Management and Chemical Engineering Essay Example for Free

Management and Chemical Engineering Essay I have completed my Bachelors of Technology in Chemical Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India (IITG). I am seeking a position in your organization in order to enhance my skills and practical experience, while being resourceful and innovative. I have worked hard in my undergraduate studies, striking a balance between compulsory courses like Fluid Mechanics, Process Equipment Design, Process Control and Instrumentation, Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, related wet lab courses and supervised research under the guidance of Dr Chandan Das (Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IITG) Dr AK Golder (Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IITG). My Bachelor Thesis Project was on Biosorption of heavy metals to purify industrial effluents under the guidance of Dr. Chandan Das (Associate Professor, Dept. of Chemical Eng., IITG) and Dr. AK Golder (Associate Professor, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, IITG). When I look back now, I realize the role of an inspiring mentor in a student’s life. Dr. Das and Dr. Gloder gave me a whole new direction to explore my research skills and the interest in reading research articles while doing my undergraduate courses in mainstream Chemical Engineering. After graduation I joined Jindal Steel and Power Ltd as a Project Engineer where I practiced what I learnt during my educational life. Post completion of one year, I joined SPI Pvt. Ltd. As an Assistant Manager. I choose this as apart from technical skills, I also wanted to gain a good understanding about the business processes and its various elements. While working there my interest became more focused towards managerial skills. It was there where I decided to go for my higher education in Masters in Management as managerial knowledge via a reputed and esteemed university will help me to learn a wider scope of business management skills which was missing in my technical career. In my education thus far, I have been actively involved in sports and co-curricular activities including making manual robot, organized Rock-o-Phonix for three consecutive years (2008, 2009 2010) and represented IIT-Guwahati in Inter IIT sports meet in Football which has helped me to develop upon simplicity in approach, patience, team work, confidence, loyalty, ability to manage loads of stress and adaptability. To work using the in-hand knowledge and indigenous creativity simultaneously is my biggest asset. Education I believe is not just excelling in courses that we take and cracking their exams but a continuous process of development and self-realization. Not just asking â€Å"what to do† or â€Å"how to do† but â€Å"who am i† and â€Å"what is my purpose† too. My long term career goals are to become socially responsible individual and to get the dream job of working in the field of interest. If given the opportunity of pursuing the graduate study in field of management I would be getting involved in a project that will help me grow intellectually and professionally and result in useful outcomes.

Describing research methology and philosophy

Describing research methology and philosophy Saunders et al (2007) described research methodology as a carefully organised and scientific procedure used during a research project which generates results which are in turn assessed. Also the methodology used in any research is developed by the researcher. Saunders et al (2007) revealed five sections in which research projects are usually shaped. Figure 3.1: The Research Onion Saunders et al (2009) described research philosophy as an essential basis on how we view the world. This basis supports research strategy and the procedure a researcher chooses in evaluating the strategy. Also according to Sullivan (2001 pp. 47) research philosophy is a type of philosophy based on scientifically proven facts where the world is thought to exist without consideration of peoples ideas of it and that science uses decisions based on facts to discover what exist in the world. Authors like Malhotra and Birks (2007) support the fact that the scientifically based facts belief can have an effect on research. Furthermore, Sullivan (2001 pp. 48) showed that belief on the philosophy based on feelings, thoughts is where reality of the world generates out of its creation and there is a replacement of social meaning during social interaction. However for the process of this research, philosophy based on feelings and thoughts is chosen over that based on scientific proven ideas because Remenyi, Williams, Money and Swartz (1998 p. 32) showed that philosophy based on scientifically proven ideas work with noticeable social reality and the results of such research can be law like generalisation which is almost the same to those produced by the physical and natural scientist. RESEARCH PURPOSE Saunders et al (2009) defined research purpose as a clear exact statement that point out what the researcher wants to achieve from undertaking the research. However, this purpose can be achieved using any of the following (Saunders et al 2009) Exploratory research Descriptive research and Explanatory research Exploratory research: this type of research is used to find out what is occurring; to seek new and clear understanding; to ask question and evaluate an occurrence in a new light (Robson 2002, p. 59). Furthermore, this research is mainly used to simplify a problem and also reveal if the problem is worth pursuing (Saunders et al 2009). Also, an exploratory research can be changed easily to suit a new situation, this change does not necessarily mean absence of direction, rather it means concentrating on a wide viewpoint and narrowing the research to a more specific manner. (Adams and Schvaneveldt 1991) Descriptive Research; According to Robson (2002 p. 59): descriptive research is a research that seeks to describe an accurate profile of persons, events or situations in a particular way to suit ones opinion. This research involves producing a correct representation of persons or events. (Saunders et al 2009 p. 590) Explanatory research: this type of research seeks to present a direct relationship between variables. In other words, this type of research shows how a variable depends on another and how they affect each other. This research studies a problem or situation in order to generate the relationship between the variables (Saunders et al 2009. pp 591). Several authors like Malhotra and Birks (2007) revealed that this type of research purpose can be used collectively in a research. However for the purpose of this research, the three purpose method was used. Research Approach According to Saunders et al (2009); there are two types of research approach available to researchers namely; Deductive Approach and Inductive Approach The deductive approach involves five stages in which research will be carried out (Robson 2002) Deducing the hypothesis from the theory- this involves analysing the relationship between two or more variables. Expressing the hypothesis in operational terms- this involves the identification of how the variable will be measured. Testing the operational hypothesis Examining the outcomes of the inquiry- this involves making sure the theory is right or suggesting modification to the theory improving the theory using the research findings Furthermore, this type of approach is carefully organised, collects quantitative data, and need to collect data from a sufficient sample size in order to generalise conclusion (Saunders et al 2009) Inductive approach; this approach involves the generation of a theory as a result of the evaluation of the empirical data. (Saunders et al 2009 pp 593) Also, it involves understanding the kind of problem and how it concerns the context in which it occurs. Also this type of research tends to use small sample of subject as against the large sample used in deductive approach. However for the purpose of this research both inductive approach was used because of the large sample that can be used to define a theory as well as the fact that inductive approach can be changed to fit any situation and the researcher can be more involved in the research process. Choices Saunders et al (2009) revealed that there are multiple method choices available to a researcher to collect data namely: qualitative and quantitative techniques. According to Denzin, Norman, Lincoln and Yvonna (2005); qualitative research technique is a method of getting required information used in many academic discipline and market research. Also, Chris Vaughan-Jones (2010) showed that qualitative research uses observation from participant and non participants, semi structured interview, unstructured interview and analysis of documents and materials. While quantitative research technique is systematic investigation of countable properties and observable happenings and their relationship (Kuhn 1961). Furthermore, quantitative data are usually gathered using questionnaires in which the data collected will be coded using numerical codes and later analysed. However, for the purpose of this research, both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to collect data. (Quantitative method was in form of questionnaires while qualitative method was in form of a focus group) Time horizon Ester by- Smith, Thorpe, Jackson and Lowe (2008) revealed that a research design can take the shape of a cross-sectional studies or longitudinal studies. A cross-sectional study usually uses the survey strategy as it seeks to describe incidence of a phenomenon (ester by- Smith et al 2008). On the other hand longitudinal study uses observation of people or an event over a period of time in which the researcher is able to control the time changing properties involved, provided that they are not affected by the research process (Saunders et al 2009) However, cross-sectional study was used for this research because all the data collected was obtained from a sample of internet banking customers at different time of the day and different days of the week using questionnaires. Research strategy Research strategy can be described as a general plan in which research questions are answered. Also, research strategy involves the use of research questions as well as research objectives, amount of time, extent of existing knowledge and resources available (Saunders et al 2009). Furthermore, the major research strategies available to researchers are experiment, survey, case study, action research, grounded theory, ethnography, and archival research (Saunders et al 2009) Experiment- according to Saunders et al (2009 p 142), experiment is a form of research that involves a scientific test which features strongly in much social science research especially psychology. Furthermore, Hakim (2000) showed that experiments seek to reveal whether a change in one independent variable will cause a change in another dependent variable. Survey- this is to collect a large amount of data from a particular population based on their views about a particular subject, it employs the use of explorative and descriptive research approach (Saunders et al 2009 pp. 144). Furthermore, survey strategy allows a researcher to collect quantitative data which can be analysed using descriptive and inferential data (Saunders et al 2009). Case study; Robson (2002 pp 178) described case study as a plan for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular happening with its real life counterparts using different sources of evidence. Also, case study creates a detailed understanding of a research context and the processes involved (Morris and Woods 1991). Furthermore, Yin (2003) revealed that case study uses triangulate multiple sources of data because it uses different methods of data collection with a study to ensure that data collected are accurate and useful. Action research; Saunders et al (2009 pp. 587) described action research as a research strategy that is involved with management of change, also involving a close connectivity between practitioner and researcher. Coghlan and Brannick (2005) revealed that research should pay more attention on resolving organisational issues like effecting change together with the person that experiences the change directly. Grounded theory; this can be described as the theory that was developed from data gotten from series of observations or interviews involving an inductive approach (Saunders et al 2009 pp 592). Furthermore, Goulding (2002) revealed that grounded theory strategy helps in predicting and explaining behaviour in a research which brings about building and developing a theory. Ethnography: this strategy is used to describe and explain the social world through first hand field study (Saunders et al 2009 pp 591). This strategy involves participative observation and it is consumes a lot of time because it is done over a period of time making the researcher involving in the social world being observed (Saunders et al 2009). Archival research: this type of research strategy uses managerial works and records as its major data source (Saunders et al 2009 pp 150). However the data collected through this strategy are analysed because it is a product of daily activities (Hakim 2000). However Saunders et al (2009) revealed that the above strategies can be combined in a research, the survey strategy was used as a result of its ability to collect quantitative data as well as its ability to answer questions like who, what, where, how much, and how many; also because it uses exploratory and descriptive research techniques.

Global Marketing Strategies of LOreal in India

Global Marketing Strategies of LOreal in India The company started doing business in India in the year 1991 through a distributor. Following the lead of Hindustan Unilever, it launched its first product, a shampoo called the Garnier Ultra Doux. Lately, it was established as LOreal India under the LOreal group. Today it ranks second in the global cosmetics group in India. LOreals approach stands out to be predominantly aggressive compared with its competitors. The most recent step of the LOreal group is the new high-tech industrial unit in Pune. It manufactures many types of hair care, hair color and skin care products to meet up the growing demand. It is one of the first plants to implement LOreals newest GHP (Good Hygiene Practices). The executives of LOreal thought that the combination of small cost and natural ingredients would be a good match for the Indian market. LOreal operates three divisions in India- The Consumer Products Division The Professional Products Division The Active Cosmetics Division There is bank in North Bombay, a future hairdressers are shaping the traces of volunteer models which are forcing trainees to loose on their hairs. It is not surprising that 85 percent of women in India have long and straight hairs and most of the womens in India prefers home remedies which are recommended by their mothers and the natural tone is dark. Most of the girls use vegetable oil as their hair oil instead of fancy conditioners. It creates a challenging environment for any kind of company entering in such competition and trying to sell the beauty products to such a huge crowd of around 1.1 billion which are not an alien but also profligacy. Since the company LOreal has launched its first academy in Bombay in the year 2006 where only total of 73 hairdressers were graduated from all over the country. It is around six month course which makes the person capable of working as a junior in the international standard salons which is growing day by day in Indias big cities or metropolitan cities. LOreal distribution networks have also played an important role in the country over the past decade where more than 30000 hair dressers use the product of the same company and also helped in establishing 300 salons in the past few years all over the country. CHINA: LOreal uses various global marketing strategies on a worldwide scale and also taking the full advantage of the operational differences which are global and also the opportunities with the aim of getting their global objectives. According to some of the specialists of the cosmetic brands in china which are very successful, the modern woman of china does not use much makeup until the time of early 1990. The people of china used the products to show their culture and not for the purpose of beauty. For example the women used the color on the nails for showing their social class and not for the fashion or the beauty purpose. But after the early 1990 the use of makeup increased in china and because of this various cosmetic companies came into the market of china. LOreal has a history associated with china back to 1907 when one of the chemist named as the Eugene Schueller launched a hair color formula and after two years he also registered his company which was named as Societe Francaise de Teintures Inoffensive pour Cheveux which in future known as the LOreal. At present LOreal is one of the biggest companies of cosmetic and beauty with the total revenues of around 14 billion euro and approximately 52000 employees are employed in this company. This company has many global marketing strategies and one of which is growing the company which is sustainable strategy for LOreal. This strategy includes the management of brand carefully and also the careful acquisitions by the company. In the present scenario each and every company in the market faces a huge competition and in the case of LOreal they faced the competition very carefully and with full planning in Chinese market. For example this company sells their good quality product at the price cheaper than the companies like Olay and ponds which are launched in the market by the big giants and the specialist of the field known as the Procter and Gamble. This company has turned into a force which is global by clearing the different countrys cultural cachet into its vitals, by fully focusing on biggest 10 global brands concentrated on the color of hair, hair care, cosmetics color and also the fragrances. One of their best strategies is the acquisition of the local companies and also the brands which are established in the market of china. Because of this strategy of becoming a local brand, this company caused the acquisition of the brand named as Mininurse from Raystar in the year 2003 and one more in the year 2004 named as Yue-Sai. One of the best things of this company is that they learn from their mistakes and try to cover it very quickly. For example they learned from their negative experience with the Biotherm brand initially in US and this company has only few amounts of stores in Shanghai, Beijing. In china, LOreal markets around 14 brands only in china which includes Lancome, Biotherm, Shu Uemura, Vichy etc. This company has a brand strategy of the diversification of the brands which fits in the culture of china. Unlike other companies this company embody their country of origin and not to seek homogenize of their brands for making palatable in entire cultures. According to one of the example LOreal in the year 1996 acquired a company of cosmetics of US and started their work for the makeover of the company which included the removal of the headquarters from Memphis to the city of New York for the promotion of its US origin. LOreal also takes a huge amount of risks during their work. For example this company acquired the well established and the successful brands of cosmetics in china. LOreal is not only targeted towards its market group but it also stands out culturally and this company also faces the risk of cannibalizing by marketing the local brands. LOreal realizes that t heir entire customers are individuals and not the entire market and because of this only it has managed to stand its brand very strong. LOreal has a great future in china as the demands of cosmetic products are increasing at a very rapid rate in china and LOreal with all its global marketing strategies which are discussed above will gain lot of profit in upcoming years. Definition of Global Marketing Strategy- There are various developments which can be seen in the international trade and increment in the importance of the e-commerce which are influenced by various factors which are making the implication of global marketing strategies in the businesses. The strategies which are adopted helps the firms making increment in the profit potential and share in the market. (Codija, 2010) If we now try to define Global Marketing Strategies then it can be defined as the set of techniques and procedures which is adopted and used for studying the sentiment of the consumer, developing the new products and analysis of economic indicators in which the operation of the firm is operating. There are various kinds of strategies which are basically focused on the distribution and promotion of techniques which is used when the product is sold to multicultural clients. There are some firms and companies which hire international advertising agencies that help in the development of the global marketing strategies. There are not only marketing strategies which is only focused, other than that product development, price policies, promotion and distribution channels also plays an important role in the Global Marketing strategies. Cultural Distinction in LOreal- As we already know about the LOreal which is one of the largest companies all over the world in the sector of all kind of cosmetics. There are many countries which consist of different cultures according to which the company, LOreal has to develop its products in a particular country. The total worth of the company LOreal in the year of 2005 was $18.89 billion which was huge and among the most successful cosmetics company around the world. There are exactly seventeen international brands around the globe and LOreal was ranked 49th by the survey conducted by the Business week among various brands in the month of August 2004. Around a decade ago, there was about 75% of the companys annual sales belongs from Europe and in 2004, 85% of the consolidated sales of the company were from the markets outside the France. The most important factor which affects the micro and macro global strategy is the influence from the cultural societies and the social environment which includes the factors like family structure, social class, consumption pattern, decision making and market segmentation or they will try to make some kind of partnership to make their marketing at the global level by the local company. There is a main concern regarding global strategist which is the level of material culture in each and every region. There is a demand of the limited product lines for the corporations or firms which are planning to invest in the material culture which is less advanced such as semi industrialized nations in which most probably demand is more towards limited product lines. The firms have to cope with the greater amount of time to accept new service, complicated distribution systems and simpler advertisements. There is another cultural influence other than the one discussed in the above parts that is Aesthetics which is a reference to the stylistics taste of the society. This is the important element for making decisions related to the advertisement, product designing and packaging and similarly the universal education level of the society will show us the complication of the promotions, products and packaging but there may be some impact on the strategy related with the distribution and supply channel which is staffed by the locals. There are many other social influences which are listed as consumer attitude with respect to risk taking, family organization, religion, material gain and various other factors which also contributes to the cultural influence of the company like LOreal. The LOreal has also strived to incorporate its total sales strategy into some other culture which can be result into failure. As we can take example of the General Motors which has met with the mishap that has attempted to market the Nova automobile in the Mexico and Spanish translation of Nova refers to the no go. There are many other examples regarding mishaps which have occurred in many companies with the variance of different cultures around the globe. As we talk about India which is also a multi cultural society, the brands like LOreal is adopting the local culture and preferences are also critical and there was a statement given by the LOreal Indias chief operating officer that Increment in the blockbusters have led to the innovation in the product for the country. LOreal was launched in the year 1997 when the company launched its professional products division and targeted on the largely unstructured hairdressing industry and sells its salon brand such as Kerastase, LOreal Professional and Matrix. There were around five regional training centres which were inaugurated to educate the salon owners and stylists and launched academy namely International Hairdressing Academy in Mumbai in 2006 which basically offers instructions related to the basic and advanced styling and there was a provision of regularly introduction of the international stylists to take workshops and seminars. There are various kinds of customers which are located in various location of the country which are targeted in which mainly luxury products are sold in the Indias cosmopolitan cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore instead of them there is a tough competition which can be seen in the segment of the small customers whether accessories, cosmetics and fragrances. There are many cultures in India which provide us better opportunities which can be seen in the cities like Ahmadabad and Aurangabad that are lacking in luxury products but the development is too fast which is the main target of the companies like LOreal. There was a setup of wholly owned Indian subsidiary operation in the year 1994 with the launching of the product of shampoo that is Garnier Ultra Doux shampoo. This was the period when there is explosion of television viewing and Indian women has taken great interest in the international beauty pageants but there were tangible changes which were visible only in few years ago when women has shown interest in joining the workforce. There were two key turning points which were Disposable income and exposure to globalized culture. (LOreal) The LOreal Company in India is the fastest growing subsidiary in the LOreal group and is around $200 million Company. In this emerging market there is lack of product penetration which provides us generous room for growth. There is launching of new manufacturing plants in India with the production capacity of around 100 million units a year. There is three division of LOreal in India which includes Consumer Products Division, Professional products division and Active cosmetics division. LOreal mainly focus on the young women which are prone towards the beauty in which its continuous efforts has been in the field of encouraging women to pursue their career in the field of Science, LOreal India which has been announced from seven consecutive years. There are various operations pursued in various countries which shows its multicultural attitude, that is, there are around 42 factories around the world, 46 billion units are manufactured and around 95 percent of the factories are ISO 14001- certified. There are various variations among the cultures around the world according to which there are different kind of demand from the company around the globe. There are many programs which are being run by the LOreal which supports many people which are disadvantaged, suffering from illness. There has been adoption of La vie, de Plus Belle by the association of cosmetic professional which has also supported most of the companies in and around the France but mainly it has focused in France only. In the year 2007, LOreal has founded a foundation which has provided funds to the Samusocial of Paris, which is a municipal emergency service that basically provides medical aid to the people who are homeless. There is such good work which is also conducted by the LOreal that has not only maintained its status in the marketing sector else they have developed their reputation in the social works also. (LOreals Global Branding Strategy) Conclusion- As we have seen about the LOreal which is a world class company with its registered office in Paris and has developed reputation in the field of cosmetics. They have mainly focused on the hair color, skin, hair care, make-up, sun protection except that company has also actively participated in the pharmaceutical and dermatological fields. There is an adoption of some techniques by the LOreal in order to enter in the market and competition, which basically injects its brand name with the vitality with the youth. It basically creates storms or we can say brainstorm of ideas. There is continuous 14th year of ruling by this company in the field of cosmetics and there are various chances given to the undergraduates in their last two years to become Brand Manager on one among the signature lines of the LOreal Company. There were two countries which were taken India and China in which the condition and status of the LOreal is discussed. There has been a cultural distinction which has been shown in the above paragraphs around the globe.

Essay --

St. Augustine considers his mother as a crucial factor in his conversion to Catholicism. However through the analysis of his Confessions it leads me to believe that St. Augustine’s mother was not a decisive figure. Monica was in the background keeping him in thought and prayer however Augustine’s watershed moments came as a result of his own examination of readings as well as his conversations with his friends and mentors. Therefore I argue that Monica had delayed Augustine’s baptism and it was his own experiences that allowed him to come to God. Baptizing a baby at birth was this was a common practice during the time when Augustine was born. And Monica had decided to keep Augustine from being baptized. Monica’s reasoning is really just an unnecessary precaution. Whether or not your sins are wiped away now or later as long as you go to confession you are forgiven of your sins regardless. More importantly this precaution keeps Augustine from strengthening his relationship with God early on because it had kept him from truly being responsible for his actions and had stunted his involvement in the Church. In the first chapter alone he states â€Å"I was already a believer, as were my mother and all the household, with the exception of my father.†1 He was already a steady believer in God and was ready to be baptized however he was kept from it and was influenced by the other people as they said â€Å"Let him be, let him do as he likes, he is not baptized yet.† Without the proper reinforcement and teaching he progressively strayed away from his beliefs and eventually lost himself in sin. This leads to one the most important incidents in Augustine’s childhood. Augustine spends more time lamenting on the time he had stolen the pears than he does ... ...e so it may be fabrication or mayhap truly be Godly intervention Augustine had opened up to a passage that had told him to discard his lust for flesh and put on Jesus Christ. This was the last sign that he needed and Augustine converts immediately. Throughout Augustine’s Confession he describes his journey of coming to Christ. He is constantly thanking his mother and giving much credit to her. Many of his developments are not due to any of Monica’s doing. He had always kept her in his thoughts and that is probably why he feels that she was influential. However he was most influenced by his friends, preachers, and even perhaps divine intervention. Without these revelations he could possibly have strayed away from Christianity or even religion completely. Therefore I conclude that although subtly influential, Monica was not an integral part of Augustine’s conversion.

Technology Addicts :: Technological Communication Essays

Technology Addicts Five empty chairs form a circle in the center of the room. Slowly but surely, people begin to make their way into the room. A young man dressed in a black suit sits down with his Newsweek and briefcase. He adjusts his tie, clears his throat, and pushes his wire-rimmed glasses up onto the bridge of his nose. A teenage girl sits down beside him, tucking blonde strands of hair behind her ears to reveal tiny white headphones attached to her iPod. She crosses her right leg over the left, tapping her foot in mid-air to the beat. The worn wooden door creaks open again, slamming shut behind a twenty-something carrying a thin silver laptop computer. He slouches down into the chair with an exasperated sigh and begins to type furiously at the keyboard. The businessman glares over the top of his glasses at him when the familiar chimes of instant messaging become as frequent as the taps of the keys. The young man continues, oblivious to his surroundings. The clock on the wall ticks closer to seven o'clock as the last two people amble in. A middle-aged woman sits down with her knitting, occasionally stopping to jot notes in the sleek PDA beside her. Finally, a woman with a clipboard comes through the door and takes her seat, completing the circle. She clears her throat and begins. "Good evening, and welcome to group therapy. Let's go over the ground rules: First no technology allowed at meetings. Put away your iPod, laptops, PDAs, etc. RIGHT NOW. And don't bring them back to these meetings or they will be confiscated." The group members scowl as they slowly wind up wires. "My only other rule is that you participate. You won't get anything out of group therapy if you don't put anything into it. Let's begin." * * * What would our lives be like if technology were our life support? We would probably not be able to go an entire day without emails, instant messaging, or the World Wide Web. Cell phones might as well be permanently attached to our ears.

Surviving the Cold War

When America dropped a bomb on Japan in 1945 it marked the end of World War 2 and the beginning of the Cold War. The government urged citizens to be prepared for the worst; an atomic bomb. It was a time of extreme fear. It was a time to take measures in your own hands to protect your family. As head of my household during the cold war it would be hard not to fall pray to the constant propaganda of the day. Since any above ground post atomic attack survival strategies would be futile; efforts would be made for an underground or bunker survival. I would build a shelter at least four levels deep underground. The engineering behind this structure would have to be well thought out. Things like radiation resistant paint would be carefully considered. Every minor detail would be planned out before taking on construction. The creation of a survival plan would be part of the essential strategy. This would be rehearsed on a regular basis so in the event, things would operate smoothly. Each member of the family would be charged with specific duties, to avoid any confusion and chaos. It would be practiced routinely so that it becomes second nature. In order to survive extended periods of time in a confined space your basic requirements must be met. The storage of water and food would be priority. I would try to build a tank that could hold at least a thousand gallons of water; as for food as many dried and can goods as possible. There would be no such thing as too much. My goal would be to have enough resources to last a year. I would make sure we had adequate power supply with back up generators and batteries for a year. Having an extensive first aid kit would be fundamental, in case of minor injuries and exposure to hazardous materials. Another key strategy would be secrecy. Information about the family bunker and supplies would not be shared with neighbors or any other non family members. I feel this is imperative for our survival. If the news of our location was shared with people our survival would be compromised because of having to share our resources and limited space. Finally the need for information would be a central motivator for reading the paper and watching the news reports about nemy operations and threats against the homeland. Keeping abreast of the news would let me know if it is safe to go outside or not. If we are expecting anymore bomb treats and generally what’s going on in the world around us. In any society that lives under fear, it is extremely important to be informed. Being prepared as best as possible would be your only chance for survival. Throughout history mankind have engaged in wars and I firmly believe that like them, we too; are resilient and can survive with the right preparations.

“As Good As It Gets” Film Essay

Hollywood film producers and authors of fictional novels destined for the big screen have often given their characters psychological disorders. Producers and writers seek ways to add depth to their characters’ personalities and give them something to struggle against during the course of the story. The average movie-goer does not necessarily have the knowledge to determine if the disorder displayed on the big screen is accurate. To understand the dilemma of the average movie watcher, this paper reviews As Good As It Gets (Mark, Sakai, Ziskin, Producers, 1997) in the context of Melvin Udall, the protagonist, who suffers from at least two psychological disorders. The film followed Melvin Udall, a romance novel author, who exhibits a score of odd behaviors. During one scene Melvin visits his psychologist who states the author’s diagnoses as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, Melvin also seems to struggle with the more troubling antisocial personality disorder, previously known as narcissistic personality disorder. David Myers (2014) defined obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as â€Å"an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and actions (compulsions), or both.† The character, Melvin Udall, certainly exhibits OCD traits. His behaviors are compulsive and are often triggered by anxiety. For instance, he compulsively locks his door and flips the light switch in groups of five. He washes using extremely hot water and several bars of soap per washing. These are typical compulsions for those with OCD and are notable as those attributed to evolution and natural selection.  Other behaviors Melvin Udall exhibited include his preference for a particular table at a restaurant, his organizing of items by color and hyper-organized packing, and his refusal to step on the cracks of New York sidewalks. While Melvin’s behaviors seemed linked to anxiety, his OCD only manifested as compulsive behaviors. No evidence of obsessive thoughts was dramatized. Melvin struggled against an undiagnosed antisocial personality disorder throughout the movie as well. Melvin’s narcissistic tendencies manifested in his egotistical actions and his inability to show interest in another’s point of view. This often led to verbally abusive behavior. â€Å"Where do they teach you to talk like this? In some Panama City â€Å"Sailor wanna hump-hump† bar, or is it getaway day and your last shot at his whiskey? Sell crazy someplace else, we’re all stocked up here.† – Melvin Udall, As Good As It Gets Myers (2014) described a person suffering from antisocial personality disorder as generally a man who exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members. Melvin greets each person he interacts with his own sterotyped beliefs regarding their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual preference and so forth. Nothing he says is considered culturally acceptable. He often hurts the feelings of those he interacts with and is not the least bit affected by the knowledge. At times he seems to know hurting someone’s feelings by his words and actions is wrong, but does not understand why what he said was improper. He has trouble understanding, for example, why his love interest Carol Connelly is offended when he refers to her carefully selected dress as a â€Å"house dress†. At other times, he only seeks others out for what they can do for him, but are unwilling to reciprocate any sort of friendship. This is the case when he asks his publicist for a personal favor from her husband to treat Carol’s sick child, but this is unwilling to listen or even pretend to be interested in a story about her own son. The movie, albeit entertaining, is a poor substitute for education on psychological disorders. Because the only disorder mentioned is OCD, the viewer may be left with the impression that the antisocial behaviors, symptoms of a personality disorder, are a product of the  obsessive-compulsive disorder, an anxiety disorder. Melvin’s behaviors begin to normalize toward the end of the movie as he makes closer attachments with several other characters. This may falsely imply to the movie-goer that his psychological disorders are easily treatable or curable. People with mental illnesses suffer from a stigma from the greater community. Unfortunately, this movie perpetuates the dangerous notion that mental illness is something one can take a stance against and overcome through will and action. Mental illness, just like an illness of the body, requires medical intervention. References Mark, L., Sakai, R., Ziskin, L. (Producers), & Brooks, J. L. (Director). (1997) As Good As It Gets [Motion Picture]. United States: Tristar Pictures. Myers, D. G. (2014). Exploring Psychology. New York, NY: Worth Publishers