Adult Children of Alcoholics Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the United States, twenty million children are experiencing physical, verbal and emotional abuse from parents who are addicted to alcohol. Growing up in an alcoholic house can leave emotional scars that may last a lifetime. This is tragic because we consider that childhood is the foundation on which our entire lives are fabricated. When a child’s efforts to bond with an addicted parent are handicapped, the result is confusion and intense anxiety. In order to survive in a home deficient, of healthy parental love, limits, and consistency, they must develop â€Å"survival skills† or defense mechanisms very early in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The crippling effects of alcoholism and drug dependency are not confined to the addict alone. The family suffers, physically and emotionally, and it is the children who are the most disastrous victims. Frequently neglected and abused, they lack the maturity to combat the terrifying destructiveness of the addict’s behavior. As adults these individuals may become compulsively attracted to the same lifestyle as their parents, excessive alcohol and drug abuse, destructive relationships, antisocial behavior, and find themselves in an infinite loop of feelings of emptiness, futility, and despair. Behind the appearance of calm and success, Adult Children of Alcoholics often bear a sad, melancholy and haunted look that betrays their quietest confidence. In the chilling silence of the darkest nights of their souls, they yearn for intimacy: their greatest longing, and deepest fear. Their creeping terror lives as the child of years of emotional, and sometimes physical , family violence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Normally, children learn about intimate relationships through both loving interactions with parents, and effective parental modeling. In alcoholic homes, all relating filters through â€Å"the bottle,† with the alcoholic addicted to the alcohol and the spouse and children addicted to the alcoholic. For Adult Children of Alcoholics, surviving their families becomes the point of existence. The fortunate may be able to draw support from a supportive adult, and may emerge with fewer difficulties than their brothers and sisters. The majority, however, have to â€Å"make do.† Some spend lonely hours in their rooms wishing only to vanish behind the woodwork. Others attempt to rescue the foundering vi... ...e interaction at therapy, God will heal us and restore us beyond our wildest imagination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the result of being raised in a home where one or both parents were addicted, children of alcoholics generally have certain common characteristics that continue to affect them as adults. Members of a dysfunctional family tend to build up defenses to deal with the problems of the addicted family member. Common problems include lack of communication, mistrust, and low self-esteem. Adult children of alcoholics often become isolated, are afraid of authority figures, have difficulty distinguishing between normal and abnormal behavior, and judge themselves harshly. This often leads to enduring feelings of guilt and problems with intimate relationships. In many cases, adult children of alcoholics develop an over-developed sense of responsibility, and respond poorly to criticism. They may feel different from other people, fear failure but tend to sabotage success, and fall in love with people they can pity and rescue. Fortunately, there are a number of support groups d esigned to help adult children of alcoholics identify their problems, and start resolving them.

Financial Distress: Bankruptcy Essay -- Economy, CNN Money, Kmart

Halley 1 Financial Distress: Bankruptcy Financial distress which results in bankruptcy are very common for businesses in today’s economy. According to CNN Money Fortune 500, â€Å"Last year marked the highest number of billon-dollar bankruptcies ever recorded. And corporate bankruptcies have continued at an elevated clip, with about twice the number of businesses filing for bankruptcies filing for bankruptcy protection in the 12 months ending June 2010, as they did during the same span of time in 2008, 2007, or 2006.† (Roane, 2010) It is very important for every financial manager to acknowledge that bankruptcy can be a reality for any company and financial managers have to know how to prevent it. Most all companies have debts and these debts are used for financial leverage, but they have to be closely monitored by the financial manager. Many monthly debts that companies are faced with are, making monthly payments to vendors, and paying employees. It is the financial managers to manage and monitor th ese debts, so that the debts don’t become more than the equity. (Ross, Westerfield, & Jordan, 2010) Companies will be considered in financial distress when all of their liquidity has to be used to pay their outstanding debt. Companies can file bankruptcy to deal with and manage the lack of liquidity. When a company files bankruptcy the company is protected and bondholder or creditors cannot sue them for money that is owed. According to the authors of Fundamentals of Corporate Finance, â€Å"In principal a firm becomes bankrupt when the value of its assets equals the value of its debt.† (Ross... ...s trying to compete with Wal-Mart and Target on similar name brands, and prices, which became detrimental to Kmart. (CNN Money.com, 2002) According to CNNMoney.com Kmart filing included â€Å"Kmart, which has about $37 billion in annual revenue, said it had secured $2 billion in debtor financing to pay its $1.6 billion in debt and expected to emerge from bankruptcy in about a year.† (2002) Kmart wanted to emerge from restructuring with a new image that was totally different form their competitors and by filing bankruptcy and reorganizing their organizations they were able to do that. Conclusion: In order for a company to prevent any type of bankruptcy a company will need to keep its assets lower than his debt. It is important for financial managers of a company to manage a company’s debt-equity ratios while still increasing leverage within the company.

Conflict: Father

Parent child relationship has never been easy. We can easily realize it in the texts that we have been reading. I preferred â€Å"mother† by Grace Paley and â€Å"Father† by Yasushi Inouye. The conflict in the relationship between parent and children is not very clear in those texts, but it is present. What really captured my attention was how in both texts this conflict was resolved by the death of the parents. I also liked how both authors painted the caring of a parent for his child. I think that both texts have a valuable lesson: that we should not take thing for granted. The conflict in the relationship between parent and child in â€Å"mother† is the most common one we come upon in our world today. Kids often mistake their parent’s advice for annoying scolding that is not important. In â€Å"Mother† the story starts with a girl having a flashback about her mother; which is caused by a song that she heard in the radio. â€Å"Oh I long to see My Mother in the Doorway† says the song. She had many other memories with her mother of course but she particularly remembers her mom standing in the doorway, educating her. â€Å"If you come home at 4 A. M. when you’re seventeen, what time will you come home when you’re twenty? † Of course at that time she was still young and only taught about the present and the fun part of life, and felt like her mother was being annoying with all her scolding and complaints. She barely listened to what her mother had to say, still doing whatever she felt like doing. She didn’t value the lessons her mother was trying to teach her. I also feel that because her mother was always trying to educate her she attached herself to her dad who seemed more tolerant than her mother. It shows when she evokes her father in her memory of her mother urging her to go to sleep instead of staying in front of the TV. â€Å"Go to sleep for godsakes, you damn fool, you and your communist ideas. We saw them already, Papa and me, in 1905. † The conflict in â€Å"Father† on the other hand is different. Whereas I â€Å"Mother† you can deduct that the mother of the narrator is acting the way she is because she loves her child, you cannot say the same for the narrator’s father in â€Å"Father†. You can at first realize the lack of affection in the relationship between the father and his son when the father takes his son’s hands into his on his death bed. Since father had never done anything like that before, I could not understand what he wanted. † This just shows that there has never, not even once been a demonstration of affection between his father and him. The conflicts in both texts get resolved by death. In both text the nar rators realize how much their parent loved and cared about them. In â€Å"mother† the narrator wishes she could see her mother in every doorway, ready to scold her or teach her a new lesson. She now realizes that her mother her mother did everything she did because she loved her. It is only now that she understands the troubles, the worries, and sadness that she brought to her mother when she was younger. The fact that she remembers it and wishes to see her mother in the doorway â€Å"I wish I could see her in the doorway†, shows in my opinion how much she regrets acting the way she did, how much she wishes her mom could be there to see that now she is grown and is behaving well, that she heard her every time she tried to teach her a lesson. In â€Å"Father† death also resolves the conflict in the relationship between the father and the son. In the text when the author’s father took his hands into his, he never really understood what it meant. â€Å"For some time after Father’s death this incident stayed in my mind, and I speculated about it like one obsessed. † It did not occur automatically to him that his father took his hand into his because he wanted to show him that he loved him. It is only when he reached about the age his father retired that he understood fully that his father loved him and that he was acting the way he did because he loved him. As he is getting closer to death he realizes that his father was always so cynical because he knew he was dying from cancer, and wanted to protect them from death. â€Å"I also became aware that one of the roles father performed in his lifetime was to shield me from death. † I also think that just like in â€Å"mother† the narrator feels some sort of regret. He never understood his father and spent year trying to be his exact opposite: â€Å"From the time I was a student I consciously willed myself not to think like Father, not to behave like him†. Now that he understands why his father was acting the way he did he feels like he has been a little too harsh on him. One thing Liked about both texts was the love of both parents. They both died worrying about their children. The father taking his son’s hand in â€Å"Father† shows many worries: worry that he will die without his children knowing that he loves them, worry about how well they will do without him, worry about the image they will keep of him. In â€Å"Mother† the narrator’s mother shows her worry more clearly then the ather in â€Å"Father. † She keeps wondering about what her daughter will become when she is not there which makes us wonder if she has a fatal illness. â€Å"You never finish your lunch. You run around senselessly. What will become of you? Then she died† A lot of times we don’t realize the importance of what we have until we lose it. In this theory often applies to children and their parents. We teenagers o ften don’t value our parents, what we don’t realize is that we can’t live without them.

Sustainable Fresh Water Supply for Chennai City

Sustainable Fresh Water Supply for Chennai city, Tamil Nadu, India A Status Update Joseph Thomas, Chief Technology Officer, Villgro, Chennai, India 3H, IIT Madras Research Park, Kanagam Road, Taramani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu India 600113. Telephone +91 44 6663 0400, email:[email  protected] org, mobile +91 98840 49116 Key Words: Rain water harvesting, Sustainable water supply, Urban fresh water. Abstract Chennai city, one of the major metropolises of India, is situated at the northern coastal edge of the State of Tamil Nadu. The city is more well-known by its older name of Madras.Currently, Chennai is inhabited by more than 7 million people in an area of 176 sq km. Water supply for this population is maintained by tapping a combination of surface storage reservoirs and aquifers. The Chennai Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), a statutory body established in 1978, is responsible for water supply and sewerage services in the Chennai Metropolitan Area. The main sources of public water supply in the city are the three reservoirs — Poondi, Redhills and Cholavaram — with an aggregate storage capacity of 175 million cubic metres (MCM).The other major resource is groundwater from the well-fields in the Araniar-Kortaliyar basin and the southern coastal aquifer, and also a large number of wells and tube-wells spread all across the city (Figure 1). Over-extraction of groundwater resulted in a rapid ingress of seawater, which extended from 3 km inshore in 1969 to 7 km in 1983 and 9 km in 1987[[i]]. Groundwater levels within the city also fell and brackish water began to appear, even in localities which earlier had good quality groundwater sources.The CMWSSB calculates water availability based on surface and aquifer contributions under its direct control. Since it perceived reservoirs and other surface supply as more significant for a long time, very little attention was paid to subsurface storage or ground water recharge. As an outcome of resea rch, done by several agencies the CMWSSB embarked on a campaign to create ground water recharge facilities in the city, and later throughout the State. This led to significant changes in ground water levels and to the quantum of water available to the population of a growing metropolis. pic]Figure 1. Introduction The Chennai Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) is solely responsible for providing drinking water and sewerage services to the residents of Chennai. One of India’s major metropolises, Chennai is situated at the northern coastal edge of the State of Tamil Nadu. The city is more well-known by its older name of Madras. Currently, Chennai is inhabited by more than 7 million people in an area of 176 sq km. The CMWSSB depends on surface reservoirs and ground water sources to maintain water supply to the residents.Supply is maintained through multiple means. Since Chennai is essentially low-lying and water supply is intermittent, most residents build undergr ound sumps that store the water. Subsequently, the water is pumped up to an overhead tank. In other cases, water tankers are dispatched by CMWSSB to various localities and the sumps are filled from the tankers. In other localities, CMWSSB has put in place above-ground water tanks and these are filled by the water tankers.In yet other places, residents collect water directly from the tanker, see Figure 2. [pic] Figure 2: Drinking water collection from tankers directly by residents. Despite the seemingly abundant sources of water, Chennai suffers continuously from water stress since the entire basin is dependent on rainfall. The annual rainfall in Chennai is 1200 mm [[ii]]. This quantum is, given the size of the Chennai basin, sufficient to meet the needs of the population. The problem is with the distribution of the rainfall.There are two rainy seasons in Chennai. The first is the Southwest monsoon, which has patchy rains and contributes about 25% of the total rain and falls between May and September. This does not do much for ground water recharge. However, the Northwest Monsoon (Oct to Dec) is usually characterized by a series of storms that brings the remaining 75% of total rain in extremely short bursts. During this time, Chennai is prone to flooding and, before 2003, a large part of this water would have been lost as run-off into the sea.CMWSSB traditionally focused its attention on increasing surface storage, transporting fresh water from long distances. Like the Telugu Ganga project – probably one of the longest canals built for water supply to the city that failed to ease the water problem. Another attempt was to divert water from Chembaramabakkam and Veeranam tanks whereby the water rights of the agrarian community were infringed. Drilling of borewells in the Cuddalore belt and installation of turbine pumps to tap 100mld whereby the groundwater which again supports the local agriculture community was depleted.None of these solutions were sustain able in the long run and yet CMWWSSB paid very little attention to ground water recharge that had that potential. In 1997, at the Shri AMM Murugappa Chettiar Research Centre (MCRC), Chennai, [[iii]] a study was conducted to understand the user experience. The study surveyed 10,000 households in 155 corporation wards of Chennai. The focus was on how residents get their water needs met and how the water is utilised. Raw data from this study was further analyzed by Dr. A Vaidyanathan and J. Saravanan [[iv]].These studies clearly established that the contribution of ground water could be as high as 80% in some cases. The next section will take up a quick summary of the research and the subsequent sections will deal with the steps taken by CMWSSB and other civil society organisations to get rain water harvesting introduced. The final section will describe the results of these efforts on the ground water table. The research and changes The survey conducted by MCRC was across 10,000 househ olds, representing a roughly 1 percent sample.Another 2500 surveys across, business, educational, institutional, governmental and industrial establishments were undertaken between September, 1995 and January, 1996. The analysis phase took up another year. The main recommendations of the study were to a) encourage public participation in water conservation and ground water recharge b) promote and propagate water saving/replacement technologies in the domestic sector c) use surface water to reduce ground water usage d) encourage ground water recharge by adoption of low-cost water harvesting ystems, cleaning of water-ways and renovation of existing recharge structures, such as temple tanks. In 1999 a National Water Harvesters’ Network was set up by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) water harvesters’ advisory committee in New Delhi. Members suggested that a regional network be initiated in Tamil Nadu to promote rainwater harvesting in Chennai [[v]]. Professor M. S. Swaminathan, provided office space for the network unit in Chennai and Prof. A. Vaidyanathan agreed to chair the group.The Tamil Nadu unit of the national water-harvesting network was launched in April 1999. The network was meant to: (i) provide an opportunity for individuals and institutions actively engaged in water harvesting, in Chennai, to share their knowledge and experience and promote free and open interaction among them; and (ii) to reach out to a wider public in the city and outside to propagate the role of urban rainwater harvesting in terms of technology, experience and its potential contribution in meeting urban water needs. It was Prof.Vaidyanathan who then asked for the raw data from the MCRC study and did his own assertion of the data and analysis. In the background paper that came out of the analysis [3] the following was stated: â€Å"The present paper is meant to give an overview of the present and future needs of the city, the limited and expensive scope for augmenting surface supplies, the need for a two-pronged strategy of conservation/recycling and Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) to increase ground water recharge. † This confirmed the results of the MCRC study.Both the MCRC study and the CSE study highlighted the dependence of people on multiple sources for their water consumption rather than just CMWSSB and the heavy dependence on groundwater by both. Thus the RWH campaign was backed up by strong research results of MCRC and CSE. These studies were necessary to convince the public and the policy makers. It should be mentioned here that the then Chairman and Managing Director of CMWSSB, Ms. Shanta Sheela Nair understood these results and backed the RWH movement fully. In a 2006 publication [[vi] ] Prof. Vaidyanathan and his colleague, J.Saravanan summarized the action of the government as follows: â€Å"In Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, the growing dependence on groundwater since the 1970s is evident in the sinking of increa sing numbers of open wells and deep bore wells. This trend, a symptom of the increasing water scarcity in the city, led to a progressive decline in groundwater levels as well as seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers. Faced with this crisis, the State government passed the Chennai Groundwater Regulation Act in 1987, which sought mainly to curb the commercial groundwater exploitation within the city limits.In 2001, rainwater harvesting (RWH) became mandatory in multi-storeyed buildings. The unprecedented and severe droughts in the ensuing two years intensified the groundwater crisis to such a degree that, in August 2003, the government passed an ordinance making RWH mandatory for all buildings (existing and new) in the city and throughout the State. It further set a deadline of October 31, 2003 for this process to be completed. A vigorous publicity drive convinced the public that the government was serious about implementing the programme and providing technical advice and help in th e design and construction of RWH structures.This led to unprecedented activity across the towns and cities of the State, especially Chennai city, and the programme was seen as successful. In this endeavour, however, very few turned to the municipal corporation, private consultants or NGOs with the relevant expertise for assistance in designing and building their RWH structures. Most relied on plumbers or their own expertise. Independent experts pointed out several problems with the programme, noting that ) the time given for the implementation of this ordinance was too short; b) there were far too few professionals with the knowledge and experience needed to design appropriate systems for the widely varying conditions; c) the supply of trained and skilled labour to implement the works was also inadequate to cope with the scale and speed of the programme; d) the availability of quality materials for implementation was also inadequate; and e) there was hardly any systematic follow-up to check the quality of the works reported to be completed.There were widespread but unverified reports that, simply in order to meet the stipulations, grossly inadequate RWH structures had been put in place; the capacity as well as quality of design and implementation leaving much to be desired. This was an instance of decentralisation that, despite the presence of a â€Å"felt need†, occurred without adequate consultation. The legislation in regard of RWH was welcome but the actual programme was poorly implemented and monitored. Although the programme applied to all classes of housing, it ignored those living in informal settlements such as slums within the city limits.These areas could have benefited from RWH in public building and public spaces — an aspect that received very little attention. Moreover, no steps were taken under this programme to reclaim tanks and wetlands in the city that, in the past, not only functioned as recharge structures but were also used a s sources of domestic water by communities. † The Government has since 2009 been working towards cleaning up the waterways of Chennai. This effort has seen the government draw on municipal corporation, private consultants and NGOs with the relevant expertise to work on this massive effort.There is a project with an outlay of Rs 1,400 crore (approx US $300 million) to make the city flood-free[[vii]]. In March 2010 the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority held a Seminar on Waterways in Chennai. The proceedings [[viii] ] contain a list of 36 recommendations and some of them are re-produced here: 1. The sequence of actions to tackle the problem may be – (a) flood alleviation (b) prevention of pollution to the waterways (c) cleaning up of the waterways by removing encroachments & obstructions (d) restoration / improvements to the waterways and its continued maintenance. . Floods are opportunities to augment ground water recharge to be facilitated by construction of che ck dams, filter wells, and underground tunnels/storage reservoirs, if the soil conditions and slopes permit. 3. Flood plains should be developed along the waterways in the areas outside the towns and cities, adopting the retention model, as a solution against flood hazards; these flood plains could be developed as parks or green belts for recreation such as camp sites. 4. Eco-engineering should also be adopted as a solution to bring nature back and rejuvenate the rivers. 5.It is recommended that corporate sector participation, and general public participation, in planning and improvement of lakes and rivers should be encouraged. Cleaning up of rivers and conservation of water bodies should be thought of as a movement with the participation of all stakeholders including the general public. 6. Adequate public awareness about the hazards of pollution of water bodies and the remedial measures has to be created by organizing community education campaigns. Getting the citizens involved is important, ‘Saving Waterways’ should become a people’s movement. . Use of sewage for power generation and recycling of waste water should be encouraged. 8. Area development plans prepared at micro level, such as Detailed Development Plans, should contain plans for ground water recharge, at least in large premises such as schools and public places. Sustainability measures should form part of the Integrated River Restoration Plans. What is evident here is that the outcomes of studies take time to percolate down to the agencies mandated to make the changes required for sustainability. It also requires a good amount of political will.Much of the change of attitude of governmental institutions can also be traced backed to strong political thrust to implement the changes. Results Data on change in groundwater quantity and quality has to be presented here, mostly based on media stories. Some researchers feel that the effects of rain water harvesting and subsequent grou nd water recharge are so noticeable that quantifying is not a priority. The Table below (Figure 3) shows the number of rain water harvesting structures built by the Corporation of Chennai, as reported on its website. Rain Water Harvesting done by Corporation of Chennai Corporation owned buildings |1344 Structures | |Flyovers and Bridges |29 Structures | |Open low-lying areas |242 Structures | |Road Margins |945 Structures | |Corporation Streets |2698 Structures | |Corporation pond |1 No. | |Temple Tanks |16 Nos. | |Residential / Commercial / Institution Buildings |329959 Buildings | Figure 3[[ix]] An article published in a leading daily in Chennai, The Hindu, dated January, 31 2009 had many interesting points to make about the results of RWH and ground-water recharge. [x]] â€Å"The CMWSSB study of 759 RWH observatory wells shows that ever since the installation of RWH structures in about 500,000 of its consumer households was made mandatory in 2004, there has been a 50 per ce nt rise in the water level. According to the CMWSSB officials, over the last five years, the water level across the city has gone up by three to six metres. Similarly, the water quality in several areas has also showed improvement. The sustained normal rainfall since 2004 and the proper maintenance of RWH structures in most households have been the principal reasons. Following the drought period in 2003, when Chennai received only about 690 mm of rainfall as against its normal of 1,200 mm, the water table had receded and, on an average, was at 7-8 metres below ground. In many places it was at 10 m depth and, in some, it was at 10 m.Following a good monsoon (2,064 mm) in 2005 and rainwater harvesting, the ground water table saw an appreciable rise in several areas and the water table reached 1 m depth below ground. The total dissolved solids (TDS), which were earlier as high as 4,900 parts per million (ppm) in some areas, dropped to permissible levels of 500 ppm, greatly improving th e quality of water (see Figure 4). [pic] Figure 4[10] â€Å"Before the onset of every monsoon, Metrowater officials conduct a random check of the RWH structures for their maintenance and create awareness about the need to keep these in good shape. Harnessing of rainwater that gets collected in storm water drain network would help reduce the inundation on roads and large volumes of water draining into sea every year†¦..Unless rainwater runoff in both public and private spaces in the city is harnessed, Chennai may lose out on the precious resource and may end up with water problems during the summer months,† note rain-water harvesting experts. Conclusions This presentation has tried to show that it takes many years of persistent effort to address a problem in civil society. In Chennai, and indeed the whole of Tamil Nadu, the problem was one of water stress. Research showed that the available rainfall could help people cope but fresh water from the rain was being lost to th e sea. Based on this, a proposal was made that ground water recharge was a viable, low-cost solution. This proposal had to be championed. Prof. Vaidyanathan and the then Chairman of CMWSSB, Shanta Sheela Nair, did just that.They showed with great determination and several pilot studies that rain water harvesting would be viable and worthwhile. They managed to convince the government of this, and RWH became a statutory requirement for all buildings in the state. Monitoring the quantity and quality of the ground water has shown the significant changes this legislation has brought in. As a side-effect a greater understanding of the need to clean, preserve and secure all types of fresh water bodies has prevailed among the political circles, bureaucracy, NGOs and civil society. The people have also shown great resolve in implementing the solution since it directly affects their lives.The type of study conducted by MCRC and CSE can be a methodology to assess the water sources, consumption pattern, per capita availability and requirement particularly in developing countries. This way the water supply system can be better planned and implemented to be sustainable. References ———————– [i] http://www. rainwaterharvesting. org/Crisis/Urbanwater-scenario. htm [ii] Balakrishnan, T. , Technical Report Series District Groundwater Brochure, Chennai District, Tamil Nadu. Central Ground Water Board, South East Coastal Region, Chennai, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India, November 2008. Published by Regional Director, CGWB, SECR, E-1, Rajaji Bhavan, Besant Nagar, Chennai -600090, Tel:+9144 24912941/24914494, Fax +9144 24914334 Web: www. cgwb. gov. in email [email  protected] in iii] Thomas, Joseph, Sustainable Fresh Water Supply for Madras (now Chennai) City, India (Contract No. S$P/95/0042) Final report submitted to UNICEF, 73, Lodi Estate , New Delhi 110 003, Printed by Shri AMM Murugappa Chettiar Research Centre, Tharamani, Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu, India 600 113, May 1997. [iv] A. Vaidyanathan & J. Saravanan, Chennai’s Water Supply Problems and Prospects (A background paper) National Water Harvestors Network –Tamil Nadu Unit, Centre for Science and Environment. (undated circa 2000) [v] http://www. manage. gov. in/managelib/extdig/Jul99Water. htm [vi] Vaidyanathan, A. with Saravanan, J. ‘The Urban Water Scene: A Case Study -Water Situation in Chennai City’ in A.Vaidyanathan, India’s Water Resources: Contemporary Issues on Irrigation. New Delhi, Oxford University Press, 209-247 (2006). [vii] http://www. business-standard. com/india/news/tn-govt-to-takers-1400-cr-flood-control-project/397769/ [viii] http://www. cmdachennai. gov. in/pdfs/SeminarOnWaterways/1. pdf [ix] http://www. chennaicorporation. gov. in/departments/storm-water-drain/introduction. htm [x] http://www. hindu. com/pp/2009/01/31/stories/2009013150010100. htm Acknowledgements The author gratefully acknowledges the Villgro Innovations Foundation for the time given to write this paper. The valuable inputs from J. Saravanan also gave the author the confidence to make some of the conclusions presented here.

Persuasive Student Parking

Dear Principal, I am writing to let you know that I am completely happy with the recent policy of numbered parking spaces. Parking at school is much more convenient now, and knowing the school has more information about parking lot activity is great. I am also very pleased that I have no longer been tardy or searched for an open space. It truly has been better with this rule in effect. First of all, the school should have knowledge about what is happening in the parking lot. Knowing where each student's designated parking spots are prevents vandalism. It also prevents the students from skipping class because the faculty can check if your car is in the designated parking space. In the same way it is nice for the staff to know where each student car is, it is just as great for me to know exactly where im going. I no longer have to drive in circles around the lot, searching for an open space. Stepping into the crisp, bitter cold in the morning is bad enough, staying in it even longer than necessary is just plain awful. Which bring me to my last point. I have not been tardy since the new parking rules. The traffic has been cut down tremendously, allowing me to get to my parking space very quickly. I no longer feel rushed or overwhelmed that i will be late, and that is a great way to start the day. As a result of reading the previous information, i urge you to please keep this rule enforced. I think the benefits you and the staff have recieved from knowing where each students car is just as great as the students starting off the morning going directly to their spot and getting to class on time! Thank you for your time and attention

The Effect of Organisational Structure and Culture on Information Security Risk Processes

Risk assessment is regarded as an integral part of any information security management framework. This is because an information security management framework exists to enable an organisation to maximise the use of its information within a level of risk that is acceptable to the organisation. In information security management literature risk assessment processes are presented as pivotal to the success of the information security management framework. Risk assessment is used to establish the ISMS, determine the information security risks that an organisation faces, and identify the security countermeasures necessary to reduce the risks to an appropriate level. The emphasis is on an â€Å"appropriate response† to the measure of risk where appropriate is considered in the overall context of the organisation. Risk assessment is enmeshed with additional organisational processes that construct what is termed an Information Security Management System (ISMS). An information security management system is primarily described in the information security management standard ISO 27001 [9, clauses 4-8]. It is an abstracted organisational model found in information security management literature which articulates a systematised view of the information security management functions and processes described in much of the information security management literature. The role of an Information Security Management System (ISMS) is to ensure that adequate controls are â€Å"established, implemented, monitored, reviewed and improved, where necessary, to ensure that the specific security and business objectives of an organisation are met. † [8, p. viii]. In this regard, an ISMS is comprised of logical management functions and management processes. The relationship between risk assessment and the other information security management processes is described in Figure One which shows that the processes interact in a continuous loop, termed the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle (PDCA) or Deming Wheel in security management literature. The dominating decision making processes are risk based and constitute some form of risk assessment or evaluation. However the extent to which the process is a â€Å"technical†, standardised one, is highly dependent on the organisational context, as this paper discusses.

Character changes in Macbeth

Character changes in Macbeth Essay In Shakespeares play Macbeth we see the main character, Macbeth changes from a well-regarded and loyal soldier of the Scottish king to a murderous tyrant. At the start of the play Macbeth is courageous, ambitious, superstitious and devoted to his wife. These characteristics are shown through the victory against the rebels, Macbeths trust in the witches and his letter to his wife. In the second half of the play Macbeth becomes cruel and treacherous, insecure and distant from Lady Macbeth. The events that show this change are the murders Macbeth commits, his voluntary return to the witches and his reaction to his wifes death. One of the first events of the play occurs when King Duncans army, led by Macbeth and Banquo defeat the rebels. Macbeth fought ferociously, risking his own life to save his country. King Duncan praises noble Macbeth. Macbeth is seen as a strong soldier who is loyal and courageous, a truly heroic figure. To Duncan he was the worthiest cousin; to the wounded sergea nt Valours minion; to Banquo, My noble partner. King Duncan cannot reward him enough for all he has done. More is thy due than more than all can pay. Macbeth is made Thane of Cawdor, but begins to be tempted by his own vaulting ambition to become king. Another characteristic of Macbeth is his striving ambition and curious nature, which leads him and his partner Banquo to the witches who give him a prophecy. Banquo realises that there must be a trick hidden in the witches prophecies but Macbeth refuses to accept that. Macbeth chooses to let the witches influence him, but Banquo does not. This event showed Macbeth was superstitious because he trusted the witches. The witches prophecies stroked the fires of his ambition to be king.Macbeth was also devoted to his wife. He told his wife everything and confided in her via a secret letter. Macbeth even called his wife my dearest partner of greatness. This proves the affection and trust he had in Lady Macbeth. Together they plot to murder D uncan. Lady Macbeth and Macbeths own ambition are influences of evil that Macbeth chooses to accept. Macbeth also accepts advice from his wife. Lady Macbeth gets him to act by appealing to his manhood and courage, When you durst do it more the man., showing Macbeth is morally weak. He is very hesitant about killing the king though, showing he has a conscience. However, Macbeth begins to act alone, and Lady Macbeth loses her control over him. He follows his murder of Duncan with the quick murder of the two sleepy grooms. Macbeth becomes cruel and treacherous; the voice of conscience within him is gone; he no longer hesitates to follow courses of evil: The very firstlings of my heart shall be The firstlings of my hand. He does not need to be urged to the deed in planning the murder of Banquo and of Fleance. Macbeth fears Banquo because he recognises in him a moral courage, which he lacked Banquo kept his bosom franchised and allegiance clear. Macbeth also believed the prophecy that Banquos descendants would become king. He had become obsessed with his own safety. Macbeths imagination and insecurity is shown when the ghost of Banquo appeared at the banquet. His degradation carries him to the level where he vents his savage frenzy upon the innocent heads of His Macduffs wife, his babes for no reason, but his savage determination to maintain t he throne. These murders show the insecurity that was present in Macbeth. READ: The Moment Of Truth: Happy Ending EssayMacbeth voluntarily and deliberately returns to the witches alone. This time he is more assertive towards them. He is not over awed and he demands to know if Banquos descendants will become kings. The witches deliberately mislead Macbeth but he believes them, showing his overconfidence. Later, Macbeth becomes distant and cold towards Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth can no longer control Macbeth, and after killing Duncan he begins to act alone. Macbeth even tells the doctor to cure her of her mental illness, and makes no effort himself to help cure her. When Lady Macbeth dies, Macbeth states She should have died hereafter. There would have been time for such a word. He hears the news of his wifes death and reacts nonchalant and unemotionally. But Macbeth is still a tragic hero because he reveals to us that he is suffering a living hell, without the blessing of sleep that knits up the ravelld sleave of care. His punishment is as great as his crimes. At the end Macbeth does not run away or kill himself. Although Macbeth knows that he is doomed, he fights Macduff to the end, showing he is still courageous and physically brave. Once the saviour of his country, a valiant cousin! a worthy gentleman, Macbeth became the dead butcher, allowing ambition to overcome the natural order of life. Bibliography: