Leo Tolstoy’s Art

Tolstoy is one of those writers whose life intervened in his literary activity; the events from real life influenced the specificity of themes and topics, raised in his works. He practiced various genres from novels, short stories to non-fiction letters.The beginning of his work as a writer coincided with his military service. The first considerable writing took six year to be completed. It was a trilogy that consisted of three novels dealing with different period of life of a person: Childhood (1852), Boyhood, (1854) and Adolescence (1857). The first novel of the trilogy in a lyrical and enchanting manner describes the innocence and joy of life through child's-eye view. The trilogy is autobiographical and presents the psychological and moral development of the hero from age ten to his late teens.After Tolstoy left army in 1856 he strengthened himself as a talented participator of Russian literary processes. His military experience, gained in Crimean War, served him as a prolific sou rce of material for new literary works, and consequently was employed for a number of short stories. Thus his â€Å"Sebastopol Tales† fiercely criticize war and ennoble an ordinary soldier. When Childhood, Adolescence, and the war stories appeared, everyone hailed them as â€Å"the first full and complete artistic expression of the psychological process.†[1]One the greatest novels by Tolstoy is War and Peace. While the scope of War and Peace is epic, Tolstoy does not load the novel down with historical facts and dates. Instead, he brings history alive by making it personal. A reader watches the intimate destinies of the Rostovs, the Bezukhovs, the Bolkonskys unfold with a level of emotion and attachment that no historical account could convey. And their fates are projected on to the destiny of a nation. It is this powerful historical fiction with a purpose that won Tolstoy his well-deserved international acknowledgement. War and Peace is universal in its appeal because of the universality of its themes: that war is profoundly alien to human nature; that the average soldier's patriotism is the building block of nations (e.g. the character of captain Tushin); the limited impact that even great individuals have on history (Napoleon and Kutuzov).Tolstoy draws his characters with simple brush strokes, with psychological depth, that makes them real. For example, the character of Natasha Rostova, whose beauty and attractiveness depended not so much on her appearance, as on her youth and her inner energy, the beauty of her soul reveals to us the symbolic significance she has in the novel. Unlike all the other main characters whose names are known to the reader before their physical appearance is described, Natasha is left nameless. She appears not like a true human being but sooner as a mythical creature that personifies the joy of life: â€Å"This black-eyed, wide-mouthed girl, not pretty but full of life . . . ran to hide her flushed face in the lace of her mother’s mantilla—not paying the least attention to her severe remark—and began to laugh. She laughed, and in fragmentary sentences tried to explain about a doll which she produced from the folds of her frock.† [2]In Anna Karenina, probably his stylistically most perfect novel, he sought to create a novel in the tradition of the Greek classics. He dwells on marital happiness, the fate of an abused woman in society and the role of physical and spiritual love in marriage. In Anna Karenina the epic horizons are narrower than in War and Peace, yet the feelings of the characters are more sharp and acute, their sufferings at times even more profound. Anna's and Vronsky's story of forbidden love strikes readers because Tolstoy shows the fatal inevitability of a mutual attraction, its development and then its fading and its tragic denouement. Anna and Vronsky are depicted as being destroyed by some external force, in fact, by each other.Tolstoy writes that they involuntarily submit to the other:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Involuntarily submitting to the weakness of Anna –who had given herself up to him entirely, and placed her fate in his hands, ready to accept anything–he had long ceased to think that they might part, as he had thought then†¦.   [He] had completely abandoned himself to his passion, and that passion was binding him more and more closely to her.†[3]The brilliance of Tolstoy's art is his almost casual description of details that, at first sight seems insignificant and accidental, but which later come to play a crucial role in a character's fate. In the end, the drama of Anna's love is portrayed with such strength that it cannot leave any reader indifferent.After he had written Anna Karenina, Tolstoy got determined against literature. He wanted henceforth to be a moral philosopher rather than an artist. And as Anthony Daniels notes in his article, many people subsequently fell under Tolstoy’s didactic t eaching, even – for a time – Chekhov.[4] This didactics became peculiar to his successive works. In Tolstoy's literature we find the contemplation of what are the proper ways of living. For instance in his short story â€Å"How Much Land Does A Man Need?† the main character is an ordinary farmer whose own greed destroys him. In this literary work, the author exploits Pahom's search as a symbolic warning that longing for too much can result in loss of everything.Tolstoy strengthens his moral believes by his stories. Through the symbolism he endeavors to preach his philosophy and deliver hidden messages to readers. Thus, main character’s running against the sun conveys the symbolic meaning that Pahom is moving against time and course of life. This symbolic device produces the atmosphere of haste and panic. However, at the end of the story the main character dies and all his pursuit for unreal aim turns out to be worthless. The morality of the story is that we must properly estimate our abilities and what is more important our needs. Tolstoy finishes this story with the conclusion that finally we all will need not more that only small piece of land: â€Å"His servant picked up the spade and dug a grave long enough for Pahà ³m to he in, and buried him in it. Six feet from his head to his heels was all he needed†.[5]In the mid-1880s Tolstoy continues writing short stories. He tends to use fairy tales or religious legends to develop their ideas in his own works. The style of these short stories is plain but expressive. They often reveal Tolstoy’s religious convictions. In 1886, Tolstoy publishes the novella â€Å"The Death of Ivan Illych.†Ã‚   The story concerns dying man who becomes aware that his life is nearly over. By the time Tolstoy wrote â€Å"The Death of Ivan Illych†, he got engaged in extremely puritanical ideas. His protagonist's main pleasure in life is playing bridge with his friends, which is con demned by the writer as vicious because, like music at the conservatoire, it is frivolous, artificial, and inauthentic. He severely criticizes this character and depicts his life as a shallow, terrible being: â€Å"Ivan Illych's life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible.†[6] Ivan is a conformist; opinions and expectations of people of socially higher rank usually determine Ivan’s behavior and wishes.He tries to keep up friendship with only those who have good social position. That is why his life is terrible; there is no place for free will, for well-grounded decision. And the only exemplary character in this story is a peasant Gerasim. Tolstoy wrote about the peasants as about the moral agents, bearers of moral virtues. In â€Å"The Death of Ivan Illych† Ivan learned something from Gerasim, who made him see a possibility to which Ivan's way of living had kept his eyes shut, a possibility that was excluded by the way he lived. Ivan Illych had been caught up in a way of life that excluded the possibility of care for and devotion to other people. By his example Gerasim opened up for Ivan what was a new possibility and made him realize what was wrong with his life. In this story Tolstoy juxtaposes moral peasant with a morally weak nobleman.Though in his late works Tolstoy exhibited too ideological approach when evolving his characters and presenting themes that led to simplifications, his penetrating psychological analysis had great influence on later literature. The most important thing is that Tolstoy succeeded in his major endeavor as a writer to use his linguistic and artistic means to portray eternal human passions through typical traits of his epoch, going beyond linguistic, ethnic and other borders. Tolstoy solved this task excellently. And this is why he is a classic of both Russian and world literature.Works Cited List:Daniels, Anthony. â€Å"Chekhov & Tolstoy†. New Criterion. Vol. 23: 8, April 20 05.Orwin Tussing, Donna. Tolstoy’s Art and Thought, 1847-1880. Princeton University Press, 1993Tolstoy, Leo. Anna Karenina. Aylmer Maude – Transl., Louise Maude – Transl., London: Penguin, 1978.—-, â€Å"How Much Land Does a Man Need?†   Twenty-three Tales, Transl. L. and A. Maude, New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1907: 113-122—-, â€Å"The Death of Ivan Illych† Aylmer Maude – Transl., Louise Maude – Transl., Retrieved on December 3, 2005 from Tolstoy Library  http://home.aol.com/Tolstoy28—-, War and Peace. Henry Gifford – editor, Aylmer Maude – Transl., Louise Maude – Transl., Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.[1]Donna Tussing Orwin. Tolstoy’s Art and Thought, 1847-1880. Princeton University Press, 1993: 19[2] Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace, 39 [3] Tolstoy, Leo Anna Karenina, 381 [4] Anthony Daniels, Chekhov & Tolstoy, 31 [5] Tolstoy Leo, Twenty-three Tales, â€Å"How Much Land Does A Man Need?†, 122 [6] Tolstoy Leo, The Death of Ivan Illych, Chapter II

Online gaming Essay

Is trying to attain the needs of the student with the new scheme of education. The K-12 entails the addition of Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health (MAPEH) subject in grades 1, 2 and 3. Music is a colorful sound that we hear after birth. Playing music for infants in their first year provides for enhancement and benefit in future education. Music has different meaning to every individual. It works as a means of learning, relaxation, and fun. Everyday, young people spend more than four hours watching television, one hour using a computer and one hour of playing video games. No wonder why this era has become the â€Å"digital age†. We can also refer to the current era as a visual age. The demand for new abilities also transformed the workplace. â€Å"The secret sauce comes from our ability to integrate are, music and literature with the hard sciences, that’s what produces an iPod Revolution or a Google.† Friedman says. Today arts are needed by our young people as a means of expression, communication, exploration, and imagination. Arts help us strengthen the critical thinking skills. It also develops cognitive and creative skills. Physical Education plays a critical role in educating the whole student. Like other academic courses of study, physical education is based upon rigorous national standards that define what students should know and be able to do as a result of participation. It is unique to the school curriculum as it is the only program that provides students with opportunities to learn motor skills, develop fitness, and gain understanding about the importance of physical activity. Students will be provided an individualized, developmentally appropriate, and personally challenging instructional program that will advance the knowledge, confidence, skills, and motivation needed to engage in a lifelong, healthy, active lifestyle. In the propose study of the proponents, the students are going to apply and use the application not just for the entertainment but for them to learn on  something like any other word games. But with this study the students are expected to learn words from the subject itself. Statement of the Problem This study find answers to the following questions: 1. Can the new game be an effective tool for learning while keeping players entertained? 2. Can the new game be an effective way of teaching MAPEH and can it be equally effective for enhancing the critical thinking skills of the players? General Objectives The general objective of this study is to implement a word game that enables the learning of the MAPEH subject more exciting. By providing a learning environment that is exciting and entertaining, the hope is to increase learning effectiveness. This game will act as a future learning tool that will assist in the problems that teachers face in expanding a child’s vocabulary. The same can be said for a teacher trying to teach students where Cebuano is not their first language. This application can make players more determined to learn and to advance in the language by forming as many words as they can. It will let the players build and expand their vocabulary and strengthens the advantages of learning and playing this game. Specific Objectives To create an application that is effective in teaching MAPEH subject with fun ï‚ · To create an application that enhances the players’ critical thinking skills Conceptual Framework The concept of the game is that the player inputs the user name after the submission, the player has two options in selecting the type of game, whether a timed game or a non-timed game. If the player selects timed game, the player can select among the four categories; Music, Arts Physical Education, or Health. If the player selects random category, there will be two (2) minutes allotted time for the player to search for possible word/s and if the player find the word/s there will be an additional ten (10)  seconds added to the player’s remaining time. In non-timed game, there will be a leveling stage of difficulty and the player will construct for possible answer in every random category questions. There is a rule in giving hint, in non-timed game, there is a help button for words that were not yet found. The player can hit the hint button every twenty (20) seconds only to have discipline in using hint. The timed game scoring is based on the number of words find while the non-timed game ranking score is based the length of words found. To make the game more interesting and exciting, the proponents added a hall of fame list , wherein it has a ranking of the top 10 players displaying their statistics like longest word found and their achievements that they gain from timed and non-timed game. However, if the player wanted to quit the non-timed game, he can hit the menu button and quit. If the player losses in timed game, there will be a notification box that will pop-up in which the player could choose and decide whether to try again or quit the game and return to main menu. Figure 1.0 The process of the Gameplay Simulation Scope and Delimitation of the Study Scope The study focuses on developing a PC game application of a book worm style game where it contains many categories that are related to MAPEH subject such as Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health. This game, players can choose whether it is timed game or non-timed game. Players can play with different category such as Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health or player can choose a random category. This game has a time limit wherein the player needs to complete the word/s before the time ends. If they can answer questions then points will be given and will be placed in a ranking or players can quit the game and return to main menu. In timed game, players can choose different category or a random category. Players will get a score for every word and if they have the biggest scores they will be put first in a ranking. Delimitation The game will only delimit the following: o It will only focus on related MAPEH subject. o It will only cater 2D Graphics and does not project 3D graphics. o It will only use materials that are educational. All inappropriate topics will be excluded. Significance of the Study Students – This research is significant to the students that find MAPEH as a difficult subject. Teachers – This research is significant to the teachers for they will also learn new learning tools or other way on how to teach MAPEH subject. Players – This research is significant to anybody that plays games since this game can enhance the players critical thinking skills of the subject MAPEH . Future Researchers – Anybody that wished to create the same study can use this as a reference. They will find this helpful. Definition of Terms 2D computer graphics – 2D computer graphics are digital images that are computer-based. They include 2Dgeometric models, such as image compositions, pixel art, digital art, photographs and text. 2D graphics are used every day on traditional printing and drawing. Computer Gaming – Computer gaming is a type of video game playing that is played on a personal computer, rather than a dedicated video game console. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES This chapter contains the review of related literature and related studies that contains relevant and useful information in conducting the research. Related Literatures Study examines potential positive effects of video games Video games have become part of our life. All age groups have a varying degree of experience with video games. Most games have been made for entertainment purposes. Nowadays, there is increasing controversy over the effects of video games. Parents worry about the negative effects of computer gaming on children, they’ve emphasized on the violent behavior and addiction of computer games. However, there are some positive effects which could benefit a person from playing video games. According to Snodgrass (2011), an associate professor of anthropology at Colorado State, video games can have potential positive effects on people. This was researched by examining the  different types of video gaming experiences and the effects they can have on players’ lives, including their self-reported levels of stress, life satisfaction and happiness. In video games, players could develop avatars and complete tasks in cooperation with other players. The complex and highly interactive nature of the game can lead players to feel as though they have become part of a vividly compelling alternate universe. The American Psychological Association (APA) researchers assessed their problem-solving ability by examining the types of cognitive, goal-oriented, game-oriented, emotional and contextual statements they made. Younger children seem more interested in setting short-term goals for their learning in the game compared to older children who are more interested in simply playing and the actions of playing. (Ostrovsky, 2008) Bookworm Deluxe Bookworm deluxe has similar concepts to Mother Tongue Bookworm. The game utilizes 2D graphic visualization, from a grid of available letters; players connect letters to form words. As words are formed, they are removed from the grid and the remaining letters collapse to fill the available space. The players are given a board filled with lettered tiles, and they have to string them together to form words. The player get points for each word and longer words are worth more points. A major benefit of the game is that it increases a player’s vocabulary. (Mueller, 2005) Scrabble Scrabble has been around for more than half a century now. Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. There are three ways in which the player could benefit from playing this game. One of which is that it builds vocabulary, second is it helps one improve spelling and lastly in developing the skill of anagramming. The game application made by the proponents used this game as inspiration for the board game concept. (Rooni, 2010) Boggle game Boggle game or most commonly known as word factory is a word game designed by Allan Turoff. The game is played using a plastic grid of lettered dice, in which players attempt to find words in sequences of adjacent letters. The game is intended to help children learn to recognize letters and words, to practice hand-eye coordination, and to learn the correct spellings of basic words. (Nickerson, 2007) Synthesis The above mentioned related literature and studies, the proponents viewed that the proposed game application would be feasible and would significantly help those students most specially Kindergarten to Grade 3 students who are under the K to 12 program of the Department of Education. Children nowadays have access to technology that was not available in previous generations and therefore they have a unique opportunity to use this technology to aid in how they learn. By reversing the negative effects of video games, there are benefits that could be gained by players while having fun at the same time. CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY In this chapter, the proponents discussed the method used in this study and the different procedures in the development of the research. Moreover, it also included the research locale, design procedure, design instrument and the timeline of the study and how the gathered data collected and analyzed. http://www.sourcecodester.com/visual-basic/educational-computer-game-thesis.html

Luxor Case Answers

Case question 1 Variable manufacturing costs as a percentage of sales and the markup on variable manufacturing cost to establish the selling prices for each of the three product lines in 2008 en 2010: Compared markup 2008 and 2010: The markup is lower in 2010 because Luxor lowered the selling prices for lipstick in 2009 and for nail polish in 2010. They had to do this because the discount chains continued to put pressure on them to reduce the prices for lipstick and nail polish. Case question 2 The calculation that converts the Wholesale selling price of the 12/31/2008 lipstick inventory shown as $11. 5 million to the â€Å"cost† of $9. million: Case question 3 Assuming the variable manufacturing cost per unit stayed the same in 2009 and 2010, did the sales volume of nail polish (in terms of physical units) increase or decrease after the selling price was reduced in 2010? Explain. Conclusion: The variable manufacturing costs per unit stayed the same over 2009 and 2010. The act ual variable manufacturing costs increased, so it’s clear that the firm has sold more units. Case question 4 The calculation of the breakeven revenue in 2011: The contribution margin % is calculated by multiplying the sales mix with the contribution margin. Case question 5Susan’s proposed budget for 2011 includes a substantial repayment of the bank loan. If the repayment occurs, is the firm likely to break even in 2012? Explain. The loan figures of the company have been stable for the last two years. If the company repays $10 million of the loan with an interest rate of 7%, the firm will save $ 700K a year. If you decrease the fixed costs with 700K, you can calculate the new breakeven revenue: Therefore, it is unlikely that the firm will sell more in 2012. The sales will probably decrease. Our advice is to focus marketing & promotion on the product with the highest contribution margin. Case question 6

The valuation of the National Grid company Assignment

The valuation of the National Grid company - Assignment Example The reason behind the selection of the model can be explained with the help of the following advantages National Grid Company Plc is a multinational company headquartered in London. The primary business includes the supply of electricity and gas utility. The company is listed both in London Stock Exchange and FTSE 100 index. It is categorized under the diversified utilities industry. The company has 20th largest primary listing on London stock exchange. The company also has the secondary listing on NYSE (Hoover, 2011). The market price on October 1st 2012 was  £624.68(closing price of London stock exchange on Oct 1st 2012) (yahoofinance, 2015).Comparing the market price with the intrinsic value calculated using the residual income model above shows that the Stock of National Grid Plc is undervalued as compared to the intrinsic value. The rationale for the stable long term growth rate of 0.05% was that the National Grid is expected to reach the stable level of supply requirement of gas in UK because in the beginning of 2015, which shows minimum shortfall of 15mcm in London, which can be managed easily afterwards through the flows from Norway and Britain with the lingled pipeline. National Grid is in the process to further improve the supply side by the end of 2015, which may lead to the stabilized phase of National Grid Plc (Reuters, 2015). Therefore, after 2015 and onwards the growth in retained earnings are expected to be minimal i.e. around 0.05%. On May 1st 2015, National Grid Stock has reached at the level of 886.30 which is slightly overvalued from the intrinsic value calculated as on 1st October 2012. Therefore, it can be implied that the price of National Grid Stock is mean

Written reflective commentary on group work Assignment

Written reflective commentary on group work - Assignment Example Body I would say this assignment has strengthened my communication abilities within a group setting such as this. It becomes very important when you are working as part of a team to be able to effectively and clearly communicate what it is that you need the other person to understand. Information exchange concerning who will be doing what and devising a schedule and determining who will lead the group are key periods when your communication ability becomes evident. Our group chose to meet weekly to discuss and update each other on what is going on with our part of the task. We had four meetings that the group was able to attend and the final meeting we had to change plans and meet at my flat due to the library being full. We did not have any issues with group members being present and on time. Our group did not find it necessary to have a group leader as we all did our own parts and took equal initiative. Eaxh group member completed their part successfully. We also used email to corr espond and exchanged telephone numbers. Flexibility and patience are elements of a successful group task, both of which I was able to use within the group. I was able to use flexibility when the library was closed. Because my group was on task it wasn’t necessary that I had a great deal of patience.... In dealing with members not contributing there is no reason for me to get angry as I know that I cannot influence the contribution of another. It is best in this case to contact them several times after which if they are still not contributing then let the instructor know and be certain that I have completed my own part to the group task. We did not have any issues with attendance or anyone being tardy for any meetings on the group work. Interpersonal abilities and skills are the main skills one needs to work within a group setting in completing a task. Usually before doing a group presentation you will want to find out who your audience will be. Finding out what they already know about your subject, what their attitude is and what their interest level is in your topic can help you make a more successful presentation. Knowing the size of the audience and what type of people are in is will also help. Are these business members of the community? Are they students? Are they being forced through go to your presentation for job reasons? Are they truly there on their own because they have a deep interest in what you have to say? We also would like a way to receive feedback after we’ve done our presentation/ power point and in this case we will get from the instructor. In forming groups there are different steps and stages to make a successful group that can communicate effectively together. Forming the group is when we are all assigned the group and initially noticing who else is in our group. Storming is when the ground rules get set, roles are clarified, purposes and responsibilities of each individual decided. Norming is when the

The theme of the story The Curse by Andre Dubus Essay

The theme of the story The Curse by Andre Dubus - Essay Example Mitchell Hayes is a forty-nine year old bartender who unexpectedly confronts an unfortunate event one evening right before closing. He is the stepfather of a teenage boy and girl. Five men arrive on motorcycles and order beers. Mitchell believes that they used drugs. Now one young woman comes to the bar to buy cigarettes and asks Mitchell for change. All of a sudden the bikers attack the woman and rape her brutally on the floor. Mitchell takes no action until the brutes leave the scene. He now approaches the woman and tries to comfort her. He now calls the police and his manager Bob. Mitchell is familiar with the police officer Smitty, for they were classmates in high school. Mitchell confesses that he could have done something to stop the crime. However, Smitty says that if he had intervened, he too would have been attacked by the thugs. Mitchell arrives home with a guilty mind. He tells his wife Susan what happened at the bar, and shares his thoughts with her. Susan also tells him that he has acted wisely by not responding to the criminals all by himself. However, their words do not pacify his soul as he believes that his nonresponsive was a sin. Mitchell is affected by guilty conscience despite his friend’s suggestion that intervention was the duty of police. He is â€Å"fatigue beyond relieving by rest, by sleep† after the incident (Dubus). The writer throws light on the rotten cultural facet of the US society and invites his readers to ponder the ethical parameters they have set. Mitchell represents the common man having tender feelings and compassion to his fellow creatures, but who at the same time is constrained by external pressures. The rapists symbolize male chauvinism and discrimination that are prevalent in every sphere of social life in the United States. Realism is the main feature of Dubus’ story. He deploys third person narration for the major part of the story with intent to give more

Public resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Public resource management - Essay Example The Council plays a strategic role which is beyond the constricted confines of acting merely as providers of social housing. The Westminster Council Management has on the other hand, continually recognized the importance of local authority by getting involved in an outward looking approach and being part of the broader roles that range from social to economic perspectives (Hyman, 2010). The Westminster Council has at all times acted in various capacities as a facilitator, co-coordinator and as a financial source and delegate in acquiring the needed service from other stakeholders. In particular, the Planning and Housing Departments have worked well together by using their powers, part of which includes compulsory purchase aimed at attaining the match needed effort of reduced housing shortage outcomes. Beyond service delivery, Westminster is the centre of national government. This is reflected in the number of workers in the public sector, in the city. Tourism activities and entertain ment related industries have been identified as potential employers. To this extent, serving as the economy’s driver, considering that Westminster is well known for its ever growing sector in the West End region. Market forces that are experienced globally have an impact on valuation, and availability of accommodation and this is well replicated in this city. This can be viewed in the way government regulations set to control council practices. To a large extent, they have been instrumental as they have worked beyond management of the Westminster Council as well as adopted policies of the Greater London Authority in determining the desired quality of affordable housing. Decisions made by the private sector landlords and investors can be influenced by limited extent by the local authority itself in seeking solutions to housing ills. It therefore, remains clear for the commission to direct its recommendations to these other targets within the Great London but in particular focu s on Westminster City Council (Palmer, Kenway and Wilcox, 2006). Background Information Westminster was incorporated in 1911. The city’s progressive council is recognized for excellent performance in management and full delivery of services to businesses and the neighboring community. All this is achieved without additional help from either districts or taxing authorities (Hyman, 2010). The report explores layers of complexity that undermine the good intentions in solving housing problems. Apart form handling housing issues, Westminster Council is responsible in providing parking space, recreational venues, and library and water services to the residents aw well as waste collection services and security to the city dwellers. Budget Development Objectives Westminster, as any other organization, has its own consideration that has been behind repeated success and growth of the council. This has been an influential means of raising the council’s operational efficiency in t he previous years. However, it is vital to realize that not any of the recognized ideas can be accomplished if there are no clear financial limitations built in the budgeting process from the beginning. In formulating a realistic budget, Westminster’s strategies are often based on four major dimensions. These are: The council management, planners and interested stakeholders have to identify

INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN PHILOSOPHY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN PHILOSOPHY - Essay Example Furthermore, it tells us that knowledge is acquired through the exercise of reason, understood as a faculty that can operate independently, in whole or in part, of a posteriori evidence. One of the elements which is most central to Nietzsche’s philosophy is illustrated in his famous declaration that, â€Å"God is Dead!† (Cahn 1227) This affirms a complete rejection of metaphysical, moral, and religious truths as grounds for reality. Unlike the Socratic philosophical canon, Nietzsche contends that the spiritual dimension is illusory. To Nietzsche, the existence of God, religion, morality, ethics, free will, freedom, and laws are mistakes for they are nothing but imaginary causes, an imaginary psychology. In his view, such things are nothing but mere projections of one’s psychological desire for security and calculability in life. In addition, it presupposes a denial of universal morality as the basis for human conduct. Nietzsche believed that once the existence of God is unveiled as an illusion, then it follows that God can no longer be implemented as the foundation for human ethical conducts. This leads to the assertion that all inquiries, dispositions and morals will be founded on the subjective will of individual self. Thus, unlike the Socratic philosophical canon, Nietzsche affirmed the individual self as the basis of all inquires and norms. This is Nietzsche’s theory of the will to power. Nietzsche’s (Cahn 1241) will to power is defined as the drive to dominate the environment. This drive, so central is the Will to Power. This Will to Power is more than simply the will to survive. It is, rather, an inner drive to express a vigorous affirmation of all a person’s powers. In doing so, the individual shall not only reaffirm his or her own subjective standards but moreover, they will gradually reach the consciousness of the higher type of man, the Ubermensch or Superman. For Nietzsche, the temperament of the Superman sha ll enable individuals to revitalize faith in their creative powers and this earthly existence. However, Nietzsche declares that not all people can attain the awareness of this superior type of individual. He claims that only those who excel in their mental and physical constitutions can procure the temperament of the Superman. He insists that the superman must have complete freedom, i.e. that one should not decide to practice a certain code of ethics, for the will to power will gradually decline. By this, the individual weakens and suffers. To explicate further, Nietzsche accused Christianity for advocating virtues that undermine and destabilize one’s will to power. Here, Nietzsche presents his doctrine of the two-fold history of good and evil. This doctrine reveals that there exists two types of morality, i.e. master morality and slave morality. For Nietzsche, master morality is one that is built on the will to power. He is one who considers that which is good = Powerful; ba d = Weakness. Also, he is one who practices generosity, not out of pity but out of excess. Those who practice this type of morality are the elite and noble men, meaning those who determine their morals according to their own personal standards. On the other hand, slave morality is that, which is

Attachment theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Attachment theory - Essay Example The principal postulate in the context of research on attachment in human infants is that an infant depicts secure attachment, only if its needs are responded to in a sensitive manner by its parent. Analogously, insecure attachment can be attributed to insensitive response by a parent (Acton). One researcher, namely Ainsworth, opined that there were two types of insecure attachment, namely, ambivalent and avoidant. Thereupon, this classification of infant behavior, as ambivalent, avoidant and resistant was applied to such behavior. According to this perception, a secure infant tries to come into contact, attempts to come near a parent, or greets a parent who is at a distance from it. On the other hand, an infant of the avoidant category attempts to evade a parent. Finally, an infant that has been classified as resistant or ambivalent displays its hostility towards a parent, either in an active or passive manner (Acton). The attachment theory is not restricted to the emotional response in infants, but also to obtain a proper perception of unhappiness, love and solitude amongst adults. The various styles, regarding attachment, found in adult are a consequence of the working models of that person, which had formed during that person’s early years, after birth (Acton). A person whose perception of secure attachment has been developed is likely to behave in a manner that is culturally acceptable. As such, when people, who are in each other’s presence, communicate with each other, they tend to be courteous and agreeable, irrespective of their identities. Whereas, the very same individuals, may not depict such behavior if they are communicating from a distance or in some symbolic fashion. In a study on Israeli Jewish students, it was discovered that a primed secure attachment enhanced appreciation for benevolence and universalism. Moreover, universalism was seen to be

Personal organization and time management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Personal organization and time management - Essay Example Matrix structure-this structure divides people into two different categories, one category is by the specific task they perform and the other is by the team of product they are working with. The major advantage of this structure is that productivity is increased and also the members have greater chances to be more creative and innovative because the members are expected to take responsibility for their work (Galloway,1921). This also allows managers and supervisors to make decisions easily to solve problems through interactions with the group. This is the most important element of all to me. Project-organizational structure-here, the members/workers are grouped together according to the number of staff required to produce a product or complete a task. Each significant task and the number of people it requires is put into consideration while using this structure to ensure that the right people are selected to participate in a particular project. Expect the unexpected-be ready for anything. Most of the time, things do not go as planned due to unavoidable circumstances, therefore it is important to always be ready for inconveniences (Forsyth, 2010). An example is in planning for activities by scheduling time for them. In most cases, lateness may occur due to unavoidable reasons. Therefore, allowing 15minutes earlier in the schedule will cover for any time lost. Avoid procrastination-this applies mostly to tasks that one does not like or tasks that are unpleasant. Instead of postponing them, it is important to do them as soon as possible so as to clear your schedule and make time for more important tasks (Limoncelli, 2009). Once you are done, it leaves you more energised to focus on the important ones. An example is when I did not feel like organising files for every athlete. I pushed the task for so long it ended up piling and I had to use a lot of time to

The Most Significant Moment of Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Most Significant Moment of Life - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the true essence of our life is exhibited through the little moments of joy or sorrow that are dear to us and are close to our hearts. These moments may be seemingly minor and trivial but become the most treasured and meaningful memories. These noteworthy moments adorn our past for our lifetime and have an evergreen effect on our future. Not just joyous incidents, some heart-wrenching episodes affecting our dear ones or our surroundings can also remain etched in our memories. Such incidents serve as reminders of the realities of life and the ups and downs it encompasses. On the other hand, the beautiful and worthwhile episodes shared with our family, favorite pets, colleagues, and friends prove to us every day the worthiness of life. These precious memories give us the necessary boost we need when we are drowned in the daily chaos and obligations. The researcher’s Granddad possessed a very full of life and admirable personality. The author enjoyed the most when she used to spend her time at her grandparent's house. Every single moment the researcher spent with her granddad was filled with affection and a feeling of warmth. Even now when she thinks of even the most inconsequential episodes she spent with her granddad, the author is reminded of his honesty and kindness that reflected her personality. Childhood is a part of your life where the tiniest of gestures have a deep impact on one’s personality. The researcher’s granddad showed the importance of family, the significance of kindness and gave her the confidence that is needed to become a self-assured young girl that she is today. The author always worshipped his lively personality, the way he laughed and made jokes with his companions. His authoritarian personality with the spirit of kindness and love that, he had in abundance, especially for the researcher. Her granddad always took special care of her and the author used to accompany him most of the time. One particular incident has left a deep impact on the author’s mind and she still finds that she related to it some way or another. During one particular summer vacations, when the author was in 6th standard she went to her granddad's house as a part of her usual annual routine. As usual, the author spent the bright lively summer days in her grandparent’s house cherishing each and every moment. Summer vacations were a time which she used to wait for eagerly. It was an occasion when the researcher got the chance to spend time with one person who made her feel special through his affectionate soul and kind gestures. Granddad brought home a little, frail puppy that looked scared and homeless. Its innocent round eyes stared at the author with fear in them. Granddad had found him on his way home in a deserted street without its mother. The researcher was amazed and quite amused by this little creature. The puppy was just like a little baby; small, fragile and completely dependent on others. Granddad gave the puppy to the author and told her to take special care of the little creature. That day he taught the researcher a lesson that she followed the rest of her life. It was something that was obvious from his way of life and his personality. He taught her love and affection for family. He told her that if today the author takes care of the little, defenseless creature, it will grow up tomorrow and return her the kindness and affection she showed to it.  

The Fair Value change with respect to the Financial Crisis Essay Example for Free

The Fair Value change with respect to the Financial Crisis Essay The world has come under the grips of a global financial crisis. Such events with big accounting and financial impacts are few and forlorn but when they do come, they bring with them uncertainty and pessimism as well as the desire to bring about some change so as to curtail such events from taking place in the future. With regards to standard setting, this is being achieved through the debate surrounding fair value reporting. Banks and many other troubled financial institutions that bore the brunt of the tidal wave of the credit crunch are calling on the Financial Accounting Standards Board to ease their stance in relation to fair value accounting whereas investors and financial analysts are standing forward to block this move. Fair value accounting had been brought into place after much deliberation by standard setters over the years. Its application worldwide was a reflection of the need for financial statements to reflect the assets held by firm on their balance sheets at prices they could be realized at today in the markets, in a fair deal and an arm’s length transaction. This was recognized as something that provided a fair outlook of the current financial position of banks and other institutions and was held very closely guarded by the FASB (Katz 2009). The chairman of the board’s adherence to the need for fair value to continue and his defense of the methodology in a testimony before the US House of Representatives Financial Services Subcommittee in March of 2009 is a strong indicator of where standard setters actually fall in the debate. However, in April of 2009 the board voted to relax the fair value rules under strong political pressure and in an uncharacteristically rapid fashion for a body that is known to engage in long debates and continued discussion before enacting any changes in the accounting standards. This change has sparked unique responses from the two sides of the debate. Banks and other financial institutions have been delighted with the measure. They had come out in open opposition to fair value rules following the financial crisis stating that it unfairly influenced their accounts. They argued that the use of the fair value criteria resulted in them show items in their balance sheet as significantly lower value than they would be actually realized at, thereby giving them a relatively bleak financial outlook with very pessimistic figures (Katz 2009). The impetus for the move was that if this could be alleviated to some extent, then banks would be better able to report their true financial situation and reduce some of the write-offs that have wrecked the industry, thereby even putting them in a better position to issue more loans and perhaps precipitate faster recovery from the crisis. The optimism of the banks with regards to the proposed shift by the FASB was reflected in the markets as the stocks of major banks such as Citibank and Bank of America went up in the New York Stock Exchange. Investors and financial analysts however have been strongly against the move being put forward by the FASB in April. They argue that fair value accounting results in showing the actual financial health of the financial institution and changing the rules would result in a distorted perspective being put forward to the investors. It is further seen as being a highly transparent view of the financial health as it leads to assets being valued at the amount they could be traded today which is a reflection of the economic times as well as the trend of decision making that has been going on in the industry. Thus after the changes have been brought into place, investor group are showing growing unhappiness at what is viewed as something potentially harmful. They were also wary of the involvement of political pressure in the move, which if freely allowed to influence international standard setting would compromise the integrity of the field and harm investor confidence as well. The FASB did come out in support of the investor though by additionally requiring more disclosure of the methodology employed by firm for valuation after the FASB allowed them significantly more room for judgment regarding it through relaxation of the rules. It further did not allow the financial institutions to apply the changes retrospectively which would have altered their 2008 statements as well. It also restricted the application of some proposed changes such as those relating to valuing impaired securities by keeping it only for debt securities. FASB’s shift has been in a manner that can be considered characteristically different from its formal procedure. The world of standard setting has been slow with prolonged discussions before any changes are brought forward. With regards to the current change, it was made considerably rapidly by bringing in remarks for discussion, pursuing a review of one day and then handing out the proposed changes which is a testament to the tricky financial times and political pressure. The shift that was brought about included allowing the firms considerable room for â€Å"judgment† with regards to gauging prices of some of their investments represented on the financial statement as well as those for mortgage backed securities (Katz 2009). This did meet with opposition from other bodies such as the CFA Institute and investors groups, the former arguing that such arbitrary changes damage their credibility while the latter is in woe of the difficulties investors will face now. They have even gone out to condemn to some extent the U-turn taken by the chairman of the FASB whereby he shunned the changes proposed to fair value methodology in front of congressional subcommittee but then agreed to put in place the same measures hardly a month later. Thus it can be seen that the current financial crisis has altered the direction standard setting in accounting has taken. It can be said that this is a fairly damaging trend. While it may result in short term gains for fighting the financial crisis and help shore up loans and lending, it could be damaging in the long run as political pressures and advocacy groups may damage the credibility and transparency of standard setting and financial statements presentation. It could also be adverse for the investor who may not trust the standards as providing fair information and affect their behavior. Furthermore, the integrity of the institute may well have been compromised in this case by the u-turns being adopted by the chairman of the FASB. Bibliography Katz, Ian (2009, April 2). FASB Eases Fair-Value Rules Amid Lawmaker Pressure. Retrieved June 17, 2009, from Bloomberg Web site: http://www.bloomberg.com

Issues Of Construction And Demolition Waste Environmental Sciences Essay

Issues Of Construction And Demolition Waste Environmental Sciences Essay Construction waste is becoming a serious environmental problem in many countries in the world. Construction and demolition (C and D) debris frequently makes up 10-30% of the waste receive at many landfill sites around the world (Fishbein, 1998). The construction industry has long been regarded as one of the major contributors of negative impact to the environment, due to the high amount of waste generated from construction, demolition, renovation and activities associated with construction. The construction industry plays a significant role in Malaysias development both in terms of infrastructure and economic development. Waste minimization and effective waste management is a most pressing issue nowadays. Construction is a unique industry. The success or failure of a project is relying on the accuracy estimation done throughout the course of the project. In this chapter, the timber or wood and asphalt are usually used in the construction industry will be reviewed follow by the discus sion to carry out by researcher in recycling technical for construction and demolish waste. Besides that, this chapter also carries out and identifies products produce from construction and demolishes waste in construction site. 2.2 Definition of Construction and Demolition Waste Waste is defined as the-by product generated and removed from construction, renovation and demolition workplaces or sites of building (Cheung, 1993). Solid is defined as all wastes in solid form which are useless or unwanted and in general arise from human activities. Construction wastes are wastes generated from building, demolition and renovation works for individual housing, commercial buildings and others. Solid wastes also can be defined as those wastes from human activities. Solid wastes can be classified as municipal waste such as, paper, plastic, food waste and so on. Industries wastes include construction and demolition waste, hazardous waste and others (Kiely, 1997). Construction waste are in the forms of building debris, rubble, earth, concrete, steel, timber, and mixed site clearance materials, arising from various construction activities including land excavation or formation, civil and building construction, demolition activities, roadwork and building renovation (Shen et al. 2004). Normally construction wastes are the wastage such timber from fabricated formwork, steel when steel bar cutting and so on. Even though prefabricated assemblies such as windows and doors, which are packaged in large quantities of cardboard, metal or plastic strapping and wood tend to produce a significant amount of waste (Dolan, 1999). Construction waste could be classified in the form of solid, liquid, gas or combination of all these. Due to the huge use of construction raw materials in the industry, there is certainly a need to evaluate the environmental impact of waste generated from the construction site activities. Construction and demolition (CD) waste is produced during new construction, renovation and demolition of structures such as residential and non- residential buildings, and public work projects such as highways, bridges and so on (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2000). Construction and demolition waste includes bricks, concrete, soil, rock, masonry, paving materials, lumber, shingles, glass, plastic, aluminum, steel, drywall, asphalt, plumbing fixtures, wood or timber, cardboard and so on. The construction and demolition (CD) industry generates a significant quantity of waste (Table 1), although estimates of total amounts vary in England. Table 1. Quantities of waste from various sources in England (Lawson et al. 2001) 2.3 Construction Demolition Wastes in Malaysia Our country, Malaysia is same as other country, because Malaysia also have been created construction wastes substantially during the process of renovation, new construction, demolition and refurbishment such as bricks, concretes, steels, timbers and etcetera. At each stage of new construction, renovation, demolition and refurbishment have created different type of wastes. 2.4 Relationships between Construction and Demolition (CD) Waste Although construction wastes are similar to demolition wastes, they are often cleaner, because the waste materials usually have not been painted or mixed with other materials. Construction wastes are also generated in distinct stages as construction progresses. For example, framing and sheathing produces large quantities of wood waste; drywalling produces waste sheet rock; pallets, metal, plastics and cardboard during plumbing and mechanical installations. The sequential nature of construction allows targeted recovery of specific recyclable materials as a construction project proceeds. In remodeling projects, manual demolition provides the potential for a high degree of source separation. Demolition waste is more difficult to source-separate than construction waste. Reusable items and certain recyclables are sometimes recovered before mechanical demolition begins. There are two type of demolition which is manual and mechanical. Manual demolition, also known as deconstruction, can maximize the separation and recovery of recyclable materials, but is not always feasible. Mechanical demolition is done by bulldozer or excavator, tends to crush and combine materials, limiting source-separation, unless recovery facilities that sort mixed materials are available. Mechanically crushed materials are commonly land filled, with limited attempts at recovery (Clark Country Washington, 2008) 2.5 Contamination of Construction and Demolition (CD) Waste Waste from new construction is composed primarily of a mixture of unused or damaged raw materials, as well as off-cuts (discarded cut material) and packaging. Demolition waste includes actual building components, such as full length studs and concrete slabs. The largest component of demolition waste is concrete followed by brick, wood and metals. Waste materials from new construction are usually clean and relatively uncontaminated, whereas demolition waste materials are often dirty or contaminated and are mixed with other materials. These differences between construction and demolition (CD) wastes create specific opportunities and challenges for waste reduction. The contamination of construction and demolition (CD) wastes can take various forms: Mixed contamination Mixed contamination is resulting from mixing of materials during excavation from site. Waste concrete removed, for example, from a floor may be mixed with contaminated soil, other materials or other wastes. It will cause the negative impact on the potential for recycling concrete. Surface contamination Surface contamination is materials that have been used in foundations, road construction or in ground works are likely to have been in intimate contact with soil. Surface contamination could also include coatings and sheeting that have been used to protect the materials during their service life but a barrier to reuse. Absorbed contamination Absorbed contamination is contaminants that are soluble and mobile can potentially be absorbed into porous building materials. These contaminants are likely to be preset in groundwater or contaminated surface water. (Lawson et al. 2001) 2.6 Sources of Construction Wastes The construction wastes are usually generated by the construction activities take place. It consist all building materials that being used for construction purposes. Material wastes are unavoidable. One of the reasons to identify the source of construction wastes is to understand the recycling potential of construction wastes. The major construction wastes are bricks, concretes, timbers, glasses, metals, asphalt, plastic and others. Each of them have own characteristic. In this chapter will review two construction wastes which are timber and asphalt. 2.6.1 Timber/Wood Wood is produced by trees and sometimes other fibrous plants, used for construction purposes when cut into lumber and timber such as board, plank, and similar materials. Wood can be very flexible under loads, keeping strength when bending and it is also incredibly strong when compressed it into vertically. Wood is a generic building material and used in building just about any type of structure in most climates. There are many different type and quality of woods. This means specific species are better for various uses than other. Deciding the wood used in construction activities is depends on the woods quality. Historically, wood for large building structures was used in its unprocessed form as logs. The trees were just cut into the needed length, sometimes stripped of bark, and then notched in to place. In earlier times, some parts of the world, many country homes or communities had a personal wood lot from which the family or community would grow and harvest trees to build with. These lots would be tended to like a garden. With the invention of mechanizing saws came the mass production of dimensional lumber. This made buildings to put up and more uniform quickly. Thus, the modern western style home was made. Wood is one of the most frequent used by human in the world. Wood and the by-products are found in every area of modern existence, the timber is usually used in construction, furniture and domestic uses to fibre board, chipboard, paper, newsprint and cardboard. As usage for construction material, wood is strong, light, durable, flexible and easily worked. It has excellent insulating properties. In contrast to the substitutes for wood used in structural and architectural such as brick, concrete, metals and plastics, wood can be produced and transported with little energy consumed and the products are renewable and usually biodegradable (Koch, 1991). Wood will continue to be a major construction material in subsequent decades in Southeast Asia. A large part of the volume used for construction will be in the form of lumber and plywood but more reconstituted wood-panel products will be used in the form of fibre boards, particle board and wood-cement boards. The decreasing wood supply from natural forests will be supplemented by wood from plantations and secondary or lesser-used species will be adopted more as construction materials. In future non-traditional materials will also be used extensively. Rubber wood looms as an important source for both household furniture and construction. The palm stem of coconut will be used in a large extent for house construction, particularly for low cost housing. Laminated products will also become important as the supply of large diameter wood declines further. A more extensive use of nontraditional materials will depend largely on advancing technologies in processing to promote productivity and economy. Nowadays, the growing population causes the increase of housing needs. With the demands, countries of the Southeast Asia are decreasing amounts of their forest resources. In the same time, a diminishing natural forest resource is creating a need to find new sources and new processes for wood based construction materials. The present and future use of wood for construction in several ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries had suggested that the future requirements must be met from some unconventional sources and with increased use of new technologies. Wood remains the most important construction material that is available in the region in substantial quantities. In the coming years, wood will still continue to be a major construction material, but in a variety of new forms. Number of unconventional sources will be invented due to the declining supply of traditional tropical species. These will also be supplemented through the increased use of plantation trees and lesser known natural species, supported by technological advances in wood processing. 2.6.1.1 Type of Wood in construction Cement Bonded Board This type of wood came in various forms and sizes such as chips, particles or narrow long strips like wood wool that has been bonded with cement to produce panel products for construction. Research on this type of panel was carried out more than 20 years ago in Europe but only now it is being seriously considered in the ASEAN countries. Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand started into commercial production of this material. Malaysia produces wood wool cement boards and particle boards bonded with cement. Cement bonded boards can be used for external walling. It has sound and heat insulating properties and resistant to the attack of insects and fungi. It has great potential for low-cost housing because of its cost competitive with other materials (Anonymous, 1984). Wood cement board is light with a density of only 600 kg/m3. The thermal conductivity of cement-bonded boards is lower than resin-bonded particleboards and is comparable to fibre insulating boards. Glued Laminated Wood Glulam is stand for Glued Laminated Timber. It is made from gluing many small pieces of timber planks together to form deep members. The advantages of using Glued Laminated Timber are strength of the product, the opportunities for creative architectural use especially in curved and tapered beams and excellent fire performance of the product ( Dr Tan et al. 2005). LVL is stands for Laminated Veneer Lumber. It is made from laminating thin sheets of wood which enables very deep and long sections with high strength possible. The other option is the use of Plywood which is made by gluing and pressing thin laminates together to form a sheet. The grain is laminated in alternate directions, which results in strength in two directions. These manufactured products are used in large spans, deep beams and large cross sections that incorporates large span truss. There have many advantages of Laminated Timber for trusses. In terms of material, the product is known for its efficiency and quality. Laminated Timber uses short length and small pieces of wood resources intelligently. On the other hand, the process is subject to certain quality criteria on bonding, finger jointing and wood quality ( Dr Tan et al. 2005). The advantages are also inherent in the process required: Drying In Glulam, not more than 40mm of thickness is used. Drying and even preservative treatment become easier and better quality is attainable. Shape and form Timber could be bent to produce structural members of virtually any shape and size. The final geometry is normally restricted by ease of transportation and handling. Termite, mould and rot General solution is to either specify timber species which are naturally resistant to chemically treat the material accordingly. Proper technical detailing is also essential to minimize exposure to sunlight, collection of water and possible termite attack. Glulam trusses are widely used for large span structures for its aesthetic appeal apart from cost effectiveness and this helps by doing away with false ceilings or other decorative items. Besides that, the other uses include pre-assembled or knock down Glulam components for transportation purposes, pre-drilled holes and also all connection hardware (primered, painted or powder-coated) as specified ( Dr Tan et al. 2005). Palm Wood The possibility of utilizing the coconut palm wood on a commercial scale has been recognized only in the last decade, although usage of wood from palm species has been known by people in the villages since time immemorial. Currently, coconut palm wood has been successfully utilized in a number of coconut growing countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Fiji, the Tonga Islands and others. Coconut timber is suitable for housing components like trusses, purlins, walls, joists, doors, window frames and jalousies. Low density coconut wood materials (from the centre of the stem) should be used only in non-load structures like walls and panels while high density coconut wood (from the perimeter of the stem) can be used for load-bearing structures like trusses and joints. High density coconut wood could also be used as posts, power and telecommunication poles, trusses, floor tiles (parquet), girts, floor joists, purlins, balustrades and railings and other load bearing structu res. When coconut logs are to be used in ground contact under exposed conditions (for examples as posts or as poles for electrical wires) they must be properly treated. Medium density boards can be effectively used for walling, horizontal studs, ceiling joists and door or window frames. As a regulation, if density of coconut wood is below 400 kg/m3, it is should not be used as structural framing materials. However, they can be used in the internal parts of a building as ceiling and wall lining in the form of boards and shingles. A problem related to structural application of coco wood is the difficulty of nailing and subsequently splitting of high density wood finishes. Coconut wood can be a promising material for the manufacture of furniture and other handicrafts due to its beautiful grain and attractive natural appearance. High value coconut wood products which include furniture, decorative interior walls, parquet floors, various novelties and curio items like walking sticks, ash trays, hammer handles, egg cups, plates, bowls, vases and so on. Comparable to the traditional wood species commonly used in the furniture industry as far as appearance is concerned. Thus, with effective product promotion, quality furniture and other high value coconut wood products can have a potential share not only in the domestic but also in the world markets. Coconut wood has potential for the manufacture of high value and export quality finished products. (Asia Pacific Forestry Sector Outlook: Focus on Coconut Wood, 1997). 2.6.2 Asphalt Asphalt or bitumen can sometimes be confused with  tar, which is a similar black thermo-plastic material produced by the  destructive distillation  of  coal. During the early century, when  town gas  was produced, tar was a readily available product and extensively used as the binder for road aggregates. The addition of tar to  macadam  roads led to the word  tarmac, which is now used to refer to road making materials. However, since the 1970s, when natural gas  succeeded town gas, asphalt (bitumen) has completely overtaken the use of tar in these applications. Asphalt is used for the  oil refinery  product used to pave roads and manufacture  roof shingles. 2.7 Waste Management Planning Good planning is the most important part of construction waste management. Like anything else in construction, recycling is straight forward if you have a good blueprint, but becomes much more difficult and expensive if its an add-on. Good planning allows to identify all recyclable materials and know how going to manage the site before the job starts. Good planning addresses how each waste material will be handled, what containers will be used and when theyll be on site, and where each material will be marketed. Good planning allows to assess the costs and benefits of recycling and decide which materials to source separate, which to recycle as mixed debris, and which to discard as trash. Good planning covers communications, training, and troubleshooting, and lays out tracking and reporting procedures. The Waste Management Plan is the document that lays out the start-to-finish strategy for job site recycling. It is prepared directly from the drawings and specifications for the job, an d a good plan will closely follow these documents. The Waste Management Plan should includes estimating types and quantities of wastes generated during each phase of the job, identify how each waste will be managed and marketed, provide an estimate of the overall job recycling rate, lay out plans for training, meetings, and other communications related to job-site waste management and provide troubleshooting instructions and contact information. The Waste Management Plan is the cornerstone for successful construction waste recycling and reduction. It is a comprehensive document that provides all of the information needed by any individual on site to understand and achieve the waste management goals for the project. All of this can and should be done before you break ground or during the planning stage so that recycling is incorporated seamlessly into overall performance of the job. Its best if the Waste Management Plan is written and signed off on by all parties (owner, architect, a nd contractor) a month or more before site possession or the first day of site work. This allows time for all parties to participate in developing the plan, allows contractors and subcontractors to integrate recycling into their setup and work plans, and assures that training can be provided to supervisors and workers. The Waste Management Plan is also a living document, used as a day-to-day reference just like blueprints and specifications. This fact cannot be overemphasized. Handling procedures or markets may change during the course of a job, these changes should be noted in modifications to the plan. As waste materials move from the site, information on waste and recycling tonnages and costs will be gathered. These should be matched against initial projections, variances should be analyzed, and a running recycling rate should be calculated. Besides that, also should be publicized the recycling rate to laborers and trades. Its a good way to help boost morale, and keep workers str iving to achieve recycling goals (Construction Materials Management Guidelines, Feb1994). 2.8 Construction Waste Management Construction waste management may be defined as the discipline associated with the control of generation, recovering, processing and disposal of construction wastes in a manner that is in accord with the best principles of human health, economic, engineering, aesthetics, and other environmental considerations (Tchobanoglous, 1993). Construction waste management is becoming more pressing problem in worldwide. The management of construction waste is not only of governments responsibility but also responsibility of the developer of the particular land area. There are two ways to manage the waste will be discussed later. 2.8.1 Reuse The reuse of waste material is one of the important form of pollution prevention. It is because these changes reduce the amount of waste generated year to year. Source reduction and reuse are regularly undertaken in developing countries, while these are only beginning to be practiced widely in industrialized countries. Several obstacles have stop waste prevention efforts including manufacturing decision and consumer buying patterns. For an example, manufacturers have little incentive to consider the cost of waste collection and disposal when designing a product because the consumers do not take these factors into consideration when making purchase decisions. 2.8.2 Recycling Recycling construction and demolition (CD) waste is defined as using or reuse a material or residual component of a material (Holt, 2001). Besides that, recycling also reprocessing of a reclaimed material and converting it into a new material or use. Recycle construction and demolition (CD) waste can be accomplished in various ways. Deconstruction is one method of recycle construction and demolition (CD) waste. Deconstruction is the disassembly of structures and reuse of their parts. It is believe that there is value in salvaged materials. However for traditional recycle construction and demolition (CD) waste methods are modifying materials remanufacture. There are many constructions and demolition (CD) waste can be recycled. The expanding the market recycle construction and demolition (CD) waste are depend on the recycled and salvaged goods in the market place, labour costs for removal, sorting and processing and relative disposal cost (Patterson, 2005). 2.8.3 The Important of Recycling There are some benefits of recycling, including saving energy saving land space, saving money, creating new jobs, reducing air and water pollution and preserving habitat for wildlife. It takes less energy to process recycled materials than it does to use virgin materials. For an example, it takes less energy to recycle paper from waste material than it does to create paper from new woodland, because there is no longer a need to cut down a new tree, process the wood from the tree and make it into paper. Energy from non-renewable resources is protected and saved for future generations, money is saved when less energy is used. This is also can mean that more competitively priced goods and often pollution and emissions are reduced when less energy is used. Recycling reduces trash in landfill sites, which cuts down on the cost of waste disposal and the clearing of more land for new landfills when the current landfills become too full to store any more waste. Recycling is an easy and less expensive alternative to clearing more land for new landfills. For an example, composting, recycling kitchen waste and yard waste into compost provides a means of free nutritious soil for gardening. Recycling would allow human to reuse the materials over and over again. Decomposing waste often release noxious gases and chemicals as it decomposes at landfill sites. These gas and chemicals create air pollution. When the chemicals leach into the groundwater, this will creates water pollution and water is c ontaminated. In 2000, recycling of solid waste prevented the release of 32.9 million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MMTCE, the unit of measure for greenhouse gases) into the air. Imagine how much pollution could prevent if instead of landfills had recycling centers. Human could breathe cleaner air and drink cleaner water. If the human created more recycling opportunities, this would create more jobs and no one would have to lose their jobs either. Recycling also preserves wildlife. When fewer trees are cut down to make virgin material or to make space landfills, habitat for wildlife remains. More habitats for animals mean less animal extinction. Despite what some may say, recycling is important and it can make a difference. The people may not be able to solve their landfill and pollution problems anytime soon, but at least they can help keep them from getting worse. Recycling is a easy way to do. Start with paper or plastic or both and take them to a recycling bin near your home. For an example, if any people have to go grocery shopping fill up a car with a box of recyclable paper and dump it at the recycling bin near the store. Many grocery stores now have these bins available. If not ask them to start or participate in your neighborhoods curbside recycling program. If there isnt one available get one started in the neighborhood. In 2001 United States residents, businesses and institutions generated more than 229 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) (EPA, Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2001 Final Report). This waste adversely affects the economy and the environment. Conventional methods of disposal involve land filling. These landfills have limited capacity. As waste generation increases, new landfills must be built. Landfills are expensive to build and operate. The landfills are also highly subsidized by local governments and require significant land that then is no longer viable for wildlife habitat or residential, commercial, or recr eational development. Waste negatively impacts the environment. Degradation of the natural landscape occurs through leaching from improperly lined landfills and from the extraction of resources for new materials. To reduce the amount of waste generation, communities have instituted recycling programs across the country. Recycling has economic and environmental benefits for communities. First, recycling reduces the need for new landfills and associated costs. Second, recycling can support industrial development as the recycled materials serve as raw materials for manufacturing and other uses. For an example, recycled soda bottles are used in carpet manufacturing; steel contains 85 percent recycled content and recycled paper is milled for new paper products. By supplying raw materials to industry through the reuse of materials, recycling conserves resources by reducing the need to extract virgin resources or introduce new chemicals into the environment. By not disturbing existing natu ral resources and by reducing noxious manufacturing processes, recycling prevents emissions of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants. From a community and environmental preservation perspective, recycling conserves green space, protects habitat, and improves quality of life for residents in natural resource locations. Recycling also saves energy through avoided extraction and manufacture processes. This can be a particularly powerful strategy when one realizes that only 10 percent of all materials extracted are used in final products. This means that 90 percent of natural resources extracted for consumer use are disposed of as waste. From an economic perspective, such high values of unused material represent inefficiencies in the market. Missed opportunities exist where inefficiencies are present. Recycling contributes to the economic base of communities. There is significant job creation and business development potential associated with recycling. Jobs in this field involve more than simple collection and separation. The remanufacture of recycled materials supports more than one million manufacturing jobs. As companies seek to find new uses for recycled materials, research and development of greener technologies require skilled individuals and significant capital investment. A wide variety of jo b skills are needed to develop this industry. Hence, the more robust are the recycling activities which include collection, separation, research, manufacture and resale and the more recycling can advance economic development. The popular phrase, reduce, reuse, recycle has become a household mantra with millions of households separating their plastics, paper, cans and glass and using curbside pick-up, drop-off centers, buy-back centers, and deposit refund programs. Certainly within these material streams, a larger percentage of recycling is possible. Further, these materials are only part of the waste stream. There are other materials that may have more impact when recycled. Construction and demolition (CD) debris materials are easily recyclable using existing infrastructure and make up larger concentrations of waste volume than cans, bottles, paper and so on. (William McDonough and Michael Braungart. 2002. Cradle to Cradle. New York: Northpoint Press). Construction and demolition waste is currently recycled at a rate of 20-30 percent. Project-based studies indicate that the potential for recycling is much higher more than 70 percent. While many construction and demolition materials are suitable for recycl ing, there are external factors that influence the spread of construction and demolition recycling. The value of recycled and salvaged goods in the marketplace, labor costs for removal, sorting and processing, and relative disposal costs all play a role in expanding or contracting the market for reuse and recycled goods. Recycled and salvaged goods must be price competitive and perceived to be as desirable as or even more desirable than products produced from virgin materials. Competitive pricing is impacted by subsidies, incentives on virgin materials, and market demand. Recycled goods or secondary materials do not benefit from similar policies that could facilitate their widespread use and resultant competitive pricing. Desirability for recycled materials is a reflection of the value placed upon these goods. This desirability can be affected by industry and consumer market knowledge and acceptance. However, hesitancy to use recycled goods on the part of bui

Concepts Of Appropriation Under The Theft Act Law Essay

Concepts Of Appropriation Under The Theft Act Law Essay The Theft Act 1968  [1]  was legislated as a result of complicated, confusing and highly technical prior statutes and case law. Antiquated terminology like larceny, embezzlement and false pretences were to be replaced by a simple and short Act that was aiming towards codification of the criminal law. The Criminal Law Revision Committee advised on the recommendation, which as a result fully transpired. The report affirmed larceny, embezzlement and fraudulent conversion should be replaced by a single new offence of theft. The important element of them all is undoubtedly the dishonest appropriation of anotherers property.  [2]  Unfortunately the courts interpretation of the Theft Act has not went as smooth as anticipated; it became highly disputed as the House of Lords reached contrasting outcomes on several cases. Parliament was possibly at fault to some extent due to the Act being formulated very simplistic, the consequence was that judges had to work out exactly what the law was. My purpose will be to chronologically evaluate the crucial case law, academic opinion, as well as objectively conclude from a theoretical and practical perspective. The definition of The Theft Act 1968 is A person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it; and thief and steal shall be construed accordingly.  [3]  This section is pivotal and fundamental as the whole Act is structured around this definition. Dispute surrounds the element of appropriation. Academics and lawyers have and still are extensively contesting on whether consent should be relevant or irrelevant for an individual to appropriate property. The Criminal Law Revision Committee which prompted the Act stated We hope and believe that the concept of dishonest appropriation will be easily understood even without the aid of further definition.  [4]  This lack of further definition in hindsight, demonstrated poor judgment from the Committee as cases will illustrate that interpretation of appropriation has led to difficulties even in straightforward circumstances. In Lawrence  [5]  an Italian student who was unfamiliar with the currency opened his wallet to a taxi driver to allow him to acquire the fare. The driver took money which was well over the excess of the fare. The driver disputed that his conduct could be appropriation because the student consented. The House of Lords held that it was irrelevant the student consented and dismissed the defendants appeal; the drivers conviction was upheld. This case concluded that appropriation can occur even when the victim has consented in handing over their property. Under the old Larceny Act 1916 a requirement for appropriation was without the consent of the owner  [6]  . Viscount Dilhorne highlighted this contrast in his judgment as he quoted Parliament by the omission of these words has relieved the prosecution of the burdon of establishing that the taking was without the owners consent  [7]  . Furthermore, Lawrenece means that certain crimes of deception may also be identical to crim es of theft, due to consent being irrelevant. Surely Parliaments intentions were not to have it amalgamated with s15 Obtaining Property by Deception. P. R. Glazebrook brought up this illogical consequence as he wrote Should it matter tuppence whether a crook snitched his victims property or tricked him out of it? Parliament thought not.  [8]  I myself find it hard to comprehend that Parliament enacted a meaningless provision but this is a practical and theoretical effect of the courts verdict. Shute and Horder also disagreed with the crimes being amalgamated by writing in a journal The label thief does not carry the same moral import as the label conman;  [9]  they also went on to say The nature of the wrongdoing in theft has a separate moral foundation from that of obtaining by deception. There is no doubt that these crimes are entirely different in reality and should be treated entirely different by the law; the outcome of Lawrenece does seem to question the merit and prac ticality of the Theft Act. The House of Lords in the case of Morris  [10]  casted uncertainty on this proposition as they held that the defendant must have done something objectively criminal for appropriation to occur. The facts involved the defendant exchanging labels on goods in a supermarket in order to pay less for the item; he was seized before paying and charged with theft. His council submitted that he could not have appropriated the item as he had handled the item in the supermarket with implied consent of the owner. Judging on Lawrence the defendant should have been convicted but the court completely opposed. Lord Roskil quoted appropriation in my view involves not an act expressly or impliedly authorised by the owner but an act by way of adverse interference with or unsurpation of those rights.  [11]  So on this judgment, a consensual acquirement of property would not be theft since the element of appropriation is absent. For the next eight years until R v Gomez  [12]  , this case was us ed in preference to Lawrence. The facts of Gomez involved the defendant who was an employee of a store in. He convinced the manager to sell goods to an accomplice and accept payment by cheques. He told the manager that the cheque was as good as cash but was aware that they were stolen. Gomez was convicted of theft at the trial court. The defendant appealed to the Court of Appeal, Lord Lane CJ was very clear on his position and stated anyone who obtains goods in return for a cheque which he knows will be dishonored on presentation, or indeed by way of any other similar pretence, would be guilty of theft  [13]  . He then went on to say that appropriation never occurred as There is no appropriation at the moment when he takes possession of the goods because he was entitled to do so under the terms of the contract of sale.  [14]  Lord Lane expressed that this conduct should not fall within the Theft Act as in practice it expands it enormously. Professor Shute obviously agreed with Lord Lanes reasoning as he w rote To create a new offence of theft to include conduct which ordinary people would find difficult to regard as theft would be a mistake.  [15]  Lord Lane also stressed that by making consent irrelevant created a clear conflict between civil and criminal law. Gomez was appealed to the House of Lords. The house had to clarify if consent was relevant and if appropriation involvedadverse interference with, or usurpation of, some right of the owner  [16]  The lords concluded 3:2 in favor for Lawrence against Morris and decided that consent is irrelevant to appropriation. Lord Keith quoted in the leading judgment Belief or the absence of belief that the owner had such knowledge is relevant to the issue of dishonesty, not to question whether or not there has been an appropriation.  [17]  This decision was of vast importance and had extensive implications to the offence of theft. In practical situations it could determine the point of arrest, for example, an individual can in theory be arrested in a shop for simply touching an item, perhaps just looking at the ingredients, if the law enforcement suspect the individual is planning to steal this item then in theory then they can be arrested. In practice this seems completely absurd; in add ition it means the law authorities have enormous arbitrary powers resulting from this legislation. Although in practice I doubt this example would occur often but arbitrary powers this broad should be taken very seriously as it may contravene human rights, the rule of law and the manifest criminality rule  [18]  that George Fletcher discusses. This rule maintains the notion that a reasonable person should identify the theft that has occurred. To some degree criminal activity like theft should be obvious to the objective observer. Alarmingly, by omitting the consent element for appropriation means that it practically vanishes the necessity to have an actus reus for a conviction. Also, there is no doubt that in certain cases consent will distinguish if the defendants conduct was dishonest or not. By dismissing consent the law is virtually relying on the entire mens rea element. Lord Lowry dissented in Gomez cited a dictionary definition of appropriate, he quoted take possession of, take to oneself, especially without authority.  [19]  He concluded that consent was relevant and there had to be some sort of adverse interference, which I do believe should be an element of appropriation. Later on in the 1990s, appropriation was at the centre of a further legal concern. The question the courts had to address was; could a recipient of a valid gift in civil law have appropriated property and be charged with theft if there was no deception? Again, consent was questioned. There were several cases with similar facts but it was R v Hinks  [20]  which resolved the issue. The defendant befriended a man of limited intelligence and naivety although he was mentally able of understanding the concept of ownership and a gift. The defendant encouraged the man to withdraw sixty thousand pounds and deposit it in her account. The Court of Appeal held that it was irrelevant the gift was valid in civil law and the question was certified to the House of Lords. Hinks defence submitted sound reasoning on why it would be wrong to hold a valid civil gift as appropriated, they referred to numerous examples of when contractual problems under such a expansive definition of appropriation whic h could now become theft. The defence also highlighted that it would create disharmony and a blatant conflict with civil law. Lord Steyn countered this issue as he quoted The tension between the civil law and the criminal law is therefore not in my view a factor which justifies a departure from the law as stated in Lawrence and Gomez.  [21]  In addition, on the matter of consent and authority he said this was immaterial.  [22]  The court appeal was dismissed as the gift was appropriated, only with Lord Hobhouse dissenting. Therefore in practice if there is an acquisition of property through dishonestly then the gift will have been appropriated and stolen. There are several consequences of the final decision in Hinks. First of all it means that there is no longer any distinction between fraud and theft, which does not seem to be logical as they are entirely different crimes. Lord Steyn discarded appropriation as being narrow due the number of unjustified acquittals that may be the consequence. Although this is a convincing justification and I can see the logic due to the defendants unconscionable conduct, but I believe this should not be the criminal law. The contrast with civil law could been evaded by perhaps declaring the gift voidable due to undue influence. The court asserting the legitimacy of the gift as irrelevant was perhaps unconvincing. J.C Smith strongly disapproved as he wroteWho ever heard of ordinary literate people describing the receipt of a gift as an appropriation?  [23]  Numerous academics have agreed with Smith and understandably criticized the courts decision. Clarkson and Keating have described Hinks decision in particular as lamentable  [24]  as the House of Lords do not identify what actually constitutes appropriation. J.C Smith emphasized how expansive appropriation is currently, the commentary stated Millions of employees are appropriating their employers property, millions of customers are appropriating the property of shopkeepers, husbands are appropriating the property of their wifes and vice versa every hour of the day  [25]  , therefore if mens rea is perceptible then these examples can all be theft. Reflecting on the judgments, journals and commentary, I believe adverse interference should be present in the definition of appropriation. Perhaps the negative aspect is there may be an undeserved acquittal but better this than innocent individuals convicted due to the law being so expansive. It is simply more practical and just for adverse interference to be an element in of the Theft Act. Adverse iterference establishes the progress from actual guilty contemplation or consideration to which should be the full mens rea of theft. Individuals with criminal thoughts and ideas should not be liable for theft if the criminal act has not been executed. Unfortunetly due to adverse interference being ommitted from the requirement of the Theft Act, thoughts and ideas can be criminal in the present law which in my opinon is completely unsound and dangerously premature for a justifiable conviction.

Listening Skills Essay -- Listening Skills Listen Essays

Listening Skills   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The importance of listening effectively is obvious to our everyday activities. The fundamentals of listening appear to be quite simple; however, with a little thought on the matter, the depth of the listening is far from basic. The similarities between hearing and listening can be deceiving. Hearing is a physical process and listening is both physical and psychological. There are several purposes of listening. If you are a good listener, it will be a huge help in school, at work, in relationship, and in other situations. Another positive benefit of being a good listener is the ability to easily express information and communicate with others. You can listen to understand, listen to appreciate and you can listen critically. Dr. Laura Schlessenger is a perfect example of a professional listener who applies various listening techniques in her occupation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. Laura?s listening to appreciate skills are relevant when she takes a call from Lisa, regarding her daughter. First, Dr. Laura is listening and paying close attention to Lisa?s story, trying to concentrate and understand what is being told on this topic. These factors are important in listening to appreciate. According to Lisa?s story, Dr. Laura discovers that Lisa?s daughter is having financial trouble. She went through all of the acts to purchase a car although she did not have money to pay for it. To make a long story short, Lisa?s daughter was approved for a loan from the bank, but at th...

Computers in Surgery :: Informative

Computers in Surgery Implementing Computers into surgery is a new and exciting area of study. It has only been in the past 20 years that computers have started to be incorporated with surgery. In 1989, abstracts of the surgical literature were being distributed on 5.25-inch floppy disks. These abstracts were then used in medical operations and evaluations. Doctors could travel though menus in the abstracts and eventually targeting a solution, procedure, or cause of illnesses. This made the time it takes to flip through pages and pages of medical journals and textbooks less expansive and cumbersome. Doctors have now gotten to the point where laptops are brought into surgery and are used to aid doctors and nurses. Instead of saying â€Å"Nurse, scalpel,† surgeons ask their nurses to find information on the laptops. Besides holding information, Computers can also be used to manipulate tools and other things in the operating room. Mechanical arms are often used to perform procedures. Sometimes a computer is used to navigate cameras inside of the human body in order to locate tumors and blockages. Computers are also used to analyze images taken before surgery. Dr. Ninian Peckitt uses software to analyze a CAT scan images in order to understand his patient’s skull. The program in the computer actually directions for making full size replicas of patients heads. In conclusion, there is a huge advancement being made as far as computer aided surgeries go. From holding information, analyzing problems, delivering solutions, to performing operations, computers are the next step in medical tools.