Psychological Experience of Colonialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Role of Young Minds in Shaping India’s Path Towards Free Essays

Paper Title Role of Young Minds in forming India’s way towards turning into a Superpower Name : Dhruv Tripathi College Name : University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun Course : B. A. LL. We will compose a custom paper test on Job of Young Minds in Shaping India’s Path Towards or on the other hand any comparative point just for you Request Now B. third Semester E-mail : dhruv28tripathi@gmail. com Introduction Young age presently has a great deal of duty in making India a Super Power. We have done well in specific angles; be that as it may, we have to go an extremely long way still. The development in GDP, development in Exports, work openings, increment in education, decrease in neediness and so on itself can't make India a Super Power. Many would concur that India is rich, however, Indians are poor. We have to deal with the development appropriately and we have to guarantee that all Indians succeed and Human Rights are secured. The expanding hole among rich and poor isn't useful for the nation and it brings about transformation one-day and framework will get influenced if individuals resort to radicalism. It is critical to focus on foundation improvement in the Country so as to draw in FDI and so as to help Industry which makes a lot of work openings. In any case, there won’t be any significance for the advancement except if we can give certain essential things to the residents of this nation. In India, with cast assuming a major job and with parcel of neediness and as each resident has a privilege to cast a ballot, there is degree for muscle influence and cash power in legislative issues rather capacity and responsibility to serve the individuals. The more youthful age can not avoid legislative issues since governmental issues are degenerate and they ought to be sufficiently adult to get things and to serve the individuals. There are numerous issues we have to focus and it is the obligation of more youthful age to take the test and to act in a developed manner rather turning to radicalism or cynicism. I might want to communicate my perspectives on barely any difficult issues in this nation : Youth into Politics: Many individuals reprimand government officials so effectively and we talk about political defilement much of the time rather thinking towards the arrangement. I do accept that incredible individuals in this nation thought about the approaches to change our governmental issues. We have carried a few changes to Peoples Representative Act, we are examining about the propensity of purchasing votes, not permitting individuals with criminal foundation in challenging races and furthermore about State subsidizing. I have heard a conversation on open financing of ideological groups, at the same time, I realize that it is hard to manage this issue as well and in any event, drafting a guideline giving open subsidizing won't be any simple issue and it will prompt such a significant number of different complexities. Extraordinary individuals have inferred that the open financing won't tackle the issue of political decision use. Numerous additionally opine that going through parcel of cash in races and purchasing votes may not ensure achievement, be that as it may, not going through cash in races can ensure rout. This is a reality. Thusly, I we need not ponder this issues and Election Commission is there to uphold its guidelines and it will carry out its responsibility. Media: Media is not any more free now and the individuals are not in a situation to depend on media reports except if the issues is neglected unmistakably. Media can do such huge numbers of things truly and it can change this general public. Notwithstanding, they are extremely occupied with their issues and keeping their TRP appraisals flawless. They state that they need not have a duty and they can not do noble cause. There is a legitimacy in the contention of media as well, be that as it may, open intrigue is most importantly. Notwithstanding, it is hard to manage media and there ought to be mindfulness among the individuals that what media says need not be right. The issue is significant and we have to discover ways with respect to how to forestall the media in harming society and regarding whether it is conceivable to control the media. Training Health Care: Today numerous product engineers and other instructed utilized in great organizations taking great compensation. A large number of these studied in Government Schools and schools and they struggled with destitution. Notwithstanding the destitution and different issues, they could develop and accomplish positions in life now. Be that as it may, presently, these product engineers utilized in great organizations and taking great compensation thinking that its hard to get their youngsters instructed. In the event that this is the circumstance for the informed and utilized, at that point, shouldn't something be said about individuals living beneath destitution line? In any case, in this nation, significant number of individuals lives Below Poverty Line. I firmly accept that we can not pull off this Education and Health Care through Schemes and Privatization. State Governments have a major task to carry out in granting training and in giving Health Care. Our Governments have parcel of cash in their grasp now with modern and generally speaking development, be that as it may, they go through all the cash towards accomplishing their political motivation. On the off chance that this nation can not give training to the individuals Below Poverty Line at liberated from cost, at that point, we may need to address a substantial cost for that and we will likewise observe inner unrest. It is such a delicate issue now and we can not overlook this. Agribusiness Farmers do confront part of challenges with the mediators. The issues of our ranchers to be comprehended and State Governments should give most extreme need with regards to how to ensure our Agriculture. We can not disregard our Agriculture which gives job to dominant part of Indians even now either legitimately or in a roundabout way. Our State Government Agri Departments should work effectively tending to the issues of the ranchers every now and then. We have to keep up an unassuming Agri development while concentrating on the Industrial Growth. We have to focus on both. Legitimate System There is a great deal of discussion about our lawful framework. Why we guarantee that we are created except if our privileges are properly ensured with fair treatment of law? We need not take a gander at the job of Police, the examination, the defilement in Police Department and different issues while we talk about lawful framework. Truly, we need great police officers, agents and we have to have an instrument where the sets of the Court are actualized successfully and rapidly. The job of Police and associated issues need not really be combined while talk about legitimate changes. Since, the police changes are straightforwardly associated with legislative issues and political authority. That’s a greater issue. We have to have a genuine glance at our court framework, the nature of judges, the work culture, and the nature of legitimate experts, the procedural issues and other associated things. We can not overlook our lawful framework any longer. I realize that there are inconveniences in getting changes our lawful framework. There can be obstruction from the legitimate experts when the Government or the specialists push forward specific changes. Yet, we need not have a reasonable arrangement concerning how to proceed and we should have the option to viably manage the opposition as well. Youth of this nation ought not be terrified at the issues and we have to discover arrangements all together make our nation a Super Power. There is no issue without arrangement and we have to discover the arrangements. Modern Growth and the ‘Sustainable Development’ Environment is generally significant for the general public and that is the reason even the created nations talk such a great amount about insurance of condition. Mechanical development will have a characterize sway on condition; in any case, we can't disregard the modern development if India needs to rival the remainder of the world and if India needs to decrease the pace of destitution. It is additionally obvious that there can be individuals with personal stakes who will consistently attempt to hamper the mechanical development. A cautious parity is to be made in such manner. Youth of this Country ought to likewise be worried at our condition and it’s the duty of any Government to ensure the earth. There can be open weight the correct way and simultaneously, individuals ought to know about the personal stake bunches hampering the development alluding to condition. Straightforwardness in all Government Departments There is some change with regards to working of Government Departments now. With innovative transformation and with e-administration, numerous divisions are automated and we don't know concerning whether the exertion is earnest or a ‘eye-wash’. Be that as it may, there is a change and we can think about the administration, rules and guidelines and so on through Internet now. This is a much needed development and Right to Information Act powers the community workers presently to be straightforward and to keep up the records appropriately, as else, they will be fixed one day. The degenerate authorities in different Government Departments find different ways hampering the change procedure. Numerous Government Departments should give the fundamental data and data about grumbling position. In any case, we may not discover this data and nobody talks at the duty. The expectation with which an arrangement is made to frame Trade Unions is additionally being abused regularly prompting coercing Governments. Governments ought to be in a situation to manage any possibility of this sort and each division ought to have a reasonable arrangement with respect to how to counter these sorts of issues. Step by step instructions to refer to Role of Young Minds in Shaping India’s Path Towards, Essay models

Masdar City An Example for Cleantech Innovation

Masdar City An Example for Cleantech Innovation © Shutterstock.com | LMspencerThe low-rise, mixed-use high development city that is Masdar and the pride of Abu Dhabi, is a wonderful example of existing and growing cleantech innovation. This article takes you through 1) introduction to Masdar, 2) features, 3) commercial occupants, 4) support and criticism, and 5) first private homes on the way.INTRODUCTION TO MASDAR CITYWhat is it?Masdar City is one of the few successful examples of arcology â€" structures incorporating architectural design principles for thickly populated habitats (hyperstructures) with the aim of minimizing environmental impact. The project depends on solar as well as other sources of renewable energy. The construction of the city was begun with the objective of creating it the world’s first completely sustainable, zero-emission city. The ambitious city was first announced in 2006 as a $18-22 billion project.How did it happen?The U.A.E President and ruler of Abu Dhabi, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was aware that oil â€" the key source of Abu Dhabi’s wealth, would one day run out. So, he asked his advisers to develop a long-term plan that would enable the country to expand their economy away from hydrocarbons. The solution they arrived at was renewable energy. Abu Dhabi could be a part of the global energy campaign and make money from it too.The idea was to build a fully functional city, the making of which would trigger better local comprehension of and more investment in green technology and industry. Expertise in those industries would in the short term enable the Emirate to sell more of whatever remaining oil it had overseas, and in the long term, offer them considerable revenue. It was also expected that by providing office space to eco startups and housing a green-concentrating university, the city could function as an incubator for a fresh generation of Emirati greentech entrepreneurs. This in turn could help invigorate a local population used to big pay packe ts and subsidies and, it was hoped, additionally, boost Abu Dhabi’s international reputation.Who is handling the project? © Flickr | GDS InfographicsSultan Al Jaber, a young Emirati with an MBA, and an economics Ph.D. from Coventry University was entrusted with the massive task. As of December 2013, the 39-year-old was leading a team of 233, and doubling as a cabinet minister. In 2006, the team was just six-member strong. Masdar, an auxiliary of Mubadala Development Company is heading the project. The contract was awarded to design practice Foster with the team being led by Evenden (currently senior executive partner at the company).FEATURESSolar poweredMasdar is solar powered by way of a 54 acre (22-hectare) field of 87,777 solar panels. There are also solar panels on the city’s roofs. The initial plan was to power the whole city using on-site means such as rooftop solar panels. However, later, it was discovered that developing a solar field on the ground and in the center of the desert was more efficient. It was easier to make a man brush these solar panels on the ground rather than to have to acce ss individual buildings to clean the solar panels on their respective roofs.With respect to solar panels, blowing sand that sticks on the panels has come as an obstacle. So Masdar has been collaborating with other companies to build surfaces having smaller pores then those of sand particles to keep the sand particles from sticking. Work is also in progress towards coatings that repel bacteria and sand which could be used on solar panels and various other applications.According to Foster + Partners, the land around the city would contain photovoltaic and wind farms, plantations and research fields, enabling the community to be fully energy self-sufficient.Architecture and temperatureThe city’s construction resembles that of ancient Arab cities, and the temperature is cooler than the surrounding desert.This cleantech city has terracotta walls adorned with arabesque patterns. To people viewing the city from a distance, it appears to be a cube. Foster’s design team began their proje ct by touring ancient cities such as Muscat and Cairo to see what it was that kept these cities cool. They discovered that the solution these cities had to handle hot desert temperatures was narrower; shorter streets typically extending no more than 70 meters. The streets’ end buildings generate adequate wind turbulence to propel air upwards leading to a flushing effect that keeps the street cool. Following this model, the streets in Masdar are also short and narrow, and buildings are clustered together to form walkways and streets protected from the sun. A wind tower 45 meters high and modeled on conventional Arab designs sucks air from above and channels a cooling breeze through the city’s streets.The vertical faces of the buildings are clothed with screens that resemble a terracotta mesh. These screens keep the sun out while allowing entry to the breeze. The design of the walls (cushions of air restrict heat-radiation) has helped decrease demand for air-conditioning by an ama zing 55 percent. A cooling effect is also contributed by the site being at a raised level compared to the surrounding land. Owing to the distinct architecture that keeps the city cool, the temperature here usually seems 15 to 20 degrees less than what’s felt in the surrounding desert.Palmwood is used as an exterior wood (appears in features such as the entrance gates, doors, and screens) all through the city. Palmwood is a sustainable hardwood-substitute created by Pacific Green and utilizing plantation coconut palms that have ceased to bear fruit.BioFuelsWonderful development in biofuelsSaltwater fed desert plants could provide jet fuel for companies such as Etihad Airways and Boeing.No water taps or light switches to cut water and electricity use, green water management.Water and lighting are controlled by movement sensors that reduce water and electricity consumption by 55 and 51 percent electricity. In addition, about 80 percent of utilized water would be recycled.Waste water would be recycled as many times as it can be recycled and would be used for crop irrigation and other applications.PV (photovoltaic) panels are cleaned with water only twice a year. The remainder of the year, the cleaning is done manually with brooms.TransportationPractically car-free, walking is encouragedThe nearest rapid transport connections and amenities are at a maximum distance of 200 meters, thereby encouraging the practice of walking. Almost all cars have been replaced by a set of driverless electric vehicles that take residents around under the site.The first design banned automobiles, with the intention of accomplishing travel through PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) systems and public mass transit, with existing railways and roads linking to other locations outside the city. As per an amended design, public transport within the city would depend on means other than PRTs. Instead, there would be a combination of clean-energy vehicles and electric vehicles for mass transit wit hin the city. Most of the private vehicles would be limited to parking lots along the city’s perimeter. The emirate’s existing metro line and light rail would link the cleantech city’s center with a greater metropolitan area.Shams 1Possibly the most noteworthy of what Masdar has to offer is situated even further afield. This is Shams 1, the Middle East’s biggest solar plant and the world’s biggest CSP (concentrated solar plant) at 100MW with 258,000 mirrors and a huge (220 tons) custom-made 125 MW steam turbine produced by MAN. It is a 100MW solar field situated on a 2.5 square kilometer plot of land, 150 km southwest of Masdar. The solar field is so huge that even for a person looking from atop a sand dune situated 75 meters away, the site goes beyond his field of vision. Though the $600 million costing plant is situated outside Masdar City, it is an essential aspect of the project’s story. This plant is just one of a number of green tech projects that Masdar executed. The funding for Shams 1 comes from Masdar’s investment arm.Shams1 is ten times larger than Masdar City’s and functions differently. It has no panels, only curved five-meter-wide mirrored blades sparkling in the heat. Each of these blades reflects the sun’s 40-degree centigrade rays on to the center of a pipe of liquid. The considerable concentrated heat causes the liquid to be heated to a temperature of several hundred degrees celsius. The liquid is then pumped through an on-site station â€" the heat producing electricity that would save 175,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year. Finished at the beginning of 2013, the solar plant would take 20,000 Abu Dhabi homes off-grid.Masdar City Welcome Video COMMERCIAL OCCUPANTSMasdar InstituteThe Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), a graduate level research university concentrating on environmental sustainability, clean technology and alternative energy was the cleantech city’s first occupant. The Institute was responsib le for the engineering plans of the energy efficient city and is the focal point of research and development activities.MIST’s building, developed with the help of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology utilizes 70 percent less electricity and potable water than regular buildings of a similar size. It is also fitted with a metering system that continuously monitors power consumption. The campus has been designed in a manner that highlights the flexibility, modern materials, and the adoption of traditional architectural elements to enable an optimized blend of natural lighting and cooling to minimize energy requirements.By 2013, the institute was 336 student strong, of which 42 percent were from the U.A.E, and 35 percent were women. The faculty and students of the Masdar institute are involved in more than 300 joint projects with academia, government agencies, and private enterprises. Their research tends to center on smart grids and smart buildings, renewable energy, environmen tal engineering, electronics, water use and energy policy and planning.SiemensMasdar City is home to a regional headquarters for Siemens. Designed by the British architecture firm Sheppard Robson, the LEED platinum building is the most energy economizing in the whole of Abu Dhabi. It utilizes energy efficient and sustainable building techniques and materials.The 130,000 square-foot building has been constructed around the concept of a “box within a box.” The structure incorporates an airtight and highly insulated inner façade that insulates from the sun and a lightweight shading system made of aluminum on the exterior. Under the building, the plaza is funnel-shaped. This shape is useful for sucking winds blowing at the time, beneath the building. Thanks to the Venturi effect, a breeze moves through atria in the building structure, up to the building’s roof, cooling public spaces without energy expenses. In addition, the atria enable daylight to enter the building center so as to decrease the need for artificial lighting, thereby bringing down energy consumption further. All the building’s automation systems are from Siemens.The building has won several awards including the award for best office building (MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Awards 2012) and best office architecture (International Property Award Winners Arabia 2012).IRENAAs of May 2013, construction has begun for the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Masdar City. The headquarters of IRENA, co-located with the Masdar headquarters, would generate renewable energy from the 1,000 square-meters rooftop photovoltaic solar panels to deliver renewable energy. The building would also incorporate systems to achieve water usage that is less than 50 percent that of a typical building in Abu Dhabi.The combined headquarters campus would comprise three buildings on the territory of the 32,000 square-meter complex. There would be a common community courtyard f or the buildings that would connect the offices to restaurants, shops and open areas.Incubator buildingThe Incubator building is perhaps the most futuristic of all structures in the city. A cuboid structure constructed around a central core that is fixed with drought-resistant plants, the building was made with recycled aluminum sheets and extrusions, and recycled structural steel in keeping with Masdar’s attempts to encourage a sustainable supply chain of materials. Dressed in colorful ceramic plates that assist the Incubator building with meeting Masdar’s strict energy requirements, it also functions as something of a huge mirror that reflects the surrounding campus.The Incubator building incorporates office and retail space to accommodate regional offices for multinationals, start-ups, and small-and-medium-sized enterprises. It was designed to house approximately fifty companies and to attract brilliant companies and people who would like to research and engineer sustainable water and energy projects in a free economic zone.Some of the prominent tenants in the building are Mitsubishi, General Electric (GE) and Schneider Electric. GE’s ecomagination center in Masdar City is the center’s first ever ecomagination center and also the first resident in the 10000 square meter, four storey Incubator building. The center offers exhibitions and training on water and energy efficiency.SUPPORT AND CRITICISMThe project is supported by many major entities including the U.S. government, the World Wide Fund for Nature (an international conservation charity), and Greenpeace. In response to the project’s dedication to zero waste, zero carbon and other environmentally friendly objectives, WWF and the sustainability group BioRegional have endorsed the city as an official One Planet Living Community. The Alliance to Save Energy honored the city with a 2012 EE Visionary Award in appreciation of the city’s contributions to the furthering of energy efficiency.Just as Masdar City has its advantages, it has its shortcomings too:The city has no affordable housing, so a considerable number of the city’s workforce have to drive to their jobs. The city’s only residents are the university’s students.Though Greenpeace supports the project, they emphasize that more importance should be attached to retrofitting already existing cities for greater sustainability rather than building new zero-carbon cities from scratch.Life in the city is not urban. There are just a small number of cafes, a bank, a travel agency and an organic supermarket. However, the cafes are dead outside of mealtimes and the only customers for the travel agents are the lecturers.Some skeptics are of the view that the city would only be representative of Abu Dhabi and that it would turn into a luxury option for the affluent.Another disadvantage is the inaccessibility of the cleantech city from central Abu Dhabi.Masdar: The City of the Future | Fully Charged FIRST PRIVATE HOMES ON T HE WAYAs per information from May 2014, Masdar is taking key steps to developing the cleantech city’s first private homes. The 500 new houses, to be designed by Woods Bagot promise to be super sustainable and completed within the next two years. As per a report from The National, the development has already been leased in full to educational establishments and corporations to be owned by Masdar. This plan is part of a bigger $15-18 billion development plan that would result in 2,000 homes to accommodate a maximum of 40,000 residents and 50,000 workers.It is likely that Masdar Institute educators and students, and representatives and blue collar workers of businesses (large and small) that set up shop in any of the six office plots, would take up residence in the new neighborhood. However, there would also be 750 homes available on the open market.The Masdar City project is expected to be completed in the period between 2020 and 2025.

Essay Okonkwo, Things Fall Apart - 1015 Words

An Essay on Things Fall Apart Man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but, when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all. (Aristotle). Okonkwo is a perfect example of Aristotle’s quote in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Even though he is said to be the most powerful man in Umuofia, Okonkwo’s personal imperfections of fear, failure and uncontrollable anger do not allow him true eminence as a human being. Okonkwo is one of the most influential men in the Ibo tribe. In his tribe, he is both feared and honored. Which is evident by this quote, Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond... [He] had brought honor to his tribe by throwing Amalinze the Cat...(Achebe page:3) This suggests that†¦show more content†¦Okonkwos first and most prominent flaw is his fear of becoming a failure. It is greatly influenced by his father, but Okonkwo takes his fear to the extreme. Okonkwos father was a very lazy and carefree man. He had a reputation of being poor and his wife and children had just barely enough to eat... they swore never to lend him any more money because he never paid back. (Achebe Page: 5) In Umuofia, a father is supposed to teach the children right and wrong, and in this case, the lessons were not taught, but self-learned. Okonkwo had to rely on his own interpretations of what defined a good man and to him that was someone that was the exact opposite of his father. As a result of his own self-taught conclusions, Okonkwo feels that anything resembling his father or anything that his father enjoyed was weak and unnecessary. Because of his fear to be seen as weak, Okonkwo even strikes down a child that calls him father: (and as the machete came down] Okonkwo looked away. He heard the blow... He heard Ikemefuna cry My father, they have killed me!... Okonkwo draws his machete and cuts him down, he does not want to be thought weak. (Achebe page:61) The fact that he kills the child shows that the way that he thinks is wrong, that reputation is more important than the life of a child. Although it is a shame to beShow MoreRelatedThings Fall Apart Okonkwo Analysis735 Words   |  3 Pageswas respected by everyone in the community. People were not judged on by their fathers success. Because of this Okonkwo works hard to gain status and made it his goal in life to not be like his father. In the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Okonk wos actions were due to extreme belief in his village`s saying that if you worked hard you would be greatly rewarded. When Okonkwo was a young boy he grew up with a lazy father which he despises â€Å"In his day he was lazy and improvident and was quiteRead MoreThings Fall Apart, Okonkwo Is A Tragic945 Words   |  4 PagesIn Chinua AchÐ µbÐ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s novÐ µl Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is a tragic hÐ µro. AristotlÐ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s PoÐ µtics dÐ µfinÐ µs a Tragic HÐ µro as a bÐ µnÐ µvolÐ µnt man of high status who Ð µxhibits a tragic impÐ µrfÐ µction (â€Å"hamartia†) and Ð µxpÐ µriÐ µncÐ µs a dramatic rÐ µvÐ µrsal (â€Å"pÐ µripÐ µtÐ µia†), as wÐ µll as an Ð µxcruciating momÐ µnt of appÐ µrcÐ µption (â€Å"anagnorisis†). Okonkwo is a bÐ µllwÐ µthÐ µr and hardworking mÐ µmbÐ µr of thÐ µ Igbo community of Umuofia whosÐ µ tragic impÐ µrfÐ µction is his grÐ µat fright of his doom and failurÐ µ. Okonkwo’s fall from gracÐ µ in thÐ µ IgboRead MoreSimilarities Between Okonkwo And Things Fall Apart1242 Words   |  5 Pagesking Macbeth atte mpts to ward off any threat to his reign and succession by all means. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo, the main character, equally does anything and everything to prove his valor. Though set in 11th century Scotland and 19th century Nigeria respectively, and portrayed through the main characters of Macbeth and Okonkwo, the authors of both Macbeth and Things Fall Apart each demonstrate an extensive yet subtle examination regarding the notion of how exorbitant amounts ofRead MoreOkonkwo as a Tragic Hero-Things Fall Apart1198 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ OKONKWO AS A: TRAGIC HERO Aristotle once said â€Å"A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his downfall.† The protagonist of the book â€Å"Things Fall Apart† by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo demonstrates characteristics of being an Aristotelian tragic hero. According to Aristotle, a Tragic Hero is one who exhibits a tragic flaw that causes a reversal of fortune to him in his own error of judgment. Okonkwo is a leader and a hardworking member of the Igbo tribe of the village of Umofia whoseRead MoreAn Analysis Of Okonkwo s Things Fall Apart 1259 Words   |  6 PagesIn Things Fall Apart the novel, Okonkwo was determined to be nothing like his father Unoka, this â€Å"strict adherence to masculine standards, (which causes the destruction of his family, creates dissent in his tribe, and leads him to his death) supports the value of the feminine in Igbo culture.† â€Å"Though it may seem that women are seen as the weaker sex in Ibgo society,† (E., Skwiot personal c omment, August 23, 2016) The novel is set at the end of the twentieth century. It describes in detail aboutRead More Okonkwo in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay973 Words   |  4 PagesOkonkwo in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart  Ã‚  Ã‚   Okonkwo, as presented by Chinua Achebe in the novel Things Fall Apart, wished to be revered by all as a man of great wealth, power and control--the antithesis of his father. Okonkwo was driven by the need to exhibit utmost control over himself and others; he was an obsessive and insecure man. Okonkwos father, Unoka, was a failure, a loafer, and People laughed at him (1426). This would bring great shame to any man as it did for OkonkwoRead MoreOkonkwo The Power Hungry Warrior in Things Fall Apart1323 Words   |  6 Pages Okonkwo, The Tragic Hero The novel, Things Fall Apart, takes place in a Lower Nigerian village of Iguedo and Mbanta and is centered around a man by the name of Okonkwo. Okonkwo, the protagonist, is introduced as the most renowned warrior of all tribes who brought great honor to his tribe by becoming the top wrestler of the villages. Throughout the book, Chinua Achebe expresses Okonkwo as a man whose obsession with power is what ultimately leads him to failing in attempts to obtain that power throughRead MoreEssay on The Values and Beliefs of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart629 Words   |  3 PagesThe Values and Beliefs of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart Things Fall Apart is a novel, which is directly focused on the tribes and the local life of the native people. The protagonist in this novel is a proud strict and tough man with the name of Okonkwo. Okonkwo was born in the mid-nineteenth century, in the Igbo village of Umuofia, (which we now know as southeastern Nigeria). Okonkwos life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness. His father was a man Read MoreMasculinity in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Okonkwo Essay1833 Words   |  8 PagesThings Fall Apart: Okonkwo’s Masculinity The Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a straight to the point story, embedded with interesting elements that capture readers’ attention. In my view, when I read the story, I found many interesting things about the theme of the book. But The Masculinity Okonkwo was what captures my attention. The story opens up to a Traditional Igbo lifestyle, a theme which is highly stylized from its ritual to the actions performed for certain ceremonies. Most of the actionRead MoreThings Fall Apart: Okonkwo Character Analysis Essay856 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel Things Fall Apart, strength and pride are very important aspects of the main character, Okonkwo, however, these traits may sound like excellent traits to possess but because of the way he was raised, Okonkwo harbours many of his emotions under an outer shell of violence, strength and pride. His traits can be shown by looking at where he has come from in his life, for example, Okonkwo has acquired a large amount of wealth in his life because of his hard work and dedication which he also

The Old Man And The Sea - 1238 Words

The endless advance of time has left many writers, and their works forgotten. Only a select few live on, Ernest Hemingway being a prime example. With his straight forward style of writing and his Sinatra-esque personality his name still continues to live on to this day. His most famous work called â€Å"The Old Man and the Sea† which follows and old washed up fisherman whom is down on his luck embarks on a voyage where he is thrown into a long bout with a tremendous marlin. The novel landed Hemingway a Pulitzer Prize in 1953 signifying the peak of his career. After this novel Hemingway coping with the throes of alcoholism drove himself into deep and darkening depression. No longer a functioning alcoholic, writing became a somewhat†¦show more content†¦Although they still took the story exactly where they needed to go without boring the reader. As many say that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s constant description of things may leave them in awe with how beautifully constructed his sentences are. It leaves you wondering where the plot was going. This was never an issue of Hemingway’s he delivered the plot right at your feet, which may be why his stories where so well received in his later life. War struck the world after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand sparking world war 1( the great war). The alliance system hurdled countries against each other like no other war before. With the new technological advancements soldiers had never been more dangerous raising the death toll tremendously. As a noble young man Ernest enlisted in the itallian military as an Ambulance driver where he saw more than enough bloodshed. After sustaining some battle injuries a certain nurse in a hospital caught Hemingway’s eye causing him to go mad with lust. He proposed the the nurse she accepted the young authors proposal only to run away with another man in just a few short weeks. Crushed by the love lost Hemingway later poured and channeled these emotions into later works of his own including â€Å"`A Very Short Story†, and much more widely renowned â€Å"A Farewell to Arms†. Still in recovery fromShow MoreRelatedThe Old Man And The Sea1561 Words   |  7 Pages The Old Man and The Sea is more than a book about a fish and an old man, it teaches us strength and never giving up on ourselves. The Old Man and The Sea is written by Ernest Hemingway about Santiago, The Old Man. Hemingway is a writer known for his iceberg themes in his novels, where ten percent of its message is what you read and the ninety percent is hidden. That ninety percent is up to interpretati on. My interpretation is Hemingway’s The Old Man and The Sea he expressesRead MoreThe Old Man And The Sea1154 Words   |  5 PagesThe sea in a way is like a living being. The way it rhythmically carries itself, showing all of its majestic beauty. 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Reforming Public Education Visual Outline Free Essays

Reforming Public Education in America Visual Outline Corrie Broughton Western Governors University WGU Student ID # 000235996 Reforming Public Education in America 1. The world around American school children is changing, but the public school system is failing to keep up with all the changes. Many programs that are in place were great 50+ years ago but now true reform is needed. We will write a custom essay sample on Reforming Public Education Visual Outline or any similar topic only for you Order Now A. The United States used to have the highest standards in the world for education. B. With so many budget cuts, the education of American children is suffering. There is little money for updated textbooks, new technology, and even to updated buildings. Many teachers reach into their own pockets to supply their classrooms even with the basics of paper and pencils. C. Taxes should be paying for world-class education in America, but the government is not using those dollars wisely. School district boards are in complete charge of how the money is distributed to each school. Not all schools will receive the same amount, some will get more and some will get less. 2. The public education system needs change. Children are getting further and further behind in math and science when compared to other countries. The No Child Left Behind law has some good goals but those goals are hard to achieve because the standards are set too high. It’s hard to judge what the standards are because each state has their own test for student achievement. A. Very little money for schools means no new textbooks or technology available to students. Cut backs also mean no counselors or school nurses on campus. Additionally, school buildings do not get much-needed repairs. B. Student/teacher ratios are too high. Teachers cannot give individual attention to students, and students struggle with keeping up with the curriculum. Poor performing teachers make the same amount of money as a good teacher. Tenure and the teacher’s union protect all teachers from any form of discipline. C. U. S. schools have failed to keep up with other countries in education. The common factor with all of the countries that have students achieving their standards is all students use the same curriculum and there is not a No Child Left Behind Law. The United States has the shortest school year and fewest amount of hours children spend in the classroom. 3. Research suggests that the U. S. ducation system could benefit from reform because there is very little money for schools; there are over-crowded classrooms with tenured teachers who are protected by the unions and other countries are surpassing America’s once great education system by leaps and bounds. References Athavale, G. (2009, October 29). U. S. education falling behind those of other countries. Retrieved from http://www. saratogafalcon. org/content/us-educat ion-falling-behind-those-other-countries Behrent, M. (2009, Summer). Reclaiming our freedom to teach: Education reform in the Obama era. [Part of the special issue, Education and the Obama presidency]. Harvard Educational Review 79 (2), p. 240-6. Retrieved from http://wguproxy. egloballibrary. com/login? user=trueurl=http://vnweb. hwwilsonweb. com/hww/jumpstart. jhtml? recid=0bc05f7a67b1790e84eb37b49561a968d1ff2c9fe8790d78c3c4d7ec0aaa2d1d11262f4eeb607acdfmt=C Howell, W. ; West, M. ; Peterson, P. (2011 Fall). The public weighs in on school reform Retrieved from Education Next, 11(4), and 10-22 A Failing Grade For Public School Funding (2010, June 01). [Editorial] Los Angeles Times Retrieved from http://articles. latimes. com/2010/jun/01/opinion/la-ed-funding-20100601/2 Leana, C. 2011, Fall). The missing link in school reform p. 30-35 Retrieved from http://go. aft. org/socap National Commission on Excellence in Education (1903, April 26). A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. Retrieved from http://www2. ed. gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/index. html Resnick, L. ; Nolan, K. (1995 March). Where in the world are world-class standards? Educational Leadership, Vol. 52, p. 6-10, 5p Retrieved from http://www. ascd. org/publications/educational_leadership/mar95/vol52/num06/Where_in_the_World_Are_World-Class_Standards?. aspx Schools and Testing: Left How to cite Reforming Public Education Visual Outline, Papers

One of my favorite things to do when traveling in Essays

One of my favorite things to do when traveling in a new city is to visit the museums. I have never been to a city that did not offer the usual museum fare, usually in the form of the "Anytown Art Museum", or the "Anytown Museum of Natural History". While these types of museums house some incredible artifacts, and I do visit them often, I also like to seek out museums of a more unusual sort. Museums are mostly the same just about everywhere you go, both in the United States and Europe. They offer the visitor a glimpse into the past culture of any given city or country by displaying relics found throughout the world. But there are also many museums that showcase artifacts of the culture in a much more specific way. Some fine examples of these kinds of museums include the Pez Museum, close to San Francisco, dedicated to the little candy dispenser, the Muzeum hracek in Prague, dedicated to toys of the world, both past and present, the Dungeon, a history of Medieval torture, also in Prague, and the Liberace Museum in Las Vegas, dedicated to all things Liberace--and I mean all things. The Pez Museum is not actually in San Francisco, but is located south of the city in a town called Burlingame. If you are in the Bay Area for any reason, do not miss this museum! Remember when you were a little kid, and you loved to collect Pez dispensers? Well, times have changed, and now Pez c ollections mean big money, and big business. The most expensive Pez dispenser to date is the short lived Mr. Potato Head dispenser, complete with a make-it-yourself face. This Pezsells for $5,000 at auction! This museum contains literally hundreds of Pez Dispensers, collected since their inception back in the Fifties. While Pez may not compare to a Rodin sculpture in terms of being considered classical art, obviously there are some people out there who appreciate the finer nuances of a mere candy dispenser. Toy museums abound throughout the world. I have been lucky enough to have visited two toy museums in my life, both in Europe. The first one was in a quaint town in Germany called Rothenburg. This town dates back to the Medieval era, and is one of the few towns in western Europe that is still contained within its original defense walls. Because most of the buildings inside the walls are original, this town has become a major tourist attraction for European tourists. The Toy and Puppet Museum in Rothenburg is displayed in a 15th century house just outside the walled part of the city. It contains over 800 dolls and puppets from France and Germany dating back some 200 years. When you walk into this museum, you are immediately overwhelmed by all of the faces staring back at you. Most of the dolls and puppets are in cases, and as you wander through the halls, you get this creepy feeling of their eyes following you as you go. The puppets are fascinating. Once upon a time, puppet shows traveled throughout the countryside, entertaining the masses just like the movies do today. Puppet shows were also a vehicle to bring news of the current events and developing politics of the cities to those in the countryside. It is fascinating to see the development and evolution of these puppets through the ages. As the cultures of France and Germany changed, so did the puppets facial expressions, clothing and accessories. The other toy museum I visited was located in the Count's chambers in Prague Castle, the Museum hracek. This museum offers more of a variety of toys than just dolls and puppets like the one in Rothenburg. The museum showcases toys from the last 150 years including intricate toys made oftin and toy clocks that really work. The delicate workmanship of these clocks and tin toys speaks volumes about the evolution of toys from then to now. Children love technological toys no matter what age they live in. The Barbie doll collection here needs to be seen to be believed. Hundreds of Barbie dolls live in their own separate room of the museum. They range from the

footnotes on sam- sex marraige Essay Example

footnotes on sam footnotes on sam- sex marraige Essay footnotes on sam- sex marraige Essay Footnotes: 1 . Christian Broadcasting Network, Americans Question Who Makes a Family, www. cbn. com, Sep. 15, 2010 2. Nate Silver, Divorce Rates Higher in States with Gay Marriage Bans, www. fivethirtyeight. com, Jan. 12, 2010 3. Ross Douthat, The Marriage Ideal, wrww. nytimes. com, Aug. 8, 2010 4. Kathryn Perry, The Cost of Gay Marraige In Dollars and Cents, Christian Science Monitor, May 27, 2009 5. American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association Reiterates Support for Same-sex Marriage, www. apa. org, Aug. 11, 2010 6. Freedom to Marry, Marriage 101, www. eedomtomarry. org (accessed Sep. 15, 2010) 7. Tara Siegel Bernard and Ron Lieber, The High Price of Being a Gay Couple, wrww. nytimes. com, Oct. 2, 2009 8. American Anthropological Association, Statement on Marriage and the Family, wrww. aaanet. org, Feb. 26, 2004 9. Margaret Talbot, Marriage as a Dynamic Institution, www. newyorker. com, Jan. 12, 2010 10. Do We Really Want to Redefine Marriage, www. floppi ngaces. net, Aug. 11, 2010 11. Glen Law, Gay Marriage and the Slippery Slope,' www. latimes. com, May 21, 2008 12. Ballot Arguments, wmwprotectmarriage. com (accessed Sep. , 2010) 13. Fiona Tasker, PhD, and Susan Golombok, PhD, Growing Up in a Lesbian Family: Effects of Child Development, 1997 14. M. V. Lee Badgett, PhD, When Gay People Get Married, 2009 15. William N. Eskridge, Jr. , Equality Practice: Civil Unions and the Future of Gay Rlghts, 2001 16. Paula Ettelbrick, Since When Is Marriage a Path to Liberation? , OUT/LOOK National Gay and Lesbian Quarterly, Fall 1989 17. Stanley Kurtz, The End of Marriage in Scandinavia, Weekly Standard, Feb. 2, 2004 18. Stephen J. Heaney, A Marriage Tail, www. thepublicdiscourse. com, Aug. 13, 2010 19. Dana Mack, Now What for Marriage? , wrww. wsJ. com, Aug. 6, 2010 20. Andrew Sullivan, Same-Sex Marriage pro and con, 2004 21 . David Carter, Stonewall: The Riots that Sparked the Gay Revolution, 2005 22. George Chauncey, Why Marriage? : The History Shaping Todays Debate over Gay Equality, 2004 23. Tricia Andryszewski, Same-Sex Marriage: Moral Wrong or Civil Right? , 2007 24. Gregory M. Herek, PhD, Facts About Homosexuality and Mental Health, www. ucdavis. edu (accessed Sep. 16, 2010) 25. North Carolina Passes Same- sex Marriage Ban, CNN Projects, www. cnn. com, May 8, 2012 26. Alan Cooperman, Jonathan Finer, and Fred Barbash, Gay Couples Wed in Mass. , Washington Post, May 17, 2004 27. House Rejects Same-Sex Marriage Ban, Washington Post, Oct. 1, 2004 28. Jennfer C. Pizer, Lambda Legal Applauds Perry v. Schwarzenegger Ruling Striking Down Prop 8, www. lambdalegal. org, Aug. 4, 2010 29. Same Sex Marriage, Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships, www. ncsl. org, Apr. 2010 30. Maura Dolan, Federal Panel Puts Same-sex Marriage on Hold as Appeal of Prop. 8 Ruling Goes Forward, www. latimes. com, Aug. 17, 2010 31 . ABA Supports Legalizing Same-sex Marriage, wrww. upi. com, Aug. 1 1, 2010 32. : American Psychological Association Reiterates Support for Same-sex Marriage, www. apa. org, Aug. 11, 2010 33. Church Statement on Proposition 8 Ruling, www. newsroom. lds. org, Aug. 4, 2010 34. Jeffrey Donovan, Pope Condemns Gay Marriage, Warns on Biotechnology Before Trip to U. K. , www. bloomberg. com, Sep. 13, 2010 35. Nate Silver, Opinion on Same-Sex Marriage Appears to Shift at Accelerated Pace, www. fivethirtyeight. com, Aug. 12, 2010 36. Americans Split Evenly on Gay Marriage, www. cnn. com, Aug. 11, 2010 37. Amber G. Marcellino, et al. , Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate H. R. 2517 (29 KB) , www. cbo. gov, Dec. 17, 2009 38. J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo, et al. , The Legal, Medical, Economic Social Consequences of New Jerseys Civil Union Law (414 KB) , wrww. nJ. gov, Dec. 10, 2008 39. Recognition of Same-Sex Couples Worldwide (21 KB) , www. lambdalegal. org,July 19, 2010 40. Answers to Questions About Marriage Equality (357 KB) , www. hrc. org, Dec. 8, 2009 41 . Vaughn Walker, JD, Opinion, Perry v. Schwarzenneger (343 KB) , wrww. uscourts. gov, Aug. 4, 2010 42. Richard J. Podell, American Bar Association Recommendation (117 KB) , www. christianlaw]ournal. m, Aug. 10, 2010 43. William C. Thompson, Jr. , Love Counts: The Economic Benefits of Marriage Equality for New York (127 KB) , www. comptroller. nyc. gov,June 2007 44. James G. Pawelski, MS, et al. , The Effects of Marriage, Civil Union, and Domestic Partnership Laws on the Health and Well-being of Children, Pediatrics, July 2006 45. Nanette Gartrell, MD, and Henny Bos, PhD, US National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study: Psychological Adjustment of 17-Year-Old Adolescents, Pediatrics, July 7, 2010 46. Rachel H. Farr, Stephen L. Forsell, and Charlotte J. Patterson, Parenting and Child Development in Adoptive Families: Does Parental Sexual Orientation Matter? , Applied Developmental Science, July 19, 2010 47. AnJan Choudhury, JD, Application for Leave to File Brief Amici Curiae in Support of the Parties Challenging the Marriage Exclusion, and Brief Amici Curiae of the American Psychological Association, California Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, National Association of Social Workers, and National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter in Support of the Parties Challenging the Marriage Exclusion (277 KB) , www. courtinfo. ca. gov, Sep. , 2007 48. Laura Langbein and Mark A. Yost, Jr. , Same-Sex Marriage and Negative Externalities, Social Science Quarterly, June 2009 49. Bruce Peterson, JD, Majority Opinion, Baker v. Nelson (186 KB) , www. marriagelawfoundation. org, Oct. 15, 1971 50. W. Bradford Wilcox and Elizabeth Marquardt, The State of Our Unions: Marriage in America 2009 (851 KB) , www. stateofourunions. org, Dec. 2009 51 . Brady E. Hamilton, PhD, Joyce A. Martin, MPH, and Stephanie J. Ventura, MA, Births: Preliminary Data for 2008 (312 KB) , National Vital Statistics Reports, Apr. 6, 2010 52. Bruce J. Ellis, Does Father Absence Place Daughters at Special Risk for Early Sexual Activity and Teenage Pregnancy? (827 KB) , Child Development, May 2003 53. Judith Stacey and Timothy J. Biblarz, (How) Does the Sexual Orientation of Parents Matter? , American Sociological Review, Apr. 2001 54. Joseph Card. Ratzinger, Considerations Regarding Proposals To Give Legal Recognition To Unions Between Homosexual Persons (67 KB) , wrww. vatican. va, June 3, 2003 55. Steven Levinson, JD, Majority Opinion, Baehr v. Lewin (152 KB) , www. umass. edu, May 5, 1993 56. John Dooley, Baker v. Vermont (202 KB) , Majority Opinion, www. umass. edu, Dec. , 1999 57. Jake Tapper, President Obama Supports Legislation to Repeal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), www. abcnews. com,July 19, 2011 58. David Nakamura, Obama Backs Bill to Repeal Defense of Marriage Act, www. washingtonpost. com,July 19, 2011 59. A Contentious Debate: Same-Sex Marriage in the U. S. , www. pewforum. org,July 9, 2009 60. US Supreme Court, Loving v. Virginia, la w. cornell. edu,June 12, 1967 61. Remarks from NAACP Press Conference On Marriage Equality, NAACP. org, May 21, 2012 62. Should Homosexuals Have Equal Protection Rights Based on Their Sexual Orientation? , ProCon. org, Apr. 2009 63. Denmark Approves Same-Sex Marriage and Church Weddings, BBC website, June 7, 2012 64. Jackie Calmes and Peter Baker, Obama Says Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Legal, New York Times, May 9, 2012 65. Michael K. Lavers, Uruguayan President Signs Marriage Bill into Law, Washington Blade, May 7, 2013 66. Marriage Legislation Becomes Law, Radio New Zealand website, Apr. 21, 2013 67. France Gay Marriage: Hollande Signs Bill into Law, BBC website, May 18, 2013 68. Ezra Klein, Sorry, Justice Scalia: Theres No Evidence That Gay Parents Arent Great Parents, Washingtonpost. com, Mar. 27, 2013 69. Shankar Vedantam, Bans of Same-Sex Marriage Can Take a Psychological Toll, NPR. org, May 20, 2013 70. Ryan T. Anderson, Marriage: What It Is, Why It Matters, and the Consequences of Redefining It, Heritage. org, Mar. 11, 2013 71 . Jillian Keenan, Legalize Polygamy! , Slate. com, Apr. 15, 2013 72. Jeffrey M. Jones, Same-Sex Marriage Support Solidifies Above 50% in U. S. , Gallup. com, May 13, 2013 73. United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Perry v. Brown (704 KB) , wrww. uscourts. gov, Feb. 7, 2012 74. David G. Savage, Gay Marriage Ruling: Supreme Court Finds DOMA Unconstitutional, ww. atimes. com,June 26, 2013 75. US Supreme Court, United States v Windsor (320 KB) , wmw. uscourts. gov, June 26, 2013 76. Bill Mears, Supreme Court Dismisses Californias Proposition 8 Appeal, www. cnn. com,June 26, 2013 77. US Supreme Court, Hollingsworth v Perry (169 KB) , wmw. uscourts. gov, June 26, 2013 78. Chris Kirk, What Countries Have Marriage Equality? , www. slate. com,July 17, 2 013 79. Where State Laws Stand, www. freedomtomarry. org (accessed July 1 7, 2013) Sources: Jonathan H. Adler, Is Judge Walkers Opinion Really That Compelling? , www. volokh. com, Aug. 2010 Paul Axel-Lute, Same-Sex Marriage: A Selective Bibliography of the Legal Literature, www. law-library. rutgers. edu, Sep. 1, 2010 Frederick Hertz, Making It Legal, 2009 Michael Mello, Legalizing Gay Marriage, 2004 Rhode Island Couples Talk Marriage Equality in New Video, www. glad. org, Mar. 16, 2010 David A. J. Richards, The Case for Gay Rights: From Bowers to Lawrence and Beyond, 2005 R. Claire Snyder, Gay Marriage and Democracy, 2006 Stonewall Rebellion, wrww. nytimes. com, Apr. 10, 2009 Suzanna Danuta Walters, All the Rage: The Story of Gay Visibility in America

The Freelance Writer at Home

The Freelance Writer at Home The Freelance Writer at Home The Freelance Writer at Home By Colin Of all the benefits of being a freelance writer, working from home has to be one of the best. You can set your own pace, manage your time how you want it, and best of all, you get to be your own boss. Leaving the negatives out of the equation for the moment, what can a freelance writer do to make sure her working environment is as comfortable, supportive, and reliable as it would be, were she working in a city centre office? I’m not talking about front door security, a subsidized canteen, or even an ample supply of free staples and pens. I’m talking about the little things that affect productivity, like comfort, and staying sane. Here’s a few things all freelance writers can do to make the working day go that little bit easier. Buy A Good PC/Laptop This is more important than many writers realize, because when I say â€Å"good,† I really mean â€Å"reliable.† There’s nothing more infuriating to have a PC that hangs on you as a deadline approaches. If you can’t trust the machine you are working on to be there when you need it, maybe it’s time to reinvest. PCs and laptops are relatively cheap these days, and if you only intend to use it for writing on and connecting to the Internet, you need not go for a brand spanking new top of the range model. Save yourself some money and opt for a lesser model that’s just as new. So long as you can load up the software you need, and get onto the Internet, it will do just as well. Keep Software Current Maybe your PC is reliable and trustworthy, but it’s getting kind of slow. Windows 3.1 has almost ground to a halt and your printer drivers won’t install any more. If this sounds like you, not only should you be upgrading to newer hardware, but you should also think about updating your software. All things man-made ground to a halt and die, especially PCs, which have an optimal performance life expectancy of around five years. Therefore keeping up with the latest technology isn’t so much a flashy thing to do, it’s a vital one if you are running a home-based business and need to keep up with your competitors, and continue to produce quality work. Use A Reliable Printer Owning a suitable printer can not only save you time, but also money. I tend to favor laser printers for their speed and relative cost to maintain, but you should do some research to find out what type, make, and model suits you. Some printers are notorious for paper jams or the rate at which they require a refill, so find out before you buy. But A Nice Desk A nice desk that fits your writing style and feels comfortable should be a priority for every home-based writer. Among the most important things to consider when buying a desk are: Width: will it fit where you want it to go? Height: it should be comfortable to type on and have plenty of leg room. Cost: the cheaper the better, but you will get what you pay for. Surface space: how good is its ability to cope with papers and books strewn all over it and still allow you room to work on? Is there room for your PC/laptop, printer, telephone, etc.? Does there need to be? Keyboard drawer: some desks come with a pull-out drawer on top of which the keyboard rests. Some people don’t like these and find them awkward – do you? Invest In A Comfortable Chair A good chair in terms of comfort and design is an important investment for anyone who intends to sit on it for most of their working day. Not only is it good for comfort reasons, but also for health and safety. The main qualities in a chair to consider are: Back height: do you prefer high backs or low? Support: is the back supportive enough to keep your back straight, and protect you from potential spinal damage? Height to desk: can the height be adjusted to allow you to look at the screen straight on, and so that your arms are comfortable while you type? You would be amazed how many repetitive strain injuries writers get, purely caused by poor chair height. Swivel or static: do you want your chair to swivel, or do you prefer it grounded? Wheels: Do you like your chair to be able to move around easily? Material: are you a leather fan, or do you prefer cloth? CD/Radio Some writers concentrate easier with low music playing in the background; the type of music they listen to often influencing what they write. Others prefer to have total silence. Either way, having a small CD player or radio handy can be useful should the mood take you or if you rely on it. If you’re stressed about an urgent deadline, the facility for some Vivaldi might just do the trick. Book Case If you have the space, think about getting a book case. A lot of writers like to have their favorite books nearby, but also for practical reasons, being able to retrieve a reference book quickly without breaking your train of thought, is worthwhile reason enough. Warmth Working in a cold room is horrible, so make sure you have a source of warmth for those cold winter months. I have a radiator in my office as opposed to a heater, because I find the warmth much more pleasant as opposed to an air heater, which dries out my eyes. Window Being able to look out to the real world is something all home-based writers should do on a regular basis. Getting involved with your work to the point where you start to forget that life exists on the other side of the door, is a dangerous place to get to. Fish Tank A small quirk of mine, but I love the background noise generated by the tropical fish aquarium in the corner of my office. It’s not the fish that make the noise – they don’t talk to me or anything like that but the bubbles and flow of water give me the calming sensation of standing next to a gentle flowing river, which in turn, helps me focus on what I am writing. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Dialogue Dos and Don'tsWhat's a Male Mistress?15 English Words of Indian Origin

The dissapointment by behn's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The dissapointment by behn's - Essay Example The writer had approached the 17th century contemporary literary as well as socio-political aspects that were predominant in the restoration world of art and literature. Behn’s treatment of the 17th century discourse of sexuality and morality In the poem Behn took up the topic of the battle of the sexes that was one of the most prevalent topics in restoration literature. Her poem began with the typical act of the male pursuing the female in the game of love. She apparently glorified masculine strength over feminine coyness as the power that initiated the act of love. By describing Lysander as one who made sexual advances to a lady because he was â€Å"By an impatient passion swayed† (I.1), Behn not only pointed out the vain male ego but the crudity of the situation. As a contrast to Lysander’s rakish character Behn created Cloris as the conventional figure of ‘virgin innocence’ who was apparently trying to ward off his charms. But her resistance to L ysander’s approaches as she â€Å"Permits his force, yet gently strove† (II.14) indicated Cloris’ indulgence.

Knowledge Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Knowledge Management - Essay Example The information or knowledge can be derived from two major sources: the individuals or employees and the information or data found in the approaches or procedures of the organization. â€Å"Knowledge management is the formulation of and access to experience, knowledge, and expertise that create new capabilities, enable superior performance, encourage innovation, and enhance customer value†(Gloet, 2006). Furthermore, â€Å" KM is a strategy that turns an organizations intellectual assets-both recorded information and the talents of its members into greater productivity, new value and increased competitiveness, it teaches cooperation from managers to employees, how to produce and optimize skills as a collective entity† (Gloet, 2006). The primary motive of knowledge management is to ensure that the aims and goals of the organization. The objectives of the organization revolve around the enhancement of performance, increasing organizational efficiency, innovation, learning and development and constant development of the organization (Addicott, McGivern and Ewan, 2006). Research suggests that KM concentrates on the integration of organizational learning and development in order to distribute knowledge and information. Furthermore, it allows individual employees and groups to work collaboratively in order to share organizational insights in order to improve organizational productivity and efficiency. It also concentrates on enhancing the overall organizational structure, increasing profitability and to change in accordance to the conditions of the market. Literature suggests that KM is an essential and integral part of business organizations and it concentrates on delivering and sharing of relevant knowledge to the appropriate individual at the right time. For this purpose, it is essential that the knowledge management systems are developed in accordance to the needs

Analysis of Audens The Age of Anxiety :: Auden The Age of Anxiety Essays

Analysis of Auden's The Age of Anxiety    In Auden's lengthy poem, "The Age of Anxiety", he follows the actions and thoughts of four characters who happen to meet in a bar during a war.   Their interactions with one another lead them on an imaginary quest in their minds in which they attempt, without success, to discover themselves.   The themes and ideas that Auden's "The Age of Anxiety" conveys reflect his belief that man's quest for self-actualization is in vain.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   W. H. Auden was born in York, England, in 1907, the third and youngest son of Constance and George Auden (Magill 72).   His poetry in the 1930's reflected the world of his era, a world of depression, Fascism, and war.   His works adopt a prose of a "clinical diagrostician [sic] anatomizing society" and interpret social and spiritual acts as failures of communication (Magill 74).   They also put forth a diagnosis of the industrial English society among economic and moral decay in the 1930's (Magill 72).   Conflicts common in his works are those between war and peace, corruption of modern society, and the "dichotomy between the rich and the poor" (Barrows 317).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "The Age of Anxiety" is, in general, a quest poem.   Unlike the ideal quest, however, this quest accomplishes nothing.   The characters search for the meaning of self and, in essence, the meaning of life, but because their search is triggered by intoxication due to alchohol, the quest is doomed from the start.   Throughout the quest, the characters believe themselves to be in a form of Purgatory when they are allegorically in Hell.   They fail to realize this due to "the modern human condition which denies possibility but refuses to call it impossible" (Nelson 117).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In "The Age of Anxiety", there are four characters of significance. Quant, the first to be introduced, addresses himself in a mirror, an action typical to a drunken man.   He is an aging homosexual widower who finds refuge in the mirror because it offers him the easiest way of facing himself (Nelson 117-118).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Malin, the most dominant character overall, is a medical intelligence officer on leave from the Canadian Air Force.   His background labels him as the "would-be doctor and leader" in the world of "The Age of Anxiety".   His name is reminiscent, in relation to the war, of a malingerer, and the composition of his personality hints at the evil within him (Nelson 118).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rosetta, the most human of the characters, is a department store buyer, and comes closer to self-actualization than any of the other characters in the poem.   Emble is a young sailor and would-be prince whose

Good Fellas Essay

During the years of adolescence, children tend to conjure up ideas of what life will be like as an adult. Some dream of becoming a firefighter, some a teacher, but young Henry Hill is not like most children. He dreams of becoming a mob member and spends his time fantasizing about the cars and women that will come with the title. In the film Good Fellas, Martin Scorsese uses repetitive violence and poor decisions to show Henry Hill that material possessions and status are not of importance when you are reprimanded by the law, and further, how people in society tend to become blind by fortune and do not think about the consequences they could face by their actions. Scorsese creates a strong sense of what life is like for an Italian American, who is involved in the Mafia. Between the mass amount of mob movies and the reality shows available on cable, the stereotypes of Italians are not too keen. Before meeting an Italian American, a person who is over interested in food, tan, loud, hot tempered and obnoxious comes to mind. In some cases even a visual of a mob member. In this movie, Scorsese focuses on the way the mob members dress and eat, which helps create a strong image for the viewer of what is important to these characters. Once Henry started to become involved in the mob’s activities, he started to dress like them, â€Å"You look like a gangster,† his mother was appalled by his appearance. This is the first time the stereotype of how a member of a mob dressed is acknowledged. Henry shows up on the door step of his parent’s house at a young age, wearing a pressed suit and sparkling black dress shoes. He had used his earnings from the restaurant to make what he thought was an everlasting impression and to show his growing status. Shortly after Henry marries Karen, she is invited to a mob wife’s hostess party. She shows up in a designer dress and notices that â€Å"these women appear to be wearing thrown together pants suits and wearing worn makeup,† to her disgust. Later as the movie progresses Karen herself begins to adapt to this look as well. This is scene when appearances become less important and survival according to the demands of the mob is more of a focus. The aspect that never changes is how important a good meal is no matter what is going on around them and focus on the present tense. Even when Henry and Tommy have a man in the trunk, they think nothing of parking the car in a residential driveway to have a hearty meal with Tommy’s mom. Whenever life takes a turn for the worse, all is lost and the men are in prison, they still manage to prepare a five coarse meal. It is the only thing that gives them a sense of home. The members of the mob lived on the code of respect; if this was forgotten then they were forfeiting the safety that comes with being part of the crew. They were to respect the Boss and listen to whatever advice that was given. If a member were to go against him, there were consequences, â€Å"murder was the only way to keep everyone in line, if you got out of line, you got wacked,† there was no room for mistakes. It was seldom that a second chance would be granted. Once a member of the mob worked their way to the top and proved that they were loyal, they were treated extremely well. Not only did people within the mob know their status but onlookers knew as well. Henry enjoyes the amount of respect he received, he was not at the top but still had the power. He â€Å"didn’t have to wait for [his] fresh bread at the bakery, neighbors didn’t park in their driveway anymore, and the kids in the neighborhood would carry [his] mother’s groceries home for her. † This was just the beginning because as Henry grew older, he received this kind of treatment everywhere he went. Life was good. The luxuries Henry had did not come from volunteering within the community or going to college to earn a degree. These men were well known but not for their good doings. Henry explains it as being as an easy job, â€Å"if we wanted something we just took it, if someone complained they got hit so bad they didn’t again,† violence and crime was the only way to go for them. The people within the community feared them and if the police came after them, they would just pay them off or murder them and dispose of the body so it could not be pinned back on any of them. In order to become completely untouchable from the outsiders as well as the members within the mob, although, they needed Pauly. These members would go to Pauly for help, when they could not go to the police. The only problems with this is Pauly is not cheap and they needed to play by his rules. If his help was needed, he was to be paid weekly and no excuse was good enough for not having his cut when it was due. Scorsese uses violence and crime to show there was more to life than the money and fun that came along with it. It takes a bit of dirty work to get high end items if the hard work isn’t done to allow for the high end job. The members of the mob and their wives see life a bit differently than the typical working American. Henry’s wife Karen addresses this by saying â€Å"Our husbands are not Brain Surgeons; they were blue collar guys who go out and cut a few corners. † She did not see anything wrong in what Henry does as long as he comes home and treats her with all the luxuries she has become accustomed to, nothing else mattered. Henry and his accomplices did not think anything was wrong with how they lived. They enjoyed themselves and were aware of the consequences, but did not fret about them, â€Å"no one goes to jail unless they want to,† Pauly offered protection and as long as the rules were followed there was nothing to worry about. In order to get by, Henry would do everything from boot leg cigarettes, steal cargo, deal drugs and would kill anyone who gets in the way. The two that must be followed were, do not kill a Made man, which is a boss, unless you have permission and make sure you pay Pauly. Henry was living a fabulous life until he started making some bad decisions, got careless and broke the rules. Now the consequences that have been threatened have caught up with him and are starting to give him a rude awakening of what life really can be like for the average person, who does not belong to a powerful family, such as his. Henry was living life day by day and getting by doing whatever he pleases. He had the respect, the power and the wealth that he dreamt of as a young boy. But in the end it didn’t add up, he was left with nothing. All due to a few bad decisions, the materialistic rubbish and money caused Henry to be blinded from what truly should be important in life, he had cut off relationships with all of his real family and now had no one to turn to. Pauly had warned him not to get involved in the scandal that his two close accomplices Tommy and Johnny were getting involved in, but after Henry gets put into prison, he runs out of resources and needs money fast. â€Å"When you go away you are on your own,† because Pauly did not help Karen, while Henry was in jail he decides that instead of asking Pauly for help when he gets out he would take care of this misfortune of his own. He doesn’t feel as if he owes Pauly anything because Pauly did not offer help when he needed him the most. Henry locates Tommy and Johnny and creates a multimillion dollar plan. The problem that surfaces is that it will be hard to keep everyone involved quiet and some of the help decided to spend their cut of the money right away which started to draw some unwanted attention. Tommy and Johnny cannot have this become an issue, so â€Å"months after the robbery, they were finding bodies left and right, â€Å"it was obvious that there was something going on and it was starting to catch up with Henry. Pauly eventually caught up with them and had his men kill Tommy. Henry began to notice he was being followed and he thought he had everything under control but he was wrong. The Federal Government caught up with him â€Å"and now it’s all over, I am and average nobody. † In order for Henry to stay out of prison he had to become a victim of the Witness Protection Program and confessed everything, from the beginning, involving everyone and every detail. He no longer had the power or money he once had. None of it mattered anymore and he now regrets the poor decisions he had made that lead him in this direction. If he would have just listened to Pauly, he may still be living the life he once had. The director uses this end result of regret as the main theme of the movie. It holds as a message, a man may be blessed with good fortune but one bad decision can turn it all around. This film was based on a true story. The main character relives the life of the real Henry Hill to show the general public that it is okay to live life day by day and enjoy what comes with it but make sure that the consequences are acknowledged and be prepared for the outcome of the actions taken. All can be lost by a few bad decisions and there is no going back.

Inflation Cause, Effects and Remedies - 11309 Words

Inflation It’s causes, effect and remedies. By: Subrat Choudhury Inflation and Deflation I INTRODUCTION Inflation and Deflation, in economics, terms used to describe, respectively, a decline or an increase in the value of money, in relation to the goods and services it will buy. Inflation is the pervasive and sustained rise in the aggregate level of prices measured by an index of the cost of various goods and services. Repetitive price increases erode the purchasing power of money and other financial assets with fixed values, creating serious economic distortions and uncertainty. Inflation results when actual economic pressures and anticipation of future developments cause the demand for goods and services to exceed the supply†¦show more content†¦Economic historians have identified the 16th to early 17th centuries in Europe as a period of long-term inflation, although the average annual rate of 1 to 2 percent was modest by modern standards. Major changes occurred during the American Revolution, when prices in the U.S. rose an average of 8.5 percent per month, and during the F rench Revolution, when prices in France rose at a rate of 10 percent per month. These relatively brief flurries were followed by long periods of alternating international inflations and deflations linked to specific political and economic events. The U.S. reported average annual price changes as follows: 1790 to 1815, up 3.3 percent; 1815 to 1850, down 2.3 percent; 1850 to 1873, up 5.3 percent; 1873 to 1896, down 1.8 percent; 1896 to 1920, up 4.2 percent; and 1920 to 1934, down 3.9 percent. This extended history indicates a recurring sequence of inflations, linked to wartime periods, followed by long periods of price stability or deflation. Consumer prices accelerated during the World War II era, rising at an annual average rate of 7.0 percent from 1940 to 1948, and then stabilized from 1948 to 1965, when the annual increases averaged only 1.6 percent, including a peak of 5.9 percent in 1951 during the Korean War. In the mid-1960s a chronic inflationary trend began in most industria l nations. From 1965 to 1978 American consumer prices increased at an average annual rate of 5.7 percent, including a peak ofShow MoreRelatedInflation Cause, Effects and Remedies11320 Words   |  46 PagesInflation It’s causes, effect and remedies. By: Subrat Choudhury Inflation and Deflation I INTRODUCTION Inflation and Deflation, in economics, terms used to describe, respectively, a decline or an increase in the value of money, in relation to the goods and services it will buy. Inflation is the pervasive and sustained rise in the aggregate level of prices measured by an index of the cost of various goods and services. Repetitive price increases erode the purchasing power of money and other financialRead MoreInflation1301 Words   |  6 PagesInflation, Types, Causes, Impacts and Remedies Inflation In  economics,  inflation  is a rise in the general  level of prices of goods and services in an  economy  over a period of time.  When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the  purchasing power of money – a loss of real value in the internal medium of exchange and unit of account in the economy  A chief measure of price inflation is the inflation rateRead MoreThe Keynesian Model Of Economics Essay897 Words   |  4 Pagesreserve, regulating the level of government expenditures, creating private property rights, and setting tax rates.† () A government will implement policies to help control, or in some case, help remedy an economic crisis. This essay will be inclusive of three governmental policies, implemented after 1970, to remedy and economic crisis, as well as evaluate the policies effectiveness. This essay will alp provide a brief explanation of how the Keynesian model of economics was applied to the economic crisesRead MoreThe International Economy And Its Far Reaching Financial Crises864 Words   |  4 Pagesthere is a need for an LOLR (international lender of last resort) due to the fact that international capital flows are not only immensely volatile but also influential in destabilizing other countries. Many argue that an LOLR can help mitigate the effects of instability and help countries facing a crisis to restabilize. In industrialized countries, domestic central banks have the ability to do this with the lender of last resort operation in which the central bank lends freely during a financial crisisRead MoreThe Impact Of Neoclassical Economics On The Economy Essay1344 Words   |  6 PagesEconomic theory. 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Rob Dransfield, 2014, Routledge: London Office for national statistics. Release: regional labour market statistic, 19 march 2014 Structural unemployment in Western Europe: reasons and remedies. Edited by martin Werding. 2006. Massachusetts institute of technology. Unemployment in Europe: Problems and Policies. VALERIE SYMES, 1995, Routledge: London Youth studies, An Introduction. By Andy Foulong, 2013, Routledge: London References Crisis in Australia which way out. Edited

Difficulties Of Cost Control During Construction Stage - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 20 Words: 5996 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Problem Statement: In every industry, cost control is a must in order to make sure that a project or production can make maximum profit or to make sure that the budget of a project does not burst. Locally, the actual costs of development of a project will normally being higher than necessary. In order to have an effective cost control in construction industry, it is necessary for us to determine the difficulties of cost control and to identify the factors contribute to the cost control difficulties in a project in order to overcome the difficulties or to avoid those factors that may cause difficulties to cost control of a construction project during construction stage, thus to have an effective cost control for the construction project and complete the project within the budget or under budget. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Difficulties Of Cost Control During Construction Stage" essay for you Create order 1.2 Aim and Objective: The aim of this paper is to study the difficulties of cost control in construction industry during the construction stage. In order to achieve the study of aim, some objectives have been established as below: To ascertain the importance of applying cost control in local construction industry. To highlight the cost control difficulties in local construction firm during the construction stage. To investigate the factors contributing to cost control difficulties in local construction firm during construction stage. 1.3 Background: Cost control is a process that should be continued throughout the project life cycle of a project. In construction industry, cost control should be continued from the inception of the project until the completion of the project to ensure that the cost of the construction project is kept within the agreed cost limits. For cost control of construction industry, it can be divided into two major stages; the control of cost during design stages and the control of cost by construction firm right after the commencement of the construction work of the construction project. According to Ashworth (2004), cost and schedule control is one of the most important functions of management once a project is identified. Cost control is paramount during the feasibility and design phases because a projectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s feasibility is normally tied to the cost of a project. Besides that, cost control during the construction phase can be paramount for large projects due to their potentially high construction cost and profiles. As mentioned by Nunnally (1998), the measuring and collecting the cost record of a project and the work progress are included in the cost control of a project. Besides that, the comparison of actual progress with the planning is also involved. The main purpose of cost control of a project is to gain maximum profit within the designated period and satisfactory quality of work. According to Pilcher (1994), he defined cost control as the regulation, by executive action, of the cost of carrying out the various activities which go to make up a project or a contract. The regulation (for cost control) designed for a specific industry will need a major modification if it is used in other industry because of the different nature or the business. He also said that for all construction projects, costs must be controlled and monitored from all the parties involved including client, consultants and contractor. This study will mainly focus on the difficulties of applying cost control during construction stage. That is because of in my opinion, what is needed in a cost control methodology is to proactively seeks out potential difficulties and factors contributed to those difficulties and provides project managers with as much warning as possible before their occurrence. This study provides a milestone for construction firm in the factors that likely to causes the difficulty in cost control. 1.4 Scope of Study: Cost Control is commonly used in every industry and almost in every project, the study will only focused on cost control difficulties of construction industry or a construction project during the construction stage. This study will ascertain the importance and the use of applying cost control in local construction industry. Besides that, the difficulties in applying cost control during construction stage also falls within the scope of this study. After highlighting the difficulties theoretically, an interview will be conducted with experienced Contract Executive or Contact Manager or Project Manager to determine the difficulties of cost control during construction stage practically. Finally, after understanding the difficulties of cost control during construction stage, the factors contributing to cost control difficulties during construction stage will also be highlighted. 1.5 Research Methodology The study is conducting in three stages. First stage is literature review. The literature review will started with the introduction to cost control. In the introduction to cost control, the definition of cost control will be reviewed and the literature will also review the importance of cost control in construction industry. Moreover, the literature also will review the difficulties of applying cost control during construction stage. Furthermore, articles and notes about the cost control difficulties will be searched. All literature will be review deeply by referring the previous research paper, article, journal and etc. These sources can all be found in Google, Emerald, Yahoo and from the library of College Tunku Abdul Rahman. At second stage, an interview will be conducted with experienced Contract Executive or Contracts Manager or Project Manager face-to-face to obtain the information about their current practices in cost control system of their company, the practical difficulties and factors contributing to the difficulties in cost control will be identified by the Contract Executive or Contract Manager or Project Manager. The chosen Contract Executive or Contract Manager or Project Manager must be experienced enough in cost management of construction industry and willing to provide valuable information regarding the research topic. Last stage is writing up the content of the dissertation and the information obtained during the interview will be analyse and compare with the theoretical information. Conclusion of this study should be the result of the comparison between the practical and theoretical difficulties during cost control of construction stage faced by the contractor. 1.6 Benefits of Study By conducting this study, it allows me to have a rough idea on the Cost Control system. Completing this study also gives me a better understanding regarding the purposes and importance of Cost Control. Besides that, it also provides me with better perception regarding the difficulties during the application of Cost Control during construction stage. Furthermore, the interview conducted with the experienced Personnel will definitely allow me to review the current practices of Cost Control in the construction industry. 1.7 Dissertation Organisation Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Cost Control Chapter 3: Research Design and Methodology Chapter 4: Analysis of the Result and Discussion Chapter 5: Conclusion CHAPTER 2: COST CONTROL 2.1 Introduction to Cost Control 2.1.1 Definition The term à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Costà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? is defined by Dictionary.com (an application of iPod Touchà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢) as the price paid to acquire, produce, accomplish, or maintain anything. Whereas the term à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Controlà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? in Dictionary.com, it defines à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Controlà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? as the act or power of controlling; regulation; domination or command. For construction industry, the term à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Costà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? should be referred to the amount paid by a party; either a person or a corporation, to another party; normally a contractor, either to construct a complete building or a particular section of a building. And for the term à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Controlà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? in construction industry, it should be referred to an official mean of regulation or restraint in the management of the project. According to Marchesan and Formoso (n. d.), the combination of the term à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Costà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Controlà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? should be defined as the application of procedures that result in early illumination of potential changes in resource requirements and in the timely surveillance of the usage of funds to permit action that will keep cost within a predetermined range. While for the other definition of Cost Control, we can refer to Ashworth (2004), he defined Cost Control as a process of planning, checking and verifying project expenditure based on established standards and taking the necessary corrective action to ensure that the total project expenditure is approximately to the estimated budget. While according to Ritz (1994), he stated that Cost Control gives a different meaning to a different people. Some people engage it with engineering costs; some states that it is a cost report, value engineering, cost management etc. Cost Control involves all the activities above in different time by different parties and all the parties involved in a project will have their own responsibilities and roles in cost minimization and Cost Control. Other than that, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyor Committee defined Cost Control as the total proves which ensures that the contract sum is within the clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s approved budget or cost limit. Further definition can refer to Mueller (1986), he stated that the cost control is the ability to influence the final cost of project positively with modifying negative performance trends. In addition, Kwayke (1997) defined Cost Control as a process where construction cost of a project is manage with the best method and systematic approach in order that the contractor would not suffer losses during the execution of the activities of the project and the cost of construction of a project would not be over-estimated by the developer. By concluding all the definition mentioned above, Cost Control in construction industry should be the application of procedures or regulation during the construction project life cycle to plan, check and verify the construction project expenditure based on the established procedures or regulations to ensure that the construction project expenditure is within the project budget, within given timeframe with quality specified and also to ensure that resources are used to best advantages or maximization of the profit for the construction project. 2.1.2 Statement of Facts in Cost Control As stated by Roger (2000), he said that Cost Control is a broad set of cost accounting methods and management techniques with the common goal of improving business cost-efficiency by reducing costs, or at least restricting their rate of growth. Cost Control is used in business to monitor, evaluate and the most important to increase the efficiency of specific areas within their operations. As for Nunnally (1998), he stated that cost control of a project involves measuring and collecting cost record and work progress of a project. Besides that, comparison of actual progress with the planning is also involved. He also mentioned that the main objective of Cost Control of a project is to maximize profit within the given timeframe and to achieve satisfactory quality of work. If the application of cost control is by a systematic procedure, it will result in ease of collection of important cost data in estimating and controlling of the cost of the coming projects in future. Kwakye (1997) states the main purpose in cost controlling for a construction project should be active controlling of final costs for owner, and not just to record and registering the payment. Cost Control Reports must be prepared for efficient Cost Control. The Cost Control Report is based on the cost data collected, it is important to project the costs in to future and to estimate or re-estimate the cost of the work yet to be completed. Amount of detail and the time interval between Cost Control Reports must be considered and the time interval is varied depends on the level of management for which they prepared the Reports for. For example, Cost Report should be received by site manager on weekly basis. Since the commencement of the contract, any new information must be taken into account and makes a suitable reporting system is important for a cost control system. According to Koh (2005), if an adequate reporting system is used, the estimator would become more reluctant in the future to use cost data that have been fed back from the site and granting the estimator some time to determine sufficient detail about the data and conditions they acquired. In addition, Koh (2005) also suggested two areas to check whether the Cost Control reporting system is efficient or not. First is to check on the profitability of the work and second would be check on efficiency carried out against the standard of the output rates that were used by the estimator in compiling the estimate. 2.1.3 The Purposes and Importance of Cost Control One of the principal objectives of Cost Control for most project or organisation is the achievement of minimum cost for a particular project. Achievement of minimum cost is to maximize the profit and profit in simple terms is what is left after all the income accruing to the enterprise has been received and all of the costs or outgoings have been paid. For all construction projects, cost must be monitored and controlled, whether from the point of view of owner, designer or a contractor. It helps to distinguish the problems arise and understanding of the problems which occur in each phase of industry enables better co-ordination of the activities of the many participants in a single project (Pilcher, 1994). Besides that, according to Pilcher (1994), the importance of Cost Control is due largely to the following: To provide the relevant feedback, carefully qualified in detail by all the conditions under which the work has been carried out, to the estimator who is responsible for establishing the standards both historical and future; To provide the client with a value-for-money project. Example: To give the building client a building which is soundly constructed, of satisfactory appearance and well suited to perform the functions for which it is required, combined with economical construction layout. To provide data to assist in the valuation of those variations that will arise during the course of the work; To provide immediate warning of uneconomic operations, both in the long and the short term; To limit the clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s expenditure to within the amount agreed. In simple terms this means that the tender sum and final account should approximately equate with the budget estimate. To achieve balanced design expenditure between the various elements of the buildings. Thus, the sums allocated to cladding, insulation, finishing, services and other elements of the building will be properly related to the class of building and to each other. To summarize progress. To promote cost consciousness; The contractor may ascertain the maximum income that they may receive according to the contract sum, then ascertain the initial cost expenditure, or provide detailed brief to his own construction team who will then determine the actual cost that may involved. But most schemes are a combination of these two extremes. There has in recent years been a great need for an understanding of construction economics and Cost Control, particularly during the construction stage of projects. As stated by Ashworth (2004), Cost Control also should serve the following purposes: The clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s requirements today are more complex, a more effective system of control is therefore desirable during the construction stage up to the completion of final account and thereafter during costs-in-use. There has been a trend towards modern designs and new techniques, materials and methods of construction. The designer is able to choose from a far wider range of products and this has produced variety in construction. The traditional methods of estimating are unable to cope in these circumstances to achieve value for money and more balanced designs resulting that in the end the contractor may need to bear for extra cost due to the faulty design. Contractorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ profit margins have in real terms been reduced considerably during the past decade. This has resulted in their greater cost-consciousness in an attempt to redress possible losses. There is a general trend towards greater cost-effectiveness, and thus a need to examine construction costs not solely in the context of initial costs but in terms of whole-life costs, or total-cost appraisal. World recession has generally produced a shortage of funds for capital purposes and construction in general. This has been coupled with high inflation and interest charges, resulting in the costs of construction soaring to high levels. Although the relative costs compared with other commodities may be similar, the apparent high costs have resulted in greater caution, particularly on the part of contractor. 2.2 Difficulties of Applying Cost Control Procedures At present, serious problems exist in the cost control and management of construction project. For example, for some construction project, the design is earlier than the study of feasibility, which makes the later turn into useless. In bidding, some construction companies perform illegally, which makes the bidding fail to control project cost well. The popularization of assigned subcontracts and various subcontracts serve as potential threats for project quality. The delay for project payment, especially for workersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ wages, is serious. Some projects can not manage the changes of designs, construction companies fail to follow the designs completely, which may lead to larger costs for construction. Some construction companies emphasize on the control of quality and period but fail to control the cost. All these activities make the cost of construction project out of control in our country, which is harmful for the sustainable and healthy development of construction ind ustry. Gao (2009) has stated that the following is the difficulties in Cost Control of construction stage. 2.2.1 Fail to Estimate the Project Exactly The project estimation is performed at the very beginning, namely in the study of feasibility. Present compilation of study of feasibility is lack of details. No effective items to control the number of project. The estimation has a lower preciseness. Besides, the study of feasibility has no necessary investigation. Some potential geological disasters can not be identified effectively, which leads to the rise of costs. Although some companies make à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“details for implementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, the effect is poor. In order to establish the project, some companies may reduce the number of project and decrease costs. 2.2.2 The Compilation of Project Budget Has Poor Reliability At the stage of design, the investigation is far from sufficient. Some fundamental materials for design are inexact. As a result, the design may be irrational and will be changed significantly in construction, which causes the poor reliability of budget. 2.2.3 Working Drawing Budget is Unpractical At the working drawing design stage, compile the project budget according to the design. The working drawing budget is to calculate the cost of design. The rationality of working drawing budget is about how to organize the construction and how to reach the design requirements by what kinds of methods, plus how to arrange the construction period, and how to manage workers and machines under different seasons, according to scientific designs. All these tasks are supposed to be arranged by construction companies. For design companies, to compile the budget is unpractical. 2.2.4 Do not Follow Basic Construction Procedures and Can not Control Costs For some projects, time is urgent. Therefore, the design is maybe imperfect. And the construction does not follow the basic procedures strictly. Sometimes, the study of feasibility turns into useless papers. As a result, the estimation and the budget can not control the project cost effectively. 2.2.5 Contract is not Managed Well Some developers neglect to manage contracts. They do not follow the terms written in contracts strictly. Besides, some developers can not calculate the cost of project quantities correctly. They are incapable of managing external workers effectively. 2.2.6 Irregular Management and Many Changes for Project Developers can not design properly and have to change the management methods. Or, the execution is weak. They can change the design as will. Then, the scale of project is increasing and the cost is rising. 2.2.7 Rise of Cost Due to Unreasonable Financing Structure At present, the funds for construction project in Malaysia are mainly from domestic loans, foreign funds, self-collected by construction companies, and other sources. Although financing ways are few and some are immature, limits are more. Sometimes, funds can not arrive in time. In order to insure the process of project, the construction companies have to apply loans from banks. Therefore, a large proportion of construction funds are from banks as loans. And the credit period is long and can not match with investment return. The characteristics of construction industry determine the lagged-behind investment return. One financing channel increases risks and costs, which leads to the accumulation of loan balance in banks, increasing construction costs and pressures for later in operation. 2.2.8 System is imperfect One of the factors that cause overspending is the management. Main items that cause overspending include management fees, compensation fees for removing, and supervision. Main reasons include: Lack of a perfect cost control system and can not manage and control the cost systematically, which makes it hard to identify the out-of-control of cost in time. Lack the idea of cost control and the constraint mechanism. Project managers are always focusing on quality and construction period, but not cost control. The absence of system makes the expenditure more irregular. No integrated standards for management fee are effective. Workers are more than necessary in construction companies. 2.3 Factors Contributing to the Difficulties of Cost Control 2.3.1 Control of labour cost The control of labour cost frequently causing much troubles to Cost Control because of the productivity of labour is variable and causing the difficulty to the estimating stage. Although experienced estimators have their own database of historic cost data, but these data can only ever be regarded as an average for a given trade and does not make allowance for particular circumstances. A prediction of how labour will perform in the future on a particular project must be incorporated into an estimate of cost. Site management is greatly affecting the labour efficiency and their productivity. It is important that all labour resources, either self-employed or employed as labour and materials sub-contractors, are fully supervised and co-ordinated, to ensure that the labour resources are efficiently organized and making best used of them. If the labour resources are not well organized, it may reduce the productivity of the labour and making cost of labour to be higher hence causing difficulties to Cost Control because the labour cost is different with the estimated cost. 2.3.2 Site Condition After the design of engineer, quantity surveyor will normally estimate the amount of the designed work, but due to the site condition is unpredictable, it cause the cost estimation is rather difficult. In many of the construction project, there are majority of unforeseen and differing site condition are found in subsurface work such as tunneling and foundation work, such situation can also arise in rehabilitation and restoration work, retrofitting to meet revised seismic codes and projects that improve energy efficiency. Where ground water level is close to the surface of the site, closely pumping operation may be needed throughout the substructure work. This unforeseen situation will increase the construction cost. A wet site may also involve raising temporary sheds and offices on brick bases and more costly temporary work. The cost of excavation in rock is much more expensive than working in normal ground. This type of strata will need to be examined and to determine what type of support is needed to the sides of excavation. All this will contribute to the difficulty in cost control when the construction method is carried out wrongly. 2.3.3 Location of site The cost of building on a site in a city could be much expensive than construct a similar building on a provincial site. This is due to higher wages, materials and other costs. For instance, a project on a remote location site may involve long lengths of temporary access road and of temporary power cable for electricity suppliers and increased costs of transporting operatives and materials to the site. A site in a congested central area of a city will give rise to major problem in delivery and storage of materials and equipment, protection of adjoining building, construction method to carry out substructure work, restriction on the use of mechanical plant and to the protection of the public. Overcoming these problem involve considerable additional cost and all these will considerably contribute to the difficulty in cost control. 2.3.4 Materials In some of the guides the cost of materials can be easily identified, and adjustment to the measured rate is therefore a simple process. Material prices often depend on contractor, location, quantity and discount and hence making the estimation process to be rather difficult. The materials wastage of site will also contribute to this because there will be difference between the actual amount used and the estimated amount used. 2.3.5 Overheads and profit In most case, during the estimation process, the amount of overheads and profit will normally just referred back to previous projects. But the amounts included in the published rates vary considerably. In some guides nothing has been allowed, and these expect the user to add an appropriate amount. In other information, up to 25% has been included on margins of 3%. In addition, overhead costs have generally been reduced in order to keep costs to an absolute minimum, while seeking to maintain the required workload. Builders will therefore need to access their own percentage and adjust this according to that quoted. Surveyors, in attempting to predict tender values, will also need to take this into account in their approximate estimate. 2.4 Chapter Summary Cost Control in construction industry should be the application of procedures or regulation during the construction project life cycle to plan, check and verify the construction project expenditure based on the established procedures or regulations to ensure that the construction project expenditure is within the project budget, within given timeframe with quality specified and also to ensure that resources are used to best advantages or maximization of the profit for the construction project. Cost Control need to serves the purposes like to provide the relevant feedback, to provide the client with a value-for-money project, to provide data to assist in the valuation, to provide immediate warning of uneconomic operations, to limit the clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s expenditure, to achieve balanced design expenditure, to summarize progress and to promote cost consciousness. Difficulties of Cost Control during construction stage are failed to estimate the project exactly, the compilation of project budget has poor reliability, working drawing budget is unpractical, do not follow basic construction procedures and can not control costs, contract is not managed well, irregular management and many changes for project, rise of cost due to unreasonable financing structure and system is imperfect. Factors that contribute to those difficulties are control of labour cost, site Condition, location of site, materials and overheads and profit. It is necessary for management to study the difficulties involved and the factors contributing to these difficulties so that they will design a cost control system that more efficient for a particular project. chapter 3: Research design and methodology 3.1 Introduction In this chapter, the research methodology used in this research will be discussed. The method of conducting research to achieve the aim and objectives will be reviewed to ensure that all the information obtained is reliable. Among two research strategies that suggested by Naoum (2007), which is Quantitative Research and Qualitative Research, Qualitative Research will be used as the research strategy for this dissertation. The reason to use Qualitative Research is because of it allows the topic being studied to give much valuable answers to questions put to them. Structured interview will be conducted with at least five (5) contractors so that sufficient information can be obtained to proceed with the field work. The interview will be carried out face to face with the interviewee, however, it also may be carried out over the telephone or any other methods like email or webcam. The targeted personnel to be interviewed are contract executive, contract manager or the project manager of the company. Since it is a structured interview, the questions to be asked are presented in the same order and with the same wording to all interviewees. The main objectives of this interview section are to clearly understand the ability of the contractor in cost control and the difficulties that they are dealing with during cost control of project they undertake. While the other objectives are to ascertain the importance of cost control during construction stage with the contractor and last but not least to investigate the factors that contribute to difficulties that they are dealing with during cost control. The interviewing session has the advantage of providing experience or opinion based information for the dissertation. Questions prepared are open- ended questions for the interview so that in-depth information can be collected. The questions are set by referring to the aim and objectives, data obtained will be of the opinions and perception as individual interviewee knowledge and experience of research area. 3.2 Questionnaire Construction The principles that are followed in constructing the questionnaire for the research are as shown in Figures 3.1 below: Research objectives + Literature review Questions Lead to Lead to Issues, topics and ideas Principles on how research objectives are translated into specific questions. (Naoum, 2007) Before constructing the questionnaire, the potential ideas which can be developed into a questionnaire at a later stage are listed out. In order to have the ideas to develop into questionnaire, the research proposal and the literature review is reviewed and all possible questions which are related to the research is written down to obtained the first thought questions. Those listed out question are all based on the aim and objectives of the research. After the first thought questions have been identified, the final questionnaire is constructed by introducing a number of section or categories for the questionnaire and the first thought questions are fitted into these sections. The research questionnaire was divided into two sections in which the first section is to obtain the back ground and information of the interviewees as well as their organization. This is to ensure that the contractor and the personnel is experienced enough and is highly knowledgeable to provide sufficient information required by the research. While for another section, the contractor will be asked to highlight the difficulties that they are dealing with in cost control. The factors contributing to the difficulties will also be investigated and the importance of cost control will be ascertained. 3.3 Basis of Interview Questions The interview questions are designed in format and wording that can be easily understood by interviewees. These questions were set to achieve the aim and objectives of dissertation. Information obtained should be able to support or make comparison with the theoretically as presented in the previous chapter. Through the interviews, the information regarding difficulties and factors contribute to those difficulties of cost control during construction stage will be obtained. Besides that, the importance of cost control will also be obtained. Each question is designed to achieve certain aims and purposes. For questions set in the first section, it is to make sure that the interviewee has sufficient knowledge and experience in cost control of construction project during construction stage. The interviewees will first being asked how many years has he been in the construction industry and how many years had he been involved in the post that related with cost control during construction stage. The interview will then proceed by asking the interviewee how many projects that the intervieweeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s firm has completed within budget or under budget to determine the ability of the firm in Cost Control. For the subsequent section, questions are designed to obtained information to meet the aim and objectives. The interviewees will first being asked to give his opinions regarding the importance of cost control during construction stage. 3.4 Potential Problems and Contingency Plan Primary data of this research will be obtained by structured interview, but as we know, interview often causes bulks of problem no matter during the interview or after the interview which is to analyze the data. Potential problems that may arise will be discussed and contingency plan to solve those problems will be suggested in this sub-chapter. Interview can help the interviewer to obtain in depth information regarding the research. However, the ability to ask open questions and to create an open environment in which the interviewees feel comfortable to answer is a difficult and complex set of achievements. This is the most challenging part in conducting an interview. So, a well preparation for the question is needed and the designed question should be checked and rechecked to ensure that the question is leading the interviewee to provide necessary information. Besides that, the interviewer shall train himself to ask question correctly before the interview session to ensure a success and good interview can be done. Since only left a short period of time which is before the final submission of thesis is available for conducting the interview and analyze the data obtained, there might be insufficient of time to collect enough data for the fieldwork. For example: only able to obtain two or three face to face interview out of five (which is the minimum). If this problem occurs, interview may be carried out via telephone, email or webcam. Conducting an interview via all these communication devices require shorter time and they are more convenient for interviewees as they do not need to purposely arrange a time for the face to face interview in which the arrangement of time might take a long time. But interview via these communication devices will be harder for the interviewer to obtain in depth information, hence, a set of well prepared and structured questions is needed to obtain as much information as possible. Different languages may be used by different interviewee, since the dissertation is written by using English, some terms or words just cannot be translated directly. If those terms or words are translated directly, it may have a very different meaning. Besides that, the data collected are all in words, in which it may be tricky enough for the interviewer to understand what those interviewees mean although they are all using the common language because words may take on a different meaning in different cultures or different usage. When facing this kind of problem, try to seek clarification of the meaning of the special terms. It could make the data analysis become a difficult and hard job if the data collected are not clear enough of the specific meaning or rationale. The interviewer can ask for clarification by repeating and double confirm the answer with the interviewee. The notion of interviewer bias does not simply refer to the way in which questions might be asked and how answers are responded to. Interviewer bias refers to the whole character of the interviewer and the impact this may have on the responses of the interviewee. Therefore, while doing the data collection and data analysis, must always bear in mind that not to insert interviewer bias into the work. 3.5 Method of Analysis The research strategy that being use in this dissertation is qualitative research. Since it is a qualitative research, it is necessary to analyze the content. It involves essentially analyzing the interview contents to identify and isolate the main themes that permeate right through the responses from the interviewees. The data collected will be analysed manually because the sample size is small (minimum of 5) and the number of variables are not many. Several steps are required to analyse the qualitative data: Step 1: Set the objectives for the interview Since the interview session is to obtain information to achieve the objectives of this research dissertation, the objectives of this research dissertation will as well be used as the objectives of the interview session and the following are the 3 objectives for this research dissertation: To ascertain the importance of applying cost control in local construction industry. To highlight the cost control difficulties in local construction firm during the construction stage. To investigate the factors contributing to cost control difficulties in local construction firm during construction stage. Step 2: Identify and isolate main themes Step 3: Classify responses under the main themes A careful perusal of the descriptive responses from the interviewees for each question can uncover the meaning underlying the responses. Examine the responses in all the interviews and classify each response under the different themes which have developed. Use appropriate wording to accurately represent the meaning of the responses. Step 4: Integrate themes and responses into the text of research write up. While discussing the main themes that run through the research study, one can bring in verbatim responses to substantiate the discussion of the research.