Delusions of American Society Exposed in Mind the Gap Essay -- Mind th

Delusions of American Society Exposed in Mind the Gap by Meredith Oakes Mind the Gap, by Meredith Oakes is an ironic play that reflects many of the more undesirable traits of human nature. The play is set in the London Underground, a more or less universal setting. The two main characters are Ginny, the mother, and Lawrence, her son. The tone of the play is set within the first page and the characters are established quickly as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Mind the Gap, Ginny and Larence are riding on a train to get to the psychiatrist's office. He is rebellious and does not want to go or at least, if they have to go, he laments and whines for a car. ("I told you to take the car.") He is being taken to the psychiatrist because in Ginny's eyes, he dresses like a slob, slouches, and sits around. The mother considers appearances to be very important and she is concerned that the son does not live up to her expectations. As they head towards Brixton, arguments ensue and human instinct takes over. The three main points in this play are hypocrisy, irony, and society's emphasis of materialism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oakes establishes the tone of this play in the first page, when she differentiates between the two different voice volumes of Ginny. This is symbolic in that Ginny is also somewhat two-faced (hypocritical) about her son's behavior. As she switches between the two voice ranges, Emma (a minor character) comments and asks why they are going to Brixton. When Ginny masks the real cause of them going to Brixton, it mirrors how people in life want to feel accepted by society. They feel that they must conform to the social standards set in precedence. Anything different and people become afraid of what they do not know. Now at days, people are... ...olumbine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The nature of this poem is almost satirical in its mocking truth of the lacking side of human nature. In doing so, Mind the Gap can be compared to the absurd play, The Sand Box and the biting one-act of Baby With the Bathwater. The ironies of this story point out the delusional flaws of American society. People are usually in denial of criticisms concerning themselves. Other people's faults are often times so clear to others but their own faults are masked or nonexistent in their eyes. Human nature is a combination of both good and bad. Oakes does a superb job of emphasizing the "bad" side of humanity. Humans are flawed and sometimes, a hero does not exist. In this play, there were no heroes either. However, Oakes is able to transcend that fact and concentrate on the main point of the play: the hypocritical, self-conscious nature of mankind.

Importance of Understanding Cultural, Ethnic, and Gender Differences Essay

The United States is and will continue to be a very diverse place. More than 8 million legal immigrants came to the U. S. between 1981 and 1990, and an undetermined number of undocumented immigrants enter the United States each year. In addition, the United States includes people of many religions, languages, economic groups, and other cultural groups. In order to be a successful manager in today’s very diverse society a manager needs to be open and understanding of cultural differences, different ethnicities, and gender differences among employees. Diversity is the presence of people from a wide range of backgrounds all possessing different traits. Some possible contributors to diversity include but are not limited to differences in age, race, ethnic origin, culture, physical abilities, religion and sexual orientation. As the text book states, ‘bringing diverse workers into an organization is seldom a seamless transition. ’ People tend to prejudge and place stereotypes or generalized beliefs that all members of a group possess the same characteristics from different cultures, race, or sex; this must be overcome. To be effective, managers and employees need to recognize, respect, and capitalize on each other’s differences. By being diverse in its employees, a business has a better opportunity for new ideas and growth potential. As discussed this week in class, when the department head turned down the Jamaican friend for the position, even though he seemed better qualified, it showed stereotyping and prejudices can have a negative effect in the workplace. The situation made for an uncomfortable, even negative environment in the workplace. By the department head’s negative behavior it caused a barrier for productivity and potentially harmed working relationships. It is essential in today’s business world for managers and professionals to understand the importance of cultural, ethnical and gender differences to make a positive work environment possible. While performing the ball and sock experiment, I was put outside of my comfort zone and was forced to see what it was like in someone else’s shoes. I found the lefty experiment to be awkward and difficult. I started in the early morning as I was getting ready for work. The seemingly thoughtless tasks that I completed every morning such as showering, brushing my teeth and hair, and eating breakfast now became hard and tedious. I continued the experiment when I returned home from work. Preparing dinner as a lefty was virtually impossible and almost dangerous. Most tasks as a lefty were manageable after some time and practice, but operating a knife was not. I am sure that with a little time and patience these tasks could have become easier to me. I can see how it could be frustrating living as a lefty in a right handed world. This is the same concept as being from a different culture, ethnicity, and gender then those in your workplace. Although the transition into a new company can be difficult, with time and some adjustment it is possible. I can relate the ball in the sock experiment to the importance of understanding cultural, ethnic, and gender differences in the work place because adjusting to something that we are not accustomed to can be challenging. It is important to understand that people we come into contact with everyday come from a background that we may not know much about. It can be difficult to adjust when meeting new people or entering a new work environment. I believe an organizations success can be attributed to its ability to embrace diversity and appreciate the benefits. A workplace who supports diversity can supply an assortment of solutions to problems. A diverse workplace can facilitate a broader service range. It can allow a company to provide their service to those all around the world. I think the most significant benefit to supporting diversity in the workplace is the inspiration it gives to all of its employees to perform to their greatest capacity. Diversity allows employees to come together to accomplish a common goal as a team. Employees will feel comfortable to share their viewpoints and ideas to execute a goal or solve a problem. I believe diversity opens the door for workplaces to achieve higher productivity, result in higher profits, and benefit the community. Diversity may not be something that people are familiar with and may even have a difficult time adjusting to, which is similar to trying to using your opposite hand in daily tasks. I believe understanding diversity will show employees the importance of it in the workplace and how it can enhance the quality of work.

The Battle of the Java Sea in World War II

The Battle of the Java Sea in World War II The Battle of the Java Sea occurred on February 27, 1942, and was an early naval engagement of World War II (1939-1945) in the Pacific. With the beginning of fighting in the Dutch East Indies, Allied forces attempted to unite to slow the Japanese advance south towards Australia. This saw a combined American, British, Dutch, and Australian fleet formed to protect Java. In late February, this fleets Eastern Strike Force, led by Rear Admiral Karel Doorman, engaged the approaching Japanese in the Java Sea. In the resulting engagement, Doorman doggedly attacked the Japanese but proved unable to halt their advance. The battle concluded with the loss of the light cruisers HNLMS De Ruyter and Java as well as Doormans death. In the wake of the fighting, the remaining Allied ships fled though most were destroyed in separate actions a short time later. Background In early 1942, with the Japanese rapidly advancing south through the Dutch East Indies, the Allies attempted to mount a defense of Java in an effort to hold the Malay Barrier. Concentrating under the unified command known as American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Command, Allied naval units were divided between bases at Tandjong Priok (Batavia) in the west and Surabaya in the east. Overseen by Dutch Vice Admiral Conrad Helfrich, ABDA forces were badly outnumbered and in poor condition for the approaching fight. To take the island, the Japanese formed two major invasion fleets. Japanese Attacks Along the Malay Barrier. US Army Center for Military History Japanese Sighted Sailing from Jolo in the Philippines, the Japanese Eastern Invasion Fleet was spotted by ABDA aircraft on February 25. This led Helfrich to reinforce Rear Admiral Karel Doormans Eastern Strike Force at Surabaya the next day with several ships from the Royal Navy. Upon their arrival, Doorman held a meeting with his captains to discuss the upcoming campaign. Departing that evening, Doormans force consisted of two heavy cruisers (USS Houston HMS Exeter), three light cruisers (HNLMS De Ruyter, HNLMS Java, HMAS Perth), as well as three British, two Dutch, and four American (Destroyer Division 58) destroyers. Sweeping the north coast of Java and Madura, Doormans ships failed to locate the Japanese and turned for Surabaya. A short distance to the north, the Japanese invasion force, protected by two heavy cruisers (Nachi Haguro), two light cruisers (Naka Jintsu), and fourteen destroyers, under Rear Admiral Takeo Takagi, slowly moved towards Surabaya. At 1:57 PM on February 27, a Dutch scout plane located the Japanese approximately 50 miles north of the port. Receiving this report, the Dutch admiral, whose ships were beginning to enter the harbor, reversed course to seek battle. ABDA Commander Rear Admiral Karel Doorman2 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, nine destroyers Japanese Commanders Rear Admiral  Takeo TakagiRear Admiral Shoji Nishimura2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, fourteen destroyers The Battle Begins Sailing north, Doormans exhausted crews prepared to meet the Japanese. Flying his flag from De Ruyter, Doorman deployed his ships in three columns with his destroyers flanking the cruisers. At 3:30 PM, a Japanese air raid forced the ABDA fleet to disperse. Around 4:00 PM, Jintsu spotted the re-formed ABDA ships to the south. Turning with four destroyers to engage, Jintsus column opened the battle at 4:16 PM as the Japanese heavy cruisers and additional destroyers came up in support. As both sides exchanged fire, Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimuras Destroyer Division 4 closed and launched a torpedo attack. Exeter Disabled Around 5:00 PM, Allied aircraft struck the Japanese transports but scored no hits. At the same time, Takagi, feeling the battle was drifting too close to the transports, ordered his ships to close with the enemy. Doorman issued a similar order and the range between the fleets narrowed. As the fighting intensified, Nachi struck Exeter with an 8 shell that disabled most of the ships boilers and created confusion in the ABDA line. Badly damaged, Doorman ordered Exeter to return to Surabaya with the destroyer HNLMS Witte de With as an escort. The Sides Close Shortly thereafter, the destroyer HNLMS Kortenaer was sunk by a Japanese Type 93 Long Lance torpedo. His fleet in disarray, Doorman broke off the battle to reorganize. Takagi, believing the battle was won, ordered his transports to turn south towards Surabaya. Around 5:45 PM, the action was renewed as Doormans fleet turned back towards the Japanese. Finding that Takagi was crossing his T, Doorman ordered his destroyers forward to attack the approaching Japanese light cruisers and destroyers. In the resulting action, the destroyer Asagumo was crippled and HMS Electra sunk. Repeated Attacks At 5:50, Doorman swung his column around to a southeast heading and ordered the American destroyers to cover his withdrawal. In response to this attack and concerns about mines, Takagi turned his force north shortly before sunset. Unwilling to give in, Doorman steamed away into the darkness before planning another strike on the Japanese. Turning northeast then northwest, Doorman hoped to swing around Takagis ships to reach the transports. Anticipating this, and confirmed by sightings from spotter planes, the Japanese were in position to meet the ABDA ships when they reappeared at 7:20 PM. After a brief exchange of fire and torpedoes, the two fleets separated again, with Doorman taking his ships inshore along the Java coast in another attempt to circle around the Japanese. At approximately 9:00 PM, the four American destroyers, out of torpedoes and low on fuel, detached and returned to Surabaya. Over the next hour, Doorman lost his last two destroyers when HMS Jupiter was sunk by a Dutch mine and HMS Encounter was detached to pick up survivors from Kortenaer. A Final Clash Sailing on with his four remaining cruisers, Doorman moved north and was spotted by lookouts aboard Nachi at 11:02 PM. As the ships began to exchange fire, Nachi and Haguro fired spreads of torpedoes. One from Haguro fatally struck De Ruyter at 11:32 PM exploding one of its magazines and killing Doorman. Java was hit by one of Nachis torpedoes two minutes later and sank. Obeying Doormans final orders, Houston and Perth fled the scene without stopping to pick up survivors. Aftermath The Battle of the Java Sea was a resounding victory for the Japanese and effectively ended meaningful naval resistance by ABDA forces. On February 28, Takagis invasion force began landing troops forty miles to the west of Surabaya at Kragan. In the fighting, Doorman lost two light cruisers and three destroyers, as well as one heavy cruiser badly damaged and around 2,300 killed. Japanese losses numbered one destroyer badly damaged and another with moderate damage. HMS Exeter sinks during the Second Battle of the Java Sea, March 1, 1942. US Naval History Heritage Command Though soundly defeated, that the Battle of the Java Sea lasted seven hours is a testament to Doormans determination to defend the island at all costs. Many of the remaining units of his fleet were subsequently destroyed at the Battle of the Sunda Strait (February 28/March 1) and the Second Battle of the Java Sea (March 1). Many of the wrecks of those ships lost at the Battle of the Java Sea and the subsequent actions have been destroyed by illegal salvage operations.

Healthy Lifestyle Essay Essays

Healthy Lifestyle Essay Essays Healthy Lifestyle Essay Essay Healthy Lifestyle Essay Essay Living a healthy lifestyle is certainly not easy. A healthy lifestyle is defined by three different categories: physical, mental/emotional and spiritual. In order to live a truly healthy lifestyle, you must balance all three categories and they must all function together simultaneously. In order to live a physically healthy lifestyle, you must learn how to balance your every day life. Doing a minimum of thirty minutes of cardiovascular activity for just three days a week, can do a myriad number of positive things for your body. Not only can physical activity extend your years of life, but it can also reduce the likelihood of getting many health related problems. Exercising is not the only important feature of being physically healthy, though. A healthy diet is key. The food pyramid is there for a reason! Statistically, America has a very high mortality rate due to obesity. Portioning your food correctly can do wonders! Along with exercise and a healthy diet, sleep is also very important! A healthy range of hours of sleep is between 7-9 hours. Once you’ve reached a state of balance, you will already feel that much better physically, and even mentally. Having significant others and people that care about you is needed to have a healthy lifestyle. Whether you have a best friend, spouse, significant other or children, having people you can share your life with will always assist you on the road to a healthy lifestyle. A functional relationship with at least one other human being will get you through confusing, problematic situations and hard times. At the same time, having that man or woman by your side during the fun, fantastic and great events will be nothing but spectacular. You need and want a relationship with a person you can call your spouse, family member or friend. Your religion, relationships and morals all have an effect on your spiritual healthy lifestyle. What you practice for religion has an effect on how you live. A relationship with someone or something could have an effect on how you deal with living a healthy lifestyle. Your morals and how you were raised also have an effect on the healthy lifestyle you live. All these aspects of a spiritual lifestyle help you live a balanced life. A successful healthy lifestyle can be achieved through a balance within your physical, mental/emotional and spiritual aspects. Physical exercise keeps you in shape. Your emotions can help you keep yourself motivated to be healthy. Spirituality will help show you the right way to live a healthy lifestyle. When using these three tools, you can live the healthy lifestyle you want.

Pakistan History, Culture, Geography and Climate

Pakistan History, Culture, Geography and Climate The nation of Pakistan is still young, but human history in the area reaches back for tens of thousands of years. In recent history, Pakistan has been inextricably linked in the worlds view with the extremist movement of al Qaeda and with the Taliban, based in neighboring Afghanistan. The Pakistani government is in a delicate position, caught between various factions within the country, as well as policy pressures from without. Capital and Major Cities Capital: Islamabad, population 1,889,249 (2012 estimate) Major Cities: Karachi, population 24,205,339Lahore, population 10,052,000Faisalabad, population 4,052,871Rawalpindi, population 3,205,414Hyderabad, population 3,478,357All figures based on 2012 estimates. Pakistani Government Pakistan has a (somewhat fragile) parliamentary democracy. The President is the Head of State, while the Prime Minister is the Head of Government. Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif  and President Mamnoon Hussain were elected in 2013. Elections are held every five years and incumbents are eligible for reelection. Pakistans two-house Parliament (Majlis-e-Shura) is made up of a 100-member Senate and a 342-member National Assembly. The judicial system is a mix of secular and Islamic courts, including a Supreme Court, provincial courts, and Federal Sharia courts that administer Islamic law. Pakistans secular laws are based on British common law. All citizens over 18 years of age have the vote. Population of Pakistan Pakistans population estimate as of 2015 was 199,085,847, making it the sixth most populous nation on Earth. The largest ethnic group is the Punjabi, with 45 percent of the total population. Other groups include the Pashtun (or Pathan), 15.4 percent; Sindhi, 14.1 percent; Sariaki, 8.4 percent; Urdu, 7.6 percent; Balochi, 3.6 percent; and smaller groups making up the remaining 4.7 percent. The birth rate in Pakistan is relatively high, at 2.7 live births per woman, so the population is expanding rapidly. The literacy rate for adult women is only 46 percent, compared with 70 percent for men. Languages of Pakistan The official language of Pakistan is English, but the national language is Urdu (which is closely related to Hindi). Interestingly, Urdu is not spoken as a native language by any of Pakistans main ethnic groups and was chosen as a neutral option for communication among the various peoples of Pakistan. Punjabi is the native tongue of 48 percent of Pakistanis, with Sindhi at 12 percent, Siraiki at 10 percent, Pashtu at 8 percent, Balochi at 3 percent, and a handful of smaller language groups. Most Pakistan languages belong to the Indo-Aryan language family  and are written in a Perso-Arabic script. Religion in Pakistan An estimated 95-97 percent of Pakistanis are Muslim, with the remaining few percentage points made up of small groups of Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsi (Zoroastrians), Buddhists and followers of other faiths. About 85-90 percent of the Muslim population are Sunni Muslims, while 10-15 percent are Shia. Most Pakistani Sunnis belong to the Hanafi branch, or to the Ahle Hadith. Shia sects represented include the Ithna Asharia, the Bohra, and the Ismailis. Geography of Pakistan Pakistan lies at the collision point between the Indian and Asian tectonic plates. As a result, much of the country consists of rugged mountains. The area of Pakistan is 880,940 square km (340,133 square miles). The country shares borders with Afghanistan to the northwest, China to the north, India to the south and east, and Iran to the west. The border with India is subject to dispute, with both nations claiming the mountain regions of Kashmir and Jammu. Pakistans lowest point is its Indian Ocean coast, at sea level. The highest point is K2, the worlds second-tallest mountain, at 8,611 meters (28,251 feet). Climate of Pakistan With the exception of the temperate coastal region, most of Pakistan suffers from seasonal extremes of temperature. From June to September, Pakistan has its monsoon season, with warm weather and heavy rain in some areas. The temperatures drop significantly in December through February, while spring tends to be very warm and dry.   Of course, the Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountain ranges are snowbound for much of the year, due to their high altitudes. Temperatures even at lower elevations may drop below freezing during the winter, while summer highs of 40 °C (104 °F) are not uncommon. The record high is 55 °C (131 °F). Pakistani Economy Pakistan has great economic potential, but it has been hampered by internal political unrest, a lack of foreign investment, and its chronic state of conflict with India. As a result, the per capita GDP is only $5000, and 22 percent of Pakistanis live under the poverty line (2015 estimates). While GDP was growing at 6-8 percent between 2004 and 2007, that slowed to 3.5 percent from 2008 to 2013. Unemployment stands at just 6.5 percent, although that does not necessarily reflect the state of employment as many are underemployed. Pakistan exports labor, textiles, rice, and carpets. It imports oil, petroleum products, machinery, and steel. The Pakistani rupee trades at 101 rupees / $1 US (2015). History of Pakistan The nation of Pakistan is a modern creation, but people have been building great cities in the area for some 5,000 years. Five millennia ago, the Indus Valley Civilization created great urban centers at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, both of which are now in Pakistan. The Indus Valley people mixed with Aryans moving in from the north during the second millennium B.C. Combined, these peoples are called the Vedic Culture; they created the epic stories upon which Hinduism is founded. The lowlands of Pakistan were conquered by Darius the Great around 500 B.C. His Achaemenid Empire ruled the area for nearly 200 years. Alexander the Great destroyed the Achaemenids in 334 B.C., establishing Greek rule as far as the Punjab. After Alexanders death 12 years later, the empire was thrown into confusion as his generals divided up the satrapies; a local leader, Chandragupta Maurya, seized the opportunity to return the Punjab to local rule. Nonetheless, Greek and Persian culture continued to exert a strong influence on what is now Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Mauryan Empire later conquered most of South Asia; Chandraguptas grandson, Ashoka the Great, converted to Buddhism in the third century B.C. Another important religious development occurred in the 8th century A.D. when Muslim traders brought their new religion to the Sindh region. Islam became the state religion under the Ghaznavid Dynasty (997-1187 A.D.). A succession of Turkic/Afghan dynasties ruled the region through 1526 when the area was conquered by Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire. Babur was a descendant of Timur (Tamerlane), and his dynasty ruled most of South Asia until 1857 ​when the British took control. After the so-called Sepoy Rebellion of 1857, the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah II, was exiled to Burma by the British. Great Britain had been asserting ever-increasing control through the British East India Company since at least 1757. The British Raj, the time when South Asia fell under direct control by the UK government, lasted until 1947. Muslims in the north of British India, represented by the Muslim League and its leader, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, objected to joining the independent nation of India after World War II. As a result, the parties agreed to a Partition of India. Hindus and Sikhs would live in India proper, while Muslims got the new nation of Pakistan. Jinnah became the first leader of independent Pakistan. Originally, Pakistan consisted of two separate pieces; the eastern section later became the nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan developed nuclear weapons in the 1980s, confirmed by nuclear tests in 1998. Pakistan has been an ally of the United States in the war on terror. They opposed the Soviets during the Soviet-Afghan war but relations have improved.

Why more and more college students are taking online classes Essay

Why more and more college students are taking online classes - Essay Example Most of the students use to take online classes when they faced difficulty in scheduling the needed classes due to their busy routines of being full time workers, older, married or having responsibilities of children and other family members (Pearson Foundation, 2010). Students sometimes also failed to get enrolled due to overbooked or closed session and then take online classes. It is due to wide array of benefits associated with online courses that the college students are widely turning towards online classes. Online classes offer high level of flexibility and it became easily possible for the students to schedule their classes from their homes or any other place when they get time to spend on the studies. Like real colleges, they don’t have to take time for going colleges neither they have to think about travelling towards college to avoid missing the class at specific time (Schworm, 2008). The college students are also widely taking online classes due to the availability of wide array of options regarding the selection of courses, subjects, diplomas and degree programs. They have many choices in front of them and can choose any one of their interest regardless of physical presence of the college near their place. The online classes often offer lower tuition rates as compared with the fee of many traditional colleges. The students don’t have to spend on buying text books because most of the online classes do not require students to buy books but they provide material through EBooks or other online resources like downloadable lectures, notes, assignments and reading material etc. In the way the overall expenses of the studies became lower and it became easy for the students to manage their studies with even lower budgets (Schworm, 2008). Online classes allow choosing the study timing according to the convenience. The college students can easily plan

Consumer Problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Consumer Problems - Essay Example It is identified that carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and extreme heat produced during the disaster amplify the dreadfulness of mattress fires. This paper will explore the lethal effects of mattress fires and will also recommend solutions to the issue. Potential issues of mattress fires As per the report released by CPSC representatives, mattress fire causes 700-1000 deaths annually (Mattress and bedding fires). This huge mattress fires related death rates point out the severity of the issue. According to Mullan (2004), national fire loss estimates assert that mattresses and bedding were the major cause to ignite in 19, 400 residential fire cases attended by fire service during 1995-1999. Although many regulations have been initiated to address the issue, none of them could effectively avoid the mattress fires. The regulations could persuade industries to manufacture fire resistant mattresses. However, even the restructured mattresses are not capable of preventing the spread of fire . The issue has turned to be one of the major social concerns in the United States as technology did not develop an effective method to eliminate this problem. Although cigarette smoking in bed is the main cause of mattress fires, type of suits the individuals wearing, the furniture used, and the room setting also add to the rapid spread of the mattress fires. It is important to note that mattress fires spread very quickly in an uncontrollable manner and hence it increases the chances of fatalities and huge economic loss. According to United States Deputy Fire Administrator Chief Charlie Dickinson (as cited in Morales, 2004), mattress fire doubles itself every minute. From the reported mattress fire cases, it is observed that users of mattresses, their family members, and neighbors in nearby apartment units are at risk of mattress fire. It is assumable that the mattress fire victims would probably be asleep and it adds to the severity of the issue. Similarly, kids and aged persons a re easily affected by mattress fires since they lack sufficient physical fitness to leave the disaster spot instantly. Carbon monoxide is the deadly gas released during mattress fire disasters and it would kill individuals before the flames do. Many consumers are of the belief that previous government regulations have completely eliminated mattress fires; however, these regulations could only reduce the risks associated with mattress disasters. Solutions Obviously, it is difficult to stop the mattress fires completely; therefore, it would be better to explore some remedies that would mitigate the dreadfulness of this issue. Firstly, people must get aware of the dreadfulness of mattress fire and the available disaster response techniques. The adult persons must be careful about removing their children and aged parents from bed at the time of disaster. In addition, one must close the doors to stop fire and call the fire service department. It is advisable for the fire service departme nt to provide awareness programs to the public. Likewise, it is not practical to inhibit people from smoking in bed; hence, it is better to place a protective material layer in between sheets and mattress. In the opinion of Hammack (as cited in Sumi and Williams-Leir, 1969), woolen blankets, cotton cloth treated with a commercial launderable fire retardant, and certain types of plastic sheeting are the effective defensive measures to prevent