Education, Community and Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Education, Community and Diversity - Essay Example The local authorities to be researched are the Manchester City Council and Kent County Council. In addition, this report will concentrate on the major issues concerning the lives of teenagers and children staying in these two districts. The main identifiable difference between the two counties is their population. Information provided by Manchester confidential, reveals that Manchester City Council had a population of 503,100 as of 2011 (Manchester confidential 2012, p. 1). This was an increase of 19 percent from their previous population of 422,700 recorded after the 2001 census. The figure is different from the population of Kent County Council. The population of people staying in this county as from 2013 is presently approximated to be 1,493,500. The population comprises of every individual who stays in this region regardless of their nationality. In addition, it is the biggest non-metropolitan domestic authority region. However, this figure does not include the Medway Council region (Kent County Council 2011, p. 1). The similarity between Manchester City Council and Kent County Council is that both counties have recorded a high rate of child poverty. Manchester’s city center has been experiencing constant financial challenges such as recession. Consequently, Manchester City County has a high rate of child poverty in cities like Moss Side and Hulme that are located slightly away from city center of Manchester. Based on the research done by Wood (2014 p.1), the most affected areas include Longsight that recorded 46.55 percent and Hulme that recorded 47.47 percent. The statistics on the number of teenage children living in poverty in Moss Side was the highest at 49.43 percent. Similar report was recorded in Kent County Council. In 2013, there was disturbing reports that highlighted the increase in the rate of child poverty in the region. It was recorded that more than 56,000 residents of Kent were

Crime Fiction Notes Essay Example for Free

Crime Fiction Notes Essay Study: read over your essay and familiarise yourself with your wording have discussions Figure out the arguments in your head practise exams don’t just Know the material REALLY UNDERSTAND it The Big Sleep Observation: conventions that are constant throughout generations of crime fiction genre (passion, detachment, love, hope, justice) are a reflection on the timeless and universal human needs conventions that are subverted are a reflection of changing values and context Context: 1950’s post WW2 Economic depression Desire for hope, justice, escapism Theorists: Schwartz: â€Å"crime fiction serves to explicate the dangers and pleasures of life. † There is human emotion with which the audience can empathise Gives the illusion that they have entered the world of crime Miller: â€Å"A rhetorically sound definition of genre must be centred not on the substance or form of discourse, but on the action it is used to accomplish,† manipulate audiences empathy to engage them in the text typical of TRADITIONAL crime fiction GENRE Techniques: (Remember these techniques interchangeably and only use the appropriate ones) Context specific 1. Subvert Context: Desire for hope Convention: film noir subgenre traditionally seek to realistically portray the inescapable broken nature of society – subverted – Happy Ending Observation Theorist: Imperative of genre to allow for subversion to become relevant to socio-economic or political context Chandler, â€Å"the cycles and transformations of genre can be seen as a response to the changing political, social and economic conditions† 2. Context: socio-economic context of 1940’s World War 2 America midst of an economic depression employment was low and consequently crime was on the rise yearning for justice and heroism to correct the broken nature of society Convention: Characterisation of Marlowe as determined and relentless Ironic and self-depreciating dialogue â€Å"I’m just a guy whose paid to do other peoples laundry† embodies disposition of lone ranger Heroic connotations, â€Å"why did you have to keep going?†, â€Å"too many people told me to stop.† Observation and Theorist: Crime fiction gives the audience what it NEEDS 3. Context: 1950’s audience can critique broken society and judge morality of characters Convention: Conforms to traditional structure of c/f: red herrings, witnesses, investigation, unveiling of mystery Lack of narration; no point of view; audience critique characters E.G. Marlowe, womanizer, heavy drinker, blatant disrespect for authority and the law, â€Å"I don’t know what I am going to tell them- but it will be pretty close to the truth† retain a degree of morality, reproach toward reprehensible behaviour, â€Å"my, my, my, so many guns for so few brains.† Reflects ambivalent noir concept that everything good is tainted with evil Observation and theorist: Convoluted plotline makes the audience â€Å"objective viewer† Critique the broken society and the morality of characters Livingston, â€Å"different genres are concerned with different world views†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Universal 1. Conform Context: common timeless human desires transcend context and audience and hence are constant throughout generations of crime fiction Convention: human fascination with romantic love interest foregrounded interaction between ‘hardboiled detective’ Marlowe and ‘femme fatal’ Vivien Rutledge Verbal sparring soaked in double-entendres indicative of sexual tension; â€Å"do you always think you can handle people like trained seals?† â€Å"uh-huh and I usually get away with it too† Theorist: Colette, â€Å"romance pervades oral and written story-telling as far back as can be traced† Anil’s Ghost Observations 1. Post-colonial text; exposure to different culture; challenges Western perspective of crime fiction genre Barthes, â€Å"it is in relation to other texts within a genre rather then in relation to lived experiences that we make sense of certain events within a text.† Cohen, â€Å"Genres are open categories. Each member alters the genre by adding, contradicting or changing constituents, especially those members most closely related to it.† 2. Challenges not only our understanding of the genre, but also our perception of the world around us Berger: â€Å"Never again will a single story be told as though it were only the one†. 3. Crime fiction can be a means of contextual political and philosophical discussion The subjectivity of truth Nihilism and post-modernism Techniques 1. Context: socio-political context 1980’s Sri Lanka multifaceted civil war unimaginable for a western audience – but can relate to universal themes Convention: Mystery as a medium for Anil’s quest for her identity Ambiguous characterisation forces reader to share in her frustration and confusion Refuses to be defined or typecast, religious allusion, â€Å"The return of the prodigal†, â€Å"I am not a prodigal† Symbolised through an aggressive campaign to chose her own name Observation and theorist: international audience relate to a common quest multifaceted nature of identity Ambiguity and struggle within an individual, reflective of wider post modern society 2. Observation, context and theorist: Fister; â€Å"crime fiction deliberately exploits anxiety within the reader through reflecting and magnifying societies fear du jour.† Terror of those living within civil war Convention: explored through specific victims, personalise pain; agonising imagery Gunesena’s crucifixion, â€Å"prized the nails from the tarmac, freeing his hands† fear impregnates every facet of society; personification of Sri Lankan national fear through simile used to warn against the dangers of truth, â€Å"truth is like a flame against a lake of petrol† 3. Observation: aware of the horrendous acts of violence but absent from the actual event never presume to understand the degree of suffering novel seeks to extrapolate sympathy NOT empathy Convention: Subversion: post-modern style, not one single perspective, intrusive narration to explore a variety of characters perspectives. (Berger: â€Å"Never again will a single story be told as though it were only the one†.) Foregrounds the differences; â€Å"the darkest Greek tragedies were innocent compared to what was happening here† compares European mythology with Eastern reality, highlights vast discrepancies between crime fiction Theorist: Texts challenge audience’s worldly perceptions; Cole: â€Å"This can function as a form of social protest and reform†¦ giving crime writers the status symbol of social activists.† More on VALUES

A Comparison of Online Universities to Traditional Universities Essay

Online Universities and Traditional Universities Traditional universities are a wonderful way to study for students who have the time and patience to deal with teachers and classmates. In contrast, online universities are the ideal way to study for students who do not have the time to go to school and those who enjoy working at their own pace. Some students enjoy traditional universities while others prefer online universities. If someone chooses a traditional university and then realizes that he or she is unable to keep up with his or her schedule and class work, this student might decide to try an online university. Ultimately, everyone chooses which route works best for him or her. Traditional universities require students to attend class in person on a daily basis. One adva...

Revisiting the NASL

It is said that we are able to see the correctness, validity and impact of our actions only after the moment we act had passed. This article looks back into the experience of the North American Soccer League. This is an attempt to revisit the rise and demise of the league.A Brief HistoryThe North American Soccer League (NASL) was established as a result of the merger of the United Soccer Association and the National Professional Soccer League. It was the culmination of the first modern attempts to create a truly national soccer league in the United States. The NASL even had franchise teams from Canada. Prior to its establishment, soccer competition in the United States was primarily on the semi-professional and amateur level.The United Soccer Association (USA) was sanctioned by the Federation of International Footbal Association (FIFA) and established itself in twelve major cities across the United States. The National Professional Soccer League (NPSL), on the other hand, was not san ctioned by FIFA. It also did not abide by FIFA player transfer rules and had ten franchise teams. Fan interest for the two leagues was initially high and attendance was not bad for the first year.The merger of the two leagues into the NASL, however, was an act of desperation. Fan interest had quickly faded, television ratings were terrible and the teams of the USA and NPSL had experienced massive financial losses. The disastrous start was such that only five teams of the original seventeen teams that started the NASL survived the first two seasons (Holroyd, 2005).Teams folded but new franchises took their place in the league. The turning points in league history took place in the 1971 to 1975 period. The New York Cosmos joined the NASL in 1971 and won the league in 1972. The entry of the Cosmos established the league’s presence in a major market and brought greater media attention to the league. The following year saw the Philadelphia Atoms joining the league. The Atoms also won the league title in their inaugural season. The team was bannered by Kyle Rote Jr., son of a former star of the National Football League’s (NFL) New York Giants. Rote also won the league’s Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards. By 1974, the NASL had grown and have fifteen teams competing (Holroyd, 2005).Before the start of the 1975 season, the New York Cosmos got Edson Arantes do Nascimento (more popularly known as Pelà ©) to play for the team. This move placed the league in the spotlight and significantly increased public interest in soccer in the United States. Pelà ©, of course, is considered possibly the greatest soccer player ever. He gained the moniker â€Å"King of Football† or simply King Pelà © during his career. The attention snowballed through 1977 and culminated with 77,691 spectators for the 1977 playoff game between the Cosmos and the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers at Giants stadium. Pelà © retired from the sport, and the league, in 1 977 after an exhibition game between the two professional football clubs he had played for — New York Cosmos and Santos FC from Brazil (Holroyd, 2005).The NASL followed its success by undergoing a major expansion, adding six teams in 1978. League competition was organized into a NFL-style divisional lineup with a 30-game season. Teams also went into an unprecedented spending spree to sign up international players in an attempt to match the Cosmos’ success or at least remain competitive in the league (Litterer & Holroyd, 2003).Seven years after Pelà ©'s farewell, the league started 1984 (its 17th season) smaller than it had been in over a decade with only nine teams. Also, four of these teams were on shaky financial ground. The league eventually closed down after the Chicago-Toronto best-of-three finals series in Toronto, Canada (Holroyd, 2006).Addressing the MistakesPolicy 1: Develop Homegrown Talents to Generate AwarenessWhat could have the league done to sustain its elf? What could have been avoided? Among the team sports played in the United States, soccer had not yet reached the level of fan interest and media attention that is given to professional baseball, basketball and football. As a result, the franchise teams that made the NASL were in shaky financial standing except for that brief golden period that spanned 1971 to 1977.In this regard, the first issue to address is generating awareness and increasing the interest of fans. Soccer was not, and is not yet, dear to the hearts of American sports spectators. It has not reached the manic-obsessive levels of fan interest outside of the United States. According to Paglia (2007), the nature of the game runs counter to the fundamental element required of a US spectator sport.A hallmark of the most popular outdoor spectator sports in America, for example baseball and football, is that fans try to anticipate the next plays, possible game outcomes and share these speculations with one another. Socc er, by its nature, is an extemporaneous sports with many improvisational plays. It is so fluid that speculating on outcomes is close to impossible.Fan interest could, however, be impacted by creating awareness. In 1975, fan interest and awareness of soccer went up when Pelà © played in the league. At the time of his entry, Pelà © was famous even in the United States. This tack is being duplicated again by the Major League Soccer when the LA Galaxy contracted David Beckham to play for the team. Paglia (2007) sees that Beckham will create an impact but this alone will not â€Å"convert the curious to fans†. Furthermore, the impact may not be at the same level as when Pelà © played in the NASL. The two players are not the same whether in stature or even in playing style.Giorgio Chinaglia, the former Italian international who played alongside Pelà ©, does not think Beckham alone can promote the sport and league. Other big European names have to follow him to produce sustained success. Chinaglia even estimates that around 50 international soccer stars may be needed. (Adderley, 2007). But the NASL have already gone through this route before and it was with disastrous results.Some, even in 1978, had criticized the move to bring in more foreign players as shortsighted. They said that it was more important to develop American talent. But those voices were lonely cries in the wilderness.A lesson could be learned from 1973 when the Philadelphia Atoms won the NASL championship. Fan interest was sparked by the emergence of Kyle Rote Jr. He was considered the first â€Å"All-American† soccer star. The American spectator wants a star to relate to and follow. And it would be better if the star was homegrown. The NASL should link up with amateur, collegiate and semi-professional soccer leagues. It would even be better if it had its own developmental league.Policy 2: Cooperation and Fiscal DisciplineLooking back into the 1978 NASL spending spree, despite the i ncreased audience base and interest, more money was being spent than what was being earned. Operating a sports league is an awkward venture. The owners have to co-operate and make many business decisions collegially despite the fierce team competition. Taking a page from the National Football League’s business model, the NASL could have developed an internal incentive system that would stabilize team expenditures and â€Å"equalize† revenue generation.Two sets of incentives used by the NFL are (1) the teams' owners share roughly 70% of their revenues with each other; and (2) they stick to a strict salary cap that limits the amount each team can spend on players' salaries. As a result of these incentives, all thirty-two teams in the NFL have an even chance of being financially viable and athletically competitive despite having different market base (The Economist, 2006). Admittedly, the NASL attempted to institute a salary cap in 1984 but by then it was to little to lat e.Policy 3: Align Game to International StandardsSoccer’s World Cup is the biggest sporting event in world. The third policy that NASL could have done was to align its tournament format to that of the World Cup and international competition.By establishing a tournament format aligned to international (or globally accepted/recognized) format helps the league in two ways. One is that the American audience is educated on the mechanics of the game, and consequently increases the level of appreciation for the sport. Another is that the level of play of American players also gets aligned to that of foreign national teams.European football leagues hold inter-league competitions to determine the â€Å"continental† champion. For example, the Italian League champion plays against the French League champion. The NASL had already previously done this through friendly tours. The Ft. Lauderdale Strikers made a tour of England in February 1978. Foreign teams also toured the United St ates.Becoming competitive against foreign soccer teams could have helped in sustaining fan interest and support. Case in point is the impact of US National Team’s achievement in the 1994 World Cup. The team surpassed all expectations and reached the quarterfinals. This accomplishment sparked greater interest in the sport.ReferencesAdderley, Nigel. 2007. Beckham’s US Test. Accessed October 25, 2007 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6294762.stmHolroyd, Steve. 2005. The Year in American Soccer – 1984. Accessed October 25, 2007 from http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1984.html2006. The Year in American Soccer – 1968. Accessed October 25, 2007 from http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1968.htmlLitterer, David and Steve Holroyd. 2003. The Year in American Soccer – 1978. Accessed October 25, 2007 from http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1978.htmlPaglia, Jim. 2007. A Naysayer View of Pro Soccer. Accessed October 25, 2007 from http://www.soccera merica.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage;art_aid=22406The Economist. 2006. In a league of its own. [Electronic version] Accessed October 25, 2007 from http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6859210

Chile’s economy Essay

According to the CIA world fact book, Chile is located in the southern part of South America and it borders the South Pacific Ocean. It is endowed with natural resources like copper, iron ore, timber as well as precious metals. A brief history of Chile’s people in terms of their literacy levels and demographics is vital in as far as understanding any economy is concerned. Chile’s population as at July 2008 stood at 16 454 143 with the highest proportion in terms of age structure being from the 15-64 years category, the dependent age group 0-14 account for 23. 6% and those aged 65 and above account for 8. 8%. This is a plus to her economic growth as a large proportion is comprised of energetic or productive people. The population growth rate according to CIA estimates was 0. 905% while the death rate and birth rate were 14. 82 birth/1000 and 5. 77 deaths/1000 population respectively. (CIA, 2008). Chile records a very high literacy level at 95. 7% for the total population with makes recording a slightly higher rate by 0. 2% CIA further noted that Chile’s government spent approximately 3. 2% of the country’s GDP on education in 2006. This paper focuses on Chile’s economy; of much importance will be the economic reforms that took place, as well as trade and its effects on her economic progress. In his distinguished book ‘Economic reforms in Chile’, Ricardo noted that since her independence Chile remained stable politically as well as economically thus being the envied state in the Latin America. Chile survived the constant extent shocks or forces beyond her control and modernized her institutions while ensuring increased economic progress. Inequalities in incomes were visible as early as 1970’s as the emerging middle class that lived in the urban areas grew. (Ffrench-Davis R, 2002). The inequalities in income distribution precipitated the increased political developments to rectify the situation to an extent that the political development did not match the economic progress. Effros in ‘Current Legal Issues Affecting Central Banks’ noted that Chile’s economic reforms started as early as the 1970s and before this period the state owned companies had a significant role in the countries economic growth. (Effros R, 1995). Before the World War 1 erupted Chile was recording a positive and diversified economic growth and the economic elite influenced the consumption trends. The growth was blamed on trade where exports were quite significant and so were the spill over effects on the economy. Before the direct depression hit Chile’s economy was among the most developed within the Latin America region in terms of per capita income and social transformation. Some people argue that Chile was among the most adversely hit countries by the great depression as when the thriving trade declined her terms of trade remained low up to the 1960’s. (Ffrench-Davis R, 2002). An industrial expansion in the early 50’s revived the country’s economic growth. The adverse effects of the Great depression especially on the trade sector were minimized by the economic policies put in place by the government. During the era of President Alessandri Palma a conservatist, fiscal measures as well as trade controls were put in place to counter the effects of a recession. There was need to develop new industries especially on the critical sectors like electric power and fuel as well as the human capital. During this period there was a general consensus that the state would effectively ensure that the situation was rectified. Problems experienced during this time included the stagnation of the agricultural sector and the unbalanced emphasis on imports substitution was to blame for the prevailing balance of payment. In the 1950’s there was a significant inflation rate precipitating the need for economic reforms. The Carlos Ibanez, government lost its popularity due to the prevailing economic conditions that people protested in the streets. (Ffrench-Davis R, 2002).

A Study of Power Projects in Ravi Basin in Chamba District Essay Example

A Study of Power Projects in Ravi Basin in Chamba District Essay Example A Study of Power Projects in Ravi Basin in Chamba District Essay A Study of Power Projects in Ravi Basin in Chamba District Essay Dams have had serious impacts on the lives, livelihoods, culture and spiritual existence of indigenous, tribal and illiterate people, and on the physical environmental conditions and biodiversity. As far as the dam related developmental activities in Himalaya Himalayas are concerned, they got momentum during 5th five year plan and at present there are more than 400 power projects in five perennial river basins spread over 55,673 sq. Km geographical area. Every basin is being excessively exploited which has a considerable impact on environment and threatening the lives and livelihood of the mountain inhabitants. The present paper is based on the primary research carried out in Rave basin of the state. There are ore than 80 power projects of different magnitudes in 40 rivulets that have been earmarked for the planned development and received detrimental impact on the available traditional knowledge because of multiple reasons. In the present paper the responsibility of hydroelectric power projects for threatening the existing traditional knowledge which are serving social, cultural, spiritual, and economic aspects of communities since ages but with the installation of developmental projects these are being threaten, will be analyzed which is based on original micro lied research carried out in the lower Himalayan Region by using exploratory, descriptive and participatory method of research. To analyses the impacts on 03 commissioned power projects, 500 respondents from 55 villages divided in seven research cluster, selected by cluster convince simple random sampling methods have been used. Received data codified, interpreted by applying suitable statistical tools. KEYWORDS: hydroelectric power projects; traditional knowledge; environment, ecosystem services, impact on livelihood. Http://www. Tar]. In 65 INTRODUCTION environmental conditions and biodiversity. Throughout human history natural resources have been exploited to sustain growing human populations. Over the last few decades, rising economic growth rates in most developing countries have contributed to increasing levels of exploitation of natural resources and environment degradation, which unchecked could have detrimental effects on future growth patterns. The increase in the world energy demand forced to increase generation of energy from various sources. By 2100 global mean-temperatures are forecasted to be raised by 1. 4 to 5. Degree centigrade with an accompanying increase in global mean- precipitation levels [2]. The increase demand of energy can be met by increasing hydrophone generation [2]. Global hydrophone production currently supplying around 19 % of global demand, and is anticipated to be increased three-fold in next century [1]. However, studies indicate that declining river flows, as a result of climate changes will lead to declining hydrophone production. Against a backdrop of rising global surface temperature, Indian monsoon remained unstable in the past century. Using daily rain fall data, Swami et. (2006) observed significant rise in the frequency and magnitude of extreme rain and decrease in the frequency of moderate rain in central India. Swahili (2007), using a multinational global model, simulates energy supply and demand, price trajectory and growth. It is shown that higher energy prices generated by rapid growth in China and India may constrain other countries growth. Hydrological data defined on an annual time scale are generally characterized stationary unless there are l arge-scale climate variability, natural disruptions and human-induced changes such as reservoir construction Salsas, 1993). At present, in the developing state of countrys economy, requirement of electrical power for both industrial and agricultural use has been increased over the year. The Report of the Group on Power for 10th plan estimated the need based capacity addition of 62,213 MAW during 1 lath plan. Thus, it is necessary to commission projects to generate power to bridge the ever-increasing gap in demand and supply scenario. Up to March, 2010, out of total estimated potential capacity of power generation in India (1, 50,000 MAW) only 15 per cent has been commissioned and 7 per .NET is on the way of its commissioning. On the one hand, it is necessary to expedite massive plan known as Mission-2012, Power for All, under which 50,000 MAW hydroelectric powers is to be added in the existing power generation capacity but on the other hand, with this 22% exploitation of power ill-effects have become visible. Canadian group of researchers has observed that hydro power is no more pollution free; it omits greenhouse gases along with other many socioeconomic, cultural, psychological, livelihood and climatic impacts in the areas where such types of developmental mills are planned. Traditional knowledge (TX) generally refer to the long-standing traditions and practices of certain regional, indigenous, or local communities which are being used by them to sustain their TRANS Asian Research Journals lives. TX is also encompasses the wisdom, knowledge, and teachings of these communities and in many cases, it has been orally transmitted from generation to generation and sometimes from person to person in one generation. Some forms of traditional knowledge are expressed through stories, legends, folklore, rituals, songs, and even laws. Other forms of traditional knowledge are expressed through different meaner. Himalaya Pradesh is a mountainous state having about thousand perennial streams which form a diverse drainage system in the state. It has five perennial rivers of Indus water system I. E. Chance, Yamaha, Rave, Status and Baas (The fig. L shows four major rivers of Indus water system I. E.

Classical Conservatism vs Contemporary Conservatism in US

Classical Conservatism vs Contemporary Conservatism in US Introduction Political ideologies in the United States have undergone several changes in the past century. For instance, the country moved from nationalism to liberalism during its economic upsurge. Moreover, there have been notable differences between â€Å"classical conservatism† and â€Å"contemporary conservatism.† This shows that the country’s ideologies have changed over time. Before the World War II, the world had three conflicting ideologies, namely, fascism, communism and liberalism.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Classical Conservatism vs Contemporary Conservatism in US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The liberals and communists came together to fight fascists in the World War II. Once fascists were defeated, a conflict arose between liberal and communists, which led to the Cold War that lasted 40 years. The latter was defeated, however, it did not stop conflict among the l iberals. Issues like race, gender, and gay, among others raised concern over the future of liberalism. This paper will explore the differences between â€Å"classical conservatives† and â€Å"conservatives.† It will also try to explore what the conservatives claim to conserve (Dolbeare and Cummings 115). Differences between classical conservatives and conservatives Classical conservatism is coined from Edmund Burke’s criticism of liberalism. It majored mainly on liberal’s view of human nature, governance, and freedom. According to classical liberals, humans are naturally rational, calculative, self-interested as well as competitive. In this regard, they maximize their advantage at the expense of others; they are governed by a system of law. Moreover, this system is governed by a minimal state that comprised of civil society that has a social contract to protect property and liberty. However, classical conservatives believe that humans are not self-interes ted (Ball and Dagger 46-83). In fact, according to Burke, humans are creatures of customs, traditions, and habits, moreover, he believes that individuals pass but the society remains. Moreover, classical conservatives believe that freedom is an indisputable value; the only thing is that it interferes with another person’s enjoyment. In addition, classical conservatives do not believe that freedom has to be a good thing; they believe that it can be and cannot. Classical conservatives, therefore, believe that democracy gives people too much power to control themselves and it is liable to abuse (Ball and Dagger 46-83). On the other hand, conservatives (also known as modern conservatives) attach themselves to modern society values more than classical conservatives do. For instance, they believe that freedom works when it allows individuals to compete with others, which is especially relevant in terms of economics.Advertising Looking for critical writing on political scien ces? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This ideology is quite different from classical conservatives who do not encourage self-interest. In essence, modern conservatives regard capitalism as freedom (Ball and Dagger 93-120). Moreover, conservatives claim that problems are intricately simple being quite different from the classical conservative view that consists in the fact that problems are usually complex given its social fabric (Ball and Dagger 93-120). Interestingly, modern conservatives have watered-down most of their original ideologies to such an extent that they are closely linked to classical liberals. Conclusion From the discussion above, it can be noted that conservatives have watered down most of their former believes with changing political systems in the United States. It can also be noted that conservatives are much closer to liberals than their classical counterparts are. Moreover, it is clearly seen what conse rvatives consider to have remained, given the changes that have occurred over the centuries. For instance, while classical conservatives are suspicious of capitalism, conservatives are not. In addition, modern conservatives believe that problems are easy to solve, something that is highly disputed by their classical counterparts (Ball and Dagger 93-120). Worked Cited Ball, Terence, and Dagger, Richard. Political Ideologies and the Democratic ideal, New York, NY: Pearson Press, 2009. Dolbeare, Kenneth, and Cummings Michael. American Political Thought, Washington: CQ Press, 2009. Print.

Quest and Pursuit

Quest and Pursuit Quest and Pursuit Quest and Pursuit By Maeve Maddox A reader asks,    Whats the difference between Quest and Pursuit?   Under which situation their usage  should be preferred.  Please offer some examples.   Ã‚   On one level, the words are synonyms:    The congressman himself has been fascinatingly silent in pursuit of the nomination.    He had resigned his ambassadorship to return home  in quest of the nomination.    However, the words differ in connotation. In the first example given above, pursuit lacks emotional force. The use of quest in the second sentence implies that the nomination is something the ambassador strongly desires and that he is willing to endure great suffering in order to obtain it.    In the fifteenth century, Sir Thomas Malory and other authors used quest to refer to the noble undertaking of a knight. The knight’s quest might be the rescue of a maiden or the killing of a giant. In Arthurian romance, quest was often associated with the search for the ultimate prize, the Holy Grail. Because of the lingering association with the Grail of Jesus, quest retains a loftier connotation than pursuit.    The word quest can also refer to the particular type of narrative described by Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949). Examples of the â€Å"quest story† are Gilgamesh, Beowulf, and Star Wars. Here’s Campbell’s definition: A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.    Pursuit, on the other hand, refers to the action of chasing something.    In early use (1387), the purpose of a pursuit was to overtake and capture, harm, or kill the thing being chased. Later, the word acquired the more general sense of simply following or chasing something, not necessarily with the intention to do it harm.    In colloquial speech, we all use quest in contexts that do not involve adventure or the good of our fellow man. Here are typically extravagant uses of quest in mundane contexts:    Yesterday, I went on a  quest  for a  pair of pants  that fit.      Growing the perfect  tomato  is a  quest for  many gardeners.    These theaters in Atlanta lend an epic element to any cinematic night out or quest for summer blockbuster viewing.    Epic is frequently found in the company of the already strong word quest:    Jon Stewart goes on epic quest with a red balloon to prove Dick Cheney wrong on Iran    One female veteran’s epic quest for a ‘foot that fits’    The Greenville Public Schools Board of Education is embarking on an epic quest to find a new superintendent.    I’m home from my first epic quest adventure.  [a restaurant tour]    Preposition use with quest and pursuit can be tricky. One goes â€Å"in quest of justice,† for example, but one is â€Å"on a quest for justice.† Police go â€Å"in pursuit of a criminal,† but they could find themselves â€Å"in pursuit for hours.† Pursuit conveys chasing, searching, or desiring. Quest implies courage, hardship, and altruism. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Exquisite Adjectives30 Baseball Idioms12 Misunderstood and Misquoted Shakespearean Expressions

Fatigue and Performance in Aviation Research Paper

Fatigue and Performance in Aviation - Research Paper Example The dizziness may make the pilots unresponsive for some time. If the pilots succumb to their fatigue, they end up sleeping; thus, causing accidents or going beyond their destinations. FAA has failed to enact proper regulations that would ensure that pilots get enough sleep in between their flights, especially for short flights. Most airlines give their pilots only 7 hours of which some are spent checking out and transit to hotels. This is not enough as it mostly leads to fatigue, and thus, lowers the performance of the aviation crew. Therefore, FAA should note that sleep is triggered by fatigue and to solve sleep among the pilots, FAA should review their rules to allow time for sleep and rest to their pilots. Increasing frequencies in aviation accidents have called for attention on the causes of these accidents. Several factors cause aircraft accidents. However, researchers have attributed aircraft accidents to pilot and crew failures of psychological or physiological nature. Psychologists argue on the result of biological and psychological factors on the crews and pilots management of the plane. Psychologists have considered fatigue and lack of sleep as the main factors responsible for aviation accidents. Because of the nature of flight schedules, crew finds little time to sleep or even have some sleep. Absence of sleep and rest influences the alertness and performance (Wiener 650). Pilot fatigue has had the upper hand on the aircraft accidents. Fatigue refers to a mental state characterized by reduced mental and physical performance resulting from workload or loss of sleep. Fatigue impairs human performance, and thus, has negative impacts on work among other day-to-day activities. Many aviation accidents have occurred because of the crews’ tiredness or sleep, which reduce their level of alertness; hence, inability to follow procedures and operations. Initially, pilots’ flight time for non-stop travels were

Millstream Hotel and Restaurant Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Millstream Hotel and Restaurant - Article Example The elegant sitting room, with its comfortable and luxurious, grand piano, sprinkled with freshly cut flowers and peaceful ambiance, is the ideal place to chat up with friends over afternoon tea or an aperitif. Bosham is an ideal center from which to discover this area of spectacular natural beauty and historical interest.   This beautiful hotel has 35 rooms out of which three are suites and each room is decorated in a uniquely elegant fashion with all the necessary amenities for a luxurious and comfortable stay. The hotel is located close to some good recreational facilities like golf, sailing, squash, riding and water sports which can be easily accessed. The popular restaurant is open all through the year and serves some of the most excellent delicacies in that part of town. There are a few famous historical attractions for the holidaymakers like Chichester Festival Theatre, Fishbourne Roman Palace, and West Dean Gardens. On a sunny day, the lawns can be inviting where you can relax under the shade and enjoy the ducks in the nearby lake. You can enjoy a pleasant evening in the beautiful and well-kept gardens along with your friends and family over a cup of tea and delicious snacks. A well maintained and luxurious spa can add a lot of value to the residents who can relax and enjoy a good massage or get pampered in style. The spa is the latest trend in the hotel industry around the world. You can add on a spa facility or take on a branded spa on the franchise which can boost your hotels' facility outlook to a great extent. Most of the clients now expect a spa in the hotel as they look for a complete relaxation package when checking into a hotel. The wellness tourism has caught on in a big way where health and wellness spas are frequented by tourists who are becoming health and beauty conscious. A well-equipped spa can provide guests with Jacuzzi, steam, sauna, exotic massages and various other treatments that would add on to the luxury of the hotel.  

Farm Bill 2014 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Farm Bill 2014 - Research Paper Example dent Barrack Obama signed the bill into law after a successful procedure of amendment by the United States house representatives and United States senate (Wfan.org 2). The bill signed to law has an investment budget of over $489 billion which targets innovative programs to boost agriculture in the next five years (Wfan.org 2). The agriculture Act of 2014 is a powerful tool with important legislation will ensure that millions of American citizens have a huge historic gain. The bill aims at creating new jobs for Americans across the rural setups (Wfan.org 2). Moreover, agriculture markets according to the bill will be expanded primarily locally and internationally. This will ensure the farm produce harvested are sold quickly in the best markets globally. It should be noted that this farm Bill 2014 already signed into law by president Obama of United States of America is one of the greatest move American government has taken which will save tax payers over $24 billion (Sustainableagriculture.net 4). This is due to the reforms the law supersedes that will make farming easier and ensure timely accessibility to market. To begin with, the law has stated clear directives concerning agriculture commodities. Farming is one of the most unique profession businesses that face much risk for example; bad weather, natural calamities and poor marketing. The bill has clearly terminated direct payments, strengthened crop insurance and also encouraged innovative risk management approaches (Sustainableagriculture.net 4). This specifically will enable farmers to gain more assistance in farm production primarily when their farm is threatened by various risks emanating factors which are beyond control (Sustainableagriculture.net 4). In addition to this, the bill also ended direct farm payment to millionaire (Sustainableagriculture.net 4). To expand on this, it is clear that farmers with adjusted gross income (AGI) which hits $900000 and above are ineligible for payment from farm

Analyze how Nguyen Du uses an element of literature to develop a theme Essay

Analyze how Nguyen Du uses an element of literature to develop a theme in THE TALE OF KIEU, or if you wish to push yourself to a - Essay Example The imageries in the tale are perceived as symbols that define a character. A common object used in the poem is the moon. Moon has a great significance to the society especially to Asian people whose cultural beliefs revolve around it. Thus with reference to Asian’s, the author has used to convey the message more significantly. For instance, Chinese believe in the goddess moon and as a result make extensively use images of the moon in their literature works. Imagery of moon has been used to illustrate Kieu, who is the tale’s main character. She is a beautiful, attractive lady and thus the author likens her to the moon in order to emphasize her character and striking physical appearance. The moon diligently and gradually shines from a crescent to a full moon within the same time period year in year out. Despite the weather changes, it is persistent to complete its course. Like the moon, Kieu faces many challenges and complications. However, her undeterred persistence and determined to retain her natural character and assume her role is alarming. She even takes the risk of engaging herself in the prostitution to defend her responsibility to her father. In addition, the moon has been used to describe other characters in the tale such as the Thuy sisters. Kieu and Van are both charming and physically attractive. Their beauty epitomizes that of the goddess moon in the Chinese culture. Men who admire and praise her because of her enticing look illustrate the beauty of Kieu. Chinese believe in a goddess moon called Chang-o, a moon ruler whom they highly praise due to her feminine beauty that surpasses any generations. According to the author, Kieu deserves such a high position in the society. Moreover, the changing aspects of her life are characteristic to those of the moon. Just as the moon changes from crescent, that only shines with mild brightness and grows into a full to assume more lighting responsibility, so do her responsibilities increase as she matures. In addition, Kim and Kieu’s lover share such deep love that they pledge vows to the moon. As they do so, the moon is shining brightly and epitomizes their moods at that point in time. Their happiness and excitement could be equated to the moon’s brightness. In addition, the poem ends with Kieu reuniting with her family and lover, Kim, after having been away for fifteen years. Author uses the imagery to illustrate her happiness by saying the moon shone unusually bright at that time (Du 161). Her past fifteen years can be likened to the numerous dark nights that are slowly lit by the moon. The unusually bright full moon depicts joyous return home. Imagery has also been used to illustrate mental conditions of Kieu. A crescent appears during cold windy night (Du 85). At this time, she is sitting at the window while waiting for Thuc. A crescent mood is used to illustrate her low mood since it produces a less bright light as compared to the full moon just as she ap pears gloomy and dull. The presence of three stars surrounding the crescent shows that Kieu has missed Thuc. This is because, to a Chinese character, crescent together with three stars represent the heart, which is also part to the name given to Thuc in Vietnamese. Lastly, the physical nature of the moon illustrates her determination to retain her original personality of innocence and faith despite the challenges in life. In her life,

The Choice Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Choice Program - Essay Example It was to be provided to both the public and private schools of the choice of the students. The eligibility of the students entailed the students being dwellers of Douglas County School District (DCSD). In addition, they were to be current students of DCSD schools and must have been within the district within a year. The management keeps a partnership with the students of Douglas community, the schools the students go to, and their parents as well. They are responsible for all the students in Douglas. Choice scholarship program seeks to provide the ideal learning environment for children, world class education so that the children can compete with anybody in the world, and system performance. The intention of system performance is to measure the potential outcomes that are provided for the students (DCSD Para 2). They have strategies or plans with three major priorities such as choice which have more than twenty different techniques or strategies for improving parents’ capability of marching the schools they desire for their children. Choice Scholarship Programs funding does not emanate from the district funding though on legal basis they have a right to access these funds. The board privately raises the funds for the program and tax payers’ cash has not been used in the legal processes or operation of the program. They are paid for by funds that are donated (DCSD Para 3). The establishment of the program entailed obtaining views from parents and developing some sense of quality control. The schools that the program partnered with had to meet the requisite requirements that had been stipulated by the environment. The private schools were task with the responsibility of treating all the students equally irrespective of the student obtaining scholarship from the Choice program or not. The program was to be within the standard statue and they created a charted school that allowed them to work with the students better. The charter school has

Analyze how Nguyen Du uses an element of literature to develop a theme Essay

Analyze how Nguyen Du uses an element of literature to develop a theme in THE TALE OF KIEU, or if you wish to push yourself to a - Essay Example The imageries in the tale are perceived as symbols that define a character. A common object used in the poem is the moon. Moon has a great significance to the society especially to Asian people whose cultural beliefs revolve around it. Thus with reference to Asian’s, the author has used to convey the message more significantly. For instance, Chinese believe in the goddess moon and as a result make extensively use images of the moon in their literature works. Imagery of moon has been used to illustrate Kieu, who is the tale’s main character. She is a beautiful, attractive lady and thus the author likens her to the moon in order to emphasize her character and striking physical appearance. The moon diligently and gradually shines from a crescent to a full moon within the same time period year in year out. Despite the weather changes, it is persistent to complete its course. Like the moon, Kieu faces many challenges and complications. However, her undeterred persistence and determined to retain her natural character and assume her role is alarming. She even takes the risk of engaging herself in the prostitution to defend her responsibility to her father. In addition, the moon has been used to describe other characters in the tale such as the Thuy sisters. Kieu and Van are both charming and physically attractive. Their beauty epitomizes that of the goddess moon in the Chinese culture. Men who admire and praise her because of her enticing look illustrate the beauty of Kieu. Chinese believe in a goddess moon called Chang-o, a moon ruler whom they highly praise due to her feminine beauty that surpasses any generations. According to the author, Kieu deserves such a high position in the society. Moreover, the changing aspects of her life are characteristic to those of the moon. Just as the moon changes from crescent, that only shines with mild brightness and grows into a full to assume more lighting responsibility, so do her responsibilities increase as she matures. In addition, Kim and Kieu’s lover share such deep love that they pledge vows to the moon. As they do so, the moon is shining brightly and epitomizes their moods at that point in time. Their happiness and excitement could be equated to the moon’s brightness. In addition, the poem ends with Kieu reuniting with her family and lover, Kim, after having been away for fifteen years. Author uses the imagery to illustrate her happiness by saying the moon shone unusually bright at that time (Du 161). Her past fifteen years can be likened to the numerous dark nights that are slowly lit by the moon. The unusually bright full moon depicts joyous return home. Imagery has also been used to illustrate mental conditions of Kieu. A crescent appears during cold windy night (Du 85). At this time, she is sitting at the window while waiting for Thuc. A crescent mood is used to illustrate her low mood since it produces a less bright light as compared to the full moon just as she ap pears gloomy and dull. The presence of three stars surrounding the crescent shows that Kieu has missed Thuc. This is because, to a Chinese character, crescent together with three stars represent the heart, which is also part to the name given to Thuc in Vietnamese. Lastly, the physical nature of the moon illustrates her determination to retain her original personality of innocence and faith despite the challenges in life. In her life,

Novels and god Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Novels and god - Essay Example In this context, the author quotes and correlates the Bible by stating, â€Å"Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, â€Å"Who sees us? Who will know?† (Isaiah 29:15). This gives us a great understanding of God and morality that behind human actions, this itself is free will. I think one can sense the serenity of Susie and other authors on acceptance of faith even though they had the misfortune of this terrible crime such as Susie in Lovely Bones. However, some readers may feel angry and even frustrated about religion and morality. It almost seems that one can be mad about God not punishing these killers. On the contrary, nothing is ever hidden from God and this world is just an illusion. Some readers understand that everyone must give account to God and it may seem that they get away with their heinous crimes, but that is not the reality of the matter. "The Lovely Bones also known as "Lovely Bone," "Lovely Bones," "Desde mi cielo," "Amabili resti," "Cennetimden Bakarken," "Flickan frÃÆ' ¥n ovan," "In meinem Himmel," "Oma taivas," "PevnÃÆ' © pouto," "Um Olhar do ParaÃÆ' ­so," "V mojih nebesih," "Visto do CÃÆ' ©u"." The Lovely Bones (2009) ...review and/or viewer comments à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Christian Spotlight on the Movies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ ChristianAnswers.Net. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2014.

Different Types of Credit Cards Essay Example for Free

Different Types of Credit Cards Essay INTRODUCTION In this assignment, I am doing a particular study about the different types of credit cards. A credit card is a payment card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows the cardholder to pay for goods and services based on the holders promise to pay for them. The issuer of the card creates a revolving account and grants a line of credit to the consumer (or the user) from which the user can borrow money for payment to a merchant or as a cash advance to the user. A credit card is different from a charge card: a charge card requires the balance to be paid in full each month. In contrast, credit cards allow the consumers a continuing balance of debt, subject to interest being charged. A credit card also differs from a cash card, which can be used like currency by the owner of the card. A credit card differs from a charge card also in that a credit card typically involves a third-party entity that pays the seller and is reimbursed by the buyer, whereas a charge card simply defers payment by the buyer until a later date. The size of most credit cards is 85.60 Ãâ€" 53.98 mm (33/8 Ãâ€" 21/8 in), conforming to the ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 standard. Credit cards have an embossed bank card number complying with the ISO/IEC 7812 numbering standard. Credit cards Credit cards now are of various types with different fees, interest rates and rewarding programs. When applying for a credit card, it is important to learn of their diverse types to know the one best suited to their lifestyle and financial status. Different types of credit cards available by banks and other companies/organizations are briefly described below. Standard Credit Card: This is the most commonly used. One is allowed to use money up to a certain limit. The account holder has to top up the amount once the level of the balance goes down. An outstanding balance gets a penalty charge. Premium Credit Card: This has a much higher bank account and fees. Incentives are offered in this over and above that in a standard card. Credit card holders are offered travel incentives, reward points, cask back and other rewards on the use of this card. This is also called the Reward Credit Card. Some examples are: airlines frequent flier credit card, cash back credit card, automobile manufacturers rewards credit card. Platinum and Gold, MasterCard and Visa card fall into this category . Secured Credit Card: People without credit history or with tarnished credit can avail this card. A security deposit is required amounting to the same as the credit limit. Revolving balance is required according to the buying and selling done. The cardholder of a secured credit card is still expected to make regular payments, as with a regular credit card, but should they default on a payment, the card issuer has the option of recovering the cost of the purchases paid to the merchants out of the deposit. The advantage of the secured card for an individual with negative or no credit history is that most companies report regularly to the major credit bureaus. This allows building a positive credit history. Although the deposit is in the hands of the credit card issuer as security in the event of default by the consumer, the deposit will not be debited simply for missing one or two payments. Usually the deposit is only used as an offset when the account is closed, either at the request of the customer or due to severe delinquency (150 to 180 days). This means that an account which is less than 150 days delinquent will continue to accrue interest and fees, and could result in a balance which is much higher than the actual credit limit on the card. Limited Purpose Credit Card: There is limitation to its use and is to be used only for particular applications. This is used for establishing small credits such as gas credits and credit at departmental stores. Minimal charges are levied. Charge Credit Card: This requires the card holder to make full payment of the balance every month and therefore there is no limit to credit. Because of the spending flexibility, the card holder is expected to have a higher income level and high credit score. Penalty is incurred if full payment of the balance is not done in time. Specialty Credit Card: It is used for business purposes enabling businessmen to keep their businesses transactions separately in a convenient way. Charge cards and standard cards are available for this. Also, students enrolled in an accredited 4-year college/university course can avail this benefit. Prepaid Credit Card: Here, money is loaded by the card holder on to the card. It is like a debit card except that it is not tied up with a bank account. This is directly connected to savings account. The payments from this card can be made until there is balance in the account. Low Interest Rate Credit Cards: This credit card is highly useful as they will have low interest rates. Business Credit Cards Credit cards that are specifically for business use only. They give the privilege for business owners to have an easy method of keeping and separating personal and business transaction. This credit card is available for businessmen who have large scale, small scale or medium scale business to look after. This card is highly useful for facilitating businessman’s training programs, travel and entertainment programs. Gold Credit Card: Gold credit cards are made for higher income groups who also have higher credit rating. It is a status symbol and is considered prestigious. The features of gold credit cards are: Cash withdrawal limit is higher Credit limit is higher Provides one Add-on card which can be given to either, spouse, children or parents of the credit card holder Provides many privileges such as travel insurance, reward points, cash back offers etc. Platinum or Titanium Card: P latinum or Titanium cards are similar to gold credit cards but they have few more additional benefits. The additional features may differ from bank to bank. Few common features are listed below: Protection against credit card loss and theft. Protection against online fraud transactions Protection against sickness and injury by an accident. There is no yearly fee Silver Credit Card: Silver credit cards are the standard credit cards available and most of the employed people with 4 or 5 years’ experience can own this type of card. The features of silver cards are: Lower membership fees The applicant need not be a high- salaried person to buy silver card. The interest rate is 0% initially between 6-9 months when transferring account balance from one credit provider to another one. If the credit history of the card holder is good, the credit limit provided will be the same as provided to other credit cards. There are many other types of credit cards sold in India. Few are mentioned below: Rewards Credit Card: This card has rewards attached to it on based on usage of the card, for e.g. A card may offer 5% discount on fuel, if it is used to buy fuel and gas, or a card may offer cash back facility if a certain amount is spent through it. Balance Transfer Credit Card: This card is bought to pay outstanding amount of one card with the other. In this too there are cards that offer interest-free time period. List of credit cards provided by the various banks: Indian Overseas Bank Visa International Credit card Axis Platinum card Bank of Indias India Card Gold International Card Citibank Dinners Club International card ICICI Bank Online card Syndicate Global Gold Credit Card CorpBank Gold card Vijaya Bank Visa Gold Credit Card HSBC Platinum card CorpBank Classic card Vijaya Bank VISA Classic International Card HDFC Silver credit card Conclusion Here we discussed about various types credit cards that using for the simplicity in transactions. Many credit cards can also be used in an ATM to withdraw money against the credit limit extended to the card, but many card issuers charge interest on cash advances before they do so on purchases. As well as convenient, accessible credit, credit cards offer consumers an easy way to track expenses, which is necessary for both monitoring personal expenditures and the tracking of work-related expenses for taxation and reimbursement purposes. Credit cards are accepted worldwide, and are available with a large variety of credit limits, repayment arrangement, and other perks (such as insurance protection, rewards schemes in which points earned by purchasing goods with the card can be redeemed for further goods and services or cashback). Some countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, limit the amount for which a consumer can be held liable due to fraudulent transactions as a result of a consumers credit card being lost or stolen.

Project Management Of The Emirates Stadium Construction Essay

Project Management Of The Emirates Stadium Construction Essay A lot has been documented on the principals and methodologies required to successfully execute a project, that it almost seems a Clichà © when the term project management is discussed. However, I shall try to focus on project management in the construction industries as it is a good idea to discuss project management as it applies to a specific industry. In this two part report, I shall attempt to first critically analyse and evaluate the PM challenges as documented in the group presentations, with the aim of; Critically evaluating the management challenges identified and highlighting how the groups dealt with identifying the challenges and frameworks adopted in explaining these challenges. Evaluating the procurement strategy adopted and considering reasons for its adoptions, benefits derived and circumstances contributing to its success, before considering alternative approaches. Make a comparison between the management strategy adopted for the emirate stadium and established best practices. THE EMIRATE STADIUM Arsenal football club had previously occupied the Highbury stadium. With a capacity to hold 35,000 fans, this was grossly inadequate for a club increasing in fan base due to her popularity and successes achieved in competition with other top flight clubs in the premiership. Therefore the club management decided to invest in a larger stadium as a means of accommodating the increasing fan population but more strategically, rebranding the club and increasing its competitiveness with top flight clubs at the premiership. PROJECT OVERVIEW Hence, a design and built contract was signed by Sir Robert Alpine for a  £220m worth 60,000 capacity stadium facility, after an intense planning and conception stage spanning 5 years. The entire project cost was estimated at  £400m including related projects due to relocation works and ancillary works. (Designbuild-network.com, 2008) The actual construction commenced March 2004 and was completed by July 2006 ahead of schedule and on budget. At the end of the entire project, 80 businesses had been relocated, 2500 new homes had been provided, 2600 new jobs and 4 new community health facilities built. A successful project with regards to its achievement of project objectives at the stipulated time frame, within the estimated budget and to the quality and performance required. (Arsenal, 2007) But like all projects, risks, challenges and uncertainties are sure to abound, the outcome of the project however, will depends on the identification and mitigations of these risks and uncertainties plus the application of management strategies and tools. CLASSIFICATION AND EVALUATION OF IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES So lets look at the challenges identified, one key observation from a critical assessment of the group challenges identified was the frequent repetition of similar challenges expressed in different words, mainly due to varying dictions of expressions. Classification of these challenges was therefore necessary to critically evaluate and analyse them. Some groups adopted a framework to identify the challenges. Groups 3 and 4 in particular, identified the challenges using the project life cycle framework. On the other hand, groups 1, 2 and 5 viewed the challenges by broadly looking at individual elements of the projects strategic management and operational stages as viewed by the contractor during the implementation of the project. For groups adopting the project life cycle framework, the task of identifying key challenges was best viewed by considering each phase of the lifecycle. The initiation and planning stages in particular, required critical risks assessments before the implementation phase because of the ease to adjust plans and mitigate risks at these initial phases. They effectively pointed out that, due to the attention paid to issues such as collaboration, client management, extensive site investigation and a constant assessment of uncertainties, a smooth implementation stage ensued. Presentations for group 1, 2 and 5 as mentioned earlier, broadly looking at individual management strategies of the project implementation and operational stages as viewed by the contractor during the implementation of the project and can be broadly categorised under the following; Strategic Management challenges: client satisfaction, stakeholder impact and project coordination. By identifying the need to manage people, risks, strategy adopted budgetary issues and contracts details, these presentations focused primarily on organisational elements of the project with emphasis on the construction management aspects. Operational/Design and Construction Challenges: Although project management challenge was the main focus, it seems illogical not to consider certain technical issues as major challenges. Therefore key engineering challenges such as restrictions in stadium height (a local planning authority directive), pitch quality, service fitting and the need for access bridges to the stadium were challenges that shaped most decisions taken by the project managers. Table 2.1 Categorisation of Identified Challenges MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK CATEGORISATION IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES GROUPS PROJECT LIFECYCLE FRAMEWORK INITIATIONS Scope and Specification, Identifying stakeholders, Deciding Location, Planning Business and home Relocations, 3 4 PLANNING Reaching and securing Authority Approval, Satisfying Stakeholder and client expectation, Procurement Strategy Selection. Risk Management IMPLEMENTATION Design and Technical Challenges, Risk Mitigation, Traffic control, Community involvement, TERMINATION Testing and commissioning Challenges, Client Satisfaction NO SPECIFIC FRAMEWORK STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Procurement Strategy, Document Management, Timing and Scheduling, Stakeholder and Client management, Team work and Coordination, Defining Scope, Communication, Cash flow and Budget Control. 1, 2 5 OPERATIONAL/DESIGN CONSTRUCTION Pitch Quality, Roof design, Construction Technique, Weather, Geotechnical, height restraints, Relocation and details, Pedestrian Bridges, Choice of Material The table above show the key project management challenges identified and categorised under management frameworks as adopted by the groups. PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH All groups identified the adopted procurement strategy as the design and build or turnkey approach however, the common opinion was that adopting a management contract procurement approach would have proved equally successful. To critically evaluate the management approach and understand the reasons for its adoption and factors aiding its successful utilization, a brief description of these two procurement approaches would be reviewed. Design and Build: one contractor is employed to design, manage and construct the project. Although mostly taking a variety of forms, the contractors roles may include the following; As principal contractor who carries out all design and construction, with minor subcontractors. As the clients agent, managing the consultants and contractors who carry out the actual design. A combination of principal contractor for design or construction, and management contractor for the other functions. ( F. Harrison and D. Lock, 2004) So why was this adopted? To a greater extent, it provided the client (Arsenal FC) the following advantages; Time/ contract duration could be shortened and facility ready for start of the new season Exempted the client from the technicalities of building a stadium. They were club managers who knew nothing about building a stadium but recognized the importance of the facility in meeting their business goal. Protected the client from the complexities in project organisation. Enable the client to transfer most risks identified in the conception stage. In this case study, Sir Robert Alpine was the designated design and build contractor, together with her supply chain which included Architects HOK Sports venue, Bur Happold (the structural, Mechanical and electrical engineers) and AYH PLC (Project Managers/Quantity Surveyors). Figure 2.1 ORGANISATION/PROJECT ROLE FOR THE EMIRATE STADIUM CONSTRUCTION The alternative, management contracting approach as recommended by all, is characterised by the client appointing an external organisation to manage and coordinate the delivery of the project. The main advantages to the client in the case study would have been benefits from time and cost savings and better flexibility with regards to changes. Thereby, allowing the client to concentrate on dealing with sponsorship deals, investors and the large number of stakeholders. COMPARISION WITH BEST PRACTICE The main success criterion of a construction project is the value of the facility to the client over time. Successful delivery requires an integrated process in which design, construction, operations and maintenance are considered as a whole, together with an understanding of how the project will affect efficiency and service delivery over the lifetime of the project. (OGC, 2009) So whatever they are called, best practices, golden rules or PM creeds, the general believe is, following these techniques summaries in figure 2.2 below will effectively manage a project to time, cost, quality and performance. The office of Government commerce therefore set out guidance to achieving excellence in construction project management. In their opinion success is guaranteed if projects are planned to ensure they possess the following; Projects provide the best option to meet the business need Have sufficient resources allocated to deliver the project and effectively manage these resources. Are managed through defined and accepted accountabilities, supported by clear and short reporting lines which ensure effective channels of communication between stakeholders, clients and project Implementation team Have a clear commitment throughout the integrated project team to clearly defined objectives. (OGC, 2009) I shall endeavour to compare the management approach as adopted in this case study with the recommended and prescribed best practices as stated by the office of Government Commerce. The OGC recommends that resources, roles and responsibilities for delivery should be assigned to effective individuals who are empowered to deliver, who are drawn from the business unit that owns the project. The OGC further stated, Critical consideration needs to be paid to ensuring effective lines of communication. The effectiveness of the lines of communication to top level management, who are then responsible for making decisions based on these information provided. Successful delivery requires an integrated process in which design, construction, operation and maintenance are considered as a whole. (OGC, 2007) Health and safety performance during all phases of the project is mandatory. There are also legal requirements which require clients to set requirements for healthy, safe working conditions and facilities on construction sites. (OGC, 2007) Amongst the OGCs best practice recommendations, is the selection of the right people for the project team. They stated that the selection of an integrated project team is a paramount consideration in project planning. The best projects and the best clients put time into getting the right project team. They assess the quality of the individuals, their ability to work together and their experience. For the emirate stadium case study, the design and build contractor commented after the project completion (SRM, 2009) [a] textbook example of project management and team building, Emirates Stadium showcases the benefits our collaborative approach to business can bring. Our early involvement and that of our key supply chain partners was an essential element in the projects success. Risk assessment and value management should be continually assessed throughout a projects lifecycle. With early collaboration between the entire integrated project team, risks are better identified and resolved before risk mitigations become too expensive to implement. (OGC, 2007) The adoption of the lowest price tendered does not often lead to best value for money. Quality and costs of the implemented projected over the life of the asset are the real indicators of value for money. The focus should always be the optimum balance of required quality and the whole-life costs of a facility the costs of acquiring it, the costs of maintaining it and the costs of operating it over the whole life of the asset to its disposal. (OGC, 2007) Judges at the awards for the building project of the year stated, The whole process was an example of how important teamwork should be to a project, with everyone from the client to the contractor and subcontractors coming together and working successfully to ensure the project was completed on time and under budget. The way that this team tackled design changes should be a lesson to the industry. (Martin Spring, 2007) In summary, the emirate stadium project highlighted in context and principle, is an exemplary addition to best practice adoption and utilization in stadium construction, of course with certain modification as best fits the project in question. Figure 2.2 BEST PRACTICE SUMMARY USING THE PROJECT LIFE CYCLE FRAMEWORK For example, collaboration during the planning and design stage, formulating and communicating set milestones to the project team, feed backs and managing the clients expectation in view of the outcomes provided. Figure 2.3 show as weights, the management strategy adopted in relation to a summarised best practice. Figure 2.3 COMPARING BEST PRACTICE WITH CASE STUDY THE 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES For this part of the report, I shall attempt to develop guidelines for the 2012 Olympic by firstly; Discussing the differences between managing a single project and managing a project as part of a larger portfolio or programme. Review current facts about the on-going 2012 Olympic stadium construction that will further assist to pinpoint and discuss project management challenges. And then finally, based on the characteristics of the project identified, lessons learnt and a review of the best practices, develop guidelines for the project. PROJECT OVERVIEW In July 2005 the International Olympic Committee awarded the city of London the hosting rights for the 2012 Olympic Games. With the establishment of this immovable deadline, the London organising committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG), aware of the heights of expectations, particularly after the ingenuity displayed by the Chinese, began plans in earnest. Milestones were set, plans conceived and a programme to regenerate London in preparation for the games was hatched. The entire programme included amongst others, the redevelopment of a 24 hectare Olympic park to accommodate an Olympic stadium, ten sports venues, an Olympic Village, media centre, parklands, several training venues and pre-game training camps. THE OLYMPIC STADIUM The stage was therefore set for the construction of the main Olympic arena, the 80,000 capacity Olympic stadium. At an estimated cost of  £469 million, to be completed in 2011 and convertible to a 25,000 capacity stadium after the games. PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT VERSUS PROJECT MANAGEMENT Having clearly stated how the Olympic stadium (as a project) fits into the entire Olympic delivery programme, I will begin by defining a project, a programme and their managements. This will enable my arguments in reviewing the differences between managing a single project and a project under a programme of work. D.C Ferns (1991, p. 21) defined a programme as a group of projects managed in a coordinated manner in other to gain benefits which are not achievable by managing individual projects independently. R.S House (1988, p. 16) in his book the human side of project management defined a project as [a] group of related tasks or activities which together satisfy one or more objectives. Robert Prieto defined program management as [t]he definition and integration of a number of projects to cause a broader, strategic business outcome to be achieved. He further argued that Programme management is not just the sum of all project management activities but also includes management of the risks, opportunities and activities that occur between projects. (PM Hut, 2008) While an individual project will employ a specific project delivery approach (design-bid-build, design/build, DBOM etc.), program management may combine different delivery approaches across multiple projects to best achieve the desired strategic business objectives. In the case study as I will later explain, a consortium was formed (Team McAlpine) to deliver the project. Now using several management parameters, I will therefore itemize the differences between their managements. Table 3.1 Differences between Programme Management and project Management Parameter Programme Management Project Management Organization Semi-permanent in nature, resourced to address the full range of business requirements associated with achievement of a strategic business objective Transient organization in nature, resourced to address a limited set of requirements that may be more temporal in nature and not recurring through all project phases. Organizational Alignment Analogous to building a new company with a sharply defined strategic business objective. Team alignment around project and contract requirements Outcome Definition Strategic Business Outcome (enterprise viewpoint) Defined scope, schedule and budget (output viewpoint) Risk Management Management of all risks associated with achievement of the defined strategic business objectives Management of assumed risks Requirements Establish programmatic and system technical requirements and allocate as appropriate to individual projects Manage project to meet the allocated programmatic and system technical requirements Interface Management Management of all programmatic interfaces between defined projects as well as other programmatic interfaces with stakeholder groups Management of allocated interfaces, if any, and all interfaces within the assembled project team Execution Planning Program wide execution planning including top level schedule, budget, performance standards, supply chain configuration and contracting strategy Project execution planning consistent with agreed to scope schedule, budget. and performance standards Timeframe Through achievement of strategic business objectives (more permanent in nature) Duration associated with completion of project activities Stakeholder Engagement Identification and integration of stakeholders interests and proactive engagement to assure achievement of strategic business objectives Interaction with stakeholder groups only as contractually provided for Source 🙠 PM Hut, 2008) Figure 3.1 Impressionist view of the London 2012 stadium. PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES Before outlining the challenges, we will look briefly at certain information we have gather about the games so far. The multidisciplinary management structure required to deliver the project. The LOCOG acts in the capacity of client for the stadium project. They appointed the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to manage all embodied projects with the stadium inclusive. Hok sports, venues ltd was the designated architects, Bur Happlold the service engineers, Sir Robert Alpine the construction firm and M-E Engineers as the mechanical consultant. A consortium was formed and named Team McAlpine comprising all mentioned for the delivery of the project. The share size and number of stakeholders was of National and international proportion. These includes; The mayor and people of Stratford, London Minister for the Olympics British Olympic Association The International Olympic committee The individual featured sports committee The department of culture, media and sports The British Paralympics Association More than a dozen sponsors and Partners Quite a number of official suppliers and providers. The interrelated projects that would have direct and indirect impacts on the stadium construction e.g. the Olympic park, the volodrome, the access bridges. The budget initially estimated at  £280 million but quickly rose to  £496 million mostly due to rising inflation and an increase in contingencies (Guardian, 2009). The stadiums proposed location, a contaminated site at Stratford in central London. (Contract Journal, 2009) The economic downturn that hit the financial market and the world in general. Rising inflation figures as released by economic analyst on the health of the economy. The announcement by the IOC, naming sustainability as a focus for the summer Olympics, this made it clear that the London 2012 organizers had to think beyond the Olympics and consider the concept of legacy, in particular environmental sustainability. (B. Digby, 2009). Therefore, challenges were present right from the conception phase through the entire project lifecycle, and based on the facts listed above, the following challenges can be deduced; The sustainability slogan meant most of the designs proposed had to be carbon sensitive and sustainability driven. This called for innovative designs and as explained by Alan Webb (1996, p. x) the management and creation of innovative projects are the most challenging of all managerial tasks as novelty implies a leap into the unknown. It is not for the faint hearted for there are shocks and surprises around every corner. Cost and budgetary issues represents one of the greatest challenges the project faces. Many things can happen during the lifecycle of a project to increase project cost estimate, distort the expected rate and magnitude of expenditure (D. Lock, 2007). Has was the case when the recent financial meltdown raised its ugly head. The challenge of managing stakeholder involvement is worth mentioning. Particularly regarding the sensitivity attached to stadium construction in the United Kingdom. The media was recently awash with condemnation for the management team of the Wembley stadium finishing behind schedule and with an escalated budget. Secondly, the magnitude of stakeholders warrants a proper dissemination of information and the pre-planned mitigation of wrong or biased information. A.D. Orr (2004, P. 8) wrote, [t]he purpose of a stakeholder plan is to ensure that the relationships between the principal people in the project have been discussed and the information flowing between them have been agreed. The site for the construction was reported contaminated, although this might appear not to be a project management challenge, it is important to understand the project managerial resonance this might generate due to uncertainties ascribed. The selection of a procurement strategy is always a challenge for projects in a multi project environment. The OGC advises that the procurement of contractor should be on the basis of whole-life value for money. The design and operation of the facility should maximize the delivery of effective service and this is most likely to be achieved through integration of design, construction, operation and on-going maintenance (OGC, 2007). In the Olympic stadium case study, a consortium was formed and proved a substantial factor in the mitigation of the project risks. It is important to mention resources management (void of cost) as a key challenge. One of the aims spelt out in the London 2012 sustainability policy document is to demonstrate an exemplary resource management practice (TOB, 2007). As a result resource utilization was minimized to achieve energy and environmental sustainability and project manager had to make tough decisions during construction. GUIDELINES FOR THE 2012 OLYMPIC STADIUM H. Kerzner (1994, p. 43) wrote, [t]he success of a project is best determined by its ability to deliver within the specified time, cost, desired performance and technology level whilst utilizing the resources effectively and efficiently. If an organization is to be successful in the delivery of its projects, it is essential to establish standards by which those projects are selected, managed and delivered. And these standards must be consistent with the organizations strategic plans (Maxs, 2009). Therefore, a step-by-step recommendation for establishing consistent successful performance for the management of the 2012 Olympic stadium can be outlined as follows; Plan and understand the project lifecycle. A standard set of project phases, stages and typical milestones required by the organisations management to enable the consistent structuring and cost-effective processing of the organisations project. (Maxs- Issacons, 2000). Align your resources independently with each phase of the project lifecycle. Selecting a procurement strategy that best suites the project characteristics. Wright wrote, the selection of a contract and contractor are influenced by the nature of parties involve, the project objectives, and the equitable allocation of responsibilities and risk, amongst other factors. (N.J Smith, 2002) Establish a control over the project ensuring that a system of reporting, allocating responsibilities and quality assessment is well defined. Bower wrote that the purpose of control is to ensure that the projects status is reported in a consistent, cost effective and timely manner to the project manager, so that necessary action can be taken. (N.J Smith, 2002) Ensure that plans are understood by all team members and constant updates of the plans are frequently done. J.P Lewis (2000) wrote, It would be nice to think that a plan, once developed, will never change. However, that is unrealistic. Unforeseen problems are almost certain to arise. The most important thing is plan, re-plan and re-plan. Continually assess risks. It is helpful to try to categorise the risks associated with the project both as a guide to identification, and to facilitate the selection of the most appropriate risk-management strategy. (N.J Smith, 2002) Manage the impact of stakeholder involvement in the project. Although they appear as indirect players in the project environment, the stakeholders impact on the success of the project. Therefore managing their impact is vital to every successful project. Setting delivery milestones dates for the various facets of the project and having a work breakdown structure helps to identify critical paths and activity duration. This is a must have for the Olympic stadium project. CONCLUSION In this report, we have categorised the project management challenges highlighted in the group presentation. In the categorisation, I have pointed out that while some groups utilized a framework for identifying the challenges, other groups mentioned the challenges under two main categories, strategic management and operational risks. In critically analysing the challenges mentioned, it would appear that selecting a framework for evaluating the risks is indeed a good practice. It is now obvious that a proper understanding of project peculiarities help to reveal challenges. While all groups were speculative about the challenges categorising the challenges would have help to further identify peculiar risks and challenges requiring the formulation of a risks management strategy. The best practice for construction management refers to tools, techniques and guidelines that have proved effective over a wide range of construction management projects. And again this report has utilized a typical project lifecycle framework to outline the necessary elements required at each phase of a project. The assessment of risk and uncertainties was a process repeated in most phases of a project lifecycle because in actual sense the entire functions of a project manage revolves around his ability to provide resolutions to those uncertainties that eventually become a challenge in the implementation of a project. The importance of planning was also emphasised at every phase of the project and planning does not seize until the project has been delivered to time, budget and quality. In the 2012 Olympic case study, differentiating the stadium construction project from a single project and identifying it as belonging to a multiply project environment reveals the need to adopt a different strategies. However, some elements of an established best practice such as value management and risk management would generally be applied successfully. To successfully Identifying the challenges, a review of the facts about the project is necessary as the magnitude and true nature of challenges become obvious. Then finally based on the characteristics of the project identified, lessons learnt and a review of the best practices, eight sets of guidelines were develop for the 2012 Olympic stadium project.

John Logie Baird and the Television :: essays research papers

John Logie Baird and His Miraculous Television Advancement Born and raised in Scotland, John Logie Baird received a science degree and took an engineering job. At twenty-six years old Baird decided he didn’t like his job, so he quit and decided to become an inventor. He spent nearly ten years producing failed inventions then he put full thought into television development. By the end of 1923 John Logie Baird, through sheer determination, had finally managed to build what were effectively the world's first complete television transmitter and receiver. The first image that was transmitted was a plain cardboard cross, the camera and transmitter being just a few feet away on the other side of the room. Public interest grew greatly in January 1924 when Baird's success was reported on by the Daily News. But because Baird had electrocuted himself twice and caused a small explosion during this process, Mr. Twigg, the landlord, evicted John Baird at this time. John Baird moved to London in August of 1924 and then in April of 1925 he showed his Televisor at Selfridge's Department store. Viewers gathered in a small dark room, to strain their eyes and see a flickering, but nonetheless miraculous image of a doll on a screen of about four by two inches. Though not much more than the shadow of the doll, the image represented a significant achievement. This was the first time a picture had been created from reflected light. "The image of the doll's head formed itself on the screen with what appeared to be an almost unbelievable clarity. I had got it! I could scarcely believe my eyes and felt myself shaking with excitement," said John Baird. In October 1925 Baird succeeded in transmitting full television images. These were real television pictures which picked up reflected light and showed light and shade effects. The first human being to be televised was a frightened teenage office boy, William Taynton, who had to be bribed to stay under the hot lights. At that time there were no moving images. Baird's scanning discs and photo electronics were to slow and insensitive to capture moving objects. But now that has all changed now that he got upgrades. This year on January 26, 1926 Baird showed a fully working prototype of mechanical television to members of the Royal Institution.

Dealing with culture Essay

It has already been mentioned earlier that for effective intelligence work there must be an ability to understand other people’s culture especially that of the enemy. But there is also another type of culture that must be addressed and understood – it is the culture that exists within the US intelligence community. It must be made clear though that no organization or community does not develop values or norms overnight. This only means that any initiator for change must be ready for the long haul because it will not away that easily. There is always organizational culture, it helps define the group and guides its members on the proper course of action. According to Amy Zegart the culture that exists within the intelligence community can be described as parochialism, risk aversion, resistance to change, and that â€Å"need to know trumps need to share† (2007, p. 64). All of these need to be transformed in order to have a much improved intelligence community. Coordination The 9/11 fiasco as seen in the nine-one-one report clearly calls for better coordination among the different counter-terror agencies of the US government. This realization leads to the recommendation that for America to be safer there is a great need for more coordination among the said groups. But as many have known this is easier said than done. According to Zegart the CIA from the onset was not really given the power to coordinate all government agencies related to intelligence gathering and as a result: The existence of so many separate agencies and the absence of formal mechanisms to integrate them became reinforced by bureaucratic procedures over time. Throughout the Cold War, different intelligence agencies developed their own budgets and set their own priorities, hired their own staffs and trained them in separate programs, communicated by separate e-mail systems and kept intelligence in incompatible databases (2007, p. 66). Jurisdiction is one of the major stumbling blocks in solving a crime or gathering data. When this term comes up immediately more barriers will shoot up immediately preventing the agency with a significant lead to pursue even further. Now, there is a good explanation for jurisdiction and it is the need for order, focus, and responsibility. But most of the time it only serves one thing and it is to be sure who to blame when there is a failure in the system. One of the painful realizations in 9/11 is the fact that terrorists do not respect jurisdiction, they come and go as they please and successfully exploited the civil liberties offered to individuals living in this country. So a member of a terror group can be living in Asia for one year and then at the end of that period decides to fly to Los Angeles and then from there move around the country in preparation for a major attack. Who then is in charge to track this guy? Sharing of Information Aside from the lack of coordination, another related problem is the strong dislike for information sharing. And again this is understandable; each group is rewarded for their effort. If one has caught a huge quantity of fish by being up all night on a fishing expedition there is no logic to sharing it with others who did not put up the same effort. On the other hand there are cases wherein the failure of one agency is the failure of all. Take for instance 9/11, there is no use shifting blame or pointing fingers at the CIA because the destruction is close to the heart of America where everyone is affected. This leads to the argument that information should not be the standard-operating-procedure but there are cases where information sharing is a must. And one way of doing this is by classifying cases, finding out which one requires the collaboration of those working internationally, on the national level or local level. Improvements The preceding pages clearly demonstrated that there is a need for positive change in the US Intelligence community. If civilians and those who are from the outside looking in can provide key observations on areas that needed change then those who are working within the intelligence community are painfully aware of their shortcomings. The following pages will describe the improvements made by various counter-terror groups within the fold of the Federal Government. Need to Share Information One of the areas that requires overhaul is with regards to information sharing. This has not been lost to the analysts and strategists working under the U. S. Department of Homeland Security and its think tank the Homeland Security Advisory Council who proposed the Intelligence and Information Sharing Initiative: Homeland Security Intelligence and Information Fusion. The key term here is fusion and this program calls for the: †¦ managing of flow of information and intelligence across levels and sectors of government and the private sector to support the rapid identification of emerging terrorism-related threats and other circumstances requiring intervention by government and private-sector authorities. It is more than the one-time collection of law enforcement and/or terrorism-related intelligence information and it goes beyond establishing an intelligence center or creating a computer network (see Homeland Security Advisory Council). This relatively recent move by the DHS is not only audacious but shows how they have completely acknowledged the error of their ways. There is no single or central agency that can do all the work when it comes to apprehending terrorists. The lowly policeman may not be wearing fancy suits and may not even pull top dollar from his work but a police officer does the dirty work. The operatives of counter-terror groups may have the firepower and the resources apprehend a terror group but they can be far away; it will take them precious time to leave their offices in and pursue. Whereas the local police department is in close proximity to the terrorist cell and therefore there is no reason why they could not be dispatched to stop the said terror group from executing their plans. To get a better idea with regards to how serious DHS is in improving their capabilities, the anti-terror agency is not only acknowledging the need for sharing information and intelligence but they are also admitting that crucial data can come from anywhere. The DHS pointed out the sources of relevant information to be coming from: a) Federal; b) State; c) local; d) tribal; e) various government entities; f) General public; and g) Private-sector entities. Therefore, there is a great need to improve on the process of information analysis and information dissemination. The following steps are designed to jump-start the said process (see Homeland Security Advisory Council): †¢ The use of common terminology, definitions, and lexicon by all stakeholders; †¢ Identifying critical information repositories and establishing the process, protocols, procedures, and technical capabilities to extract information and/or intelligence from those repositories; †¢ Understanding and elimination of impediments to information collection and sharing (i. e. , it should be a priority for the Federal Government to provide State, local, and tribal entities unclassified terrorism-related information); †¢ Extensive and continuous interaction with the private sector and with the public at large. The FBI It was mentioned earlier that in the decades of the 70s and 80s the Federal Bureau of Investigation was forced to mellow down its tough investigative stance. The lack of aggressiveness was criticized in the aftermath of 9/11. Today new laws are giving new life to the FBI invigorating the said agency to pursue suspected terrorists. Aside from the new mandate – following 9/11 – that allow the FBI to step on the accelerator the President of the United States issued a new directive in 2005 that would forever transform the FBI. On June 28, 2005 the President directed the FBI to create the National Security Branch within the FBI that will result in, â€Å"Integrating investigative and intelligence activities against current and emerging national security threats†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (see National Security Branch Overview, 2006). This new mandate from the President allows for the creation of the following: a) the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division (CTD); b) the Counterintelligence Division (CD); c) the Directorate of Intelligence (DI); and d) the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate (WMDD). This simply means that the FBI is no longer typecast as the main investigative body of Federal government it now also functions as counterintelligence and counterterrorism arm of the government as well as the main agency that will handle weapons of mass destruction in the domestic sphere. Conclusion The United States of America, its leaders and its citizens must come to terms with its new found status. And it is the sole superpower in the global arena. There is nothing that comes close to the US in terms of economic and military might. This is good news for those who come to enjoy the protection of a superpower – a protector who believes in democracy and the rule of law. But this is not a welcome thought for American citizens who are now perceived as enemies by those who have a sick worldview such as extremists. These fanatics are frighteningly angry at the US and their blabbering and crazed invectives show that they may not be coherent at times but are dead serious in causing harm. The US Army is capable pulverizing a small country into smithereens and even able to bring a powerful enemy nation to its knees e. g. Iraq but it does not have the moral authority to simply barge in and decimate suspected enemies. The Federal Government is therefore dependent on an effective and efficient intelligence gathering arm. It has been shown earlier that it is no longer possible to rely on one single agency to combat terrorism and therefore what is needed is coordination and information sharing. One of the major issues that was resolved was in dealing with a prevailing culture of fragmentation, parochialism, and the insistence of need to know versus sharing of information. After 9/11 it is easy to consider changing negative attitudes and adopting a new view on coordination and information sharing. Thus, after 9/11 the U. S. Department of Homeland Security was tasked to break down barriers as it has become painfully clear that the lack of coordination was the simple explanation as to why suspected terrorists were able to undergo flight training under the noses of Federal officials. Concrete steps are made to ensure information dissemination as well as the creation of structures and human resources that will be able to analyze data coming from different parts of the world. Aside from these the U. S. Intelligence community acknowledged the fact that everyone is involved including the State, local and even tribal entities. The big wigs from the Federal Government are also acknowledging the importance of local law enforcement agencies as a deterrent as well as the most effective and efficient aspect of the whole counter-terrorism apparatus of the US. A welcome development was the strengthening of the capabilities of the CIA and the FBI. Special mention is appropriate for the President’s directive to vastly improve the ability of the FBI not only as an investigative arm of the Federal Government but also as a counter-intelligence as well as counter-terrorism agency especially when it comes to weapons of mass destruction that could be potentially deployed in the homeland. All of these changes and improvements combined will greatly deter terrorist activity and would help in the speedy arrest as well as dismantling of terror cells before these groups can wreak havoc in the same magnitude as September 11, another day that will also live in infamy. References Carafano, J. & M. Sauter (2005). Homeland Security. New York: McGraw-Hill. Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2006). National Security Branch Overview. Retrieved 07 February 2008 from http://www. fbi. gov/hq/nsb/whitepaper12-06/whitepaper. pdf. Ganor, B. (2005). The Counter-Terrorism Puzzle: A Guide For Decision Makers. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. Hulnick, A. (2004). Keeping Us Safe: Secret Intelligence and Homeland Security. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. Paine, T. (2005). Homeland Security: The American Tradition. In M. Sauter & J. J. Carafano (Eds. ). Homeland Security. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Perl. R. (2007). Terrorism and National Security: Issues and Trends. In A. L. Fitzgerald (Ed. ). Terrorism and National Security. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Posner, R. (2006). Uncertain Shield: The U. S. Intelligence System in the Throes of Reform. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Sands, A. (2005). Integrating Open Sources into Transnational Threat Assessments. In J. E. Sims & B. Gerber (Eds. ). Transforming U. S. Intelligence. Washington, D. C. : Georgetown University Press. Sims, J. & B. Gerber. (2005). Transforming U. S. Intelligence. Washington, D. C. : Georgetown University Press. The 9/11 Commission Report. Retrieved 08 February 2008 from http://www. 911commission. gov/report/911Report. pdf. Turner, M. (2005). Why Secret Intelligence Fails. Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books, Inc. U. S. Department of Homeland Security. (2005). Intelligence and Information Sharing Initiative: Homeland Security Intelligence & Information Fusion. Retrieved 07 February 2008 from http://www. dhs. gov/xlibrary/assets/HSAC_HSIntelInfoFusion_Apr05. pdf . Warner, M. & J. K. McDonald. (2005). US Intelligence Community Reform Studies Since 1947. Washington, D. C. : Center for the Study of Intelligence. Zegart, A. (2007). Spying Blind: The CIA, the FBI, and the Origins of 9/11. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.