Media †Genre Conventions of a Horror Film Essay

Settings: The setting for a horror film is usually shot in isolated, abandoned locations for example at a haunted basement, attic or loft. This is because these settings create a sense of tension and an eerie atmosphere to the audience. The more dramatic and action packed scenes are usually shot in the night because people are more vulnerable at this time and is where more â€Å"scary† events are expected to happen, however footage can be taken anytime during the day. Examples of locations are: Graveyard, Churches, Hospitals, Basements, Attics and Lofts. Horror films are used to create a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience’s primal fears. Themes: Horror films often feature scenes that startle the viewer. Themes like the supernatural, good vs evil and death are commonly used in this genre. Horror films often deal with the viewer’s nightmares, hidden fears, and terror of the unknown. Plots within the horror genre often involve the intrusion of an evil force, event, or person, commonly of supernatural origin, into the everyday world. The presence of characters like children are used because they come across as innocent to the viewer, when in the fact they hold a hidden agenda and so surprises the audience when they see the child possessed by an evil spirit. Other characters include ghosts, aliens, vampires, werewolves, curses, satanism, demons, gore, torture, vicious animals, monsters, zombies, cannibals, and serial killers. The hero (protagonist) is usually seen as the victim, the villain (antagonist) is usually of supernatural origin that scares the audience. Narrative structure and technicality: The narrative structure of horror films is commonly using Todorovs theory – Equilibrium, Disruption, Resolution and new equilibrium. This is used, so the beginning of the film explains who most of the characters are and gives the audience the chance to guess who the protagonist and antagonist are of the film before the action begins. Although the characters are usually faced with an obstacle that they have to overcome either alone or as a group. As the characters are in the process of resolving their problems it usually ends with a twist, and surprises the audience with the fact that the antagonist wasn’t who they anticipated it to be. The technical features of horror movies are high/low camera angles for effect and to show power of the characters, jump cuts to show quickening of time, diegetic sounds for realism, non-diegetic sounds for example monster sounds to scare the audience and low-key lighting to emphasize a shadow effect. The technique iconography is used in horror movies for example weapons (guns and knives) , blood to show a death or someone injured, religious symbols to emphasize religious backgrounds for instance satanic beliefs or Christianity, dark coloured clothing and costumes as well as dark and dominant make up for the antagonist character to emphasize a frightening image. Target audience of horror films: The horror film style has changed over time, but in 1996 Scream set off a â€Å"chain of copycats†, leading to a new variety of teenage, horror movies. This new approach to horror films began to gradually earn more and more income as seen in the progress of Scream movies. The importance that horror films have gained in the public and producers’ eyes is one obvious effect on our society. Horror films’ income expansion is only the first sign of the influences of horror flicks. The role of women and how women see themselves in the movie industry has been altered by the horror genre. In early times, horror films such as My Bloody Valentine (1981), Halloween (1978), and Friday the 13th (1980) pertained mostly to a male audience. Their main focus was to express the fear of women and show them as monsters; however, this ideal is no longer prevalent in horror films. Women have become not only the main audience and fans of horror films but also the main protagonists of contemporary horror films. The horror industry is producing more and more movies with the main protagonist being a female and having to evolve into a stronger person in order to overcome difficult obstacles. This main theme has drawn a larger audience of women movie-goers to the theaters in modern times than ever historically recorded. Movie makers also go as far as to integrate women relatable topics such as pregnancy, motherhood and babysitting jobs into their films in order to gain even more female oriented audiences

Cyber Crime & internet

The full realization of the potential benefits brought by internet in the global community is greatly sabotaged by cyber crime activities. Cyber crime is increasingly becoming a major concern across the social, scientific, economic, and law enforcement fronts of the global community. Although the actual economic impact of cyber crimes is hard to qualify, it is estimated that the American nation looses over $100 million on internet related crimes every year. There are numerous types of cyber crimes (Laser, 2009).These includes; identity theft, fraud, hacking, cyber terrorism, malicious computer programs, web posting of offensive materials, and drug trafficking among others. Due to the negative social and economic impact of cyber crime activities, governments and other stakeholders have engaged in a number of prevention measures. They encompass creation of public awareness to enable internet users to identify, report, and/or avoid being victims of such crimes (McDowell, 2008). Software scientists have also engaged in developing effective computer and network security software.In addition to this, there are laws such as the Intellectual Property Law, Electronic Communication Privacy Law, and the 2001 Patriotic Act serve an important role in detecting and prosecuting cyber crime offenders. This essay seeks to discuss malicious computer programs (also know as malware) as a form of cyber crime, its characteristics and how it is prevented, detected, and/or prosecuted. Malicious computer programs are defined as coded programs, which serve either to corrupt the effective functioning of a computer system or lead to unwarranted remote accessing of information from a computer network (Loader, Douglas, & Thomas, 2000).Viruses and worms are the most common types of malicious computer programs or software. Other malicious computer programs include spyware, and Trojan. They are codes which serve to compromise information stored in computer network devices. This type of malicio us computer programs is commonly associated with infecting executable computer files and denial of network access by authorized users (Loader, Douglas, Thomas, 2000). Indeed, through extensive infecting of computer files, such codes are responsible for crashing of computer network devices.Other common forms of malicious computer programs are deceptive Trojan horses, multi-purpose bots, and spyware programs. This is increasingly becoming a common cyber crime. Such programs are characterized by their ability to allow for the stealing of sensitive information from protected networks (Metropolitan Police, 2009). According to available information on these malicious computer programs, they can serve to aid a hacker in remotely accessing passwords and credit card details of network users without detection.In addition, due to their sophisticated capability, such programs are employed for facilitating corrupting of confidential information stored institutional networks (Loader, Douglas, & T homas, 2000). Such can also be used by terrorist groups to qualify the crucial information from their target government prior to attacks. There are numerous ways established for preventing malicious computer programs as a cyber crime activity. The most common measure is the creation of awareness among the general public and institutions on how to identify and mitigate being affected malicious computer programs (McDowell, 2008).To realize this preventive measure, network software scientists have engaged in numerous researches; developing highly intelligent network security software. Indeed, some software such as antivirus are commonly found free in the internet. Such are serving the crucial purpose of mitigating infection of computer networks by malicious computer codes such as virus and worm among others. Still, this intelligent network security software brings with them the ability to identify and deny access of systems by unauthorized users (Lasar, 2009).According to available res earch findings on the effectives of malicious computer programs, it is clearly established that some forms of these programs which are hard to control. In a move to protect the integrity of information technology in the society, it is a common practice for highly sensitive institutions to close down their networks upon realizing any errant behaviors. It is worth noting that such moves are instrumental in ensuring the continued illegal access of networks by hackers. This is usually followed by a change of the overall access security codes and other check requirements.Indeed, for security codes of highly sensitive institutional networks, constant changing is recommended to reduce access chances by hackers. The process of detecting and prosecuting cyber crimes is quite complex. This has been closely attributed to the fact that offenders in these crimes employ high sophisticated technologies (Metropolitan Police, 2009). It is commonly claimed that thieves are usually ahead of technology . Another problem compromising the process of detecting and prosecuting malicious computer programs crime offenders is low rates of reporting such crimes by the victims (McDowell, 2008).Such have also been associated by the failure of network company providers to cooperate with the law enforcement in identifying such incidences. Despite these drawbacks, the war on malicious computer programs as a cyber crime activity has employed a number of methods. First is the use of computer forensic investigation practices to qualify evidence of suspect malicious computer program offender (Lasar, 2009). This process involves technological analysis of collected data by forensic computer scientists.It is to be underscored that according to existing laws such as the Intellectual Property Law and Electronic Communication Privacy Law provides for legal suits against the programmers and distributors of malicious computer programs (Loader, Douglas, Thomas, 2000). Another commonly used measure in detec ting cyber crimes is the tapping of communication networks by law enforcement agents. Although this method has received heavy critics for interfering with the privacy and confidentiality of communication, it serves great purpose in mitigating unwarranted access of sensitive networks.The Patriotic Act of 2001, which allows for government surveillance of the internet, is aimed at mitigating terrorist activities. According to the provisions of the Act, law enforcement is given legal authority to intercept internet communications by crime suspects. Another crucial provision of the Act is its mandatory dictate for network providers to cooperate with the law enforcement in identifying the original of a given communication of malicious programs. Based on this reason, the process of detecting malicious computer programs has significantly improved with the enforcement of the Patriotic Act.Another measure of detecting cyber crime activities is the modern streamlining of the reporting and resp onsiveness practices in the law enforcement (McDowell, 2008). This encourages institutions and individual victims of malicious computer programs to report such incidences, thus enhancing the process of mitigating such criminal activities by the law enforcement agencies. In conclusion, the escalating problem of cyber crime activities is increasingly compromising the realization of the potential benefits brought internet technological advancements in the community.Although all cyber crimes have negative social and economic impacts in the society, malicious computer programs are a real threat to the security of nations across the global. Such programs are evidently blamed for corrupting executable computer network file, crashing of network devices, denying access by authorized users, and allowing access of private information by hackers. Therefore, there is need for more consulted efforts by the computer security software scientists, law enforcement, and other stakeholders to engage in formulating effective measures of fighting cyber crime. References Lasar, M. (2009).An introduction to the FBI’s anti-cyber crime network. Retrieved May 28, 2010, from http://arstechnica. com/web/news/2009/11/an-introduction-to-the-fbis-anti-cybercrime-network. ars Loader, B. , Douglas, T. , & Thomas, D. (2000). Cyber crime: Law Enforcement, Security, and Surveillance in the Information. New York: Routledge. McDowell, M. (2008). National Cyber Alert System. Retrieved May 28, 2010, from http://www. us-cert. gov/cas/tips/ST05-006. html Metropolitan Police. (2009). Trojan’ computer arrests. Retrieved May 28, 2010, from http://cms. met. police. uk/news/arrests_and_charges/trojan_computer_virus_arrests

Source base questions - KMT-CCP rivalry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Source base questions - KMT-CCP rivalry - Essay Example This was the classic method of raiding a village. Sometimes we killed and carried away little pigs weighing around thirty catties. We took corn, rice, potatoes, taro. Did we take money? No. There was no money to be had anyway. e.g. in Source A, the cartoon shows us that the KMT (Kuomintang or Nationalist Party) officers were totally on the side of the rich landlord demanding greater taxes. Exploitation of the peasants took various forms. Not only were heavy taxes levied, many of which were collected in advance, but also peasants were forced to provide carts, animals and farm produce. The source also shows one such officer in hostile action against a peasant and his family. Judging from their poor attire and the fact that the loss of the two bushels of food grain represented a great loss to them, we understand that this family is a very poor one. The officer is commanding the peasant to hand over grain to the landlord. The peasant is very angry at the unfair demand, which is evident by his clenched fists. It also shows his impotence to offer any stiffer resistance to the officer and the landlord due to the overall cloak of oppression that has smothered the populace during the domination by the KMT regime. The peasant’s wife is beseeching the landlord to have mercy as they need that food for their family, especially the crying child. In response, the obese landlord is pointing a jocular finger at the wailing child meaning that he does not care about the wellbeing of a brat like that. The cartoonist is telling us that despite the oppressive hardship and poverty of the peasants, the corrupted KMT government was still exploiting them unmercifully. Source A seems to drive the message that the communists were sympathetic about the hardship of the people and this is in stark contrast to the corrupt Nationalists. Source A is also a communist cartoon and thus may be a propaganda tool to incite the sense of anti-KMT feeling among the peasants and thereby

Media Industries Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media Industries - Assignment Example Most of the listeners are enticed to share their opinion in the debate/ongoing conversation by either phone calls to the TV/Radio channel or post their viewpoints on the blogs/websites next issues been discussed. Checking updates: Since people are not always in their homes, online social networking has become a trending fashion. Using computer and smart phone gadgets readers/ viewers can enhance their engagement habit. It is common for people to keen checking for news updates either at time intervals for hourly or daily postings, which also give them an opportunity to comment or offer their feedback (Cameroon, 2011). Other fascinating behaviors: Most times you would witness those watching news with you mimic the voices from a news video clip, because it captured their attention or felt ridiculous. Children are good in such cases. Also laughing and getting emotional for sensitive news clip. Multiple media are necessary to ensure a broad range of geographical regions and people are kept well informed and have various options which they can actively use to engage with the news. This would help the society to participate making decisions and in solving problems in society by offering their opinions and feedbacks to tangible issues. How do such technologies as Netflix and (illegal?) downloads affect our social habits? Do you ever binge-watch or do you watch your preferred programs in a weekly manner? How do these different methods alter your experience of the program? Several years ago, people had still been using DVDs and video cassettes to watch movies and other recorded clips they desired. Netflix technology use of latest streaming model continue to attract millions of people to subscribe for the service, from which they can stream movies/shows in real time. Netfix technology facilitates production of contents and distribution, but also has a

Educational Biography Statement Personal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Educational Biography - Personal Statement Example The first lesson I learned in school was about authority. I learned that you did not question it. My parents were the type of parents that were always on the side of the school. They had a sort of conflicted relationship with public schools because they both had a difficult time in school. On the one hand, they recognized that the people in school were professionals and were there to teach me. They had a lot of trust in my individual teachers and always believed what they said. If I went home and said, â€Å"Mrs. Kershaw smacked my had with a ruler today!† they would ask me, â€Å"Well, what did you do?† They never questioned a teacher’s authority to discipline or teach me, so this taught me to listen and obey my teachers. On the other hand, my parents were almost paranoid about the institution of education. They were suspicious of the people at the very top. The superintendents, principals and specialists that ran the school and were responsible for the big pict ure were viewed as lazy and wasteful. Nothing they did was every OK with my parents. They railed against tax increases, curriculum changes and decisions about school safety. It took me a long time to realize that my parents were taking a stance against what they perceived as management (Cook, 1978). Both were laborers and they viewed my teachers as peers, but everyone else was management. I was in high school before I figured out why my parents were so supportive of the education system on the one hand, and so against it on the other. This was the beginning of my own conflicted feelings about schooling and education. By high school, I could see that my parents wanted me to get a college education so that I would be a part of a class of people that they mistrusted. I know that this sounds conflicted, but that’s my parents. They wanted me to be more secure than they were themselves, but their view was that the only way this could happen was to be something other than I was. Not quite fitting into a defined social position is not something new for me. From elementary, through middle and high school, I always felt that all of the students were strongly encouraged to fill a slot in a specified, existing group. Some students are academically inclined, others are athletes. Some students are compliant while others are rowdy troublemakers. There seemed to be a lot of either/or decisions that were expected of me in school that caused me to question what I was and what I really wanted out of life. Two of these incidences that were very powerful occurred when I was in elementary and high school. They both involved a conflict in scheduling that could have been resolved had the school not been trying to force me into a specified social construct. In elementary school, there were many activities that were commonly called pullouts by the teachers. Looking back, I realize that some of these pullouts were for students that struggled to learn, but others were and effort t o differentiate instruction for small groups of students (Tomlinson, 2005). I was identified as Gifted students, so one of my pullouts was a required class called Reach. I met with other Gifted students at this

SOP Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SOP Paper - Essay Example No doubt, extreme sports are a major attraction for sport lovers and can garner huge revenues, but there are numerous examples of sportspersons getting injured or maimed for life. One can never forget the snowboarder Kevin Pearce who suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was preparing for the Olympics in 2009. Therefore, my opinion is that extreme sports can be very dangerous for the sportsmen. For some people, extreme kinds of sports can be very tempting and they find it difficult to overcome the urge to participate in life risking sports. According to a sports consultant, Justin Anderson, some people have this innate sense of thrill that makes them do dangerous activities like jumping out of airplanes or climbing Mt. Everest (Hatfield, 2011). The question then arises is what is the thing that motivates these people to take part in such activities in spite of knowing the associated risks. It has been found that for these sportsmen, reaching the desired target is the primary factor while competition is the secondary factor. For these people, pushing their personal boundaries is a strong motivator although the fact that they are risking their life is always at the back of their minds. One common psychology behind these daredevil sports is the feeling that they have dared to dream the impossible and are also among those few who have achieved that dream (Hatfield, 2011). Extreme sports usually comprise high speed and risk. While both these elements can be thrilling for the youth because of their tendency toward heroism, the fact remains that such thrills are associated with extreme dangers that can be either fatal or lifelong disability. Since extreme sportsmen remain more excited to perform the perilous activities, most of the times they remain concerned about the event that will take place in that instant like how well they will be able to perform and

THE ORGANIZATION Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

THE ORGANIZATION - Coursework Example In this case study, the father son duo have diametrically opposite leadership styles, wherein the father ‘Peter’ believes in an extremely friendly business environment marked by ‘Participative’ leadership, the son ‘Joseph’ is seen to portray the typical character of an ‘Autocratic’ leader. It is stated that Peter is a man of charisma and has a dynamic personality; some scholars like Rowe and Guerrero argue that charisma is a necessary condition for leadership (Rowe and Guerrero, 2011, 260). A charismatic leader can ensure that the workforce will follow in his footsteps, and consider him to be right, instead of doubting in the effectiveness of the leader. With such personality traits Peter could have chosen to be an autocratic leader who leads from the front and gives orders, such that they would be followed since the staff believes in him and is devoted and Peter trusts them. However, he chose to be a democratic leader or in other w ords, a participative leader (Appel and Schmid, 2003, 22). The name itself suggests that the characteristics of such a leader do not revolve around strictness and authoritative rule, but allows for participation and a democratic way of decision making. On the other polar side is the leadership style adapted by the ‘bright’ but not ‘brilliant’ Joseph. He is categorized as having adapted the authoritative or autocratic leadership style which is recognized as being a one man show, since the leader does not allow for participation in decision making, delegation of duties is not carried out, there is lack of trust of the leader in the staff and vice versa, thus the opposite of democratic leadership. Leadership is cited as one of the crucial reasons behind the decision of managerial staff to leave a job (Hogan, 2007, 38), thus the fact that under Peter’s leadership almost all employees have been retained by the organization for at least 10 years is a subst antial proof of his effective leadership, and that he is welcomed by his staff. When this factor is considered for Joseph’s leadership, it was observed that the employees were not happy, which can be figured out from the statement by Mr. Spike who told Joseph that he ‘just couldn’t work in this climate’, hence showing that employee turnover would be high as even the most loyal and senior manager wants to quit the job under Joseph’s leadership. Furthermore, Peter does not practice a laissez-faire leadership style or a rigid leadership style, since his delegation of duty and decision making is coupled with regular inspections of the efficiency and quality of work and the organization on the whole. He believes in motivation through praise, and thus has made it a regular practice to praise good work, and simultaneously pointing out flaws and inefficiency in any work done by the staff, but since he is so accommodating and open to his staff, it automatica lly leads to a welcoming response and the staff does not mind if he points out flaws, but on the contrary regards his comments as constructive criticism. While, on the other side, autocratic leaders such as Joseph, believe in meeting rigid targets, and do not allow for any suggestions, it is their personal style of motivation, however apart from the positive aspect of speeding up the process, it

How important is it for today's managers to have a good understanding Essay

How important is it for today's managers to have a good understanding of cultural diversity in the workplace - Essay Example The need for recruiting able and established staff is very much there since every organization or company for that matter wants to achieve efficiency and effectiveness when it comes to getting the things done in a quick manner. [Cooper, 2004] There are instances when employees have been known to prolong things just because they do not feel to be in the mood to do so. This is a definitive statement on the part of the employees that they were recruited wrongly at the time of their hiring and the organization did indeed make a mistake in choosing such a worker over other options that were available to it around the world. One sees that the top line personnel present in offices delegate jobs and assignments to their sub-ordinates without even thinking that the same might not be the correct manner and mode of action as to go about carrying out the tasks and responsibilities. They think that delegation would prosper a sense of getting more work within the sub-ordinates who themselves are pretty much occupied with their already assigned tasks and jobs. This is hence not the correct manner in which things should be done and hence a need has to be chalked out to ramify the very same problem. The best possible diversity that could be made in this regard is to appoint top line managers who understand the psyche of the people working under him or her or on the same level as his so that he or she can get a grasp as to what employees usually are best suited at and what they do not prefer under certain strenuous conditions in the office place environment. As a consequence, being able to do more work is definitel y considered a plus and an added advantage for an employee but this should not, under any level, exceed his or her capabilities and skill sets. He or she must be assigned the amount of work which is proportionate with his or her pay, already set working conditions and more so the skills on the basis of which he or she was selected in the first place. [Sims,

Write 1. a research question ( with detail) 2.The purpose of your Paper

Write 1. a question ( with detail) 2.The purpose of your 3.PICOT (well structured, and feasible) 4.A critic of the literature review of at least three reseach manuscripts 5.A proposal 6.Conclusion - Research Paper Example This results in additional costs for patients, caregivers, and the overall healthcare system. For instance, the UK spends between 1.4 and 2.1 billion pounds to treat pressure ulcers while in Australia, it costs approximately AUS $61,000 to treat a stage four pressure ulcer (Frantz, Gardner, Harvey, & Spetch, 1991). In the US, treatment cost per ulcer can range between $10,000 and $86,000. Although various interventions have been implemented in the prevention and treatment of ulcers, there is little research data regarding the effectiveness of measures adopted. The research will be conducted in government, institutional and private hospitals that handle inpatients as most cases of ulcers are reported among inpatients. Nursing personnel will be trained on how to assess risk among patients and mitigation measures that can be taken to prevent pressure ulcers. The staff will also be trained on early detection of the injuries. Data on patients at risk from developing pressure ulcer will be collected before and after training. The data will also include the number of patients who will develop ulcers over a four-week period before and after the training intervention. Data collected after nursing staff have undergone training will be compared to that collected before the training using various statistical analyses to determine whether there was a significant decline in the number of patients at risk of developing ulcers. Results of the analysis will also indicate whether training of nursing personnel is effective in reducing the number of patients developing pressure ulcers. The study will run for a period of three months. Clinical studies have shown that development of pressure ulcer during hospitalization can be alleviated by adopting appropriate mitigation measures (Severens, Hobraken, Duivenvoorden, & Frederiks, 2002; Vanderwee, Clark, Dealey, Gunningberg, & Defloor, 2007). These measures can include the development of methods and ways of

The urinary system Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The urinary system - Assignment Example The change of color in the urine strip that occurs in the segment of the strip is then compared to a color chart in order to come up with conclusive outcome (Tortora & Derrickson 2010). To complete a conclusive urinalysis, it is imperative to have a clean catch sample which is collected after cleansing the urethral midstream. Such samples collected via these methods are extremely important in urine culture analysis. As a first examination method urinalysis is undertaken macroscopically in order to ascertain the visual properties of the urine sample. Usually, cotton gauze soaked in benzalkonium hydrochloride is used for collection purpose because it is a non-irritant. In normal conditions, fresh urine is pale to dark yellow or amber in color. Additionally, the urine sample is clear and normally the urine volume is between 750 to 2000mililitres per 24 hour (Mundt & Shanahan 2010). Urine analysis via dipstick is a chemical procedure that examines the potential gradient on the levels of acid and alkaline conditions. The renal tubules and collecting ducts of the kidney usually have an acidic impact on the glomerular filtrate. This potential gradient is usually between 6.0 and 7.4 in the final urine. Exceptionally, this potential difference in the level of acidity or alkalinity may vary depending on the status of the homeostatic environment. Dipstick method measures the specific gradient. Imperative to note is that specific gradient is directly proportional to osmolality which examines the concentration of solute. This measurement is carried out using a refractometer in a majority of clinical laboratories (Tortora & Derrickson 2010). Dipstick urine analysis also measures protein presence in urine samples. This can be achieved through whole urine sample or via semi-quantitative tests for the presence of urine proteins. This is normally performed after the centrifugation of supernatant of the urine sample. Dipsticks are able to identify proteins by production of color using an indicator mostly bromophenol blue, a most sensitive indicator to albumins. Additionally, precipitation of the urine sample by heat can be used in the detection of proteins. Normal total protein concentration in urine usually does not exceed 150 milligrams in 24 hours or 10ml/100ml of the urine sample. In cases where the concentration is higher than 150ml/24h, the condition is called protenuria and in severe cases it is referred to as nephritic syndrome. Dipsticks are also capable of examining the glucose concentration in urine. This is achievable because the technique employs the glucose oxidase reaction that is capable of screening glucose group of sugars including other reducing sugars. Conditions where glucose occur in quantities greater than 130mg/24hou indicating diabetes mellitus is generally termed as glycosuria (Funnell & Lawrence 2008). Dipsticks are also effective in the detection of ketones including beta-hydroxybutyric acid, acetone and acetoacetic acid. Such ke tones arise from diabetic conditions or in cases of starvation. Dipsticks through the nitrite test can be positive to indicate the presence of bacteria usually in large quantity. Gram negative bacteria such as a E.coli usually indicate a positive nitrite test in urine samples. The presence of white blood cells in urine is called pyuria and can be detected by the leukocyte esterase test. This condition results from

Lean Supply Chain Management Essay Example for Free

Lean Supply Chain Management Essay Manufacturing, Fall River, MA, USA Abstract Lean supply is closely associated with enabling ? ow and the elimination of wasteful variation within the supply chain. However, lean operations depend on level scheduling and the growing need to accommodate variety and demand uncertainty has resulted in the emergence of the concept of agility. This paper explores the role of inventory and capacity in accommodating such variation and identi? es how TRIZ separation principles and TOC tools may be combined in the integrated development of responsive and ef? cient supply chains. A detailed apparel industry case study is used to illustrate the application of these concepts and tools. r 2003 Elsevier Science B. V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Agile; Trade-offs; Lean; Quick response 1. Introduction Outsourcing manufacture to low cost overseas suppliers is an attractive lure in our global economy, but often undertaken without adequate regard for the market needs and the corresponding demands on the associated delivery systems. Products compete in different ways in different markets and delivery systems need to be designed with this in mind. Offshore supply offers attractive cost bene? ts, but the trade-off is often high levels of inventory to support a slower response capability.

The Effects of the Cold War in Asia Essay Example for Free

The Effects of the Cold War in Asia Essay The cold war was the name given to the economic, political, military and ideological rivalry that took place between the United States and its allies and the Soviet Union and their allies after World War II. The two powers never directly engaged in military action because both had nuclear weapons that if used, would have had devastating consequences for both sides. Alternatively, proxy wars were fought. A proxy war results when opposing powers use third parties as substitutes for fighting one another and is typically initiated by a power that does not itself participate. The Korean and Vietnam wars are two examples of proxy wars because the U. S. and the Soviet Union did not engage each other however, Soviet attempts to spread and unify both Korea and Vietnam under communist rule prompted intervention either by the United States and/or by their allies. Another example of communist expansionism is the Malayan emergency that lasted from 1948-1960 which resulted in a guerrilla insurgency committed to an independent communist Malaya. These three events were just a few effects of the cold war in Asia. This essay will discuss each event individually and in more detail and attempt to convince readers that the Korean and Vietnam wars and the Malayan emergency were the direct results of Soviet attempts to expand communist rule in Asia and the United States and their allies’ policy of preventing and containing such moves. The Korean War The Japanese occupation of Korea ended after 35 years when they surrendered to both Soviet and American forces in 1945. The plan for the future of Korea was to hold free and fair elections and establish a democratic Korean government. In the meantime, the Soviets and the Americans agreed to occupy the country as a trusteeship. Korea was then divided at the 38th parallel- the U. S. occupied the South and the Soviets occupied the North. In 1948, two separate governments were established the Democratic People’s Republic under communist rule in the North, and the Republic of Korea in the South. Sunday June 25th 1950, North Korea began its attack on South Korea (with the support of the Soviet Union) starting with a 90-minute artillery barrage and then a full invasion of North Korean tanks and infantry across the 38th parallel into South Korea. The United Nations quickly condemned the invasion and insisted the North stop their advance and retreat. When it was evident that the North was not complying with this demand, President Truman, on June 27th authorized the United States Navy and Air Force to support South Korea. The U. N. gave the United States the authority to choose the supreme commander who would lead the allied mission. President Truman chose General Douglas MacArthur who was experienced and considered an American war hero. On June 28th, three days after the invasion Seoul, the South Korean capital was taken over by the North Korean forces. On June 30th, President Truman commissioned the use of American troops in South Korea. Ultimately, 16 member nations would contribute forces to the mission of repelling the North Koreans. During the first weeks of the war, the communist North took Seoul and continued their invasion Southward with little difficulty. The South Korean army and U. N. forces were pushed back to Busan – an area located at the southeastern most tip of Korea. On September 15th 1950, MacArthur launched a daring but necessary allied counteroffensive involving about 70,000 troops at Inchon. This purpose of this landing was twofold – first, catch the North Koreans off guard and second, disrupt both communications and supply lines. Now at a disadvantage upon success of MacArthur’s counteroffensive, the North Koreans began to retreat. This allowed the â€Å"cornered† South Korean army and U. N. forces at Busan to march north and meet up with the other U. N. forces. By early October 1950, all U. N. forces were together at the 38th parallel. Although it appeared that the Korean mission was a success, the war was far from over. Approved by both the U. N. nd the Joint Chiefs of Staff, South Korean troops and U. N. forces crossed the 38th parallel into North Korea. The People’s Republic of China warned U. N. troops that if they crossed the 38th parallel, they would enter the war. MacArthur however, reassures President Truman who is apprehensive over the news that they would not enter the war. However, on November 23rd 1950, about 200,000 Chinese troops crossed the Yalu River and attacked U. N. forces prompting a bold retreat and an immediate withdraw of troops. By December 24th 1950, the navy evacuated approximately 100,000 U.  N. and South Korean troops and roughly as many refugees. General Matthew B. Ridgeway replaced General Walton Walker who died at the end of December 1950. His deployment began Christmas day and he commenced the rebuilding of the Eighth Army. Seoul, which had been recaptured by U. N. forces in October, was abandoned in early January 1951. Nevertheless, by March 27th 1951, the Eighth Army took back Seoul and reached the 38th parallel. In November 1952, the United Nations changed their policy towards the war and approved a defensive strategy. However, the war entered a deadlock both politically and militarily. In January 1953, Dwight Eisenhower succeeded Harry Truman as President of the United States. Determined to resolve the deadlock and end the Korean War, he threatened to use nuclear weapons against China if they did not agree to a peaceful solution. Finally, after three years of conflict, an armistice was signed on July 27th 1953. Casualties were high for all parties involved – an estimated 33,741 Americans killed in action and 103,284 wounded. South Korean numbers are much higher – 59,000 killed in action and 291,000 wounded. U. N. orces that include Australia, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand lost 1,263 and 4,817 wounded. Remaining U. N. forces including Belgium, Columbia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey suffered 1,800 killed in action and 7,000 wounded. North Korean and Chinese casualties are not clear, but estimates are 500,000 killed and 1,000,000 wounded. With the support of both the Soviet Union and China, North Korea invaded South Korea for the purpose of overthrowing the government, taking control of the South and unifying the entire peninsula under communist rule. However, this strategy failed because the international community responded. Unfortunately, the war did not settle the dispute of unification and effects of this are still felt today in both North and South Korea. Although it is difficult to determine the winner, if any, of this war, it is clear that the response of both the United Nations and United States was to contain the spread of communism. Perhaps, the only party that could claim victory is the Chinese. Chinese forces were successful in forcing allied troops out of North Korea and across the 38th parallel. China would now play a significant role in the future peace talks. The Vietnam War The French had formerly occupied Vietnam prior to 1940 when Japan invaded parts of the country. Now, Vietnam had to foreign occupiers – the French and the Japanese. In August 1945, Japan surrendered to allied forces. This gave Vietnamese nationalists led by Ho Chi Minh the opportunity to proclaim the independence of Vietnam. However, the French were determined to regain control of the country. This led to a bloody war between the Vietnamese nationalists and the French in November 1945. The most troubling for the United States was that the Vietnamese nationalists, the Viet Minh, was a communist movement. Nevertheless, it was not until 1950, when the Soviet Union and China recognized the Viet Minh that confirmed American suspicions, revealing Ho Chi Minh, in secretary of state Dean Achesons words, â€Å"in his true colors as the mortal enemy of native independence in Indochina. † A concern among US officials was that US interests were at stake if Vietnam became a communist country. Therefore, in 1950, the US provided monetary assistance to the French effort in Vietnam. Nevertheless, in 1954, France withdrew from Vietnam after a significant defeat at Dien Bien Phu. In July 1954, an agreement was reached at the Geneva conference that temporarily divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel. The Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh would control the North and forces such as the United States who aided the French would control the south. The agreement also called for national elections to be held by July 1956 to reunite the country under one government. The United States however, disagreed and refused to accept the agreement worried the Communists would win and unite Vietnam under communism. If Vietnam became communist, it was believed among US officials that surrounding countries would also become communist – this was known as the domino theory. Therefore, with the help of the United States, elections were carried out but only in South Vietnam. June 18, 1954 Ngo Dinh Diem was elected as the first president of South Vietnam backed by the United States. However by 1960, many Vietnamese began feeling oppressed by Diems leadership and organized the National Liberation Front (NFL) also known as the Viet Cong that would fight against both the South Vietnamese government and United States forces. When Lyndon Johnson became president in November 1963 following John F. Kennedys assassination, he began sending aid to the newly formed government. On August 2, 1964, two US warships were attacked by North Vietnamese gunboats in international waters known as the Gulf of Tonkin incident. In response, Johnson asked Congress for the authority to do whatever it took to withstand any further attacks from the North Vietnamese against US forces. Congress approved Johnsons request with the Gulf of Tonkin resolution. Only after Johnson was re-elected as president in November 1964 did he intensify the war in Vietnam. In early 1965 Johnson ordered the bombing of North Vietnam and in March 1965 ordered large numbers of US military troops to South Vietnam. Johnsons intention was not to achieve victory but for the US forces to strengthen South Vietnams defenses until they were able to assume responsibility. By the summer of 1965, 90,000 US troops were in Vietnam. Nevertheless, General Westmoreland, the US commander in Vietnam would ask Johnson for another 150,000 troops. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara recommended sending 100,000 additional US troops to Vietnam. Johnson would approve McNamara’s recommendation. Despite the US military buildup, the Viet Cong were well supplied and dedicated fighters. They were also more familiar with the jungles of Vietnam than the US was – this gave the Viet Cong a huge advantage. They attacked in ambushes, set up booby-traps and moved around underground tunnels. General Westmoreland would again request more US troops that Johnson approved. Between 1966 and 1967, US forces serving in Vietnam rose drastically from 190,000 to 535,000. On January 30, 1968, the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong orchestrated a surprise attack on South Vietnamese cities and towns known as the Tet offensive. † It is estimated that 67,000 Viet Cong took part in the offensive. An estimated 40,000 were killed. The US was able to regain the cities and towns lost in the offensive. Although this was a US victory, it proved to the president and the American people that the enemy was better equipped and more powerful than previously believed. After the Tet Offensive and growing disapproval of the war at home, Johnson decided not to escalate the war any further. In January 1969, Richard Nixon became president of the United States. Nixon was favorable among the American people for his promises to de-escalate and end the Vietnam War. US troop withdrawals began in the summer of 1969. However, it was not until January 27, 1973 that a peace treaty was finally reached. Nixon suspended all military operations in Vietnam and the remaining US troops left in March 1973. Fighting however would continue between the North Vietnamese and the South Vietnamese until April 30, 1975 when South Vietnam surrendered to the North. On July 2, 1976, Vietnam was reunified under a communist government. Vietnam was a war the US felt compelled to fight. The US thought if Vietnam was overthrown and became communist that it would be only a matter of time until surrounding countries would fall victim to communism. However, after a ten-year commitment in Vietnam, the US was unable to achieve victory. Why? The US forces were fighting in unfamiliar jungles whereas the Viet Cong were well adapted. The Viet Cong were also well supplied by both China and the Soviet Union. The US could not halt the flow of supplies and replacement fighters without the possibility of bringing either China and/or the Soviet Union into the war. Viet Cong used ambushes and booby traps against unsuspecting US troops. Nuclear weapons were out of the question as that would have definitely led to prompt and severe retaliation from probably both China and the Soviet Union. Unpopularity at home in America along with anti-war and civil rights protests eventually led to the ending of US involvement in Vietnam. Malayan Emergency, 1948-1960  On December 8, 1941, the Japanese invaded Malaya, which was under British rule at the time. Although British forces fought hard against the invaders, large numbers of Japanese troops eventually forced the British to retreat and surrender in early February 1942. The Japanese occupation of Malaya lasted from 1942 to 1945 when they surrendered to allied forces at the end of World War II. Malaya was now faced with restoring a civil government and initiating a new constitution. However, the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), led by Chin Peng opposed this idea. Between 1945 and 1948, the CPM had accumulated thousands of communist fighters that were trained in jungle warfare by the British to fight against the Japanese occupation. In June 1948, the 12-year unrest began when Communist Terrorists (CTs) killed three British rubber planters. The Communist Party of Malaya then departed to rural areas and organized the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA). They began a campaign of terror involving executing, mutilating and tormenting British and Native people aimed to panic the civilians. Britain repeatedly requested the assistance of the United States, but was turned down. Therefore, Britain stood alone against the threat in Malaya. In the fall of 1950, 50,000 British troops were sent to Malaya. The plan of action for dealing with the current crisis was defensive: to protect all targets of economic importance. However, there were insufficient amount of soldiers to properly deal with the country’s challenges, so more were transferred in from the Kings African Rifles, the Guards Brigade and the Royal Marines. The Director of Operations in Malaya, General Sir Harold Briggs, came up with a resolution known as â€Å"the Briggs plan,† which was to isolate the insurgents from their supporters. Under the plan, 500,000 rural Malayans and 400,000 Chinese were forced to relocate into guarded camps known as New Villages. At first, people were angry about the new arrangement however, with improved living conditions in the camps, monetary aid and given ownership of their property; they changed their initial perspective to that of happiness and satisfaction. Sir Henry Gurney, the British High Commissioner was ambushed and assassinated by the MNLA in 1951. This was a turning point in the war because the assassination has been defined as the reason the Malayans renounced the MNLA campaign. Lieutenant-General Sir Gerald Templer succeeded Sir Henry Gurney. He was a strict and robust soldier. He called for instant actions to grant Chinese ethnic citizens the right to vote. He advanced the development of the Malayan Army. He also improved the intelligence network (Special Branch). The MNLA were allowed remission by the Malayan government in 1955 as a means of ending the emergency peacefully, but many rejected because the terms were limited in nature. Chin Peng and Tunku Abdul Rahman, the father of Malayan independence entered into negotiations. The negotiations deteriorated when Tunku turned down Peng’s requests. As a result, the aggression proceeded more intensely but by this time, it was apparent that the MNLA’s goal of a communist Malaya proved unsuccessful. Malaya acquired independence in August 1957 but the emergency would not be conclusively over until 1960. By the end of the emergency, 6,710 insurgents had been killed with another 1,287 captured; 2,702 insurgents surrendered and another 500 gave themselves up. Malayan security forces including police suffered 1,345 casualties with another 519 commonwealth personnel lost; civilian losses were 2,478 with 810 others missing. The emergency is estimated to have cost the British government between ? 520 million and ? 700 million. Malaya is the only successful battle of the entire Cold War. Why? The MNLA consisted of about only 8,000 insurgents. There was little outside support and British General Harold Briggs quickly implemented a resolution that isolated the insurgents from the general population. Britain gained the support of the population when they provided aid and other support. The British also wanted Malay to be an independent state whereas an MNLA overthrow would suggest a potential â€Å"puppet state† of the Soviet Union and/or China.

Procurement Strategy In Uk Crossrail Project Construction Essay

Procurement Strategy In Uk Crossrail Project Construction Essay This dissertation is about investigating and evaluating the procurement strategy adopted in Crossrail project. A literature review is structured under first four chapters: (1) An Introduction; (2) Crossrail Project; (3) Literature review I; and (4) Literature review II. This is done to introduce the issue. This dissertation deals with the different procurement strategy applied for cross rail project. Cross rail being one of the biggest transportation project in Europe, have very complex procurement methods which should be very well planned. The thesis observes the methods of procurement adopted by cross rail by comparing it with different standard procurement methods and best practices used in the country. Research is carried out on three different areas of procurement. They are skilled resource procurement, type of contract used and demonstration of value for money. The initial survey carried out indicated that there is a skills shortage in Crossrail project and also some of the areas were identified which needed further clarification in using NEC3 contract. The dissertation was carried out based on the questionnaire developed as a result of literature review. Interviews were conducted based on the questionnaire. From the results of the research it was possible to conclude that Crossrail following robust project management techniques to deliver the project successfully. However it would be too early to reach a conclusion since the project is still well under progress. Acknowledgement First I would like to thank Mr Barry Wood for all his advice and help. It was a great help to have a supervisor like you. It was really interesting in discussing procurement with Mr Wood. Secondly thanks must go to the employees of Crossrail and TfL for agreeing to take part in the interview. I would also like to thank Mr Rupert Bruce for providing some journals related to my topic. Finally many thanks to all my friends and the almighty for being a great support and motivation throughout my work. Chapter 1 Introduction Rational for the research The continuing demand for developing transportation infrastructure projects is increasing day by day. This is putting tremendous pressure on public sector for development. Transportation has been a main function of government since long time. In the present scenario, it is difficult to manage and fund mega transportation project because of the financial crunch. This reduced the ability of government to implement big and unique projects by itself. Project delivery is the method by which government encourages the private sectors and other agencies for the development of infrastructures. Transportation megaprojects include huge capital investment, expert and competitive contractors, long period of time and a perfect delivery strategy to deliver the project in time, quality and within budget. To make such mega projects successful, a strong procurement strategy is required. A procurement strategy is to develop a framework keeping in mind the objectives and outcomes of the project. The con tractual and commercial strategy will be defined at the design and construction stage itself which will align the project team towards achieving the objective. A good procurement strategy will have a positive impact on projects performance in terms of time and cost. Client dissatisfaction is always related to late delivery of project, over budget and poor quality of work. This happens because less importance is given to value for money. The Latham report (1994) proposed change towards more collaborative culture. Partnering through the contract chain was seen as the most efficient way. The Egan report (1998) set out five key drivers which are important for the construction industry. They are committed leadership, client focus, integrated processes and teams, a quality driven agenda and commitment to people. This made a tremendous change in the industry. Innovative approaches in procurement and other areas of construction are encouraged. Value for money is given more importance than cost reduction. Crossrail Project This dissertation is mainly focussed on the procurement strategy in Crossrail project. Crossrail is one of the biggest transportation projects in Europe. Cross rail is the new high frequency, convenient and accessible railway for London and the South East. The project value is worth  £14.8 billion .From 2018, Cross rail trains will travel from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east via 21 km of new tunnels under central London. It will link Heathrow Airport, the West End, the City of London and Canary Wharf. Crossrail obtained the Royal Assent in 2008. Crossrail is divided into four distinct sections. They are Central section, western section, north-eastern and south-eastern sections. After Crossrail starts operation, 24 trains are expected to run per hour. This will add 10% to the transportation capacity of London. Crossrail will also reduce the journey time between many key destinations of London. CRL will be directly buying and managing a relatively small number of contracts with Tier 1 contractors. They, in turn, will be buying a wide variety of goods, works and services from a large number of smaller suppliers and contractors which form the supply chain for delivery. Cross rails approach to procurement is aligned with the UK governments achieving excellence in construction principles, including a fair allocation of risk and reward, early involvement of the supply chain, minimizing of interface risks, incentivizing performance and selection of suppliers on the basis of best value (NEC,2009). Research Goals 1.3.1 Aim The aim of this dissertation is to identify, and investigate different methods of procurement and the issues involved with it in the Crossrail project. Cross rail being one of the biggest transportation project in Europe, will have very complex procurement methods which should be very well planned. The thesis will observe the methods of procurement and the measures adopted to overcome the issues involved in cross rail. 1.3.2 Objectives In order to achieve the aim, the following objectives will be used, To examine the skilled resource procurement strategy of crossrail since crossrail will face shortage of skilled resources through its different stages of project. To establish the logic behind the type of contract used in procuring different contractors and different works involved in Crossrail. To analyse and observe on how the procurement strategy for cross rail is developed to obtain value for money. Outline Methodology of the Research The research process will be broken down into two key stages in order to meet the aim and the objectives indicated earlier. These are, 1.4.1 Literature Review This stage of the research process provides a comprehensive review of the relevant literature on different types of traditional methods of procurement. A review of cross rails policies and procedure will also be done. This is to develop a better understanding of the best practices in procurement and will help in the understanding of cross rail procurement strategy. The literature review will form the foundation for the research and provided a detailed background to the subject to enable the rest of the dissertation to be conducted. Dissertation Contents The second chapter will give more thorough introduction on the crossrail project. This chapter will review the project, its vision and objectives and the different procurement strategies adopted. Chapter three and four deals with different concepts of procurement. A literature review explaining NEC3 contract, value for money and skills issues in crossrail will be done. Chapter five starts with an explanation of how the case study area was chosen and thereafter sets out in detail the research methodology. It describes the tools used to make this investigation, describes the characteristics of the research sample, and the methods used to translate the results. Chapter six shows the work conducted and the results obtained. Chapter Seven will list out the main points from previous chapters to answer the questions which were set as objectives in chapter 1. This chapter will also include recommendations and suggestions for future work. Chapter 2 The Crossrail Project The Project Crossrail project is proposed to support the transportation requirements and economic development of London and southeast regions. The project comprises new tunnels running west-east through central London connecting directly with existing surface rail routes to Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, and to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east (Crossrail Environmental Statement, p3). Crossrail is an urban transportation service, instead of a long distance type of railway transportation. It  is  a type of project in which different type of construction works are involved and all these works are carried out throughout the route together. Crossrail is a project which has different partners for delivery like Crossrail Central, London Underground, Network Rail, DLR, Canary Wharf Group and Berkeley Homes. Crossrail has five tunnelling drives, 21 km of twin bore tunnels under the centre of the capital dealing with the complexities that this involves (Crossrail, 2010). Crossrail also consist of construction of eight new underground stations which will be connected to the already existing Underground and rail networks and four over ground spurs including a connection to Heathrow Airport. Crossrail limited has changed form a promotional body to a world class body which is highly efficient and able to deliver a world class railway after gaining the Royal Assent. Crossrail limited was a 50/50 joint venture company between Transport for London (TfL) and the Department for Transport (DfT) until 5 December 2008 when it became a fully owned subsidiary of Tfl (Crossrail, 2010). Crossrails route has four distinct sections: a central section, within central London, and western, north-eastern and south-eastern sections extending into outer London and parts of Berkshire and Essex (Crossrail Environmental Statement, p6). New twin bore tunnels will be constructed in the central section and in some parts of south-eastern section. The Central Section The central section consists of the majority of the construction works. New stations will be built along the central route of the line at Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel and Canary Wharf (Crossrail, 2010). The new twin-bore tunnels will extend between Royal Oak in the west and Pudding Mill Lane (near Stratford) and the Isle of Dogs, in the east. Access will be provided to the west and east end of the platforms by the construction of two entrances and ticket halls in all the new stations except the Isle of Dogs station and probably Whitechapel station where this facilities will not be provided. For every Crossrail station, connections will be given to the already existing stations which will allow the passengers to transfer to other services, such as the Underground, Docklands Light Railway, other mainline services such as Thameslink, and bus services. Shafts will be provided at regular intervals throughout the route which will be used for emergency access, escape and ventilation. These shafts will be connecting the tunnels with the surface. Some of these shaft structures will be near to the new stations, whereas others will be located on their own. In addition, some temporary shafts will be constructed for tunnelling purposes, and will be filled in once construction is completed. (Crossrail Environmental Statement, p30) The Western Section In the western section, there may be a requirement to change the existing Great Western mainline between Maidenhead and Paddington, such as new or realigned track. Added to that, an overhead electrification will be installed along the route west of Stockley Road (Hayes). For this purpose, erection of steel gantries will be required at about every 50m intervals. Demolition or reconstruction of numerous bridges will be required as a result of overhead electrification in order to provide overhead clearance for the electric wires. Major engineering works like construction of a flyover will be required at Stockley to allow access for Crossrail trains to and from Heathrow Airport. New sidings for stabling Crossrail trains will be provided at Maidenhead, West Drayton and Old Oak Common. The stations at Maidenhead, Slough, West Drayton, Hayes Harlington, Southall, West Ealing, Ealing Broadway and Acton Main Line will be remodelled to various styles in order to accommodate Crossrail trains a nd to provide more improved and efficient facilities for passengers such as new ticket halls, escalators, bridges and lifts. At a further five stations, platform extensions will be required to serve the Crossrail trains. (Crossrail Environmental Statement, p39) The north-eastern section The proposed works in the north-eastern section are renovation of Romford and Ilford stations, extension of platform at nine different stations, a new depot and sidings west of Romford station, construction of an underpass in order to provide access for trains, new sidings for construction purposes at Alders brook and Pit sea; new sidings for stabling trains at Gidea Park and Shenfield; and a new freight loop (a single track dedicated to freight trains) between Goodmayes and Chadwell Heath, to replace an existing loop at Manor Park (Crossrail Environmental Statement, p44). The south-eastern section East of the Isle of Dogs, the twin-bore tunnels from the central section will continue under the River Lea, before emerging on the North London Line at a portal near Victoria Dock Road and Custom House station. New shaft structures will be built at Blackwall Way and the Limmo Peninsula. New twin-bore tunnels will be driven beneath the Thames to link North Woolwich with Plumstead station on the North Kent Line. New portals will be located at each site and shaft structures will be constructed at Warren Lane and Arsenal Way, in Woolwich. Two new tracks will be provided beside the North Kent Line between White Hart Road in Plumstead and a point about 1,200 m east of Abbey Wood station, to serve up to 12 Crossrail trains per hour in each direction. This will require works to two road bridges and replacement of two footbridges. Custom House station and Abbey Wood station will be reconstructed. Silvertown station, which is likely to have been closed already under powers to construct the Doc klands Light Railway extension to Stratford International, will be demolished. Passive provision will be made for a new Crossrail station at Silvertown, should this become desirable following redevelopment of nearby sites. New overhead electrification will be required throughout this section. In order to accommodate this, the existing Connaught Tunnel, which runs between Royal Victoria Dock and Royal Albert Dock, will be reconstructed. Manor Wharf, in Belvedere, will be refurbished and used to load excavated material onto barges. (Crossrail Environmental Statement, p48). 2.2 Crossrail Delivery Strategies Crossrail has procured a Program delivery partner and a Project delivery partner. The project delivery partner is Bechtel, which is responsible for the delivery of central section of crossrail. The program delivery partner is the Transcend consortium made up from Aecom, Nichols Group and CH2M Hill. Program delivery partner will be responsible for the overall management of the project. (NCE, 2012) Figure 2.1 Crossrail Delivery Strategy. Source: Michael A Kay, p155, 2009 2.2.1 Crossrail Program Delivery Partner The role of Transcend is to coordinate throughout the project. Since the crossrail project is split into many small contracts and small section of works, the major function of program delivery partner will be to manage the interface in merging the different components of work into a single and efficient railway system. To achieve this, program partner will be working closely with National Rail, London Underground Limited and Rail for London. The program partner is also responsible for the work of stations which are privately funded by developers like Canary Wharf Group and Berkeley Homes. The program delivery partner will be closely working with crossrail limited as an integrated delivery partner. Staff for the program delivery team will be chosen on the basis of efficiency and regardless of the employer. Integrating the two teams in the early stage will be safe for the clients and risks can be shared. In the later stage, if everything is running smoothly, CRL can hire more of its own staff and can reduce the number of staff in program partner. This will increase more in-house control. The role of program delivery partner is very broad as compared to the project delivery partner. (NCE, 2012) 2.2.2 Crossrail Project Delivery Partner The project delivery partner will be responsible for the delivery of Central Tunnel Section (CTS) in which stations and systems are also included. Bechtel will manage the procurement of all the contracts which will be responsible for delivery of central section. Although the contract will be between CRL and the contractors, the project delivery partner will be acting on behalf of CRL. The CTS is very well defined and therefore will require more traditional approach of project management. The main responsibilities of project delivery partner will be implementation of engineering design, managing interface within the central section, procurement, testing and commissioning. (Michael A Kay, 2009) Both delivery partners are expected to have strong inputs in finalizing the procurement strategy. Both should make important decision like size of contract and incentivization structure to get maximum output and quality. 2.2.3 Crossrail Stakeholders Crossrail being a mega project will have many stakeholders. The table below shows all the government and private stakeholders of Crossrail: Stakeholder Role Department for Transport(DfT) Co Sponsor. Main interface to national government and HM Treasury Transport for London(TfL) Co Sponsor. Main interface to local government, the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the Mayor of Londons office. Owner of the central section. Crossrail Limited(CRL); previously Cross London Rail Links Limited(CLRL) Delivery agent. Formerly a 50/50 joint venture of TfL and DfT, now a wholly owned subsidiary of TfL. Main interface to the delivery supply chain, including both the project and program delivery partners. National Rail (NR) Industry partner. Responsible for the operation, maintenance and renewal of the National Rail network. Infrastructure manager of crossrail end to end rail systems. Main interfaces to train operating companies (TOCs) and Freight Operating Companies (FOCs). London Underground(LUL);a TfL subsidiary Industry partner. Responsible for the operation, maintenance and renewal of the National Rail network. Infrastructure manager of the central section stations, except Paddington. Main interface to the PPP and PFI LUL contractors. Rail for London(RfL); a TfL subsidiary Operator franchising authority or shadow operator of crossrail. Infrastructure manager of crossrail stations at Paddington, Isle of Dogs and Woolwich. Docklands Light Railway(DLR); a TfL subsidiary Industry partner. Responsible for the operation, maintenance and renewal of the Docklands Light Railway transport system and for providing crossrail limited(CRL) with access for proposed modification of the DLR British Airports Authority Owner of the Heathrow spur Canary Wharf Group(CWG) and Berkeley Homes Group(BH) Developers that have agreed to make contributions towards the cost of stations at the Isle of Dogs and Woolwich respectively. (Table 2.1 Crossrail Stake holders and roles. Source Michael A Kay, 2009) Chapter 3 Literature Review I 3.1 Skills Issues for Crossrail Being a mega transportation project, Crossrail will be facing many skills shortage in different departments of its works. According to Crossrail Skills and Employment Strategy, July 2010, the following skills issues will be faced by Crossrail: 3.1.1 Ageing workforce Across the construction industry and engineering fields there is an ageing workforce and for many years youth were not attracted towards the industry because they did not treated it as an attractive career option. The major issue is that the age profile of Registered Engineers has been rising steadily for 20 years. Now the condition is that almost 50 percent of the Registered Engineers have either crossed their retirement age, or will be reaching their retirement age in 10 years. In London, the issue is particularly stark with 38 per cent of the engineering workforce aged 45 to 64, and only 10 per cent aged 16-24 (Crossrail Skills and Employment Strategy, 2010). Although there was a remarkable growth in construction industry since the early 1990s, the expansion the workforce was not even. It was different among different age groups. The number of older workers aged 55 years and over in the industry has increased by 65 per cent since 1990, while those aged 24 and under has fallen by m ore than 40 per cent over the same period. (CITB Construction Skills, 2011). 3.1.2 Underground construction skills gap Crossrail will have a huge requirement of skilled tunnellers.But the main problem is that since the last 30 years, the construction industry which is involved in underground works, has suffered from cyclical peaks and troughs of work due to which it failed to maintain an experienced workforce because the work were lacking continuity of employment. Not only Crossrail but there are a number of major projects in London like a number of National Grid tunnels (2009-2016), Thames Water tunnels Thames Tunnel (2012-2020) and Lea Tunnel (2009-2014), and London Underground (LU) line upgrades from 2010 onwards. On an international level, there is the  £2.5bn expansion of the Copenhagen Metro, and the 3bn Dublin Metro will be delivered between 2009 and 2018 (Crossrail Skills and Employment Strategy,2010). There is no estimate of labour available for this project but the amount of funds required for this project indicates that a huge number of workforces will be required to execute the work. T he effect of these entire projects will definitely create a tunnelling skills shortage and this can only be overcome by giving proper training to a significant number of construction workers. 3.1.3 Logistics training needs While excavating for crossrail tunnels, a huge quantity of excavated materials will need to be removed from the site. Although Crossrail has to remove much of the material by using rail transport and also by using barges, some materials will be removed by using road transportation system. Also, the road transportation system will be required to deliver the materials required for the station site. According to Crossrail, there will be around 3,500 frequent lorry drivers. In addition to these drivers, there will also be a small number (around 25) of operatives at consolidation centres, around 60 people with logistics skills at site operations and around 20 at lorry holding areas and central control. (Crossrail Skills and Employment Strategy, 2010) 3.2 NEC3 The Construction Contract The NEC is a major attempt to draft a simple and direct standard form contract from first principles without attempting to build upon the standard forms that already exist. The specification prepared in 1987 set out the aims of those drafting the NEC. 3.2.1 Overview As per Fenwick Elliott, 2007, the aims were to: Attain an advanced degree of clarity when matched to other existing contracts; Use of a simple language which is commonly used and avoid legal jargon; Repeat identical phrases if possible; Specifically and unmistakably allocating roles and responsibilities to the right Person; Aim for clarity above fairness; and Avoid including details which can be more adequately covered in a technical specification. To summarize, it can be said that using three core principles like flexibility, simplicity and clarity, the authors drafted core clauses which are applicable to all NEC contracts. The core clauses were then used as the basis for six main options (Nicholas Gould, 2007) .Under NEC3 these six main options remain: Option A (priced contract with activity schedule); Option B (priced contract with bill of quantities) provides that the contractor will be paid at tender prices. Basically, a lump sum contract approach; Option C (target contract with activity schedule); Option D (target contract with bill of quantities) provides that the financial risks are shared between the contractor and the employer in agreed proportions; Option E (cost-reimbursable contract); and Option F (management contract) a cost-reimbursable contract, where the risk is therefore largely taken by the employer. The contractor is paid for his properly incurred costs together with a margin. As per the experts of the NEC contract, the greatest strength of NEC is that it believes in partnering approach and at the same time adopts a project management technique which is proactive. There are perhaps three ways that this is clearly demonstrated in the NEC form. First one is the early warning system. According to this system, early identification of problems involved in the project and finding an early resolution is encouraged. The early warning system says that an experienced contractor would have or ought to have recognized the need to give the warning failing which, the contractor will not be compensated for the issue. Therefore contractors are encouraged to be active in early warning procedures so that any problems arising in the future can be avoided in the initial stages and inadequate cost recovery can be avoided. Second, those risks for which the employer is not expressly responsible under clause 80.1 are risks for which the contractor is liable. Finally, the target cost option most clearly reflects the early warning proactive management approach by affecting the financial bottom line of the parties, in particular the contractor (Fenwick Elliott, p7, 2007). 3.2.2 Target cost contracts In traditional form of contracts, a lump sum contract is used to carry out the work on the basis of which contractor will be paid. This sum will only be adjusted for the changes which will be done by employers or for any other risk items which will be mentioned in the contract for matter such as design errors. In this type of approach, the work will always be awarded to those contractors who quote the lowest price to do the job. In the present scenario, this type of procurement is highly discouraged and rarely practiced especially in the public sector department where best value or value for money is mostly preferred. It is now usual in the public sector where best value applies for procurement systems to provide for payment to the contractor based upon its recorded costs. To make sure that there should be no cost overrun which will be difficult to control in the future, a target for these costs is fixed at the beginning stage. This target is adjusted in such a way that any changes made by the employer and other price risk allocated to the employer under the contract are taken into account. Incentives are given to the contractor so that cost can be kept minimum. To ensure this, a gain share / pain share mechanism is fixed at the initial stage of the project. The costs are recorded and compared with the target cost. Any saving from the work will be shared between the contractor and the employer in a pre-agreed manner. Same thing happens when the recorded price exceeds the target price. 3.3 Value for Money Value for money is always beneficial to the client. It means that the project is worth doing and is more refereed in business terms rather than financial terms. Value for money is all about creating a better working environment. The term value means to make sure that a right choice is made about getting best balance of benefits in terms of cost and risk. Value management is a defined and systematic approach for the analysis and development of a project so that chances of achieving these requirements are increased and value for money will be achieved. Value engineering is a continuous process in which all the components and processes involved in construction are critically appraised to determine whether better value alternatives or solutions are available. (OGC, Risk and value management, p7, 2007). This helps in reducing wastage and managing all those inefficient processes involved in the different stages of construction. Value management is very important because it gives an option for stakeholders to give their input in the project by encouraging more participation, teamwork and end user buy in. The benefits which can be obtained by following value management approach is more focus on business needs, more flexibility to make the future needs simple, taking stakeholders into consideration to get different views and developing more options, considering various options by being innovative and creative, prevention of unnecessary wastage and inefficiency and encouraging teamwork to find solutions. (OGC, Risk and value management, p8, 2007). Value management aims to maximize project value within time, cost and quality constraints. However, sometimes extra capital expenditure is required at the start of the project to improve whole life project value. It is important that the value management method is based on the whole-life cost of ownership instead of acquisition alone. Issues of health and safety, sustainability, design quality, build ability, operation and maintenance and disposal should all be considered during value management reviews and evaluation of options (OGC, Risk and value management, p9, 2007). Departments should act as intelligent customers by discussing with suppliers all the elements of the contract price including level of service, timescale of the assignment, skill mix of the suppliers team and how costs are to be remunerated. Optimizing the cost of delivering a service or goods over the full life of the contract rather than minimizing the initial price, introducing incentives into the contract to ensure continuous cost and quality improvements throughout its duration, aggregating transactions to obtain volume discounts, collaborating with other departments to obtain the best prices and secure better discounts from bulk buying is the best approach. Developing a more effective working relationship with key suppliers to allow both departments and suppliers to get maximum value from the assignment by identifying opportunities to reduce costs and adopt innovative approaches. Chapter 4 Literature Review II 4.1 Inspiring Future Talent It is very important for the crossrail project and also the for the industry that more and more young people get attracted towards the construction and engineering industry and choose it as their career paths. CRL will inspire young people by offering them with opportunities to work in the industry in the form of work placements and Apprent

William Gibson’s Neuromancer is Cyberpunk :: Neuromancer

William Gibson’s Neuromancer is Cyberpunk   Science fiction somehow manages to place human characters in situations where the ideas and the thoughts of science and morality are intertwined.   Science fiction must have some idea components and some human components to be successful.   This novel seems to be a contrast to the believers in technological progress as it presents a colorful, but depressing and desolate future. The loss of individuality due to technological advances becomes a major theme in cyberpunk.   This presents a dismal view of the individual in society.   The cyberpunk genre developed from â€Å"a new kind of integration.   The overlapping of worlds that were formerly separate: the realm of high tech, and the modern pop underground† (p. 345) 1.   Neuromancer not only falls into this category, it may be the first cyberpunk novel ever written. Gibson’s prose is too dense and tangled for casual readers, such as myself.   His characters are shallow and stereotyped.   The character â€Å"Case† has no purpose apart from existing in cyberspace and abusing drugs.   â€Å"Molly,† his companion, is a mercenary with questionable morals.   John Christie seems to agree with my analysis of this novel: â€Å"Gibson constructs characters which are themselves flat images, beings of no psychological depth, but whose interest and significance derive from their semiotic lineage, in comic, film, pulp crime fiction, and other science fiction† (p. 46) 2.  Ã‚   (Gibson offers his readers a dystopian novel) (by presenting a cyberpunk world where things are generally bleak and they will become worse with time and technology.)   Cyberpunk is supposed to be the vision of a new technological world.   However, the negative portrayal of the integration of technology and society is a fundamental tenet of the literature.   This presents a pessimistic view of scientific advancement.   The genre’s dark tones, seen repeatedly in Neuromancer, emphasize the bleak images throughout the futuristic fiction.   The constant conflict between the individual and a technologically advanced society is a major theme as it stresses man’s insignificance.   These characteristics are interwoven into the fabric of cyberpunk and form a bleak image of science fiction and the future.   Gibson is very vague when describing the specific architecture and nuances of technology used in the designs of the futuristic objects.   This lack of definite details is due to the fact that cyberpunk literature resists the concepts of technology.   The basic precepts of the cyberpunk genre consists of technology as hindrance to man, stories that are saturated in dark and dreary themes, and a character, †Case,† that will either fail or conform to a structured society.

Two Faces in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Scarlet Letter e

The Scarlet Letter:   Two Faces  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude without finally becoming bewildered as to which may be true†. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, this quote applies to the two main characters of the novel. It applies to Arthur Dimmesdale in a literal way; he clearly is not the man that he appears to be, and the guilt that goes along with such deception consumes his entire life. The quote also applies to Hester Prynne, but in quite a different way because it was not her choice to wear the â€Å"face† that she was forced to wear.   The mark of the scarlet letter on her bosom determined how others perceived her and, in turn, how she was expected to perceive herself. At first, Hester did not consider the sin that she committed as blasphemous and horrible as the people of Boston did, but she was forced to wear the â€Å"face† of a sinner. Neither Hester or Arthur could live their lives concealing their true emotions. Arthur literally could not live with it, while Hester changed the way she felt on the inside to correspond to her guilty external image. At the court house, when Arthur Dimmesdale was pleading for Hester to reveal the name of the man with whom she had an affair, it was clear that a part of him actually wanted everyone to know that it was he who was the guilty one. Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for, believe me, Hester, though he were to step down from a high place...better were it so, than to hide a guilty heart through life†¦(47). When this plea is made, it appears to be quite ironic. The man who participated in the sin is trying to convince his accomplice to do him in. However, this ... ...t with the sin in a completely different way not only because she was a different person, but because there was no additional weight of a secret that went along with the sin. Instead of trying to figure out her identity, the way Arthur had, and clinging onto the belief that what she had done was not a sin, she allowed herself to surrender and believe what the rest of society believed at that time. The people of Boston saw adultery as a sin, and there was no way that any good or love could come out of it. When Arthur's character is tested, he struggles to find the answer but is unable to, and literally dies trying. Hester, on the other hand, does not give such a noble attempt, but rather chooses, whether consciously or not, to go along with society’s views of adultery. Works Cited: Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.

A Comparison of Wealth in Antony and Cleopatra and The Tempest Essay

The Importance of Wealth in Antony and Cleopatra and The Tempest  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Wealth and it’s relationship to poverty figures in heavily in two of the plays we have read thus far in class. In both Antony and Cleopatra and The Tempest we are treated to characters and situations that deal with wealth and poverty. Specifically however, both plays have visions of an abundance of wealth that seems at times both corruptible and foolish. In Antony and Cleopatra we have their excessive behavior and flaunting, which proves to be a vice that grips them much to tightly. In The Tempest, characters stranded on a deserted island have their own unique versions of achieving that said abundance. Shakespeare treats the topic similarly in both plays, and uses it to expose the very nature of abundance.    For example, in Antony and Cleopatra we are treated to many scenes describing the level of excess the title characters are involved in. In Act 3, scene 6 Shakespeare writes, Here’s the manner of’t: I’th’ market-place, on a tribunal silver’d, Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold Were publicly enthron’d. At their feet sat Caesarian, whom they call my father’s son, And all the unlawful issue that their lust Since then hath made between them. Unto her He gave the stablishment of Egypt, made her Of lower Syria, Cyprus,Lydia, Absolute Queen  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (2-10).    With that passage, Shakespeare (through Caesar) is criticizing the lavishness and public showings of both Antony and Cleopatra. He seems to think it grotesque to have them sitting in front of everyone in â€Å"chairs of gold†.    Even earlier, Antony’s abundant behavior is made obvious. Shakespeare writes, â€Å"he fishes, drinks, and wastes/The lamps of night in ... ... riches? His want of this abundance is like the others, made worse by the fact that he at first had no idea what it was. He had something better (although some would view him as poor), and now a glimpse of wealth has changed him.    In the end, by looking at these two plays, we can see that wealth can indeed be a corrupting force in Shakespeare’s world. Although wealth may not necessarily be just money. It can come in many forms; power, idleness, etc. And in today’s world where money-winning game shows are what pass for culture and entertainment, it seems all the more relevant.    Works Cited:    The Riverside Shakespeare: Second Edition Houghton Mifflin Company Boston/New York   G. Blakemore Evans and J.J.M Tobin eds. Shakespeare’s The Tempest: World’s Classics The Oxford Shakespeare. Oxford University Press New York/London.   Ed. Stanley Wells   

Egypt’s Culture and Political System Essay

The Egyptian culture is considered one of the oldest cultures in human history. Surprisingly, it almost has some of gender equality except that it needs more to consider, in order achieving the third Millennium Development Goal, which talks of achieving gender equity/equality and women empowerment by 2015. I would recommend that the Egyptian constitution considers enacting and/or passing several legislations in favor of women and as well give recognition to the informal market sector, where bulks of the women are making meaningful contribution to the economy. I would also recommend that this ancient nation and culture acknowledges the home, where the men considerably have all the major decision making powers. I am of the conviction that women make sound and major decisions as well and can provide better and transformation ideas, realizing the remarkably undeniable work of the women of Liberia during the civil war. I believe that if our generation begins to identify the errors of past generations, relative to gender-related issues, and if we address those issues in more formal ways by beginning to give women their rightful places in society; ensuring that opportunities and privileges are equally and equitably distributed, our world can be the most enjoyable place even for generations unborn. In an effort to do this, we must begin with an identification of the problems as stated above, discuss them thoroughly as a way of enabling us to craft or design ideas that would amicably resolve them for the better of our general world, beginning with the Egyptian society. In Egypt the political system of policies and regulations of its political structure is based on its fundamental laws and practices. Most of which shows how the Egyptian government positions its power on the state and the society it governs. Egypt started out being a Republic adopting a democratic system. This system  defines the way i n which it uses its public authority. There are basically six parts to this system. The first is the constitutional system. There was a constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt in 1971 that was used but then had a written amendment to it in 1980. The actual amendment had commonality in the English Common Law which came from the Napoleonic Code. It simply explains that Egypt declares it’s self as an Arab Republic with a democratic system. The second part is called the Executive Branch. The president is called the Head of State. The head of state is selected by a minimum one-third majority of the Majlis ash-Sha’ab, which is the â€Å"People’s Assembly. The People’s Assembly must approve by a minimum of two-thirds and have to be elected by a majority referendum. The election term is for six years with the possibility for re-election with conditional reasons for return. Putting into to play the general state policy is made up and supervised by the Head of State. He also rules the Armed Force. The last elected president of the republic was Mohammed Hosni Mubarak. The supreme executive and administrative organ of the State is the government; they are comprised of the Council of Ministers. This is ruled by the Prime Minister and he is the overseer of the work of the government. The highest part of the government is the Executive and administrative part of the Egyptian Republic is the Council of Ministers. The Ministers are together responsible for the policy and procedure of the State before the People’s Assembly, every Minister is responsible for the performance of his Ministry and is held to accountability to do so. The Parliament has great power as well. They have the power to withdraw confidence from the Cabinet or from any Cabinet member and leave them powerless. The fourth part of this system is the Legislative Branch. This branch of the Egyptian Parliament is a reflection in character and consists of the People’s Assembly, or Majlis El-Shaab and the Advisory Council or Majlis El-Shourah. â€Å"The People’s Assembly is the legislative branch of the State consisting of 444 directly elected members and 10 members appointed by the President, who serve for a term of five years. It has the power to approve the general policy, new laws, the budget and the development plans of the government. It also has the authority to undertake investigations and to levy taxes, besides appointing the Presidential candidate and passing a vote of no-confidence in the cabinet. The Advisory Council with 140 members, out of which 70 members  are nominated by the President, is Egypt’s consultative council. It offers advices and consultation and proposes to the Assembly new laws and regulations† (Haas, F. 2008). The fifth part of the system is the Judicial Branch. The Judicial branch System was brought into the country introduced into the country in 1854 and predicated on the English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes system to go through for four categories of courts of justice. Almost like the United States the highest judicial body is the Supreme Constitutional Court, the Court of Cessation. There are seven courts of Appeal in the various systems, and the Summary Tribunals in the districts are the principal court system in Egypt. It guarantees the independence of the judicial system. The fifth system is the Party of Power. This system is ruled on a multi-party system. â€Å"The Law 40 of 1977 regulates the development of political parties in Egypt. Though there is currently 17 active political parties representing various stands across the political spectrum, the law prohibits the creation of religious-based political parties in the state. Presently the National Democratic Party holds the majority of seats in the People’s Assembly† (History. 2012). The sixth system is the local government. This is headed by a Governor who is appointed by the President which is very different as to how they are selected in the US. â€Å"Egypt is administratively divided into 26 Governorates. Within their districts, local government units establish and run all public utiliti es, provide services and designate industrial areas. Working closely at various levels with local government is the Local Popular Councils. The basics: Egypt is a large, mostly Arab, mostly Muslim country. At around 80 million people, it has the largest population in the Middle East and the third-largest in Africa. Most of Egypt is in North Africa, although the part of the country that borders Israel, the Sinai Peninsula, is in Asia. Its other neighbors are Sudan to the South, Libya to the West, and Saudi Arabia across the Gulf of Aqaba to the East. It has been was ruled by Hosni Mubarak since from 1981 until February 11th†( Pew Research Center 2011, November 17). As to what is going on today in Egypt. There has been fierce protest in Egypt that has been promoted by the recent protests in which led to the fall of the Tunisian government as well as getting rid of longtime Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The Egyptians have gathered momentum to get support of other protesters across the Arab world in Algeria, notably in  protesting their autocratic governments, high levels of corruption, and grinding pove rty. This is a big reason Why Egyptians unhappy and disturbed about the government. They feel they have no basic freedom than Tunisians. â€Å"Egypt is ranked 138th of 167 countries on The Economist’s Democracy index, a widely accepted measure of political freedom. That ranking puts Egypt just seven spots ahead of Tunisia. And Egyptians are significantly poorer than their cousins to the west† (Mislan, D. 2012). How did this all start? These protests started with the protests in Tunisia. Just like their Tunisian counterparts, â€Å"Egyptian protesters have pointed to a specific incident as inspiration for the unrest. Many have cited the June 2010 beating death of Khaled Said, allegedly at the hands of police, as motivation for their rage. But it’s also clear that the issues here are larger† (Prager, D. 2012). This seems to be complicated for the US more than Tunisia was. The â€Å"Tunisian regime was a key ally for the US in the fight against Al Qaeda. But the US government’s ties to Tunisia’s Ben Ali pale in comparison to American ties to Egypt. Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Institution, a centrist think tank, explains: Predictions that a Tunisia-like uprising will soon topple Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak are premature the Egyptian regime, with its well-paid military, is likely to be more unified and more ruthless than its Tunisian counterparts were. The U.S. is the primary benefactor of the Egyptian regime, which, in turn, has reliably supported American regional priorities. After Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel, Egypt is the largest recipient of U.S. assistance, including $1.3 billion in annual military aid. In other words, if the army ever decides to shoot into a crowd of unarmed protestors, it will be shooting with hardware provided by the United States. As Steven Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations points out, the Egyptian military is â€Å"not there to project power, but to protect the regime (History. 2012)†. There was a movement started in Egypt called the Egyptian Movement for Change (EMC). It also has another name called, Kefaya which in English means â€Å"Enough†. This came about in 2004. Almost immediately its importance to Egyptian political life was recognized, though not understood. Both Egyptian and Western analysts have mischaracterized the movement. Interpretations have been too narrow, focusing on specific details and ignoring the movement’s broad vision, or too broad, mistaking Kefaya for a generic social movement in the Western mode. All such approaches fail to  appreciate Kefaya’s real contribution. This essay argues that Kefaya’s significance lies in its transformative potential as a broad political force that is uniquely suited to the needs of the moment in Egypt. It is at once a cross-ideological force that has the potential, in the long run, of creating a new mainstream and a movement of a new kind that is creating a distinctive and promis ing form of politics for Egypt. Egypt’s political system has reached a dead end in the early twenty-first century. The opposition political parties are locked in their headquarters, unable to communicate with the public. Virtually acquiescing to the siege of an arsenal of restrictive laws, these political parties have for years suffered from an increasingly diminishing membership, a lack of operational funds, and internecine internal feuds. The â€Å"illegality† of the Muslim Brothers (MB) has paradoxically liberated that organization from restrictions that come with governmental licensing. However, the ideology, posture, secrecy, and political tactics of the grassroots-based MB engender the mistrust of many political forces, including some Islamists. At the same time, the secularist-Islamist polarization hinders the possibility of reaching any meaningful consensus on critical issues. This blockage is not lost on the regime, the clear beneficiary of such divisions among its adversaries, and it does not augur well for the future of the brothers in a lead role in shaping Egyptian political life. Amid this political disarray, a new generation of Egyptians holds the promise for transforming politics in Egypt. They have found a home and an instrument in Kefaya and in the process have invented a new form of politics. Their innovations are historically grounded on the specifics of Egypt’s political life in recent decades. Unique Egyptian circumstances have shaped their experiences, aspirations, and vision for the future. With the seething political discontent on the one hand and the ideologically based mistrust and mutual exclusion among the political forces on the other, Egypt needs today, more than ever, a new form of politics that pulls together diverse ideas from across the political spectrum to forge a new national project. For more than a decade, a group of activists and intellectuals have interacted across ideological lines to reach a common ground. Kefaya emerged as one manifestation of these efforts and as an important illustration of the possibilities of this new politics.  While such collaborative work across ideological lines is not unique in democratic experiences around the world, Kefaya represents the first successful effort of that sort in modern Egyptian politics. This essay, based on primary sources, including open-ended interviews, statements, newspaper articles, and reports, as well as unpublished documents, is composed of three main parts. The first part explains in more detail the reasons why Kefaya has been widely mischaracterized; the second illustrates why and how Kefaya represents a new force with the potential of creating a new mainstream; and the third explores the new politics invented by Kefaya. There has been Misunderstanding Kefaya Since its early days, there have been various critical interpretations of Kefaya by politicians and intellectuals alike, at times citing deficiencies in the movement’s profile, actions, and approach, while at other times dismissing the movement outright as being a â€Å"foreign puppet† or the pastime of â€Å"a bunch of kids.† The most serious and widely noted critique of Kefaya is that it has been essentially a mere protest movement, targeting President Mubarak personally, without putting forward an alternative candidate or articulating a constructive vision for political transformation. The critique along these lines has gained more momentum since the 2005 presidential election. Because Kefaya’s main slogan expressed the rejection of a fifth term for Mubarak as well as the succession of his son, the argument goes that Kefaya lost its raison d’etre with the end of the election. â€Å"Except for rejecting the election results, symbolized by the slogan of ‘Batel’, nothing new was produced.† When Kefaya played a leading role in the formation of the National Front for Change on the eve of the subsequent parliamentary elections, it was criticized as passing the torch to the old opposition parties, the very same entities whose inaction it has been formed to face. (Haas, F. 2008)†.The EMC had been â€Å"dragged into sitting together with the leaders of the tamed opposition, instead of putting forward a demand for changing the electoral system.† While critics clearly question Kefaya’s contribution to Egyptian politics, even the more positive assessments of the EMC mischaracterize it. For example, the American Left sees Kefaya as the beginning of â€Å"the process of rebuilding an Egyptian Left crushed by decades of police oppression† and a reverse of its â€Å"political marginalization caused by the rise of political Islam (Haas, F. 2008)†. Some Egyptian analysts as well characterize Kefaya  as a â€Å"secular† protest movement and thereby implicitly expect its role to be the containment of the Islamists. Kefaya has been so widely misunderstood in the West as well as among the Western-educated elite in Egypt because of the reliance on Western social scientific classifications, notably the social movement literature, to make sense of a phenomenon emerging from the very different Egyptian context. This shortcoming is compounded by looking at Kefaya with an ideologically selective eye. While Kefaya has indeed demonstrated several of the characteristics highlighted in the literature on new social movements, it is neither single issue oriented nor concerned with identity two of the most important features of new social movements. Shoehorning Kefaya into a category derived from the experience of postindustrial societies obscures more than it illuminates. Nevertheless, the concept of the new social movement comes closest to capturing certain features of Kefaya. The movement is one of dissent, aiming in a constant and persistent endeavor toward the transformation of Egypt.4 It is a loose network of small groupings around the country. Like social movements, it aims at generating public attention and has emerged from a realization of the perils involved in conventional party politics in Egypt, marked by debilitating restrictions and dilemmas. In other words, Kefaya emerges out of realization that the institutional channels are neither neutral nor amenable to the demands for change. However, unlike conventional social movements and because of the specific necessities of the Egyptian context, Kefaya is not focused on a single issue. The same, incidentally, is true of the Islamic movement whose platform also embraces a range of issues. In addition to the breadth of the issues addressed by Kefaya, the movement is ideologically diverse. In this way, it differs from the Islamic movement. While the latter has a concrete ideology shaping its project, Kefaya goes beyond any single ideology to be the only movement in contemporary Egypt that emerged out of serious political interactions across ideological lines. Approaching Kefaya through the prism of the social movement literature, with its American scholarship emphasis on resource mobilization and political processes, blinds analysis to this distinctive feature, which is in fact one of the most important contributions of Kefaya to Egypt’s political life. There is concern about the momentum behind Egypt’s emergency law, and what it means for progress both the incredible progress that has already been  made and the equally incredible progress that has yet to be made. There is concern about the treatment and status of the Copts and other members of the Christian Egyptian minority. There is concern about the security of the Egyptian–Israeli border and about relations between the two countries in general. There is concern that the progress that has been made thus far could actually lead to a reversal of Egypt’s progress, should the freedom to elect lead to a government that constricts the freedom of the Egyptian people even more than we have seen over the past 30 years And the list could go on. Indeed, there is no shortage of things about which to worry. There is a fine line between worrying and believing. Similarly, there is a fine line between two, seemingly contradictory, truths: Some degree of discontent with our present circumstances is healthy and necessary, because discontent fuels progress; at the same time, being happy requires that we make a point of being happy wherever we are. There is a fine and difficult line between making the best of our current reality and not giving up. It is necessary to think through all possible outcomes, including the undesirable and even the remote ones. Both worrying and believing are the result of thinking. Worry and anxiety result from focusing on undesirable outcomes no matter how probable or improbable. Belief, on the other hand, is the result of focusing on the best possible outcomes again, no matter how probable or improbable. Whereas worrying fuels panic and skepticism, believing fuels faith and hope. Positive action rarely results from the chaos, fear, or feelings of scarcity that often accompany worry. Faith and hope lead to trust and courage; and trust and courage lead to positive, prosaically action. So, yes, there does seem to be a great deal to worry about right now. Even still, if there’s even the remotest possibility that believing instead of worrying will lead to continued progress, and then it seems to me that believing is what we have to do. Positive Psychology has been described by Martin Seligman and others as the science of what makes life worth living; of what is working for individuals, families, communities, and society more broadly. The Positive Psychology experiment with which we are now charged is to, together, choose belief over worry. At least between now and Egypt’s presidential election, let us together make a conscious, deliberate decision to focus on what is working and how it can lead to the best possible future for Egypt and for the world as a whole. References Mislan, D. (2012). Cross Cultural Perspectives. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Haas, F. (2008). German Science and Black Racism–Roots of the Nazi Holocaust. FASEB Journal, 22(2), 332-337. History. (2012). Germany Country Review, 7-14. Ninkovich, F. (2001). The United States and Imperialism. Wiley-Blackwell. Pew Research Center. (2011, November 17). The American-Western European Values Gap. Retrieved fromhttp://www.pewglobal.org/2011/11/17/the-american-western-european-values-gap/ Prager, D. (2012). Still the Best Hope: Why the World Needs American Values to Triumph. HarperCollins.