The Hobbit Overview Review Essays - Film, Fiction, Literature

The Hobbit: Overview Review The Hobbit: Overview Review CHARACTER INTRODUCTION BILBO BAGGINS: The Hobbit who led the Dwarves to the Lonely Mountain to reclaim their treasure from the dragon Smaug. He found the One Ring in Gollum's cave GANDALF: The Wizard that accompanies Bilbo and the dwarves on their quest. He is well versed in magic spells and often calls upon them to save his comrades. THORIN OAKENSHIELD: Son of the King of Dwarves who were driven from the Lonel y Mountain by Smaug. With the aid of Gandalf and Bilbo he seeks regain his trea sure and the throne. When Smaug died he truly became King under the Mountain, t hough he was killed in combat in the battle of five Armies. SMAUG: The dragon of the Lonely Mountain who hordes the treasure he stole from the dwarves of Dale. GOLLUM: He is perfect example of the evil powers of the One Ring. He was born a Hobbit but had the ring too long. It made him into a slimey little creature who only lives to possess the ring. BARD: The archer who killed Smaug. He shot the dragon in the one spot it had no protection. The towns people later considered him a hero. What the people didn't know it was Bilbo who discovered the weak spot in the dragon's iron scales. BEORN: An enemy of orcs, he becomes friends with Bilbo and Gandalf. He has th e ability to change forms from human to bear. It is he who determines the outco me of the battle of five Armies. STORY SUMMARY The book begins with Bilbo Baggins enjoying a pipe after breakfast. Th is is one of his favorite pleasures and he feels quite content in doing so. He is middle-aged, and resides in a clean warm burrow in the ground. One morning Gandalf, a wizard stops by to chat with Bilbo. He informs Bilbo that he is looking for someone to go on an adventure with him. Although Bilbo is tempted he declines, but not before inviting Gandalf for tea the next morning. The next day Bilbo hears his doorbell and he recalls inviting Gandalf for tea, but instead of the wizard at the door, there is a group of dwarves... thirteen in all. Thorin son of the dwarf king starts to outline a plan on how to regain the tr easure stolen by the dragon Smaug. Bilbo is shocked to realize these plans involve him! He then realizes that Gandalf has tricked him by inscribing on his doo r that he was a burglar seeking a job with lots of excitement. With all this talk of quests and glory Bilbo decides to join the party after all. Gandalf reveals a key and a map of their journey which ends at the Lon ely Mountain. It is there that the treasure of Thorin's ancestors are kept-guar ded by Smaug. The quest begins and the party meets at the Green Dragon Inn. From there they venture into the Lone-lands. As heavy rains begin to fall, Bilbo notice s that Gandalf is missing. When it starts to pour they stop to investigate a light. There Bilbo finds three trolls grumbling about food. Bilbo decides to live up to title of burglar and attempts to pick one of the trolls pocket. However they quickly capture him. The dwarfs see what's going on and try to save poor Bilbo... yet all of them except Thorin is caught. Thorin formulates a plan of freeing them but fails. Gandalf returns and occupies the trolls till dawn, then the turn into stone. They group take the two swords and a knife the trolls were carrying. The travelers come across the Secret Valley. There they stop at Elrond 's Last Homely House. Elrond tells them the only way to use the key that Thorin possesses is to wait where the thrush knocks and the setting sun will shine up on the keyhole. The next morning the group heads toward the Misty Mountains. A storm has caused them to seek shelter in a cave. The cave however turns out to be an entrance to the goblin kingdom. Once again the group is captured. Only Gandalf is free, and he slays the Goblin King, and once again free the party from impend ing doom. During the escape Bilbo is knocked unconscious and is left behind. He awakes to find himself power which makes it's wearer invisible - the ring which Bilbo found. Bilbo slips the ring upon his finger and disappears. He follows Gollum stealthily toward the entrance to the outside world. He then bounds over Gollu m's head to freedom.

The Link between Assertiveness and the Effective Leader

The Link between Assertiveness and the Effective Leader Free Online Research Papers Assertiveness training has been growing in popularity over the last few decades. Assertiveness training began primarily as a program used by counselors and psychologist, and has transition into a very popular management training course. Many employers are starting assertiveness training programs for their managers as they feel these skills make them more effective leaders. Assertive individuals are self confident, have strong communication and problem solving skills, and not afraid of confrontation. Effective Leaders are assertive individuals. To learn why effective leaders are assertive individuals we need to understand what assertiveness means. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary (2006) defines assertiveness is as, â€Å"The quality or state of being assertive† (p.62). Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary goes on to define assertive as, â€Å"disposed or characterized by strong or confident assertion† (p.62). To clarify the meaning Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines assertion as, â€Å"A positive statement† (p.62). In other words assertive individuals have the ability to state clearly what they want or how they feel in any situation without coming across as aggressive or hostile. Assertiveness is a widely recognized leadership trait. Assertive individuals are self-confident and clear about what they want. Leaders with these traits communicate openly and honestly with those around them. Assertive leaders project confidence and encourage feedback when expressing their thoughts. Assertiveness is built on the understanding that each individual has the right to be open and express themselves honestly; even if they chose not too. Assertiveness helps leaders perform many tasks and achieve goals. Assertive leaders are able to comfortably confront subordinates about poor performance, set high goals, and even make demands on higher management when necessary for the group to meet its objectives. Assertive leaders recognize their own level of knowledge, ability, and authority in any situation. They are able to send this message of confidence and competence through their personal demeanor while showing respect for their group. Without this ability the communication would breakdown and the relationship between the leader and his team would quickly begin to deteriorate. Shaw and Rutledge (1976) wrote an article in the September 1976 Training and Development Journal citing an exciting new approach to train effective managers. Shaw and Rutledge went on to show the correlation between the traits of an assertive individual and an effective manager: The effective manager is clear about goals and purposes. He or she is willing and able to confront conflict, and to make tough decisions, to say â€Å"no† without guilt, embarrassment or shilly-shally. The effective manager is also capable of responding to and utilizing the resources of others. He or she is sufficiently confident and self-possessed so that defensive and abrasive behavior which inhibits the enthusiasm, creativity and motivation of others is minimized. (p.9) According to Shaw and Rutledge (1976) assertive training would gain in popularity among the business world since it would help produce the type of leadership they needed for productive organizations. One of the key characteristics of assertiveness training Shaw and Rutledge pointed out was the fact that leaders where not forced to learn new behaviors just build and strengthen the skills they already possessed. Shaw and Rutledge (1976) stated that, â€Å"Assertive training focuses on practicing goal-oriented and self-actualization behavior, and on learning how to identify and protect oneself against aggressive or manipulative behavior from others.† (p.8) This is a very important skill for a leader. Leaders must be able to clearly and effective communicate their needs without being manipulated by those around them. For the organization to thrive all resources must be used both efficiently and effectively. This means that leadership must be able to determine the best possible use for its resources at all times. Shaw and Rutledge (1976) stated Assertive leaders believe in themselves and in their own ability to succeed; in other words they trust them selves. Assertive leaders will take the time to determine what they want and how they will do it. Next Shaw and Rutledge explained the assertive leader must utilize the resources of others. To be effective a leader they must possess the ability to not only listen to one self but also those around them and then utilize that information in an effective manner. The third step Shaw and Rutledge (1976) explained the assertive leader must follow was to express your feelings. The assertive leader must express their feelings and at the same time provide a safe environment for others to express their feelings openly and honestly without fear of retaliation. Effective leaders teach these skills by example. Shaw and Rutledge described the forth step as be clear and goal oriented. Assertive leaders are open and direct; they are clear about their goals and intents. The final step according to Shaw and Rutledge (1976) in assertiveness training is to confront issues. Assertive leadership will also take care of issues immediately when they happen and keeps communication flowing. Learning how to be assertive will not prevent confrontations it simply provides managers with the skills to deal with the confrontations. Effective leaders realize that assertiveness is a skill that needs to be practiced and continually evaluated for each individual situation. There is no behavior that is a one size fits all perfect solution and a truly effective leader remembers this above all. An assertive individual has strong listening skills which are important for an effective leader. It is as important for leaders to listen as it is for them to be heard. An assertive individual will take the time to clue into the verbal cues as well as the non verbal cues of the conversations. This can often help the listener determine the central issue. The assertive individual will work on all areas of communication so that effective leadership can be maintained. The assertive leader has built a relationship with the team that encourages open and honest communication and fosters creativity. This is where synergy comes into play. Utilizing all the skills in the workplace they are able to get their team to perform at levels higher than the competition. The assertive leader will promote this productive environment. An effective Leader is an assertive individual. Research Papers on The Link between Assertiveness and the Effective LeaderThe Project Managment Office SystemBringing Democracy to AfricaAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Open Architechture a white paperThree Concepts of PsychodynamicEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesQuebec and Canada

How to Style Numbers

How to Style Numbers How to Style Numbers How to Style Numbers By Mark Nichol When you write a number that will appear in print or online, do you use figures, or spell it out? If you want to follow an authoritative source to produce professional-looking content, the answer is both more complicated and simpler than you think (we already covered part of this topic with the article 10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals). The bible of the mainstream book-publishing industry, The Chicago Manual of Style, devotes 18 pages to the topic, while The AP Stylebook, the authority of record for newspapers, is appropriately more concise. (Various magazines generally use one style or the other, but Web sites tend toward AP style.) Other style manuals abound, but unless you’re writing for scholarly journals, you can count, so to speak, on Chicago or AP. The more formal the writing, the more likely you’ll follow Chicago style, which originally evolved from guidelines developed for the University of Chicago Press but has since been adopted by most book publishers as the authority for grammar, usage, punctuation, and, yes, numbers. The basic Chicago rule is to spell out numbers from one to one hundred but use numerals for 101 and up. But if you refer to two amounts in the same category, default to numerals. (â€Å"I found 137 mistakes, compared with only 89 last time.†) Major exceptions to the basic rule include a number as the first word in a sentence, larger round numbers (â€Å"five hundred†) and orders of magnitude (â€Å"millions,† â€Å"billions,† etc.). The point is to maintain consistency as much as possible. Technical, statistically dense text, meanwhile, is better served by numerals, so in that case use digits for physical dimensions, degrees (both of temperature and angle), scores and percentages, money, time, and other references to quantity. Newspaper style and less formal writing (and much of online content) hews closer to AP style, which derived from the rules for Associated Press newspaper articles: Spell out numbers only to ten, use numbers for 11 and up, and don’t be concerned about matching style when you refer to quantities on both sides of the tipping point. (â€Å"In a classroom poll conducted recently, only seven of 29 students agreed with that statement.†) And what about those pesky hyphens? Don’t hyphenate a physical dimension to the unit name unless those two terms modify a noun (â€Å"10 feet,† but â€Å"10-foot pole†). Hyphenate double-digit numbers by themselves and within larger numbers if they aren’t multiples of ten (â€Å"sixty-four,† â€Å"one hundred twenty-eight†), but don’t hyphenate all the elements of a large number like a chain. Simple and mixed fractions should be styled, depending on your preferred policy, either like â€Å"1/2† and â€Å"1 3/4,† or like â€Å"one-half† or â€Å"one and three-fourths.† Don’t bother setting case fractions (in which the numbers are reduced in size and placed on either side of a diagonal line); if you’re writing for a publication, the fraction will be formatted during the production stage according to its style. To establish a style for your Web site or blog, keep in mind that gurus of online content advise using numerals, which are easier to scan (and most site visitors scan before they read, if they read at all), but note that the AP rule about using numerals for numbers you can count on your fingers still applies: â€Å"1 day, I’ll see with my own 2 eyes that you can beat 3 people in a row in 4-square† is going a bit far. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Capitalize Animal and Plant Names5 Lessons for Mixing Past and Present TenseWords That Begin with Q

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) characteristics and uses Assignment

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) characteristics and uses - Assignment Example DNA sequence determination of the mDNA has been from many organisms including the extinct ones, and the comparison of the sequences outlines the mainstay of phylogenetics. The researchers have therefore been able to elucidate various evolutionary relationships within species. Additionally, the analysis of the relatedness of the populations among organisms has been ascertained and has become vital in the field of anthropology. The human mitochondrion DNA as an example, is commonly present per every cell except in sex cells as elucidated by Brown, George & Wilson, 1979, and is closely related to that of metazoans. The circular double-strand molecule of mDNA has about 15000 to 17000 base pairs and the nucleotide content differentiates the two strands. In animals, the transcribed strand produces molecules of polycistronic RNA. In replication process, the mDNA is replicated by the gamma complex of the enzyme DNA polymerase that is composed of 140 kDa of the catalytic section of the enzyme encoded by the gene POLG and two accessory subunits of 55 kDa encoded by POLG2 gene. During the process of embryogenesis, the mDNA replication is down because it is regulated from the oocyte that is fertilized through the embryo that is pre-implanted. At the stage of blastocyst, Anderson et al, 1981, further exemplifies that onset of the replication of the mDNA is specific to the trophectoderm cells. In contrast, the replication of mDNA is restricted by the inner cell mass cell until they receive signals making them differentiate to specific cell types. In the susceptibility concept, the mDNA does not necessarily accumulate many oxidative base damages than the nuclear DNA. As a result, some other types of the oxidative DNA damage are more efficiently repaired in the mitochondria than in the nucleus. The presence of proteins in the organelle further offers protection just as in the nuclear chromatin. The integrity of

Mental Health Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mental Health Article Analysis - Essay Example ly childhood has direct bearing on development factors later in the child’s life; as a result, more research is needed to investigate the interrelationship between these variables. The study found that boys indicated more statistically significant levels of later life external mal-adaptations than girls (d = 0.35 vs d = 0.03). The reasons for this occurrence may be because of biological issues related to gender, or that girls tend towards internalization of problems instead of externalization. Other arguments were that, â€Å"the reasons were not seeing differences is that were looking in the wrong place, and that girls have other problems..such as depression and anxiety.† While the researchers also acknowledge that the studies may not adequately account for genetic factors, they contend that there is a clear environmental correlation between insecure maternal attachment and later day externalization of maladaptive behavior. The parent’s mental health is also another variable that must be investigated as it may possibly contribute to the external behaviors. It seems that future research must investigate the underlining causes of insecure parental attachment. The research seems to predominantly place the agency on the child when it seems that the emphasis should be on everything except this variable. It’s also possible that these external behaviors are not direct an aspect of insecure attachment, but merely

The implications for UK service sector firms Essay Example for Free

The implications for UK service sector firms Essay Discuss the implications for UK service sector firms that have off shed IT or administrative functions to low cost economies, such as India. The relocation of certain industries or functions from the UK to other low-cost economies abroad has raised a number of issues over the years. From a management perspective, it is seen as a great way of reducing overheads. However, customers have identified this as a drawback in most industries today. Firstly, transferring parts of a business to a low cost economy decreases overall expenses as mentioned earlier. This could be that, the value of the pound is much stronger than that of the currency in these low cost economies so businesses have to pay much lesser total overheads. As these firms receive their revenue in pounds sterling, they would rather pay out their expenses such as electricity in Indian rupee which is about 0.01% of a pound. This is an ideological tool in exploiting different economies efficiently. It helps businesses to keep their costs very low but rather increase their profit margins. This may not always be the case though, since economic factors are very much unpredictable. Such firms are likely to have a huge loss should there be any increase in the value of the Indian currency. This could create potential instability in the business thus causing them to relocate into the UK service sector. Also, firms relocating in low cost economies are able to benefit from cheap labour costs. The increase in young, well educated workers in such economies have caused these industries to enter such markets since they are rather skilled labour that have the right skills and expertise but rather tend to demand less wages. According to statistics from the work foundation in 2004, software engineers in India received about à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5000 to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15000 per annum which is a staggering 15-17% of what employees with the same position in the UK receive. This explains the use of highly skilled workforce which potentially increases productivity rate however keeping expenses such as wages at a reduced rate. Furthermore, service sectors which may have offshore are likely to gain from greater economies of scale because of the increase in the demand for the firms services. This may lead to a reduction in unit costs such as computer systems. Lower average costs should help such firms to be able to expand into different markets and to be rather competitive. However, the extent to which these firms can increase demand for their services depends whether it can meet its business objectives and attract customers since it has different departments of the business in different parts of the world. Without driving in enough customers through quality business management, the firm will certainly fall short of demand thus diseconomies of scale. Moreover, service sector firms might transfer parts of its business to places such as India to be able to benefit from cheaper land. Since in the UK, there are many restrictions to the acquisition of land, different taxes and legal permits to be able to acquire a location, it is a much wiser idea to locate in places where there are much fewer red tapes or barriers which could reduce costs. The difficulty however, could be the maintenance of quality customer services since these functions are nowhere near close to the department responsible for maintaining good customer relationships. Having mentioned all these positive implications, there may be some negatives attached to transferring a part of a business to another location. Critically, there may be some difficult ethical issues involved with this process. It may not be of good benefit to the economy if businesses were to shut down and create employment in another part of the world since employment is one of the main boosts to the economy. An increase in unemployment creates a decrease in consumer confidence which effectively means that customers would not purchase any items therefore; the government would therefore not receive huge amounts of tax. This does have a huge impact on the position of the economy and position of individuals. Another ethical issue could be; is it right to pay much lower wages abroad than in the UK? Certainly, the answer should be No. Another potential problem of off shoring is the language and cultural differences between the UK and places such as India. Communication is one of the key tools for any successful firm. Lack of understanding between colleagues might hinder the success of the firm since information will not be passed on correctly. The TalkTalk group was the most complained about provider of landline and broadband services between October 2010 and February 2011. This was majorly due to the fact that most of its customer service assistants were based outside the country which made communications between the two parties i.e. customers and customer assistants difficult. Practically all UK firms based in India have had to train their staff there, to increase their fluency in English. Certainly, this comes along with certain costs which again increase their total overheads. There might also be differences in working practices between countries, including the working hours, which can have great impact on the performance of the business. Offshoring also has an impact on the public image or reputation of a firm. A number of UK service sector companies have attracted the media over allegations of worker exploitation in low cost economies on order to reduce costs. Such media representations might reduce demand for a firms services or might also make workers feel unsafe at the workplace. These could directly have links with the mobility of demand for the firms services. Also, it is seen as a way to avoid competition in the market which then again, ruins the public image of the firm. Overall then, offshoring is a great business technique which exploits different markets but at the same time reduces costs effectively. However, it brings about some ethical issues such as the impact on the economy and also could be seen to be very costly in terms of training staff in other parts of the world because of language barrier. Also, does not take the interest of its customers who are a great asset to every firm, into concern. It is therefore with no doubt that most businesses are moving back to the UK since it has been discovered that the negatives of offshoring do outweigh the positives.

Changes in Rita and Frank in Education Rita Essay -- Education Rita Li

Changes in Rita and Frank in Education Rita Discuss the ways in which Russell portrays the changes and developments in the characters of Rita and Frank in Act 1 Scene 1 and Act 2 scene 1 Drama (post 1914) Discuss the ways in which Russell portrays the changes and developments in the characters of Rita and Frank in Act 1 Scene 1 and Act 2 scene 1 of ‘Educating Rita’. ‘Educating Rita’ is a play written by the British author Willy Russell. It is set in Liverpool around the 1980’s. It explores the themes of education, poverty and working class life. The play is based on Rita’s enthusiasm and determination to be educated. Rita undergoes her course at the Open University. Here she meets her tutor Frank and it is here their plutonic relationship blossoms. This is what occurs in Act 1 scene 1. In Act 2 scene 1 the relationship contrasts from that of the previous act. Although they have this friendly love, Frank becomes jealous of Rita. This is because when Rita returns from her summer school she is a new woman. She is more educated, has acquired new clothes and her accent has changed. The play is structured in two acts. It has eight scenes in the first act and seven scenes in the second act. The first scene of act one is set in Frank’s office at the Open University. There is a large bay window at the left of his room and a small desk positioned in front of it. In the centre of the room there is a larger desk covered with books and papers. The walls are also lined with books. On one wall hangs a nude religious scene. The way in which the scene is set gives the reader a first impression that Frank is a disorganised person. Yet when we see all the books we assume that he is an intelligent person too. ... ... what she thinks when she tells him she is disappointed that he is still drinking after the summer. This is different to Act 1 scene 1 when Rita would only agree with what Frank would say. Rita entered the play as a clumsy and uneducated woman and has come through to Act 2 scene 1 as an educated and independent woman. Willy Russell has portrayed the changes in Rita by giving her a new outlook on life and a new education. Frank was very intrigued when he first met Rita in Act one Scene one, but now he is jealous of the changes that have occurred during the summer break and brought her into his office in Act 2 Scene 1 as a fresh, self confident woman. Willy Russell has portrayed the changes in Frank in a very clever way. Although he never directly refers to the changes all you have to do is look back and compare the two acts and the changes are obvious.