covered in translucent leopard-spotted skin, slid the crucifix and wedding ring up and down the chain around her neck. The deep creases running from the corners of Maureen's mouth to her chin always reminded Samantha of a ventriloquist's dummy. Why are you always here? Samantha asked the older woman loudly, inside her own head. You couldn't make me lonely enough to live in Howard and Shirley's pocket. Disgust rose in Samantha like vomit. She wanted to seize the over-warm cluttered room and mash it between her hands, until the royal china, and the gas fire, and the gilt-framed pictures of Miles broke into jagged pieces; then, with wizened and painted Maureen trapped and squalling inside the wreckage, she wanted to heave it, like a celestial shot-putter, away into the sunset. The crushed lounge and the doomed crone inside it, soared in her imagination through the heavens, plunging into the limitless ocean, leaving Samantha alone in the endless stillness of the universe. She had had a terrible afternoon. There had been another frightening conversation with her accountant; she could not remember much of her drive home from Yarvil. She would have liked to offload on Miles, but after dumping his briefcase and pulling off his tie in the hall he had said, ‘You haven't started dinner yet, have you?' He sniffed the air ostentatiously, then answered himself. ‘No, you haven't. Well, good, because Mum and Dad have invited us over.' And before she could protest, he had added sharply, ‘It's nothing to do with the council. It's to discuss arrangements for Dad's sixty-fifth.' Anger was almost a relief; it eclipsed her anxiety, her fear. She had followed Miles out to the car, cradling her sense of ill-usage. When he asked, at last, on the corner of Evertree Crescent, ‘How was your day?' she answered, ‘Absolutely bloody fantastic.' ‘Wonder what's up?' said Maureen, breaking the silence in the sitting room. Samantha shrugged. It was typical of Shirley to have summoned her menfolk and left the women in limbo; Samantha was not going to give her mother-in-law the satisfaction of showing interest. Howard's elephantine footsteps made the floorboards under the hall carpet creak. Maureen's mouth was slack with anticipation. ‘Well, well, well,' boomed Howard, lumbering back into the room. ‘I was checking the council website for apologies,' said Shirley, a little breathless in his wake. ‘For the next meeting – ‘ ‘Someone's posted accusations about Simon Price,' Miles told Samantha, pressing past his parents, seizing the role of announcer. ‘What kind of accusations?' asked Samantha. ‘Receiving stolen goods,' said Howard, firmly reclaiming the spotlight, ‘and diddling his bosses at the printworks.' Samantha was pleased to find herself unmoved. She had only the haziest idea who Simon Price was. ‘They've posted under a pseudonym,' Howard continued, ‘and it's not a particularly tasteful pseudonym, either.' ‘Rude, you mean?' Samantha asked. ‘Big-Fat-Cock or something?' Howard's laughter boomed through the room, Maureen gave an affected shriek of horror, but Miles scowled and Shirley looked furious. ‘Not quite that, Sammy, no,' said Howard. ‘No, they've called themselves â€Å"The Ghost of Barry Fairbrother†.' ‘Oh,' said Samantha, her grin evaporating. She did not like that. After all, she had been in the ambulance while they had forced needles and tubes into Barry's collapsed body; she had watched him dying beneath the plastic mask; seen Mary clinging to his hand, heard her groans and sobs. ‘Oh, no, that's not nice,' said Maureen, relish in her bullfrog's voice. ‘No, that's nasty. Putting words into the mouths of the dead. Taking names in vain. That's not right.' ‘No,' agreed Howard. Almost absent-mindedly, he strolled across the room, picked up the wine bottle and returned to Samantha, topping up her empty glass. ‘But someone out there doesn't care about good taste it seems, if they can put Simon Price out of the running.' ‘If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, Dad,' said Miles, ‘wouldn't they have gone for me rather than Price?' ‘How do you know they haven't, Miles?' ‘Meaning?' asked Miles swiftly. ‘Meaning,' said Howard, the happy cynosure of all eyes, ‘that I got sent an anonymous letter about you a couple of weeks ago. Nothing specific. Just said you were unfit to fill Fairbrother's shoes. I'd be very surprised if the letter didn't come from the same source as the online post. The Fairbrother theme in both, you see?' Samantha tilted her glass a little too enthusiastically, so that wine trickled down the sides of her chin, exactly where her own ventriloquist's doll grooves would no doubt appear in time. She mopped her face with her sleeve. ‘Where is this letter?' asked Miles, striving not to look rattled. ‘I shredded it. It was anonymous; it didn't count.' ‘We didn't want to upset you, dear,' said Shirley, and she patted Miles' arm. ‘Anyway, they can't have anything on you,' Howard reassured his son, ‘or they'd have dished the dirt, the same as they have on Price.' ‘Simon Price's wife is a lovely girl,' said Shirley with gentle regret. ‘I can't believe Ruth knows anything about it, if her husband's been on the fiddle. She's a friend from the hospital,' Shirley elaborated to Maureen. ‘An agency nurse.' ‘She wouldn't be the first wife who hasn't spotted what's going on under her nose,' retorted Maureen, trumping insider knowledge with worldly wisdom. ‘Absolutely brazen, using Barry Fairbrother's name,' said Shirley, pretending not to have heard Maureen. ‘Not a thought for his widow, his family. All that matters is their agenda; they'll sacrifice anything to it.' ‘Shows you what we're up against,' said Howard. He scratched the overfold of his belly, thinking. ‘Strategically, it's smart. I saw from the get-go that Price was going to split the pro-Fields vote. No flies on Bends-Your-Ear; she's realized it too and she wants him out.' ‘But,' said Samantha, ‘it mightn't have anything to do with Parminder and that lot at all. It could be from someone we don't know, someone who's got a grudge against Simon Price.' ‘Oh, Sam,' said Shirley, with a tinkling laugh, shaking her head. ‘It's easy to see you're new to politics.' Oh, fuck off, Shirley. ‘So why have they used Barry Fairbrother's name, then?' asked Miles, rounding on his wife. ‘Well, it's on the website, isn't it? It's his vacant seat.' ‘And who's going to trawl through the council website for that kind of information? No,' he said gravely, ‘this is an insider.' An insider †¦ Libby had once told Samantha that there could be thousands of microscopic species inside one drop of pond water. They were all perfectly ridiculous, Samantha thought, sitting here in front of Shirley's commemorative plates as if they were in the Cabinet Room in Downing Street, as though one bit of tittle-tattle on a Parish Council website constituted an organized campaign, as though any of it mattered. Consciously and defiantly, Samantha withdrew her attention from the lot of them. She fixed her eyes on the window and the clear evening sky beyond, and she thought about Jake, the muscular boy in Libby's favourite band. At lunchtime today, Samantha had gone out for sandwiches, and brought back a music magazine in which Jake and his bandmates were interviewed. There were lots of pictures. ‘It's for Libby,' Samantha had told the girl who helped her in the shop. ‘Wow, look at that. I wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating toast,' replied Carly, pointing at Jake, naked from the waist up, his head thrown back to reveal that thick strong neck. ‘Oh, but he's only twenty-one, look. I'm not a cradle-snatcher.' Carly was twenty-six. Samantha did not care to subtract Jake's age from her own. She had eaten her sandwich and read the interview, and studied all the pictures. Jake with his hands on a bar above his head, biceps swelling under a black T-shirt; Jake with his white shirt open, abdominal muscles chiselled above the loose waistband of his jeans. Samantha drank Howard's wine and stared out at the sky above the black privet hedge, which was a delicate shade of rose pink; the precise shade her nipples had been before they had been darkened and distended by pregnancy and breast-feeding. She imagined herself nineteen to Jake's twenty-one, slender-waisted again, taut curves in the right places, and a strong flat stomach of her own, fitting comfortably into her white, size ten shorts. She vividly recalled how it felt to sit on a young man's lap in those shorts, with the heat and roughness of sun-warmed denim under her bare thighs, and big hands around her lithe waist. She imagined Jake's breath on her neck; she imagined turning to look into the blue eyes, close to the high cheekbones and that firm, carved mouth †¦ ‘†¦ at the church hall, and we're getting it catered by Bucknoles,' said Howard. ‘We've invited everyone: Aubrey and Julia – everyone. With luck it will be a double celebration, you on the council, me, another year young †¦' Samantha felt tipsy and randy. When were they going to eat? She realized that Shirley had left the room, hopefully to put food on the table. The telephone rang at Samantha's elbow, and she jumped. Before any of them could move, Shirley had bustled back in. She had one hand in a flowery oven glove, and picked up the receiver with the other. ‘Double-two-five-nine?' sang Shirley on a rising inflection. ‘Oh †¦ hello, Ruth, dear!' Howard, Miles and Maureen became rigidly attentive. Shirley turned to look at her husband with intensity, as if she were transmitting Ruth's voice through her eyes into her husband's mind. ‘Yes,' fluted Shirley. ‘Yes †¦' Samantha, sitting closest to the receiver, could hear the other woman's voice but not make out the words. ‘Oh, really †¦?' Maureen's mouth was hanging open again; she was like an ancient baby bird, or perhaps a pterodactyl, hungering for regurgitated news. ‘Yes, dear, I see †¦ oh, that shouldn't be a problem †¦ no, no, I'll explain to Howard. No, no trouble at all.' Shirley's small hazel eyes had not wavered from Howard's big, popping blue ones. ‘Ruth, dear,' said Shirley, ‘Ruth, I don't want to worry you, but have you been on the council website today? †¦ Well †¦ it's not very nice, but I think you ought to know †¦ somebody's posted something nasty about Simon †¦ well, I think you'd better read it for yourself, I wouldn't want to †¦ all right, dear. All right. See you Wednesday, I hope. Yes. Bye bye.' Shirley replaced the receiver. ‘She didn't know,' Miles stated. Shirley shook her head. ‘Why was she calling?' ‘Her son,' Shirley told Howard. ‘Your new potboy. He's got a peanut allergy.' ‘Very handy, in a delicatessen,' said Howard. ‘She wanted to ask whether you could store a needleful of adrenalin in the fridge for him, just in case,' said Shirley. Maureen sniffed. ‘They've all got allergies these days, children.' Shirley's ungloved hand was still clutching the receiver. She was subconsciously hoping to feel tremors down the line from Hilltop House.