Christmas Night at School

The issue presented for discussion is whether the state of Massachusetts can validly allow a â€Å"Christmas Night† event. For this event, the school is planning a theatrical production of the â€Å"Three Wise Men,† a presentation of several ‘Christmas songs’ and a grab-bag gift session, for which all students were asked to bring a gift costing between five and ten dollars. Steve and his parents do not celebrate Christmas, and have therefore asked the school to change the theme of the night to not be a â€Å"Christmas† night. The school has stated that the Christmas Night will go on as planned, but that Steve and his parents are invited to not attend if that makes them feel more comfortable. Weisman Ruling and State Law/Regulations Based on the present state of both federal and Massachusetts state law, the school will not be able to hold Christmas Night as planned. There are several reasons for this, most notably a relatively consistent line of United States Supreme Court cases which have held that any attempts by a state actor to sanction or sponsor an event which endorses or promotes a specific religion will be struck down as unconstitutional under the ‘Establishment Clause’ of the First Amendment to the Constitution. Weisman Ruling The most recent and pre-eminent case on point is Lee v. Weisman (505 U. S. 77 (1992)), which held that a Providence, Rhode Island middle school violated the Establishment Clause when it invited a rabbi to its commencement activities to give an invocation prayer to the student body and their parents. Upon objection by the parents of student Weisman to the invocation, the school districted defended its position as compliant with the Establishment Clause by virtue of the fact that participation in the invocation was completely voluntary and that there was no penalty for not participating. These facts are in many ways completely analogous to the matter of Steve’s â€Å"Christmas Night† at his school. Two keys areas of rationale by the Weisman court explain why the position of Steve’s school likelky will not pass muster. First, according to the Court, the option of not attending an event without penalty is not considered a viable and voluntary option. The Court places an intangible value on participating in certain events in a child’s educational life that not attending deprives one of. One of these certainly is the commencement exercise and, arguably, the school holiday festivities are another. While the Weisman court ruling is limited to the graduation exercise, it is reasonable that a student who is the only (or one of the only) student to not attend is being deprived the benefit of a valued experience that is being sponsored by the school. Secondly, the Weisman Court held that under, the ‘coercion test,’ which is the present standard for evaluating cases under the Establishment Clause, an event is unconstitutional even if it creates an indirect coercion. This means that a school can not authorize the practice of any particular religion. The Court rationed that â€Å"it is no part of the business of government to compose official prayers for any group of the American people to recite as a part of a religious program carried on by government† (505 U. S. 577, 588). Steve’s school is attempting to do exactly what the Weisman Court said it cannot do- create a school program which is composed of the prayers and messages of a specific religion. Massachusetts Law/Regulations This position is even further supported by the existing law in Massachusetts on the subject. The starting point for this analysis is the General Laws of Massachusetts, Chapter 71, Section 31A, which provides that the â€Å"school committee may set appropriate guidelines for the celebration of Christmas and other festivals observed as holidays for the purpose of furthering the educational, cultural and social experiences and development of children. † This statute does two things at the state level. First, it acknowledges the need and propriety for regulating the observance of Christmas (and other holidays). Second, it recognizes that school observance of religious holidays is of educational, cultural and social value to students. Massachusetts passed Regulation 603 in its Regulatory Code which contains a section (#26) on Access to Equal Educational Opportunity. The purpose of this section is to insure that Massachusetts public schools â€Å"do not discriminate against students on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin or sexual orientation and that all students have equal rights of access and equal enjoyment of the opportunities, advantages, privileges and courses of study at such schools† (603 CMR 26. 01). Further, these regulations impose requirements on the schools to insure that all students are treated equally: No school shall sponsor or participate in the organization of outside extra-curricular activities conducted at such school that restrict student participation on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin or sexual orientation (603 CMR 26. 07). Steve’s school is attempting to sponsor an event that will run directly counter to the mandate of the Regulation, especially 603 CMR 26. 07. The school will argue that Christmas Night is open to all to participate and that any restriction based on religion is on the part of the student’s family and not by the school. The Weisman Court ruled that to give the student the option of participating in a faith-based event which runs counter to his or her beliefs or to be excluded by virtue of a voluntary (and permitted) absence, and in so doing be deprived of the extra-curricular activity sponsored by the school, creates the indirect coercion and therefore violates the Establishment Clause. Writer’s Thoughts on the Issue This issue presents two sub-issues for discussion. The first is whether the laws and court cases are proper on their face and the second is whether justice is being served in this instance. Regarding the first the issue, it appears that the laws are generally consistent with our nation’s values and beliefs on the matter of separation of church and state. Our founding fathers fled their respective home countries often times in the face of severe religious oppression. Even on our soil, the Salem witch trials demonstrate the dangers of religious intolerance and regulation. One of the core values that Americans have always stood for is the individual right to practice faith and to be free from institutionalized religion. Thus, the default position of the law, which states that any adoption of a religion’s practices or dogma is a violation of our constitutional guarantee against the establishment of a religious or its practices, is well founded and consistent with our national values. With respect to the matter of ‘censoring’ Christmas however, the issue can get a little more muddled. Certainly, Christmas is a denominational holiday and certainly many of Christmas’ traditions and observances are very religious in their nature. However, Christmas above all other denominational holidays, has become quite Americanized since the middle of the 20th century. Many of the customs and traditions have no bearing at all on faith or theology or dogma. Many Americans when they say ‘merry Christmas’ are actually saying ‘happy holidays. ’ Most Americans when they hear ‘merry Christmas’ are actually hearing ‘happy holidays. ’ When left generic and without any of the religious or theological references, Christmas is one of the few events which actually has a unifying and pacifying effect on the nation. It would be a shame to lose out on this galvanizing and festive force. Analysis of Additional U. S. Supreme Court Cases Abington v. Schempp The landmark case regarding the establishment of religion in U. S. public schools is Abington Township School District v. Schempp (374 US 203 (1963)), which ruled that school sponsored Bible reading in public schools is unconstitutional. This Court ruled that the government, in matters of religion, must protect all, prefer none and disparage none. Neutrality was the only acceptable position for a state or federal government to pursue with respect to any expression of religion. In his concurring opinion, Justice William Brennan acknowledged that school prayer and Bible study was a significant feature of American life when the Constitution and Bill of Rights were ratified. However, Brennan noted that it was not in the nation’s best interest to seek to interpret the relevance of the Establishment Clause to modern society by applying the literal intent of the interpretation given to the Clause in the previous centuries. Wallace v. Jaffree In 1985 the United States Supreme Court, in Wallace v. Jaffree (472 U. S. 8 (1985)), found that Alabama’s practice of setting aside one minute during each day for silent prayer or meditation to be unconstitutional. The Court struck down the statute requiring the silent prayer because its purpose was to advance to religion and there was no significant secular purpose for the law. Further, the Court found that the statute placed prayer in favored status over non-prayer, which violates the Establishment Clause’s prohibition against endorsing belief over non-belief and worshippers over dissenters. Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe In a more recent case, Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (530 U. S. 290 (2000)), the Court ruled that allowing student-led prayer during the schools sponsored football games is unconstitutional. While the school argued that the prayer was private and not public speech, the Court rationed that because of the fact that the prayer is led during the schools sponsored game, using school owned P. A. equipment and on School owned property, the listener will inevitably conclude that School has endorsed the prayer. Suggestions for a Modified Christmas Night. In order to be able to present a Christmas night, the school must effectively sanitize the event. First, the name should be changed to reflect a holiday season event, without reference to one or more particular religious holidays. Second the program should be expanded to include other cultural holidays. Third, the programs should endeavor to be educational in nature and not merely a celebration of one religion’s customs. Finally, the program should not include any aspects of a program’s dogma or theology (such as the Three Wise Men or the nativity scene). However, a Christmas tree (properly adorned) would be fine. Even these modifications might not be enough to prevent successful challenges by offended students and their parents. Conclusion The Supreme Court of the United States has, for the past 60-70 years, taken the position that any actions by Federal, state or local government which appears to or actually does promote one religion above another, or subjugates one below another, is invalid and unconstitutional. While the notion of a school Christmas Night does not seem to be nefarious by any means, it will impede on the rights citizens to not be indirectly coerced into participating in a religious event that is not part of their faith or beliefs.

Personality in Politics: Analyzing George W. Bush Essay

The relationship between personality, experience, and political decision-making has been established in several studies. This has been undertaken using â€Å"at a distance techniques† which evaluate the relationship using biographies, speeches, and text from interviews. One of the most prominent names that focused on the predictive ability of personality on political styles and actions of world leaders has been renowned political scientists Margaret Hermann. Hermann lists six factors that influence the impact of world leaders on foreign policy. â€Å"1) what their world view is; 2) what their political style is like; 3) what motivates them to have the position they do; 4) whether they are interested in and have training in foreign affairs; 5) what the foreign policy climate was like when the leader was starting out his or her political career; and 6) how the leader was socialized into his or her present position. † Essentially, personality, background, and previous experiences shape the foreign policy-making behavior of world leaders. This becomes especially clear when leaders confront a national crisis. How a leader conducts foreign affairs in the midst of crisis heightens his level of control on decision-making and resources. It is during this time that the interplay of personality and experience can be evaluated on their impact on the leader’s words and actions. Personality is a significant modifier in a leader’s foreign policy-making behavior. This was posited by Hermann in her leadership analysis of 51 world leaders. Hermann (2003) defined personality to be a mixture of seven traits. These were â€Å"`1) belief in ability to control events, 2) conceptual complexity, 3) need for power, 4) distrust of others, 5) in-group bias, 6) self-confidence, and 7) task orientation. † This paper applies this mode of analysis on George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States with an emphasis on his behavior during the September 11 Crisis and the Iraq War. Bush displayed high belief in his ability to control events, a personality trait related to how an individual perceives his control over political circumstances and his perception on the influence or significance of his state in resolving a foreign policy issue. Judging on his pronouncements about the righteousness of the Iraq War and the responsibility of the US and its allies to stop Saddam Hussein, Bush was strong, even arrogant in his belief that the US must wage war, even going against the judgment of the United Nations Security Council, â€Å"America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people. † In terms of his conceptual complexity, Bush was more inclined to see foreign affairs in black and white terms than appreciate it to be the result of a myriad of factors. Bush displays a straightforward binary stance on the positioning of countries in foreign affairs, most notably the classification that all US action is good and countries better follow it. In his speech precursor to the US campaign after September 11, Bush said, â€Å"Every nation in every region now has a decision to make: Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists. † In analyzing the causes of foreign policy problems, Bush went for the superficial explanation in place of the complex one. In terms of self-confidence, Bush displays high levels of optimism and fervor despite being placed in tight situations. His well-known Bushisms, for instance, seemed to have not marred his confidence or his nature. Despite his numerous verbal fiascos such as in addressing families of victims of September 11, â€Å"They misunderestimated the compassion of our country†¦ I talk to families who die,† Bush has managed to even make fun of himself. In sum, the foreign policy decisions of George W. Bush were reflective of his personality that is characterized by high belief in ability to control events, low conceptual complexity, and high degree of self-confidence. His personality and background created a foreign policy legacy which became detrimental to his party’s bid for the 2010 presidential seat. Bibliography CNN. â€Å"State of the Union Address,† (2004) http://edition. cnn. com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/01/20/sotu. transcript. 1/index. html (accessed May 8, 2010). CNN. â€Å"Transcript of President Bush’s address. † (2001) http://edition. cnn. com/2001/US/09/20/gen. bush. transcript/ (accessed May 8, 2010). Feller, Ben, â€Å"Analysis: Bush’s Personality Shapes His Legacy. † MSNBC (Jan. 3, 2009), http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/28482517/ (accessed May 8, 2010). Hermann, Margaret, â€Å"Explaining Foreign Policy Behavior Using the Personal Characteristics of Political Leaders. † International Studies Quarterly (1983) 24:7-46. Hermann, Margaret, â€Å"Assessing Leadership Style: Trait Analysis,† in The Psychological Assessment of Political Leaders, ed. J. M. Post (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2003).

Cyber law Essay

The problem of identity theft has become one of the fastest emerging phenomenal crimes in America and has inevitably been increasing exponentially worldwide (McDonald, 2006). It is a fraudulent act of acquiring the legally certified personal identifiers and other personal information essential to carry out impersonation to obtain merchandises, services and crimes (McDonald, 2006). And being a high-reward low-risk activity and an equal-opportunity crime, it could victimize anyone regardless of age, class and race (McDonald, 2006). It is likely a full package undertaking which offers an easier way of committing crimes, while providing lucrative returns and living in anonymity and minimal jeopardy of detection (McDonald, 2006). Identity theft is far different from a mere crime. It is a tailored crime from established crimes of forgery, check and credit card fraud, counterfeiting, computer scam, impersonation, and pick-pocketing (McDonald, 2006). However, the most challenging face of identity theft is its potential to international terrorism (McDonald, 2006). Accordingly, identity theft crimes are under the jurisdiction of various agencies. Among the agencies associated to such crime includes the local police, FBI, Postal Inspection Service, Secret Service, Homeland Security, motor vehicle departments, and local government agencies (McDonald, 2006). Various coping mechanism were later on initiated. Conversely, police, victim assistance advocates, and private agencies worked independently, without looking at each others roles or collaborating to develop a wide-range and valuable means of answering and counteracting such crime (McDonald, 2006). With the United States Congress’ enactment of the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998, Pub. L. 105-318, 112 Stat. 3007, a basic foundation on identity theft was established. It classified identity theft as a federal crime when a person deliberately uses credentials of another person, with no legal authority to commit or aid any illegal action that normally constitutes a violation of Federal, State or local law (McDonald, 2006). It also called for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to institute a clearinghouse for information and statistics on identity theft (Dworaczyk, 2004). However, this federal statute rarely prosecutes violations of state laws. Most laws regarding such crimes focuses on three subjects such as criminal penalties for particular offenses, prerequisites for the credit industry to incorporate specific information in credit reports or to limit the right to credit and credit reports, and personal data confidentiality (Dworaczyk, 2004). Existing laws respond to identity theft by providing criminal penalties for particular offenses. And such laws and suggestions for further changes are largely intended to trim down incidents of identity theft by enhancing identification of cases during such occurrence, and to facilitate further investigation and prosecution (Dworaczyk, 2004). In December 2003, another effort of the Congress to solve identity theft marked through the enactment of a law on credit transactions (Dworaczyk, 2004). In July 2004, the federal government furthered the identity theft laws by amending additional and extended prison sentences in relation to particular federal crimes (Dworaczyk, 2004). Identity theft crime hold an utmost punishment of 15 years imprisonment, a fine, and criminal forfeiture of private property used to execute the offense. As of June 2001, 43 states had already enacted statutes creating identity theft a crime. Such statutes enforce various penalties for identity theft. Normally, the penalties are base on the total dollar amount of damage resulting from the theft. Thefts concerning minor losses are considered as misdemeanors, while larger financial losses are regarded as felonies of different degrees (Foley, 2003). Local police ought to verify whether such a statute exists and what that statute provides. Other states are also taking into consideration of having related laws on such crime. Victims of such crime are also protected under federal and state law. Victims are entitled to have protections from being accountable for illegal undertakings, or other illegitimate behavior conducted by identity thieves (Newman, 2004). More so, they also received rights concerning the truthfulness of their credit reports. In Texas, laws addressing identity theft centers on compelling agencies to provide security alerts and freezes. Such action increases the avenue for identity theft prosecution and limiting showing credit card and Social Security numbers (Dworaczyk, 2004). In Connecticut, the state enacted the Public Act 03-156 in 2003, which forced regulated penalties for identity theft violations, established measures to aid victims; and required businesses to modify certain procedures to hinder identity theft. Other statutes relevant with identity theft are the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA), and the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act (Dworaczyk, 2004). The FCRA (Codified at 15 U. S. C.  § 1681 et seq. ), standardizes the compilation, dissemination, and use of consumer credit information. However, the foundation of customer rights to credit was structured and formulated alongside with the FDCPA or the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. And being an amendment to FCRA, the FACTA, Pub. L. 108-159, 111 Stat. 1952. , provided provisions to help lessen identity theft crimes, such as the capacity for a person to put alerts on their credit records if such crime is assumed, thus making falsified applications harder to execute. The Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, Pub. L. 108-275, 118 Stat. 831, on the other hand, characterizes penalties for identity theft crimes (18 U. S. C. Sec. 1028A (a)). It also furthers providing penalties for those that hold information in conducting the crime, not considering if they themselves essentially use the information to take an identity. In 2003, Chief Darrel Stephens of North Carolina Police Department conducted a survey on the degree of preparedness of major police organizations. It showed that there were no standardized and effective law enforcement practices in the rising cases of identity theft (McDonald, 2006). In February of the same year, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), together with the Division of Public Safety Leadership (DPSL) at Johns Hopkins University, and the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) conducted a project to scrutinize identity theft issues and provide recommendations for a national strategy for policy makers and to classify best procedures for practitioners (McDonald, 2006). The components that comprise the national strategy for law enforcement includes specific actions on the following areas: partnerships and collaboration, reporting procedures, victim assistance, public awareness, legislation, information protection and training (McDonald, 2006). Moreover, in May 2006, an Executive Order signed by the President emphasized the creation of an Identity Theft Task Force, focusing to acquire a harmonized strategic plan to fight identity theft. Specifically, it was created to provide sound recommendations on improving the efficacy of the federal government’s actions in areas of recognition, prevention, detection, and prosecution (McDonald, 2006). It is notable that substantive efforts were carried out by the government in combating the growing number of identity theft crimes. Nonetheless, a lot of changes and reforms ought to be done. And enhancing the training for law enforcement officers and prosecutors was just one part of the picture to acquire a full understanding of the problem of identity theft. With a very limited data on law enforcement efforts regarding identity theft, it would be difficult to achieve a better view on the nature of the crime. The working unit then considered incorporating further surveys and statistics like the National Crime Victimization Survey. It also looked to evaluate U. S. Sentencing Commission data on related cases, pursue federal prosecutions and the quantity of resources spent, and perform target surveys to enrich law enforcement information on identity theft response and prevention activities (Dworaczyk, 2004). It is indeed impossible to have all personal information confidential; therefore, eradicating completely such crime of identity theft would be difficult. Newman (2004) identified local factors that could be done to minimize or prevent identity theft, which is divided into two sections: prevention and victim assistance. In terms of prevention, among the specific responses include the following: 1. Improving business understanding of their accountability to guard employee and client records. To protect records and databases, businesses could institute security procedures by developing a comprehensive privacy policy with liable information-handling. Consistent staff training and orientation on appropriate information protection and employee background checks could also help. 2. Information and education campaign on information protection. The internet provides a wide array of information on identity theft. And to maximize information dissemination, tap the various community organizations such as schools, community centers and organizations, consumer advocacy groups, neighborhood associations, and other community service groups. 3. Working hand-in-hand with government and various organizations to watch over private information. Although, awareness on identity theft had increased considerably, organizations should still support efforts to lessen the function of social security numbers as identifiers, which is very usual on health insurance cards. Agency personnel ought to be regularly reminded of the possible risks in negligent use of private information. 4. Operating with local banks to persuade credit card issuers to accept better security measures. Working closely with local banks would make it simple to set up actions for victims to repair the harm done, and have the accounts working again. Influence local banks and businesses to pressure credit card companies to verify credit card purchases by asking for additional ID, encourage customers to have passwords or attach photographs or other authentication indicators on credit accounts, and adopting better identity verification when changes are indicated with his or her credit report. 5. Tracking delivery. Product and document deliveries are fulcrum to identity theft. Building a good relationship with delivery companies and postal inspectors could be helpful to trace items to thieves. Post office and delivery companies could instruct staff members to take note of deliveries to houses that are unoccupied or up for trade, notice license renewal and credit card reports that turn to unknown addresses and also to preserve various application records. However, in terms of victim assistance, possible actions could be summarized into: 1. Moving with the victim. Being an emotionally and psychologically upsetting crime, an open communication between the victims and the police could be the key. Law enforcers ought to recognize how consumers are protected, and offer victims with educational materials that could clarify their rights and the ways on how to assert them. Police must write an incident report and provide the victim a copy of his own to avoid any trouble in filing an affidavit. The victim should acquire the Identity Theft Victim Guide. This summarizes how to prepare for the investigation procedure and the possible steps to take. Also, propose a written draft of the case to be prepared by the victim, which includes all the relevant information that could be used. Update also the victim on how the procedure of being â€Å"behind the scenes† of a fraud investigation would be like. More so, ensure that the victims comprehend and exercise their rights under the federal laws and record the complaint information into the FTC’s Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse. 2. Formulating a plan to avoid or curtail the harm of identity theft. In cases, where personal records or employee and client databases have been violated, police and other law enforcers must operate promptly to lessen the opportunity the thief has to exploit the stolen identities. Employees could be given information packets on technical know-how’s to read credit reports and safeguard their identities and minimize further damage. Workshops for employees also provide helpful information. REFERENCE IACP National Law Enforcement Policy Center. 2002. Identity Theft. Concepts and Issues Paper. Washington St. , Alexandria. Economic Crime Institute. 2003. Identity Fraud: A Critical National and Global Threat. White Paper. A Joint Project of the Economic Crime Institute of Utica College and LexisNexis.. http://www. ecii. edu/identity_fraud. pdf (accessed June 8, 2007) Graeme R. Newman, 2004. Identity Theft. Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Problem- Specific Guides Series No. 25. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U. S. Department of Justice, http://www. cops. usdoj. gov/mime/open. pdf? Item=1271 (accessed June 8, 2007) Kelly Dworaczyk, 2004. Combating Identity Theft. Focus Report. House Research Organization. Texas House of Representative, http://www. hro. house. state. tx. us/focus/identity78-18. pdf (accessed June 8, 2007) L. Foley. 2003. Enhancing Law Enforcement–Identity Theft Communication. Identity Theft Resource Center. http://www.. idtheftcenter. org (accessed June 8, 2007) Phyllis P. McDonald, 2006. A national strategy to combat identity theft. Johns Hopkins University. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U. S. Department of Justice, http://www. securitymanagement. com/library/identity_theft1006. pdf (accessed June 8, 2007)

Report (not essay) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Report (not ) - Essay Example In the same vein, Chancellor Gordon Brown made a promise that Britain would be a leader in tackling the issue on an international level. Emission of CO2 from various industries and motor vehicles is choking the environment and leading to the greenhouse effect or trapping of large amounts of heat that leads to an increase in the earth’s temperature. During the last century, it is believed that the surface of the earth has warmed up by 0.75 degrees C. Other than CO2 , gases like methane, nitrous oxide and water vapour also contribute to this hazard. The following chart shows the sector wise distribution of global emissions: The UNFCCC defines climate change as â€Å" a change of climate that is attributed to directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comaprable time periods.†[Gleneagles G8 Summit] Some analysts however feel that the noise created around global warming might be the handiwork of some individuals for gaining their own interests. The situation is not really as bad as it is projected and in case reports about global warming are believed, we might be going back to pre-industrialization era.. Richard Courtney [1999] feels that people advocating the global warming theory are some researchers who are in need of research grants and some organisations working in the field of environment and need donations. He is of the opinion that they are promoting an imaginary fear of a man-made phenomenon. By promoting fear, they are selling their goods and ideas to the government and general public. It is clear that industries that cater to a clean and pollution-free environment will benefit from the commotion created around global warming and climate change. As such, industries that would discourage the use of fossil fuels, conventional methods of

Film reflections on WW2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Film reflections on WW2 - Essay Example The TYP of the wealth is {M}oney – this means that actual cash is shown; {T}alking about wealth – these are the scenes that either show a discussion of a bribe, or discussion of business-related matters; and {P}ossessions – these are the scenes that involve possessions that might or might not be valuable. As this analysis shows, wealth comes to mean different things as the movie progresses. At the beginning, Oskar Schindler {OS} regards wealth as a way of enriching himself. He has no regard for others at this point. It is only after he sees that that the little girl in the red coat was killed that he changes, and, at this point, wealth becomes exclusively a means to help others. Meanwhile, wealth is shown in different ways regarding the Jewish people – that wealth is stripped from them, but also, in the process of stripping wealth, these people are also stripped of their heritage. Therefore, wealth is symbolic of different things throughout the film â€⠀œ greed, then humanitarianism, heritage, and atrocity of the Nazis taking the wealth from the Jews. This essay explains each of these meanings in depth. {SL}, through its use of imagery, including the REC of wealth, like Blade Runner, â€Å"provides simultaneously a nightmare about the impossible and catharsis about the horror that it has elicited† (Cohen, 47). ... It is a way for him to get what he wants, and that is that he wants to get to know the high officers in the SS, so that he can become a war profiteer. He is simply a mercenary at this point, and money does not mean what it comes to mean to him later on in the film. OCC #2 of the showing of wealth is also TYP {M}, as {OS} is shown giving the money to the maitre d as he enters the party. It is {OS} motive that he wants to show off for the people there at the party, as he starts out a nobody who is not known by the people in the party. The people at the party all think that he is known by other people, but they all want to get to know him, because he is so generous with his money. OCC #3 comes in the same party sequence, where {OS} hands the money to the waiter, telling the waiter that he wants to buy some high officers some champagne. The TYP of {T}, talking about wealth, is shown in OCC #5, in the church where there are Jews there who are making deals with one another. Schindler is th ere at the church, and he talks to one of the Jews about some of the investment ideas that he has. This is still {OS} acting as the mercenary that he is through much of the film – he sees that these young men are shrewd businessmen, especially the man that he recruits to be a part of his team, and this is what he cares about. He doesn’t care that he would be saving this young man at this point – he only cares that the young man has shown himself to be a sharp businessman by the conversations that he has with his friends there in the church. OCC #6 is the TYP {M} again. This time it is in the sequence where {OS} is talking to the boy that he

Entrepreneurial Behavior and Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Entrepreneurial Behavior and Learning - Essay Example The process of entrepreneurship is complicated with the existence of various other factors such as risk, chaos, information asymmetries, resource scarcity, uncertainties, paradoxes and confusion. Successful entrepreneurship can be developed only when all the three components are arranged in a proper fit. An entrepreneur has to face the challenge of manipulating and influencing the factors affecting the process of entrepreneurship so that he can improve the chances of success of the venture. Since opportunities seldom wait, right timing of the recognition of the opportunity becomes critically important for any entrepreneur. Literature has identified a number of factors influencing the process of entrepreneurship, which include creativity, optimism, information search, alertness, social networking and prior knowledge. Based upon the presence of some of these personal traits and by adapting to the circumstances, entrepreneurs are able to work their ways to recognizing profitable ventures and convert them into operable business ventures. However, the question remains as to which are the ones out of these factors that affect the learning behavior of entrepreneurs. This report based on the interview with a young entrepreneur who has successfully ventured his business in the information technology sector examines the entrepreneurial behavior and learning in practice. Psychological Base of Entrepreneurial Behavior The first question was a general one asking the entrepreneur to elucidate his personal opinion on the psychological base of entrepreneurial behavior. From the answer given by the interviewee, the following points emerge. The personality characteristics of entrepreneurs will share some common features. There are different such features like the need for achievement risk taking propensity, locus of control and work values which shape the entrepreneurial intentions of individuals. There is another dimension to the psychological base of entrepreneurship behavior, which deals with other psychological characteristics of entrepreneurs such as the problem solving style, innovativeness in approach, following role models, acquiring work experience, educational background and perceptions of individuals (Liang & Dunn, 2004). In this context, it is to be recognized that behavior is influenced by the way the external world is represented in the mind of an individual. It is also influenced by the exercise of different choices by the individual in pursuit of his different occupational intentions. It is important to have a look at the term entrepreneur, which is defined differently from entrepreneurship. Some researchers have defined entrepreneur as one who recognizes an opportunity and gathers the resources necessary for acting on the opportunity identified by him. Another definition brings together the innovative behavior and the strategic management practices of an entrepreneur and it identifies different strategic actions of an entrepreneur. They are: (i) introduction of new products and services, (ii) introduction of new production processes, (iii) exploring new markets or expanding the existing markets, (iv) identifying new supply sources, and (v) reorganization of industrial enterprises (Gartner, 1989; Sexton & Smilor,

Websites search Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Websites search - Essay Example It is very helpful in the provision of details concerning family and community involvement in children programs. Fine: Family Involvement Network of Educators provided at Harvard Family Research Project (http://www.hfrp.org/) has a lot of resources and publications concerning family involvement that can be employed in classrooms for instructing. The site is very supportive as it provides a lot of publications collectively at one place. National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (http://www.ncpie.org/) is an informative site that contains a lot of information regarding family and development, family-community organizations, family-education organizations and parents and families. This can be used for teaching in classrooms by reading and facilitating parents with the reading material. National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools (http://www.sedl.org/connections/) contains family and community based researches and practical works informing about how students at schools can be supported by families and communities. It will be helpful in classroom instructions because it contains a huge collection of resources concerning family and community connections with schools. LDonline (http://www.ldonline.org/educators) is a website that gives detailed data related to disability and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). The site is very useful in terms of its informative material. The site is rich with information concerning learning about disabilities and ADHD. Information can be retrieved from this site in order to help out students in terms of instruction concerning disabilities. BC Ministry of Education: Special Education (http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/) contains resource documents and policies concerning education of special children. Hence, this site contains a huge amount of data of resource documents concerning students with disabilities. The information provided at this site can be

Personal Income Taxes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Income Taxes - Essay Example The rich taxpayers are seem to be reporting almost 48.5% of their total income as capital gains and dividends, effectively getting 48.5% of their income taxed at extremely lower rate of 15% compared to that of the low income people. The trend now is that such wealthy taxpayers with more than $10 million continue to report huge increase in their income and get taxed at extremely lower rates. Legendry investor Warren Buffet has complained that he pays much lower tax rates than his secretary. John: I should agree with Mike on this point. Studies have shown that one of the major reasons for income inequality in US is such special tax rates on investment income. While the percentage of capital income is as high as 50% for some of the wealthy, it is as low as 2% for people below the income level of $200,000. In fact, Mitt Romney is reported to have close to $14 million income and the effective tax rate is seemed to be as low as 13.5%. All these instances point to the fact that current tax system just keeps accelerating the income disparity in US. A fix to this is indispensable in order to check this inequality from spreading. One option that the government can consider is to increase the tax rates on investment income. I: Taking it on from John, I should say that is already high time that the government should find a fix for this issue. Effectively, only a higher tax rate can curb the huge tax rate disparity in US. Regarding John’s note on increasing the tax rates on investment income, I should say that it will again adversely affect the small taxpayers who have considerably small percentage of investment income. Increase in the tax rate on such income would effectively leave the small taxpayers with fewer after tax profits. Therefore, a more ideal choice would be to determine the tax break loopholes that allow the rich to lower their income tax percentage and close such

Information Systems Concepts Info331 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Information Systems Concepts Info331 - Assignment Example On the other hand, the website http://products.office.com/en-us/word defines Microsoft word application as a program that helps computer users to write. As such, a computer based information system can be defines as a network of either software or hardware that manipulates a wide range of information and data by collecting, filtering and processing it so that it makes sense to the end user. An application can be defines as a program that enables computer users perform their daily tasks on the computer such as typing, organization or data, publishing among other tasks. An application is embedded inside the system software which implies that an application requires information system in order to run (Shelly, Cashman & Vermaat, 2000). The information system I use in my work and in your day-to-day life is office information system. This is because it facilitates easy progress of my work flow through program such as Microsoft office word, excel, spreadsheet and publisher. Some of the characteristics of office information system is increased efficiency, reliability and the ability to support a wide variety of office activities such as work processing, web browsers, presentation graphics, databases and

The writing life of edgar allan poe Research Paper

The writing life of edgar allan poe - Research Paper Example While Poe was studying at the University of Virginia (1826-1827), he wrote some tales but little is known of these works. At age 18, he published his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems. In 1829, Poe’s second book, Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems was published in Baltimore. In 1831, Poe’s Poems was published in New York. In 1833, he won $50 for his work â€Å"MS Found in a Bottle†. It was also during this time that he started his career as a staff member of various magazines. Poe became editor of the Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond in 1835. It was in this magazine that he wrote several critical book reviews which gave him a reputation of being a fearless critic (Poe Museum, par.9). In 1837, Poe left Southern Literary but he became editor of other magazines namely, the Gentleman’s Magazine and Graham’s Magazine in Philadelphia and the Broadway Journal in New York City. It was in Graham’s Magazine that Poe wrote â€Å"Murders in the Rue Morgues† which is considered the first modern detective story. In 1843, Poe won a $100 prize from the Dollar Newspaper of Philadelphia for his tale of pirate treasure in â€Å"The Gold Bug†. This award earned national attention for Poe. The next ten years saw Poe building a name as a poet, short story writer and an editor. It was during these times when he published some of his well-acclaimed works such as â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†, â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† and his most famous poem, â€Å"The Raven† (The Academy of American Poets, par.3). Poe died on October 7, 1849 in Baltimore. The tragedies that have befallen Poe have a great impact on his style of writing and the topics that he wrote about. His being an orphan at an early age, the death of his siblings and foster parents, poverty, a broken love affair, problems with gambling, and alleged drug use and alcoholism, all contributed to the literary genius that he was. Most of h is works reflected the darkness that enveloped his life. Poe’s is considered as part of the dark romanticism genre. He often used symbolisms in his work. In â€Å"The Raven†, he used the raven as a symbol of death, something which is bizarre. Poe’s writing is observed as always having a fascination with death. This may be attributed to several of his experiences involving the untimely loss of loved ones. The theme that surrounds his works was mostly of darkness and lost loves. Poe’s interest in psychology played an important part in his work’s visual imagery and emotions. He explored topics such as self-destruction, madness and imagination. There was however, a romantic side in his works, especially in his poetry. In his poem â€Å"Eulalie†, Poe’s inspiration was his wife, Virginia Clemm with whom he had a joyous married life. Poe also wrote humorous short stories such as â€Å"The Devil in the Belfry†, â€Å"The Duc de l'Omel ette†, â€Å"Bon-Bon† and â€Å"Never Bet the Devil Your Head†. These stories depict the devil as an ironic figure of fun (Liukkonen, par. 13) Poe is acknowledged as the originator of both horror and detective fiction. He is also credited as the â€Å"architect† of modern short story. Poe is known as the forerunner of the â€Å"art for art’s sake† movement because of his focus on the effect of the style and structure on the literary work (The Academy of American Poets, par. 4). To this day, Poe’s reputation is that of a writer of mystery and terror tales and

Tragedy of the Commons Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tragedy of the Commons - Article Example The core ideas would not be out of place in a modern discussion because these serious issues have, if anything, grown even more pressing since the late 1960s. 2. The problem of over-population particularly in the Indian sub-continent and in parts of Africa springs to mind immediately. In China there has been a period of population limitation through the imposition of the one child policy, but this is being relaxed these days as China develops industrially and adopts more western ways. Pollution and waste disposal are still of concern. There appears to be one difference, however, and that is that the modern world has started to add these different effects together and see them as part of a single global issue, such as global warming, and unsustainable use of resources for example. There is more of a collective consciousness about it, in the West at least, and this is seen in events like the global climate conferences. 3. This article makes me reflect on the sobering fact that fifty years have passed since these problems were very clearly articulated, and yet very little has been done to address them. It makes me pessimistic about there ever being any serious or successful attempt to improve the condition of the world. After reading this article I am more open to coercive tactics than before, because I see how desperate the status quo is, how little progress is being made and how we need to do something

Marble Chip Investigation Essay Example for Free

Marble Chip Investigation Essay Fair Test To make it a fair test and make my results more accurate I will try and keep all variables constant except the concentration of the acid. This will include weighing the marble chips every time and trying to use lumps of roughly the same size to keep the surface area fairly constant as a change in surface area will affect the rate of reaction. I will try and avoid a change in temperature and I will use the same equipment throughout the tests. Each concentration will be repeated at least once to improve accuracy as an average can be taken. Research The rate of reaction depends upon two factors, the number of collisions within a time between the reactants, and the fraction of these collisions that are successful. Therefore, the higher the concentration of the reactants, the higher the rate of reaction because there will be an increased number of collisions, this is called collision theory. However, for the reaction between the two reactants to be successful, they must collide with enough energy to react, the energy needed to react is known as  activation energy. This can be shown on a graph like the one below, I believe this graph is similar to what the energy diagram would be for my investigation. This shows that my chemical reaction will be exothermic, therefore it will release more energy than it uses to react. Therefore, at a higher concentration, there will be more reactions releasing energy in the form of heat that will enable more particles to reach their activation energy level and react. This shows that the rate of reaction will increase with the concentration of acid. Prediction After having done some research I feel that I can make an education prediction concerning what will happen during my investigation. I predict that the higher the concentration of acid I use, the faster the rate of reaction will be. I think this because the higher the concentration is, the more acid particles there will be to collide with the marble chip with enough energy to cause a reaction as explained in collision theory. I also believe that the rate of reaction will increase with concentration of acid because the chemical reaction I am doing is an exothermic reaction. Therefore, it will release energy as the reactions take place, this will give more energy to other particles around it and will cause the reaction to speed up as more particles reach their activation energy and collide with enough energy to react. Preliminary test results I started with 10g of marble chip and 100cm3 of 2M acid, the reaction was too fast and could not be accurately measured. I then tried 3g of marble chip with the same amount of 2M acid (100cm3), this worked fine, however, when the 0.4M concentration was tested the reaction was too slow and could not be accurately measured due to our scale. I then tried 6g of marble chip and it gave 135 cm3 of CO2 with the 2M concentration and 5 cm3 of CO2 with the 0.4M concentration. I felt that this would give us a good range of results so I  stuck with those measurements based on my preliminary tests. Observations When we had done our experiment we realised that we could benefit from some tests with other concentrations of acid to increase accuracy. Therefore we decided to do tests with 1.8M, 1.4M, 1M, 0.6M and 0.2M acid. However, when we did these tests they produced a much higher volume of carbon  dioxide than we would expect from our previous results. I came to the conclusion that this would have to be down to a change in one of the variables. Looking at the variables it was possible that it could have been temperature or surface area of the marble chips that caused the change, but as there had not been any large change in these variables it was unlikely that they would have such a clear affect on the results. After doing a few tests I found that it was the acid that I was using that had affected the results, I had started on a new batch of acid as the previous bottle had run out. Even though both batches of acid were labelled as being 2M, it was clear that one was stronger than the other and therefore increased the rate of reaction as the chance of acid particles colliding with the marble chip had been increased as there were more acid particles. Due to this, I plotted there results as a separate line, however, the results still show the same pattern and are therefore still useful in concluding the relation between gas given off and the concentration of acid, as explained by collision theory. Conclusion As you can see on the graph, both lines go up in a smooth curve. This shows that there is a correlation between concentration of acid and the volume of gas given off. As the concentration of acid increases so does the volume of gas, therefore they are proportional. The gradient of the line gets steeper as the concentration increases, this means that there was a larger increase of gas produced between 1.6M and 2M, than there was between 0.4M and 0.8M, even though the increase in concentration of acid was 0.4M in both. The graph shows that at higher concentrations of acid, more carbon dioxide was produced but in the same amount of time. This shows that at higher concentrations, the rate of reaction must have been faster to produce more products in the same time period. This can be explained by collision theory and the ideas on activation energy that I explained in my research and prediction. In my prediction I said that more gas would be given off with a higher  concentration, these results show that I was correct. This is because due to collision theory, in a low concentration of acid the acid particles are spread far apart. This means that there is very little chance of acid particles colliding with the marble chip with enough energy to react. In a high concentration, the acid particles are closer together as there is more of them within the same volume. This means that there is a much higher chance of collision with the marble chip, and there is more energy due to the energy being produced by the reaction, which is exothermic, this causes the reaction to be faster. This can be seen in my results, the 2M acid gave an average of 134.75cm3 of carbon dioxide, where the 0.4M concentration only gave an average of 4cm3 of carbon dioxide. The rate of reaction is reduced by a decrease of particles within the same space. Evaluation Accuracy of results I feel that my experiment was accurate because the results made a smooth curve on my graph. I did have a problem with the 1.8M, 1.4M, 1M, 0.6M and 0.2M acid results, as the acid appeared to be stronger than it was labelled. However, I resolved this problem by plotting the results as a separate line on my graph and they still showed a very similar curve to the other one showing the same relation between concentration of acid and the volume of gas given off. This shows that it was probably just the concentration of the acid that caused the problem and not my execution of the experiment that caused the results to be slightly different than what was expected. I think that my results could have been better as there was some variation between my four results for each of 2M, 1.6M, 1.2M, 0.8M, and 0.4M. However I do not feel this problem is major as the variations were relatively small as is shown by the error margins drawn on my graph, but there is still room for improvement. Possible Improvements If I was to do this investigation again I would try and keep some of the variables constant that I had less control over. The investigation was carried out over a few days so the classroom temperature may have varied. This could have had a slight effect on the rate of reaction making my results less accurate. Although the marble chips were roughly the same size they werent all exactly the same shape. If I could find a way to make the marble chips all the same shape and size then the investigation would be fairer as the surface area of the marble chips would be constant. If I was to do this investigation again I would try and use only one batch of acid for the whole experiment because as I found out, the acid supplied isnt always exactly the strength that it says it is. I would also try to use a more accurate piece of equipment to measure the volume of gas produced, using a measuring cylinder did not provide the best accuracy that was open to me. I could have achieved a higher level of accuracy with a buret.

Generic Design and Construction Process Protocol (GCDPP)

Generic Design and Construction Process Protocol (GCDPP) 1.0 Introduction The construction industry is a large and complex industry comprising many types and sizes of organizations and a diverse range of professionals and other representative bodies. Consequently, the biggest problem is conflicts in the industry between both clients and contractors and the contractors and their sub contractors (Cooke and Williams, 2009). This most often is as a result of non-clarification of roles or breach of the contract procedures by one of the parties because of lack of communication and co-ordination. Poor productivity and quality within the industry have also been attributed to lack of advance management of the processes by both Latham (1994) and Egan (1998). Professional bodies have therefore introduced various plans of work as attempts to facilitates processes within the industry. In this report, the updated RIBA plan of work which was designed by British architects was employed to plan the execution of a project (CTG) from appraisal to completion. Alternative maps for the same project were produced using the Generic Design and Construction Process Protocol (GCDPP) which was developed in 1995 in other to identify the potential benefits and problems that might be encountered in the use of the process protocol. 2.0 Current plan of work 2.1 Context The Department of Business Innovation and Skills (DBIS) intends to construct a new project, Centre for Technology in Government (CTG), which is a 250,000 square feet facility built to house world class super computers and nuclear weapons design staff. The building site is located in Liverpool, UK and the allowed budget for the project is ÂÂ £50,000,000. The client had explicit goals and therefore appointed a cross-functional team from the start to translate the needs into a design brief. The cross-functional team, after the conceptual design stage, identified various functional and operational requirements (FORs) which were grouped by room type. These FORs became the basis for requests of proposals that resulted in design and build contract 2.2 Procurement method It is important to briefly explain the procurement method used to execute the CTG project because the procurement method and type of contract employed will have implications on the plan of work (Clamp et al, 2007 p 32). Single stage tender (assumption) design and build contract was used; the client, DBIS selected CTG to execute the project because of the business relationship they shared as well as the fact that, the constructor was needed at the design stage to give advice on the constructional method and buildability of the concepts. The client-led design ended at the conceptual stage (RIBA stage C) and the contractor was therefore provided with conceptual designs. 2.3 RIBA Plan of Work The Plan of Work (RIBA, 1997) was originally published in 1963 as a standard method of operation for the construction of buildings, and it has become widely accepted as the operational model throughout the building industry (Kagioglou et al, 1998). It was developed from the view point of the architect to provide a frame work for a standardised method of operation for the design, construction and management of buildings (Poon et al, 2003). This plan of work was developed to meet the needs of the traditional forms of contract and breaks down the entire construction into 5 key stages. There key stages are further broken down into 11 sub-processes as shown below 2.4 RIBA plan of work in GC Ltd There is, however, a slight variation to the work stages primarily because of the procurement method (Design and Build) used. This is because the cross functional team assembled by the client produces conceptual designs that were grouped into FORs which formed the basis of the request for proposals. Detailed designs (RIBA stage D) and technical designs stage (RIBA stage E) were produced by the contractor before tender action while production information stage (RIBA stage F) proceeded after mobilisation stage (RIBA stage J). Figure 2.1 shows the plan of work used in executing the project from the perspective of the constructors which is seen to differ slightly from the plan of work in appendix 1 Figure 2.1 Adoption of RIBA plan of work for Contractor Appendix 2 shows the detailed mapping of each of the above sub processes. 2.4.1 Preparation As a constructor, the first stage of involvement was to review the employers (Department for business innovation and skills) conceptual requirement that has already been identified with the cross-functional team. The constructor (GG ltd) receives the conceptual brief containing the FORs by room type and also confirming key requirements and constraints as well as the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations. The in-house quality management procedures that will be applied on the project is determined. These culminate into the contractors brief. Since GC ltd already has an in- house design team, they assist in the preparation of the contractors brief. The construction company at this stage appoints one of its in-house staff to act as the CDM co-ordinator. During the review, some questions may arise, especially concerning site conditions and operational hazards. It is the responsibility of the contractor to provide all such information to the design team and the CDM co-ordinator. The design team advises on the need for additional consultants for the project. Documents that will accompany the tender submission are identified and the pre-tender programme drawn up. This process in mapped out in detail in appendix 2. 2.4.2 Design development Once the conceptual designs are fully reviewed and understood by the contractor and his team, he authorizes the final layouts. The design team then develops the project brief into developed designs including, the structural elements, the services systems and the general architectural layout. The initial cost plan is updated and the CDM co-ordinator ensures that all health and safety regulation have been considered at this stage. 2.4.3 Technical design This is the last stage of design development before production information is prepared. The detailed designs are produced and all approvals obtained including that of building regulations. The health and safety file is updated by the CDM co-ordinator and the cost plans and cash flows also updated by the quantity surveyor. The stage D report will form the basis of the tender documents. This process in mapped out in detail in appendix 2. 2.4.5 Tender action Once the detailed developments are obtained, the contractor with the CDM co-ordinator prepares the draft initial construction phase plan. The quantity surveyor advises on the preliminaries, the contingencies and the work sequences and proceeds to prepare the contract sum analysis. The CDM co-ordinator, the quantity surveyor and the other design team members contribute to the stage report prepared by the lead consultant. The report includes all the documents intended to be used for tendering. The contractor checks the report to ensure compliance and the tender documents are submitted. The submitted tender documents are evaluated by the employers agent and any queries responded to by the contractor and his team. Once the contract is awarded to the winning firm (GC Ltd), there is negotiation between the employers agent and the contractor before final adjustments are agreed. 2.4.6 Mobilization The employers agent confirms to the client that the contractor (GC ltd) has been duly selected. The contractor is then appointed and the tender documents become the contract documents with certified copies sent to the contractor. His insurances for the project are checked by the employers agent. The site is handed over the contractor and he proceeds to develop his initial construction phase plan with his team and the CDM co-ordinator. Statutory approvals and other detailed planning permission are also obtained. 2.4.7 Production Information The final proposals are translated into precise technical instruction for pricing and construction purposes, which is the preparation of detailed drawings, schedules and specifications. The health and safety file is finally updated by the CDM co-ordinator. The contractor, the design team the quantity surveyor and the CDM co-ordinator reviews all process to ensure compliance with brief and procedures. 2.4.8 Construction This is where actual construction of the CTG building takes place in accordance with contract agreements. Further information is supplied to the contractor as and when deemed necessary. At this stage the contractor, his team and sub contractors are typically involved. 2.4.9 Rectification period After construction to practical completion, final inspections are done and the project is handed over. The contract document allows the contractor to be paid half the amount in the final certificate with the other half released after a predetermined period (6 months), defects liability period. Within which all faults and problems are corrected by the contractor. 2.5 Appraisal of RIBA in CTG project The RIBA plan of work was one of the first expressions of building process by members of the building team (Poon et al, 2003) and has been tried, tested and accepted. It has been widely adopted as the basis of calculating consultants fees as well as gives a vivid description of work stages (Clamp et al, 2007). Adopting design and build as procurement route while employing the RIBA plan of work in the CTG project resulted in hybrid process which improves the plan of work especially in the area of flexibility and eliminates sequential flows which, Sheath et al (1996) argues that, have caused problems of fragmentation and poor co-ordination between project team members. CTG, as a project that will house the designing and testing of nuclear weapons, it requires the involvement of all major stakeholders, as such the client, DBIS assembled a cross-functional team including the contractor, in order to better identify his needs and requirements and identify any possible constraints on development and eventually produce a holistic brief. The adoption of the cross-functional team approach had the advantage of improving co-ordination and communication from the design stage throughout to the project (Kagioglou et al, 1998). It was also necessary to involve the constructors early in the design phase in order to eliminate any claims and counter claims for costs, quality and time between the various parties of the contract (Gunaskaran and Love, 1998). This will ensure buildability and reduce the incident of rework and waste in the design process and construction process. Having established the cross-functional team, weekly meetings were held to review all aspec ts of the design. Since it is a single stage tender, it became the responsibility of the contractor to produce the developed designs and technical designs prior to tender action. In order to facilitate the continuous review of the design by the cross-functional team, the contractor broke the technical design into mini phases as follows; all layouts and setting outs, pile caps and ground beams, structural steel work, substructure, super structure, detailed security services and services systems. There were series of reviews and the final review was during the tender action. Once the contract was signed and mobilisation got underway, the production information was produced concurrently. Construction commenced immediately mobilisation is complete. Daily visits by the cross functional team ensured co-ordination and team work all through the construction. RIBA plan of work guarantees flexibility in the basic outline, in that it can be modified to suit any form of procurement used by simply re-arranging the sub processes (Clamp et al, 2007). The RIBA plan of work, 2007 appears to be very elaborate an simple to understand and use because it maps out the main process at the higher level indicating the sub processes and the outputs at each stage. The details of the sub processes can also be mapped out indicating the activities involved and the parties responsible for those activities. Finally the adoption of the design and build and employing a cross-functional team ensures better understanding of requirements, better translation to drawings, more effective and efficient construction process devoid of any conflicts and unnecessary variations eventually leading to a satisfied client and a satisfied contractor. In every building contract there is some degree of risk (Clamp et al, 2007). Balance of speculative risk will lie almost wholly with the CTG contractor in this project with the client bearing the conceptual risk which involves matters that are key to operational efficiency such as scheme. All the major disadvantages that have been associated with RIBA; linear fashion (Jamieson, 1997; Cooper et al, 2004), lack co-ordination and communication (Sheath at al 1996, Kagioglou et al, 1998), buildability issues and biasness towards the architect (Poon et al, 2003) have been catered for by the adoption of the design and build procurement system as well as the introduction of the cross functional team (including the contractor) at the very beginning of the CTG project. However there are still a number of issues that remains unresolved and primary among them is the absence of a mechanism to transfer all the knowledge that will be shared by the entire CTG project team to similar projects in the future because both success and failure can offer important lessons for the future (Kagioglou et al, 2000). Finally, throughout the entire project, subcontractor and suppliers are only involved from the mobilisation stage (RIBA J) 3.0 The Generic Design and Construction Process Protocol 3.1 Background The Generic Design and Construction Process Protocol (GDCPP) was funded by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) under the Innovative Manufacturing Initiate (IMI) and undertook by the University of Salford with a leading number of industrial partners, including clients, architects, contractors, subcontractors, consultants, suppliers and IT specialists during 1995-98 (Lee et al, 2000). The main aim of this project was to develop a Generic Design and Construction Process Protocol for the construction industry by considering the lessons learnt through a number of decades in manufacturing New Product Development (NPD). This was achieved by comprehensive reviews of the construction and manufacturing industries, interactive workshops with the project industrial partners, case studies in the manufacturing and construction industry and other research and data collection tools and techniques (Aouad et al, 1999). There are eight key principles involved in process protocol for process as follows which are originated from manufacturing process. Whole Project view, a consistent Process, Progressive Design Fixity, Co ordination, Stakeholder Involvement team work, Feedback, Process Flexibility, Customisable Process. (www.processprotocol.com). The model identifies the various activities involved in the complete execution of the project as well as the responsible parties produced on a horizontal- X and vertical Y axis respectively resulting in a form of a responsibility matrix. The parties responsible for activity within each phase can be a single person, a firm or a complex network of people (depending on the size of the project) who have been grouped in to activity zones. Consequently, eight (8) activity zones have been identified by the model and are listed below Development Management Project Management Resource Management Design Management Production Management Facilities Management Health Safety, Statutory legal Management Process Management Change Management The design and construction process (X- axis) have been broken down into 10 distinct phases. These 10 phases are grouped into 4 broad stages: Pre-Project, Pre-Construction, Construction and Post-Construction. (www.processprotocol.com). These 4 stages are briefly explained below 3.2 Pre-Project Stage The Pre-Project Phases (0-3) relate to the strategic business considerations of any potential project which aims to address a clients need. Throughout the Pre-Project Phases the clients need is progressively defined and assessed with the aim of: Determining the need for a construction project solution, and Securing outline financial authority to proceed to the Pre-Construction Phases (Cooper et al, 2005 p 76) These phases have been mapped out in detail in appendix 4 Phase zero: Demonstrating the Need Phase one: Conception of Need Phase two: Outline Feasibility Phase three: Substantive Feasibility Study Outline Financial Authority 3.3 Pre-Construction Stage At this stage (4-6), the defined clients need is developed into an appropriate design solution through a logical sequence, with the aim of delivering approved production information (Cooper et al, 2005 p78) These phases are listed below have been mapped out in detail in appendix 4 Phase four: Outline Conceptual Design Phase five: Full Conceptual Design Phase six: Coordinated design, Procurement Full Financial Authority 3.4 Construction Stage The Construction Phases (7-8) is solely concerned with the production of the project solution. It is here that the full benefits of the co-ordination and communication earlier in the Process may be fully realised. Potentially, any changes in the clients requirements will be minimal, as the increased cost of change as the design progresses should be fully understood by the time on-site construction work begins (Cooper et al, 2005 p78). The phases involved are listed below. Refer to appendix 4 for detailed maps Phase seven: Production Information Phase eight: Construction 3.5 Post-Construction Stage Upon completion of the Construction Phase, the Process Protocol continues into the Post-Construction phases which aim to continually monitor and manage the maintenance needs of the constructed facility (Cooper et al, 2005 p 80). This is the last phase of the model Phase 9: Operation Maintenance 3.6 Gates There are gates (soft and hard) in between the phases mentioned above. Soft gates are review points during the process which require a decision to be made, but does not require the temporary overhaul of the whole project until a decision to proceed is made. They enable concurrency while hard gates are review points during the process which may require the temporary overhaul of the project until a decision to proceed is made. (www.processprotocol.com). 3.7 Applying the GDCPP to the CTG project The backgrounds of the construction parties are very variant and they therefore have varying skills, it is therefore critical that parties understand and appreciate the interdependence and responsibilities of one another (Poon et al, 2003). However contract-led restrictions of previous models have prevented the involvement of the various parties in the early stages of the project life (Cooper et al, 2005). The GDCPP aims to improve co-ordination of the entire design and construction process (Lee et al, 2000) and try to address the key areas of the process that have been identified for improvement. The first benefit of adopting the GDCPP in the CTG project in that, it extends the recognized construction industrys involvement beyond completion (cooper et al, 2005) and therefore covers the entire lifespan of the project as can be seen in appendices 3 and 4. This will increase the commitments of all parties to the contract especially the contactor and the sub contractors as they continue to bear some contractual risks within the project even after practical completion. Moreover, risk and value management starts right at the beginning of the project and runs through all the phases as can be seen in appendix 3 and in more detail in appendix 4. This has been absent from the RIBA plan of work. Since the client, the cross-functional team, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers are involved at an early stage, there will therefore be a complete identification of all possible risks and hence an early adoption of strategies to mitigate them. With a project of CTGs nature, variation of requirements at any stage will have serious cost implications on the project, as such the introduction of phase reviews (as can be seen on appendix 3) which aim at reviewing work in each phase and approving progress to the next stage while employing the hard or soft gates is an added advantage. This will assure high quality of work performance (Kagioglou et al, 1998). The backbone of the successful execution of the CTG project will be a good relationship between parties (Jamieson, 1997; Cooper et al, 2005). More often than not, problems have ranged from litigation, lack of trust, lack of communication and lack of knowledge sharing between parties as they have perhaps never worked together probably will never do again (Lee et al, 2000). Therefore the involvement of all stakeholders and using strategic partnering arrangements will allow involvement of all parties from the requirements capture phase as shown on appendix 3 and this fosters a te am environment and encourages appropriate and timely communication and decision making (Lee et al 2000) and because stakeholders are identified, their responsibilities will be explicitly identified. Feedback is an important concept which aims to regulate and improve performance (Poon et al, 2003). The inclusion of the legacy archive with the process protocol is an added advantage. It gives the players within the industry an opportunity to draw from the success or failures of past projects upon which the current or future projects. Furthermore, the adoption of standardised deliverables assist in smooth project delivery as every team knows what is to be produced and at what stage. This is the only way continuous improvement can be sustained. However, the first problem that will come to the mind of members of the construction industry is the extent of involvement of IT in the process. Poon et al (2003) argue that, apart from describing the activities in the map, it is also necessary to use multiple computing skills, which include electronic data interchange, artificial intelligence, integrated databases, inter/intranet application and document management systems in order to analyse activities. The whole set of activities might seem cumbersome and too complicated for non-computer literate users. The roles of the process management and change management activity zones seem to lean much toward the activities and roles of the project manager within the context of construction. Therefore, there could be conflict of responsibilities within these activity zones as they operate within the project. This is the case because of the fundamental difference between construction and manufacturing in relation to the product, the processes and the tracking of changes that occur. Though the process protocol is generic and has the advantage of flexibility, it is quite difficult to fit the protocol into an ongoing project because it has its own definitions and terminologies which could possibly result in confusion if blended with the terminology of the one going project. 4. 0 Production activities An activity is a well defined task in a project which usually requires a certain amount of time to complete and absorbs a portion of the projects financial budget (Waller, 2002). In the CTG project, there are many production activities, however, casting the foundation have been chosen for appraisal 4.1 Casting the foundation A cross functional process map shown in appendix 5 is used to depict how a typical foundation slab within the CTG project is cast indicating the processes cutting across several functions. According to the transformation theory, the emphasis is on the translation of the concrete into the foundation and slab (Koskela, 2000). However, in order to ensure the foundation is cast according to the drawings, checking/inspection is done intermittently as can be seen on the map, this brings us to the flow model: there are waiting, inspection and moving together with the transformations (Koskela, 2000). This is so because, once the formwork in place and the foundation is cast, it has to be inspected. As depicted on the map there are such inspections which involve, waiting and moving as the entire foundation is cast. The effect of these is the eventual extension to the time required to execute the particular operation. There are some non value-adding activities that are important, an example being the time allowed for the concrete to harden before the forms are struck and preparation of the excavated surfaces after excavation. There are other non-value adding activities that need to eliminate an example being the time spent in undertaking all these inspections. In order to improve the efficiency of this process, focus should be on the elimination to the non-value adding processes. 5.0 Conclusion The RIBA plan of work still has its advantage of simplicity and adaptability to various procurement methods. However the GDCPP proves to be more holistic in its approach towards customer satisfaction. The GDCPP is easily adopted in the CTG project primarily because of the size and complexity of the project. The cost that may be incurred through implementation of the protocol will be offset in the communication, co-ordination and team work which will eventually be created. This may however not be the case in relatively smaller projects. The introduction and sustenance of the protocol will fail due to poor process change within companies and will even fail more should managements try to adopt shortcuts by expecting individual workers to execute new working practices without training. Effective implementation and adoption of the protocol requires continuous training and education. This training needs to start from management level down to the last worker.

Substance Abuse Treatment Groups Analysis

Substance Abuse Treatment Groups Analysis Patty Stewart Introduction For my assessment, I attended three different substance abuse treatment groups in my local town of Port Huron, Michigan, in the county of St. Clair. The first meeting I attended is at the St. Martin Lutheran Church. The meeting is called the New Horizons Group Discussion and is held every Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. The Vision of Hope Group meets at the Grace Episcopal Church on Friday evenings where I attended at 7:30 p.m. The final meeting is called Narcotics Anonymous located at the United Methodist Church on Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m. For the duration of these meetings I observed silently. Description of the New Horizons Group Discussion The New Horizons Group Discussion was held in the cafeteria area of the S. Martin Lutheran Church located on Chestnut Street in Port Huron. I attended this meeting on Thursday, September 22, 2016 at 7pm. There were folding chairs set out in a circular pattern. On one wall there was a chalkboard with the name of a guest speaker written on it. A table at the entrance to the cafeteria held a stack of flyers with names and locations of other Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for the Port Huron area. In the back of the room was a table with coffee, cookies, and donuts. There were 12 people attending this meeting consisting of nine males and three females. The ages of the members ranged from the mid-twenties to approximately mid to late sixties. Components of the New Horizons Group Discussion This was an open group and I was welcomed to join them without any discrimination. They began the meeting by bowing their heads and reciting the serenity prayer. When the prayer was complete the guest speaker was introduced and took the podium. The guest speaker was an older gentleman who appeared to be in his late sixties. He told the group a little bit about himself and proceeded to tell his story of alcohol addiction to finding his path to recovery. He often used humor which seemed helpful in keeping a calm and relaxing atmosphere. In his story of addiction he talked about the first time he turned to alcohol and that it felt like a spiritual awakening. He felt that it changed his outlook on everything, until he realized his drinking was a necessity and not a choice. He spoke of unity within the AA group and the strength it brought to them. The guest speaker described that they were all a part of something instead of being separate. The Big Book was mentioned while he discussed the concept of getting rid of old ideas to bring clarity. Feelings about the New Horizons Group Discussion I felt comfortable at the New Horizons Group Discussion. The guest speaker was engaging and hearing his story was enlightening. It was easy to see why the meeting was helpful to those who attended. There was a sense of acceptance without judgement. The members knew each other so I felt that they had all likely been attending for some time. There was no lack of support between members which encouraged recovery. When the meeting had ended the members remained there talking amongst each other while enjoying coffee and snacks. I left feeling as though I had just attended a family gathering. Thoughts about the New Horizons Group Discussion According to a study from 2003, group discussions empower individuals and give a sense of community (Linda Fisher, 2003). The guest speaker mentioned having felt a sense of unity within the group and within the community. This group felt very much like family members and, despite being new to the meeting and having no history of substance use, I was welcomed into the group as though I were family as well. There was always acknowledgement of social struggles that have been or need to be overcome. It was encouraged to know the twelve steps and let them guide each and every one of them throughout life. Interaction with the New Horizons Group Discussion I spent very little time interacting with others because I primarily wanted to observe. The little interaction that I did have was all very positive. I was initially concerned that the members would have some animosity towards me for fear they would think I was being judgmental of them but that was not at all the case. They welcomed me into their group and asked me if there was anything in particular that I would like to learn about. When I left they encouraged me to return if I would like to observe another meeting. Self-Reflection of the New Horizons Group Discussion The New Horizons Group Discussion was enjoyable to attend.I was grateful to them for allowing me into their circle and to observe them as they bared their souls to one another. The group had a very relaxed structure and I felt that if I was able to take comfort from that then it was certainly helpful to new incoming addicts. I got the sense that they were there for each other as much as they were there for themselves. No one wanted to let another down. This group was successful in encouraging each other and offering support and resources outside of the meetings as well as inside. Description of the Vision of Hope Group I attended the Vision of Hope Group on September 30, 2016 at 7:30pm. The group was held at the Grace Episcopal Church on 6th Street in Port Huron. This group was a little larger than the last one I had attended with 27 members in attendance. The majority of the members were male. This group had a large number of members over the age of thirty. The meeting was held in the congregation area of the church where the members sat in the pews facing the podium. Upon entering there was a table with refreshments and snacks. A smaller table on the left held brochures of the twelve steps. This meeting is held every Friday at 7:30pm and is an open meeting. The group lingered beforehand socializing amongst each other and welcoming people as they walked in. Components of the Vision of Hope Group The group all sat filling the first couple pews in the front and in close proximity of one another. They began by holding hands and reciting the serenity prayer. The group leader then took a moment to congratulate everyone for their arrival and thanked them for their attendance. She stressed the importance of attendance, and as a study in 2008 has shown, regular AA attendance is associated with improved effectiveness in sobriety (Gossop, 2008). The group leader then proceeded to read aloud the twelve steps, she spent a few minutes discussing the importance of acceptance of being powerless over alcohol is key to acknowledging the addiction. She continued to tell her story of addiction and road to recovery. When she finished her story she then opened the podium to others. One by one they took turns discussing their own journey and which of the twelve steps they are currently at. A few members opted to decline speaking which appeared to be ok with everyone. At the end of the meeting the group leader reminded everyone of outside sources available and offered her continued support. Feelings about the Vision of Hope Group The general feeling at the Vision of Hope Group meeting was that of acceptance. Everyone was friendly and outgoing. It could be felt from the moment I entered the building that I was entering a place of community. There was a lot of encouragement and support being given to one another. As an outsider, I was still treated with respect and they were all very generous to offer their time to answer any questions I might have. There was a lot of close interactions between them and I could see that some of them knew each other outside of the meeting. As stated in a recent study, individuals uniting around one common goal are stronger than individuals facing difficulties alone (Shealy White, 2013). Thoughts about the Vision of Hope Group I enjoyed the Vision of Hope Group meeting. Allowing everyone the opportunity to discuss their own daily struggles was encouraging to others and yet it never felt like an obligation for anyone to discuss anything if they didnt chose to. As an outsider, I appreciated hearing about the twelve steps from the perspective of the group. I really liked the amount of support that was offered to everyone from the group leader, but also between group members. I was able to see that although they all face similar struggles, they all came from very different backgrounds. It was clear to see that despite having overcome many obstacles they still face new challenges every day in regards to their addiction to alcohol. Interaction with the Vision of Hope Group The members of the Vision of Hope Group were all very open and honest about their struggles with alcohol. Despite being a new face in the crowd they continued to be open with me present. A few members approached me when the meeting ended and offered to give me further insight to addiction and recovery. I could see that some members have been attending longer than others by how comfortable they appeared to be. Overall, there was an obvious sense of community amongst this group. Self-Reflection of the Vision of Hope Group This group had a very relaxed feel to it. Many of the individuals had grown very close with one another and created a sense of family. Because of this, it was easy to feel at ease when joining this group. I felt that some of the members were also members of the church that this meeting was held in. The group, as a whole, encouraged me to recommend this meeting to anyone I knew in need of support. Description of Narcotics Anonymous meeting The Narcotics Anonymous meeting is held at the United Methodist Church on Church Street in Port Huron. I attended the meeting on Saturday, October 15th 2016 at 8pm. This meeting is held weekly and is an open group. The meeting was held in the basement of the church. There was a long rectangular table set up with chairs around it at one end of the room. At the opposite end of the room there was an attached kitchen with a counter separating the two rooms. On the counter there was a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cookies. On the main table where people sat, there were copies of the Narcotics Anonymous handbook. The group had around twenty five people in attendance. The ages of the group ranged between people in their twenties to people in their mid to late fifties. There was a white board with a circle drawn on it that had a diamond in the center. Below that were three simple words that read Just for Today. Components of the Narcotics Anonymous meeting At this meeting the group leader discussed the twelve steps of NA. The focus of the meeting that particular day was step six, Group conscience is the spiritual means by which we invite a loving God to influence our decisions (Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc, 1991). The group leader talked about addiction being more powerful than the individual and that its important to hand themselves over to a higher power. This was a very spiritually based meeting. As the members each took turns speaking it was clear to see that they were pained by the way addiction has taken over their lives. They talked about the comfort they gained from knowing they are not alone in their fight against addiction. Many spoke of stressful situations triggering cravings for drugs. Feelings about the Narcotics Anonymous meeting Attending this group meeting felt much different than the AA meetings I had attended. The members in this group appeared pained as they spoke of their addiction. I felt helpless hearing their stories and wished I could do something to ease their pain. They placed a lot of emphasis on goals and the need to strive for them in order to conquer addiction. Goals work best when broken down into manageable steps (Kim T. Mueser, 2003). Thoughts about the Narcotics Anonymous meeting This group was as supportive as the others I attended, but the feeling was more somber. My thoughts are that those addicted to substances other than alcohol may feel more hopeless in living a normal life. The connections between the members in this group were not as strong as I had seen in AA groups, perhaps due to the different struggles they all face. There was evidence, however, that they appreciated having a place they can talk about their addiction without judgement from others. Interaction with Narcotics Anonymous meeting Most of the people in attendance spoke to the group and told their story. Each person discussed their addiction and described how it has impacted their life. Some had shown further progress than others in their recovery. The group leader was understanding and yet objective. He was very good at keeping the momentum of the meeting going. When the meeting was finished some members remained and spoke to the group leader for additional support. Self-Reflection of the Narcotics Anonymous meeting This was a difficult meeting to attend. The sense of hope wasnt as prominent within this group. There was a lot of encouragement from the group leader and from some of the members, but it lacked in additional outside resources for others to look into. I felt like there needed to be more motivation given, possibly hearing more success stories. Conclusion Having attended the three different meetings I can clearly see the benefit to support groups. There is an unlimited supply of support given to one another both inside the meetings and out. Everyone I met had a different background, different lifestyle, and different story to tell. Addiction isnt prejudice. People of all ages and walks of life can come together and offer unity and family to help one another in their battle against addiction. I learned that there are different types of meetings and that with a little bit of time, an addict can find one that fits them and gives them the amount of support and encouragement they need. References Gossop, M. S. (2008). Attendance at Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, frequency of attendance and substance use outcomes after residential treatment for drug dependence: a 5-year follow-up study. Addiction, 119-125. Kim T. Mueser, D. L. (2003). Integrated Treatment for Dual Disorders. New York: The Guilford Press. Linda, F. K., Fisher, M. (2003). Participation in community life by AA and NA members. Contemporary Drug Problems, 875-904. Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (1991). Retrieved from Narcotics Anonymous: www.na.org Shealy, S. A., White, L. A. (2013). INTEGRAL EVOLUTIONARY RECOVERY: Revisioning the Twelve Steps through a Kosmocentric Lens. Journal of Integral Theory and Practice, 66-81.

The Electroal College Essay -- essays research papers

When Americans vote, each and every vote is not counted, they are voting for the 538 individuals who make up the Electoral College. Most states award their electoral vote to the candidate who has won the popular vote. Let me emphasize, â€Å"Most.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The campaign for 2004 that was directed towards my generation was â€Å"Vote or Die† (MTV 2004), with words as strong as those, a person like myself, would assume my vote actually counted. But, as I learn more about politics, and the whole Electoral College process, I am stunned and quite aggravated. Honestly I would have probably not ran out and registered to vote, and voted for the first time in my life, if I had known that my vote really didn’t matter. They do â€Å"claim† that every vote counts, but once again I must emphasize, most states award the electoral vote to the candidate that has won the popular vote. To me this means that even if all the votes of a particular state point to one candidate, it isn’t guaranteed that the candidate that should plainly win the state actually will.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I really do not support the Electoral College, I do believe if we allow a Constitutional Amendment to be passed to completely abolish the Electoral College; it will open the doors to other requests that may challenge to abolish any one of our rights. Although I do believe there is something that can be done to make the Electoral College a little bit fairer where all of our voices can be heard. &nb...