Tactics to reconstruct the completed buildings due to shifting of Case Study

Tactics to reconstruct the completed buildings due to shifting of project layout by the government agency - Case Study Example As the 5 individual buildings were privately owned and the external road works was under the auspices of the government, it means that the real situation at hand had to do with an amicable private-public sector engagement. A major climax of the private-public sector engagement came about when the client who is on the government side issued notice to the contractor to re-establish the settings of the all the 5 buildings to ensure that they do not conflict with the external road. It is important to note that construction had also started for all the buildings. Once the notice was received by the contractor to re-establish the settings of the road, he engaged with the owner and informed him about the demolition, a situation that merited claim for additional time and cost for the project. As a person tasked with the responsibility of Senior Contracts Administrator, I had a role of reporting to contractors Project Manager. This means that my role was very crucial in ensuring a successful engagements and negotiations between the owner and the contractor. The private-public sector engagement widened the stakeholder base of the project, giving rise to both external and internal stakeholders. Externally, representations from the GRA, beneficiaries of the external road, financiers and third party quality control administrators on the project were all stakeholders. Internally, the project owner, people living in the community, contractor, all employees under the cont ractor, including project manager, and other internal auditors and inspectors were part of the project’s stakeholders. Given the nature of the stakeholders, the stakeholder theory which sees the true ownership of a project as belonging to all people who may be directly or indirectly affected by the project applied. As part of the principles of construction and

University Gambling Essay Example for Free

University Gambling Essay The American psychiatric association considers gambling as a form of an impulse control disorder with the patient having an uncontrollable urge to bet in the hope of making additional money. Gambling is becoming a very common practice as most states rush to legalize gambling as a form of an economic venture. There are a number of benefits to be accrued through gambling but as most scholars have alluded, there are immense social and economic costs involved. The history of gambling dates back to eternity and the holy books of Christians and Jews contain evidence of gambling. Islam has come out outstandingly as one of the religion that has categorically prohibited gambling. Most of the scholarly materials present have paid attention to the effects of gambling neglecting the causes. Few however have been able to hypothesize on the causes often alluding to biological and social causes. Dopamine has been implicated as one of the possible biochemical possible for gambling. According to Rosner Hermes (109), scientists have â€Å"found that the use of some forms of dopamine causes compulsive gambling even when this compulsion did not exist prior to the use of dopamine. † Others have also pointed out that a sudden change in the way the brain functions may cause behavioral and attitude change leading to addictive habits such as gambling. Another lead cause of gambling as with other forms of addictions such as alcohol and drugs is peer influence. Friends and work colleagues may influence an individual to engage in gambling leading to the development of a compulsive urge to gamble. Where research on the causes of gambling is still ongoing to establish whether there is a genetic predisposition to the habit, immense studies on the effects exist with most research pointing to the negative side of gambling. There has been a flurry of opinions in regard it whether indeed gambling leads to economic benefits or not. There are a number of economic benefits to be realized especially in places where casinos are localized. Casinos for example offer ample employment opportunities to the community and also act as important recreation facilities. A look at Las Vegas indicates it is home to thousands of workers. Additionally, extra revenue is racked from tourism as some gambling centers are attractive sites for tourists. More income is generated from the influx of visitors who consume local products. Most analysts agree that this is the furthest that the benefits of gambling extend as the other side of the coin is laden with adverse economic effects both to the individual and to the society at large. Gambling has been identified as the lead cause of bankruptcy. The existing research on the issue indicates that â€Å"about 10% of bankruptcy fillings are linked to gambling losses. † (Webber). While a large number of people engage in gambling, a smaller portion of this that engage in problem gambling ends up in debts led by the belief that the more they spend the higher their chances of winning. It is this indebt-ness that might in the end exceed the annual income that will lead to bankruptcy. Though there is still a raging controversy on whether there is a causal link between the two, tentative conclusions have affirmed the link. The available statistics indicate that bankruptcy for example in the United States has been on the increase, what remains interesting is the fact that such bankruptcy has been on the rise in tandem with the increase in the number of state sanctioned gambling centers. Though there are no available statistics to affirm the claims, available data by most organizations has pointed to this. The lack of adequate national figures to reach the rightful conclusion has been blamed on the reluctance by the victims to reveal the cause of their bankruptcy. Compulsive gambling has been lumped together with drugs and excessive alcohol as a social evil. It is an apparent fact that individuals can be addicted to gambling at chronic levels. Just like addiction to drugs results to mental problems, excessive gambling addiction can lead to psychiatric disorders. This hence leads to additional costs to the society. The government spends a huge amount of money on rehabilitation programs for addicts and similar programs have been unrolled for compulsive gamblers. Tentative studies have also seen a causal relationship between compulsive gambling and alcohol and drug abuse. Most gamblers after reaching the desperation phase result to deceit and fraud to finance their endeavors. This may result to underperformance at work and consequently loss of jobs. This is the time they crumble into the hopeless phase and resort to drugs and alcohol as a way of escaping the reality and numb the existing pain. (Grant et al 1) Another problem that has been linked to gambling is suicide. This is an issue that has attracted studies of late. These studies have been keen to unearth the increase in the number of suicides brought forth by the increase on the number of legalized casinos. These suicides are spread between visitors and people residing in cities which are popular for gambling. One of the cities that have attracted a flurry of attention is Las Vegas which has a record of over four times compared to the cities with no gambling ventures. As has been observed before, gambling occurs in various stages and it is at the desperation phase that a compulsive gambler begins to exhibit anti social behaviors to erase the memories of the constant losses. This leads to excessive alcohol use and drug abuse. This makes the gambler more prone to suicidal behaviors. Studies on the causal relationships between gambling and suicide also found out that suicide is not only limited to the gamblers but also to â€Å"spouses of gamblers or children of gamblers who visit gaming settings in the company of a gambling relative. † (Phillips, Welty Smith) Others who might be caught in the suicidal web are relatives and residences living in gaming settings but who might be involved in gambling. With the rise in the number of legalized gambling centers, the issue of whether there is a causal relationship between crime and gambling has attracted the interest of research. Most, though tentatively, have alluded to the fact that gambling contributes significantly to the rise in crime levels. It is important to observe here that crime is caused by huge amount of factors that might be present in the gambling cities. These may range from increased population, high rates if unemployment, availability of guns and the existing gun laws. It is hence difficult to isolate these factors as having a contributive effect on the level of crime. However, the conclusion reached by most studies has indicted that gaming cities have higher incidences of crime. A look at the small population that engage in compulsive gambling indicate that most had a history of either civil or criminal offenses. Due to the indebtness that come with gambling, most are likely to be engaged in theft, fraud, and drugs using casinos as avenues of money laundering. (Grinols 1) The negative effects of gambling more often than not spills over from the gambler to those that are close to him. Spouses and children are the first to be caught in the crunch. As has been observed, gambling is likely to lead to alcoholism, crime, drug addiction and at a chronic stage, suicide. Whereas most gamblers start betting low using their salaries, savings and finally their family assets, they are in great debt and cannot afford to cater for their family obligations. They also tend to acquire a short temper and may result to violence when queried by their relatives about their gambling habits. A significant number of marriages have been brought to an end by one of the spouse being a compulsive gambler. Children hence may not thrive well in such an environment and may face financial hardships and drop out if schools. Gambling also passes off huge losses to the society due to increase in crime, increased alcohol and drugs abuse as well as the effects of broken up families. Whereas studies on the causes of gambling are still being carried out, it is apparent that there is unanimity that it results to more social and economic losses than benefits. Gambling has been found to lead to indebtness, bankruptcy and most likely to suicide. Though it has a number if economic benefits such as extra revenue and employment opportunities, the social ills associated with the practice have led to its criticism. Works Cited Stanley Rosner, Patricia Hermes. The Self-sabotage Cycle: Why We Repeat Behaviors That Create Hardships and Ruin Relationships. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006, 109 Alexander L. Edgar, Ellen L. Triebold, Gambling On Dischargeability. Retrieved on February 28, 2009 from http://www. usdoj. gov/ust/eo/public_affairs/articles/docs/gambling. htm Jon E. Grant, Matt G. Kushner. , and Suck Won Kim. Pathological Gambling and Alcohol Use Disorder, 109. Retrieved on February 28, 2009 from http://pubs. niaaa. nih. gov/publications/arh26-2/143-150. pdf. Christian Marfels. Gambling and Suicide: Evidence from the Las Vegas Market. Gaming Law Review. February 1, 2001, 5(1): 33-41. Earl L. Grinols. Casino gambling causes crime. University of Illinois. Institute of Government and Public Affairs Policy Forum. Volume 13, Number 2, 2000,1 Retrieved on February 28, 2009 from http://netnebraska.org/television/news/ne_connects/gambling/CasinosCrime. pdf. David P. Phillips, Ward Welty, Marisa Smith. Suicide Life-Threatening` Behavior. Elevated Suicide Levels Associated with Legalized Gambling. University of California at San Diego. December 15, 1997. Retrieved on February 28, 2009 from http://www. responsiblegamblingcouncil. us/articles/Elevated_suicide_levels_associated_with_legalized_gambling. pdf. David Webber. Riverboat Gambling in Missouri: A Risk that should NOT have been Taken. May 1, 2002. Retrieved on February 28, 2009 from http://web. missouri. edu/~webberd/ganbling. memo

Kinos Emotions in Steinbeck’s Novel, The Pearl Essay -- Character Anal

A small twist of fate can destroy the life of an individual. Kino, a Mexican, pearl diver, is in desperate need of help when his baby, Coyotito, is stung by a scorpion. Kino feels his only hope is to find a pearl beautiful enough to sell. His dream comes true when he discovers a magnificent pearl one morning. At first the discovery of the pearl can be looked upon as not only a miracle but also a life saver. Throughout the novel it becomes apparent the pearl is no where close to a miracle. Kino’s life becomes a struggle with many decisions that have to be made. In Steinbeck’s novel, The Pearl, the power of the pearl relates to Kino’s emotions. Kino is hopeful in the beginning of the novel, and the power of the pearl is purely good. When he finds the â€Å"Pearl of the World† he begins to think his luck has turned for the better. Coyotito appears to be healed and Kino decides he will keep the money from the pearl for his family, but when they return to the doctor he advises Kino and his wife, Juana, to have the baby treated. The baby is treated and they plan to pay the doctor t...

Child Abuse Essay

â€Å"What is child abuse? The term â€Å"child abuse† can be defined as any behavior directed toward a child by a parent, guardian, caregiver, other family member, or other adult, that endangers or impairs a child’s physical or emotional health and development† (National 1). Factors which often contribute to child abuse are alcohol and substance abuse, lack of parenting skills, economic difficulties or poverty, domestic violence and previous victimization (National 1). The consequences of abuse may be mild or severe; disappear after a short period or last a lifetime; and affect the child physically, psychologically, behaviorally, or in some combination of all three ways (Gateway 1). Though all traumatic not all child abuse is the same, there are four different categories that child abuse is classified into, neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. Though all are different they all share the dangerous possibilities of having the abused child or children become an abuser themselves in the future. Neglect is the most common form of child abuse, with 59% of the substantiated reports of maltreatment classified as neglect in 2007 (USDHHS 2009). Neglect is very common because it is the simplest form of child abuse, being defined as a pattern of failing to provide for a child’s basic needs, whether it be adequate food, clothing, hygiene, or supervision (Smith and Segal 1). There are many ways to spot neglect in a child like being poorly clothed, looking malnourished, lack of attendance in school, and having medical needs not met or up to date. With neglect being the most common form of abuse among children it is trailed fairly close with physical abuse which is also a highly common form of child abuse. Physical abuse is defined as follows: â€Å"Physical abuse involves physical harm or injury to the child. It may be the result of a deliberate attempt to hurt the child, but not always. It can also result from severe discipline, such as using a belt on a child, or physical punishment that is inappropriate to the child’s age or physical condition. Many physically abusive parents and caregivers insist that their actions are simply forms of discipline—ways to make children learn to behave. But there is a big difference between using physical punishment to discipline and physical abuse. The point of disciplining children is to teach them right from wrong, not to make them live in fear† (Smith and Segal 1). Then comes sexual abuse as yet another form of child abuse. â€Å"Every 2 minutes, someone in the U. S. is sexually assaulted† (RAINN 1). This statistic shows the prevalence in sexual abuse in the United States, though not as common in children as in adults, sexual abuse still affects 44 percent of people under the age of 18 (RAINN 1). This is still almost half of rapes accounted for by a group largely still considered children themselves. Sexual child abuse is defined as: â€Å"Incest, sexual molestation, rape, sodomy, child pornography, exhibitionism and exploitation are terms most often used when describing child sexual abuse. Sexual abuse can be physical — including genital or oral stimulation, fondling and intercourse; non-physical — including indecent exposure, obscene phone calls or â€Å"peeping toms†; and/ or violent — as in rape or other forms of sexually violent behavior† (National 1). Also another scary effect of being sexually abused is that a large percentage of those who sexually abuse children were themselves victims of sexual abuse as children (National 1). Meaning that being sexually abused as a child can possibly lead to future sexual abuse towards another child or children. The final form of child abuse is emotional abuse. This is the least common form of child abuse just because of the fact that it is so hard to prove even though it might be just as likely as the other three forms of abuse. Emotional abuse occurs when a child is verbally assaulted and the withheld of positive emotional support (National 1). Much thought has gone into the idea that â€Å"the abused become abusers† its only logical to think that abuse would be a continuing cycle. â€Å"Abusive parents often have experienced abuse during their own childhoods. It is estimated approximately one-third of abused and neglected children will eventually victimize their own children† (Gateway 1). A victim of abuse is likely to become an abuser due to biological factors, power struggles, and a need to heal. The biggest reason this takes place is because of biological means. This means that when abuse happens it changes something chemically in your body. This was shown when an experiment was done on monkeys who abuse their offspring: â€Å"In earlier research on abuse of infant monkeys, Maestripieri and his colleagues studied females that were switched at birth between abusive and non-abusive mothers. That research showed that the offspring of non-abusive mothers were likely to become abusive themselves if they were raised by abusive mothers† (Nauert 1). After this experiment was done a physical sample was taken from the monkey’s brain and the following results were yielded: â€Å"The team found that infants who became abusive as adults had about 10 to 20 percent less serotonin than did infants who did not become abusive as parents or infants who were not exposed to maternal abuse. The reduced level of serotonin remained constant into adulthood† (Nauert 1). The research also showed that abused females who became abusive mothers in adulthood had lower serotonin in their brains than abused females who did not become abusive parents (Neuert 1). With monkeys and humans having almost the exact same genetic makeup and brain structure it can be inferred that the results would be highly favorable to stay the same had the same test been done on a human being. Someone that was abused as a child might also seek power as It is a search for power and control by becoming an abuser, someone who has been abused can play the role of the more powerful person in the relationship, in an attempt to overcome the powerlessness they felt when they were being abused (Hartney 1). This power they seek gives them the false reality that once they attain it, they will compensate for the power they lost as a child when being abused. But when they find that it doesn’t fill the hole for them they will continue to be abusers themselves to try and compensate creating a never ending search for compensation thus continued abuse toward others. People who have been abused carry a lot of anger about what happened to them, and abusing others can be a way to express that anger (Hartney 1). This further shows an abused person’s need for an outlet for the anger cause by their abuse, usually ending with them continuing the cycle of abuse. It is an attempt to heal by becoming an abuser, a victim of childhood abuse can try to undo the abuse by taking the opposite, seemingly more powerful position. By engaging in a relationship with another abuser, they can try to re-live the relationship with their original abuser in the hope that they can get it right this time (Hartney 1). The abused person from the past can also take the approach of trying to relive the abuse they suffered as a child to try and heal themselves by re enacting the act possibly putting themselves in the position of control. â€Å"Immaturity, the absence of parenting preparation skills, and a lack of understanding of child development often result in the creation of unrealistic expectations for a child’s behavior. When the child fails to meet these expectations, frustration on the part of the parent may erupt in anger toward the child† (Hartney 1). hey can also try to heal themselves by seeking out abuse again because its the only way the know how to feel intimate. With the facts out there it can be reasonably assumed that it is highly likely for a previously abused person to have a high chance to become an abuser themselves, and this can be proven by biological means, taking back power, and trying to relive their abuse in an attempt to heal themselves.

Not Satisfied with School Canteen Food Essay

On the 20th March 2013, there had been an incident at Papakura High School. A school fight between two junior girls, at lunch time on the school field, me and a friend were sitting on the field at the time, we then had seen one of the girls come up on the field with a lot of people, and she had asked us if we had seen anonymous, but we told her no. Rumours had been told to these girls and this is why they had a fight. Everyone crowded around the two girls and was telling them to fight and pushing them into each other. So the girl who had walked on to the field had taken the first hit, which was a closed fist. The girls had begun to fight and punch each other; the fight had eventually stopped because a senior student had pulled the girls away from each other. The student had also got the teachers involved in this situation. After this incident the two girls had been taken to the Deputies office, to write a statement about, what caused them to fight, why they had a fight, which had started it, how can they resolve this etc. The girls had done writing there statements. Me and a friend also had to write statements because we were witnesses and had seen what happened, me and my friend were separated into two different rooms, and had to each talk to the dean about what we had seen and heard. The girls ended up talking about what happened and talked everything out, me and my friend also had to sit in the same room. When we all had a chance to talk about this incident we were all told about what would happen if this happened again, also me and a friend had got given a five dollar lunch time voucher. Then the girls had become friends and made a mends, although the girls had sorted it out they still had to pay the consequences and they both had a three day suspension. The girls had returned back to school after their suspension. My friend and I also those two girls had to have another talk to our dean. We had to talk about the incident again. He had thanked us for our time and our help with this incident. Our dean had given the two girls task to help them out throughout the year, and to keep them on track. Me and my friend were offered to help look out for these girls out of class time, to make sure they are doing the right thing, and hanging out with the right people.