Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

â€Å"Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost† Steph Johnson ENG 155 January 23rd, 2012 Professor Jan Ward Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost A long, white beard and curious eyes peering from underneath a largely pointed hat often leave an imprinted image in mind. A scholarly grin and archaic tobacco pipe complete the picture formed. The faint imagery of what a wizard is can only be complete when thinking of Gandalf the Grey. A magic staff and a knowledgeable mind are cause for the quest that Gandalf sets out on in the novel â€Å"The Hobbit† by J.R. R. Tolkien. He can overcome adversity and aid his fellowship of 14 unlikely creatures in their attempt to regain their long-lost home. Gandalf is a venerable wizard and exemplifies a mythological hero throughout his entire written history. Gandalf always seems to be in the right place at the right time with a sort of grace about him, as if always waiting for the perfect moment. His knowledge of Middle Earth is inexplicable; he rar ely misses a beat. Although he is not on a personal quest, he is quick to help those he sees fit.Several times over the fellowship found themselves in a sticky situation, and Gandalf appeared only just in time. Knowledge, a keen eye, the desire to do what is right, and also a grain of mystery are all characteristics residing in Gandalf the Grey. According to â€Å"Tolkien-Online† (2007), â€Å"Tolkien was likely heavily influenced by one of the tales found in the Elder Edda which tells of the Norse god Odin traveling the Earth in the guise of a bearded old man with a staff. Gandalf the Grey shares several similarities with the â€Å"Father God† known as Odin. For instance, he is seen as the overseer of the group. He unintentionally becomes a father figure within the fellowship. He is constantly keeping them out of the trouble they so easily find themselves in on their adventure. Gandalf finds himself in a difficult situation in â€Å"The Fellowship of the Rings† and essentially dies. However, he is simply reincarnated from â€Å"Gandalf the Grey† into a more powerful and poignant â€Å"Gandalf the White,† which is similar to Odin. Odin's ‘death' upon the tree is really more of a shamanic ritual descent to discover magic runes than an actual death† (Leeming, 1990, p. 162). Although there is physical death, it is not enough to keep these figures from life. Gandalf the Grey exemplifies a mythological hero in the sense that he defies the odds against him (which are a great deal) and overcomes the darkness attempting to pull him in. As a wizard, he is eccentric and hard-headed. He is a necessary character in the story of Middle Earth and without him, the chain of events written about by Tolkien would not have been possible.The purpose of Gandalf's quest in â€Å"The Hobbit† is to take back the Lonely Mountain from the devious dragon known as Smaug, and regain the home for Thorin and his kind once more. Gandalf knows what dismal troubles lie before them and feels a burglar is necessary to join the fellowship. With this information, he invites a hobbit with the name of Bilbo to join the quest, and ultimately shapes the stories that follow with one simple scene. Bilbo encounters a ring and hastily shoves it into his pocket.He thinks little of this and is eventually safely back within the fellowship. Gandalf is curious and aware of what Bilbo may have taken ownership of, but does not mention it for several years (and the following story). The fellowship is successful in defeating Smaug and the dwarves take their original place within the Lonely Mountain. Gandalf is a classic character with simple qualities; he is a strong-willed wizard with more knowledge, and cunning than meets the eye.His quest proves dangerous and he prevails by using several of the mythological characteristics he portrays. He attains striking similarities to the Norse god, Odin. â€Å"Tolkien himself acknowledged the sim ilarity in a 1946 letter, calling Gandalf an â€Å"Odinic wanderer† (Tolkien-Online, 2007). Gandalf is a venerable wizard and exemplifies a mythological hero throughout his entire written history. References Tolkien-Online. (2007). Retrieved from http://www. tolkien-online. com/gandalf. html Leeming, D. A. (1990). The world of myth. New York, New York: Oxford University Press.

Economies Of The Middle East. Essay

According to the CIA world Fact Book Bahrain is located in the Middle East on the eastern side of Saudi Arabia. Bahrain’s climate is arid though characterized by hot and humid summers while the winters are pleasant. (CIA,2008). According to the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, Bahrain is an archipelago which is comprised of 33 islands and is sandwiched between the east coast of Saudi Arabia and the Qatar peninsula. Bahrain has an advantage in as far as tourism is concerned given her richness in geographical features like the sandy beaches as well as the coral reefs. It also has various museums, archeological sites and traditional markets which are all a plus to her competitiveness. Bahrain is also well known for her liberalistic tendencies in the Middle East region. (Council for International Exchange of Scholars). Being an Arab country, Islam is the most practiced religion although other religions which form less than 25% of the total population are allowed to take place. They include Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism as well as Judaism. In such a set up, where 85% of the total population is Muslim it is only natural that Arabic is the official language. However, English is used in the learning institutions as well as when conducting business. This paper will give an in depth analysis of Bahrain. The US department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs pointed out that in 2007 the population of Bahrain was 708,535 out of which a tune of 32% comprised of non nationals. Statistics of the same year also indicated that annual population growth rate was at 1. 39%. In accessing the composition of the Bahrain population by ethnic background it was established that Bahrainis recorded the largest proportion at 63%, Asians were next with 19% while the Arabs and Iranians were 10% and 8% respectively. The US department of State estimated that Islam is the religion observed by approximately 98% of the total population. It also estimated that other languages used in addition to English and Arabic included Farsi and Urdu. A unique characteristic of the education system in Bahrain is the fact that although it is not compulsory, it is offered for free at all levels. Estimates taken in the period 1991 to 2001 indicated that there was a high rate of school attendance at 84%. In the year 2003 it was established that the overall adult literacy levels for those aged 15 years and above stood at 89. 1% while the rate differed across the genders. (Bureau of Public Affairs, 2007). Males had a higher rate at 91. 9% while females registered a lower rate at 85%. Bahrain finances her citizen’s educational needs from incomes attained from her generous investment in oil reserves. The importance of the year 1920 in as far as the education of Bahrain cannot be underscored as it was at this time that the first public school which served both sexes was introduced. There are 2 universities or high learning institutions where people are able to improve their credibility levels in the job market. To cater for the health needs of her population there is a health science college which offers specified skills in the various medical fields like nursing, pharmacy. According to the 2007 statistics the infant mortality rate was at 16. 18 deaths/1000 live births while the life expectancy for males was 5 years lower than that of the females which was 77 years. Statistics from 2006 estimated that approximately 352,000 people formed the Bahrain labor or work force out of which a tune of 44% was foreigners. The US department of State also estimates that Bahrain is among the highly dense populated states and most of her population settled in the capital city Manama. A considerable percentage of Bahrain’s workforce is comprised of foreigners due to the ‘foreigner – friendly’ policies by the government. Although the naturalization process evokes contrasting views among the Bahraini’s it has seen approximately 10% of the total populations attain Bahraini nationality. Critics argue that the procedures or rather criteria applied could jeopardize the country’s security especially when foreigners previously working with sensitive departments like security are naturalized. There are 2 types of Muslims in the Bahrain state. About 2/3 of the people from the indigenous group are shi’a Muslims while prominent people in the society like the ruling family, numerous members of the government and the military as well as leaders in the state form the Sunni Muslim. (Bureau of Public Affairs, 2007). According to the CIA world fact book, the birth rate using 2008 estimates was 17. 26/1000 population while the death rate at the same year was at 4. 29deaths/1000 population. The rate of net migration was estimated to be 0. 4 migrants/1000 population. CIA also estimated that the sex ratios for the total population stood at 1. 25 males/females in 2008. 2008 estimates also had it that the total infant mortality rate was at 15. 64 deaths/1000 live births while that of females was at 12. 93 deaths/1000 live births. In 2006, the school life expectancy of both primary levels to tertiary education was 15 years though it varied across the genders with males recording a lower expectancy at 14 years while females lagged behind at 16 years. 2001 statistics indicated that approximately 86. 5% of the total population could read and write with males recording a higher rate at 88. 6% and females at 83. 6%. In 1991 the government spent approximately 3. 9% of the GDP to finance the education sector. (CIA,2008). The government in Bahrain is a constitutional monarchy with 5 administrative divisions namely Asamah, Janilyah, Muharraq, shamliyah and wasat. She attained her independence on the 15th of August 1971from the UK. In 2002, on the 14th of February she adopted a constitution that was to be followed. The laws consist of the English law but blended with the Islam laws. The universal suffrage is at 20 years meaning any one above that age has the right to vote. There are three branches of government, the executive, legislative as well as the judiciary. The executive is comprised of the King Hamad bin Isa al- Khalifa who took over in March 1999. the king is the chief of the Bahrain state. The Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman al Khalifa is the head of government and he has held this position since 1971. The monarchy has the responsibility of appointing the cabinet and the prime minister too but the monarchy is hereditary. (CIA,2008). King Hamad Isa al- Khalifa succeeded his father who died in 1999 after being in power for approximately 38 years. King Hamad can be commended for various reforms in Bahrain especially his zest to introduce democracy by changing the current system that was purely a ‘hereditary emirate’ to a ‘constitutional monarchy’. (CIA,2008). His efforts precipitated to a referendum in 2001 for the National Action Charter which approximately 94. 8% of the Bahrain voters endorsed. Another significant act by King Hamad was setting free of most political detainees and prisoner most of whom had been exiled, detained or imprisoned from as early as in the 1970’s for posing ‘security threats’ to Bahrain. Kind Hamad did away with the state security law and court which made it possible to detain people for up to 3 years without trial. The constitutional reforms Hamad introduced saw to it that a bicameral parliament which had a representative from the lower house was operational. Another aspect different from what was initially the trend was the creation of an independent body which was to act as ‘watchdog’ over corruption allegations such as the embezzlement of public funds. This was a way of increasing accountability and transparency in the region. (Bureau of Public Affairs, 2007). Hamad’s efforts were however not without challenges as for instance there were protests against the provisions he enacted on the constitution from members of the Shi’a community. The 2002 election made a mark in the political history of Bahrain as it was at this time when the first woman was elected in parliament. The legislature branch comprises of the 40 member consultative council and the 40 member chamber of deputies. The election of the two councils is different in the sense that the former is elected by the kind while the latter is determined through a direct election. Elections are held after 4 years with the last one in 2006. The judicial system of Bahrain is comprised of a combination of courts adhering to the English laws as well as the Islamic laws or religious and tribal laws. Hamad also made significant reforms in the judiciary when he set a separate branch to over see it. The king’s son or crown prince is the head of the commander in chief of the state’s defense force and the king’s successor. (Bureau of Public Affairs, 2007). Democracy in Bahrain, however is limited to the fact that political parties are discouraged and this had been the case for many decades but with the rise of Hamad to power political societies were allowed to operate (CIA) According to the CIA world fact book Bahrain attracts foreign direct investment a factor that has made various multinational companies settle there and carry out business. This is to the country’s advantage economically. Similar to other gulf countries the role of petroleum in stirring economic growth and development cannot be underscored. It is estimated that petroleum products attribute to over 60% of her total exports which contribute to a tune of 70% of the total government revenues. The petroleum industries directly contribute to approximately 11% of the country’s GDP. Bahrain is also rich in aluminum which is the second largest export. (CIA, 2008). The US department of state noted that other natural resources in Bahrain included textiles, natural gas, fish and pearls. (Bureau of Public Affairs, 2007).

Conflict Between Reality and Illusion as a Major Theme of ‘the Glass Menagerie’ Essay

Over the past century discoveries in physics have revealed a whole new paradigm for life – one that you can apply to your life right now to get extraordinary insights, intuitions and results. I believe knowing these principles is crucial for your ability to be ‘tapped in’ to the unseen world that surrounds you. To me quantum physics has always interested me. Since a child, I wanted to know what this world was about, and if I could go deep into understanding the nature of matter that makes up our world, and know what is it made of, then I could understand my own essence and the purpose of life itself. So I set off on an exploration into the area of science known as quantum physics. It is the branch of science that explores the universe at the very tiniest and the very largest of scales. What I found was science is really the new religion. For instance, no one has ever seen an atom even though scientists tell us that’s what all things are made of. Since we cannot see an atom, then we have to accept it from the scientific community based on faith. To me, when you involve faith, even an experimentally confirmed version, you also imply a new religion in a sense. In the past, the masses of people got their meaning of life from religious teachers who taught well-understood spiritual laws. The teachers of religion along with ancient myth tellers were the storytellers giving people the ultimate truth of reality. At some point in history, religion became political and was used more for state control of the masses rather than for providing the truth of reality. When Science was discovered all that changed. Over the past 300 years or so science has made an attempt to start from scratch and rebuild what is true. From Galileo to Darwin these rebels sought the truth yet paid the price for going against the inherent worldview. Inspired by these great leaders more and more people joined the scientific exploration for truth, which led to the forming of institutions and organizations. As with any good intention, when it becomes institutionalized, it can lose sight of it’s main objective and eventually become biased as well. In this case, our modern scientists have focused on what can be seen in the material world and have forgotten or downright ignored other unseen forces such as mind or consciousness as factors in the laws of nature. Most scientists have bought into a materialistic and lifeless universe. Even though there is evidence to the contrary, modern scientists do not want to acknowledge such a paradigm – despite what quantum physics shows. This may be because, if scientists go against the inherent worldview, they create the real potential of losing their reputation along with their university-funded careers, which has been know to happen all too often. Only a handful of open-minded scientists, who are willing to put their reputations and careers on the line, have pursued the truth of reality in spite of the consequences. â€Å"At present, of all the stories, it is the scientific ones that most define us,† writes Lynne Mctaggart, author of her book entitled â€Å"The Field†. She continues, â€Å"Our current scientific story is more than three hundred years old, a construction largely based on the discoveries by Isaac Newton – a universe in which all matter moves within three-dimensional space and time according to certain fixed laws. The Newtonian vision describes a reliable place inhabited by well-behaved and easily identifiable matter. The worldview arising from these discoveries is also bolstered by the philosophical implications of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, with its suggestion that survival is available only to the genetically rugged individual. These, in their essence, are stories that idealize separateness. From the moment we are born, we are told that for every winner there must be a loser. From that constricted vision we have fashioned our world. † The current scientific worldview is simple: We are all separate beings being influenced by random events, surviving from cradle to grave, and that’s pretty much it. There is no before life or after life for us. This reality is all we have, and it is based on random, or cause and affect relationships along an ongoing flow of time. â€Å"Although we perceive science as an ultimate truth, science is finally just a story, told in installments† writes Mctaggart. But the latest installment is quantum physics, which reveals a whole different paradigm. We are all not separate but rather interconnected – called non-local entanglement by these physicists. Unfortunately, quantum physics is considered an anomaly in the scientific community. Because it is such a variant to long held beliefs, most scientists have not incorporated these new-found principles into their respective areas of science let alone their own personal lives. If they did, we would have an updated version of biology, physiology, geology, medicine, psychology, sociology and even theology. We would have a whole new paradigm for life, thus impacting our worldview in every way. Instead, these principles stay isolated into the lonely branch of physics that explores the very tiniest of particles. This whole new view of life would say we are not separate at all, not from each other, not from the solar system we are part of, or the universe we belong to. We are all interconnected at the most fundamental aspect of our nature. We may appear as physical things, but we are more than that, we are processes intimately connected to our environment and to each other. Without awareness of these principles, things look random in our lives, but according to quantum physics they are not. If you would like to learn more about the principles of quantum physics and how to apply them to your life, then you may want to enquire about our monthly gatherings we have in Richmond Hill. This group aims to be the leading think tank for gathering answers to life’s most interesting questions, from the meaning of your life, to exploring hidden forces that heal the body and mind, to discovering answers to the riddles of ancient civilizations. Each gathering will be a special event consisting of a professional presentation followed by a short discussion on various topics of interest in order to explore the answers to life’s mysteries, learn the underlying unseen laws governing your everyday existence, and how to apply this wisdom to transform your life. Each event will enhance your sense of wonder and appreciation for you and the world in which you live. No previous knowledge is necessary and everyone is welcome.

Development of a Personal Brand Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Development of a Personal Brand - Assignment Example After establishing personal branding statement, one should start living it. The value of the brand should be clear across the board; on the social media conversation, interacting with clients, communication with colleagues, on the blogs, on personal website, and even within the comments on other blogs (Pike 88). The person should not scream to voice out the brand message. The brand should be made visible, steady, and consistent in any activity that the person is performing. Personal presentation is very important in brand me, especially on the social media. One should maintain consistent and professional profiles, including avatar photo. When focusing on personal brand, personal photo is the best identifier. It is because it will be easier for people to distinguish and interact with the person. Developing a personal brand is not all about the person, it should be beyond the person and interacting with the people one is trying to influence. An individual should participate in various conversations on the social network, engaging with clients, responding to comments on the blog, and participating two-way conversation with potential clients. One should be genuine and transparent in all the communications and the importance of customer service should be considered. Clients should be the immedia te people to realize and understand the brand as they experience in the process of interaction. Consistency is very important when managing interactions as a way of building the brand and making it recognizable and respected by other people. Value proposition is any promise of value to be delivered and acknowledged. The customer should show a belief that the value would be delivered and experienced. Brand me value proposition is very important in business. It is the personal presentation to the customer, which will motivate him/her to enter the

Management & Organisational Behaviour - The Change is Coming Essay

Management & Organisational Behaviour - The Change is Coming - Essay Example In case of Tracey Foods Production, employee motivation is likely to go down because of the expected changes in the organizational systems. In this case, it is the responsibility of the managers to take effective steps to build the level of employee motivation to make them put their efforts in increasing the productivity of the company. Communication with employees and other staff members is also necessary in order to make organizational changes effective and result-oriented. Moreover, the top management of the company also needs to take effective steps to restructure the culture and work approach in order to make the company accomplish its goals effectively and efficiently. Answer 1: 1. Need for Increasing Motivation Motivation is the key to increased employee productivity. It is imperative for the management of a company to take effective steps to build employee motivation. Williams (2010, p. 1) states, â€Å"Motivating people to do their best work, consistently, has been an endur ing challenge for executives and managers†. However, employee and management motivation could be affected due to the changes that are brought within an organization due to the variability in internal and external environment. ... Those human needs include need for power, need for affiliation, and need for achievement. The top management of Tracey Food Production can use this theory to make employees aware of their needs of power and achievement which can ultimately be used for increasing the motivation level of employees in spite of of the all anticipated changes. 2.1 Need for Power One of the needs of employees is power. Employees want to be included in decision-making matters, as well as in other managerial affairs to some extent. To build employee motivation companies can share some management power with the key employees. They can also involve the employees in decision-making matters to make them feel valued. Moreover, consulting employees in making different business strategies, as well as in setting employee benefit strategies can also prove effective for a company. It is a fact that every employee wants to be taken into consideration during the phase of decision-making or strategy development. Therefor e, if Tracey Food considers these needs of employees while developing or implementing strategies, the results would definitely be good for the company. for example, if the management invites employees to give their suggestions in business planning, they will feel valued and the level of their motivation increase will increase as well. 2.2 Need for Achievement The need for achievement is the need of an individual to accomplish his/her personal and professional goals. Tracey Food Production can make employees aware of the importance of achieving company’s goals in a timely manner. The top management of the company can motivate the employees to work hard to get better job positions which can play a significant role in the accomplishment of their personal goals. Moreover,

I will explain it in the instructions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

I will explain it in the instructions - Essay Example   Therefore, authorizing euthanasia results to doctor-assisted death of non-critical casualties1. Conservatives like in America wants a dominion on the world .Only if Americans synergetic ally work tough, and attain the potential, then they reign as the only cost-effective and martial superpower. Other countries will befriend them, work with us and trade with them but cannot manage to contest with them, whereas, liberals don’t want the nation to be much successful as such1. Liberals  consider the action of the state governance to provide opportunities fairly to all and equality.   It is upon the government to assuage the social ills to defend social independence, entity and human rights. The essential responsibility of government is to care for the general wellness and secretive civil rights which were considered inextricably associated if not similar people concur to restrictions on their conduct by conceding to government definite imperfect powers and only if the government policy represented in both public and private rights  while on the other hand, Conservatives  holds on individual accountability, partial government, liberal markets, character autonomy, traditional2.   Believe the task of government ought to endow people with the liberty required to practice the goals of their desire. Conventional policy commonly emphasizes on strengthening individuals to handle their own questions at hand1. The importance of ideology differences became a theoretical debate just after the assertion of the occurrence in political discourse2. This is due to the fact that main components of ideology cover political behavior and use of propaganda to obtain both within and global legitimacy to be recorded since in the past. A severe methodical investigation of the ideological mechanism in intercontinental associations turned out to be promising, subsequent to two situations that were realised. To

The Concept of Multicultural Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Concept of Multicultural Education - Essay Example In fact, multicultural education represents a response to the dynamically changing demographic situation observed in the United States. According to the most recent projections, by 2020 approximately 46 percent of the whole public school student population will be children of color and more than 20 percent will be from poor families (Banks, 1997). Evidently, addressing the diverse learning needs of such population is a pressing task faced by the US educational system. However, the monocultural approach that has traditionally been the cornerstone of American education mostly focuses on the values, instructions and content of middle class Eurocentric student population. Such focus substantially complicates the process of learning the academic knowledge for students of different cultural and social background: the incompatibility between the culture of ethnic and social minority students and the educational approach based on the values of majority seriously affects achievement and contributes to academic failure of students (Nielson, 1991). Therefore, an increasingly multicultural student population in the US stresses the need to address the systemic, curricular, and pedagogical barriers that negatively affect academic performance and achievement of minority students. Furthermore, the concept of multicultural education also recognizes that "an increasingly multicultural nation and a shrinking and contentious planet at the edge of the twenty-first cen tury demands a people who are critical thinkers and able to deal with the complexities of multicultural differences" (Hanley, 2002). Many believe that multicultural educational... This paper approves that many believe that multicultural educational policies help students develop new human capabilities and new identities in order to properly respond to the increasing need to recognize cultural diversity. Multicultural education promotes the ideals of cultural and educational equity, social justice thus enabling students to reach their fully potential in learning the curriculum. The idea of multicultural education looks extremely attractive as an effective tool to reinforce the democratic multicultural society and at the same time respect the inclination of different ethnic groups to preserve their cultural traditions. This essay makes a conclusion that multiculturalism definitely has the potential to become a serious tool in reducing discrimination and inequalities in the realm of education. Multicultural education practices often fail to address the difficult task of unifying the society without neglecting the cultural and ethnic traditions of minorities. Moreover, the constantly changing society creates new challenges that can hardly be addressed within the existing framework of multicultural education. However, failure to achieve certain goals does not mean that the concept of multicultural education is futile per se. On the contrary, it should create additional motivation for scholars and teachers to look for innovations and new opportunities to meet the challenges of these days and correct the previous mistakes. Multicultural education must be changed seriously to effectively respond to the needs of this epoch.