Thursday, August 22, 2019

Drug Addiction Short Paper Essay Example for Free

Drug Addiction Short Paper Essay There are many myths about addiction whether it be alcohol addiction or drug addiction. One of these myths is that drug addiction is voluntary. Once someone becomes addicted to drugs it can change the person’s brain chemistry and drug use then becomes compulsive and uncontrollable. Another myth is that addiction is a flaw in a person. Once addicted to drugs the person can’t control their want/need for the drug. Another myth is that a person has to want to get help for their addiction in order to stop using drugs. I do believe this myth is only partially correct because I do think that someone needs to at least own up to the fact that they have an addiction problem. A court can order someone to get drug treatment which can help them to kick their habit but they must be willing to make an effort. Another myth is that people who are addicts can stop on their own without any treatment if they make an effort to stop. Most people suffering from addiction can’t stop on their own without getting treatment and if they do it isn’t long lasting. Another myth is that someone can’t be forced into treatment. People can also be coerced and remanded by a court into getting the help they need for their addiction. Many people also believe the myth that people only get treatment once they have hit rock bottom. This is simply untrue as many people get treatment before they have lost complete control over themselves and their actions. Or if they have been made to seek treatment by a court order or been coerced by friends and or family members. Some people realize they have an addiction and chose on their own to seek help before hitting rock bottom. While a lot of people think that there is one certain treatment for all addicts this is not the case. Addictions are different on a case by case basis and have to be tailored to each individual person. It simply would not work to treat every addiction in the same manner. A lot of people with addiction also suffer from some sort of psychiatric illness as well that needs to be treated. If a psychiatric illness is not addressed the person could slip back into addiction. Most drugs and alcohol (including marijuana) can become addictive if used to often. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse over time marijuana can cause changes in the brain which can lead to addiction. Marijuana can also cause withdraw symptoms when the user stops using the drug. Which can lead to the person becoming irritable; interfere with sleep, and restlessness just to name a few. References: Marijuana. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25, 2015, from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Absolute War

The Absolute War In order to understand why absolute war does not occur in reality, the absolute war should be defined in the first place. It should be underlined that absolute war differs from total war. Total war involved the total subordination of politics to the war effort, an idea Clausewitz emphatically rejected, and the assumption that total victory or total defeat were the only options. Total war involved no suspension of the effects of time and space, on the other hand Clausewitzs concept of the absolute did.[1] The word absolute refers to purity and extremes in that sense. Before explaining Clausewitzs conception of absolute war, his military as well as intellectual and historical background should be kept in mind. The context of Clausewitzs ideas which covers the transition from the enlightenment to the German movement that was hostile to it should be recognized. In Berlin Institute for Young Officers, he learnt that the theory had to be concrete and circumstantial, encompass that formed the reality, and be closely linked to historical experience.[2] He was also influenced by the theoretical ideal that has to reflect the relationship between the parts of war and the whole, and be necessarily grounded in the nature of things. The primacy of the major battle, aided by a massive concentration of forces and aggressive conduct, and aiming at the total overthrow of the enemy reflected the impact of the Napoleonic experience.[3] In 1827, while composing On War, Clausewitzs line of thought underwent a radical change of direction. He transformed but did not ab andon his old military outlook, and developed completely new theoretical devices. The origins and nature of Clausewitzs new theoretical framework have remained a mystery, and as a result the exact nature of the transformation in his thought has not been entirely clear. This explains why Clausewitzs ideas could be interpreted so differently by successive generations.[4] Clausewitz wanted to do more than merely writing for next generations, or Prussian army, he wanted to search for the absolute, the very nature, or the regulative idea of things.[5] He put emphasis on the role of the theory that it is its duty to give the place to the absolute form of war and to use that form as a general point of direction, it had to reflect the relationship between the parts of war and the whole, and to be found in the nature of things. He regarded absolute war as ideal in the philosophical sense, as a regulative idea which gives unity and objectivity to diverse phenomena, an idea like that of perfect beauty in art which may never be attained but constantly approximated.[6] According to Clausewitz, the definition of war is: War therefore is an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfil our will.[7] After defining, he then deductively argued from this definition to essential features to conclude how one should behave to realize its will. Therefore, from the definition, it can be understood that the violence, or physical force is the means, and the compulsory compliance of the adversary to our will is the ultimate end. To this end, the violence is pushed to its utmost bounds, since one side dictates law to its adversary, there occurs a kind of reciprocal action, leading to an extreme, which is first reciprocal action [8]. To compel the enemy to our will, the enemy must be placed in a situation so that he would sacrifice which is demanded. This situation can be disarming the enemy, threatening him with it, or overthrow of him. As long as the enemy is not defeated, there is always possibility that he may dictate to the other side. Therefore, it is the second reciprocal action leading to second extreme.[9] If one wants to defeat the adversary, he must proportionate his efforts to the others powers of resistance by increasing the means as much as possible, however the adversary would do the same and meet him in a new mutual enhancement, therefore there would occur the third reciprocal action leading to the third extreme.[10] The absolute war can also be understood as a war, in which all available force is concentrated into a single, instantaneous blow.[11] From this logic, it can be argued that there can be no middle ground between the state of peace and the absolute war, the two extremes where force remains wholly unused or wholly and immediately used in order to make the adversary defenceless. However, in reality, the conduct of war engages the incremental use of force.[12] The discrepancy between the absolute and real wars is due to the two basic factors. Firstly, the real war is dictated by the time and space. Actual military means are spatially distributed; therefore they can be employed in some period of time, but not instantaneously. Also, the real war is affected by the friction, which refers to the obstacles to the efficient usage of force that the real world imposes, and it is caused by the chance, and uncertainty, physical exertion and danger.[13] Moreover, for constraining the absoluteness of war, Clausewitz introduced the effect of politics on wars. According to him, all characteristics of war are influenced by politics, and this influence is not part of the nature of war. On the contrary, the influence of politics is an external force which works against the true essence of war, harnesses it to its needs, and modifies the imperatives which it imposes in the process.[14] It is due to the fact that when the political influence on the war is admitted, one may be willing to wage minimal are closely linked to the character and scope of the political objectives. These wars may consist threatening the enemy, with negotiations held in reserve.[15] Therefore, the politics convert the destructive element of war into a mere instrument, in other words, the conception that war is a mere continuation of policy by other means.[16] To introduce the Trinitarian nature of war, Clausewitz, first of all, wrote that warfare was a complex combination of passion, chance and reason. War is partly a matter of great passion, of hatred, danger, exertion. To the extent that war was an extension of politics, it was a rational, purposive activity aimed at altering the behaviour of an opponent. War, according to Clausewitz, was also the realm of chance. This combination makes war a paradoxical trinity. [17] In short, war is composed of three elements: first, primitive violence, hatred, and hostility, which should be regarded as a blind natural force; second, the play of chance and probability within which the creative spirit is free to roam; and third, its subordination, as an instrument of policy, which makes it subject to reason alone.[18] The relations among these elements are fluid and tense. As warfare moves towards its absolute nature, the passion increases and the rational direction of war becomes more problematic. As the violence becomes more complete, untramelled, and absolute -since the pure concept requires, war would drive policy out of office and it would rule by the laws of its own nature. As the goals of war expand and the stakes increase, warfare would tend to move towards to the absolute form. This tendency towards absolute war would increase the tensions between the constitutive elements of the trinity, threatening to displace reason.[19] However, by arguing that the war is the extension of politics, Clausewitz asserted the rational direction of war as a whole. Similarly, as long as war is a political activity, it is fought for a purpose. It is neither the result of unreasoning passion, nor the result of mistakes. Besides, to explain the fact that although politics is artificial element to the nature of war, the real war may still come close to the absolute war. From Clausewitzs writings, it can be understood that state policy determines the main lines along which war is to move. This is the correct order of things, since the policy does not demand anything against the nature of war. If the political tensions carry very powerful character, and if adequate material means are given, the political aim may disappear behind, or rather coincide with, the military aim of disarming the enemy. In such case, real war approaches to absolute war. [20] He argued that this type of warfare would appear again and again in the age of nationalism.[21] On the other hand, this does not necessarily mean Clausewitz argued in favour of the absolute war, but rather he supported limited war. His conception of war became more durable, and more sophisticated after seeing Napoleons defeats at Russia in 1812, at Leipzig i n 1813 and finally at Waterloo in June 1815. This conception became regarded as a political act, and as an act which is and should be limited.[22] To argue in favour of why limited wars happen in reality, Liddell Hart raised Clausewitzs conception of absolute war to the level of an infallible religious dogma.[23] In this critic, it may be argued that Hart did not carefully read Clausewitz, however at this point I would only like to give Harts point of view on war. Harts definition of strategy was designed to reemphasize the subordination of the conduct of war to political objective. He believed that since Napoleon, the definition of strategy had expanded to the point where it was controlled completely by the military, the situation which created the dominance of the false objective.[24] Therefore, he redefined strategy as the distribution and transmission of military means to fulfil the needs of policy making it more clearly dependent upon political decisions while leaving its execution in the hands of the military.[25] Since the objective of war is to change the enemys will, Hart concluded that the strategy should not accept s eeking decision in battle as a guiding principle, the situation in which the enemys power of resistance is likely to be greatest, but it should be attacking to the vulnerable points in the enemys armour where defeat would destroy his moral and physical capacity to resist. In other word, it is a strategy of paralysation thorough dislocation rather than annihilation thorough attrition.[26] Moreover, Hart also criticized Clausewitzs argument that locates overthrow of the enemy as the aim of the war. Hart argued that the complete overthrow of the adversarys forces and the occupation of the opponents territory may be necessary to his success, but it is not compulsory to ones achievement. The object is fulfilled if the enemy can be convinced that he cannot conquer.[27] In order to illustrate this logic, the nuclear age and the deterrence theory based on the assumption that when one state does cost-benefit analysis before engaging to any aggression, and in this case since one state owns nuclear capability, it would deter other states from creating or getting involved to aggression, can be used.[28] The nuclear weapons and limited war are incompatible with each other since an unlimited war with nuclear weapons would mean mutually suicide. Therefore, the states need to establish adequate forces to defend themselves. Hart criticized the common assumption that the world faces a choice between the extremes of total war and total peace, but he urged a more limited approach to war.[29] Therefore, it can be understood that if wars are likely to occur, the limitation of their destructiveness is in every states interest. Similarly, although it is always irrational to fight nuclear war, and it may not be irrational to risk nuclear war, not all wars are nuclear wars, even in the nuclear age.[30] Nor nuclear war is instrument of policy, neither are nuclear weapons. These nuclear weapons are to be used only to prevent wars, not to fight wars. The purpose of the development of the doctrine of limited war in the 1950s was to restore policy control over the use of violence.[31] From these arguments, it can be understood that states may sometimes choose limited war, in order not to start or create possibility of engagement to any nuclear wars, but to keep their power over the use of force. It can be therefore further argued that while engaging to wars, states keep their political aims limited, so that they can keep their weapons conventional and limited. For instance, in 1950, during the Korean War, the US General MacArthur was in favour of nuclear weapons against North Korea. However, American policy makers decided on diplomatic and political utility in nuclear weapons rather than military utility.[32] Therefore, when the US intervened in Korea, it used conventional and limited military means to defend the South Korea. Meanwhile, when the allied powers came at the border of Yalu River, China got involved to the conflict to support North Korea. These two states, namely the US and China fought with limited scope and conventional weapons, therefore this example shows that states sometimes prefer to keep their force limited due to the political influence. Apart from these, the bargaining theory which assumes the wars with bargained settlements developed by Alastair Smith and Allan C. Stam approaches to Clausewitzs limited wars, or wars in reality. Since the bargaining theory is in realm of game theory, I will not speak of it in details. However, since one of the key feature of the theory is much more related to Clausewitzs limited wars, I will use it as an instance as an illustration. One of the features of the model is that as nations fight battles and capture forts from each other, both nations learn common information about the nature of warfare between them. As long as more and more information is revealed, the beliefs of nations converge. Therefore, wars are fought until either one side decisively defeats the other or until beliefs of each side unite sufficiently so that they can agree to a settlement.[33] Bibliography Gat, Azar. 1989. The Origins of Military Thought: From Enlightenment to Clausewitz. New York: Oxford University Press Earle, Edward Mead. 1973. Makers of Modern Strategy. Princeton: Princeton University Press Howard, Michael. 1983. Clausewitz. New York: Oxford University Press Bassford, http://www.clausewitz.com/readings/Bassford/Cworks/Works.htm, 8 July 2008 Gat, 1989, p.167 Gat, p.199 Gat, p.199 Edward Earle, p.94 Edward Earle, p.103 Clausewitz, p.101 Clausewitz, p.103 Clausewitz, p.104 Clausewitz, p.105 Stone, p.31 Stone, p.32 Stone, p.32 Gat, p.221 Howard, p.39 Clausewitz, p.119 Roxborough, p.625 Roxborough, p.625 Roxborough, p.626 Earle, p. 106 Earle, p.106 Cornish, p. 217 Larson, p.70 Larson, p.71 Larson, p.71 Larson, p.71 Larson, p.72 Kibaroglu, p.4 Larson, p.72 Moody, p.419 Moody, p.429 Dingman, p.56 Smith and Stam, p.787

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Professionalism in the Construction Industry

Professionalism in the Construction Industry Construction management is a challenging and demanding profession. In order to successfully complete a project, from the perspective of a Client, they will need the assistance of many construction professionals to help them realise their objective particularly from the feasibility to completion of a project. These construction professionals generally include architects, interior designers, surveyors, civil engineers, quantity surveyors, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers and structural engineers. These construction professionals have different specialities for example an architect will generally manage the design and construction of the project, whereas the structural engineer will ensure that the project is structurally stable, and the quantity surveyor will generally look after the financial aspects of a project. 2.0 The concept of Professionalism in the Construction Industry In order to understand the concept of Professionalism in Construction we first must examine the terms profession and professional. Carr (2000) suggests that wealth, prestige and self-regulation are characteristics of how you determine whether an occupation can be construed to be a Profession. In addition to this, Carr (2000) states that there are five further characteristic that allow you to determine whether an occupation can be said to be a profession and these include:- professions provide an important public service; they involve a theoretically as well a practically grounded expertise; that have a distinct ethical dimension which calls for expression in a code of practice; they require organisation and regulation for purposes of recruitment and discipline; and professional practitioners require a high degree of individual autonomy independence of judgement for effective practice A Professional is said to be a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. Most professionals are governed by Professional Institutes who set the strict rules regulating their conduct and ethical behaviour. Professionals are said to be experts and/or specialists in the field that they participate. Professionals are said to have specialist knowledge in their particular field of work. The qualities and/or traits and/or attributes of a professional have been stated to be; trustworthiness, competent, respectful, displays integrity, considerate, courteous, dependable, cooperative, committed. Sockett (1993) believes that professional needs to be self-governed and their actions should be based on sound professional practices in their particular field. Sockett (1993) confirms that being a professional means having moral vision, sense, and purpose. In addition Sockett (1993) states that the essence of understanding the term professional is that it describes the persons behaviour and performance, but does not describe the person and their status. Maister (1997) argues that Professional is not a label you give yourself, its a description you hope others will apply to you A professional will exhibited a high standard of professional ethics, while carrying out ones profession Professionalism is said to be the demonstration of all the traits and/or attributes of being a professional and will decide how successful you are in your job. These traits include positive attitudes, courteous behaviour, good vocabulary, smart appearance, self-belief. The judgement of whether a person has Professionalism is subjective, and it is not solely because they wear a nice suit, but its a combination of these traits that give people the image of a professional. These traits and/or attributes are briefly discussed below:- Attitude No just whether a person is upbeat, a professional will find ways to overcome obstacles and find solutions to the problem. Competence You need to know what youre talking about in your field of work and be able to recommend solutions. Communication Skills Be able to effectively communicate ideas, speak in clear terms and make complex subjects understandable to all concerned. Appearance Clean and appropriate clothing that fit properly will help portray the image of a professional (you dont necessarily need an expensive suite) Appropriateness Keep thing appropriate and avoid going off on unrelated tangents. Furthermore, professionals are expected to establish and maintain professional boundaries to enhance their professionalism within the construction industry. The need for Professional Boundaries are generally required to ensure that the Construction Professionals effectively communicate using appropriate language, keep information private and confidential, not to take advantages and exploit clients whilst engaged in their services, and not to fuel gossip in the office. 3.0 Who are the professional roles within the Construction Industry? In the modern day construction industry, many managers, technical people, skilled, semi-skilled, unskilled people are needed in order to successfully complete the project on time and within budget. In order to effectively manage the many work items and/or construction related activities a professional project team is needed to make sure the project is constructed using the required technology, to the required standards and using the most cost effective methods. Each construction project will need a team to translate the design into reality. The team for a building project will generally consist of architects, interior designers, surveyors, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, building engineers, civil engineer. These construction professionals deal with a variety of the key activities that are required to manage the project i.e. time, money, equipment, technology, people management. These professional will look at a project from incept ion to completion. They will be challenged throughout the process to come up with innovated ideas, solutions to overcome the many obstacles that they will be confronted during the course of the project and these may include:- Organisation of resources Sequencing of the various work items for the project Achieving budgets Completion of the various work items within the stipulated time Integrating organisations Balancing the conflict interest of the stakeholders and end users Appreciation of the various technology and methods available to undertake the project. It is the duty and obligation of each of the Construction professionals to exercise all reasonable skills, care and diligence and display their skills according to the Professional Standards that generally govern the disciple that they practice. By looking at the four main professional roles in the construction industry and these include the Architect, Civil Engineer, Project Manager, Quantity Surveyor and their respective roles and responsibilities, this will give an insight into how these professionals succeed in the construction industry. 3.1 Architect Roles An architect is a person that must be registered with a recognised Architect Registration Board in order to practice their profession. To practice architecture general means that a service in connection with the design and construction of a building has been offered. According to Bredemeyer Consulting (2006), a simplistic way of looking at the role of an Architect is that they create architectures, and their responsibilities included everything necessary to accomplish this. This includes creating the vision and the concept, then experimenting with the alternatives to make the vision and concept reality. In addition to this, the Architect in conjunction with a team of construction professionals need to prepare the technical drawings and specification in order to make the vision a reality. Similarly Architects during their construction role, advises the Client on awards of contract, monitors progress, responds to technical queries issued by the Contractor, issues supplementary drawing and specifications, reviews all technical and document transmittals issued by the Contractor, issues site instructions, provide contract administration, and certify the Contractors interim payment certificates. The role of the Architect will generally dependent on the nature of the appointment and the scope of their service agreement. However, the role of the Architect is not just limited to these technical activities, particularly when you become more senior within an organisation, other challenging aspects of the role of an Architect will then come into play for example business strategy, organisational politics, consulting and leadership. 3.2 Civil Engineer Role A Civil Engineer (in the context of this report the equivalent of an Architect albeit in the Civil Engineering industry) like an Architect, plans things, designs things, constructs things, improves things albeit in the field of infrastructure, bridges roads etc. There are a number of specialities that a Civil Engineer may specialise in, and these include geotechnical, structural, transportation, hydraulic and environmental, costal, material engineering. It is normal for a Civil Engineer to have graduated from a university with a degree, but it is not mandatory that a Civil Engineer needs to be licensed; this will depend entirely on where you live in the world. In the UK, a professional engineer may decide to join the Chartered Institute of Civil Engineers which is the equivalent of a licensed engineer in many other areas of the world. Again like the Architect, the Civil Engineer (also known as a Resident Engineer) in the construction phase of a project will monitor the works to ensure that the required workmen and quality standards are being achieved and monitor the progress of the works. The Civil Engineer also advises the Client on awards of contract, responds to technical queries issued by the Contractor, issues supplementary drawing and specifications, reviews all technical and document transmittals issued by the Contractor, issues site instructions, provide contract administration, and certifies the Contractors interim payment certificates The role of the Civil Engineer will generally dependent on the nature of the appointment and the scope of their service agreement. 3.3 Construction Project Manager Role A Construction Project Manager (CPM) whilst being in charge of the project as a whole has four key areas to manage and these include; Time, Cost, Quality and Scope. The CPM must possess a number of general management skills in order to achieve the projects objects as well as Interpersonal skills and these are briefly discussed below:- Time Management Prepares the time schedule and monitors progress against the baseline programme Quality Management Ensure that the requirements of the specifications are adhered too Cost Management prepares the cost budgets and implements cost control measures Resource Management Identifies and manages the resources required to undertake the project labour, plant, equipment, materials, subcontractors and specialised services. Procurement Purchasing / Hiring of all the required resources Risk Management Identification, classification, analysis and then formulating the appropriate risk response. Integration Management How to get all the various work items and stakeholders to work together in a systematic way to achieve the projects objectives Project Scope Management Identification and fulfilment of the project scope of works Leadership skills, Influential Skills, Negotiation Skills, Persuasive, Conflict Management, Project Managers wishing to obtain professional certification in Construction Project Management, may obtain them from the Project Management Institute. 3.4 Quantity Surveyors Role A Quantity Surveyor (QS) is a professional working within the Construction Industry and is generally involved in the financial aspects of a project The RICS (2003) identified that a QS should provide a number of services during the course of a project. In the pre-contract stage, the QS should help and prepare the preliminary cost plan, evaluate the various design proposals in terms of cost, implement cost control measures in the detailed design stage to ensure that the budget is not exceeded, maintain and develop the cost plan. During the tender stage, the QS should advise on the tender documentation and assist with the Architect / Civil Engineer on awards of Projects. The QS during the construction phase also needs to prepare recommendations for interim payments, post-contract cost control and final account. In addition to this, the QS should provide and price bills of quantities, prepare cost analysis, advise on financial implications, provide measurement of areas, provide advice on contractual matters. There are many areas where a QS could specialise and these include construction, oil gas, power industry, building, civil engineering. The Main distinction will be whether the QS is from a Professional Practice (often called a PQS) or those that work for the various construction organisations (often called Main Contractors QS). To help maintain the standards of the professions, one of the many professional bodies such as the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors provides education, defines the standards, and sets strict codes of practice and ethics for all its members to follow 4.0 The concept and Practise of Professional Liability At some stage in the career of a Professional, things will go wrong and will result in some else unfairly being subjected to harm and/or additional cost (in the context of a construction project, the Employer). This could be caused by an error, an act of negligence, or an omission during the course of a professionals work. The result of which will be a breach of a legal obligation and this is commonly known as Professional Liability. In order to protect themselves from such a liability, professionals can obtain professional liability insurance. However in recent times, it has proved difficult to obtain this insurance which has led professional to look at the various other alternatives in the market that will help to protect them from Professional Liability. Indemnity Agreements By simply transferring the risk via indemnity agreements. Evidence of Professional Liability from Design Professionals A simple certificate of insurance that only gives the basic information i.e. the insured party, the insurer, policy number, policy term and limits. The full extent of the insurance coverage and/or limitation is not readily available. Professional Protective Insurance Provides first party indemnity for damages which are in excess of the professional liability insurance. This type of policy supplements the existing Professional Indemnity insurance where the Client desires further protection on a particular project. Project Professional Liability Insurance (P.L.I) Allows the Client to have the benefit of one project specific P.L.I policy where all the professional participating in a project are named on the one single site specific policy. The role of Professional Organisation in the Construction Industry Due to the ever changing world and construction industry, Professional Institutions are tasked with the role of raising professional standards, knowledge and training within the industry. To help achieve these goals, the institutions develop educational programmes to ensure that their members respond to the changing work environment and are equipped with all the knowledge and skills required to practice in their profession. In addition to this, Institutions strive to improve their service to both members and industry, encourage sustainable construction practices, publish both magazines and journals to help improve the knowledge of their members. There are numerous Institutions that target specific disciplines for example; and to name but a few:- the Institute of Civil Engineer target Civil Engineers, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyor target Surveyors, the Chartered Institute of Builders target builders. To become a member of an Institution, you must generally satisfy their academic requirements before undertaking their Professional Development Plan which aims to ascertain over a period of time whether you have the required skills and competences to qualify as a full member. Once qualified as a full member, the Institutions believe that Continual Professional Development (CPD) is an essential part of being a member. According to Construction Industry Council (UK), CPD is the Systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge and skills, and the development of personal qualities necessary for the execution of professional and technical duties throughout the working like. In addition to the above, the Institution sets the ethical codes that govern how the Professional should conduct themselves whilst practicing their discipline. The role of Construction related business organisations One of the fundamental roles of the construction related business organisations is to provide its members with access to educational tools inclusive of industry news that they may not ordinarily be available in their profession. These organisations help construction business, professionals, students and others to:- maintain standards, guide them, strengthen economic performance, raise levels of knowledge and performance. These organisations can be government departments, societies, and regulatory authorities and they include some of the following organisations:- C.I.T.B Construction Skills Energy Saving Trusts English Heritage Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reforms (BERR) 7.0 Conclusion Due to the rapidly changing and evolving construction industry, professionals are needed to maintain high standards and produce quality work. Therefore to standardise, regulate, maintain the knowledge needed by professionals in industry, the role of Institutions and the construction related businesses will continue to be needed by their members for many years to come. Professionalism in the Construction Industry Professionalism in the Construction Industry Who are the professionals in construction industry? The Professionalism in Constructions is a combination of derived significant activities of professionals. This is mainly related with their job tasks, such as; an active demonstration of the traits of professionals, also the level of professionalism can be evaluated how successful you are in your job and also it can be decided how others view on you and how far you have developed in your career level as well. Some specific professionals in construction industry, for example; Architects, Civil Structural Engineers, Mechanical Electrical Engineers, Project Managers and Quantity Surveyors whom are well-trained and highly educated and experienced experts. They are contributing with their specific knowledge and experience for the successful completion of projects. And also they have vital responsibilities and duties within their entire roles; for instance, Preparation of drawings, Specifications, BOQ, Contract Conditions and Agreements. Furthermore deal with the Time, Money, Technology, Equipments, operatives and materials for managing of construction projects and organize the project resources. The professional organizations usually provide comprehensive betterment to the professionals, such as; initial professional development and being a member in an institution. It furnishes free education and training, participation in conference and seminars, network opportunities and get privilege to use on line recourses. Hence some professional organizations are especially vital to the construction industry, for example; Professionals are licentiated as RICS, CIOB, RIBA, AIQS, SLIQS, and IESL etc. as a result of this, professionals can develop their knowledge and make improvement the level of professionalism appropriately. Further, certain business related organizations provide collaboration of professionals to share with their knowledge and experience. Hence, Professionals are able to use organization resources to success of their projects, some of them are significantly important to constructions industry, such as; reference of FIDIC in international, reference of ICTAD in Sri Lanka and also reference of Business Enterprise Regulatory Reform (BERR) in the United Kingdom. INTRODUCTION This report comprehensively discuss about the study of Professionalism in Constructions industry. The Aim is getting of knowledge and awareness of Professionalism, about various construction related Professional Organizations and their role in the Construction Industry. Particularly discuss through the following major key points by investigating briefly: The concept of Professionalism Professionals roles within the Construction Industry. The concept and practice of Professional Liability The role of Professional Organizations in the Construction Industry. The role of Construction related business organizations. MAIN BODY DISCUSSIONS The Professionalism Define Concept of Professionalism Concept of the Professionalism basically explained herewith, on specialists point of view, most of authors have defined the concept of professionalism in considerable volume. According to the article of Journal of Chiropractic Humanities 2005  © NUHS (Stuart Kinsinger) Professionalism is defined as Professionalism is service through the use of specialized knowledge, skills, and experience; holding oneself to the highest standards of thought, word, and deed. Concerning to the above explained comment, it can be identified clearly what the concept of professionalism is, Further professionalism can be described as; It is an active demonstration of the traits of professionals, The level of professionalism can be evaluated how successful you are in your job. It can also be decided how others view on you and how far you develop your career level. Whatsoever, professionalism cannot be evaluated just in appearance; like neatness, good grooming, and shop-talk as well. It should be really evaluated through the technical skilled, inner strengths, attitudes and honest work done. Besides, concerning of the professionals in construction industry; will be deeply discussed in next steps, therefore it is further required to study the history of professionalism in constructions to get a proper knowledge about constructions professionals professionalism. History of Professionalism in Construction industry History of professionalism has been shown since in the beginning of civilization in this world, nevertheless refer to the construction industry, professionalism shows at the early stage of Second World War in 1942, when considering to issued records by US Naval Mobile Construction Battalion five, Command History, that battalion has earned a reputation for excellence and professionalism during the 54 years of its existence. Also they have built airstrips, hospitals, bridges, roads, and have provided humanitarian and disaster recovery assistance in almost every part of the world. Hence it appears clearly, there should be a particular characteristics and attributes in professionalism. Characteristics and Attributes of Professionalism There are number of special characteristics and attributes in professionalism to implement within the professional bodies. This characterizes give much influence to success of professionalism in their trades. It is as follows; Attitude this is very important characteristic of professionalism, there should be positive attitude, and hence it will help to increase business success, Appearance -Wearers clean cloth is very important for make the business in positive way continuously, hence this positive appearance will significantly help to the business success., Behavior to be expressed well-mannered, calm matters, should not be spite, Vocabulary- Should be use always right words, not suitable to use big words because level of professionalism is often judged by vocabulary, Mindset- Pattern of the way of thinking of professionals Also above specialized characterizes can be judged by particular facts identified to obtain real professionalism in constructions. How is Professionalism Judged? According to the book Up The Corporate Ladder Professionalism in The Workplace written by Elsabà © Manning (owner of the Success Factory), Professionalism is judged by the following facts: such as, Responsibility and accountability, business etiquette, Telephone and e-etiquette, Manners, Communication, Relationships, Competence, Respectfulness, Trustworthiness, Empathy and compassion, Emotional maturity, Image, etc; So then, above mentioned facts are used to judge the level of professionalism, hence further needs to understand exactly about professionals and their roles relevant to the construction industry. The professionals of Construction Industry Definition Mostly education, work culture, morals, work ethics, positive thinking, open mind make anybody into a professional, out of these six points, at least four should be present to become a good, valuable professional.  Further explanations; a professional is a person who is paid to take over a specialized set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The key measures for professionals as follows: They should have expert and specialized knowledge in their carrier, Excellent practical and literary skills, Basically high quality work to be exhibited, A high standard of professional ethics, behaviors and work activities, Work morale and motivation in reasonable level. Suitable treatment of relationships with social group. Who are the professionals in Construction Industry? In general, there are highly qualified and well trained professionals are contributing within their specific knowledge and experience to deliver the projects in construction industry in successful. There are few key professionals in the construction industry, identified as, Architects, Project Managers, Civil Engineers, Structural Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Electrical Engineer and Quantity Surveyors. Basically, they categorized within their involvement with job environment, some of them are working as client representatives, and some are assigned to design teams, also assigned to builders and maintenance firms. Roles of professionals in Construction industry Most of construction projects or firms employ reputed professionals to get proper management process in order to archive projects goals, contribution with the professionals specialized roles. Architects, Engineer Consultants, Builders and Quantity Surveyors, whom are the professionals in construction industry, hence further will discuss concerning the significant roles of them relevant to the construction projects as a professional teams, Particular points of key roles of them are given below; Usually they prepare designs including drawings, specifications, BOQ, Contact Agreements and Conditions of Contracts, As well as they are dealing with Time, Money, Technology, Equipments,, Operatives and Materials to manage the construction projects, They are employed directly by clients, They shall organize the project resources to execute project activities to manage them properly and complete the project on time, maintain the Quality, Cost Control, maintain of Environment and Safety measures. Further their roles are briefly described as follows; The Architect According to the Wikipedia, an architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight/supervision of the construction of buildings and further architect should be visiting site periodically for inspections to ensure that in general, the work being carried out on site is in compliance with architectural designs and specifications. Generally, Architect should have proper education qualifications and also should have good training back ground to deliver their knowledge for the project success in terms of sustainability and safety of end users. Also there are Landscapes Architects, Town Planners, Infrastructures and building Architects whom are categorized on discipline on service and they involve as a team or one person. Engineer Consultant According to the Bamisile (2004), during the construction phase Engineers (Civil, electrical, mechanical, geotechnical and structural) should visit the site often for inspections, and to be ensured that all activities going on compliance with their engineering drawings, specifications and schedules. Also they should be concerned with monitoring and ensuring methods and materials. Normally engineer consultants joint as a reputed individual firm with development projects. Also involve for selecting the project by way of tender or by nomination. A Fee also will be charged by Engineers as a parentage basis. The Builder The Builder is employed by the client, on the advice of the Architect or the  Architectural technologist. A builder must first assess the project-specific documents (referred to as tender documents). In the case of renovations, a site visit is required to get a better understanding of the project. The builder will then calculate a price, also called an estimate. The builder considers the cost of materials and equipment as well as the cost of labor to provide the owner with an approximate price for the project. The Quantity Surveyor (Cost Consultant) Quantity surveyor is the person/ firm who manage the cost relating to the construction projects, such as new constructions, maintenance work and renovations. Quantity surveyor monitors the cost of every aspects of a construction project as a cost expert, as well as seeks to minimize the costs of the project and to make more cost savings while ensuring the total cost of project does not exceed the estimated cost. Furthermore when study about Architects, Engineers Quantity Surveyors as Construction Professionals, also have to be identified their duties and Responsibilities properly. Duties and responsibilities of professionals in Construction industry In general Architects, Project managers, engineers and quantity surveyors are the most important persons whom are involved as professionals in construction industry. Therefore, they have to be very respectable and well care of their duties and responsibilities according to their work sectors. Their duties and responsibilities could be described in brief as mentioned below; Architect Contribution for initial discussions and consultations which relevant to design and plans with a person or a business organization in satisfactory level. Should be understood clearly about clients intended objectives and explaining them. Getting clear idea of Clients budget which is expected to invest for projects and consulting with suggestions for any alternatives may be required. Preparing initial proposals subsequent to discussions with client. Studying environmental impact and the effect having with proposed structure. Follow-up feasibility studies and how it affected for constructions in specific locations. Attending site selections and produce a cost analysis as a part of the initial proposals. Explain all aspects of initial proposals to client very briefly. To be worked altogether with client to get a final product as plans and important designs. All design and plans with respect to the rule and regulation of government and relevant organizations and institutions respectively. Civil Engineers The civil engineers are engaging with many activities at the beginning of the project and up to the end of the project. Hence, some of their key roles are as follows; Analyzing various factors and areas concerning construction. Analyzing, searching and investigate the site location and ensure its feasibility for construction purpose. Preparing key essential plans to determine what need to be changed prior to implement tasks. Develop detailed design drawings according to the clients requirements. Review and issuing approval for project designs and reports. Identifying potential risks and disputes of the project. Taking necessary actions for risk management. Follow up rules, regulations and guidelines in relevant to the project. Verify the safety activities during the project implementation. Study different equations, strategies, and applications to make certain appropriate procedures and applications. Supervision of all works and monitors staff duties and operations at site. Keeping well communication with stakeholders of project; Project Architects, consultant, sub contractors and client. Preparing schedule for purchase of materials and equipments. Ensure that the project is completed by the committed time within the planned budget. Preparation of defect list or snags list and involve with handing over process. The Quantity Surveyor Pre Contract stage Elemental Cost Estimate Measurements Bill Of Quantity Preparation Tender Document Preparation Analyzing Estimating and Tendering Tender Evaluation Tender Clarification Meetings Negotiation Meetings Post Contract stage Kick of Meeting Progress on Site Variation Order Calculations Variation Order negotiation Payment Certifications Financial Statements Final Accounts The Construction Project Manager Prepare master program to the overall project and agree with the employer. Appointing consultants and contractors by tendering. Financial advice to the employer and cost control. Coordinating all parties and gets the work done. Risk, quality, time, scope cost management. Communication negotiations. Complete and handover the project to the agreed master program. In this report discussed about few professionals, moreover there are other professionals are involved with construction industry, some of them are very important and their activities are required to complete the project satisfactorily. They are Land surveyors, geological surveyors, Draftsmen, Human Resources managers, Clerk of works, Business and legal advisors. Furthermore, need to be discussed in brief about Professional Organizations having relationship with the Professionals. The Constructions professionals organizations What is Professional organization? Professional organizations usually give comprehensive betterment to the professionals such as, initial professional development and also being a member in an institution as free education and training, attending to conference and seminars, network opportunities and get privilege to use on line recourses, Hence some professional organizations are especially vital to the construction industry, for example; Professionals are licentiated as RICS, CIOB, RIBA, AIQS, SLIQS, and IESL etc. as a result of this, professionals can develop their knowledge and make improvement the level of professionalism appropriately. The role of professional organizations in the construction industry In general, here with discussed about common roles briefly, Maintain the standards of the professions in the construction industry Maintain superlative knowledge (Training, Seminars, CPD, PDP) Develop professional education to respond to changing environment to meet current and future operation needs. Improve services to members and up-grading services in industry. Encouraging of sustainable constructions Publishing books, magazines and other publications to develop the knowledge of members. Maintain and improve the quality of the built environment. The Benefits of Joining with Professional institutions The Construction professional institutions provide most important benefits for the professionals body to improve their professionalism actively. The few benefits of professional institutes are given below; Possible to expand the professional network Consistent updates on current industry trends and developments. A chance to increase awareness of work place. Can be discovered other companies activities. A chance to use monthly, quarterly, and annual newsletters. magazines Have particular strategies for attending the meeting An opportunity to joint with CPD, professional development plan Volunteer to join a committee within the association. Follow up with your new contacts. Annual membership fee of most reputed professional institutes are very high, however some companies provide institutes membership fee and training expenditures according to the requirement of the employers at that time. Further studying the benefits and specific roles of professional institutes, conclusively following table will shows function different of few institutes. (Refer to Table 01) Organizations Roles, Functions Professionals liability in Constructions Generally professionals liabilities are the legal obligation with professionals errors, negligence or omissions during the course of practice of work. Hence there are few identified key professionals liabilities in construction industry, those are as follows; Design errors, for instance; methods, means of construction drawings Construction inspection, Quality control and quality assurance Contractual liability from a sub contract design entity Health and safety of site Coordination and scheduling Normally at the design and management phases of project, effect of professionals liabilities are high than other phases, Above identified liabilities in construction professionals, further required to protect them using Construction insurance and policies. Those are as follows; Workmans Compensation policy (will cover liability of an employer for employment, injured, payment of Compensation etc.)) Contractors risk insurance (cover damage of property, liability of third party claims for injure or death, material and machinery damage) Professional liability insurance (All design firms, professional services, contractor and constructions manger) The role of Constructions related business organizations The business related organizations provide collaboration of professionals to share with their knowledge and experience. Hence, Professionals are able to use organization resources to success of their projects, some of them are significantly important to constructions industry, such as; reference of FIDIC in international, reference of ICTAD in Sri Lanka and also reference of Business Enterprise Regulatory Reform (BERR) in the United Kingdom Following are the key roles of business related organizations; Maintain standards in the industry Provide recourse as and when needed Strengthen the economic performance Increase peoples understanding Create conditions for business success Raise levels of productivity Help produce professionals in the industry and maintain standards Help with research work/ training and CPD Helps maintain connection with world wide By these major key roles can identify which contain their relationship with construction industry clearly. Therefore those functions significantly influence the success of projects in construction industry actively. CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATIONS This study make following conclusion finally, certainly, particular employers aptitudes can be performed within special characteristics and attributes accompanied with professionalism such as, Ethics Qualification, Skill, Experience, Communication Skills, Initiative. These are vital facts for improve of the professionalism in construction industry.

Monday, August 19, 2019

History Of Unions And Their Relevance In Todays Society Essay -- essay

Following the lead of Britain from where many of the original settlers came, workers in various occupations banded together to form unions. Ship writers, boat builders, tailors, bakers and carpenters were among the first craft unions form in Australia before 1848.By forming an association workers could obtain better wages and working conditions. However the employers wanted the highest profit margins so wished to keep wages low and spend little money on the working environment. The law of supply and demand in the labour market often determined which group was dominant.A third factor in the balance in Australia was the government. A successful strike by newspaper workers in 1829 for better wages and conditions resulted in the Masters and Servants Act being implemented which discriminated against the workers, who could be gaoled for minor revolts.Early in the colony, skilled labours were in short supply but in the 1840's after active promotion of emigrants by Britain this improved and a depression forced wages down and jobs were lost. With the discovery of gold, prices and wages rose, labour was scare and licenses imposed on miners and the Eureka incident occurred. Bust and boom economic conditions paroled surges recessions for unionism over the next few decades. The industrial union formed in the 1880's as a grouping of workers within an industry and across colonial and the Shearer's Union and small bush workers unions became the Australian Workers Union. Unions then looked to represent workers in Governments and the 1890's major strikes were held and the Labour Party was formed.With coming of Federation compu lsory arbitration - settling of disputes between employer and employee by a third party - encouraged unionism, with unions representing the workers. The labour market and demand for goods has been influenced by world wars, depressions and recessions. In the 1980's 'national reconciliation' initiated by the Government, aimed at resolving some of the conflict between workers and employers.Strong leaders among workers of various occupations over the last two centuries, have been gaoled, sometimes killed, starved, abused, seen their families suffer for better working conditions.At the beginning of the industrial revolution, employers knew their workers and felt responsible for them. After the industrial revolution gained momentum they employed more peop... ...ld of the MUA would be good for the Australian economy and lead to reform and increased productivity.At a meeting of the full council of the Business Council of Australia, a statement was issued reaffirming its view that "radically improved productivity and efficiency in waterfront operations remain one of the major reform challenges facing Australia."The conflict between the MUA and NFF may be long and bitter with many casualties, Patrick among the first, but with the present federal and state governments prepared to become involved. Changes will take place soon.Changes is fundamental to our life and unions have evolved over the last two centuries and will continue to change as global and reform issues rise and ware. Their significance will be determined by their ability to adapt to the needs of workers and society as the workplace changes.BIBLOGRAPHYThe Making of Australia: Unions, Politics and Workers 1978The Australian (Newspaper March 16th)Australia's Heritage Vol. 19 Hamilyn HouseInternet Web Site: <a href="http://www.smh.com.au">http://www.smh.com.auInternet Web Site: <a href="http://www.biz.yahoo.com.au">http://www.biz.yahoo.com.au

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Communications between Parents and Children Essay -- Family Communicat

Healthy family relationships depend on healthy communications there are many ways and times to practice and teach good communication to children. There are many times that without good communication, the parent-child relationship suffers and sometimes ends abruptly. Good communication skills should be taught from birth and continue throughout adulthood. In order to have a good parent/child relationship with open communication, there must also be mutual respect. If there is no respect, the lines of communication will falter. Tom Schwartz states that he knows of â€Å"many cases where children are raised in an atmosphere of dark secrecy about both the matriarchal and patriarchal parts of their families. They grow up with a sense that something must be wrong but fear discussing this with their parents.† (5) Most people have grown up with family secrets, but some secrets can destroy a family. The act of hiding the secret(s) provides an excuse to limit self-disclosure, and reacts negatively on one’s self-esteem. â€Å"Good communication helps keep a family running smoothly and prevents misunderstandings from escalating into conflict or from being buried unresolved.† (Feiden, 68) When these become extremely limited or negative, there is an increased chance of a separation and possible ending of the relationship. The end of the relationship could mean that parent and child no longer talk, or they are forcibly separated for their own health in extreme cases. Unfortunately, â€Å"emotional health can be passed down from generation to generation just as easily as abuse and dysfunction,† (Bloch, 7) making such dysfunctions of communications a continuous process. In cases like this, communication is crucial. The secrets should be shared within the family. ... ...heir lives. Works Cited Bay, Willow, Talking to your Kids in Tough Times, New York: Warner books, 2003 Berenstain, Stan & Jan, What Your Parents Never Told You about Being a Mom or Dad, New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1995 Bloch, Douglas, Positive Self-Talk For Children, New York: Bantam Books, 1993 Children’s Defense Fund. â€Å"The state of America’s children 2008† 2009: 80 Pages. October 30, 2009 . Feiden, Karyn, Raising Responsible Kids, New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1991 Schwartz, PH.D., Allen, â€Å"Family Secrets†, April 25, 2007: 8 pages October 30, 2009, Sturges, Tom, Parking Lot Rules & 75 Other Ideas for Raising Amazing Children, New York: Ballantine Books, 2008

What is Feminism Essay examples -- Social Issues, Womens Right

Introduction This essay aims to critically evaluate feminist arguments against the present social system of science. It begins with defining feminism and different waves which happened in the history of feminism. It then moves on to introduce different approaches in feminism. The arguments will be critically evaluated and the essay will be finished by a conclusion. What is feminism? Feminism can be described as movements which aimed at defending and establishing and providing equal social, political and economical right for women as well as equal opportunities for them (Butler, 1993). Because some people argue the gender as a social construction which can harm all people, thus, feminism look for liberate men as well as women (Butler, 1993). A person who practices feminism who can be either a man or a woman is called a ‘Feminist’. The history of western modern feminist movements can be divided into three â€Å"waves† (Humm, 1992). First-wave feminism looked for changes in marriage relationships, equality in property rights and eventually in women’s right to vote or women’s suffrage (W...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Second Foundation 16. Beginning of War

For reason or reasons unknown to members of the Galaxy at the time of the era under discussion, Intergalactic Standard Time defines its fundamental unit, the second, as the time in which light travels 299,776 kilometers. 86,400 seconds are arbitrarily set equal to one Intergalactic Standard Day; and 365 of these days to one Intergalactic Standard Year. Why 299,776?- Or 86,400?- Or 365? Tradition, says the historian, begging the question. Because of certain and various mysterious numerical relationships, say the mystics, cultists, numerologists, metaphysicists. Because the original home-planet of humanity had certain natural periods of rotation and revolution from which those relationships could be derived, say a very few. No one really knew. Nevertheless, the date on which the Foundation cruiser, the Hober Mallow met the Kalganian squadron, headed by the Fearless, and, upon refusing to allow a search party to board, was blasted into smoldering wreckage was 185; 11692 G.E. That is, it was the 185th day of the 11,692nd year of the Galactic Era which dated from the accession of the first Emperor of the traditional Kamble dynasty. It was also 185; 419 A.S. – dating from the birth of Seldon – or 185; 348 Y.F. – dating from the establishment of the Foundation. On Kalgan it was 185; 56 F.C. – dating from the establishment of the First Citizenship by the Mule. In each case, of course, for convenience, the year was so arranged as to yield the same day number regardless of the actual day upon which the era began. And, in addition, to all the millions of worlds of the Galaxy, there were millions of local times, based on the motions of their own particular heavenly neighbors. But whichever you choose: 185; 11692-419-348-56 – or anything – it was this day which historians later pointed to when they spoke of the start of the Stettinian war. Yet to Dr. Darell, it was none of these at all. It was simply and quite precisely the thirty-second day since Arcadia had left Terminus. What it cost Darell to maintain stolidity through these days was not obvious to everyone. But Elvett Semic thought he could guess. He was an old man and fond of saying that his neuronic sheaths had calcified to the point where his thinking processes were stiff and unwieldy. He invited and almost welcomed the universal underestimation of his decaying powers by being the first to laugh at them. But his eyes were none the less seeing for being faded; his mind none the less experienced and wise, for being no longer agile. He merely twisted his pinched lips and said, â€Å"Why don't you do something about it?† The sound was a physical jar to Darell, under which he winced. He said, gruffly, â€Å"Where were we?† Semic regarded him with grave eyes. â€Å"You'd better do something about the girl.† His sparse, yellow teeth showed in a mouth that was open in inquiry. But Darell replied coldly, â€Å"The question is: Can you get a Symes-Molff Resonator in the range required?† Well, I said I could and you weren't listening-â€Å" â€Å"I'm sorry, Elvett. It's like this. What we're doing now can be more important to everyone in the Galaxy than the question of whether Arcadia is safe. At least, to everyone but Arcadia and myself, and I'm willing to go along with the majority. How big would the Resonator be?† Semic looked doubtful, â€Å"I don't know. You can find it somewheres in the catalogues.† â€Å"About how big. A ton? A pound? A block long?† â€Å"Oh, I thought you meant exactly. It's a little jigger.† He indicated the first joint of his thumb. â€Å"About that.† â€Å"All right, can you do something like this?† He sketched rapidly on the pad he held in his lap, then passed it over to the old physicist, who peered at it doubtfully, then chuckled. â€Å"Y'know, the brain gets calcified when you get as old as I am. What are you trying to do?† Darell hesitated. He longed desperately, at the moment, for the physical knowledge locked in the other's brain, so that he need not put his thought into words. But the longing was useless, and he explained. Semic was shaking his head. â€Å"You'd need hyper-relays. The only things that would work fast enough. A thundering lot of them.† â€Å"But it can be built?† â€Å"Well, sure.† â€Å"Can you get all the parts? I mean, without causing comment? In line with your general work.† Semic lifted his upper lip. â€Å"Can't get fifty hyper-relays? I wouldn't use that many in my whole life.† â€Å"We're on a defense project, now. Can't you think of something harmless that would use them? We've got the money.† â€Å"Hm-m-m. Maybe I can think of something.† â€Å"How small can you make the whole gadget?† â€Å"Hyper-relays can be had micro-size†¦ wiring†¦ tubes – Space, you've got a few hundred circuits there.† â€Å"I know. How big?† Semic indicated with his hands. â€Å"Too big,† said Darell. â€Å"I've got to swing it from my belt† Slowly, he was crumpling his sketch into a tight ball. When it was a hard, yellow grape, he dropped it into the ash tray and it was gone with the tiny white flare of molecular decomposition. He said, â€Å"Who's at your door?† Semic leaned over his desk to the little milky screen above the door signal. He said, â€Å"The young fellow, Anthor. Someone with him, too.† Darell scraped his chair back. â€Å"Nothing about this, Semic, to the others yet. It's deadly knowledge, if they find out, and two lives are enough to risk.† Pelleas Anthor was a pulsing vortex of activity in Semic's office, which, somehow, managed to partake of the age of its occupant. In the slow turgor of the quiet room, the loose, summery sleeves of Anthor's tunic seemed still a-quiver with the outer breezes. He said, â€Å"Dr. Darell, Dr. Semic – Orum Dirige.† The other man was tall. A long straight nose that lent his thin face a saturnine appearance. Dr. Darell held out a hand. Anthor smiled slightly. â€Å"Police Lieutenant Dirige,† he amplified. Then, significantly, â€Å"Of Kalgan.† And Darell turned to stare with force at the young man. â€Å"Police Lieutenant Dirige of Kalgan,† he repeated, distinctly. â€Å"And you bring him here. Why?† â€Å"Because he was the last man on Kalgan to see your daughter. Hold, man.† Anthor's look of triumph was suddenly one of concern, and he was between the two, struggling violently with Darell. Slowly, and not gently, he forced the older man back into the chair. â€Å"What are you trying to do?† Anthor brushed a lock of brown hair from his forehead, tossed a hip lightly upon the desk, and swung a leg, thoughtfully. â€Å"I thought I was bringing you good news.† Darell addressed the policeman directly, â€Å"What does he mean by calling you the last man to see my daughter? Is my daughter dead? Please tell me without preliminary.† His face was white with apprehension. Lieutenant Dirige said expressionlessly, † ‘Last man on Kalgan' was the phrase. She's not on Kalgan now. I have no knowledge past that.† â€Å"Here,† broke in Anthor, â€Å"let me put it straight. Sorry if I overplayed the drama a bit, Doc. You're so inhuman about this, I forget you have feelings. In the first place, Lieutenant Dirige is one of us. He was born on Kalgan, but his father was a Foundation man brought to that planet in the service of the Mule. I answer for the lieutenant's loyalty to the Foundation. â€Å"Now I was in touch with him the day after we stopped getting the daily report from Munn-â€Å" â€Å"Why?† broke in Darell, fiercely. â€Å"I thought it was quite decided that we were not to make a move in the matter. You were risking their lives and ours.† â€Å"Because,† was the equally fierce retort, â€Å"I've been involved in this game for longer than you. Because I know of certain contacts on Kalgan of which you know nothing. Because I act from deeper knowledge, do you understand?† â€Å"I think you're completely mad.† â€Å"Will you listen?† A pause, and Darell's eyes dropped. Anthor's lips quirked into a half smile, â€Å"All right, Doc. Give me a few minutes. Tell him, Dirige.† Dirige spoke easily: â€Å"As far as I know, Dr. Darell, your daughter is at Trantor. At least, she had a ticket to Trantor at the Eastern Spaceport. She was with a Trading Representative from that planet who claimed she was his niece. Your daughter seems to have a queer collection of relatives, doctor. That was the second uncle she had in a period of two weeks, eh? The Trantorian even tried to bribe me – probably thinks that's why they got away.† He smiled grimly at the thought. â€Å"How was she?† â€Å"Unharmed, as far as I could see. Frightened. I don't blame her for that. The whole department was after her. I still don't know why.† Darell drew a breath for what seemed the first time in several minutes. He was conscious of the trembling of his hands and controlled them with an effort. â€Å"Then she's all right. This Trading Representative, who was he? Go back to him. What part does he play in it?† â€Å"I don't know. Do you know anything about Trantor?† â€Å"I lived there once.† â€Å"It's an agricultural world, now. Exports animal fodder and grains, mostly. High quality! They sell them all over the Galaxy. There are a dozen or two farm co-operatives on the planet and each has its representatives overseas. Shrewd sons of guns, too- I knew this one's record. He'd been on Kalgan before, usually with his wife. Perfectly honest. Perfectly harmless.† â€Å"Um-m-m,† said Anthor. â€Å"Arcadia was born in Trantor, wasn't she, Doc?† Darell nodded. â€Å"It hangs together, you see. She wanted to go away – quickly and far – and Trantor would suggest itself. Don't you think so?† Darell said: â€Å"Why not back here?† â€Å"Perhaps she was being pursued and felt that she had to double off in a new angle, eh?' Dr. Darell lacked the heart to question further. Well, then, let her be safe on Trantor, or as safe as one could be anywhere in this dark and horrible Galaxy. He groped toward the door, felt Anthor's light touch on his sleeve, and stopped, but did not turn. â€Å"Mind if I go home with you, Doc?† â€Å"You're welcome,† was the automatic response. By evening, the exteriormost reaches of Dr. Darell's personality, the ones that made immediate contact with other people had solidified once more. He had refused to eat his evening meal and had, instead, with feverish insistence, returned to the inchwise advance into the intricate mathematics of encephalographic analysis. It was not till nearly midnight, that he entered the living room again. Pelleas Anthor was still there, twiddling at the controls of the video. The footsteps behind him caused him to glance over his shoulder. â€Å"Hi. Aren't you in bed yet? I've been spending hours on the video, trying to get something other than bulletins. It seems the F.S. Hober Mallow is delayed in course and hasn't been heard from† â€Å"Really? What do they suspect?† â€Å"What do you think? Kalganian skulduggery. There are reports that Kalganian vessels were sighted in the general space sector in which the Hober Mallow was last heard from?† Darell shrugged, and Anthor rubbed his forehead doubtfully. â€Å"Look doc,† he said, â€Å"why don't you go to Trantor?† â€Å"Why should I?† â€Å"Because â€Å"You're no good to us here. You're not yourself. You can't be. And you could accomplish a purpose by going to Trantor, too. The old Imperial Library with the complete records of the Proceedings of the Seldon Commission are there-â€Å" â€Å"No! The Library has been picked clean and it hasn't helped anyone.† â€Å"It helped Ebling Mis once.† â€Å"How do you know? Yes, he said he found the Second Foundation, and my mother killed him five seconds later as the only way to keep him from unwittingly revealing its location to the Mule. But in doing so, she also, you realize, made it impossible ever to tell whether Mis really did know the location. After all, no one else has ever been able to deduce the truth from those records.† â€Å"Ebling Mis, if you'll remember, was working under the driving impetus of the Mule's mind.† â€Å"I know that, too, but Mis' mind was, by that very token, in an abnormal state. Do you and I know anything about the properties of a mind under the emotional control of another; about its abilities and shortcomings? In any case, I will not go to Trantor.† Anthor frowned, â€Å"Well, why the vehemence? I merely suggested it as – well, by Space, I don't understand you. You look ten years older. You're obviously having a hellish time of it. You're not doing anything of value here. If I were you, I'd go and get the girl.† â€Å"Exactly! It's what I want to do, too. That's why I won't do it. Look, Anthor, and try to understand. You're playing – we're both playing – with something completely beyond our powers to fight. In cold blood, if you have any, you know that, whatever you may think in your moments of quixoticism. â€Å"For fifty years, we've known that the Second Foundation is the real descendent and pupil of Seldonian mathematics. What that means, and you know that, too, is that nothing in the Galaxy happens which does not play a part in their reckoning. To us, all life is a series of accidents, to be met with by improvisations To them, all life is purposive and should be met by precalculation. â€Å"But they have their weakness. Their work is statistical and only the mass action of humanity is truly inevitable. Now how I play a part, as an individual, in the foreseen course of history, I don't know. Perhaps I have no definite part, since the Plan leaves individuals to indeterminacy and free will. But I am important and they – they, you understand – may at least have calculated my probable reaction. So I distrust, my impulses, my desires, my probable reactions. â€Å"I would rather present them with an improbable reaction. I will stay here, despite the fact that I yearn very desperately to leave.*** â€Å"No! Because I yearn very desperately to leave.† The younger man smiled sourly. â€Å"You don't know your own mind as well as they might. Suppose that – knowing you – they might count on what you think, merely think, is the improbable reaction, simply by knowing in advance what your line of reasoning would be.† â€Å"In that case, there is no escape. For if I follow the reasoning you have just outlined and go to Trantor, they may have foreseen that, too. There is an endless cycle of double-double-double-double-crosses. No matter how far I follow that cycle, I can only either go or stay. The intricate act of luring my daughter halfway across the Galaxy cannot be meant to make me stay where I am, since I would most certainly have stayed if they had done nothing. It can only be to make me move, and so I will stay. â€Å"And besides, Anthor, not everything bears the breath of the Second Foundation; not all events are the results of their puppeting. They may have had nothing to do with Arcadia's leave-taking, and she may be safe on Trantor when all the rest of us are dead.† â€Å"No,† said Anthor, sharply, â€Å"now you are off the track.† â€Å"You have an alternative interpretation?† â€Å"I have – if you'll listen.† â€Å"Oh, go ahead. I don't lack patience.† â€Å"Well, then – how well do you know your own daughter?† â€Å"How well can any individual know any other? Obviously, my knowledge is inadequate.† â€Å"So is mine on that basis, perhaps even more so – but at least, I viewed her with fresh eyes. Item one: She is a ferocious little romantic, the only child of an ivory-tower academician, growing up in an unreal world of video and book-film adventure. She lives in a weird self-constructed fantasy of espionage and intrigue. Item two: She's intelligent about it; intelligent enough to outwit us, at any rate. She planned carefully to overhear our first conference and succeeded. She planned carefully to go to Kalgan with Munn and succeeded. Item three: She has an unholy hero-worship of her grandmother – your mother – who defeated the Mule. â€Å"I'm right so far, I think? All right, then. Now, unlike you, I've received a complete report from Lieutenant Dirige and, in addition, my sources of information on Kalgan are rather complete, and all sources check. We know, for instance, that Homir Munn, in conference with the Lord of Kalgan was refused admission to the Mule's Palace, and that this refusal was suddenly abrogated after Arcadia had spoken to Lady Callia, the First Citizen's very good friend.† Darell interrupted. â€Å"And how do you know all this?† â€Å"For one thing, Munn was interviewed by Dirige as part of the police campaign to locate Arcadia. Naturally, we have a complete transcript of the questions and answers. â€Å"And take Lady Callia herself. It is rumored that she has lost Stettin's interest, but the rumor isn't borne out by facts. She not only remains unreplaced; is not only able to mediate the lord's refusal to Munn into an acceptance; but can even engineer Arcadia's escape openly. Why, a dozen of the soldiers about Stettin's executive mansion testified that they were seen together on the last evening. Yet she remains unpunished. This despite the fact that Arcadia was searched for with every appearance of diligence.† â€Å"But what is your conclusion from all this torrent of ill-connection?† â€Å"That Arcadia's escape was arranged.† â€Å"As I said.† â€Å"With this addition. That Arcadia must have known it was arranged; that Arcadia, the bright little girl who saw cabals everywhere, saw this one and followed your own type of reasoning. They wanted her to return to the Foundation, and so she went to Trantor, instead. But why Trantor?† â€Å"Well, why?† â€Å"Because that is where Bayta, her idolized grandmother, escaped when she was in flight. Consciously or unconsciously, Arcadia imitated that. I wonder, then, if Arcadia was fleeing the same enemy.† â€Å"The Mule?† asked Darell with polite sarcasm. â€Å"Of course not. I mean, by the enemy, a mentality that she could not fight. She was running from the Second Foundation, or such influence thereof as could be found on Kalgan.† â€Å"What influence is this you speak of?† â€Å"Do you expect Kalgan to be immune from that ubiquitous menace? We both have come to the conclusion, somehow, that Arcadia's escape was arranged. Right? She was searched for and found, but deliberately allowed to slip away by Dirige. By Dirige, do you understand? But how was that? Because he was our man. But how did they know that? Were they counting on him to be a traitor? Eh, doc?† â€Å"Now you're saying that they honestly meant to recapture her. Frankly, you're tiring me a bit, Anthor. Finish your say; I want to go to bed.† â€Å"My say is quickly finished.† Anthor reached for a small group of photo-records in his inner pocket. It was the familiar wigglings of the encephalograph. â€Å"Dirige's brainwaves,† Anthor said, casually, â€Å"taken since he returned.† It was quite visible to Darell's naked eye, and his face was gray when he looked up. â€Å"He is Controlled.† â€Å"Exactly. He allowed Arcadia to escape not because he was our man but because he was the Second Foundation's.† â€Å"Even after he knew she was going to Trantor, and not to Terminus.† Anthor shrugged. â€Å"He had been geared to let her go. There was no way he could modify that. He was only a tool, you see. It was just that Arcadia followed the least probable course, and is probably safe. Or at least safe until such time as the Second Foundation can modify the plans to take into account this changed state of affairs-â€Å" He paused. The little signal light on the video set was flashing. On an independent circuit, it signified the presence of emergency news. Darell saw it, too, and with the mechanical movement of long habit turned on the video. They broke in upon the middle of a sentence but before its completion, they knew that the Hober Mallow, or the wreck thereof, had been found and that, for the first time in nearly half a century, the Foundation was again at war. Anthor's jaw was set in a hard line. â€Å"All right, doc, you heard that. Kalgan has attacked; and Kalgan is under the control of the Second Foundation. Will you follow your daughter's lead and move to Trantor?† â€Å"No. I will risk it. Here.† â€Å"Dr. Darell. You are not as intelligent as your daughter. I wonder how far you can be trusted.† His long level stare held Darell for a moment, and then without a word, he left. And Darell was left in uncertainty and – almost – despair. Unheeded, the video was a medley of excited sight-sound, as it described in nervous detail the first hour of the war between Kalgan and the Foundation.