Song Of Solomon Essays - Song Of Solomon, Milk, Pontius Pilate

Song of Solomon Throughout the centuries many authors have attempted to capture the individuals quest for self-authenticity. In the novel Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison depicts the many aspects of self-actualization, as well as the tormenting road that leads to the shaping of an individual. Through beautiful language, with immense reality, she is able to describe young black mans journey as he uncovers his personal history, myth, and essence. The story revolves around generations, past and present, of a black family in the south. The character of Milkman (Macon Dead jr.) evolves through the descriptions, events, and experiences of others. His parents, Macon Dead sr., and Ruth Foster Dead, represent the wall-blocking Milkman from his true authentic identity. Many of Milkman's major problems are a direct result of his parents suffocating mistakes. Ruth breast-fed Milkman until he was six years old, hence the name Milkman. She was sexually repressed by her husband for twenty years, and used her young son as a substitute for sexual intimacy. Ruth believed that she possessed no authenticity, and that she was insignificant and isolated. By passing these negative attributes and emotions to Milkman she disturbed his natural process for growth, and ultimately left him feeling lost and insecure. Instead of encouraging Milkman to grow and mature, Ruth hoarded him into the world that she herself despised. Milkman's father, Macon Dead sr., became a ruthless money hound after his father, Jake, was shot and killed for his property. This devastating event from his childhood made him miserly, insensitive, and stingy. Macon Dead sr. becomes a money hungry machine because he does not want to suffer the same fate as his father. Macon Dead sr. fails to tell Milkman the reasons behind his miserly attitude. Thus creating an insurmountable gap between their relationship. Milkman's mother and father both thrust their personal fears on him adding to the destruction of his personal identity. Only after Milkman uncovers these tribulations behind his parents' identities, can he begin his quest for self-authenticity. By displacing the profound effect Milkman's parents have on his quest for self-actualization, Morrison is able to convey her theme of generational conflict. Without appropriate parental guidance, honesty, and explanation Milkman has trouble finding the authentic individual within himself. The inner turmoil within both Ruth and Macon Dear sr. reflects negatively upon Milkman, leaving him lost and unfocused. Morrison writes of this hole within Ruth, "?because the fact is that I am a small woman. I don't mean little; I mean small, and I'm small because I was pressed small. (p. 124)" Instead of accepting the problems with their own authenticity, both parents force their unauthentic values on Milkman. The overbearing needs of both parents result in Milkman's need to find his personal Identity in other places, other people. The individual who first inspires Milkman to discover his own identity is Pilate, the forbidden sister of Macon Dead sr. She is a mysterious woman, large, masculine, and frightening. Her brother abandoned her after years of support because she began making wine. Macon Dead sr. this drunken profession, and subsequently forbid Milkman to encounter her. Despite his father's wishes Milkman is intrigued by Pilate and quickly becomes absorbed in her magical, spiritual, fulfilling world. This was the same world that once held his father in awe. Morrison writes, "surrendering to the sound, Macon moved closer. He wanted no conversation, no whiteness, only to listen and perhaps to see the three of them, the source of that music that made him think of fields and of wild turkey and calico. (P.29)" By entering into Pilate's' home Milkman begins to question why his father acts the way he does. Through Pilate, Milkman discovers a past that seems lost within his father. This realization begi! ns Milkman's quest for self-authenticity. Milkman's flight to identity takes him many places. He is fortunate to have a friend, Guitar, who is also lost, and hunting for his authentic identity. The two pursue adventures and their contrasting personalities leave them wit ha wide perspective on events and experiences. While Milkman seems quiet, poetic, almost stumbling on his authentic self. Guitar is eager, outgoing, and aware of his needs. Morrison creates Pilate as a metaphor for a pilot, guiding Milkman through his quest. The

Learn to Conjugate the French Verb Tuer (to Kill)

Learn to Conjugate the French Verb Tuer (to Kill) When you want to say killing or killed in French, youll use the verb  tuer. To get it into the present or past tense, however, you will also need to know its conjugations. A quick lesson will introduce you to the essential forms of  tuer  that youll need. The Basic Conjugations of  Tuer As with all French verb conjugations, you will have quite a few words to memorize for tuer. It is a regular -er verb, though, so if youve studied similar words, you can apply the same endings here. The key to any conjugation is to begin with the verb stem (or radical). For  tuer, this is  tu-. From there, simply match the subject pronoun with the tense thats appropriate for your sentence. As an example,  je tue  means I am killing and  nous tuerons  means we will kill. Present Future Imperfect je tue tuerai tuais tu tues tueras tuais il tue tuera tuait nous tuons tuerons tuions vous tuez tuerez tuiez ils tuent tueront tuaient The Present Participle of  Tuer When you add -ant  to the stem of  tuer, the  present participle  is formed. The result is  tuant, which can be an adjective or noun as well as a verb. Tuer  in the Compound Past Tense Another simple conjugation and alternative to the imperfect is the  passà © composà ©. This is a compound past tense, but its relatively easy to construct once you know the rules. To begin,  conjugate the auxiliary verb avoir  to the subjects present tense. Then attach the  past participle  tuà ©, which indicates that something has already been killed. The result is, for example,  jai tuà ©Ã‚  for I killed and  nous avons tuà ©Ã‚  for we killed. More Simple Conjugations of  Tuer When youre unsure if any killing has happened, you can use  the subjunctive  of  tuer. Yet, if the killing is dependent on certain conditions, youll use  the conditional. The passà © simple  and  the imperfect subjunctive  are both literary tenses and youll find them in formal French writing. Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je tue tuerais tuai tuasse tu tues tuerais tuas tuasses il tue tuerait tua tut nous tuions tuerions tumes tuassions vous tuiez tueriez tutes tuassiez ils tuent tueraient turent tuassent To use  tuer  in short, direct commands or requests,  the French imperative  is used. In this case, the subject pronoun is dropped so  tu tue  becomes  tue. Imperative (tu) tue (nous) tuons (vous) tuez

A New Airplane Program of Boeing 767 Case Study - 1

A New Airplane Program of Boeing 767 - Case Study Example At the same time, in 1966 company was facing a lot of pressure for the development of new plane as it had been long since the last plane was launched. There were a lot of apprehensions among the directors as the company had not enough experience of developing a plane of their own. Project Uncertainty and Risk Management, the project management was not effective in Boeing 767 program, is the first weakness. Since the company did not have any past experience of cockpit design for two persons, it resulted in many difficulties in the successful execution of the final product. There should have been a thorough analysis of design before getting the final approval. Another weakness was that the geographic locations of production were also not considered. This hence became a major weakness as the transportation of parts was important on time. Time also became critical also due to the change in the design of cockpit. The strength was that the conversion of conversion from two-person to the three-person cockpit, which a very big risk was handled very intelligently. First strength was that the delivery of the planes was just one month delayed. This conversion also raised project uncertainty concern. As the parts were designed for two-person cockpit and payments were already made. The strength of project management was that it was decided that modification experts will fix this problem once parts are installed. This resulted in minimization of the risk of production disruption. Hence the projected uncertainty arising from risk was avoided. This made the design of new cockpit more adaptable to changes. In terms of quality management, another weakness aroused due to this conversion for space. This risk seemed to disrupt the modification of the thirty planes which were almost ready and were also ready to be flown. However, many managers opposed this approach as it violated the fire control systems and may result in working environment without fire system for some time till the new system gets installed again

Critically appraise the contribution of Le Grand's knights, knaves, Essay

Critically appraise the contribution of Le Grand's knights, knaves, pawns and queens framework to our u - Essay Example In support of his theory, Le Grand provided the following example: in the ‘classic’ era of the welfare state (1945-79), presumed that the motivation of the public servants was their professional ethic and the interests of those they served were of great concern to them. They appeared as public-spirited altruists (or knights) as they carried out their duties in the public interest. Taxpayers came out in the same light as the public servants because of their willingness to pay taxes. However, as per Le Grand’s theory, after 1979 the public experienced grave assaults on assumptions about motivation and behavior. There was the presumption that the public could understand the behavior of public officials and professionals if they appeared self-interested. Ultimately, it seemed objectionable that the beneficiaries of services received treatment as passive recipients-rather the consumer should be the king (Le Grand 1997). This paper examines the worth of Le Grand’ s contribution in ‘knights, knaves, pawns and queens’. This is in regards to the framework of our understanding of relationships between public authorities and organizations, which provider public services paid for. In that line, this paper looks at the merits and shortcomings of Le Grand’s contribution. ... such policies, two central questions that need answers: 1) Are public employees driven by primary self-interested motives or are they public-spirited altruists? 2) Do the recipients of services posse some capability to influence their situations or are their situations merely the product of broader social circumstances? (The ABCs of public service motivation, altruism, behavior, & compensation 2011) Logically he contends that the pay and incentive systems that stimulate the government servants enthusiasm should be formulated in such a manner that it is tough to both types of behavior; and that outsourcing of public sector work to non-profit bodies should not assume that these organizations are purely altruistic (Andrew 2004). This is one of the key contributions of this model that many scholars and researchers received well in this field of study. Flaws in Le Grand’s theory Le Grand’s contribution, since its introduction, has undergone remarkable scrutiny to date. Many scholars and institutions, in this field, have acknowledged, expanded or criticized this framework. The following are some of the issues that arise to challenge and expose the inadequacies that are in the model. Simplicity of the model raises a lot of concern. Many argue that his analysis is too simplistic a means of capturing the complexity of the realities of human motivation and agency. As there is a variety of knights and knaves, and people are not simply pawns or queens (Welshman 2004). For instance, knights exist in two types. The first type, act-relevant knights receive personal gratification from performing an altruistic act. The second type act-irrelevant knights receive personal gratification when those who need help receive it, regardless of who actually performs the helping act (The ABCs

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY - Essay Example The use of social media, specifically Twitter has encouraged EFL/ESL learners to openly express themselves in their acquired language without fear of reprimand or ridicule from those around them, or their teachers (Junco, 2011). Students are more at home in this virtual environment and find themselves openly using the written English language to express themselves in an atmosphere where they can double check their grammar and spelling before sending out any message. The ability to ensure that communication is fluent as well as making sure that that the social posts are conveying some important messages makes Twitter an effective teaching tool for written English. The aim of this of this paper is to review current findings regarding the possible benefits of using Twitter as a written English teaching tool. The technology allows for a greater vocabulary acquisition among students through the effective use of Twitter in the practice of their written English skills (Junco, 2011). In this paper, a detailed review of the six articles is done. The articles define the reasons as to why Twitter makes for an effective teaching tool for written English with respect to EFL and ESL learners. Borau, K, et al. (2009). Micro-blogging for language learning: using twitter to train communicative and cultural competence. Advances in web-based learning - icwl. Berlin/New York: Springer Berlin Heidelberg Borau's article begins with an introduction to the fact that most English learners use Twitter as an active way of learning rather than a passive version. The author goes on to explain that students taught using various types of technologies have shown a remarkable improvement in their grasp and usage of the English language due to their ability to constantly practice the written version of the language online via Twitter. The specific mention of Twitter in the study was done in relation to a specific study done at the Shanghai Jiao Tong Distance College where ESL students were taug ht via online correspondence for a whole summer term in 2007. The article is very interesting as far as Twitter effect on written English is concerned. It is easy to agree with the article because the results of the experiment were quite successful and pointed towards the ability of Twitter to allow students to learn how to express themselves in effectively in English using only 140 characters. Cano, E. (n.d.). Mobile learning with twitter to improve linguistic competence at secondary schools. The New Educational Review, 134 -147. This article entails a study that was done within three school districts in Spain. In each school district, Twitter was used as part of the interdisciplinary program to develop linguistic competence among learners. Twitter was used as the main communication tool in this instance and it proved to be highly promising as a teaching tool for written English. In the article, Cano concluded that Twitter managed to promote a substantial improvement in terms of te aching and learning for both teachers and students respectively. This happened especially when the language is studied from a reading and writing perspective. It is agreeable with the author in the sense that he made mention of the ready availability of Twitter through various mediums such as tablets, laptops, and mobile phones which encourage students to practice their ESL writing skills during

Military Essay Example for Free

Military Essay With over 12 years of civilian government, can anyone point to any tangible or credible development in our nation apart from the over inflated GSM services which was done by the Obasanjo government and only one or two state governors performing above par. The rest are just useless, this has been the case with every democratic dispensation right from the first republic. The first republic was slightly better, save some regions. The second, third and the current crops are blatant real thieves in agbada and babariga. Shame on the lot of them. I prefer the military as least we know where we stand and how far we can misbehave. Most infrastructural developments in the country where done under the military regime e.g. the famous lagos-ibadan expressway Gowon, the plan was to make that expressway all the way to ilorin. lagos international airport (known now as MMIA) Gowon building of oil refineries Gowon 3rd Mainland bridge Babangida effective law order Buhari dealing with foreign companies (e.g British Airways) Abacha plain level exchange rate Abacha festac nigeria Obasanjo -operation feed the nation Obasanjo The list is endless, but our civilian governments have been just too merciless, taking jumbo pays and doing absolutely nothing. Someone can help us check, how many bills were passed last year, instead they are always eager or will fight if their allowances are being debated Unfortunately and this is sad, we in Nigeria are not yet ripe or intellectually developed to operate a democratic government What is needed is a real tough no nonsense military ruler, who specialises in kicking back sides

The Devastating Effects of Overpopulation Essay -- Environment Environ

The Devastating Effects of Overpopulation    Imagine living in a world where darkness reigns continually due to a dense cover of toxic air pollution which blocks most sunlight.   Starvation and death from the lack of energy resources is widespread and the people who have not perished yet live packed together, in overcrowded communities surrounded by waste and filth.   This grotesque picture of future life on earth may seem far-fetched but with the continued rise in population and the abuse of our planet by billions, this scenario may be closer to reality then previously thought. The Earth will soon not be able to sustain life if the population continues to escalate.   With the constantly rising numbers of humans, vital resources needed to survive are becoming extinct and the environment is being polluted as to almost make life unbearable.   Every individual will need to open his or her eyes to this growing and potentially devastating problem and take the necessary measures to stop it.   Is the planet really overpopulated?   The estimated population of Earth is 5.5 billion people with an annual growth rate of 1.7%.   This rate accounts for approximately 93 million births yearly (Daily 1).   This means that the world’s population has more than doubled since 1950 and it is projected to continue to 8.2 billion by 2025 and eventually reach 14 billion in 2100 (Miller 1).   Earth has a finite amount of resources and a fixed size but the number of people and the resources we consume per capita is continually   escalating.   With this increase the carrying capacity of earth, which is to   say the number of living things a given area can support, is being threatened   and our planet may not be able to support its' inhabitants indefini... ..., and How We Could   Achieve It.†Ã‚   Population and Environment:   A Journal of Interdisciplinary   Studies 18:1 (1996) 65-71. Lambert, Thomas.   â€Å"Defusing the ‘Population Bomb’ With Free Markets.†Ã‚   (1996):   1-31. Miller, G. Tyler.   Sustaining the Earth.   California:   Wadworth Publishing Company,   1998. â€Å"Mortality.†Ã‚   1995.   http://www.frt.com/mortalit.htm.   â€Å"Population Growth, Our Quality of Life and Environment Sustainability.† 1995. http://www.overpopulation.org/paul.html#in1second Preston, Samuel H.   â€Å"The effect of Population Growth on Environmental Quality.†   Population Research and Policy Review 15 (1996) 95-108. Smith, Herbert L., Tu Ping, M. Giovanna Merli.   â€Å"Implementation of a Demographic   And Contraceptive Surveillance System in Four Countries in North China.†   Population Research and Policy Review 16 (1997) 289-314.      

Market penetration Market development Essay

Beiersdorf has expanded in each possible direction. Market penetration is demonstrated by NIVEA Lip Care products, which have been extended with new variants. The latest of these (Pearl and Shine) became the market leader in 2003. An example of product development is Visage Soft Facial Cleansing Wipes. Market research showed that women were looking for a new way to clean and tone their skin. The Wipes quickly took the number one spot in the UK wipes market market. Market development is demonstrated by the launch of NIVEA deodorant into the UK and new markets in Europe. The UK launch was into a market dominated by Unilever. Following market research, NIVEA entered this market in a more specialist skincaring segment, positioning the deodorant so that it had the same values as the NIVEA cream. Diversification is shown by the development of NIVEA FOR MEN. This built on the strong brand. It recognised that men also used facecare products. The product range included shaving foam and gel, aftershave and moisturising lotion. Introduction Beiersdorf is the skincare business behind leading brands such as NIVEA, Atrixo and Elastoplast. Beiersdorf’s first product was NIVEA Cream, the first modern cosmetic product, now used by an estimated one billion people worldwide. Beiersdorf has helped to stay ahead of competition over the last ten years by growing the business. Growth Business growth can be measured by how it increases sales turnover, profits, market share, number and range of products, geographical spread or its number of employees. Businesses can grow from inside, by increasing their product range, or from outside, by acquiring other businesses. Beiersdorf has concentrated on the first route, called organic growth. It has developed new products; established in new countries and expanded market share in its established markets. Its growth focuses on a relatively small number of key brands. Conclusion Beiersdorf is Europe’s leading skincare company. It has competed effectively by continually growing both its products and its markets. Ansoff ’s matrix Business writer Igor Ansoff suggested four possible directions for growth. Businesses can grow by selling: ââ€"â€" More of their present products in present markets – market penetration. ââ€"â€" New products into present markets – product development. ââ€"â€" More of their present products into new markets – market development. ââ€"â€" New products into new markets – diversification. Ansoff showed these in a table. Any of these, or a combination, can be used for expansion.

Selection of Sustainable Construction Materials

The faculty of human cognition often finds it difficult in making decisions concerning systems that are extensive and complex such as in the management of organizational operations, investment portfolios, military command and control situations and control of nuclear facilities. Even though one may fully comprehend the individual interactions amongst a system’s variables, it is usually very difficult to predict how a system will react to new stimuli as a result of a decision taken.Under such circumstances, the results of many researches have indicated that the judgment and decision making capabilities of human beings could well fall short of the optimal. Stress and complexities acts negatively on the human cognition system, making it even harder to make what could be termed as the most optimal decision. The decision to be taken can nevertheless be very crucial, and a wrong decision could lead to catastrophe.It therefore becomes essential to find some way to aid and help a huma n being in taking crucial decisions on complex systems not only in atmospheres of stress and pressure but also in normal situations. Science has strived to device such decision-making aids through out history. Operations research, statistics and economics have developed various methods for making rational choices. The advent of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and its dramatic developments in the last two-and-a-half decades has made it possible apply ICT in integrating various disciplines in aiding decision making in complex situations.As a result, information science, artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology and the neurosciences have come together to develop a variety of decision making aids. These decision-making aids are practically implemented as computer applications deployed either as stand-alone tools in individual systems or are installed to cover entire working networks. Such decision-making tools and integrated computing environments are together known as Decision Support Systems (DSSs), which is a very broad term incorporating a multitude of methodologies, tools, techniques, approaches and technologies.Druzdzel & Flynn (2002) takes all existing DSSs into consideration when they attempt to define them empirically as computer-based interactive systems that help users in making decisions. DSSs are sometimes also referred to as knowledge-based systems because they basically try to structure domain knowledge into a form on which mechanical decision making is possible. Decision Support Systems integrate information from various sources, allow intelligent access to the information sources that are relevant, and help in the process of organizing decisions to help human beings overcome their cognitive deficiencies.Decision Support Systems strengthen the conventional tasks of accessing and retrieving information with reasoning support based on a model and model building approach. Framing, modeling and problem solving are supported by DSSs. They are usually used for strategic and tactical decisions to be made by planners and senior levels in the management. Such decisions have a reasonably low frequency but their consequences have very high potential. Therefore the time and investment taken in using DSSs to aid in taking such decisions are paid off in the long run.Decision Support Systems not only define the alternative decision choices, but can help in picking out the most logical and optical choice amongst the alternatives adhering to and adopting elements from disciplines such as engineering economics, operations research, statistics and decision theory. Artificial Intelligence is used by Decision Support Systems to tackle problems in a heuristic manner in situations in which the problems are not amenable to formal conventional techniques.Decision Support Systems have grown in popularity because it has been found that when decision-making systems are used appropriately they tend to increase efficiency and output pr oviding appreciable competitive edge over rival businesses. This happens because organizations and businesses employing DSSs make sound choices in the deployment of technology, and in planning business operations, logistics and operations. Components of DSSs There are three fundamental components f Decision Support Systems are essentially made up of three basic elements: i. Data Base Management System (DBMS): The DBMS is the databank for the DSS.The DBMS is a storehouse for the huge volumes of data that the DSS has to deal with in providing solution for the type of problem for which it has been designed. Unlike in other databases which provide physical data structure, the DMBS works on logical data structures which the users can interact with. In a good DBMS, the physical database structure and the way the data is actually process remains hidden from the user. The user only knows the different types of data that are available and how best to access this data to aid in decision makin g. ii. Model-Based Management System (MBMS): The MBMS plays a similar role to that of the DBMS.The main task of an MBMS is to provide a mechanism whereby the applications that use a particular DSS are independent of the particular models that are used in the DSS. By doing so, the MBMS actually converts data available in the DBMS into information that helps in decision making. Users of a DSS usually have to handle unstructured problems. The MBMS is therefore required to help the users with building models. iii. Dialog Generation and Management system (DGMS): People use a DSS to comprehend a system in its entirety. The primary task of the DSS is therefore to provide insight.The interfaces that a DSS uses needs to be highly user friendly as many people who use them specialize in planning and managerial decision making and may not be very well acquainted or oriented towards computing systems. The interfaces not only need to assist in building the models bit also need to provide adequate interactions with the models so that the users are able to gain insight and extract recommendations from the DSS. The DGMS is therefore primarily tasked with providing easy access and meaningful access to the DSS. DSS for Selection of Construction Materials, its relevanceThis paper attempts to describe a Decision Support System to assist in making decisions to select construction materials based on a sustainability criterion. For every given construction job, there is a huge variety of construction materials to choose from. Economic factors and technology criteria have been traditionally the primary basis of selection of construction materials. Construction materials were selected against the requirements a desired life span, and a program of requirements and codes based on the characteristics of the material concerned such strength, viscosity, elasticity, bending moment, etc.Rapid depletion of natural resources required for construction materials has however forced a change in per spectives. The focus has now shifted to ecological, health and ethical considerations. Making a selection decision based only on human judgment and past experience, taking all added aspects into consideration, becomes almost an impossible task. According to (Pearce, et. al. , 2001) it was essential that some new mechanism of assessing the available construction materials for the highest utility of the specific project was required.The mechanism would have to evaluate the alternatives on the basis of their technical properties and cost parameters but also on the basis of the status of their availability in the ecosystem in the long-term context and from the perspective of natural resources. Such a holistic method could be implemented only through a Decision Support System. The DSS will have to provide all necessary information to enable the decision maker to take the most optimal decision keeping not only the technical and economical parameters under consideration, but also balancing the right degree of emphasis on the environment and sustainability aspect.To achieve such an objective in the design of a Decision Support System the following development steps will have to be undertaken: 1. Sustainability will have to be defined for the selection of construction material. 2. Based on the definition of sustainability developed, a methodology has to be developed for selection and comparison of the alternative construction materials that are available. 3. The methodology for selection will have to be automated by development of a Develop a conceptual framework for a Sustainability Decision Support System (SDSS). Defining SustainabilityThe United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development defines sustainable development as development keeping the concerns of the future in sight. Sustainable development is that development that meets the requirements of the present generation without in any way endangering or compromising the scope for development of futu re generations. (WCED, 1987). Sustainability is therefore the concept of meeting present requirements in such a manner that the resources that go to fulfill the present requirement can also be utilized to meet similar requirements in the long run.In other words, it is handling the present with an eye on the future. This concept of sustainability works on the inherent principle that human development is a going process that has to sustained at a pace at which the finite resources available in the world can easily cope with. A fine but much simplified example could be that of utilization of timber in the making of any civil construction. The decision maker will not only have to select the timber the quality of which is suitable for the construction in terms of strength, expected durability, etc.but will also have to ensure that the made is a type of timber that is not endangered or on the verge of being extinct, a type that is easily available in the area of the construction with no t hreat to its future. The next question that could face the decision maker is whether timber, considering the depletion rate of natural resources, should be used at all. And if timber is not used then what are the other available alternatives that could be used in the place of timber?The Decision Support System will have to be able to assist the decision maker in making these crucial decisions by providing structured and easy access to all relevant information. Sustainability is therefore a system with stability at its core. Changes to the system are not unrestrained but constrained so that a stable continuance of the system is maintained in the long run. Sustainability is very important for the construction industry because constructions have a very high impact on the ecology and the environment.The people who make decisions in the construction industry literally hold fate in their hands in the sense that considered and logical decisions based on sustainability go a long way in prot ecting and preserving the environment that in turn sustains human kind. Decision makers at different levels in the construction industry therefore have to make judicious selection of construction material in order fulfill the present requirements without negatively affecting the requirements of others or putting at stake the very existence of the human race on this earth.The main goals that a DSS has to meet in selecting of construction materials based on sustainability are to improve the selection process of the construction material during the conceptual stage itself and to promote the use of innovative materials which could have more sustainable properties than the traditional materials that are currently in use. Sustainability factor in Construction Materials With regards to construction materials, adoption of sustainable selection criteria would imply the following: i. Matter and energy consumption should be minimized ii.Minimum level of human satisfaction should be maintained. iii. There should be minimum negative environmental effects. Any effort to minimize the consumption of matter and energy has to target minimizing entropy gain and intergenerational of equity objectives. It has to be kept in mind that the process of consumption increases the entropy of materials and energy making them unsuaitable for use in the future (Roberts, 1994; Rees, 1990). The basic tenet of sustainability and sustainable material selection would therefore be maximizing utilization and minimizing consumption of matter and energy.In laymen’s language this translates into ‘doing more with less’. Doing more with less however has to be balanced with maximizing human satisfaction with the less of matter and energy that is being consumed in the process. Unless the satisfaction of people is achieved, sustainability would run into a dead end. People and users will not accept changes necessary to make the world a better place to live in unless they are satisfied by the results of those measures. Ensuring the satisfaction of people therefore becomes an integral part of sustainability.A part that is closely connected with economics as, in our economy-driven society, people are satisfied only when there is assurance that their economic interests will not only be safeguarded but also enhanced appreciably. Minimization of costs, maximization of comfort and safety and edification of the human spirit should be the ideal objectives in the process of selection of construction materials (Day, 1990). It all boils down to the sustainability of the human race which in turn makes it essential to ensure the sustainability and preservation of the ecosystem.The sustainability of the ecosystem is ensured when emphasis is put on maintaining biodiversity, species habitat is left undisturbed and environmental deterioration and pollution are brought under control. The design objective of any DSS for selection of construction materials on the basis of sustainabilit y will thus have to make these three global presumptions – less consumption of energy and matter, high human satisfaction and minimal negative effect on the environment.A set of metrics of sustainability based on the definition of sustainability has to be developed for the construction materials. The metrics would then have to be adapted into an approach for comparing alternative materials to help in the selection process. Classification of Sustainability Attributes The next step in designing a Decision Support System for sustainable selection of construction materials would be take the attributes of sustainability and develop a system or taxonomy for classifying them into the categories of technology, ecology, economics and ethics.Since technology is utilized to build construction facilities, it is imperative that sustainable technologies are applied. Carpenter (1994) defines sustainable technologies as technologies that do not harm the environment in any way and are based o n the concept of renewing, reusing and recycling materials. Materials have to contribute to sustainability by building up suitable technologies. For a specific use, the measure of a material’s adaptability to sustainable technology is obtained by the extent to which the material is able to meet the required technical performance.Span, reliability, ability to recycle and resistance to decay and damage are other technology-related indicators. Ecological sustainability can be achieved through material selection if the objective of material selection is to minimize environmental damage and degradation over the entire lifecycle of the material right from the stage in which the raw material is extracted to the final stage of either disposing the material or adopting it for reuse through the process of recycling.Of particular importance in the consideration of sustainability is the way the material will affect the ecology. The domain of all human activities comprises the natural eco logical systems which provide all the raw materials to meet the varied requirements of human beings (Norton 1994). Thus, integrity of the systems has to be maintained in order to ensure the continues availability of raw materials in the form of ecological resources. The search of feasible alternatives for limited natural resources leads us to the realm of economic sustainability.Alternative resources that can be developed at minimal cost to the society have to be maintained and identified by the Decision Support System. The total life cycle cost of a project depends on the life cycle costs of the constituent construction materials. Selection of construction materials based on the lowest life cycle cost ultimately brings down the life cycle cost of the entire construction project. Manufacturing, transportation, assembly, maintenance and disposal or recycling costs determine the lifecycle cost of a construction material.These lifecycle costs in turn determine the economic sustainabili ty of a construction material. The moot point of sustainability is adopting a futuristic view. The concern is not only with meeting the needs of the present generation but at the same time ensuring that resource utilization is done in such a way that it is possible to retain, invest and convert them in such a way that there is no scarcity to meet the requirements of the future generations (Daly & Cobb 1994). This is the principle behind the ethics of sustainability.The attributes of ethical sustainability are the extent of depletion of natural resources that utilization of the material could represent, extent to use the material can be reused and to which nonrenewable resources the material can be used as a substitute (Norton, 1994). The Decision Support System therefore has to base its classification of sustainability attributes on the taxonomy of technology utilized, maintenance of ecological balance, economic feasibility and ethical concerns for the future of human kind.The vast scope and complexity of such a DSS can be appreciated when we take all these factors into consideration. Determining the Indicators of Sustainability The DSS for construction materials selection has to consider indicators of sustainability of construction materials with respect to the three global objectives of sustainable development – resource consumption, human satisfaction and environmental impact. The more exhaustive the list of indicators, the more the DSS will tend towards perfection.Indicators could be as varied and wide ranging as the scale on which the harvesting is done, whether infrastructure for harvesting is available, how accessible the raw materials are, the extent of processing the material has to be out through, how renewable the materials, maintainability, toxicity, market pricing of comparable resources, etc. Each indicator has to be correlated with the sustainability of the material, and the correlation determined through sensitivity analysis and indexed and rated so that comparison of the materials is possible to the minutest details.Selection of indicators of sustainability of the materials therefore assumes great importance in any DSS. Database or knowledge base development in this respect has to systematic and incremental throughout the development cycle. Consideration of the context of use also holds equal importance in the determination of sustainability of any construction material. Contextual indicators could be as apparent as the availability and use of ice blocks in the poles and sand in the deserts. But these indicators could also be user specific, condition specific or site characteristic specific.Context modifiers therefore have to be built into any DSS. It is the context modifiers that make the sustainability ratings of construction materials for each project unique. Decision makers set threshold values in heuristics databases which enable them to specify the values that they want to be calculated. Edwards et al. (1994 ) and Greene (1994) give examples of techniques in transportation systems in which the energy required to transport a particular material from one place to another for various modes of transport can be calculated for different modes or types of transport. Materials Selection adopting the Rational Actor ApproachThe Rational Actor Approach is centered on the principal assumption that if human decision makers are provided with complete information on the possible results and options in the choices that they have to make, they would choose the optimal alternative, or the option with the maximum possibility of turning out to be the outcome that is most wanted or desired. This being true, the goal of the DSS is to enable the decision maker to select construction materials as per their sustainability so that the vast majority of the materials selected for construction are sustainable materials.The rational actor model has three phases (Simon, 1983): Phase 1: Determining all choices that ar e possible. Phase 2: Analyzing every choice for the consequences that it they may lead to. Phase 3: Finally choosing an alternative that is rated as the best based on considerations of utility and the most probable consequence or output.. In the DSS, the Rational Actor Model can be further fine tuned by the adoption of a few modifications. First, the material alternatives that are obviously not suitable for the project element could be pruned off the database based on classification of materials according to some given standards.The software will therefore prune materials such as ceramic tiles when considering the construction of a foundation footing column. This eliminates the possibility of users ignoring feasible but unfamiliar materials. A second modification could be the introduction of user weightings for each sustainability attribute. The weightings are a way of personalizing or customizing the system. Input of the weightings accord the methodology adopted in the system highe r acceptability for the user who provides the weightings. The weightings also enable customization of the sustainability of the final design product.(Pearce, et. al. , 2001). The ordered stages of the methodology adopted with modifications can now be defined for the Decision Support System. In its first step, the methodology generates the alternatives that would be available for making the selection. This is a comprehensive set of alternatives that could include all the materials available in the market. In its second stage, the clearly infeasible alternatives are pruned from the list of available alternatives through the application of some technical performance thresholds or other heuristics.This would result in a set of alternations that are all feasible for the application under consideration. The crucial third step consists of the Decision Support System ranking the alternatives based on the sustainability and utility of the material for the use that it is intended for. At this juncture, the decision maker feeds in his weights for each attribute of sustainability as per the priority that particular attribute holds for the decision maker.Manufacturer information and other sources determine the values for the sustainability attributes of each material, and a normalized value is worked out for each value of the attributes. The weights and normalized values for the sustainability attributes of each material are then multiplied and added together to produce the index of subjective utility for that material. A ranking of the alternatives is developed by sorting their utility values. The Decision Support System then outputs the alternative with the highest utility value to the user.The decision maker is at liberty to choose the highest ranked alternative for the particular application or any other alternative as he or she may deem suitable from the point of view of cognitive abilities and professional experience. The DSS then moves on to take up other design ele ments for consideration. From the Decision Maker’s Point of View From the decision maker’s or user’s point of view, the decision maker has to first feed in a list of the design components that have been conceptualized for the construction.Values for relevant parameters that describe the conceptual design and the decision making have to be fed in. The DSS uses these values to generate a list of feasible materials for each design element from the materials database of the DSS utilizing heuristics for material selection from the internal logic or knowledge base of the DSS. After the DSS generates a list of feasible materials for each element, it queries the decision maker for the personalized weightings for the sustainability attributes.The Sustainability Index Calculator calculates the values of the sustainability attributes for each feasible material. An Amalgamator Module of the DSS amalgamates the weightings of the decision maker with the sustainability attribu te values for each material that could be utilized and sorts the materials according to their individual rankings. The DSS recommends the material with the highest rating to the decision maker who is free to either accept the recommendation of the Decision Support System or to opt for an alternative from the list of alternatives provided by the DSS.Conclusions The Decision Support System for the selection of construction materials on the basis of sustainability therefore analyzes the feasible materials for each element of a construction from a wide range of perspectives. The factors that influence the ultimate output of the Decision Support System incorporate the technologies and economies of construction processes, the characteristics of the applicable materials, ecological and environmental concerns, sustainability aspects, and most important of all, the professional and personal preferences of the user or the decision maker.Each of these factors by themselves could constitute ind ividual expert systems. The complexity and sophistication of such decision support systems can thus be appreciated along with their great utility in helping decision makers to make crucial decisions. References -01 Carpenter, S. , 1994, Sustainable Communities. School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. Daly, H. , E. , and Cobb, J. , B. , Jr. , 1994, For the Common Good, 2nd ed. Beacon Press, Boston.Day, C. , 1990, Places of the Soul. Aquarian Press, San Francisco, CA. Druzdzel, Marek, J. , & Flynn, Roger, R. , 2002, Decision Support Systems, Decision Systems Laboratory, School of Information Sciences and Intelligent Systems Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh. Edwards, P. ,J. , Stewart, P. ,J, Eilenberg, I. , M. , and Anton, S. , 1994, Evaluating Embodied Energy Impacts in Buildings: Some Research Outcomes and Issues, in Kibert, C. , ed. Sustainable Construction. CIB TG 16, Tampa, FL, Nov. 6-9, pp. 173-182. Greene, D. , L. , 1994, Transportation an d Energy, Transportation Quarterly, v. 48, n. 1, Norton, B, G. , 1994, Sustainability: Two Competing Paradigms.Texas A&M Conference. School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. Pearce, Annie, R. , Hastak, M. , Vanegas, Jorge, A. , 2001, A Decision Support System for Construction Materials Selection using Sustainability as a Criterion, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta.Rees, W. , E. , 1990, The Ecology of Sustainable Development, The Ecologist, v. 20, n. 1. Roberts, D. V. , 1994, Sustainable Development – A Challenge for the Engineering Profession, in Ellis, M. , D. , ed. The Role of Engineering in Sustainable Development. American Association of Engineering Societies, Washington, DC. Sage, Andrew, P. , 1991, Decision Support Systems Engineering. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. , New York. WCED – United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development. ,1987, Our Common Future. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

4 Ways to Balance Family and Online School

4 Ways to Balance Family and Online School Balancing school and family life can be a challenge, even for online learners. While many older adults choose to continue their education through the internet, they often find their study time interrupted by spouses and children who miss them and don’t understand the need for â€Å"alone time.† Here are a few suggestions for maintaining good relationships with those you love while studying online.   Set Some Ground Rules for All Parties Chances are you’ll need some peace and quiet to get your work done. Setting specific times and posting a schedule on your office door (or kitchen fridge) can be a great way to form a common understanding and keep resentments from forming. Let your family know when you’ll be available and when they shouldn’t disturb you. If you’re in an online chat meeting, for example, you may want to hang a â€Å"do not disturb† sign on the door. Let children know what instances are appropriate for interruption (a stuffed bear causing the toilet to overflow) and which are inappropriate (they have a sudden urge for ice cream). This street goes both ways, however, and you’ll also need to set some ground rules for yourself. Be available to your family during your off-hours and give them the attention they need. Let them know that they can trust you to be available when you say you will, and they’ll be more willing to wait. Dont Forget Play Time Online courses can get intense at times, particularly if you’re enrolled in more than one. But, don’t get so caught up that you forget to have fun. If need be, set aside a â€Å"family night† to play games or find entertainment with your children or a â€Å"date night† to spend a little quality time with your spouse. You’ll get much-needed relaxation and they’ll appreciate seeing you in a less stressful mood. Be An Example If you have school-aged children, use your own studies to set an example for how they can succeed in their own classes. Try setting aside a study time each afternoon when you study alongside your kids. Serve a nutritious snack (think smoothie and apples rather than green beans) and play relaxing music. Chances are they’ll mimic the study skills you model and their grades will benefit. Meanwhile, you’ll get a chance to complete your own studies while spending some time with your kids. It’s a win-win. Involve Your Family in Your Learning Don’t just slink away into the back room and come out, red-eyed and silent, after a few hours of intense studying. Let your family know you’re accomplishing something meaningful. If you discover something interesting, bring it up at the dinner table or discuss it while driving your kids to school. Let your spouse tag along on field trips to the art museum or city counsel. Chances are they’ll enjoy being involved in this part of your life and you’ll appreciate the chance to share it.

The True Meaning of 'Push' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The True Meaning of 'Push' - Essay Example ontext of the protagonist’s life, because it symbolically represents the fact that she has been left behind and needs to push her way forward to survive in the world. At the beginning of the story, Sapphire sets the stage by providing indications that the protagonist lags behind others. â€Å"I was left back when I was twelve because I had a baby for my fahver†¦ I had got left back in the second grade too, when I was seven, ‘cause I couldn’t read†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1). In fact, Precious is considered such a hopeless case as far as learning is concerned that the principal of the school tells her teacher to give up and stop wasting time on her. â€Å"Focus on the ones who can learn† (39). Precious herself articulates the predominant view that exists about her learning powers. â€Å"The tesses paint a picture of me wif no brain†¦ the tesses paint a picture of me an’ my muver – my whole family, we more than dumb, we invisible† (33). Because Precious has been left so far behind, it is not even worth the time or effort for anyone to help her so that she can move forward. In having to push when giving birth to her first baby, Precious is, for the first time, encouraged to be assertive and aggressive rather than passive, drawing upon her basic, primal, female energy in bringing forth life (Marvel, 1996). The title Push, therefore, represents the basic energy of the female protagonist, who at sixteen, cannot read or write, still hasn’t completed high school and is already about to give birth to her second child. Nevertheless, she does not give up or submit to despair; she is always ready to keep fighting, as reflected in her attitude: â€Å" ‘N I really do want to learn. Every day I tell myself something gonna happen, some shit like on TV. I’m gonna break through or somebody gonna break through to me – I’m gonna learn, catch up, be normal, change my seat to the front of the class† (5). When the story commences and Precious is suspended from school because she is

Individual Personal Reflection Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Individual Personal Reflection Paper - Assignment Example ve learnt that Critical thinking, among other things, makes one think rationally and with more clarity irrespective of the field one is in; education, law, medicine, finance, or management. Critical thinking is a vital component as it enhances problem solving and proper thinking and can thus be termed as an asset. Secondly, it enables a person to have excellent communication skills. It improves language and comprehension abilities by aiding in the analysis of texts. Furthermore, critical thinking leads to self-reflection since we are able to reflect on our values and make proper decisions. With the changing, economic times which is driven by technology and information one needs to be able to effectively deal with these changes. This requires analysis of information thus pushing for intellectual skills, which we have learnt in this course. Since the start of this course, my critical thinking has vastly improved. It has helped me to think rationally and view things from a different perspective. I can now carefully reflect on my principles of reasoning and internalize them therefore, making me apply it in my day-to-day life. I am now in a position to expose fallacies and avoid faulty reasoning. I am able to come up with solutions to problems in a systematic way and prioritize ideas based on their importance. I have also been able to clearly come up with constructive arguments and evaluate them. More so, I am able to break down information into their constituent parts and logically understand the connections, relevance, and importance of these ideas. In the beginning, I was at the stage of unreflective thinker where I was unaware of significant problems in thinking, but so far I have advanced and I am now in the practicing thinker level. I feel I am at this level since I have recognized the need for regular practice in thinking. I am in a better position to solve problems by using the information that I have. However, limited it may be and to further deduce probable