Intelligent Email Analysis Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Intelligent Email Analysis - Literature review Example This was necessary for all the disciplines involving organizations and other institutions in the decision making process at the most appropriate appointed point for decision making. For information to be reliable, for it to pass the test of time, all these were necessary as for any organization to be able to make the most accurate decisions it had to have the right information at its disposal. The intervention of the internet through the wide revolutions in the system these individuals changed the whole face of eternity; they changed mankind by providing the most decisive tool. This tool was so necessary that because of it the world could be transformed into a global village. Problem statement The overall problem under siege, befalling the need for the analysis through the essay, is the fact that we need to analyze and discuss on an in-depth analysis the various issues revolving around the subject of Computer science and Information technology, with more emphasize to the topic of the Intelligent E-mail Analysis. The E-mail or rather the Electronic main is a utility that offers and provides the services of sending e-mails through the net. Confidentiality of data while sending them through the net is emphasized, reliability and relevance of the data the timeliness and accuracy of the data is the most advantageous characteristics presented by the net. Before embarking on an analysis of the Intelligent E-mail analysis, it’s crucial to consider the main tool which the Email service uses, the â€Å"Internet† A brief History of the internet The internet refers to the interconnection between networks. The internet is a network of networks. A network is the connectivity between the various computers at all the receiving ends. This is effective and efficient enough to facilitate communication between the node computers and the server computer at the receiving end. The intervention of the refined form of internet connectivity during the year of 1972 where on e Sir Kahn did a demonstration of a large magnitude of the ARPANET. This was during a conference held that was called the ICCC also International Computer Communication Conference. (Finlayson, Ross S, 79) During this very same year 1972, researchers and inventors in the internet came up with what was then referred to as the â€Å"Hot† utility that was in the form of an application utility. This utility among others outlined as the E-mail or rather electronic mail services were brought to life. In the month of July, Roberts gave more innovation and further expanded the initial utility by making the exact first initiative of sending the first E-mail (Electronic Mail). After the intervention and discovery of the E-mail utility, the next discovery was the WWB also known as the World Wide Web. This was initially meant to bring life to the overall concept of the internet which was to bring the whole world into one global village, to transform the whole world make ease the passage a nd effectiveness of the communication process.(Finlayson, Ross S,79) Outlined Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet as a utility: The Internet certainly brings more good than harm as indeed dictated It

Live Concert Essay Example for Free

Live Concert Essay Throughout the history of time, music has changed, grown, and developed into many unique and different genres and broken off into many interesting directions. Among one of these rather recent and distinct groups comes the genre of psychedelic rock portrayed by groups like Dr. Dog and Wilco. Psychedelic rock is considered controversial simply because of its origin and the habits it produces, encourages, and signifies in present day culture. The genre of psychedelic rock uses ragas, which literally means â€Å"color† or â€Å"hue†, and the drones of Indian music to create its individual and mood enhancing sound. This genre is a style of rock that comes from the cultures of the United States as well as the United Kingdom in 1960’s in which the use of psychedelic or hallucinogenic drugs were popular. This music is meant to reflect the feeling and effects of the common drugs and to replicate the experience of a trip from certain drugs such as cannabis, peyote, mescaline, and LSD. This trend began in America first in San Francisco, California and slowly spread through the country. This genre of music still exists today and one form of that music is from the band Dr. Dog which originates from West Grove, Pennsylvania and consists of five members, Tony Leaman who plays the bass, Scott McMicken who is the lead guitar player, Frank McElroy who also plays the rhythm guitar, Zach Miller on the keyboard, and Eric Slide on the drums. Much of this music is relaxed and tranquil, not as much hype and energy as typical rock. To create something as unique as that of Psychedelic rock, or acid rock, there are certain instruments that are used to execute the sound. Commonly used instruments in these kinds of bands include the electric guitar, percussion, keyboards, and exotic instruments such as the tabla and the sitar. These exotic instruments add a new element that was never found in western culture before. These new types of foreign instruments create a new sound and sensation for the listener. Since the whole point of psychedelic rock is to reproduce the awareness of a high from certain drugs, it has many social issues that come along with it. Many of the songs of this genre allude to the use or effects of drugs and the music resembles that emotion. The dissonance of the tones within each song creates the feeling of a drug effect and adds to the large subculture of the twentieth century. Although the music did not necessarily encourage the use of drugs to listen to the music, it had a profound effect on people of that generation. The hippie subculture of the sixties and the seventies were some of the people that surrounded this type of music. That doesn’t mean that they had to do drugs, but it means they most likely did. These were the people who went against the societal norms and expectations of the era and were engaged in music like psychedelic rock. The lyrics to most of Dr. Dog’s songs are quite ambiguous. Each song has a meaning that’s personal to the individual who is hearing it. What the listener takes away is something of their own perception and thought process. Through my own interpretation of the lyrics, this part of a song called â€Å"The Breeze† refers directly to why this type of music is controversial.

Proof :: Math Education Papers

Proof Proof. What is it and why does this simple term cause such a stir among mathematics educators and mathematics students? If you were to ask a young child to prove a mathematical fact, they would be happy to show you many examples of how it works. This does not constitute a proof but it is a step in the right direction. If you were to ask a high school student or first year college student to do a proof, you will most likely be met with groans and feelings of disgust. Students at this age have probably encountered proof in a geometry class where they were expected to follow a strict format without much freedom to express proofs on their own. However, if you were to ask a mathematician about proof they would begin to tell you about how beautiful proof in mathematics can be. Proof has always been a topic of interest for me. In high school geometry and my first year of college, I too did not understand proof. I felt like many other students, frustrated by the fact that we were asked to prove theorems that the book had already told us were true. It was as though the instructor was playing magical games on the chalkboard and all of the sudden we had a proof. However, as time progressed, I began to see the beauty of proof. Then, mathematical induction introduced me to the power of proof. In this paper I hope to address the concept of proof, how it relates to understanding and the implications for mathematics education. BACKGROUND In the 1950’s and 60’s proof played a significant role in mathematics education. Then in 1989, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) deemphasized proof and replaced it with reasoning. Following this, mathematics educators began to see that students had difficulty with proof because they had little contact with it. In response, NCTM in the 2000 standards, elevated proof to a standard, emphasizing that it should be part of all students mathematical experiences (Knuth). Schoenfeld states proof is inseparable from mathematics. It is essential in communicating, doing, and recording mathematics (153). Throughout most of the history of mathematics education, proof has been more of a topic of study instead of a way to understand mathematics (Knuth 73). In addition, proof has only been limited to the college bound student or the student enrolled in geometry.

Factual reporting, interpretation and distortion Essay

How are distinctions made between factual reporting, interpretation and distortion? This essay is going to tell the differences between factual reporting, interpretation and distortion. Factual reporting means that an answer or a statement is based on facts that are true and proven. Interpretation is an individual’s opinion and appreciation about a subject. It is not based on facts but just on opinions and theories. Distortion is a way of delivering wrong information, twisted and wrongly explained information. It is based on facts but kind of turns them around. Factual reporting is the way of delivering an opinion/theory based on true facts. An example of this is an article I read in Metro today, which was about conspiracies. The one that caught my eye was one that stated that an airplane never crashed into the Pentagon. This theory was based on facts, which I never had heard of. For example, the surveillance camera of the Pentagon didn’t show an airplane but only a white line in the sky. Another thing was that the hole in the Pentagon was way too small to have been creased by an airplane. The write stated that the US Air force shot down flight 77, and to cover this up they blew up a part of the building without the workers knowing anything about it. Also no big wreck parts from the plane were found. This is a factual reporting as it’s based on true facts and it not created by opinions or own thoughts as in an interpretation. Also the moon landing is believed to be a fake. There are many facts that point against it. In a video ‘from the moon’ the flag that Neil Armstrong put up was waving in the wind. And there’s not supposed to be any wind on the moon. Also the shadows go in different directions and the shadow of the space shuttle should fall on Armstrong, a good example of factual reporting. A theory based on facts. Interpretation is a theory based an individual’s own opinion. A great example of this is racists. The Nazis believe that black or people with darker skin than westerners are worth less. This is a great example as this theory of theirs is based on their own opinions and have no actual facts to base it on. There is no proof that colored people are worth less than white people. This is why it’s an interpretation. No facts or proof are involved in the theory. Another example of interpretation is Bin Ladin. The US government doesn’t know that he’s alive. The videos that they got from him are old now and he could be dead already. The US government think that he is alive because of the videos, but they have been bombing caves, cities and other places in hope of killing him, so he could be dead. This is interpretation as they base it on what they believe. There is no proof that he’s alive. Distortion is when facts are wrong, twisted or inaccurate. Another definition is when two people disagree with one another. An example is if I say to Andreas, we have homework for tomorrow and he says we don’t. This is distortion in a way. Another example is all kinds of magazines and television shows as they tent not to show all of their footage information. They cut what they don’t want people to hear, which helps them things look negative and positive. This is a typical example of distortion as it twists the truth or the reality. Often when you experience something and they write about it the next day in a newspaper, it’s never the same. You always say to yourself, â€Å"That’s not exactly what happened.† Sometimes the media exaggerate to find a big audience. They do what I like to call, ‘Stretch reality.’ It’s a clear case of distortion because they twist the truth or give an inaccurate point of view. As a conclusion or to answer the question I would like to say that the difference or the distinctions between factual reporting, interpretation and distortion is the amount of facts they are based on. Factual reporting is based on only facts to make a clear image of a theory, event or opinion. Interpretation is based on opinions but no facts. Only the people who made the theory, it’s only based on things that are going on inside those people’s heads. Distortion is based on facts but mostly told the opposite way or twisted to change the way people think of it. It often tries to make the facts inaccurate.

Climate Change

Topic: â€Å"There is nothing that we as individuals can do to prevent climate change†. During last several decades, industrialization and human activities have produced greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide). These gases make the earth’s temperature higher that leads to more serious events, such as ice smelting, floods, storms and droughts. This is called â€Å"climate change†. Climate change would have significant impacts on environment, economy and the way we live so it needs to be prevented. In my opinion, there are several things that everybody as individual can do to reduce pollution and prevent climate change, including reducing greenhouse gases, saving energies and reducing waste. Firstly, we can use car less by using some alternative means, such as public transport, sharing a ride, walking or cycling. We also can buy locally products so we can reduce goods transportation. Therefore, we can help reduce gas consumption and reduce carbon dioxide. Secondly, we can save energies to decrease the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. For example, we can replace a regular bulb with a compact one; turn off all electrical equipment when they are not in use; wash our clothes in cold water instead of hot water and try to use sun light to dry clothes instead of a dryer. Thirdly, we can limit the amount of waste to reduce pollution. We should recycle many things like paper, cans, and glass bottles and avoid using products with a lot of packaging. We can also use reusable shopping bags instead of plastic bags. These things not only help us save money but we also help protecting environment. For all above reasons, I think everybody as an individual can do many things to prevent climate change.

I Make My Own Rules Essays - African-American Culture, Free Essays

I Make My Own Rules Essays - African-American Culture, Free Essays "I Make My Own Rules" LL Cool J's autobiography "I Make My Own Rules" is a very well written book. I liked the way he got into detail about his childhood. He had a very interesting childhood. The way he explains the good and the bad of his hip-hop life is also interesting. It is also very interesting how he tells how he went from a bad sinful child to a nice spiritual man. The way LL tells about his childhood is interesting. The way he tells about it is not that interesting, yet his childhood is very interesting. For instance in the story he tells about as a child how he tried to run away from his father Roscoe (his abusive step father), and got a very bad beating, He goes into detail about how Roscoe would beat him and neglect him. He also tells about how when he was older how Roscoes' abusive behavior rubbed off on him. He would beat kids up for no reason, just like Roscoe. The way he tells about this is scary and sad. I loved these parts of the story because they open your eyes to child abuse and show you that it does exist. The way he explains his hip-hop life is very interesting/funny. For example he tells about how his accountants would take money from him by telling him to take a cheaper deal and then charging him for a more expensive deal and pocketing the difference. Since he didn't finish his education he didn't know what to do therefore he just went along with what was going on. In the long run he looked back and figured out he lost more than 20,000 dollars. He also explains going on tour and some of the stuff they would do. "Sometimes my friends would put itching powder in my bed and look at scratching and bust up laughing (pg.140)" said LL. He said that on the whole the hip-hop life was the life for him, even after all the drama unfolded. As a beginner in the hip-hop industry he was a very vulnerable young man. He easily got caught up in the sex and money (he never did drugs because he never liked them). He would do all kind of things that many would not approve of. He would have many different women at one time, he would buy many frivolous things, and he would cheat on his wife (it was only one time for a week though). He also then explains how when he got older he completely turned his life around. He met a friend named Charles. He taught him how to communicate with the spiritual side of life. It was from there that he turned his life around, he went back to school, and he stayed faithful to his wife, and had three loving kids. "If said if it weren't for Charles my life would have ever been the same," said LL. The book was a very good way to get across the point that if you want to get in the hip hop industry you must really want to do well. I highly enjoyed the book. It was a very funny book at times and a very sad book at times. I would highly recommend this book to a lot of people.

Gendered assumptions-a jury of her peers essays

Gendered assumptions-a jury of her peers essays The story A Jury Of Her Peers, written by Susan Glaspell begins repeating back to its readers many of the gendered stereotypical assumptions women receive from men all their lives. Women are assumed to be concerned only with trifles, to be unintelligent, inferior to men and have social limitations placed on them. Yet Glaspell proves how untrue these comments can be, ultimately portraying women as stronger characters when they find their own independence. Women use bonding and moral judgment as means of gaining power and dignity against men to create new gendered assumptions about their characters. The assumption that women are concerned only with trifles is present in A Jury Of Her Peers. Glaspell reveals this gendered assumption through the comments passed by the sheriff about Mrs Wright being Held for murder and worrying about her preserves. Mr Hale than expands on this remark, brushing it off stating Women are used to worrying over trifles. Mr Hale is implying that women have nothing meaningful or worthwhile to worry about. Further into the story women are once again ridiculed, this time for wondering about Mrs Wrights quilt. The sheriff mocks them for their intrigue laughing, They wonder whether she was going to quilt it or knot it! The sheriff is implying that womens lives revolve around domestic affairs and they are incapable of thinking about anything else. These remarks show the disrespect from men and the assumed trifles in womens lives in A Jury Of Her Peers. Glaspell puts forward that women are inferior and it is their duty to follow men. This can be seen in the very first paragraph as we give our first impressions on the story. Mrs Hale was expected to leave with her kitchen in no shape for leaving: her bread already for making, half the flour sifted and half unsifted. She was then impatiently hurried to not "...

A Guide to Navigating in Spanish

A Guide to Navigating in Spanish There are few things more frustrating while traveling than getting lost  in a foreign place. Fortunately, if you are traveling in an area where Spanish is one of the languages spoken, this list of phrases and words below can help you quickly get to where you are going. Keep This Vocabulary List on Hand Combine the vocabulary listed below with basic grammar and you will be well on your way to getting the help you need. Even if you are not proficient in Spanish, in most places you travel you will find that people will appreciate your desire to use their language. Print out or write down the phrases below so you can communicate with the people around you during your travels.  Ã‚ ¡Buen viaje! (Have a great trip!) Basic Spanish Travel Phrases Where is...? Where are...? -  ¿Dà ³nde est...?  ¿Dà ³nde estn...?How do you go to...? -  ¿Por dà ³nde se va a...? Or,  ¿Cà ³mo puedo llegar a...?Where are we on the map? -  ¿Dà ³nde estamos aquà ­ en el mapa?Is it far away? Is it near here? -  ¿Est lejos?  ¿Est por aquà ­?Im looking for... - Busco...Im lost. - Estoy perdido (perdida if you are female). Where can I catch a taxi (a bus)? - Latin America:  ¿Dà ³nde puedo tomar un taxi (un autobà ºs)?  Spain:  ¿Dà ³nde puedo coger un taxi (un autobà ºs)? Note that other terms used regionally for bus include bus, colectivo, camià ³n, camioneta, gà ³ndola, guagua, micro, microbà ºs, and pullman. Be careful with the usage of the verb coger in parts of Latin America, because it can have an obscene meaning.Additional ways of travel could be on foot (a pie), by car (en coche), on a motorbike (la moto), by boat (el barco), and by plane (el avià ³n). More Spanish Speaking Terms When Traveling Write it down, please. - Escrà ­balo, por favor.Speak more slowly, please. - Hgame el favor de hablar ms despacio.I dont understand Spanish well. - No entiendo bien el espaà ±ol.Is there anyone who speaks English? -  ¿Hay alguien que hable inglà ©s?North, east, west, south - Norte, este or oriente, oeste or occidente, surKilometer, mile, meter - Kilà ³metro, milla, metroStreet, avenue, highway - Calle, avenida, camino, carrera, or carreteraCity block - Cuadra (Latin America) or manzana (Spain)Street corner - EsquinaAddress - Direccià ³n Two Tips for Conversation While Abroad Get specific. Use key terms for places you are going to in your conversations with others. You may want directions to a shopping mall (el centro comercial), general shops (las tiendas) or the grocery market (el mercado). All three can be summed up as shops, but they vary in the type of shop. If you want to explore tourist attractions, detail if you would like to see an art gallery (la galerà ­a de arte), a park (el parque), or a historic center (el casco antiguo).Be friendly. There is nothing that delights locals more than when tourists are courteous and ask for help with a smile. Include basic greetings along with your phrases such as hello (hola or buenas), how are you doing? ( ¿quà © tal?) and good day (good morning is ​buenos dà ­as,  good  afternoon  is buenas tardes, and good evening is buenas noches). Youll score extra points if you adopt to local variations, such as buen dà ­a used in some countries rather than the more common buenos dà ­as. Using Addresses You should be aware the structure of street addresses can vary widely from country to country. Consult a thorough tourist guide before you travel to become familiar with local practices. In many cases, understanding addresses will be easier than it might seem at first. For example, one of the most popular museums in Bogot, Colombia, is el Museo del Oro (Gold Museum) at Cra. 6 #15-88, which initially might seem like a jumble of characters. But Cra. 6 indicates that is on Carerra 6, which we might call 6th Avenue in English. The 15 is the street name (Calle 15), and the 88 indicates the distance from the intersection of that avenue and street. Unfortunately for the traveler, easy-to-understand addressing conventions arent used everywhere, and not all streets are named. In Costa Rica, for example, you may run across addresses such as 200 metros al oeste de la escuela Fernndez, indicating a location 200 meters west of the Fernandez school.

Stacking Passengers in Airplanes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stacking Passengers in Airplanes - Research Paper Example Before this proposal, Airbus had issued a different patent that proposed using bicycle-style airplane seats, with French-based firm Zodiac Seats proposed face-to-face style seats in airplanes. These issues bring some pressing concerns to the passengers who travel using air, as they fear the airlines might demand that passengers pay an extra plane that transports the passenger luggage. Paying an extra plane means increased spending, a factor many people are not comfortable complying to. Another issue that comes with the Airbus plan is the limited amount of space each passenger will have. It is already hard enough that passengers have to complain about the limited legroom, and now they will face a bigger conundrum of watching that they fit in the hollow space provided. This is because the arrangement would push traveling passengers very close to the ceiling of the plane. Also, many people decide to travel by air not because of the speed, but because of the adequate room, the comfortabl e space, and not crowded space that allows for free movement within the aircraft. Many people fear that stacking the airplanes would be like traveling by bus, which would be much less comfortable.The company executives compared the unused space in aircrafts with the passenger cabins, which are fitted with multiple rows of passenger seats. The seats also have very limited space between them and small space for seats. The airline seems to copy this style of designing and try to incorporate its effectiveness in aircrafts.

Visual Arts Experimental Drawing Research Paper - 1

Visual Arts Experimental Drawing - Research Paper Example Poor for most of his life, he worked as a wholesale fabric salesman, door to door salesman, in a plant nursery and for a short while at a defense plant before launching into a full time artistic career (Waldman 21). Cornell found his inspiration in remnants of beautiful and precious objects that he came upon during his frequent trips to thrift stores and book shops. He could create magic from mundane objects and his work has elements of constructivism and installation art that influence the onlooker to touch and interact with the creation (Solomon 36). Famous among his works was his penny arcade portrait of Lauren Bacall, his Hotel Series and his Pink Palace Series. He kept a dossier of over 150 visual themes that interested and inspired him. His film montage Rose Hobart from the film East of Borneo is considered one of the earliest fanvids and has been preserved for cultural significance (Frye 1). Works Cited Frye, Brian. Rose Hobart. 2000. Print. Solomon, Deborah. Utopia Parkway: T he Life and Times of Joseph Cornell. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 1997. Print. Waldman, Diane. Master of Dreams. 2002. Print. Margaret Olley (250 words) Margaret Olley (1923-2011) was an Australian painter known for her still life paintings. She had more than 90 solo exhibitions in her career. Olley was born in Lismore, New South Wales and did her training in art at Somerville High School and East Sydney Technical College, where she graduated in 1945. She spent some time at Hill end area of New South Wales. Her first exhibition was held at the Macquarie Gallery in 1948. Olley also travelled to France, London, Spain and Lisbon in 1949. She stayed in France till her father’s death in 1953, whereupon she returned to Brisbane. She traveled through North Queensland in the 1950s and followed this up with a trip to Papua New Guinea (France 12). Olley painted what she saw around her. She was critical of all sorts of pretense and deliberate characterization – like following fash ion, gender stereotyping of women and Australia’s isolation in the world. She adopted truthfulness in all that she saw and did. The quality of her work greatly improved after she gave up consuming alcohol in 1959. The colors in her work were deeper and her drawings more confident and three dimensional in structure, form and weight (Stewart 22). She was honored with the Order of Australia in 1991 and also won the Mosman Art Prize in 1947. Amazingly, two of her portraits – one by William Dobell in 1948 and another by Ben Quilty in 2011 – both won an Archibald Prize. One can easily see the deep vibrant colors in Poppies and Checked Cloth while Turkish Pots and Lemons hold a touch of intrigue behind the hazy look. Marigolds and Fruit once again reminds us of days gone by like the Victorian era (Pearce 19). Poppies and Checked Cloth Turkish Pots and Lemons Marigolds and Fruit Works Cited France, Christine. Margaret Olley. Craftsman House, Sydney, 2002. Print. Pearce, Barry. Margaret Olley. The Art Gallery of NSW, 1996. Print. Stewart, Margaret. Margaret Olley – Far From a Still Life, 2005. Print. Grace Cossington Smith Grace Cossington Smith (1892-1984) has been hailed as the first of Australia’s Post Impressionist painters. She was born in Neutral Bay Sydney but lived most of her life at her mother’s home in Turramurra. She studied art under the tutelage of Albert Collins and Alfred

Integrated Marketing Communication Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Integrated Marketing Communication - Assignment Example f the products which need to be addressed through effective advertising and marketing methods or channels that may influence customers’ purchase behavior. The integrated marketing communication that employs flexible tools becomes vital ingredient of market strategies for marketers. The alternatives methods of marketing evolve as powerful facilitators for reaching target customers and positively impacting their views about the products and services. Integrated marketing programs exploit changing consumer behavior by identifying and evaluating their changing preferences across diverse populace. In global marketing, the adaptation approach analyses local demand and uses appropriate marketing tools and methods to influence customers’ purchase behavior. Globally integrated marketing communication coordinates and integrates broad range of tools, avenues and sources into ‘seamless program to maximize impact on customers and stakeholders’ (Clow & Baack, 2011). Accountability and responsibility of the local marketing managers becomes highly crucial factor in international businesses who need to evaluate and identify local demands and marketing tools, including channels that impact customers. The success of the integrated marketing program across the globe is gauged through feedback and other ways like online surveys, revenues etc. when applied for different countries where the cars are sold. (words:

Asata Shakur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Asata Shakur - Essay Example Finally, the article will explain how incarceration shaped her political visions and the differences and similarities of the person today and those experienced by Shakur in 1990’s. Formerly, Joanne Deborah Chesimard, Assata Shakur managed to gain a very mythical status in the eyes of most of the observers. To her supporters she stood out as a much-focused woman with visions, action and courage who never got to receive any justice (Shakur 247 (b)). To the U.S. Federal Bureau of Justice, on the other hand, as a leader of the considered the most violent militant organization of the blacks in the 1970s. In her description, she is a black revolutionary, just like the other fighters for the civil rights of the blacks such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey. It is on this ground that an analysis of the similarities and differences between the political views of Shakur and two other black nationalists: Martin Luther King and Marcus Garvey, is carried out. One very significant and the most outstanding similar ideology, which may be said to cut across all the black nationalists is the failure to reject armed struggle. Especially, as a means of attaining freedom and abolishment of the very unfair racial segregation laws that were imposed by the then existent governments (Roman and Littlefield 24). All the leaders have the same mission of establishing equality and peace. Just as Shakur strived to see to it that the equality laws are effectively and equally enforced on each and every individual. King relentlessly pursued the putting to end by the Supreme Court the laws of segregation, and that they are just to all. Marcus Garvey, similarly, fought for the same equality demanded by blacks all over the world. Even though the situations of the various nationalists may have been different, they all tried to establish peace and equality. For instance, Martin Luther king insisted on the need for peaceful negotiations without armament, which was

The relationship between price and Money Supply Research Paper

The relationship between price and Money Supply - Research Paper Example This is done by issuing sufficient monetary instruments when required. The Central banks also help the government in designing the currency of the country, which includes all the unique features. 2. It is involved in regulating and co-coordinating with the government and the stated economic policies of the country. 3. The interest rates are also controlled by the central banks to maintain price stability within the country. It also has to keep a track of the inflation in the market. The Central Banks of all the countries have an effective plan for managing the public debts. They do this through the sales and purchase of government papers such as bonds and securities. 4. The Central Bank is also known as a banker's bank. This means that the commercial banks of the countries are also regulated by the Central banks of the respective country. The Central bank not only regulates them but also provide adequate financial assistance in time of need. 5. The central bank needs to ensure the pr oper functioning of the financial systems within the county. They regulate the banking system within the country and are answerable to the world market (Downes & Vaez-Radeh, 1991). Balance Sheet Analysis The Balance Sheet of Central Banks has the list of all the liabilities and the assets that the Central Bank possesses. It is important to study the balance sheet of the Central banks in order to understand how they implement the monetary policy because the balance sheet reflects the sales, purchase records of the Central Bank and also states the holding. The Central Bank is the in charge for issuing the country's currency and it also posses the power to eliminate the power of the currency. In short, we can say that the balance sheet shows the true picture of the actions of the Central Bank. The balance sheet of a Central Bank focuses on three main components: bankers to commercial banks, Issuing the nations' currency and banker to the government of the country (Jadhav, 2006, p. 246) . The Balance Sheet needs to be analyzed from two viewpoints such as: as an issuer of currency and duty to maintain the price stability and the growth of the economy through attaining the monetary policies of the countries' economy. It is important to know certain important perspectives to understand the balance sheets of the Central banks. Firstly, the central banks are fully government owned. There are very few exceptions, but in that case there are certain restrictions on the share-holding patterns. Secondly, Central banks are the only banker for the government of ever nation. Finally, the Central bank also has to take care of the public debt. It has to always see that the net foreign asset is higher compared to the currency, so as to see that the domestic demand of foreign currency is duly met The monetary base The two components of money supply are monetary base and money multiplier. Monetary base includes the reserves and the outstanding currency of the economy. It comes in th e asset side, in the balance sheet, of the central bank. It links the central banks to the other measures of the money supply. So we can

Asata Shakur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Asata Shakur - Essay Example Finally, the article will explain how incarceration shaped her political visions and the differences and similarities of the person today and those experienced by Shakur in 1990’s. Formerly, Joanne Deborah Chesimard, Assata Shakur managed to gain a very mythical status in the eyes of most of the observers. To her supporters she stood out as a much-focused woman with visions, action and courage who never got to receive any justice (Shakur 247 (b)). To the U.S. Federal Bureau of Justice, on the other hand, as a leader of the considered the most violent militant organization of the blacks in the 1970s. In her description, she is a black revolutionary, just like the other fighters for the civil rights of the blacks such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey. It is on this ground that an analysis of the similarities and differences between the political views of Shakur and two other black nationalists: Martin Luther King and Marcus Garvey, is carried out. One very significant and the most outstanding similar ideology, which may be said to cut across all the black nationalists is the failure to reject armed struggle. Especially, as a means of attaining freedom and abolishment of the very unfair racial segregation laws that were imposed by the then existent governments (Roman and Littlefield 24). All the leaders have the same mission of establishing equality and peace. Just as Shakur strived to see to it that the equality laws are effectively and equally enforced on each and every individual. King relentlessly pursued the putting to end by the Supreme Court the laws of segregation, and that they are just to all. Marcus Garvey, similarly, fought for the same equality demanded by blacks all over the world. Even though the situations of the various nationalists may have been different, they all tried to establish peace and equality. For instance, Martin Luther king insisted on the need for peaceful negotiations without armament, which was

MGMT499 U3IP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MGMT499 U3IP - Research Paper Example 1. Monitoring performance is graded as mediocre level because this is linked with all employees and it cannot be managed by one person properly. Influences of various persons as supervisor in this matter are the cause of complex and trouble for determination of commerce. 2. Setting fair standard is categorized as average level because this procedure is performed by all relevant persons with exactness and accuracy. People can make their life pleasant with this technique because this is cause of better performance in the community. 3. Quality overview is graded high because this is observable in the market and public opinion is favorable in this matter. People can make their businesses successful by realization of quality matters that are essential for business sensation. 4. Measuring performance is categorized as poor because its determination is not easy and simple. Authorized people are not performing their duties accurately as they are unable to measure performances with exactness and success. 5. Average grading is awarded for strategies to improve performance criterion. The major cause of this grading is mentioned as everyone like to make performance level better in the market but implementation of recommendations is not performed by all people. 6. Production decision criterion is graded as mediocre because professionalism demands to all people to present better products in the market. This status is also involved in the sensation of business because this is major cause of attaining customer attraction. 7. Pricing decision criterion is shown with average level because this is managed proper consideration of market status. This is confirmed that those people which have running their business plans with average level are managed with market status that is highly influenced in pricing matters. 8. Average level is assigned for input & output decision criterion because a common running of business is based of

Understanding Leadership Styles Essay Example for Free

Understanding Leadership Styles Essay 1.1 Describe the factors that will influence the choice of leadership styles or behaviours in workplace situations Introduction I work as a manager for Innovations which is a day-care facility for individuals with learning disabilities; the majority of the individuals who attend the resource centre I manage can be very challenging and have very complex needs and behaviours at times. It is my job to create intervention plans and work closely with care co-ordinators, other agencies such as safeguarding, Intense homes support services, and the behaviour team to put strategies in place to safeguard service users and staff. It is my job to identify strengths and weaknesses in team members and ensure they get relevant training to help them develop in their role or to give praise and build on skills helping them to gain recognition on their accomplishments and support them to gain promotions should this be their aim. As a manager I feel I need to be an example to others—either positive or negative. It is necessary for me to adopt characteristics from a variety of leadership styles based on the situation at hand. Regardless of the leadership activity needed, it is important to act with integrity, to set realistic goals, to communicate clearly and often, to encourage others, to recognize the successes of other team members, and to inspire them to provide the best of care. Hopefully my actions will be reflected by my staff in the care they give to our service users each day regardless of which style I practice. Management by walking about (MBWA) I use this style of leadership quite often in the workplace as this gives me the opportunity of observing team members interacting with our service users and evaluate the quality of care being delivered. It also lets staff know that I am interested in them and their work and lets them know that I am approachable. I ask about the work they are doing in a way that sounds interested not intrusive and try to discover what motivates them and whether or not staff and residents are satisfied. When I see a success I applaud it and thank them on the spot for doing well. Autocratic leadership This style of leadership is essential at times within the organisation I work for due to supporting vulnerable individuals and situations can arise which require fast responses i.e. emergency situations where a service user has had an accident or is putting others at risk by using challenging or aggressive behaviour, it could be that staff have tried every other resource they have and will then call the office for advice, I would then make the ultimate instant decision of what needs to be done. This style of leadership is only used when necessary as it does not promote trust, communication, or teamwork which is paramount in our service and it can alienate people and stifle flexibility and innovativeness. Democratic leadership I choose to use this style of leadership on a daily basis as the opinions of the team are always taken into account when finding effective solutions and protocols to effectively deal with the individuals we support. The team are the most important influence on these individuals as they work closely with them each day and know their behaviours, likes and dislikes and what could potentially trigger an undesirable situation to occur. Team member’s feedback daily to management and share any concerns and pass on all relevant information and ideas to enable others staff and management to deal with similar situations in the future and allow for interventions and protocols to be drawn up and put in place for all team member’s to follow and have a consistent approach. Staff also share ideas, concerns and issues during their monthly supervisions and staff meetings. All decision making is shared with staff and all critique and opinions of each member of the team are taken into acc ount which encourages group participation and allows every team member to feel more important than the actual problems they are encountering in their day to day role. Laissez-Faire Leadership Style This style would not work in my organisation as staff need the constant availability and advice from management to feel secure and to support when problems arise, we work with challenging individuals on a daily basis and  staff are not always confident when confronted with abuse both verbal and physical and need immediate interventions that only management are able to implement. we are bound by strict codes of practice and guidelines to follow in these situations both by the care standards act and the CQC (care quality commission) also our own organisational policies and procedures which are constantly updated, there is also annual training and courses and the need for constant feedback and communication on a daily basis to provide support to our staff and the best possible care and outcomes for the individuals we support, I liaise with crisis teams and care co-ordinators with the information and reports that I receive from staff to find suitable outcomes for any concerns or issues they have with the people they support making this style of leadership inappropriate for our organisation. 1.2 Explain why these leadership styles or behaviours are likely to have a positive or negative effect on individual and group behaviour. Autocratic leadership Factors that would influence me using this style of leadership (positive effect) I would use this style in an emergency situation.  When my staff arrived to pick up a particularly complex service user she was extremely agitated and throwing cups and other items at staff in her home, she then turned her attention to my staff verbally abusing them and threatening harm to them. As we were responsible for supporting her at this time one member of staff needed to stay at the service user’s home to support her as it was not deemed safe to continue with her on community based activities while she was showing such aggression. The staff member I was speaking to said she was concerned about staying with the service user as she informed me that she had now attacked her home staff and another service user who lived there and that the police had been called for assistance, I told the staff member that she was to follow her training and keep herself out of danger at all times, I told her to support the house staff as far as she could without putting herself in the line of fire and that the other members of staff needed to bring the other service user on the bus back to the unit and drop her off, they could then return and support. I told her she needed to record everything and report to me frequently so that I was kept up to date with the situation and make any  decisions as deemed necessary to the ongoing situation. I needed to be autocratic as decisions needed to made as a matter of urgency and there was no time for discussion with the staff involved. I would use this style when managing a new or untrained member or members of staff who does not know what tasks to perform or what procedures to follow. Due to staff holidays or sickness, my unit often uses groups of staff from other units who do not have experience and knowledge of the complex service users we support at Brantwood. This can be extremely difficult for me as a unit manager as I need them to be knowledgeable as I don’t always have enough of my own staff to mentor them on these occasions due to holiday and sickness. it is important that support plans are read and signed and that these staff are aware of all strategies and interventions that we use to overcome behaviours that could occur whilst supporting service users. This is necessary as this will prevent situations escalating. When staff arrive at the unit I brief them on the expectations of the unit and make sure that they are aware of the routine and procedures we follow on a daily basis, staff can quite often be sat reading files but chatting amongst themselves therefore not digesting the information in the files. I have no hesitation in these circumstances instructing staff to move to a quiet area and sit in different rooms where they are able to read without distraction and will emphasise the importance of having enough knowledge to support the service users to the standard required. The team members skills in this situation are low and they are novices with the service users they are going to support therefore need clear direction which will help them to learn and apply their skills in the correct way. If a member of staff challenged my position as a manager, I had a member of staff who was part of a team of three who were supporting a service user who needed 1-1 support and another who needed 2-1 support when in the community. I asked my deputy to request that they return to the unit and drop one member of staff off so they could take another staff member back to another unit, my deputy informed me that the staff member told her that she was not willing to do this as both service users needed an escort, I called the staff member in question and asked her what the problem was and why she was refusing to follow instructions from the deputy manager who was  her senior, she told me that in her opinion the instruction she received was wrong and believed that both service users needed an escort each and when they dropped the staff member of at another unit there would only be two staff left on the bus. I pointed out that they both needed an escort however they would still have an escort on the bus, I told the staff member that she was refusing to fulfil the requirements of her job role by supporting requests from her manager and that as a company we take this very seriously and that this would lead to an investigation. I also asked the member of staff to return to the unit as requested and that another member of staff would take her place, I advised her that she should read the service users files in the meantime and ensure that she understands the contents and the context in what is written, I pointed out that the service users need the full support of three staff when in the community not when travelling on the bus. I would not use this leadership style with a member of staff (negative effect) Who becomes tense, fearful, or resentful, a member of staff had not checked the contents of a service users medication box when they signed it out from their home despite being prompted by her colleague on the bus with her who later reported this. When the box arrived at the unit and another member of staff signed it out they checked the box and realised that the wrong medication was in the box, the medication was life saving and could of had serious results for the service user had it been needed in an emergency. When the staff member was asked if she had checked the box on the morning, she said she had when she clearly hadn’t. The staff member was visibly upset as she had not followed the correct procedures and then had subsequently lied to her colleague and to management. This had to be addressed but I knew that she was sensitive and possibly fearful of what action would be taken against her. However I had to address what had happened. I would normally call staff members into the office in this type of situation but when I had gone to the kitchen I found the staff member making a cup of tea and decided to ask her informally how this had happened, she broke down in tears and said she knew it was wrong and it was a person’s life she had put in danger. I told her not to get upset and that I was sure she had learnt a very valuable lesson from this however I stressed the seriousness of the  situation but offered her support. I felt that this lessened her anxiety by addressing the situation but in an informal manner and that had she been brought into the office it would of had a demoralising effect and be detrimental on her self confidence cause resentment and mistrust towards her work colleague who had reported the issue. Democratic leadership Factors that would influence me using this style of leadership I would use this type of leadership with highly skilled or experienced staff or when implementing new strategies and protocols and resolving individual or group problems. Each morning I speak to staff about ongoing issues with service users as staff rotate on a daily basis working with different service users. Staff who have worked with them previously share experiences, successes and failures when dealing with recent behaviours they have encountered with our service user’s passing on valuable strategies and techniques to their colleagues. If incidents occur staff complete incident reports which are then passed to our quality assurance manager who carries out reflection work which enables staff to offer suggestions of how things could have gone better, reflect on their practice and share ideas of how to prevent these incidents in the future. I also promote feedback with an open door policy, through staff supervisions and staff meetings where all staff are encouraged to share their experiences and how they have effectively dealt with situations. I then build strategies and interventions from the feedback from the staff that work with service users on a daily basis and incorporate this information into the care plans. Other factors include:- Keeping staff informed about matters that affect them. Enabling staff to share in decision making and problem solving. Providing opportunities for staff to develop a high sense of personal growth and job satisfaction. Dealing with a large or complex problem that requires a lot of input to solve Sharing changes or problems that affect staff. To encourage team building and participation. I would be influenced to not use this method when:- There is not enough time to get everyone’s input Mistakes are not an option. Staff and service user safety is a critical concern. As detailed in my autocratic leadership style above. Laissez-Faire Leadership Style I use this style with my senior staff who are very experienced in their role and know our service users very well as they are working front line with them. I allow them to use their initiative and make decisions when they are working with them but at the same time offer guidance and support when requested. This allows the seniors in the unit to take a pride in their work and the drive to do it successfully on their own and reach their goal. For example a new senior felt that the deputy manager was not relinquishing various duties as outlined in the senior job description i.e. allocating staff to service users each day, ensuring they had lists and money and ultimately are organised and on time for activities, this made the new senior feel that she was not trusted to do the job she had been promoted to do and not directly able to participate in decision making and prove her worth, leaving her feeling demoralised and unworthy of the job she had been promoted to do. I spoke to the deputy and explained how this would ease her own workload and build the confidence of the senior. I do use this style with my deputy manager at times for example when it comes to day to day decisions about the service users we manage as this is one of the principle parts of her job as is managing the staff in day to day activities and ensuring they are working to required standards, however when it comes to speaking to staff about bad practice she finds this very difficult and despite requests from myself to confront certain staff about bad practice or misconduct she is reluctant to do so and feels unsecure without my leadership, I therefore have to deal with such issues myself and at times take an autocratic approach with my deputy. AC 2.1 Assess own leadership behaviours and potential in the context of a particular leadership model and own organisation’s working practices and culture, using feedback from others The particular leadership model I have chosen to highlight in 2.1 is the autocratic style although this is the one style I would choose to use less if possible it is the one that causes the most contention, I have reflected briefly on other styles I prefer to use this is one that is necessary at times. In my organisation I work as unit manager in a day care setting for adults with learning disabilities. On a daily basis I have to use my leadership skills in order to manage the work and people in order to fulfil the company’s objectives and vision. In my opinion my leadership style for the most time is a democratic style, however at times my leadership style may have to adapt itself to the given situation. For example if a new employee has joined my team I would probably use a more supportive leadership style to help them learn and adapt. The company directors set the company culture in our unit. They use a very democratic and supportive leadership style which reflects how we work however at times a more autocratic leadership style is required. For example the company directors frequently monitor and controls individual and team performances, I have to do the same within my team. For example (A member of staff was sat with a group of elderly service users they were sat round a table and the staff member was sat with them, despite there being a planner in place for activities the staff member had not bothered to look at it and was sat with their mobile phone texting. I spoke to the staff member in my office and carried out a supervision so that the conversation would be documented and informed them they were not carrying out there outlined duties as an activities facilitator and not meeting the criteria of their job role. I informed them this was not acceptable and that apart from not interacting with and motivating th e service users they were breaking company policies by using their personal mobile phone without prior permission from management I informed the staff member I had no choice but to take it to an investigation meeting which could lead to disciplinary action). I always ensure that all staff understands my expectations up front so they are under no misunderstandings of what actions will be taken if the service we offer is compromised and staff are not performing to the required standard. I am consistent and fair and apply my expectations to all staff, however I make it clear that I want staff to feel that they are listened to and can bring their opinions to me and that they are heard no matter what the outcome. I  believe that as a manager it is important to be a master of not only one but all leadership styles and to know when to use them appropriately. Furthermore I use the following leadership style within my team. Creating and sharing a vision with the team, setting smart objectives, allocating tasks, allocating roles and responsibilities, monitoring performance, observation of individual team performances, giving constructive feedback and ideas for the development of skills where needed, in supervisions and staff meetings. The feedback from my team during their supervisions and staff meetings has suggested my leadership style is mostly democratic however there were certain elements of autocratic and supportive styles present. My team referred to the following leadership skills such as resolving conflict, facilitating discussion, motivating, encouraging, being approachable and listening, empowering and facilitating development. However they have also suggested that at times my leadership style is autocratic as I can be assertive, direct and quite blunt when they have not fulfilled the company’s or my expectations and directions and have not complied with company policies and procedures. I also assess my leadership through monthly supervisions and yearly appraisals with my director VA who I am directly responsible to, I take on board her feedback, an example of this is when I needed advice of how to address some concerns relating to a staff member not being able to carry out the work expected of h er. I found this awkward due to the fact that she was once my senior (deputy manager, when I started with the company, and I have since worked to gain a management position over her)Victoria and I discussed the options available to improve the staff member’s practice, and she offered to speak to the member of staff on my behalf, however Victoria felt that I had the relevant leadership skills to resolve this myself she said she would like me to understand my professional worth and be assertive in this situation. She felt that I was feeling a lack of empowerment and needed to all I could to address the balance and that this could only enhance my leadership skills. I addressed the issues with the staff member and told her it was constructive criticism I was offering and would give support to her whenever she felt she needed it. AC 2.2 Describe appropriate actions to enhance own leadership behaviour in the context of the particular leadership model Appropriate actions to enhance my own leadership behaviour in the context of the particular leadership model I chose in 2.1. Taking into consideration the chosen leadership style is autocratic there are several ways which I could enhance my leadership behaviour. One way would be to practice self-knowledge and self-awareness, these are both qualities required by any manager. In order to develop these qualities I must act upon constructive feedback I receive from internal or external environment. The feedback I attained from a number of sources including team members, other colleagues and line managers. I need to be observant and take into account my own actions and the impact it has on others. I need to be mindful of my own strengths and weaknesses and know when to ask for assistance and when I am good on my own. One of my strengths is I am serious about my work and my passions and keep my boundaries firm to maintain the integrity of my goals and the work I put into them, my weakness is I expect the same from others and can be disillusioned when this is not the case. I need to be willing to accept my failures and weaknesses and know that the key to success is not avoiding failure but learning from my mistakes and allowing others to do the same. I need to believe that making a mistake does not mean it is a mistake it gives people the opportunity to improve and grow. I need to enhance my communication skills and be able to clearly and specifically communicate my vision, goals, skills, intentions and expectations to others and strive to improve my verbal, nonverbal and listening skills without interrupting others as it can be too easy to jump in with an objection too quickly. It might be wise for me to find a role model I can learn from. It would have to be someone I respect highly and whose leadership I admire. If the role model agrees to mentor me, my leadership skills could greatly benefit. I have a great respect for my director VA and aspire to lead how she leads, she is just, fair and supportive and deals with subordinates in a manner that others find hard to challenge. She is very disciplined at work and I need to learn to apply this to my role and every area of my life, I feel  this is a character trait that will provide me with the enduring focus necessary for strong leadership.

Causes of the Construction Defects

Causes of the Construction Defects Construction defects are very common and often arising or spot in the construction project, especially in the project which has poor management or supervision in the construction site. Construction defect can be known as a major problem in the construction industry that could cause the value of a building decrease eventually. For the question of what is construction defect there is no direct or short answer or explanation to answer the question of what is construction defect. Construction defect in the construction project normally can be arise from two mains factor which is defect cause by workmanship and land movement. Some of the example for the common construction defect can be defective concrete of frame, cracking of slab; wood structural attack by termite, leaking in the building and etc. other than that, construction defects in construction project due to the reason of land movement could be underground water, settlement, improper compaction during earthwork stage and inadequa te of drainage. Every construction project is always involved and appears the term of construction defect for the reason of there is no a building or project without defect occurs. In order to study the further detail information of causes, effects and methods to minimize construction defects in construction project, this dissertation would be carry out for the purpose of study in deep of construction defect. 1.2 Research Background Climatic of Malaysia are change aggressively, therefore all of the buildings in Malaysia are expose to the aggressive environment all the time. Because of this, majority of the building in Malaysia will have the defects occurs in the buildings after the building is occupant a period of time. The purpose of conduct this research is to study the common construction defect in the construction project. Once the defects study, it is also necessary focus on the effects of the construction defects that will occur, since defect is precedent of effects of the construction defects. In additional, in order to minimize the construction defects, an evaluation on methods to minimize the construction defect will also be focus on this research. 1.2.1 Causes of the construction defect A construction defect can be known as a component in the building are built by the contractor or design by professionals not according to the specification, plan, not comply with the construction code that established by the authority( Calvin Cal E. Beyer, 2011). Construction defects can be also defined as that will make the project dangerous, unsafe, causes the user of the building to be injured or dead (Michael S. Poles, GC, CM, RCI, DABFET, ACFE, 1995). It can be occurs during the construction process and cause the project costly rework, project not complete in time and affect the overall performance of the building. Construction defect can be classified as 2 types, which are Patent Defects and Latent Defects. Patent Defects can be detected by the normal inspection or testing and apparent to naked eye, for example roof leak or a foundation crack. However, Latent Defects are hidden and cannot discoverable by normal examination or testing which will appear itself after a period of time (Anon 1, 2007). According to the researcher from the University of Florida, construction defects can be various types and influenced by many factors in the construction industry. The common types and the causes of the construction defect can be included (Calvin Cal E. Beyer, 2011): Improper design Poor workmanship that leads to poor finishing quality Improper means or methods of installation Improper or poor quality of the materials Defective material or poor material performance Missing or inadequate protection from weather or environmental condition in the construction site. Soil subsidence, movement and settlement Base on the few studies of researcher, the effects of the construction defect can increase the overall construction cost and the final quantity of the project (Zietsman, R., 2004) and a survey conducted by the Building Research Establishment in the United Kingdom, it found that 35% of the defects were arise from faulty construction(Assaf, Al-Hammad, Al-Shihah, 1995). It can be  due to the reason of bad workmanship, inadequate supervision and substitution of poor material, components or fixings. Beside those common type and the causes of the construction defect has stated above, the 35 most frequent defects was identified by the Building Research Establishment. The causes of defects that were identified which is (Assaf, Al-Hammad, Al-Shihah, 1995): Lack of inspection Making use of inexperienced, unqualified inspectors Avoiding and ignoring inspection completely Non implementation of corrective actions during the construction process Inaccurate measurement Making use of defective or damaged formwork Excavations to close to an existing building and exposing the foundations Non-conformance with waterproofing specifications Inability to read and understand/interpret drawings Insufficient concrete cover Improper construction of cold joints Loss in adhesion between materials Stripping formwork too early Unacceptable soil compaction procedures Inadequate curing procedures Lack of communication Non-compliance with specifications Inability to read and understand/interpret drawings Insufficient site supervision Lack of communication between the owner, architect/engineer, project manager Employing unqualified supervisors Speedy completion of certain activities specifically where equipment is on hire Unqualified labor force Multinational construction experience Defects resulting from the wrong selection of materials Using materials unsuitable for the climatic conditions Using cheap materials Making use of expired materials Inadequate storage facilities Misuse of equipment Equipment not performing to specification Lack of the proper equipment Cross referencing and detailed referencing on drawings lacking Conflicting details on drawings Details of sections on drawings lacking According to Marianne (2005), these 35 defects listed above can be grouped in to 4 categories which are: Design deficiencies Material deficiencies Construction deficiencies Subsurface/geotechnical problem 1.2.2 Method to minimizing the construction defect In construction industry, there is varying of the methods to minimizing or reduce the construction defects. According to Alice M. Noble-Allgire (2008), improving quality control can be known as a method to minimize the construction defects occurs. A quality control programs can be set up by the builder and use to reduce the construction defects. Besides that, structuring their contract with certain of the rules that can ensures that the parties take responsibilities on the defects that created under his works. Construction defects can be also minimizing by the improved oversight, for example builder can improve their building inspection practices in all the way. Other than that, if there is insufficient for improve the quality control, it also can through licensing, certification, and education requirement to improved the quality control. For example, a contractor which intended to select, the contractor must be register with the Construction Industry Development Board know as CIDB. With the registration, that can ensure the quality of contractor and the works. 1.2.3 Effect of the construction defect Construction defect can decrease and affect the value of the buildings. According to Atkinson, (1999), defects are developments in construction that reduces the project`s value instead of adding to it. Other than reduces the project value, where the construction defect apparent, It also can cause the project totally delay which mean not complete with in the period state in the contract. Cost overrun can be known as one of the effect when the construction defects happen in the construction site. Construction defect will also affect society at large due to possible danger posed and result in direct and indirect cost in repairs, abnormally high maintenance dispute and possible loss of building. 1.3 Problem Statement Construction defect in the construction project is very common. It is because buildings are exposing to the inclement weather especially in the climatic country such as Malaysia. Construction defects can be arising due to inadequate design, poor workmanships in the construction and lack of maintenance. The defects that in the construction project can become worst and worst due to the reason of invisible defect that not discover by the builder or the occupants. Construction defect can be also bringing negative impact to the occupant, builder, and country. Therefore it may affect the appearance of the building, health and safety of the occupant, country economic, reputation and etc. Thus, this problem can cause occupant unhappy eventually. 1.4 Research Aims and Objectives 1.4.1 Aim This research was aimed at identifying and studies the causes and effect of construction defects in the construction sector. Besides that, the other aim of this research is to study the methods of minimizing the construction defects in construction projects. 1.4.2 Objectives In order to achieve the aim of this research the objective has been listed as follow: To determining and understand various types of construction defects in construction projects. To identify the causes and effects of the construction defects in construction projects. To analyze the methods used to minimizing the construction defects in the construction projects. 1.4.3 Key Question What is construction defect? What are the effects of construction defect can be occurs in construction projects? What is the solution or methods to minimize the defect? 1.5 Importance and Benefits of Study This research will have benefits of to prevent the construction defects occur. Thus, this thesis will study the causes, effects and the methods to minimize the construction defects. Besides that, this study can also enhance the knowledge of the builders or any participants involve in the construction in order to increase the quality of the buildings. 1.6 Scope of Study Various types of construction defects will be study for the purpose of understanding the construction defects. The main scope will be the causes of the construction defects will be study in depth and identify the most common causes that cause the construction defects occurs in the construction project. Followed by the effects from the various construction defects that occur in the construction project will be study. For the last, the method to minimize the construction defects will be analyzes. 1.7 Methodology of Research In order to obtain the useful information for this dissertation study purpose, there is few methods to collect the data and information. Since the type of the data to be collecting having not been deciding therefore there is a consequence stage to follow. Stage 1: Literature Review Literature review is the Initial stages of the methodology, because some of the information that is useful for setting out the questionnaire. There is numbers of way or method for carry out literature review to obtain information for this dissertation: Magazines Journals Articles Books Newspaper Internet (www.google.co www.yahoo.com) Stage 2: Choose of suitable data collection method There are 2 types of the methods to collect the data had been choose for this dissertation, which categories in 2 types. Only one of the methods will choose for this research to collect the data among the 2 methods. Quantitative Questionnaires A set of questions will be form base on aim, objective of this study and the information that I found in the literature review. Target groups: experience contractor and the site supervisor. Reason: personal financial and able to obtain the data in short period. Qualitative Case study Observation and investigation (site visit). Targeted Place : construction sites, occupied buildings Identify the common defects in the construction project and some of the photo will be taken. Stage 3: Data analysis Once the data collected, in this chapter will analysis the data that collected from the questionnaire and case study by either method of SPSS, table method or bar chart. Analysis will include: Respondent age Collected data for Cause of defect in construction project Find out the major cause Collected data for the effect of defect in construction project Find out most worst effect Collected data for the method to minimize the defect in construction project Analysis which method most effective Details of the construction site or building Comparison of site or building Major defects arise in construction from the case study data Stage 4: Conclusion and Recommendation Conclusion Result of analysis will be conclusion. Judgment for the result will be including in the conclusion. For example which common cause of the defect in the construction project. Most effective method to reduce the defect in construction project will conclude. Recommendation A further scope of study will be recommended. Most effective methods as remedial action for construction will be recommended. Some of the field for study in depth will recommended. 1.8 Summary of chapters 1.8.1 Chapter 1 Introduction In chapter 1, information regarding the research topic will be discussed in brief in the introduction. Other than that, background in this chapter will further study in depth the causes, effects and method to minimizing the construction defects. For example, defects can be categorized in 2 types, which is patent and latent defect. In additional, the research aim and objective will also include in this chapter follow by research methodology, which is how the data be collect and analyze. 1.8.2 Chapter 2 Literature Review In chapter 2 Literature Review, the causes of the construction defects will be discussed. Once the causes of the construction defects is discussed, the effects of the construction defects will also be discuss follow by the methods to minimize the construction defects. In additional, ways of obtain information for the purpose of conduct Literature Review will be from the articles, journals, internet, reference books and etc. 1.8.3 Chapter 3 Research Methodology In Chapter 3 Research Methodology, structure of questionnaire will be form and the procedure of the case study will be plan. (If case study method is choose). Once the information obtains from the questionnaire, it will be listed in this chapter. Example for the structure of questionnaire: Improper design Poor workmanship that leads to poor finishing quality Improper means or methods of installation Improper or poor quality of the materials Defective material or poor material performance Missing or inadequate protection from weather or environmental condition in the construction site. Soil subsidence, movement and settlement This questionnaire is base on the Likerts scale of 5 ordinal measures from 1 to 5 according to level contributing. For example: = strongly Agree (4) = Agree (3) = moderate (2) = Disagree (1) strongly disagree Example of the case study procedure: Step 1: Selecting the sites Step 2: Meet up with sites manager and get approval Step 3: Conduct case study Observation Take necessary photo Step 4: Gather all the data Step 5: Analysis the data 1.8.4 Chapter 4 Data Analysis Once the data successful collected from the questionnaire or case study, the following step is to analysis the data in this chapter 4. The methods use to analysis the collected data can be SPSS, Bar Chart or table method. For example the data can be analysis included: Respondent age, collected data for Cause of defect in construction project, collected data for the effect of defect in construction project, details of the construction site or building, major defects arise in construction from the case study data. 1.8.5 Chapter 5 Conclusion and Recommendation In this chapter a conclusion will be conduct to conclude the whole research including the result from the analysis that carry out through the SPSS, bar chart. Besides that, most effective methods to minimize the construction defects will be recommending base on the result of analysis in order to fulfill the research aim and objective. 1.9 Summary In Chapter 1, general information regard this Research will be discus in the introduction such as definition of the construction project and defects. Some of the further information from other resource such as internet, articles, books, magazines and etc will be discuss in further in the Research Background. For example, causes of the construction defects, methods to minimize the construction defects and effects of the construction defects in the construction project will be discuss in more detail. Identifying and studies the causes, effects and methods to minimize the construction defects is the aim and objective for this Research. In additional, the Methodology of this research will include literature review and data will be collect from either questionnaire or case study. In this chapter, the aim and objective include identifying and studies the causes and effect of construction defects in the construction sector, and the methods to minimizing the construction defects in construction project.

Barbara Andersons First Fieldwork Essay example -- Barbara Anderson A

Barbara Anderson's First Fieldwork Prà ©cis: â€Å"First Fieldwork† 1. Where did Barbara Anderson’s fieldwork take place and what was the goal of her research? Barbara Anderson’s fieldwork took place in the fishing village of Taarnby, Denmark on the island of Amager in the Oresund in the 50’s. The goal of her research was to publish the unseen side of fieldwork. She wanted to share the personal and professional sides of fieldwork with the reader. She went to the island to help her husband study culture change. 2. Who accompanied Anderson to her field site? Barbara Anderson’s husband (Thor), her daughter (Katie; 5yrs old), and Anderson’s unborn child (Sarah) accompanied her to her field site. 3. Why was Anderson’s incompetence with language and household skills both a problem and a blessing for her work in Taarnby? Anderson’s incompetence with language and household problems were due to the translation and understanding of a new culture. Barbara’s confusion of flour with sugar caused her meat loaf to be a disaster. The two words were very similar in Denmark. She also failed to understand the use of a timer. Her incompetence was a blessing because it showed she couldn’t be a threat to the community. The chief pilot’s wife, who had eluded attempts of an interview, agreed to one and also offered personal cooking lessons. 4. Explain how Barbara became â€Å"immersed† in Danish culture in the bathhouse. Due to her lack of the language she had to unknowingly â€Å"div...

Classical India and Mesopotamia Essay

Classical India and Mesopotamia are both ancient civilizations with many similarities and differences. Both Mesopotamia and Classical India had law codes and were a patriarchal society. Social mobility was not present in Classical India as it was in Mesopotamia. In both societies there were many things similar and many things different. Both Classical India and Mesopotamia had law codes. Classical India used the Code of Manu while Mesopotamia used the code of Hammurabi. These codes were followed by everyone in both civilizations. Both law codes had punishments equal to the crime and were based off an eye for an eye premise or the principal of relation. Physical crimes had physical consequences, for instance, if you were to hit someone you would be punished by having your hand cut off. Likewise in both societies the lower class was treated exceedingly poor. Often the slave class was put to death for breaking the law codes against people of the upper class. Law codes were just one way that Classical India and Mesopotamia are similar. Mesopotamia and Classical India alike were both patriarchal societies. This is important because it shows how much we have advanced in women’s rights. Women in both civilizations were treated as property. While women in Classical India were protected, the rights they received were nowhere near the same as they were for men. Only men had the right to own property and make trades in both civilizations. Women were even treated poorly in the law codes. In the code of Hammurabi, if a woman’s husband died they would need to throw themselves in a fire. All women were to live for was their husbands. The patriarchal society of Classical India and Mesopotamia shows how women were treated and interacted with. Social mobility was present in Mesopotamia while it wasn’t in Classical India. In Classical India you were born into the caste system which was where you would stay for the remainder of your life. In order to move up you would have to wait for your next life. In Mesopotamia the classes were based on wealth. In Mesopotamia there were three social classes. The highest class was the richest and the lowest were the poor. In Mesopotamia if you came upon wealth you would move up in the social ranks unlike in Classical India. Both Mesopotamia and Classical India had similarities and differences with the way the societies were governed and the social interactions between the people.

Practical Demonkeeping Chapter 5-7

5 AUGUSTUS BRINE He was an old man who fished off the beaches of Pine Cove and he had gone eighty-four days without catching a fish. This, however, was of little consequence because he owned the general store and made a comfortable enough living to indulge his passions, which were fishing and drinking California wines. Augustus Brine was old, but he was still strong and vital and a dangerous man in a fight – although he had had little cause to prove it in over thirty years (except for the few occasions when he picked up a teenage boy by the scruff of the neck and dragged him, terrified, to the stockroom, where he lectured him alternately on the merits of hard work and the folly of shoplifting from Brine's Bait, Tackle, and Fine Wines). And while a weariness had come upon him with age, his mind was still sharp and agile. On any evening one might find him stretched out before his fireplace in a leather chair, toasting his bare feet on the hearth, reading Aristotle, or Lao-tzu, or Joyce. He lived on a hillside overlooking the Pacific, in a small wooden house he had designed and built himself, so that he might live there alone without having his surroundings seem lonely. During the day, windows and skylights filled the house with light, and even on the most dismal, foggy day, every corner was illuminated. In the evening three stone fireplaces, which took up whole walls in the living room, bedroom, and study, warmed the house. They offered a soft, orange comfort to the old man, who burned cord after cord of red oak and eucalyptus, which he cut and split himself. When he considered his own mortality, which was seldom, Augustus Brine knew he would die in this house. He had built it on one floor with wide halls and doorways so that if he were ever confined to a wheelchair he might remain self-sufficient until the day when he would take the black pill sent to him by the Hemlock Society. He kept the house neat and orderly. Not so much because he desired order, for Brine believed chaos to be the way of the world, but because he did not wish to make life difficult for his cleaning lady, who came in once a week to dust and shovel ashes from the fireplaces. He also wished to avoid acquiring the reputation of being a slob, for he knew people's propensity for judging a man on one aspect of his character, and even Augustus Brine was not above some degree of vanity. Despite his belief that the pursuit of order in a chaotic universe was futile, Brine lived a very ordered life, and this paradox, upon reflection, amused him. He rose each day at five, indulged himself in a half-hour-long shower, dressed, and ate the same breakfast of six eggs and half a loaf of sourdough toast, heavily buttered. (Cholesterol seemed too silent and sneaky to be dangerous, and Brine had decided long ago that until cholesterol gathered its forces and charged him headlong across the plate with Light Brigade abandon, he would ignore it.) After breakfast, Brine lit his meerschaum pipe for the first time of the day, crawled onto his truck, and drove downtown to open his store. For the first two hours he puffed around the store like a great white-bearded locomotive, making coffee, selling pastries, trading idle banter with the old men who greeted him each morning, and preparing the store to run under full steam until midnight, under the supervision of a handful of clerks. At eight o'clock the first of Brine's employees arrived to man the register while Brine busied himself ordering what he called Epicurean necessities: pastries, imported cheeses and beers, pipe tobacco and cigarettes, homemade pasta and sauces, freshly baked bread, gourmet coffees, and California wines. Brine believed, like Epicurus, that a good life was one dedicated to the pursuit of simple pleasures, tempered with justice and prudence. Years ago, while working as a bouncer in a whorehouse, Brine had repeatedly seen depressed, angry men turned to gentleness and gaiety by a few moments of pleasure. He had vowed then to someday open a brothel, but when the ramshackle general store with its two gas pumps had been put up for sale, Brine had compromised his dream by buying it and bringing pleasure of a different sort to the public. From time to time, however, a needling suspicion arose in his mind that he had missed his true calling as a madam. Each day when the orders were finished, Brine selected a bottle of red wine from his shelves, packed it in a basket with some bread, cheese, and bait, and took off for the beach. He passed the rest of the day sitting on the beach in a canvas director's chair sipping wine and smoking his pipe, waiting for the long surf-casting rod to bend with a strike. On most days Brine let his mind go as clear as water. Without worry or thought he became one with everything around him, neither conscious nor unconscious: the state of Zen mushin, or no-mind. He had come to Zen after the fact, recognizing in the writings of Suzuki and Watts an attitude he had come to without discipline, by simply sitting on the beach staring into an empty sky and becoming just as empty. Zen was his religion, and it brought him peace and humor. On this particular morning Brine was having a difficult time clearing his mind. The visit of the little Arab man to the store vexed him. Brine did not speak Arabic, yet he had understood every word the little man had said. He had seen the air cut with swirling blue curses, and he had seen the Arab's eyes glow white with anger. He smoked his pipe, the meerschaum mermaid carved so that Brine's index finger fell across her breasts, and tried to apply some meaning to a situation that was outside the context of his reality. He knew that if he were to accept the fluid of this experience, the cup of his mind had to be empty. But right now he had a better chance of buying bread with moonlight than reaching a Zen calm. It vexed him. â€Å"It is a mystery, is it not?† someone said. Startled, Brine looked around. The little Arab man stood about three feet from Brine's side, drinking from a large styrofoam cup. His red stocking cap was glistening, damp with the morning spray. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Brine said. â€Å"I didn't see you come up.† â€Å"It is a mystery, is it not? How this dashing figure seems to appear out of nowhere? You must be awestruck. Paralyzed with fear perhaps?† Brine looked at the withered little man in the rumpled flannel suit and silly red hat. â€Å"Very close to paralyzed,† he said. â€Å"I am Augustus Brine.† He extended his hand to the little man. â€Å"Are you not afraid that by touching me you will burst into flames?† â€Å"Is that a danger?† â€Å"No, but you know how superstitious fishermen are. Perhaps you believe that you will be transformed into a toad. You hide your fear well, Augustus Brine.† Brine smiled. He was baffled and amused; it didn't occur to him to be afraid. The Arab drained his cup and dipped it into the surf to refill it. â€Å"Please call me Gus,† Brine said, his hand still extended. â€Å"And you are?† The Arab drained his cup again, then took Brine's hand. His skin had the feel of parchment. â€Å"I am Gian Hen Gian, King of the Djinn, Ruler of the Netherworld. Do not tremble, I wish you no harm.† â€Å"I am not trembling,† Brine said. â€Å"You might go easy on that seawater – it works hell on your blood pressure.† â€Å"Do not fall to your knees; there is no need to prostrate yourself before my greatness. I am here in your service.† â€Å"Thank you. I am honored,† Brine said. Despite the strange happenings in the store, he was having a hard time taking this pompous little man seriously. The Arab was obviously a nuthouse Napoleon. He'd seen hundreds of them, living in cardboard castles and feasting from dumpsters all over America. But this one had some credentials: he could curse in blue swirls. â€Å"It is good that you are not afraid, Augustus Brine. Terrible evil is at hand. You will have to call upon your courage. It is a good sign that you have kept your wits in the presence of the great Gian Hen Gian. The grandeur is sometimes too much for weaker men.† â€Å"May I offer you some wine?† Brine extended the bottle of cabernet he had brought from the store. â€Å"No, I have a great thirst for this.† He sloshed the cup of seawater. â€Å"From a time when it was all I could drink.† â€Å"As you wish.† Brine sipped from the bottle. â€Å"There is little time, Augustus Brine, and what I am to tell you may overwhelm your tiny mind. Please prepare yourself.† â€Å"My tiny mind is steeled for anything, O King. But first, tell me, did I see you curse blue swirls this morning?† â€Å"A minor loss of temper. Nothing really. Would you have had me turn the clumsy dolt into a snake who forever gnaws his own tail?† â€Å"No, the cursing was fine. Although in Vance's case the snake might be an improvement. Your curses were in Arabic, though, right?† â€Å"A language I prefer for its music.† â€Å"But I don't speak Arabic. Yet I understood you. You did say, ‘May the IRS find that you deduct your pet sheep as an entertainment expense,' didn't you?† â€Å"I can be most colorful and inventive when I am angry.† The Arab flashed a bright grin of pride. His teeth were pointed and saw-edged like a shark's. â€Å"You have been chosen, Augustus Brine.† â€Å"Why me?† Somehow Brine had suspended his disbelief and denied the absurdity of the situation. If there was no order in the universe, then why should it be out of order to be sitting on the beach talking to an Arab dwarf who claimed to be king of the Djinn, whatever the hell that was? Strangely enough, Brine took comfort in the fact that this experience was invalidating every assumption he had ever made about the nature of the world. He had tapped into the Zen of ignorance, the enlightenment of absurdity. Gian Hen Gian laughed. â€Å"I have chosen you because you are a fisherman who catches no fish. I have had an affinity for such men since I was fished from the sea a thousand years ago and released from Solomon's jar. One gets ever so cramped passing the centuries inside a jar.† â€Å"And ever so wrinkled, it would seem,† Brine said. Gian Hen Gian ignored Brine's comment. â€Å"I found you here, Augustus Brine, listening to the noise of the universe, holding in your heart a spark of hope, like all fishermen, but resolved to be disappointed. You have no love, no faith, and no purpose. You shall be my instrument, and in return, you shall gain the things you lack.† Brine wanted to protest the Arab's judgment, but he realized that it was true. He'd been enlightened for exactly thirty seconds and already he was back on the path of desire and karma. Postenlightenment depression, he thought. 6 THE DJINN'S STORY Brine said, â€Å"Excuse me, O King, but what exactly is a Djinn?† Gian Hen Gian spit into the surf and cursed, but this time Brine did not understand the language and no blue swirls cut the air. â€Å"I am Djinn. The Djinn were the first people. This was our world long before the first human. Have you not read the tales of Scheherazade?† â€Å"I thought those were just stories.† â€Å"By Aladdin's lamplit scrotum, man! Everything is a story. What is there but stories? Stories are the only truth. The Djinn knew this. We had power over our own stories. We shaped our world as we wished it to be. It was our glory. We were created by Jehovah as a race of creators, and he became jealous of us. â€Å"He sent Satan and an army of angels against us. We were banished to the netherworld, where we could not make our stories. Then he created a race who could not create and so would stand in awe of the Creator.† â€Å"Man?† Brine asked. The Djinn nodded. â€Å"When Satan drove us into the netherworld, he saw our power. He saw that he was no more than a servant, while Jehovah had given the Djinn the power of gods. He returned to Jehovah demanding the same power. He proclaimed that he and his army would not serve until they were given the power to create. â€Å"Jehovah was sorely angered. He banished Satan to hell, where the angel might have the power he wished, but only over his own army of rebels. To further humiliate Satan, Jehovah created a new race of beings and gave them control over their own destinies, made them masters of their own world. And he made Satan watch it all from hell. â€Å"These beings were parodies of the angels, resembling them physically, but with none of the angels' grace or intelligence. And because he had made two mistakes before, Jehovah made these creatures mortal to keep them humble.† â€Å"Are you saying,† Brine interrupted, â€Å"that the human race was created to irritate Satan?† â€Å"That is correct. Jehovah is infinite in his snottiness.† Brine reflected on this for a moment and regretted that he had not become a criminal at an early age. â€Å"And what happened to the Djinn?† â€Å"We were left without form, purpose, or power. The netherworld is timeless and unchanging, and boring – much like a doctor's waiting room.† â€Å"But you're here, you're not in the netherworld.† â€Å"Be patient, Augustus Brine. I will tell you how I came here. You see, many years passed on Earth and we remained undisturbed. Then was born Solomon the thief.† â€Å"You mean King Solomon? Son of David?† â€Å"The thief!† The Djinn spat. â€Å"He asked for wisdom from Jehovah that he might build a great temple. To assist him, Jehovah gave him a great silver seal, which he carried in a scepter, and the power to call the Djinn from the netherworld to act as slaves. Solomon was given power over the Djinn on Earth that by all rights belonged to me. And as if that was not enough, the seal also gave him the power to call up the deposed angels from hell. Satan was furious that such power be given to a mortal, which, of course, was Jehovah's plan. â€Å"Solomon called first upon me to help him build his temple. He spread the temple plans before me and I laughed in his face. It was little more than a shack of stone. His imagination was as limited as his intelligence. Nevertheless, I began work on his temple, building it stone by stone as he instructed. I could have built it in an instant had he commanded it, but the thief could only imagine a temple being built as it might be built by men. â€Å"I worked slowly, for even under the reign of the thief, my time on Earth was better than the emptiness of the netherworld. After some time I convinced Solomon that I needed help, and I was given slaves to assist me in the construction. Work slowed even more, for while some of them worked, most stood by and chatted about their dreams of freedom. I have seen that such methods are used today in building your highways.† â€Å"It's standard,† Brine said. â€Å"Solomon grew impatient with my progress and called from hell one of the deposed angels, a warrior Seraph named Catch. Thus did his troubles begin. â€Å"Catch had once been a tall and beautiful angel, but his time in hell, steeping in his own bitterness, had changed him. When he appeared before Solomon, he was a squat monster, no bigger than a dwarf. His skin was like that of a snake, his eyes like those of a cat. He was so hideous that Solomon would not allow him to be seen by the people of Jerusalem, so he made the demon invisible to all but himself. â€Å"Catch carried in his heart a loathing for humans as deep as Satan himself. I had no quarrel with the race of man. Catch, however, wanted revenge. Fortunately, he did not have the powers of a Djinn. â€Å"Solomon told the slaves who worked on the temple that they were being given divine assistance and that they should behave as if nothing was out of the ordinary, so the people of Jerusalem might not notice the demon's presence. The demon threw himself into the construction, honing huge blocks of stone and hauling them into place. â€Å"Solomon was pleased with the demon's work and told him so. Catch said that the work would go faster if he didn't have to work with a Djinn, so I stood by and watched as the temple rose. From time to time great stones dropped from the walls, crushing the slaves below. While the blood ran, I could hear Catch laughing and shouting ‘Whoops' from the top of the wall. â€Å"Solomon believed these killings to be accidents, but I knew them to be murder. It was then that I realized that Solomon's control over the demon was not absolute, and therefore, his control over me must have its limits as well. My first impulse was to try to escape, but if I were wrong, I knew that I would be sent back to the netherworld and all would be lost. Perhaps I could persuade Solomon to set me free by offering him something he could attain only through my power to create. â€Å"Solomon's appetite for women was infamous. I offered to bring him the most beautiful woman he had ever seen if he would allow me to remain on Earth. He agreed. â€Å"I retreated to my quarters and contemplated what sort of woman might most please the idiot king. I had seen his thousand wives and found no common thread among their charms that revealed Solomon's preferences. In the end I was left to my own creativity. â€Å"I gave her fair hair and blue eyes and skin as white and smooth as marble. She was all things that men wish of women in body and mind. She was a virgin with a courtesan's knowledge in the ways of pleasure. She was kind, intelligent, forgiving, and warm with humor. â€Å"Solomon fell in love with the woman as soon as I presented her to him. ‘She shines like a jewel', he said. ‘Jewel shall be her name.' He spent an hour or more just staring at her, captivated with her beauty. When finally his senses returned, he said, ‘We will talk later of your reward, Gian Hen Gian.' Then he took Jewel by the hand and led her to his bedchamber. â€Å"I felt a strength return to me the moment I presented Jewel to the king. I was not free to escape, but for the first time I was able to leave the city without being compelled by some invisible bond to return to Solomon. I went into the desert and spent the night enjoying the freedom I had gained. It was not until I returned the next morning that I realized that Solomon's control over me and the demon depended upon the concentration of his will, as well as the invocations and the seal given to him by Jehovah. The woman, Jewel, had broken his will. â€Å"I found Solomon in his palace weeping one moment, then screaming with rage the next. While I had been away Catch had come to Solomon's bedchamber, not in the form that Solomon recognized, but in the form of a huge monster, taller than two men and as wide as a team of horses, and the slaves could see him as well. While Solomon watched in horror, the demon snatched Jewel from the bed with a single, talonlike hand and bit her head off. Then the monster swallowed the girl's body and reached for Solomon. But some force protected the king, and Solomon commanded the demon to return to his smaller form. Catch laughed in his face and skulked off to the wives' quarters. â€Å"Through the night the palace was filled with the screams of terrified women. Solomon ordered his guards to attack the demon. Catch swatted them away as if they were flies. By dawn the palace was littered with the crushed bodies of the guards. Of Solomon's thousand wives only two hundred remained alive. Catch was gone. â€Å"During the attack Solomon had called upon the power of the seal and prayed to Jehovah to stop the demon. But the king's will was broken, and so it did no good. â€Å"I sensed then that I might escape Solomon's control altogether, and live free, but even the idiot king would eventually make the connection and my fate would lie in the netherworld. â€Å"I bade Solomon allow me to bring Catch to justice. I knew my power to be much greater than the demon's. But Solomon had only the building of the temple by which to judge my powers, and in that example the demon appeared superior. ‘Do what you can,' he said. ‘If you capture the demon, you may remain on Earth.' â€Å"I found Catch in the great desert, wantonly slaughtering tribes of nomads. When I bound him with my magic, he protested that he had planned to return, for he was enslaved to Solomon by the invocation and could never really escape. He was only having a little sport with the humans, he said. To quiet him, I filled his mouth with sand for the journey back to Jerusalem. â€Å"When I brought Catch to Solomon, the king commanded me to devise a punishment to torment the demon, so that the people of Jerusalem might watch him suffer. I chained Catch to a giant stone outside the palace, then I created a huge bird of prey that swooped on the demon and tore at his liver, which grew back at once, for like the Djinn, the demon was immortal. â€Å"Solomon was pleased with my work. During my absence he had regained his senses somewhat, and thereby his will. I stood before the king awaiting my reward, feeling my powers wane as Solomon's will returned. â€Å"‘I have promised that you shall never be returned to the netherworld, and you shall not,' he said. ‘But this demon has put me off of immortals more than somewhat, and I do not wish that you be allowed to roam free. You shall be imprisoned in a jar and cast into the sea. Should the time come when you are set free to walk the Earth again, you shall have no power over the realm of man except as is commanded by my will, which shall be from now to the end of time the goodwill of all men. By this you shall be bound.' â€Å"He had a jar fashioned from lead and marked it on all sides with a silver seal. Before he imprisoned me, Solomon promised that Catch would remain chained to the rock until his screams burned into the king's soul – so that Solomon might never lose his will or his wisdom again. He said he would then send the demon back to hell and destroy the tablets with the invocations, as well as the great seal. He swore these things to me, as if he believed the fate of the demon meant something to me. I didn't give a camel's fart about Catch. Then he gave me a last command and sealed the jar. His soldiers cast the jar into the Red Sea. â€Å"For two thousand years I languished inside the jar, my only comfort a trickle of seawater that seeped in, which I drank with relish, for it tasted of freedom. â€Å"When the jar was finally pulled from the sea by a fisherman, and I was released, I cared nothing about Solomon or Catch, only about my freedom. I have lived as a man would live these last thousand years, bound by Solomon's will. Of this Solomon spoke truly, but about the demon, he lied.† The little man paused and refilled his cup in the ocean. Augustus Brine was at a loss. It couldn't possibly be true. There was nothing to corroborate the story. â€Å"Begging your pardon, Gian Hen Gian, but why is none of this told in the Bible?† â€Å"Editing,† the Djinn said. â€Å"But aren't you confusing Greek myth with Christian myth? The birds eating the demon's liver sounds an awful lot like the story of Prometheus.† â€Å"It was my idea. The Greeks were thieves, no better than Solomon.† Brine considered this for a moment. He was seeing evidence of the supernatural, wasn't he? Wasn't this little Arab drinking seawater as he watched, with no apparent ill effects? And even if some of it could be explained by hallucination, he was pretty sure that he hadn't been the only one to see the strange blue swirls in the store this morning. What if for a moment – just a moment – he took the Arab's outrageous story for the truth?†¦ â€Å"If this is true, then how do you know, after all this time, that Solomon lied to you? And why tell me about it?† â€Å"Because, Augustus Brine, I knew you would believe. And I know Solomon lied because I can feel the presence of the demon, Catch. And I'm sure that he has come to Pine Cove.† â€Å"Swell,† Brine said. 7 ARRIVAL Virgil Long backed out from under the hood of the Impala, wiped his hands on his coveralls, and scratched at his four-day growth of beard. He reminded Travis of a fat weasel with the mange. â€Å"So you're thinking it's the radiator?† Virgil asked. â€Å"It's the radiator,† Travis said. â€Å"It might be the whole engine is gone. You were running pretty quiet when you drove in. Not a good sign. Do you have a charge card?† Virgil was unprecedented in his inability to diagnose specific engine problems. When he was dealing with tourists, his strategy was usually to start replacing things and keep replacing them until he solved the problem or reached the limit on the customer's credit card, whichever came first. â€Å"It wasn't running at all when I came in,† Travis protested. â€Å"And I don't have a credit card. It's the radiator, I promise.† â€Å"Now, son,† Virgil drawled, â€Å"I know you think you know what you're talking about, but I got a certificate from the Ford factory there on the wall that says I'm a master mechanic.† Virgil pointed a fat finger toward the service station's office. One wall was covered with framed certificates along with a poster of a nude woman sitting on the hood of a Corvette buffing her private parts with a scarf in order to sell motor oil. Virgil had purchased the Master Mechanic certificates from an outfit in New Hampshire: two for five dollars, six for ten dollars, fifteen for twenty. He had gone for the twenty-dollar package. Those who took the time to read the certificates were somewhat surprised to find out that Pine Cove's only service station and car wash had its own factory-certified snowmobile mechanic. It had never snowed in Pine Cove. â€Å"This is a Chevy,† Travis said. â€Å"Got a certificate for those, too. You probably need new rings. The radiator's just a symptom, like these broken headlights. You treat the symptom, the disease just gets worse.† Virgil had heard that on a doctor show once and liked the sound of it. â€Å"What will it cost to just fix the radiator?† Virgil stared deep into the grease spots on the garage floor, as if by reading their patterns and by some mystic mode of divination, petrolmancy perhaps, he would arrive at a price that would not alienate the dark young man but would still assure him an exorbitant hourly rate for his labor. â€Å"Hundred bucks.† It had a nice round ring to it. â€Å"Fine,† Travis said, â€Å"Fix it. When can I have it back?† Virgil consulted the grease spots again, then emerged with a good-ol'-boy smile. â€Å"How's noon sound?† â€Å"Fine,† Travis said. â€Å"Is there a pool hall around here – and someplace I can get some breakfast?† â€Å"No pool hall. The Head of the Slug is open down the street. They got a couple of tables.† â€Å"And breakfast?† â€Å"Only thing open this end of town is H.P.'s, a block off Cypress, down from the Slug. But it's a local's joint.† â€Å"Is there a problem getting served?† â€Å"No. The menu might throw you for a bit. It – well, you'll see.† Travis thanked the mechanic and started off in the direction of H.P.'s, the demon skulking along behind him. As they passed the self-serve car-wash stalls, Travis noticed a tall man of about thirty unloading plastic laundry baskets full of dirty dishes from the bed of an old Ford pickup. He seemed to be having trouble getting quarters to go into the coin box. Looking at him, Travis said: â€Å"You know, Catch, I'll bet there's a lot of incest in this town.† â€Å"Probably the only entertainment,† the demon agreed. The man in the car wash had activated the high-pressure nozzle and was sweeping it back and forth across the baskets of dishes. With each sweep he repeated, â€Å"Nobody lives like this. Nobody.† Some of the overspray caught on the wind and settled over Travis and Catch. For a moment the demon became visible in the spray. â€Å"I'm melt-ing,† Catch whined in perfect Wicked Witch of the West pitch. â€Å"Let's go,† Travis said, moving quickly to avoid more spray. â€Å"We need a hundred bucks before noon.† JENNY In the two hours since Jenny Masterson had arrived at the cafe she had managed to drop a tray full of glasses, mix up the orders on three tables, fill the saltshakers with sugar and the sugar dispensers with salt, and pour hot coffee on the hands of two customers who had covered their cups to indicate that they'd had enough – a patently stupid gesture on their part, she thought. The worst of it was not that she normally performed her duties flawlessly, which she did. The worst of it was that everyone was so damned understanding about it. â€Å"You're going through a rough time, honey, it's okay.† â€Å"Divorce is always hard.† Their consolations ranged from â€Å"too bad you couldn't work it out† to â€Å"he was a worthless drunk anyway, you're better off without him.† She'd been separated from Robert exactly four days and everybody in Pine Cove knew about it. And they couldn't just let it lie. Why didn't they let her go through the process without running this cloying gauntlet of sympathy? It was as if she had a big red D sewed to her clothing, a signal to the townsfolk to close around her like a hungry amoeba. When the second tray of glasses hit the floor, she stood amid the shards trying to catch her breath and could not. She had to do something – scream, cry, pass out – but she just stood there, paralyzed, while the busboy cleaned up the glass. Two bony hands closed on her shoulders. She heard a voice in her ear that seemed to come from very far away. â€Å"You are having an anxiety attack, dear. It shall pass. Relax and breathe deeply.† She felt the hands gently leading her through the kitchen door to the office in the back. â€Å"Sit down and put your head between your knees.† She let herself be guided into a chair. Her mind went white, and her breath caught in her throat. A bony hand rubbed her back. â€Å"Breathe, Jennifer. I'll not have you shuffling off this mortal coil in the middle of the breakfast shift.† In a moment her head cleared and she looked up to see Howard Phillips, the owner of H.P.'s, standing over her. He was a tall, skeletal man, who always wore a black suit and button shoes that had been fashionable a hundred years ago. Except for the dark depressions on his cheeks, Howard's skin was as white as a carrion worm. Robert had once said that H.P. looked like the master of ceremonies at a chemotherapy funfest. Howard had been born and raised in Maine, yet when he spoke, he affected the accent of an erudite Londoner. â€Å"The prospect of change is a many-fanged beast, my dear. It is not, however, appropriate to pay fearful obeisance to that beast by cowering in the ruins of my stemware while you have orders up.† â€Å"I'm sorry, Howard. Robert called this morning. He sounded so helpless, pathetic.† â€Å"A tragedy, to be sure. Yet as we sit, ensconced in our grief, two perfectly healthy daily specials languish under the heat lamps metamorphosing into gelatinous invitations to botulism.† Jenny was relieved that in his own, cryptically charming way, Howard was not giving her sympathy but telling her to get off her ass and live her life. â€Å"I think I'm okay now. Thanks, Howard.† Jenny stood and wiped her eyes with a paper napkin she took from her apron. Then she went off to deliver her orders. Howard, having exhausted his compassion for the day, closed the door of his office and began working on the books. When Jenny returned to the floor, she found that the restaurant had cleared except for a few regular customers and a dark young man she didn't recognize, who was standing by the PLEASE WAIT TO BE SEATED sign. At least he wouldn't ask about Robert, thank God. It was a welcome relief. Not many tourists found H.P.'s. It was tucked in a tree-lined cul-de-sac off Cypress Street in a remodeled Victorian bungalow. The sign outside, small and tasteful, simply read, CAFE. Howard did not believe in advertising, and though he was an Anglophile at heart – loving all things British and feeling that they were somehow superior to their American counterparts – his restaurant displayed none of the ersatz British decor that might draw in the tourists. The cafe served simple food at fair prices. If the menu exhibited Howard Phillips's eccentricity in style, it did not discourage the locals from eating at his place. Next to Brine's Bait, Tackle, and Fine Wines, H.P.'s Cafe had the most loyal clientele in Pine Cove. â€Å"Smoking or nonsmoking?† Jenny asked the young man. He was very good-looking, but Jenny noticed this only in passing. She was conditioned by years of monogamy not to dwell on such things. â€Å"Nonsmoking,† he said. Jenny led him to a table in the back. Before he sat down, he pulled out the chair across from him, as if he were going to put his feet up. â€Å"Will someone be joining you?† Jenny asked, handing him a menu. He looked up at her as if he were seeing her for the first time. He stared into her eyes without saying a word. Embarrassed, Jenny looked down. â€Å"Today's special is Eggs-Sothoth – a fiendishly toothsome amalgamation of scrumptious ingredients so delicious that the mere description of the palatable gestalt could drive one mad,† she said. â€Å"You're joking?† â€Å"No. The owner insists that we memorize the daily specials verbatim.† The dark man kept staring at her. â€Å"What does all that mean?† he asked. â€Å"Scrambled eggs with ham and cheese and a side of toast.† â€Å"Why didn't you just say that?† â€Å"The owner is a little eccentric. He believes that his daily specials may be the only thing keeping the Old Ones at bay.† â€Å"The Old Ones?† Jenny sighed. The nice thing about regular customers is she didn't have to keep explaining Howard's weird menu to them. This guy was obviously from out of town. But why did he have to keep staring at her like that? â€Å"It's his religion or something. He believes that the world was once populated by another race. He calls them the Old Ones. For some reason they were banished from Earth, but he believes that they are trying to return and take over.† â€Å"You're joking?† â€Å"Stop saying that. I'm not joking.† â€Å"I'm sorry.† He looked at the menu. â€Å"Okay, give me an Eggs-Sothoth with a side order of The Spuds of Madness.† â€Å"Would you like coffee?† â€Å"That would be great.† Jenny wrote out the ticket and turned to put the order in at the kitchen window. â€Å"Excuse me,† the man said. Jenny turned in midstep. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"You have incredible eyes.† â€Å"Thanks.† She felt herself blush as she headed off to get his coffee. She wasn't ready for this. She needed some sort of break between being married and being divorced. Divorce leave? They had pregnancy leave, didn't they? When she returned with his coffee, she looked at him for the first time as a single woman might. He was handsome, in a sharp, dark sort of way. He looked younger than she was, twenty-three, maybe twenty-four. She was studying his clothes and trying to get a feel for what he did for a living when she ran into the chair he had pushed out from the table and spilled most of the coffee into the saucer. â€Å"God, I'm sorry.† â€Å"It's okay,† he said. â€Å"Are you having a bad day?† â€Å"Getting worse by the minute. I'll get you another cup.† â€Å"No,† he raised a hand in protest. â€Å"Its fine.† He took the cup and saucer from her, separated them, and poured the coffee back into the cup. â€Å"See, good as new. I don't want to add to your bad day.† He was staring again. â€Å"No, you're fine. I mean, I'm fine. Thanks.† She felt like a geek. She cursed Robert for causing all this. If he hadn't†¦ No, it wasn't Robert's fault. She'd made the decision to end the marriage. â€Å"I'm Travis.† The man extended his hand. She took it, tentatively. â€Å"Jennifer-† She was about to tell him that she was married and that he was nice and all. â€Å"I'm not married,† she said. She immediately wanted to disappear into the kitchen and never come back. â€Å"Me either,† Travis said. â€Å"I'm new in town.† He didn't seem to notice how awkward she was. â€Å"Look, Jennifer, I'm looking for an address and I wonder if you could tell me how to find it? Do you know how to get to Cheshire Street?† Jenny was relieved to be talking about anything but herself. She rattled off a series of streets and turns, landmarks and signs, that would lead Travis to Cheshire Street. When she finished, he just looked at her quizzically. â€Å"I'll draw you a map,† she said. She took a pen from her apron, bent over the table, and began drawing on a napkin. Their faces were inches apart. â€Å"You're very beautiful,† he said. She looked at him. She didn't know whether to smile or scream. Not yet, she thought. I'm not ready. He didn't wait for her to respond. â€Å"You remind me of someone I used to know.† â€Å"Thank you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She tried to remember his name. â€Å"†¦Travis.† â€Å"Have dinner with me tonight?† She searched for an excuse. None came. She couldn't use the one she had used for a decade – it wasn't true anymore. And she hadn't been alone long enough to brush up on some new lies. In fact, she felt that she was somehow being unfaithful to Robert just by talking to this guy. But she was a single woman. Finally she wrote her phone number under the map on the napkin and handed it to him. â€Å"My number's on the bottom. Why don't you call me tonight, around five, and we'll take it from there, okay?† Travis folded the napkin and put it in his shirt pocket. â€Å"Until tonight,† he said. â€Å"Oh, spare me!† a gravely voice said. Jenny turned toward the voice, but there was only the empty chair. To Travis she said, â€Å"Did you hear that?† â€Å"Hear what?† Travis glared at the empty chair. â€Å"Nothing,† Jenny said, â€Å"I'm starting to go over the edge, I think.† â€Å"Relax,† Travis said. â€Å"I won't bite you.† He shot a glance at the chair. â€Å"Your order is up. I'll be right back.† She retrieved the food from the window and delivered it to Travis. While he ate, she stood behind the counter separating coffee filters for the lunch shift, occasionally looking up and smiling at the dark, young man, who paused between bites and smiled back. She was fine, just fine. She was a single woman and could do any damned thing she wanted to. She could go out with anyone she wanted to. She was young and attractive and she had just made her first date in ten years – sort of. Over all of her affirmations her fears flew up and perched like a murder of crows. It occurred to her that she didn't have the slightest idea what she was going to wear. The freedom of single life had suddenly become a burden, a mixed blessing, herpes on the pope's ring. Maybe she wouldn't answer the phone when he called. Travis finished eating and paid his bill, leaving her far too large a tip. â€Å"See you tonight,† he said. â€Å"You bet.† She smiled. She watched him walk across the parking lot. He seemed to be talking to someone as he walked. Probably just singing. Guys did that right after they made a date, didn't they? Maybe he was just a whacko? For the hundredth time that morning she resisted the urge to call Robert and tell him to come home.