Waiting For Godot Essays - Theatre Of The Absurd, Waiting For Godot

Waiting For Godot "Nothing to be done," is one of the many phrases that is repeated again and again throughout Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot. Godot is an existentialist play that reads like somewhat of a language poem. That is to say, Beckett is not interested in the reader interpreting his words, but simply listening to the words and viewing the actions of his perfectly mismatched characters. Beckett uses the standard Vaudevillian style to present a play that savors of the human condition. He repeats phrases, ideas and actions that has his audience come away with many different ideas about who we are and how beautiful our human existence is even in our desperation. The structure of Waiting For Godot is determined by Beckett's use of repetition. This is demonstrated in the progression of dialogue and action in each of the two acts in Godot. The first thing an audience may notice about Waiting For Godot is that they are immediately set up for a comedy. The first two characters to appear on stage are Vladimir and Estragon, dressed in bowler hats and boots. These characters lend themselves to the same body types as Abbot and Costello. Vladimir is usually cast as tall and thin and Estragon just the opposite. Each character is involved in a comedic action from the plays beginning. Estragon is struggling with a tightly fitting boot that he just cannot seem to take off his foot. Vladimir is moving around bowlegged because of a bladder problem. From this beat on the characters move through a what amounts to a comedy routine. A day in the life of two hapless companions on a country road with a single tree. Beckett accomplishes two things by using this style of comedy. Comedy routines have a beginning and an ending. For Godot the routine begins at the opening of the play and ends at the intermission. Once the routine is over, it cannot continue. The routine must be done again. This creates the second act. The second act, though not an exact replication, is basically the first act repeated. The routine is put on again for the audience. The same chain of events: Estragon sleeps in a ditch, Vladimir meets him at the tree, they are visited by Pozzo and Lucky, and a boy comes to tell them that Godot will not be coming but will surely be there the following day. In this way repetition dictates the structure of the play. There is no climax in the play because the only thing the plot builds to is the coming of Godot. However, after the first act the audience has pretty much decided that Godot will never show up. It is not very long into the second act before one realizes that all they are really doing is wasting time, "Waiting for...waiting." (50) By making the second act another show of the same routine, Beckett instills in us a feeling of our own waiting and daily routines. What is everyday for us but another of the same act. Surely small things will change, but overall we seem to be living out the same day many times over. Another effect of repetition on the structure of Godot is the amount of characters in the play. As mentioned before, the play is set up like a Vaudeville routine. In order to maintain the integrity of the routine, the play must be based around these two characters. This leaves no room for extra characters that will get in the way of the act. To allow for the repetition of the routine to take place the cast must include only those characters who are necessary it. The idea that the two characters are simply passing time is evident in the dialogue. The aforementioned phrase, "Nothing to be done," is one example of repetition in dialogue. In the first half-dozen pages of the play the phrase is repeated about four times. This emphasizes the phrase so that the audience will pick up on it. It allows the audience to realize that all these two characters have is the hope that Godot will show up. Until the time when Godot arrives, all they can do is pass the time and wait. The first information we learn about the characters is how Estragon was beaten and slept in a ditch. We get the sense that this happens all the time. This is nothing new to the characters. They are used to this routine. The flow of the play is based around this feeling

Free Essays on Teaching The Gifted Learner

While much research has been focused on the gifted learner, there has been little attention on the gifted but handicapped or disabled individual. Kay Kiesa has termed this group of individuals the â€Å"twice exceptional†.1 The research that has been done in this area has examined identification strategies and characteristics of the gifted handicapped child. Whitmore and Maker have suggested obstacles to identification of the gifted and handicapped child.2 These hindrances to identification include the stereotypical belief that disabled persons are below normal, developmental delays, incomplete information about the child resulting in overlooking an area of strength that might be displayed in nonacademic settings, and a lack of opportunity to demonstrate superior ability because of the highly verbal nature of school tasks and the use of ability testing in special education. These hindrances make the students that are finally recognized even more worthy of study. As educ ators there is a need to know how these students differ from other special needs/handicapped children and yet how they are like other gifted individuals. What are they doing differently? What is the key to their success despite their limitations? The researcher’s goal in this study was to examine the methods and strategies employed to compensate for physical limitations or areas of weakness. Interest in this study developed after the birth of the researcher’s gifted/handicapped grandson four years ago. Watching the methods this child and his parents employed to overcome and compensate for physical limitations provided insight, encouragement and ideas for those working with special needs children. The questions were obvious. Were these students making greater strides toward life success because they had learned strategies that allowed acceptance within the school and social community, or were they overcoming their limitations due to other factors? If s... Free Essays on Teaching The Gifted Learner Free Essays on Teaching The Gifted Learner While much research has been focused on the gifted learner, there has been little attention on the gifted but handicapped or disabled individual. Kay Kiesa has termed this group of individuals the â€Å"twice exceptional†.1 The research that has been done in this area has examined identification strategies and characteristics of the gifted handicapped child. Whitmore and Maker have suggested obstacles to identification of the gifted and handicapped child.2 These hindrances to identification include the stereotypical belief that disabled persons are below normal, developmental delays, incomplete information about the child resulting in overlooking an area of strength that might be displayed in nonacademic settings, and a lack of opportunity to demonstrate superior ability because of the highly verbal nature of school tasks and the use of ability testing in special education. These hindrances make the students that are finally recognized even more worthy of study. As educ ators there is a need to know how these students differ from other special needs/handicapped children and yet how they are like other gifted individuals. What are they doing differently? What is the key to their success despite their limitations? The researcher’s goal in this study was to examine the methods and strategies employed to compensate for physical limitations or areas of weakness. Interest in this study developed after the birth of the researcher’s gifted/handicapped grandson four years ago. Watching the methods this child and his parents employed to overcome and compensate for physical limitations provided insight, encouragement and ideas for those working with special needs children. The questions were obvious. Were these students making greater strides toward life success because they had learned strategies that allowed acceptance within the school and social community, or were they overcoming their limitations due to other factors? If s...

Art History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 15

Art History - Essay Example Case in point, an iconographic picture of God would be spoken to in the inner part roof emulated by lesser creatures, for example, heavenly attendants and holy persons that were spoken to beneath God. These delineations were regularly spoken to in frescoes and mosaics intended to portray the ideal request of the universe. Frescoes and mosaics were frequently shown one-dimensionally and would speak to religious assumes that had serious looks to intimate appreciation and convention. Religious craftsmen wished to attention these figures profoundly instead of physically displaying them from three-dimensional viewpoints. Byzantine specialists likewise took part in making enlightened compositions that were books or archives that were designed with sumptuous Byzantine materials (Cunningham, John and Lois 94). Case in point, numerous vital Bibles was frequently made into enlightened original copies and had exceptional spreads, weaved pages, and gold linings. Hagia Sophia is a previous patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a gallery, in Istanbul. Acclaimed precisely for its monstrous arch, it is regarded as the embodiment of Byzantine structural planning and a standout amongst the most wonderful structures on the planet. It was the biggest basilica on the planet for almost a thousand years, until the fulfillment of the Medieval Seville Cathedral in 1520. The current building was initially built as an audience somewhere around 532 and 537 on the requests of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, and was indeed the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to involve the site (the past two had both been wrecked by mobs) (Jeffreys and Steven 117). It was outlined by two planners, Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. The Church contained an expansive gathering of heavenly relics and accentuated, in addition to everything else, a 50-foot (15 m) silver iconostasis. This was the patriarchal church of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the religiou s

Managing Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Managing Decision Making - Essay Example David Olsen is one person who had a visionary style of decision making through which he was able to accommodate the views of other workers with a friendly perspective and this contributed to him being liked by many employees. This style enhances transformational leadership (Mintz and DeRouen, 2010, p.47). This is as opposed to Sally Olsen who had a different perspective and a style for decision making which aimed at preserving the company regardless of the facts of the issues that other people could have. Her style of decision making may cause many people to avoid their participation in an organisation’s projects (Speier, Vessey and Valacich, 2003, p.63). Bella Murphy, Ben Simmonds and Archer Wilson are kind of managers that are using a motivator style of decision making; this is indicated by the way they respond to the different things they encounter in the organisation by ensuring that they listen carefully to the people who surround them and having their view and perspectives considered (Verma, 2009, p.37). Through their action, they are able to establish their decisions in a way that ensures that they include the perspectives of others as opposed to Gregory Jones, Madeline Roberts and Charles Morriss who remained resistant to change and never make any consultation. The decision making styles of the three prevented fast progression of the company in attainment of a reliable system of managing funds. Bella uses catalyst style as she motivated the site manager to give their views about â€Å"Trackit† and encouraged them to learn to use it. Ben Simmonds is a person that has indicate a flexible decision making style since he wa s able to decide on ways to assist different people that needed him. This style enables a leader in a management in an organisation to be productive in his or her delivery of services for he has many ways of responding to issues (Coscarelli, 2007, p. 23). In order to enhance participation

Rape in the Military II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rape in the Military II - Essay Example Investigating and reporting The Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention Act (STOP Act) to be implemented soon proposes to take the responsibility of investigation and reporting of sexual assaults outside the purview of regular chain of command of the military and bring them under the jurisdiction of an autonomous office manned by civil and military experts. The Bill H.R.3435 moved by Congress Woman Speier Jackie is currently under the consideration of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel (Speier, n.d.). Response to victims It has been suggested that women victims should not remain silent about sexual assaults on them and they should approach and report the assault to MPs, JG, JAG, EEO and Civilian authorities and not to stop until someone takes up the cause. Best way is to file complaint with local and military police without delay and ensure that complaint is made to outside the military channels. Military on its part should be compassionate towards the victims. They shou ld consider the cases individually without assuming all women are liars and avoid prejudgment. The victims or witnesses should not be punished for reporting sexual assaults. It should be the policy to separate the victim and offender by sending the offender to a different unit. The transfer of the offender to another unit only transfers the problem to another unit or if the offender is discharged, then the problem is dumped on the society (Nelson, 2002). As such the offender should undergo reformation before he is released to the society or transferred to another unit. Confidential counseling The rape victims should be offered confidential rape counseling but they should not be compelled. Survey results suggest that counseling as the most appropriate way of helping the rape victims. Importantly, the offer of counseling should be made immediately and the counseling should be done by an expert trained and experienced in sexual trauma problems. In case non- availability of counselors o n the campus, prompt referrals should be made to outside experts who would include civilian counselors also. The first responders to the rape reporting such as commanders, hospital staff and the military police should be adequately apprised of the need for prompt and appropriate referrals. Though confidentiality is essential, Privacy Act 1974 exempts officers and employees to have access to the information so that they can decide on the victim’s fitness for military duty. The victims should be encouraged to talk freely to an expert who is not connected to the case. Rape victims may be referred to veteran center or civilian health facility and not to military mental health clinic. The rape victims are comfortable with a female supervisor who will not hesitate to take positive course of action. Every chain of command should have an EEO position since victims complain that male officers do not listen to them at all. The recommendations should include that investigators should â €Å"quit concentrating â€Å"90 % of the victims’ genuineness and 10 % on the offender. Multiple complaints on the same offender should be relied up on as a valid evidence of the assailant’s character. It has been suggested that these crimes should be prosecuted in accordance with the current laws and regulations. The victim should be provided with a legal representative. Written transcripts of all hearings should be supplied to victims. Under no circumstances, should victims be charged with. Intervention between

Construction Budget Over Runs and Late Project Completion

Construction Budget Over Runs and Late Project Completion Construction projects are graded very successful if the work is completed within budget and to the deadlines agreed in the specification. However, the sad truth is that not all projects are guilty of being successful. Many projects experience failure due to the uncertainties associated with construction projects which include weather, materials, equipment, money and profitability, disagreements between clients, contractors and sub-contractors, statutory regulations, economic and political issues and functionality and purpose. To prevent these failures from constantly occurring, the types of failures need to be addressed so future construction projects do not fall into the same category of unsuccessful Civil Engineering construction projects. It is clear that some of these failures occur regardless of careful planning due to uncontrollable conditions such as climate change, recession, delayed deliveries etc. Therefore addressing the controllable issues, contractors can incorporate the se problems into their specification. By understanding the issues from previous unsuccessful construction projects and correlating the failures, it will be easy to identify the common errors and try to eliminate them from future projects. The research will be based on unsuccessful construction projects by using data from case studies, books, the internet and journals. The constraints and limitation of this paper will depend highly on the data received and analysed by previous sources and their opinion. The paper will also focus on two main factors, budget over runs and late completion. Examples of Budget Over-runs and Late Completion Projects There are many construction projects which have Budget Overruns and Late Completion. A few examples of budget over-run and late completion projects are: Wembley Stadium Sydney Opera House Tfls Jubilee Line Wembley Stadium The Wembley Stadium was a renovation construction project which required the old stadium to be demolished and rebuilt. The main purpose of the new stadium was to increase the capacity of the stadium, be the new home of English football and also host other sports and national events. The original estimated cost of the stadium was  £757m. This value at completion soared to about  £798m. Multiplex (main contractor) reported about  £45m losses in the construction of the New Wembley Stadium. These losses arose due to factors which include: Weather Sub-contractor walkouts (Cleveland Bridge steel company walkout) Sub-contractor disagreements (trade union of workers walkouts) and Changes in design due to failures. Due to the above factors the completion date of the project was pushed back by about three months. [1, 2] Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House was built as a performing arts centre and was designed by Jà ¸rn Utzon. The original estimated cost to build the Opera House was AUS $7m in 1957 and expected to be completed in five years. The project was started in 1959 and the value escalated to a massive AUS $102m and was completed in 1973. Not only did the budget over-run to 15 times the original estimate, but it also took 14 years to complete, which is a very late completion. The main factor which affected this project was insufficient planning during the design stage This led to a series of errors during construction, which effectively caused a domino effect. Hence, increasing the cost and pushing back the completion date [3, 4]. Tfls Jubilee Line The London Underground Jubilee Line extension was to link Stratford and the Docklands to Westminster. This project was planned in 1989 and estimated to cost  £1.2billion. The construction started 1993 and expected to take four years. This however was not the case due to a series of setbacks. There are four major causes for these delays: The project was put on hold for 18 months to find funding The movement of the block signalling system caused delays The location of the O2 Centre (Millennium Dome) had not been established and Due to the collapse of Heathrow Express Tunnel, work was put on hold again. This caused many changes to the original design therefore causing the project to be completed in early 1999, which was a twenty months late completion. The cost also increased to  £3.5billion, an astonishing 70% budget over-run [5]. What Are Budget Over-runs? Budget Overrun can be simply defined as when the final cost of the project exceeds the original estimates [6]. In terms of construction, this means the actual cost of the project at completion minus the original tendered cost during the tendering stage. This therefore creates either a positive value or a negative value. If the value is positive, the project is within budget and has created a profit, if the value is negative, the project has created a loss and is referred to as a Budget Over-run. Why Do Budget Over-runs Occur and What Are The Causes? Budget Over-runs occur constantly in construction projects around the world. The main aim of any business (Construction Company) is to make money, however, it is very common in construction to hear companies reporting losses due to budget over-runs. If the project is completed within the budget specified, it can be graded a success. Therefore this is an ideal factor to use, to rate the success of a project. Budget over-runs occur due to many factors, which are sometimes split into two groups, controllable and extent of damages. The types of budget over-runs are caused by: The cost variations between clients and contractors and sometimes a third party e.g. project manager, consultant etc [7]. Poor estimation during tendering process Disagreements with Trade Union of Workers Climate change Late completion Changes in design etc. This shows that the slightest mistake or changes made could increase the cost of the project dramatically. Research carried out around the world on construction projects has shown that: [8] 9 out of 10 projects over-run Between 50 and 100% over runs were common There was a constant correlation of over-run projects for 70 years in each of the 20 nations and 5 continents surveyed. Average construction project costs are about 33%[9] Another source of research carried out by Jahren, et al [10] predicted that the factors which increased the chances of a budget over-run are: Project size Method of delivery Amount of competition Quality of contract documents and Interpersonal relations There have been predictions published in the User Guide (2005), which outlines the common factors which cause budget overruns. These are: Poor Project Management The project manager/management team is employed to control the entire development to run smoothly and efficiently from start to finish for the project. They may or may not cover the costing depending on the clients preference. If the project management is poor, it will create an effect on the entire project and in the User Guide (2005) it is listed as: Lack of planning and co-ordination Poor communication between members of the project team and the project sponsor Failure to identify problems and institute necessary and timely design and programming changes Lack of control over time and cost inputs Lack of end user involvement. Unexpected Ground Conditions The ground conditions on any construction site are key, if the ground is not tested prior to tendering, the costs could escalate out of control, in order to put it right. This effectively will be the contractors responsibility. Although trial pits and bore holes are used to get an idea of the ground conditions, the true site condition will not be exposed until full excavation. From the time the trial pits and bore holes are carried out to the time of excavation, the ground conditions may have changed. Changes in ground condition may cause a redesign and also cause problems for any machines and materials ordered to site. This therefore should be taken into account as these could increase costs. Shortage of Construction Materials When construction is at its peak development stage in a certain areas, locally ordered materials could be in great demand. Some materials maybe required but cannot keep up with the demand, hence causing delays to the project. These materials might be ordered from other areas of the world, but may cost substantially more as it will need to be shipped in and pushing back the completion date due to delays in material deliveries. Therefore to prevent any shortages occurring this will need to be anticipated and added to the cost to prevent budget overruns. Change in Foreign Exchange Rates If specific materials are unavailable in the local market, it will then need to be imported from overseas. This can cause a problem to the budget if there are dramatic changes in exchange rates. This unexpected exchange rate should be taken into account during costing as it will cause an increase in the budget. Inappropriate and/or Inexperienced Contractors Selection of the right contractor is another key decision. The contractor must be suitable for the project as some projects use a wide range of tenders who price the job. Although, the cheapest tender may be very inviting, it does not guarantee quality. The decision should be made on contractors experience, the contractors successful history of completing jobs on time and within budget and also the most competitive price. Research carried out by Yates et al (2003), the contractors tender which is 15% less than the Engineer, it is very likely there will be a budget over-run. The tenders reputation should also be consider. This could be key as some companies may fall into hardship and bankruptcy. This will delay the project considerably and also increase costs as most contractors tend not to takeover other contractors jobs in case of any problems which could arise during later construction. Natural Disasters/Events These are disasters or events which cause inevitable delays and therefore budget issues to the project. The types of disasters/events which may cause delays and cost implications are wars, riots, earthquakes, landslide, fire, political and economic issues, types of projectile, contamination and many other disasters/events. Underestimations Deliberate cost underestimating occurs in order to gain the job. This will result in the project not being completed and the client having to either increase the budget or retender, hence, causing budget over-runs. Research carried out by Fllyvbjjerg showed that big construction projects were common culprits to underestimation and therefore led to the statement, whatever the cause, almost all large public projects contain initial cost estimating errors that result in the need for increased funding to complete the projects'[8]. The underestimation has been split into four major topics by Fllyvbjjerg: Technical These are known as forecasting errors which are errors requiring changes because of imperfect techniques, honest mistakes, inadequate data, inherited problems in predicting the future and lack of experience on the part of forecasters. In this case, the errors occur between the budgeted estimation and the actual cost of construction. [11] Economical The economical issues are split into two groups, public interest and economic self interest. Public interest is where there are promoters and forecasters who underestimate the cost of the project on purpose to give public officials an incentive to cut costs to save public money. Economical self interest is used to create jobs for Engineers and construction companies and shareholders also get involved to make more money. The fact that shareholders get involved tends to influence the forecasting process and therefore makes an impression on the result. [8] Psychological This is known as appraisal optimism. Promoters and forecasters are held to be overly optimistic about project outcomes in the appraisal phase, when projects are planned and decided. [12] By making the cost seem lower than it should be, will effectively cause the budget to over-run. Political Political explanations interpret cost underestimation in terms of interests and power. The political issue arises on the fact that whether forecasters are intentionally biased to serve the interests of project promoters in getting projects started. This is key in order to start a project quickly, however, there is a legal and moral deception attached this form of underestimation [13]. Change and Variation Orders These are changes to the project and are not part of the outlined work during the agreement of the project. In construction, changes tend to be inevitable and will cause a disruption to the project deadline and also budget. These decisions are therefore discussed prior to any changes being made as it may not suit the client or contractor. Inflation The general definition of inflation in economics is the increase in prices and fall in the purchasing the value of money [14]. This means that if there is an inflation increase, the value of all parts of the project will increase e.g. material costs, machinery hire, wages etc, which in turn increases the budget. To avoid these extra costs, predictions of the market should be checked during the tendering process, by both client and contractors. Acceleration This is where there is a delay but the client demands the project to be completed by the contractor on time, before the completion date or before the agreed extension completion date. Delays Of Completion Time and Payments Delays of completion tend to equal delays of payments, this will cause interest rate repayments to escalate causing the alleged interest trap for both client and contractor. What Are The Overall Effects From Budget Over-runs? It is clear that budget over-runs occur continuously in construction projects around the world. There are many causes for these extra costs which have not been considered during the tendering process. This has caused a bad impression not only on clients but also contractors and end users. The effects on each party is as follows: The client loses faith in the construction industry but in-particular their consultants who are unable to deliver the project on time. This also leads to higher investment being required from the client. The consultants reputation is ruined as they have an inability to control the project budget therefore leaving question marks for winning new projects. Contractors do not make the profits anticipated and failure to complete the jobs leaves their reputation in tatters. The end user will effectively be the one paying the highest price in terms of buying/renting/leasing in order for the shareholders to cover their costs. Overall, its the construction industry that suffers as it causes major headlines in the media for the wrong reasons. Clients will be more cautious before investing in large scale projects which will cause a drop in the construction industry projects due to its feeble reputation. Many construction projects which are accepted by the client will come with a greater risk to the contractor. How To Prevent Future Projects From Budget Over-runs? To prevent future projects from being unsuccessful in terms of budget, the management of costs need to be broken down to show exactly where costs will be greatest and smallest. The estimating, scheduling, accumulating and analyzing costs, and implementing measures to correct construction costing must be adhered to strictly. This will prevent any failures in terms of budget. There is a three step process which can be employed during the planning stage through to the construction stage: Identify the scale of the project (in terms of quality, completion time and budget), Ensure scope is adhered to strictly (in terms of time and budget) Monitor and control the above 2 steps constantly till the completion of the project. A successful project is based on the project manager and contractor working hand in hand to get the greatest efficiency from a project and tend to be based on time, performance and cost. There are many types of key principles and actions which should be followed for a project to be labelled successful and a few are listed below [15]: Good project definition and sound business case, Appropriate choice of project strategy, Strong support for the project and its manager from higher management, Availability of sufficient funds and other resources, Firm control of changes to the authorized project, Technical competence, A sound quality culture throughout the organization, A suitable organization structure, Appropriate regard for the health and safety of everyone connected with the project, Good project communications, Well-motivated staff, Quick and fair resolution of conflict. Risks and uncertainties increase the budget of any project. Therefore, a 10% of the estimated cost contingency plan is usually inputted into many projects to prevent the project from delays and going over budget. Although 10% sounds fairly small, by adding other control systems to the project performance, this value could increase dramatically. However, a good project management costing is more desirable and efficient than a contingency plan. What are Late Completions? In construction projects a late completion is commonly referred to as the time between the actual deadline agreed, to the time the project is completed. This is commonly called a delay in construction and tends to have a major effect on the client, end user, contractor and shareholders. If delays occur in construction projects, the contractor will be subjected to: Additional/Extension time of completion, Immediate termination of contract, Reduced profit or A mixture of the above. This is not always the case, as some delays are not the contractors fault. The other parties involved in the construction stage are, clients, consultants and external influences e.g. suppliers, machinery, mother nature etc. Any delay will create problems between all/some of the parties involved. Why Do Late Completions Occur and What Are The Causes? Delays can be split into three categories, these are: Excusable Delays These are delays which are not caused directly or indirectly by the contractor and in turn the contractor is allowed an extension of time. The excusable delay can also be split into two parts, Excusable With Compensation This is where the contractor is delayed due to the actions of the client, and is given and extension of time and compensated with money for wasted time. An example is if client cannot access the site after the client has approved for the work to start. Excusable Without Compensation This is where the client and contractor cannot be blamed for the delays caused and the contractor is only given an extension of time. An example would be Mother Nature. Non Excusable Delays These are delays caused by the contractor or sub contractor and the contractor is not given any extensions. But the client may get liquidated damages. Concurrent Delays These are delays which occur at the same time. If, and only if two delays or more occur at the same time, then the contractor is entitled to an extension. Delays are caused by the members directly involved in the project and also members indirectly involved in the project. Research was carried out by Odeh and Battaineh (2002) and their finding showed that [17], Client Delays The client caused delays in terms of: Finance and Payments, Constantly Interfering, Indecisive Decisions on Design and Requirements, Very Unrealistic Forced Time Schedule, Minimal Experience of Construction Projects, Minimal Experience of Co-ordination and Communication, Very Poor Employment of Representatives, Inappropriate Feasibility Study. Consultant Delays The consultant causes delays in terms of: Poor Management/Management Team in general, Poor Management of the Contract, Lack of Preparation and Poor Drawings leading to Slow Approval of Drawings, Quality Assurance and Control, Improper Site Investigations and Slow Approval of Tests and Inspections, Poor Consultant Team with Minimal Experience. Contractor Delays The contractor causes delays in terms of: Poor employment of Sub-contractors, Poor Site Management, Inappropriate Construction Methods, Poor Planning including costs, time, budget etc, Terrible Decision Making during Construction, Inadequate Contractor Experience. Material Delays Material cause delays in construction projects in terms of: Overall Quality, Its Demand and Supply, Importing Materials, Inflation Rate of Materials, Late Delivery and Unreliable Suppliers Labour and Equipment Delays Labour and Equipment cause delays in construction projects in terms of: Labour Availability and Productivity, Skilled Labour Availability, Low motivation and morale, Strike Action and Absent Labourers, Equipment Demand and Supply, Frequent Breakdown and Maintenance of Equipment, Improper and Inadequate Equipment. Contract Delays Contract cause delays in construction projects in terms of: Constant Changing of Design, Mistakes and Discrepancies in Contract Documents, Different Party Relationship Breakdowns e.g. disputes, negotiations, breakdown in communication, improper organisation. External Delays External influences cause delays in construction projects in terms of: Climate and Weather Changes, Unexpected Ground Condition Changes, Regular Changes e.g. security codes, I.D.s etc, Complaints and Problems from Neighbours, Inflation of All Materials, War, Riots, and Other Conflicts, Slow Clearance of Site. How To Prevent Future Projects From Late Completions? There are many factors which cause late completions of construction projects. The delays can be caused by direct or indirect actions. Direct actions are delays which can be avoided as these tend to be made by the parties involved. Indirect actions are uncontrollable and therefore by minimising the direct actions, the delay can be kept to a minimum. Research carried out by Nguyen, et al. (2004) on project success factors in large construction projects in Vietnam, Aibinu and Jagboro (2002) on acceleration of site activities and contingency allowances, Koushki, et al. (2005) on what the minimization of time delays and cost overruns would require, and Odeh and Battaineh (2002) on recommendations for improving the situation of construction projects allowed for a table of thirty five methods to be created. These methods would show how to minimise/eliminate delays from construction projects.   Conclusion From the research carried out, it appears that Budget Over-runs and Late Completions are a common aspect of the construction industry. However, it is clear that not all Budget Over-runs and Late Completions are controllable and some are fabricated to seem as over-run and completed late due to the process of tendering. In appears that there is a connection between late completion and budget over-runs hence, these are key factors which need addressing. The most influential effects for over-running and late completion are delays, insufficient finances, loss of reputations and controversial decision making from clients, consultants and shareholders. It is therefore compulsory that all the above measures should be followed, but a few major recommendations must be adhered to in order to make sure the project is always successful. The major recommendations for all parties involved are, Client The client should make sure all finances and payments are available and paid on time, the feasibility study is well planned and accurate as possible, the client should be proactive in decision making and understand what is feasible and what isnt, and the client should recommended a deadline but allow for any anticipated delays. Consultant The consultant should have good people skills, understand the projects objectives and the clients obligations, any misunderstood/discrepancies should be ironed out prior to construction and during the construction stages, this will prevent any major changes required during construction. The management team should be more than adequate and have a good history in the field of the construction project, quality control and assurance procedures should be put in place along with potential disagreement solutions which could arise. Contractor The contractor should tender based on the actual job costs and not the minimum tender in order to gain the contract. The contractor should employ reliable sub-contractors which have a good history in terms of completion and quality, the contractor should have a good management history as well as a good reputation in the type of construction project.

Teaching Students Ecological Literacy In the Secondary English Classroo

Teaching Students Ecological Literacy In the Secondary English Classroom In today's world, we are bombarded with industry, economic advancement, and progressivism with new technology. As our world becomes more high tech and produces more products for our consumer world, we may soon face many environmental problems, due to our over-consumption of resources and our excessive, industrial lifestyles. Within all curriculums, I find it highly important to address these issues concerning environmental awareness as well as advocate environmental activism. When many educators think of ways to implement ecological literacy in their classrooms, they tend to find it challenging, and are unable to integrate it into the curriculum. However, students can be taught to think in ecological terms in a plethora of ways. Through researching current methods of integration of ecological literacy in the secondary English classroom and through compilation of my own approaches to these issues, I offer a great proposition for prospective educators like myself. Thi s paper will examine what ecological literacy is, what ways this integration can be successfully achieved, and why it is important to integrate it into the English curriculum. Ecological literacy is teaching students to view the world around them from an environmental perspective, examine their own practices in relation to nature and society's toll upon the earth. For students to become ecologically literate, they must examine social issues on a local and global level in order to develop their own model of individual responsibility to preservation and respect of our world. As time passes and newer technology develops, students sometimes become more involved i... ... Educators in all subjects, must begin to integrate environmental education, promoting ecological literacy for young adults to promote the sustainability of society and the beautiful world around us. Works Consulted Berry, Wendell. What are People For? North Point Press. San Francisco: 1990. Berry, Wendell. The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry. Counterpoints Publishing. Washington D.C.: 1998. McConnell, Malcolm. "Miracle at Adobe Creek." Reader's Digest. April 1999: 78-84. Orr, David. Ecological Literacy: Education and the Transition to a Postmodern World. State University of New York Press. New York: 1992. Prakash, Madhu Suri, and Gustavo Esteva. Escaping Education: Living as Learning within Grassroots Cultures. Peter Lang Publishing. New York: 1998. Wigginton. Moments: The Foxfire Experience. Doubleday and Co. Inc. New York: 1975.

Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child

I was really enjoying service last Sunday, because my pastor I must admit is good at what he was called to do- crack jokes and preach the word of God. He shared a story about his childhood during service and that gave me the inspiration for this write up.A young pastor Tunde (not real name) apparently set out to grind pepper for his mum, so that dinner could be made without hassle. And so Tunde went to the grind-man’s house and got the pepper well grounded, but instead of going back home decided to play â€Å"one-set† of football. â€Å"One set† led to â€Å"two sets† and more and Tunde was running late for dinner preparations, but at least he had grounded the pepper.Done with football practice and catching up with friends Tunde was on his way out of the sandy football pitch when a more excited friend on the football pitch decided to smash one last shot at goal, but missed by a long mile and caught Tunde’s hand and the grounded pepper spilled on the sand. Afraid and panicking, Tunde managed to get a hold of himself and packed whatever spilled on the sand, alongside the sand and put it all back in the bag and ran straight home with the ‘perfect excuse’.Tunde’s mum asked in earnest what kept him so long, and Tunde said he had to wait in line for his turn. Tunde’s mother refused to dwell on that and collected the (sandy) pepper from his hand and went back into the kitchen. It was there she saw a rather new mixture of grounded pepper and sand (delicious) and required from Tunde as to what came about this combination. Already a successful liar once, Tunde brought out another great line when he said the grinds-man, on putting the pepper inside the machine brought out this mixture and he had no choice but to take what the machine had given to him.Cutting the story short, now born-again Pastor Tunde revealed that he still vividly remembers the slap that was dished out to him when he was done with his ridicul ous response. It was in line of that story that Pastor Tunde revealed a bible passage (Proverbs 22 vs. 15) to back his claim that a child must be disciplined, to set his ways straight.While the church burst out in laughter, I was taking notes. I took notes because I was never beaten as a child by my parents, but at school I got my share and for emphasis sake I am not against it. I just find the topic fascinating anytime it comes up that you must be disciplined by the rod, else you grow up wayward. That assertion does not sit very well with me and so I decided to express myself in my own words. I believe it is the call of a parent to discipline their child however they feel is right, as long as it is done with a high level of tolerance.I definitely agree that a parent reserves the right to spank their child to reality should he default as truth be told, growing kids are the most manipulative people you can ever come across. From the trickery in their moves when they’ve just st olen a bar of chocolate, to the animated tears that form up immediately they have been caught, parents must face the facts that children are indeed manipulative.What then leads the best way to discipline? I grew up knowing that charity began from our home but even then it took a few strokes on my behind in school to correct some of my errors that could not be detected at home. My understanding of that phrase is that whatever basic values you might need as a child, including discipline, you must first get that experience at home. Not being a parent puts me at a slight disadvantage to this debate, but I have watched my little cousins and nieces and nephews grow and I do understand why this needs to be addressed by public opinion. Therein lies the argument, to beat or not to beat.

MBA Admission Essay Writing

MBA Admission Essay Writing MBA Admission Essay Writing MBA Admission Essay: Writing a Successful One It is not a secret that MBA admission essay is considered to be rather complicated and challenging task to accomplish. Everything is staked. All your dreams, efforts, desires depend on MBA admission essay you have to write in order to make your dreams come true. Your MBA admission essay is your ticket for your future successful life, and it absolutely depends on you whether this ticket will be successful or unfortunate one. That is why each person should treat the assignment of MBA admission essays writing to be one of the most serious assignments to complete and fully devote himself or herself to it. Extremely interesting personal statement is what you have to present in your MBA admission essay:http://.com/blog/mba-essay-help However, at this point, the question arises how to do this? Understand the Question! You have to understand that you are not the only one who wants to be admitted, that there are hundreds of other students who are dreaming to take your place. All of them are going to try their best in order to achieve their goal and to be admitted. That is why you have to write such MBA admission essay, which is going to put you aside from all the other competitors and bring you immediate success in a form of college or university admission. Have we clarified the task you have to succeed in? Pay Attention To Structure! To understand how to arrange your MBA admission essay and what to write in it, you have to imagine that you are a member of the admission committee. What do you want from the applicants? Which traits of character do you appreciate the most? These questions will help you to understand how to write your MBA admission essay. If still you feel that, the knowledge you have received is not enough to write a successful MBA admission essay, which will present you the admission itself, visit our site in order to read through the samples of MBA admission essays. They are certain to help you with your MBA admission essay writing and provide you with some interesting ideas, which you can mention in your MBA admission essay writing. Avoid Writing Monotonously! Never write monotonous MBA admission essay, it will never catch the committees eye and you will fail to be admitted. Try to make your MBA admission essay be bright, colorful, interesting, unusual, and exciting. If you need some additional help and support while your MBA admission essay writing, appeal to our custom essay writing service and we will help you with great pleasure. Read also: Conclusion Writing Writing Thesis Papers Thesis Papers in Education Dissertation Paper Term Paper on Cholesterol and Lipids

buy custom Internal Control Systems essay

buy custom Internal Control Systems essay Scenario E4-5 One of the weaknesses at Idaho Company is lack of establishment of responsibilities. Both the purchasing agent and the treasurer are authorized to issue checks. This is a weakness because; the roles of a purchasing agent should be different from the roles of a treasurer. A good cash control system over cash disbursement should not have different individuals from different departments having the authority of issuing checks. In fact, an individual who has the responsibility of approving purchases should not have the authority to issuing checks. This is because; he/she can easily manipulate the check figure by changing the invoice items or their prices. Another weakness present at Idaho Company is lack of physical control in handling blank checks. Unnumbered and blank checks are kept in unlocked file cabinet. This is risky because any of the employees can access the blank checks, hence increasing the probability of forging checks by the employees. As a recommendation, Idaho Company should consider establishing specific responsibilities to the purchasing agent and the treasurer. Both of them should not have the same authority. For instance, the treasurer should be responsible of signing of the checks, while the purchasing agent should be responsible of approving the invoices before they are sent to the treasurer. Additionally, Idaho Company should consider introducing pre-numbered checks, which should be stored in lockable safes. One individual should handle the key for unlocking the safe. Scenario P4-1A Internal control principles present at Guard Dog Company include establishment of responsibilities, independent internal verification, and physical and mechanical control of assets. To begin with, all employees at Guard Dog Company have been assigned specific responsibilities concerning cash disbursement. The purchasing agent and receiving department supervisor have a responsibility of ensuring invoice items are properly recorded. The responsibility of issuing and signing checks is vested in the treasurer and the assistant treasurer. The responsibility of the accounting department is to record paid invoice. In reference to physical controls, Guard Dog Company has a lockable safe, where blank checks are stored. Only the treasurer and the assistant treasurer know the combination to the safe. The custody of blank checks is also assigned to a specific person, to ensure limited access of the checks by the organizational employees. Guard Dog Company also applies mechanical controls in printing of checks. From the case, it is indicated that the company recently acquired a check writer, which is used to print check numbers and amounts. Usually, a check writer uses indelible ink. This prevents possible alteration of check amounts or numbers by unscrupulous individuals. Use of pre-numbered checks allows easy retrieval of check transactions, since check numbers are recorded on the invoices and in the books of accounts maintained by the accounting department. Moreover, Guard Dog Company applies independent internal verification in cash disbursement. Before a check is prepared, the purchasing and receiving departments verifies and approves the amounts recorded in the invoices. Similarly, before the treasurer or the assistant treasurer signs a check, he/she verifies if the amount recorded on the invoices is consistent with the check amounts. Other principles of internal control present at Guard Dog Company include stamping of invoices. Scenario P4-2A In this scenario, one of the weaknesses observed in the churchs internal accounting control system is lack of physical and mechanical controls. Offerings are made on open plates, which are then carried by volunteer ushers to a basement office in the churchs premises. This is a weakness since the ushers can take some of the money collected from the open plates. Another weakness is that the church lacks establishment of responsibilities. In the scenario, it is indicated that ushers who volunteer to undertake the responsibility for one-month collect offerings. This means that the church does not have a specific person or a group of persons whose responsibility is to collect offering. Moreover, there are no documentation procedures for the churchs collections. The only available documentation is the weekly notation made by the head ushher indicating the amount collected. The church can improve its internal control procedures by adopting the principles of internal control over cash receipts. The church can achieve this is by appointing specific ushers, whose main responsibility will be to collect offerings. Other ushers should be allocated other duties in the church. Therefore, the church should not work with volunteer ushers in collection of offerings. They should be specific and permanent. Instead of having the offerings collected from open plates, the church can introduce lockable safes, which will only allow addition of money either in coins or in notes, but will not allow removal of the money unless when opened. The head usher should also be specific and should be the only person with the keys to the collection safes. After collection of offering, the head usher should lead other ushers to the basement room, where the offering is stored. He/she should access the safes, count the collection, and then combine the money in a different safe. Counting of the offering by the head usher should be done in the presence of the financial secretary. Only the financial secretary should hold the key or the combination of the safe where the total of the weekly offerings are kept. The financial secretary should also bank the takings of the offerings in the presence of one of the members of finance committee. Moreover, the financial secretary should maintain a collection record where the total weekly offerings, cash withheld, and the net amount of the offerings taken to the bank should be recorded. On the other hand, the financial committee should take the responsibility of determining the amount to be withheld from the weekly offerings. They should also take the responsibility of determining how the money withheld should be utilized. This will ensure that the financial secretary is relieved off the duties of emptying, recounting, withholding, and banking the collection. Finally, the church should change its policy of having the church members volunteer in undertaking responsibilities, which involve handling of cash. It would be better if the church hires individuals who have the knowledge of handling and disbursing cash, and maintaining cash records. 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Animals and the Myriad Ways They Can Kill or Heal Us Essay - 1

Animals and the Myriad Ways They Can Kill or Heal Us - Essay Example With treatments of this manner, it is fascinating therefore to learn how medical scientists have managed to turn the deadly poisonous venoms to medicine for treating various ailments in human beings. What then is poison or venom? Though used interchangeable, warns Dr. Vernon (2012, 1, paragraph 2) the two are different in meaning and are distinguished from one another in the method of delivery. Poison, he writes, is absorbed, ingested or inhaled while venom is injected. This resonates with Gibbons et al. (1990, 273) argument who define venom as a toxin produced in certain glands of one animal and mechanically transmitted by biting or stinging. This provides the hypothesis that all venoms are poisonous, but a poison is not necessarily venom. The King cobra is an example of a venomous snake and provides a perfect specimen for this study. Allow me to introduce to you the deadliest snake in the world; The King Cobra, also known as ophiophagus hannah or the snake eater. Named so because o f its dietary habit of preying on its ‘kin’s’ (feeds on fellow snakes). ... It has a broad and flattened head with the neck having a narrow hood which can be extended when threatened (WildScreen, 2013, 1, paragraph 2) .A single bite of this snake can easily kill a human. Worse still, a full- grown Asian elephant can die within a time limit of 3 hours if bitten on the trunk by this dangerous snake. In addition to the above features, most snakes normally produce a hissing sound in response to threat; however, this cannot be said of the King Cobra which makes a distinctive growl emanating from the throat and deepens as it grows. Dangerous as it is, this snake species is harvested for its meat, skin and bile which are used in traditional medicine (WildScreen, 2013, 1, paragraph 12). What type of Venom does the King cobra posses and how does it work? There are three different types of venoms namely; Hemotoxic, (attacks the cardiovascular system), Cytotoxic (targets specific muscle groups) and Neurotoxic (attacks the brain and the nervous system) venoms. Some snak es combine the venom types while others carry specific form of venom (WiseGeek, 2013, 1, paragraph 2). Ophiophagous hannah is one such which exhibits a combination of the three, but is predominantly Neurotoxic venom (Dr.venom, 2010, 1, paragraph 2). In the same line of reasoning, Corporation (2004, 273, paragraph 2) provides corroborating information which marries with that of WiseGreek. He posits that neurotoxins attack the nervous system, preventing the impulses from controlling the muscles thus paralyzing the victim. He adds that snake venoms are formed from enzymes, which are protein in nature. More so, different snake species have different cocktail of venoms which either work individually or in groups to achieve the desired end; neurotoxins, myotoxins and hemotoxins. Most

The Religious Life of Scientology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Religious Life of Scientology - Essay Example Most societies in Earth have religion as a very important aspect of their life. Religion always figures in culture, as it is part of the culture as well. But religion always figures in literature, art, music, dance, etc. Because of this â€Å"specialty†, most religions choose a special person that serves as a link to the believers and the deities. This person is usually called the priest, and the priest acts a mediator between the people and the deities by performing sacrifices and other rituals that are deemed to be communication tools to the deities. In this paper, we should note that sects and cults are different than religion. Sects are small, less organized religious groups formed by members that are usually in protest with a larger denomination. They are convinced that they have the real meaning of religion or cosmos (they have â€Å"the truth†) and they actively protest the dominant religion. Typically, these sects grow and become a dominant religion as well, through the years. Unlike dominations, sects are not seen as a legitimate religious group. Cults, on the other hand, are different although they may resemble cults. Cults are transient and informal and they usually provide a haven for those who are rejected by society. Cults usually center on a leader who focuses on bringing the people (the believers) with the same frame of mind, and these are not necessarily deemed as something that invokes sanctity. Scientology is special because it’s considered as a religion for some places, and otherwise in some places.