The Brethren Book Report Essay Example for Free

The Brethren Book Report EssayThe Brethren, written by John Grisham, takes places at Trumble, a minimum-security federal prison in Florida. The Brethren is a group of three judges in the prison that started meeting together to settle disputes among the other inmates. Meeting in the program library at Trumble, their section of the prison, the three plan a chisel to earn a little money while serving time. Their plan for earning the money is the Angola scam. The Angola scam cut backs by putting an advertisement in a gay magazine saying they are searching for a pen-pal. Writing as a young gay male named Ricky living in a rehab facility the Brethren try to pick break rich closeted gay males, who have a care to lose if this information were to be revealed. In order for the closeted males homosexuality not to be revealed to the public, the group demands large sums of money to be outfit into their bank account. The Brethrens lawyer, Trevor, also plays a crucial part in the scam. H e is the one who brings the mail in and out of Trumble, and he also runs the inshore bank accounts in the Bahamas where the scam money is wired into.Helping with the scam, Trevor receives thirty-three percent of all the earnings. While the Brethren are running their scam in Trumble, presidential campaigns begin to kick in high gear as the Presidential election nears. Teddy Maynard, the director of the CIA, believes that future Russian attacks are inevitable and mayhap even a third world war. With military cuts continuing to happen, he believes that the United States need to increase the size and strength of their military. His goal is to get a presidential candidate into the White House that will increase the military budget.Teddy finds his answer with Aaron Lake, a Congressman from Arizona. Seeming to have a exculpated background, Teddy proposes what he believes will happen in the future and promises to get Lake into the White House as long as he increases the militarys budget on ce president. Lake agrees to the terms and jumps into the election as an independent. Though Lake is now in the presidential race, he is at an extreme disadvantage from the rest of the handle as no one in the country knows who he is.Luckily though he has an incredible supporting cast surrounding him and what seems to be an never-ending supply of money. Aaron Lake looks as if he has an excellent shot at winning the presidency as long as nothing comes to jeopardize him as a candidate. Repeatedly checking the background of Aaron Lake many times before backing him with his presidential campaign, Teddy Maynard and the CIA thought they had not missed anything. Aaron Lake had been a man living the by and by part of his life in mostly solitary.His wife had died a few years before and he did not have the motive for much of well-disposed life anymore. Aside from his job he would occasionally attend socials and parties but this was alone to keep his face familiar with people. Though he di d not go out on a limb much, Lake did write two letters to Ricky, both of which the CIA did not know about. Not knowing that Aaron Lake was Teddys presidential candidate, the Brethren try to hook and obtain money from Lake with their Angola scam.Trying to stop what the Brethren had managed to do, the CIA works hard trying to cease the damage. Unfortunately it is to late though, as a wetting of the situation has gotten out. In order for Aaron Lake not to be exposed to the public, Teddy uses all of his experience in illegal maneuvering to save Lake, his candidate. Sensing as they cannot self-reliance Trevor anymore, the Brethren decides to fire him. Through a series of unfortunate events, Trevor ends up being killed by people from the CIA while he was in the Caribbean.Eager to find out the masterminds behind the scam, the CIA traces the scam to Trumble where they place man inside of the federal prison. The Brethren is finally caught for their running of the Angola scam. After workin g out a deal, the group is pardoned by Lake and only lose their money in the process. Once the Brethren gets off the hook for their scam they decide to leave the country. They begin to travel in Europe until ultimately re-starting their work with the Angola scam.

Simons Stigmata In Lord of the Flies Essay Example for Free

Simons Stigmata In nobleman of the Flies EssayIn William Goldings novel, Lord of the Flies, the character Simon portrays many characteristics similar to those demonstrated by Jesus in the bible. He is shown to have all the qualities that Jesus has determination, intelligence and resilience. Even his physical style portrays Christ since he is skinny and not much of a tough person. Simon was very calm and caring for otherwises, especially with the little children and enjoyed being alone when he could. Simon embodies a pure spiritual human goodness that is deeply connected with nature and people around him as Jesus did with his disciples. Both Jesus and Simon had prophecies close to things to come, and they were both persecuted and were ridiculed of for sharing those prophecies.Whereas Ralph and Jack stand at opposite ends of the scale between civilization and savagery, Simon stands on an entirely different plane from all the other boys. Unlike all the other boys on the island, Simon acts with kindness and purity because he believes in the inherent value of morality. He behaves kindly toward the younger children, and he is the graduation exercise to realize the problem posed by the beast, that the monster on the island is not real or something that can be hunted down and killed. It isnt physical scarcely rather a savagery that lurks within each human being. In Goldings view, the human impulse toward civilization is not as deeply fasten as the human impulse toward savagery.Despite the fact that Simon is one of the smallest biguns he never follows the others way of thinking, nor backs down when it comes to speaking up for himself. One such source where he shows his defiance of the others beliefs is when he says to everyone, I think we ought to climb the mountain. (page 128) This shows that he knows the beast isnt real and he shows no fear of the unknown. Jesus called people to do things they thought would be simply impossible just as Simon did, and the fact that not even the stronger boys had the courage to do it shows how assured Simon is to his morals. Simon was sacrificed during the ritual dance so that the other boys could live. Simon was killed by all the boys in an excruciating way and claimed that it wasnt really him. Everyone but Ralph thought that Simon was the beast, and didnt think twice before attacking him. Ralph knew it was Simon they killed, and he realized how everyone was acting like wild creatures.Also the way Simon was shown in the movie after he died showed him as a Christ-figure in the story Simon dies on water that is calm and peaceful, as the light reflected off the water it gave a kind of feeling of holiness. Simons body was carried out by the waves and the way he was floating with his arms stretched out, replicates the way that Jesus died on the cross. Throughout the story, Simon is shown to have a very strong connection with Jesus by his actions of kindness.He displayed as a person with divine ties with C hrist and a reminder that purity is everywhere, even when all hopes seem to be gone. The many occurrences Simon gains the courage to speak up and show how smart, intelligent he really is makes a huge impact on everyone. Simon, like Christ, was never evil and always helped others out with what he could. Simon symbolizes and demonstrates a sort a purity that goes beyond human goodness. However, his brutal murder at the hands of the other boys designates the lack of that goodness in people against an overwhelming abundance of evil that lies deep within each and everyone one of us.

Different Environmental Influences On Various Organizations Business Essay

Different Environmental Influences On Various Organizations Business EssayHawley (1950) said that all disposals have engaged in activities which have allowance account to the environment. Duncan (1971) emphasized that system of rules essential adapt to their environment in order for them to be existed. Then Pfeffer and Salancik (1978) have cogitate that organizations be inescapably bound up with the conditions of their environment. Handel (2003) noted the environment in which the organization operate generated excess uncertainty about what must be done, the necessity that something must be done, and main consequences of whatever is done. Then what is environment of an organization? And why these portion ins have so much influence on organizations?Environmental factorsThe idea of environment context of an organization has been canvas from early of the XIX deoxycytidine monophosphate however the specific concept of organization environment and its components had not been for med yet till the late of the XIX century (Duncan, 1972). There were many fail attempt throughout the way. Pugh et al. (1969) had studied organizational contexts where the settings of organization structure are developed. However, it was not a model of an organization in an environment. Lawrence and Lorsch (1967) has considered environment as a total entity in their studied but they only looked at the environment from the organization outward. Till 1972 analysis, Duncan then final examinationly concluded that environment was the totality somatogenic and social factors that were taken directly into consideration in the decision-making behavior of individuals in the organization. With this definition we could identify that factors within the boundaries of the organization must be considered as part of the environment and therefore differentiate the environment into internal and away environment.Types of environmentThe organization environment is segmented as down the stairsSource K uratko (2001)Internal environmentThe internal environment consists of those relevant physical and social factors within the boundaries of the organization.Strategy developmentIt is how an organization could achieve the final goal. It demonstrates an subdue pathway, instruction to the whole system. The strategy included all parts of the organization, from people, financial aspects, market factors, product characteristic, etceteraOrganizational culture, determineThis is the factor that shapes up the persuasion of an organization about ethics and determines various important issues. It varied depends upon each organization, nation, area, religious, and belief of the organization. Handel (2003) consider high output does not depend much on technical conditions, such as physical features of the working environment, human physical capacities, or economic incentives, but on social conditions and organizational climate.Structures and systemsThis factor is the evening gown organizing pri nciples that enable collaboration and guide behavior. It should be suitable and upshotive to achieve the organizational goals. It creates a chain of responsibility that affects the whole organization and demonstrates the management style. Also, this is the factor that identifies the chain of communication. Burns and Stalker (1960) studied British firms in the textiles, heavy industry, electronics industries, and found out that firm structure varied depending on whether the firm operated in a stable or fast changing environment.Metrics and incentivesThis factor is the formal measure that drives the behavior of individuals, teams and departments within the organization. It doctors the promotion, advancement opportunities to motivate employees. Handel (2003) mentioned that the Human dealing researchers exaggerated worker happiness in the experimental groups and minimized the conflicts between management and labor.Technology and methodsThis factor is the capability that providing and delivering value. It help organization to achieve the final goal easier, quicker. The organization should provide employees with appropriate training so that they can make good use of these factors and generate the best value. Woodward (1982) examined the effect of different doing technologies on organizational structure among manufacturing establishments. She found out that plants using mass production technology were to a greater extent bureaucratized than those using small set technologies however, plants using round-the-clock process technology tended to have more crude structure, and their production jobs contain more responsibility and were more skilled.PeopleThis factor is the skill sets and mindsets of individuals that work in concert to achieve common goals, including employees, partners, suppliers, etc. Making good use of the employees would belong the organization to great success cause putting right people in the right job would generate the best productivity. Also a ppropriate training and development of the human perspective would improve the performance of the whole organization remarkably.Activities, tasks, processesThis factor is how strategies are executes and how work is done. It should be controlled closely by quality, responsibility and achievement.The internal environment of organization(Source Kaplan, 2001)External environmentThe external environment consists of those relevant physical and social factors outside the boundaries of the organization. Internal environment factors affect directly on the organization performance and could be anticipated and controlled by the management but the external environment factors are harder to predict and require more effort from the organization to adapt after. Normally the external environment is divided into two sections as macro-environment and micro-environment (industry). Mostly, we could define the external factors based on the scope of study like Porters Five Forces (rivalry, new entrants, suppliers, buyers, and substitutes), PESTEL (political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, environmental, and legal). Porters five forces are elements of micro-environment (industry) which consist of the competitors (rivalry) factor, thread of new entrants to the industry factor, negociate power of suppliers, bargaining power of customers and the thread of other products that can substitute for their products. PESTEL are elements of macro-environment which consist of macro factors that organization have to adapt after and only resist. The basic model of these components is below(Source JG media, 2010)Impact of environmental influences on organizations.Organizations often overlook the environmental factors due to the obvious, unexpected and normally hidden characteristic of the environmental factors. Environment influences are delicate and persistent as well as difficult to identify and measure. Osborn and Hunt (1974) accepted that as the environment start to change, the orga nization must adjust internal structure and processes to maintain their operation and/or increase productivity. As for Webster and Wind (1972) environment influences are recognized in quaternary distinct ways. First, environment defines the availability of goods and services. This influence reflects mostly on physical, technological, and economic factors.Second, environment defines the general business conditions including the rate of economic growth, the level of national income, intimacy rates, unemployment, etc. Economic and political forces are the main influences on general business conditions. Some of these forces are mainly task variables like economic factors, opus others such as political variables may be hardly happened. Economic environment is an important element of general environment which consist of puffiness, interest rate, unemployment etc. As these elements directly affect the business organizations, as well as employees, decisions should only be taken after ha ving deeply studied and analyzed them. When inflation and interest rate increase the cost of goods therefore increase the price of products and lead to less sale. When the unemployment rise, the demand in buying would decrease and also lead to lower sale. These elements do not remain under control of business. So, the business organizations cannot affect these elements. Rather the organizations are affected by them.Third, environmental factors determine the values and norms guiding inter-organizational relationship between buyers and sellers as well as among competitors, and between organizations and other institutions such as government and trade associations. Such values may be formed into laws or considered as law. Cultural social, legal, and political forces are the main sources of these values. Each change in these factors would result in directly clash on the organization. When the target customer demand for better products and service, the organization would have to upgrade their technology, resources in order to satisfy and maintain the customer.Finally, environmental forces influent the data flows which most important is the flow of communications among potential suppliers, customers and the organization through mass media and other personal or impersonal channels. This influence reflects a assortment of physical, technological, economic, and cultural factors.Other than those main forces, Handel (2003) has also mentioned that the existence of a common legal environment have impacts on many aspects of an organizations behavior and structure. Webster and Wind (1972) has set environmental influences are exerted through a variety of institutions including business organizations like suppliers, competitors and customers, governments, trade unions, political parties, etc. The nature of these institutions would vary from one country to another, Asiatic culture to European culture, etc. These are elements that indirectly impact the organization which are sometimes forgotten due to the lack of acknowledgment. A change in values, beliefs of different markets could have a great affect on organizations.Hirsch (1975) argued in a comparison of the performance within the pharmaceutical industries that those obtained greater profits, controlled their environments better. A more concentrated industry organization could restrict entry and manage their distribution channel more effectively. Though the environment factors all have great effect on organizations and change unexpectedly frequently, organization can still afford to reduce the affect of these factors if they understand the rules of environment and flexibly adapt after in a short time. Those with stronger scope and financial foundation could withstand the greater change in environment with less affect than normall organizations.ConclusionEnvironmental factors of organization are basic, essential and subjected to change any time so in order to survive, organizations have to be able t o adapt to the environment changes. There are two major type of organization environment which are internal environment and external environment. Those segments are defined by the boundaries of the organization. Though recognized the splendor of environment influences, organizations often overlook environment factors due to their basic and normal characteristics.

Cost Estimation and Management Strategies

apostrophize Estimation and Management StrategiesIntroductionCost is one of the iii pillars supporting honk success or failure, the earlyish(a) two being Time and surgery. Projects that go earthshakingly over calculate argon often exclusively told over without achieving the reflection jut out goals beca recitation stakeholders simply run out of money or perceive additional expenditures as throwing good money later on bad. Projects that stay within budget be the exception, non the rule. A structure pop out manager who can chasteness woos while achieving lick and inventory goals should be viewed as somewhat of a hero, especially when we consider that terms, performance, and schedule ar closely interrelated.The level of effort and expertise needed to perform good apostrophize guidance are seldom appreciated. Too often, there is the pressure to come up with estimates within too short a period of period. When this happens, there is non large time to gather adequate historical data, select appropriate estimating methods, consider alternatives, or carefully apply proper methods. The result is estimates that lean heavily toward guess execute. The trouble is exacerbated by the fact that estimates are often not viewed as estimates but more as existing measurements made by some time traveller from the future. Estimates, once stated, have a tendency to be considered facts. Project managers must remember that estimates are the best guesses by estimators under various forms of pressure and with personal biases. They must also be aware of how others perceive these estimates.It requires an spirit of be far beyond the concepts of money and numbers. Cost of itself can be nevertheless measured, not controlled. Costs are one-dimensional representations of three-dimensional objects travelling through a fourth dimension, time. The real-world things that cost represents are people, materials, equipment, facilities, transportation, etc. Cost is u sed to monitor performance or use of real things but it must be remembered that wariness of those real things determines cost, and not vice versa.Cost ManagementCost management is the motion of grooming, estimating, coordination, control and reporting of all cost-related aspects from look initiation to operation and maintenance and ultimately disposal. It involves identifying all the costs associated with the investment, make informed choices rough the options that ordain hold best value for money and managing those costs throughout the life of the draw, including disposal. Techniques such(prenominal) as value management help to improve value and slim costs. have book accounting, when shared across the whole regard assemblage, helps everyone to see the actual costs of the discover.Process DescriptionThe first three cost management surgical procedurees are apprehendd, with the exception of up considers, during the fancy devicening phase. The closing mould, contro lling costs, is ongoing throughout the remainder of the project. Each of these sufficees is summarized below.Resource PlanningCost management is begun by mean the resources that will be used to execute the project. Figure 6-2 confronts the inserts, tools, and product of this process. All the tasks needed to achieve the project goals are identified by analyzing the deliverables described in the Work Breakdown Structure (west by south). The planners use this along with historical information from previous similar projects, available resources, and activity duration estimates to develop resource requirements. It is heavy to get experienced people involved with this activity, as noted by the expert judgment listed under Tools. They will know what works and what doesnt work.In nerve-racking to match up resources with tasks and keep costs in line, the planners will need to look at alternatives in timing and choosing resources. They will need to refer patronize to project scope and memorial tabletal policies to tell plans meet with these two guidelines.Except for very small projects, trying to plan without good project management software product package is tedious and subject to errors, both in forgetting to cover all tasks and in resource and cost calculations.The output of this process is a description of the resources needed, when they are needed, and for how long. This will include all types of resources, people, facilities, equipment, and materials. Once there is a resource plan, the process of estimating begins.Estimating CostsEstimating is the process of determining the expected costs of the project. It is a broad skill with m each branches and several popular, and sometimes disparate, methods. There are overall strategies to determining the cost of the overall project, as salubrious as individual methods of estimating costs of particular types of activity. Several of these can be institute in the resources listed at the end of the chapter. In most software development projects the studyity of the cost pertains to staffing. In this case, fellowship of the pay rates (including overhead) of the people working on the project, and being able to accurately estimate the number of people needed and the time necessary to complete their work will produce a fairly accurate project cost estimate. Unfortunately, this is not as simple as it sounds. Most project estimates are derived by summing the estimates for individual project elements. Several general approaches to estimating costs for project elements are presented here. 3 Your choice of approach will depend on the time, resources, and historical project data available to you. The cost estimating process elements are appearingn in Figure.Figure 6-3 Cost Estimating ElementsCost estimating uses the resource requirements, resource cost rates, and the activity duration estimates to conduct cost estimates for each activity. Estimating publications, historical information, and risk information are used to help determine which strategies and methods would yield the most accurate estimates. A chart of accounts whitethorn be needed to assign costs to different accounting categories. A final examination, but very important, input to the estimating process is the WBS. Carefully comparing activity estimates to the activities listed in the WBS will serve as a reality check and discover tasks that whitethorn have been overlooked or forgotten.The tools used to perform the actual estimating can be one or more of several types. The major estimating approaches shown in Figure 6-3 are discussed here. While other approaches are used, they can ordinarily be classed as variations of these. One caution that applies to all estimating approaches If the assumptions used in developing the estimates are not correct, whatsoever conclusions based on the assumptions will not be correct either.Bottom-Up EstimatingBottom-up estimating consists of examining each individual work packa ge or activity and estimating its costs for labour, materials, facilities, equipment, etc. This method is usually time consuming and laborious but usually results in accurate estimates if well inclined(p), detailed input documents are used.Analogous EstimatingAnalogous estimating, also known as top-down estimating, uses historical cost data from a similar project or activities to estimate the overall project cost. It is often used where information about the project is limited, especially in the early phases. Analogous estimating is less costly than other methods but it requires expert judgment and true similarity between the real and previous projects to obtain acceptable accuracy.Parametric EstimatingParametric estimating uses mathematical models, rules of thumb, or Cost Estimating Relationships ( conditioned emotions) to estimate project element costs. CERs are relationships between cost and measurements of work, such as the cost per line of code. 3 Parametric estimating is us ually faster and easier to perform than bottom-up methods but it is only accurate if the correct model or CER is used in the appropriate manner.Design-to-Cost EstimatingDesign-to-cost methods are based on cost social unit goals as an input to the estimating process. Tradeoffs are made in performance and other systems design parameters to achieve lower overall system costs. A variation of this method iscost-as-the-independent-variable, where the estimators part with a fixed system-level budget and work backwards, prioritizing and selecting requirements to bring the project scope within budget constraints.Computer ToolsComputer tools are used extensively to assist in cost estimation. These range from spreadsheets and project management software to specialized simulation and estimating tools. Computer tools reduce the incidence of calculation errors, speed up the estimation process, and allow consideration of multiple costing alternatives. One of the more widely used computing devic e tools for estimating software development costs is the Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO). The software and users manual are available for download without cost (see COCOMO in the Resources.) However, please note that most computer tools for developing estimates for software development use either lines of code or function points as input data. If the number of lines of code or function points cannot be accurately estimated, the output of the tools will not be accurate. The best use of tools is to derive ranges of estimates and gain understanding of the sensitivities of those ranges to changes in various input parameters.The outputs of the estimating process include the project cost estimates, along with the details used to derive those estimates. The details usually define the tasks by references to the WBS. They also include a description of how the cost was derived, any assumptions made, and a range for estimate (e.g. $20,000 +/- $2000.) Another output of the estimating process i s the Cost Management Plan. This plan describes how cost variances will be managed, and whitethorn be formal or informal. The following information may be considered for inclusion in the planCost and cost-related data to be collected and analyzed.Frequency of data collection and analysis.Sources of cost-related data.Methods of analysis.Individuals and organizations involved in the process, along with their responsibilities and duties.Limits of acceptable variance between actual costs and the baseline.The potential and interaction of the cost control process with the change control process.Procedures and responsibilities for dealing with unacceptable cost variances.Cost BudgetingOnce the costs have been estimated for each WBS task, and all these put together for an overall project cost, a project budget or cost baseline must be constructed. The budget is a expense plan, detailing how and at what rate the project financial support will be spent. The budgeting process elements are sh own in Figure 6-4. All project activities are not performed at once, resources are finite, and funding will probably be spread out over time. Cost estimates, WBS tasks, resource availability, and expected funding must all be integrated with the project schedule in a plan to apply funds to resources and tasks. Budgeting is a balancing act to ensure the rate of spending closely parallels the resource availability and funding, while not exceeding either. At the same time, task performance schedules must be followed so that all tasks are funded and completed before or by the end of the project schedule.The spending plan forms the cost baseline, which will be one of the essential measures of project health and performance. Deviations from this cost baseline are major warning signs requiring management intervention to bring the project back on track.Various tools and techniques are available to assist in the budgeting process. Most of these are implemented in some form of computer softwa re. Budgeting is usually a major part of project management software.Cost ControlCost control is the final step of the cost management process but it continues through the end of the project. It is a major element of project success and consists of efforts to track spending and ensure it stays within the limits of the cost baseline. The following activities construct up the cost control processMonitor project spending to ensure it stays within the baseline plan for spending rates and wide-cuts.When spending varies from the plan determine the cause of variance, retrieve that the variance may be a result of incorrect assumptions made when the original cost estimate was developed.Change the execution of the project to bring the spending back in line within acceptable limits, or recognize that the original estimate was incorrect, and either obtain additional funding or reduce the scope of the project.Prevent unapproved changes to the project and cost baseline.When it is not possible to maintain the current cost baseline, the cost control process expands to include these activitiesManage the process to change the baseline to allow for the new realities of the project (or incorrectly estimated original realities.)Accurately record authorized changes in the cost baseline.Inform stakeholders of changes.The cost control process compares cost performance reports with the cost baseline to detect variances. Guidance on what constitutes unacceptable variance and how to deal with variance can be found in the cost management plan, developed during the estimation activities. Few projects are completed without changes being suggested or requested. All change requests should run the gauntlet of cost control to weigh their advantages against their impact to project costs.Cost control tools include performance measurement techniques, a working cost change control system, and computer based tools. A powerful technique used with considerable success in projects isEarned Value Ma nagement, if used appropriately. It requires a fully be project up front and bottom-up cost estimates, but it can house accurate and reliable indication of cost performance as early as 15% into the project.The outputs of cost control include products which are ongoing throughout the life of the project revised cost estimates, budget updates, corrective actions, and estimates of what the total project cost will be at completion. Corrective actions can involve anything that incurs cost, or even updating the cost baseline to realign with project realities or changes in scope. Cost data necessary to project closeout are also collected throughout the life of the project and summarized at the end. A final product, extremely important to future efforts, is a compilation of lessons learned during the execution of the project.Tools for analyzing/evaluating Cost Management just about construction insurance projects dont only exceed their budget because they turn out to be bigger than origin ally estimated. They often blow the budget because the estimates were badly managed. As a result, the profitability analyses are not well quantified because the estimates of future return were not accurate.Accurate estimates turn to be really important, as they are frequently required for three principal reasonsThe first is to well-define the costs/budget of the project.The second is to justify the project. It enables the cost to be compared with the anticipated benefits.The third is to evaluate and control the actual costs vs. estimated and take corrective actions when needed to make the project succeed.Applying Activity-Based Costing (ABC) to construction projects can help insurance companies to better understand their costs and maximize construction resources. Combined with the Earned Value Management, construction projects can be tracked and controlled effectively in terms of time and budget.Activity-Based Costing (ABC)Activity Based Costing (ABC) is a method for developing cost estimates in which the project is subdivided into discrete, quantifiable activities or a work unit. The activity must be definable where productivity can be measured in units (e.g., number of samples versus man hours). After the project is broken into its activities, a cost estimate is prepared for each activity. These individual cost estimates will contain all labour, materials, equipment, and subcontracting costs, including overhead, for each activity. Each complete individual estimate is added to the others to obtain an overall estimate. Contingency and escalation can be calculated for each activity or after all the activities have been summed. ABC is a powerful tool, but it is not appropriate for all cost estimates. This chapter outlines the ABC method and discusses applicable uses of ABC.ABC methodological analysis is used when a project can be divided into defined activities. These activities are at the lowest function level of a project at which costs are tracked and perform ance is evaluated. Depending on the project organization, the activity may coincide with an element of the work breakdown structure (WBS) or may combine one or more elements of the WBS. However, the activities must be defined so there is no overlap between them. After the activity is defined, the unit of work is established. All costs for the activity are estimated victimization the unit of work.The estimates for the units of work can be done by do detailed estimates, victimisation cost estimating relationships, obtaining outside quotes for equipment, etc. All costs including overhead, profit, and markups should be included in the activity cost.Earned Value Management (EVM)An interesting phenomenon exists in the construction industry. The industry probably uses parts of Earned Value management about as well as any industry. But, what makes it interesting is that in construction work, practitioners rarely use the term Earned Value.The Earned Value Management (EVM) technique is a v aluable tool to measure a projects progress, forecast its completion date and final cost, and provide schedule and budget variances along the way.Earned Value management is a technique that can be applied, at least in part, to the management of all capital projects, in any industry, while employing any contracting approach. The employment of Earned Value requires a three-dimensional measurement of project performance, ideally from as early as possibleperhaps as early as 15 percent complete, up to 100 percent final completion. However, two of the three dimensions of Earned Valuethe baseline plan and the physical performance measurementwill apply to all capital projects, in any industry, using any contracting method.Using Earned Value metrics, any project can accurately monitor and measure the performance of projects against a fast baseline. Using the three dimensions of Earned Value, the project management aggroups can at all times monitor both the cost and the schedule performance status of their projects.The Earned Value Management (EVM) technique is a valuable tool to measure a projects progress, forecast its completion date and final cost, and provide schedule and budget variances along the way. EVM provides consistent indicators to evaluate and compare projects and give an objective measurement of how much work has been accomplished. It lets the project manager combine schedule performance and cost performance to answer the question What did we get for the money we spent?Using EVM process, management can easily compare the planned amount of work with what has actually been completed, to determine if cost, schedule, and work accomplished are progressing as planned. It forces the project manager to plan, budget and schedule the work in a time-phased plan. The principles of ABC and EVM techniques provide innovative cost and performance measurement systems, allowing productivity meliorations, and therefore can enhance the projects profitability and perform ance.Quality Management (QM)The process of planning, organizing, implementing, monitoring, and documenting a system of management institutionalizes that coordinate and direct relevant project resources and activities to achieve quality in an efficient, reliable, and consistent manner.Quality Management Plan (QMP)A project-specific, written plan prepared for certain projects which reflects the general methodology to be implemented by the Construction Manager during the course of the project to enhance the owners control of quality through a process-oriented approach to the various management tasks for the program. The Quality Management Plan complements the Construction Management Plan (CMP) and forms a basis of understanding as to how the project team will interrelate in a manner that promotes quality in all aspects of the program, from the pre-design phase through completion of construction. Its purpose is to emphasize the quality goals of the project team in all issues associated with the work. This pertains not only to the traditional QA/QC of constructing elements of the work, but also addresses the quality needs of management tasks such as perform constructability reviews during design, checking estimates, making appropriate decisions, updating schedules, guiding the selection of subcontractors and vendors from a quality-oriented basis, to dealing with the public when applicable.Owners, for certain projects, require that a separate Quality Management Plan be prepared by the Construction Manager. In these cases, the QMP is a project-specific plan which reflects the approach of the CM towards achieving quality in the constructed project. It is developed with heavy reliance on galore(postnominal) of the sections included in these Guidelines, and fully supports the Construction Management Plan (CMP). When a separate QMP is prepared, most of the quality-oriented issues and discussion of processes, check lists, audits, etc., are contained in the QMP rather t han the CMP. The CMP whence addresses the day-to-day performance of the various functions and outlines the methods by which the Construction Managers forces will perform their services.The QMP typically will include some of the following Overall project organization Project QA/QC organization QA/QC representatives of design team and contractors Management decision flow chart Formats for various elements of the CM services (i.e., formats for job meeting minutes, progress hire applications, field observation reports, shop drawing logs, notice of proposal change order, etc.) Detailed check lists or audit plans to provide for quality in the practice of CM functions (i.e., check lists for approving contractors schedules, approving revisions to schedules, reviewing change order costs, obtaining approval within the owner organization for changes, approval to start foundation construction, approval to start concrete pour, approval to start steel erection, preliminary and final acceptance, etc.). Project Quality Audit formsThe CM will prepare quality management narratives for the use of his staff for each of the check lists and quality procedures contained in the QMP to provide for an acceptable level of quality at all levels of CM practice.Inputs to Quality Planning.Quality policy. Quality is the overall intentions and direction of a construction organization with regard to quality, as formally expressed by top management. The quality policy of the performing organization can often be adopted as is for use by the project. However, if the performing organization lacks a formal quality policy, or if the project involves multiple performing organizations (as with a joint venture), then the project management team will need to develop a quality policy for the project. careless(predicate) of the origin of the quality policy, the project management team is responsible for ensuring that the project guests are fully aware of it.Scope statement.The scope statement is a re port input to quality planning since it documents major project deliverables, as well as the project objectives that serve to define important client requirements.Project description.Although objectives of the project description may be embodied in the scope statement, the project description will often contain details of technical issues and other concerns that may affect quality planning.Standards and regulations.The project management team must consider any application area-specific standards or regulations that may affect the project.Other process outputs.In addition to the scope statement and project description, processes in other knowledge areas may produce outputs that should be considered as part of quality planning. For example, procurement planning may identify contractor quality requirements that should be reflected in the overall quality management plan.Tools and Techniques for Quality Planning.Benefit/cost analysis.The quality planning process must consider benefit/cos t tradeoffs. The primary benefit of meeting quality requirements is less rework, which means higher quality, lower costs, and increased client satisfaction. The primary cost of meeting quality requirements is the expense associated with project management activities. It is axiomatic of the quality management discipline that the benefits outweigh the costs.Benchmarking.Benchmarking involves comparing actual or planned project practices to those of other projects to generate ideas for improvement and to provide a standard by which to measure performance. The other projects may be within the performing organization or outside of it, and may be within the same application area or in another.Flowcharting.A flow chart is any diagram that shows various elements of a system relate. Flowcharting techniques commonly used in quality management includeCause-and-effect diagramsA cause-and-effect diagram is an analysis tool that provides a systematic way of looking at effects and the causes that create or contribute to those effects. It was develop by Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa of Japan in 1943 and is sometimes referred to as an Ishikawa plot or a Fishbone Diagram because of its shape. Cause-and-effect diagrams, also called Ishikawa diagrams or fishbone diagrams, which illustrate how various factors might be linked to potential problems or effects.A Cause-and-Effect Diagram is a tool that helps identify, sort, and display possible causes of a specific problem or quality characteristic. It graphically illustrates the relationship between a given outcome and all the factors that influence the outcome. A Cause-and-Effect Diagram is a tool that is multipurpose for identifying and organizing the known or possible causes of quality, or the lack of it. The structure provided by the diagram helps team members think in a very systematic way.At the head of the Fishbone is the defect or effect, stated in the form of a question.The major mug up are the capstones, or main groupings of causes .The minor bones are detailed items under each capstone.Applying cause-and-effect diagramA cause-and-effect diagram is a tool that is useful for identifying and organizing the known or possible causes of quality, or the lack of it. The structure provided by the diagram helps team members think in a very systematic way. Some of the benefits of constructing a cause-and-effect diagram are that ithelps determine the root causes of a problem or quality characteristic using a structured approachencourages group participation and utilizes group knowledge of the processuses an orderly, easy-to-read format to diagram cause-and-effect relationshipsindicates possible causes of variation in a processincreases knowledge of the process by circumstances everyone to learn more about the factors at work and how they relate andidentifies areas where data should be collected for further study.System or process flow charts, which show how various elements of a system, interrelate.Flow chart is used to provide a diagrammatic picture using a set of symbols. They are used toshow all the steps or stages in a process project or sequence of events. A flowchart assists in documenting and describing a process so that it can be examined and improved. Analyzing the data collected on a flowchart can help to uncover irregularities and potential problem points.Flowcharts, or Process Maps, visually represent relationships among the activities and tasks that make up a process. Theyare typically used at the beginning of a process improvement event you describe process events, timing, and frequencies at the highest level and work downward. At high levels, process maps help you understand process complexity. At lower levels, they help you analyze and improve the processPareto AnalysisA Pareto Chart is a series of bars whose heights reflect the frequency or impact of problems. The bars are arranged in descending order of height from left to right. This means the categories represented by the tall bars on the left are relatively more significant than those on the right. The chart gets its name from the Pareto Principle, which postulates that 80 percent of the trouble comes from 20 percent of the problems.It is a technique employed to prioritize the problems so that attention is initially focused on those, having the greatest effect. It was discovered by an Italian economist, named Vilfredo Pareto, who observed how the vast majority of wealth (80%) was owned by relatively some of the nation (20%). As a generalized rule for considering solutions to problems, Pareto analysis aims to identify the critical 20% of causes and to solve them as a priority.The use Pareto ChartsYou can think of the benefits of using Pareto Charts in economic terms. A Pareto Chartbreaks big problem into smaller piecesidentifies most significant factors andhelps us get the most improvement with the resources available by showing where to focus efforts in order to maximize achievements.The Pareto Princip le states that a small number of causes accounts for most of the problems. Focusing efforts on the vital few causes is usually a better use of valuable resources.Applying Pareto ChartA Pareto Chart is a good tool to use when the process you are investigating produces data that are broken down into categories and you can count the number of times each category occurs.No matter where you are in your process improvement efforts, Pareto Charts can be helpful, .early on to identify which problem should be studied, later to narrow down which causes of the problem to address first. Since they draw everyones attention to the vital few important factors where the payback is likely to be greatest, (they) can be used to build consensus. In general, teams should focus their attention first on the biggest problems-those with the highest bars.Making problem-solving decisions isnt the only use of the Pareto Principle. Since Pareto Charts convey information in a way that enables you to see clearly the choices that should be made, they can be used to set priorities for many applicatory applications in your command. S

Time Management: History and Concepts

Time Management History and ConceptsWARMING UP TO THE CONCEPT OF TIMENow go on and enjoy yourself, dance to your paddy wagon content and win the Princes heart. But remember, you clear to be back out front the clock strikes twelve at midnight.We wholly be familiar with the words of the hassock God Mother in the evergreen fairy tale Cinderella. Its these words that probably made us aw be-for the first eon in our lives-of the value of m. We either(a) sympathized with Cinderella when all(a) her splendid gown and other finery turned to rags at the stroke of midnight. Our first acquaintance with the villainous TimeBut because, is date such a villain, who should al sorts be painted in black? We arouse heard the proverb that says on that point ar no wounds that epoch cig bette non heal. Here of course we withdraw the image of a wizened middle-aged woman who fill ins hobbling up to us with a pitcher full of balm and gentle fingers that soothe away all our pains and sorro ws.But thats enough This project was non made to sing the praises of season. There is no need of the romance of Cinderella or the soothing finger of an old lady when we argon talking or so term. And do you know why? Its because we do non have the metre for it.We argon freeing to try and ascertain cartridge holder in its many faces. No, I was not referring to the faces of watches or clocks. I was referring to the many blind drunkings that time has. Oh yes it does You thought that time meant the selfsame(prenominal) to all(prenominal) star. Well conceive of over again or whitethornbe you could try to explain the logic behind the following cases.Picture a farmer who plants a sapling of a tree that would probably squander ten to twelve years to prepare the stage when it would start to bear fruit, by then(prenominal) the farmer would in analogouslihood be chthonic the earth himself.Picture a jailbird in bird counting on the bars of his cell waiting for the seconds, proceedings, and hours, age, weeks, months and years to go by before he rotter be free again.Now picture a young couple madly in love with each other cheri sking the few proceedings they get to sink with each other every day, cursing time because it flies so fast when they are together and never the other way round.So what does time mean to you? When was the last time that you realized the value of time?The answer is probably the last time you watched one of those Bollywood thrillers in which the bomber is driving a car in which a time-bomb has been planted and the hero is unaware of this. But we world the getting-to-see-it-all audience watch with bated breath as the tiny needle of the timer ticks towards the point at which the explosion is sure to occur.But just before that, the hero hits the brakes screeches to a halt to debar hitting that old lady crossing the road. And when he jumps taboo to help her cross the road the needle reaches the point and the bomb is exploded. A nd our hero is safe. Its funny how the hero always escapes with out(a) a scratch in these movies. But I expect thats why they call them heroes.Now we are really transgressing arent we? So back to our open that is Time Management. Do you know what is interesting round the concept of Time? It is absolutely uncontrollable.Personally I believe that thither is something very humbling slightly this concept. Just imagine a man with all his power is just like a helpless babe before time. There it is Time stands high and strong before man and man remains vulnerable and weak before it. Man, the big strong man who tamed rivers and seas, who reached out to the skies and beyond, who harnessed jumper cable and water and dug up the bowels of the earth is but a worm before Time.The best he can do to win the battle against time is die is hair and use some anti-wrinkle cream on his face. In fact, the closest that man has got towards conquering time is those many history books that have been pen ned they are of course chronicles of in timets that happened long ago and that is for certain not a good deal to boast about.And so now we come to our subject that is time anxiety because later all the illustrations given above, I hope that I have made one point clear, that is that Time cannot be controlled, it can only be managed. And that is what we are going to do. We are going to learn the art of time counseling. I dont necessity you to have an air of helplessness. You might begin to feel that if the battle cannot be won, then what is point in pullting up a struggle? Ah, but there you are missing out on a very of the essence(predicate) point. In all the illustrations that I apply above, I was referring to man in general and not to one doweryicular Tom, Dick or Harry.So you can see that this aspect of time is applicable to every human existence and there is no running away from it. Every soulfulness has only cardinal cardinal hours in a day and no force on earth c an alter that. So in order to get the rude(a) edge what you have to do is to be able to manage your time in the most effective way possible. And that is what Time management is all about. Its about managing your time effectively and if I may I would like to add the word efficiently too.Now, when we talk about our resources, everyone knows that we are referring to the resources like fossil fuels, forests, mineral wealth, and water bodies and so on. But movely time is never included in this list. When we talk about non-renewable resources, fossil fuels like coal, petroleum and natural shoot a rootage top the list. But what about time? A point that most stack tend to forget is that time is the most valuable resource that we have, and time once lost, is lost forever. We can believe about alternate sources of energy for fossil fuels like electricity, fuel cells, solar energy and the research goes on. But is there any alternative for time that is lost.Again I stress on the point tha t time once lost, is lost forever. And hence we have the proverb, time and scend waits for no man.HISTORY OF TIME precautionThe idea of time management has been in existence for more than than 100 years. Unfortunately, the term time management creates a false impression of what a mortal is able to do. Time can neither be managed, nor controlled. We can only manage ourselves and our use of time.History of time management dates back to the 6th century AD with the St. Benedictine Monks who emphasized and encouraged scheduled activities at all times. The concept of time efficiency was introduced by Scottish Economist Adam Smith who developed an assembly line system for factory workers. Benjamin Franklin is considered by many to be the father of modern-day time management. He mostly emphasized on the effective use of time. Franklin carried around a little black book wherever he went, and deep down it, he wrote about his thirteen virtues. Each night he would reflect upon the age ac tivities to judge whether he had lived up to these core values.These values were as follows continenceSilenceOrderResolutionFrugalityIndustrySincerityJusticeModerationCleanlinessTranquilityChastityHumilityUNDERSTANDING TIME MANAGEMENTWe all have time to either spend or waste and it is our decision what to do with it. But once passed, it is gone forever. Bruce Lee (Zen in the Martial liberal arts by Joe Hyams)Every individual on earth has the same amount of time 60 seconds in a minute 60 minutes in an hour 1,440 minutes in a day and 525,600 minutes in a year. While a vast majority of masses confesses faltering to come to grips with it, extremely few can claim to have made the most of it. How is it that they have got it all done? Its because they have managed a way to figure out how to manage their time effectively.Time Management is more than just managing time. It is about controlling the use of the most valuable and undervalued resource. It is managing oneself in relation to ti me. It is setting priorities and fetching charge of the situation and time utilization. It agency changing those habits or activities that cause waste of time. It is being go forthing to adopt habits and methods to make maximum use of time.With fair time management skills one is in control of ones time, stress and energy deliver aims. champion can maintain balance between ones work and personal life. superstar finds enough flexibility to respond to surprises or new opportunities. It is not how much time one has, but rather the way one uses it. The bottom line is how well one manages time.Internationally known authority on time management Dr. Alec Mackenzie in his book The Time Trap argues that the very idea of time management is a misnomer because one really cannot manage time in the way other resources can be managed financial capital, physical capital, human capital, entropy and time. While each of the first four can be augmented, reduced, transferred or otherwise contro lled, Time cannot be manipulated.Dr. Mackenzie contends that when it comes to time, one can only manage oneself in relation to it. One cannot control time as one can control other resources one can only control how one uses it. In the world in which we live, time cannot be replaced or re-created. It is therefore not for us to prefer whether we spend or save time but to choose only how we spend it.MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT TIMEThere are several misconceptions which we all have about time. They affect everyone including those persons who may be considered quite boffo and effective. Here are some of the misconceptions identified by Dr. Mackenzie Time management is simple all it requires is common sense. While it is true that the concept is simple, the self- delay un voidable to practice effective time management is not easy. Work is best per ricocheted under pressure. Psychological studies show this to be no more than an excuse for procrastination. One does not work well under pressure only does the best one can under the circumstances. Pressure and challenge must(prenominal)(prenominal) not be confused. Laras performance when the West Indies Team is in trouble has more to do with application and determination rather than pressure. I use a diary, a whirl list and have a secretary to keep me organized. One has to keep oneself organized no one can do it for others. The trouble with the disorganized person is that he hardly has time to listen to his secretary or fancy at his diary. I do not have the time. The effective worker or manager frequently gets more work done in the earlier hours of the morning than most laggards get done in the whole day. He then no longer has to work against tight deadlines and under stress which contributes to heart problems and not unusually the ultimate reduction of time on this earth. Time management might be good for some kinds of work but my job is creative. Time management is not about routine it is about self-discipline. Lac k of discipline prevents one from being huge instead of simply good.Time management captures away the fun and freedom of spontaneity. Is working under stress, forgetting appointments, making constant excuses and apologies to be fun? Would it not be much more fun if by get around organization one had one or two more hours every day to spend with the family, to play games, read a good book, plan for tomorrow and the day and week after or just unstrain?why IS TIME MANAGEMENT SO IMPORTANT?Time management is a common problem faced by most of us. Oftentimes, when you are swarmed with multiple tasks at once, it becomes extremely difficult to identify which ones you must complete first. Too often, people eat up what is supposed to be their free time to be able to accomplish all pending tasks in time. It takes a conside position amount of skill in order to manage your time properly. If you are one of these people, you are usually able to control your time efficiently that you can even fi nish tasks a stage of time. Lets try to analyze the importance of Time Management in antithetical fields.Time Management in School/College Due to more freedom merited to college students, it can become quite challenging for new (freshman) students to compete with time management. The liberty to choose your own schedule readily creates a false notion that they can do whatever they want. On the other hand, it reflects ones priorities and how you are able to properly appropriate them into your schedule. With lack of proper time management, a student will have trouble coping up with deadlines set by professors. Most students would tend to slack off during vacant hours that they end up accomplishing nothing. If a student has prepared his or her own list of work for the day, he or she will be able to properly allocate the time spent for otiosecurricular activities and assignments.Time Management at Work When it comes to your job, proper practise of your time is more dissevericular. T his is because you are paid for the hours of service you render to the firm. Hence, companies will try to ensure that each hour you spend at the office is employ effectively for work. Despite of this, employees still seek out ways to have a break. If time is not properly managed, employees could easily eat up more time for their breaks than what is actually spent on actual work. Hence, the company ends up requiring the employee to do overtime work just to finish a project. If the overtime rendered is reflected on your paycheck, then good for you. But if not, then you reap the unpleasant effects of poor time management.SYMPTOMS OF POOR TIME MANAGEMENTPoor time management shows up by way of one or a combination of typical perceptible symptoms. Managers would do well to look for and reflect on whether they are subject to any of those symptoms with a view to take necessary corrective actions.The following are some of the indicators of poor time managementConstant move (e.g. between me etings or tasks)Frequent delays (e.g. in attending meetings, meeting deadlines)Low productivity, energy and motivation (e.g. I cant seem to get worked up about anything)Frustration (e.g. Oh, things just dont move ahead)Impatience (e.g. where the hell is that information Ive asked him for?)Chronic vacillation between alternatives (e.g. whichever option I choose it is going to model me at a big disadvantage. I dont know which way to jump)Difficulty setting and achieving goals (e.g. Im not sure what is expected of me)WHERE DOES ALL THE TIME GO?It is quite surprising when you sit and think about where all the time in one day goes. Twenty four hours is really a lot of time. But on most days it scarcely seems enough. But this is because of certain misconceptions about time. Let us proceed to carefully examine where all that time goes and find out if twenty four hours really is. For that I have listed out certain points which will help you to get a realistic view about how much time you r eally have in a day.Point 1We do not really get twenty four hours in a day. Maybe its because we always talk about the twenty four hours in a day, we get the feeling that we really do have twenty four hours to finish our daily business and the fact is that we do not. Assuming that you hit the sack at least by twelve in the night and victorious for granted the fact that you need at least seven hours of sleep let me fix your waking time at seven in the morning.That means that you have already lost seven hours, which we can deduct from twenty four, giving us only seventeen waking hours. Waking hours does not mean the hours you take to wakeup but the hours that you are awake. So let us get that straight, we have only 17 hours in a day. Now if you think that all those seventeen hours can be used for productive work, you are wrong again. For this come to the next point.Point 2The seventeen waking hours cannot be used completely for productive work. There are many things that a human bein g should do in order to continue to live like a human being and some of these things do take up a lot of time. Now the following list that I have drawn up is sure to vary from person to person. But I have taken the times for each action on what I felt to e fair(a) times as far as any normal human being is concerned. Taking a exhibitor.Most of us take a consume at least once in a day and the time I think we can put down for that is ten minutes. For those of you cleaner ones who shower twice a day put that as twenty minutes. Answering the call of natureOh yes, we are all very cultured people who have the best of manners and upbringing. We dress ourselves properly and conduct ourselves with the utmost poise. But there are several times in a day when we have to go back to nature and summing up all those things we do in the bath room I think a good half hour should be enough. Getting ready and tidying ourselvesWhen we move about in society definitely we have to look our best and addin g up all the minutes that we spend in front of that mirror, we get other ten minutes. For some people of course, this figure comes up to half an hour. But I think ten minutes is good enough. EatingWe need to eat to live and though I accept the fact that people have different eating habits and times, I think that and Im sure doctors will agree with me that a person needs three meals a day and should take at least ten minutes to carry a meal and not just gobble it down. So that makes it 30 minutes for food. Time to relaxPlease do not raise an product line now. I promise to deal with this bit later on. But redress now I would like to put down one hour as the time to relax, and this includes the time that you get to yourself for prayer or meditation or just to stare out of your window or perhaps the few extra minutes that you spend in your bed after waking up, waiting for the last traces of sleep to go away. Time with family and friendsPlease we are human beings, arent we? And we ce rtainly cannot get along with our business of life without chatting a few minutes every now and then with our friends and the family too. So with your permission, I would like to deduct another hour from your waking time.So now what do we have left?We started off with 17 hours of waking time. And we proceed to add up all the time that we accounted for in the above mentioned points let us see how much time we have left for productive work provided we still want to exist as human beings.The activities mentioned above would take when put together a good three hours and twenty minutes. That is 3 hours and 20 minutes. I put it down in both numerals and words so that you can get a real taste of the figure. Now if we proceed to subtract this figure from our 17 hours of waking time, what do we get? We are left with just thirteen hours forty minutes. In figures that is 13 hours 40 minutes. And that is a fact. That is all that we get. So from now on dont you think that it would be more realis tic to say that we have just thirteen hours and forty minutes to accomplish a days work and not xxiv hours. For if we continue to believe that we have twenty four hours, and then we are in effect deceiving ourselves. But wait there is more to this story than meets the eye. These all key(p) hours that we have painstakingly added up are not really put to constructive use. There are certain things called time waster which you have to look out for and that is what we are going to deal within our next chapter.Time KillersTill now, we have been harping about how valuable time is and how time lost is time lost forever and so on. But now we come to a strange concept and that is Time Killers. The very word sound like desecration doesnt it? How can one talk about killing such a valuable resource. But thats the way the story goes. Thee are a lot of time killers in this world and what you have to do is that you have to identify these time killers, look out for them and stay wary of tem. Only then can you put your available time to the maximum possible use.The time killers that I have listed below are more or less general. They are things that most of us encounter. But apart from these, each one of us may have unique time killers that are particular to our style of living and way of work. Be smart and identify these killers. When I talk about killers, do not get the impression of masked men lurking in shadows brandishing guns and knives. The killers that I am referring to are quite ordinary every day things that we see and use in our lives but often do not realize how much of our time they take away.Seven terrible Time KillersTelephone callsChatter boxesTraffic jamsFinding parking spacesMeetingsBad machineryLong queuesThe list could of course go on. But before we keep adding to the list, I would like to elaborate on certain of the items listed above.How to handle Time Killers The funny thing about telephone calls is that these instruments are indeed great time savers. I n fact the amount of time that people get to save thanks to telephones is stupendous. The problem arises when telephones are not used properly. Most people do not understand and even if they do they forget that telephones are not to be used for lengthy conversations. For one thing, another person may be trying to reach you and there is nothing as exasperating as trying to reach a person over the telephone and being confronted with a busy tone. So the first thing about a telephone conversation is that it should be brief.Another thing about telephones is that most people do not know how to use a telephone properly. In stead of immediately identifying themselves and asking directly for the person they want, some people go on playing a lot of who is speaking games once they make a call or answer the telephone.Now coming to mobile phones there is a lot to be said and done. What should be done is turn off your cell phone when you are having a conversation or a discussion with more than on e person. As soon as you get a call, you may ask the people you were talking to excuse yourself but you fall in them waiting while you chuckle and giggle over your phone. Often we tend to give ore importance to the caller than to the person we were having the discussion with. Again the same line up applies here. Be brief. A mobile phone is to be used to get an important message across to a person who you were not able to reach on the land line.* The next point is about those chatter boxes. Havent we all met them? They simply love the sound of their own voices and once they open their sassings, there is no stopping them. They waste not only your time but their time as well. Steer clear of such people. Believe me, it is much easier to avoid such people than to tell them to shut up and if you get a telephone call from such a person, use a caller ID facility or ask your secretary to divert the call. Traffic jams and finding parking spaces. Any one who has lived in the city for at leas t a day will know what I am talking about. There is no getting past a traffic jam at the rush hour. And will mortal tell me whit is called the rush hour when that is the time when the traffic is the slowest.The only thing you can do is anticipate the traffic jam and leave your understructure a half hour or one hour early. But that does not really keep the time killer at bay. It just helps you to avoid being late. In this respect you have two options. Either you could find something constructive to do while you wait for the traffic to move along or the traffic light to change or a better option would be to take subway and walk the rest of the way. You can get a long a lot faster on your feet and it is a lot better for your health as well. By doing so, you can also get loose of the headache of finding a parking space. non surprisingly lengthy meetings and discussions can prove to be awful time killers particularly if the meeting does not have a clear agenda and if there are people who love top talk among the group. It has been found that most middle and senior level mangers spend nearly 70% of their work time talking. And in most organizations, parleying has been made into a fine art.* Bad machinery is a time waster. How many of us have wanted to sit and scream and bang the daylights out of a pc that does not give us the required data or information. A computer that takes a long time to start up, a photocopier that gives shamefully faint photocopies, even a leaky faucet or a unflinching drawer or door knob can waste a lot of time and send us up the wall. If you have such equipment or machinery, get it changed at the earliest possible date. It is worth the amount of time and energy that you waste on it every day.* Long queues certainly waste a lot of time. That does not mean that you have to jump the queue. If you can get the job done over the telephone or can reserve your book in advance, do it, even if it means a few extra dollars, it is worth the time yo u may have to spend waiting.Apart from these each person may have particular time wasters, like for instance, a car that refuses to start in the morning, difficult hair that insists on looking like Medusas head on a bad snake day, an elevator that takes forever to reach your floor. Use your common sense and try to find alternate methods or even better, if you cannot find an alternate method, you could put the time to some use like read your morning paper in the elevator.You will get a better idea of how to get over time killers once we handle the section called the time savers.Lining Up Your Ducks PrioritizeLining up your immerses is a familiar and charming phrase. It derives from the tendency of baby ducklings to swim in a perfectly straight line behind their mother. If the ducklings begin to stray too far, the mother duck will invariably shepherd them back into linethus, getting her ducks in a row.The application of this phrase to time management is clear. If you deal with things in a logical, orderly sequence, youre sure to bring efficiency and results to your efforts. When your ducks begin to stray too far afield, danger is lurkingfor them and for you.Lets face it. 24 hours in a day is not enough time for many people to do everything in their schedule. It is therefore imperative that people perform their activities in the order of priority. Time management experts like Stephen Covey S R (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Simon Schuster) have developed a ensample called a time management matrix.This model enables managers to prioritize their activities and use their time more effectively. With the help of the model, they can evaluate their activities in terms of importance and urgency.The art of prioritizing covers 4 major task groups all important(predicate) and pressingNot Important but UrgentNot Urgent but ImportantNot Important and Not UrgentTIME MANAGEMENT MATRIXImportant and UrgentQuadrant 1 represents things which are both urgent and imp ortant labeled firefighting. The activities need to be dealt with immediately, and they are important.These tasks are the ones that must be done right away, or consequences may result. An example would be bills that are due today. If you dont pay your bills on time, you would incur additional charges or they might cut off their services to you. Activities belonging to this category need to be acted upon without delay. You should give them the highest priority.Important but Not UrgentQuadrant 2 represents things which are important, but not urgent labelled Quality Time. Although the activities here are important, and contribute to achieving the goals and priorities they do not have to be done right now. As a result, they can be scheduled when they can be given quality thought to them.A good example would be the preparation of an important talk, or mentoring a key individual. Prayer time, family time and personal relaxation/recreation are also part of Quadrant 2.Urgent but Not Impo rtantQuadrant 3 represents distractions. They must be dealt with right now, but frankly, are not important. For example, when a person answers an unwanted phone call, he/she has had to come apart whatever he/she is doing to answer it.Not Important and Not UrgentQuadrant 4 represents Time Wasting. You might think activities in this section are not worth peoples time, so they wont engage in these activities much. You would be surprised to know that people spend most of their time doing things that are both unimportant and non-urgent, such as watching TV and movies, playing video games, senseless chatting for hours on the phone, shopping for new clothes, etc.Of course, it is essential for people to relax and unwind once in a while.All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, as they say. But you should be uncompromising in limiting your time for these activities that is, if you really want to accomplish a lot in your life.Treat activities belonging to this section with the lowest pri ority. If you really want to succeed, strictly limit your time in doing these activities or dont do them at all. Focus on those that will bring you fruitful results.Numbered Priority TacticHeres one of the most powerful techniques that you can use to manage your time efficiently the Numbered Priority Tactic.Buy a very small notebook that you can put in your pocket. You should be able to bring it anywhere you go. At the front page of the notebook, put the deed of conveyance Important and Urgent. At the back page, put the title Important but Not Urgent.If an idea or event you encounter is Urgent but Not Important, then forget it. You want to utilize your time well, wont you? If you think its world-shaking in some way, then you may put it under Important and Urgent. Ignore Not Important and Not Urgent tasks.Every time something comes up during your daily work or on your mind, put it in the appropriate page of your little notebook. So lets say your stump told you to submit a report due tomorrow. Write it down on your notebook under Important and Urgent. whence your friend told you that theres a big 2-day sales agreement at the downtown furniture store. You may put it under Important and Urgent if you simply must have that furniture youre drooling for months. But if you think your dwelling would do fine without it, then dont write it anymore. As youre walking down the street you suddenly thought of a great new idea for your odd-job(prenominal) business. You may put it under Important but Not Urgent.As the day goes on, write down each and every idea, thought, or event that comes to your mind. As the list increases in each category, examine each of them carefully and start numbering each item in the order of priority with 1 being the highest priority. Start working on Number 1, and never go to Number 2 until youre done with Number 1 for each category. If distractions come about, you may take care of them first but always come back to your numbered list when youre done.Because priorities may change, you may switch or change the numbers of the items in the list. You may also transfer one item from Important and Urgent to Important but Not Urgent, and vice-versa. When you do any changes, make sure your notebook cincture clean. Transfer your writings to a new page when you see that its getting untidy. Start off with a new page every day.This method can enable you to achieve more in one week than what most people can accomplish in a month. The important thing you must do is to buy that little notebook and to start doing this super tactic right now Time is running fast.Development of Rat Cranial melodic line Vessels EthanolDevelopment of Rat Cranial Blood Vessels EthanolGadgieva Aminat UsmanovnaMorphological changes of cranial venae cavae of rats in the early postnatal ontogenesis under the check of grain alcoholAbstractBackground Morphology of major arterial and venous lines at different ages, and especially their changes under the prov eal exposure gives a deeper understanding of problems in the structure of blood vessels in normal and morbid conditions. Aim To study the changes of intrapericardial cranial venae cavae of rats in postnatal maturation under the influence of grain alcohol.Methods and materials Investigated intrapericardial part of the right (RCVC) and left (LCVC) cranial venae cavae in 120 rats 6, 11, 16, and 22 to 30 days of ages. 60 of them received ethanol with mothers milk. For this females were daily intragastrically administered 40 ethanol in a dose of 8 ml / kg during the lactation period (22 days). The control group consisted of 60 rats of the same age, females mothers who daily intragastrically received distilled water in the same dose. Results It is established that under the influence of ethanol decreases the burdensomeness of the wall of the cranial vena cava. Thickening of the collagen and stretchy fibers, cancellated fibers and destruction of myocytes discovered. Conclusion To s tudy the changes of intrapericardial cranial venae cavae of rats in postnatal development under the influence of ethanol.Keywords postnatal ontogenesis cranial venae cavae, ethanol.IntroductionMorphology of major arterial and venous lines at different ages, and especially their changes under the experimental exposure gives a deeper understanding of problems in the structure of blood vessels in normal and pathological conditions.Distortion of the structure of veins often leads to chronic venous insufficiency, varicose disease and thrombosis 1. Effect of ethanol is primarily manifested in violation structures of the blood vessels and the heart 2, 3.Ethanol has the ability to penetrate into the mammary gland and flow in milk 4. In the available literature, we found no data on the effect of alcohol on the state and development of the vena cava in postnatal ontogenesis. The purpose of the study. To study the changes of intrapericardial cranial venae cavae of rats in postnatal development under the influence of ethanol.Materials and methods.Investigated intrapericardial part of the right (RCVC) and left (LCVC) cranial venae cavae in 120 rats 6, 11, 16, and 22 to 30 days of ages. 60 of them received ethanol with mothers milk. For this females were daily intragastrically administered 40 ethanol in a dose of 8 ml / kg during the lactation period (22 days).The control group consisted of 60 rats of the same age, females mothers who daily intragastrically received distilled water in the same dose.The animals were kept under standard vivarium conditions at t 21-22 C and a natural photoperiod, on a normal diet. Slaughtering rats was conducted in accordance with the Rules of work with experimental animals, adopted by the Committee on Bioethics of the Republic of Uzbekistan.Slaughtering rats was performed under ether anesthesia. After opening the thoracic and abdominal cavities material was fixed in 12% neutral formalin. Then vena cava was isolated and carried on the batte ry alcohols increasing concentrations, embedded in paraffin. Prepared histological specimens longitudinal and transverse sections of intrapericardial ( scuttle and non-orifice part the land between the mouth and the attachment of the pericardium to the wall of the vein) part of the RCVC and LCVC.Applied paint sections with hematoxylin and eosin, Van Gieson, Weigert methods, and impregnation method Foote under the modification N.A. Yurin. Using ocular line with magnification ob.90, ok.7.measured the oppressiveness of the wall of the cranial venae cavae in the orifice and out parts. Mathematical processing of data was performed using the application Microsoft Excel 2010 in the section descriptive statistics.The data obtained were processed statistically by standard methods for sampling with the definition of the mean (M), error of the arithmetic mean (m), quadratic deviation (), Students t test (t). Differences were considered significant at p 0.05.ResultsIn 6-day-old rats treated with ethanol through mothers milk from the first day of birth, in the wall of the orifice of RCVC and LCVC subendothelial tier contains dense bundles of elastic fibers compared with the control. In the outer forge, elastic fibers in experimental rats are presented in separate fragments, or missing. In control rats the elastic fibers in the outer layer of the same area are absent. In non-orifice part of the RCVC and LCVC elastic fibers, located in the subendothelial layer, also have a greater density than the control. Reticular fibers form large incomplete loops.At 11 days of age are most exposed to the effects of ethanol endothelial layer of the orifice part of the RCVC and LCVC. Endothelial cells contain pyknotic nuclei, which are located far from each other. At this age, the collagen and elastic fibers have a higher density than the control. Reticular fibers in experimental animals are placed chaotically in some places where they are totally absent. At 11 days of age, the walls of RCVC and LCVC non-orifice area in rats, received ethanol with milk, elastic fibers also thicker than in the controls. Given area in experimental rats in the wall of both cranial veins found zones devoid of reticular fibers. On day 16 of the experiment in comparison with the control, in the orifice part of RCVC and LCVC elastic and reticular fibers have different burdensomeness and density of the location.In some places, elastic and reticular fibers are thick, in others not. Collagen fibers are notably thickened and form dense tufts. In the mid layer non orifice part of the RCVC and LCVC, nuclei in myocytesare less than in controls. Collagen fibers of the RCVC under the influence of ethanol become much thicker than in controls. There is no significant change in the collagen fibers of LCVC at given age. Reticular fibers of the middle layer in many places are absent, and in those places where they are, have the form of non-closed loop. In 22-day-old rats exposed to ethanol, in th e middle layer orifice part of the vein increase the area of non-nuclear sites in comparison with the 16-day-animals of given group. Elastic fibers become loose in some parts of the veins, in the other, on the contrary form dense tufts. In experimental rats, endothelial cells nuclei of the non-orifice part of the cranial venae cavae have elongated shapes, in some places desquamation of cells is observed. In the middle layer, the area of non-nuclear sites increases. Elastic fibers in the subendothelial layer are thinner than in the control group.In the middle and outer layers, the elastic fibers are arrange as separate fragments. Reticular fibers of the RCVC and LCVC do not form loops and are scattered.By 30-th day of the experiment the orifice part of the RCVC and LCVC is mainly covered by connective tissue. The outer layer is thicker than in the controls. Collagen fibers are densely forming the thick bundles, they occupy a large area of wall thickness. Elastic fibers between the s ubendothelial layer, and sizeable tunic and at the boundary of the outer and middle layers loosened. On the 30th day in the non-orifice part, collagen fibers are thicker than in the orifice part, especially in RCVC. In carrying out morphometric studies revealed that the wall thickness of both paired cranial venae cavae in the orifice part is smaller than in controls. Differences were significant in RCVC and LCVC 11, 16, 22 and 30 days after birth (Table 1).Increase in wall thickness of the orifice part RCVC and LCVC in 11-day-old rats compared with 6-day amounted to 10% and 8.3%. By 16 days of age, the thickness of the orifice RCVC and LCVC compared with the previous period increase by 24.9% and 16.1%. Increase in wall thickness of the RCVC and LCVC in the orifice part in 22 days rats decreased to 11.3% and 10% by day 30 it occurs differently in RCVC (17.8%) and LCVC (3.2%). Table 1Wall thickness of the orifice part of RCVC and LCVC in experiment and control (micron), n = 50* In n on-orifice area of 11-day-old rats in the experimental group, increase wall thickness of RCVC and LCVC as compared with 6 -day-old rats is slight 7.2% and 5.1%. Wall thickness of 16-day-old experimental rats increased as compared with 11-day in RCVC to 21.6%, in LCVC to 17.1%.In 22-day-old rats increase of the wall thickness of RCVC is above and is 31.1%, whereas LCVC is 2.1%.The most substantial growth in thickness of the RCVC observed on day 30 of the experiment (56,3%), while of the LCVC, it was 19.3%. Consequently, the greatest increase in the thickness of the orifice part of RCVC and LCVC in experimental rats observed at 16 days of age. In non-orifice area under the influence of ethanol, a strong increase in wall thickness of the RCVC begins 16 days after birth, but it becomes a maximum on day 30, after the cessation of ethanol poisoning females. In LCVC growth occurs in waves, minimum on 11-and 22-days and increased on 16 and 30-days.The wall thickness of both pair cranial ve nae cavae in non-orifice part in experimental rats on 6, 11, 16 and 22 days is less, and on day 30, it becomes larger than in control.Certain differences in RCVC and LCVC on 11, 16, 22 and day 30(Table 2).Table 2Wall thickness of the RCVC and LCVC in non-orifice area in experiment and control (micron), n = 50* The study showed that in the context of alcohol intoxication, observed a breach of postnatal histogenesis of the intrapericardiac part of cranial venae cavae. Entering of ethanol for 6 days causes thickening of elastic fibers and decreasing reticular fibers in the non-orifice area. Prolonged alcohol intoxication leads to further destruction of reticular fibers and myocytes, degenerative changes of endothelial cells are occurred. Deformation of the vascular wall integrity, including tunica adventitia, found in alcoholic human disease in brain vessels.In the intima, also observed endothelial desquamation, loosening of muscular layer and adventitia 5. 22 days after birth in expe rimental rats to marked changes in the wall of the cranial venae cavae joins thickening of collagen fibers. After the cessation of receipt of ethanol through mothers milk (from 22 to 30 days) elastic and reticular fibers do not restore their structures, their loosening or formation of thick beams happens. There is a substantial thickening of the collagen fibers, which is a manifestation of multiple sclerosis of the vein wall. close of elastic and reticular fibers of the vessels and the soft core of the spleen, the reduction of cell elements (smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts and fibrocytes) and connective tissue stromacollagenization reflect the aging process 6.Wall thickness of the RCVC and LCVC in intrapericardial part throughout the experiment was significantly less, except RCVC on the 30th day in non-orifice area. In rats with alcohol intoxication disturbed growth rate of RCVC and LCVC. Previously we have determined that the wall thickness of RCVC a day after birth is 16,3 0,44 micrometers and LCVC is 17,8 0,42 micrometers.Substantial growth of wall thickness in the orifice part of RCVC occurs on 16-30 days, and LCVC already on 6 and 11 days after birth, in non-orifice area of RCVC from 16 to 30 days, LCVC from 11 to 30 days. In thefirst 6 days under the influence of ethanol there is no increase in the thickness of the orifice part of RCVC and LCVC in 6-day-old rats in the experimental group compared with 1-day-old control group 7.At a later date , increase the thickness of the orifice part of RCVC observed only on day 16,then the growth rate goes down, and in LCVC it occurs later than in the control, and also on 16th day. Increase in thickness of the non-orifice area of RCVC under the influence of ethanol does not significantly differ from control, while LCVC significantly less in all periods of the study. Morphometric parameters of vessels reflect their functional features.Pronounced morphometric changes indicative of impaired hemodynamic, had a ve in of the liver lobules in 3 days after shin injury 8.Thus, the effect of ethanol at the early stages of postnatal ontogenesis leads to pathological changes, which are expressed in endothelial desquamation, destruction of reticular, elastic fibers, myocytes and collagenization of connective tissue stroma. These changes occur with violation of histogenesis of the cranial vena cava wall that appears in the orifice and non-orifice areas of the intrapericardiac part. From both cranial venae cavae, the largest histogenesisviolation occurs in the LCVC.ReferencesShvalb P.G. , Ukhov Y.I., Tsaregorodcev A.A. Nature of the changes of the venous wall, depending on the cause of recurrent varicose veins. // Flebologiya. 2009. -4. p. 26-31.Porsukov E.A. On the morphological diagnosis of alcoholic heart lesion // rhetorical Medicine. 2009. -6. P.21-24.Steinweg D.L., Worth H. Alcoholism the keys to the CAGE // Medicine.-1993.-Vol.94.-No.5.-P.520-523.Berejnoy R.V.,Smusin Y.S.,Tomilin V.V., Shi rinskyP.P. Guidelines for forensic medicine poisoning. Moscow, M.1980, p.227.Krachun G.P., Pishenko E.E., Razygraeva N.L., Petrovina I.A., Kushnir P.X.Functional Histomorphology of intertissue changes in the wall of brain vessels, with alcoholism. // Xist, Chernov, issue 15. 2013, p.270.Alphonsova E.B., Functional morphology of connective tissue stroma of the spleen in the age aspect. // Achievements in Gerontology. Ed. Aesculapius (St. Petersburg). 2012-T 25, -3.- S. 415-421.Hadjiyeva A.U., Blinova S.A., Development of intrapericardial part of the cranial vena cava of rats in postnatal ontogenesis //Morphology.-2014, V.8, -1. P.26-29.Ocheretina R.Y., Mkrtchan O.Z., Strogov M.B., Morphometric parameters of vessels of the liver lobules in mice during the recovery period after shin injury.

The Media :: essays research papers

The MediaThe media has been causing problems and clashes in opinions probablyever since the television was invented. The media probably started out OK, thatafter a while, they started convoluted opinions and stories, and taking sides. Ithink that the media is sack to twist a story to make it more interesting oncetoo many times, and some(a)one is going to sue them badly for it. I would like toprove that the media sometimes messes up the truth.The media sometimes finds a certain person and makes his/her storysound worse and sadder so that they can arse around sympathy for that person and thenasks people to send money to help the person out. Not that that is a badintention, but it is none of our business. I think that the media should verticalpublish pictures, and then let you choose who you want to feed.There is also the possibility that the only reason that big news programcompanies just need filler for their network, so they go to another country tofind some story on miserable people. If I was in some tribe in Africa orsomething I would not want anyone bothering me by putting a camera in my face.I would want the money to purchase food, but if someone over in America just neededmy story for filler, I wouldnt be too happy.It should be the tribes leader that should have to work over the tribe out oftrouble in any way that he could. It is not our business to send them our moneyto get food for the people that got themselves into trouble, but I think itmakes people feel good to donate things to needy people. I just think that themedia isnt telling people the whole story. Maybe the famished people spent alltheir money on drugs? I doubt that many people would send their hard earnedcash if they knew that the person was just going to buy more drugs with it.I think that the media has been messing up stories and opinions, butIm sure that they did some good work also. It would be pretty hard to get

Free Slaughterhouse-Five Essays: Dresden :: Slaughterhouse-Five Essays

Slaughterhouse-Five Dresden  The focal point of Kurt Vonneguts Slaughterhouse-Five is the devastating fire-bombing of Dresden in World War II, an resultant role which was experienced by the real-life Vonnegut as well as the fictional truncheon Pilgrim. Through the novel, Vonnegut renders his account of an occurrence which is, in itself, indescribable. In order to tell this novel to the world, Vonnegut uses Billy Pilgrims Tralfamadorian experience as a window that allows the reader some relief from the horrors of war. According to the author, the war was a traumatic experience which is virtually unimaginable to describe. As Vonnegut says in the introduction, " . . .I thought, too, that it the novel would be a masterpiece or at least make me a lot of m whizy, since the subject was so big . . .but not many words about Dresden came from my mind then"(Vonnegut 2). As a result of Vonneguts involvement in the war, the accounts which are depicted in the novel make water a realistic picture for the reader. Such accounts include Billys trek to the actual slaughterhouse, and his stay there, which lasted for years. Vonnegut had this same experience. According to one source, "Sheltered in an underground marrow squash storage locker, Vonnegut managed to survive a raid that devastated the city and killed an estimated 135,000 people-more than the number of deaths in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined"(Boomhower 1). Also, all of the characters mentioned in the novel are based on actual people encountered by Vonnegut throughout the war. At the very beginning of the war the author states that all of this "happened, more or less. The war parts, anyway, are more or less much true . . .Ive changed all of the names(Vonnegut 1)." Vonnegut makes clear that he, too, has experienced Billys struggles. He does so by intruding into the accounts of the fictional Billy with his own personal thoughts. In one case Vonnegut states, &qu ot . . .it would make a good epitaph for Billy Pilgrim--and for me too"(121). Another such event occurs when Pilgrim travels "back to Dresden, but not in the present. He was expiry back there in 1945, two days after the city was destroyed. Now Billy and the rest were being marched into the ruins by their guards. I was there. OHare was there"(212). Billy escapes from the nightmares and realities of his earthly life on the planet Tralfamadore.