Model analysis of Perfume Extract Terrier and Baby Grenouille Essay

Paragraphs Synopsis: this extract reveals both the character of Terrier and reveals his response to Grenouille as a baby. Through omniscient narration, we share his feelings and physical responses to the child in his arms. His early rapture quickly turns to revulsion and this analysis will examine the ways that Suskind constructed his characters and our response. 1. The first description of the babe, small†¦red†¦twitched sweetly Our first response to the baby is almost protective, he is described as sweet and small and we can visualize a tiny innocent baby held in the arms of a protector, a man of God, a kind man with strong values. He is â€Å"a normal citizen†¦.who had taken a †¦warm and fragrant wife† This insistence upon smell links us to our emotional response throughout the extract. The act of smelling and the use of our senses conveys his response to the baby and the romantic idyllic life he was fantasizing about. 2. Terrier indulges in a fantasy, changing his role from that of a monk to a normal man, a father and protector Terrier’s character is constructed by what he is thinking and how he responds to the baby. Through the use of third person omniscient point of view, we see his rapturous response to this lost child, this sweet babe, who is so dependent on his protection. For a moment he is swept up into a fantasy of a real life, which in turn reveals to us his inner torment, torn between a demanding God and church rules and the normality and warmth of family life â€Å"Terrier felt his heart glow with sentimental cosiness†. 3. The use of language positions us in the present, as the action takes place. Through the use of baby talk we respond to his actions † poohpoohpoohpeedooh†¦.The thought of it made him feel good.† Terrier’s clumsy yet sincere attempts to cuddle the child are revealed through language † poohpoohpoohpeedooh†¦.The thought of it made him feel good.† We feel for him and his lost chances. At the same time, this glowing description of his feelings is in stark contrast to the end of the extract. It sets us up to expect a loving, positive outcome. The shock of his final response makes us resist the appeal of the so called sweet babe at the end. 4. â€Å"Then the child awoke.† The babe is now called a child. It has lost its innocent appeal, its dependence and cuteness is replaced by a growing sense of unease. It is described in animalistic terms, â€Å"Its nose awoke first†¦It sucked air in and snorted it back out† | Our warm response to Terrier and the child changes slowly yet drastically from this point on. The babe is renamed the child and through language it is transformed into an inquisitive demanding animal like creature†Its nose awoke first†¦It sucked air in and snorted it back out†. The child is no longer a beautiful desirable babe, it is now ugly † the child’s dull eyes squinted into the void, the nose seemed to fix on a particular target,† This makes Terrier feel like he is the intended target and begins to foreshadow his growing discomfort and disillusionment. 5. The description of the child is gross: â€Å"The eyes†¦oyster grey and creamy opal white covered with a †¦.slimy film† Instead of being sweet and red the child is now described as having â€Å"The eyes†¦oyster grey and creamy opal white covered with a †¦.slimy film†. The reader is revolted by the physical description. We can perceive a picture of an ugly, blinded mole like child, who squints, sniffs and targets Terrier. The reader can share in his appalled response as the child awakens and behaves in a rodent like manner. Thereby destroying his fantasy and making his protection unnecessary and indeed threatening his spiritual and psychological well being. 6. The use of language is fairly modern yet set in an 18th C setting. Suskind uses modern expressions and language to create the character of Grenouille. An example of this is † poohpoohpoohpeedooh†, and the almost scientific description of : â€Å"The eyes†¦oyster grey and creamy opal white covered with a †¦.slimy film† which create an immediacy and a sensory perception of the child. 7. â€Å"The nose seemed to fix on a particular target†¦he himself†¦was that target.† Terrier’s growing sense of unease foreshadows his rejection of the child as he thinks, â€Å"The nose seemed to fix on a particular target†¦he himself†¦was that target.† This ominous description of Terrier’s growing panic makes us feel extremely uncomfortable. He appears to be an ignorant man, we are modern readers, yet Suskind has managed through the use of sensory images to make us feel uncomfortable and to empathise with Terrier. 8. Irony as tiny is juxtaposed with fear The description of the child’s nose, waking, seeking, targeting is both similar to the unfolding of a carnivorous flower and a predator. Ironically, the juxtaposition of the use of ‘Tiny† with fear adds to our growing sense of horror and revulsion. † Tiny wings of flesh†¦tiny holes in the child’s face†¦create an eerie suction†¦the child saw him with its nostrils† this use of description as the child wakes up, coupled with Terrier’s imaginative response positions the reader to understand his response and to share his opinion of the seemingly innocent child/monster in his arms. 9. Metaphor carnivore and death As the child’s face is compared metaphorically with a carnivorous plant similar to a Venus fly trap, we see how Suskind has objectified Grenouille. He is an it, not a person, an anonymous being, semi human, semi animal. A predator who is seeking to cling to Terrier like an incubus, to devour him. His panic stricken response is a natural response to danger. Through punctuation we can see his fear â€Å"smelling at him shamelessly, that was it!† the use of exclamation marks emphasizes his fear and anger. His changing tone foreshadows his rejection. Through the use of language Terrier creates an image of the child as the ‘Other’ an alien, threatening to his dogmatic view of normality and romance view of the role that children should play in the world. 10. metaphor death Terrier becomes convinced that the child is going to kill him, â€Å"Using its nose to devour something whole†¦It was establishing his scent!† At this stage, I felt that Terrier was exaggerating, yet the repetition of his imaginative response grew on me and I felt a sense of revulsion towards this child also. Grenouille appears to be hunting the man who out of the goodness of his heart saved him. From this moment, our response to him becomes negative, wary, revolted by his physical description regardless of the illogic of it all. 12 Like a rape Terrier’s response becomes similar to that of a rape, an intensive personal invasion which cannot be avoided, â€Å"His most tender emotions, his filthiest thoughts lay exposed†. He can no longer accept that this is an innocent child. He feels invaded, tainted by corruption and victimized, all by this child. 13. Structure Terrier no longer felt safe, ‘ Gone was the homey thought that this be his own flesh and blood†¦idyll of father and son and fragrant mother†. He regarded the babe/child/it as a creature a non human being A threat to his spiritual and physical wellbeing â€Å"A strange, cold creature lay there on his knees, a hostile animal†¦ he would have hurled it like a spider from him.† Terriers final rejection of Grenouille was significant on many levels. This may have been the only chance of a normal upbringing or real affection lost. It creates a Gothic like fear of the unknown, the rejection of people who do not fit in or conform. There is a gap between the values of the church dogma and the rights of the individual as this child is not a person, it becomes a monster in the eyes of the monk. The reader is encouraged to support Terrier’s decision to reject the child, yet with the advantage of a modern upbringing, it seems inhuman to totally abandon an innocent child regardless of how strange they look or behave. At this stage the beginning is juxtaposed with the ending. The idyllic father/son image is destroyed and a spider/rodent like child has emerged from the cocoon of our literary expectations. Conclusion Suskind’s text introduces both characters, themes and conflicts. We see the emergence and transformation of Grenouille’s character, like a butterfly he is transformed from a baby to a spider. Our response changes from empathy to horror. His eventual fate is set by this earlier abandonment on so many levels.

Unique Examples of National Pride

Unique Examples of National Pride : In the first story I read â€Å"Cathleen Ni Houlihan† (which was actually an amazing story! ) I felt that before the OLD WOMAN came the family was kind of selfish and greedy (with the whole money thing) and when the OLD WOMAN came they changed and they became instantly unselfish and not greedy they wanted to help her out.And later in the story the OLD WOMAN changed everyone’s prospective at life including Michael who is getting married to Delia and then he totally forgot that he was getting married to her just because the OLD WOMAN changed his way of looking at things including his marriage. And the OLD WOMAN told them how many people died just for her and to get her lands back(Irish). And she had much Pride into getting her lands back and fighting the Irish for taking it. The second story I read is â€Å"Address to General William Henry Harrison† The main guy in the story, Shawnee had very much respect for his country.He said he would do anything for his country ! And he argued with his brother about being better then what he was acting selling the country and then Shawnee said â€Å"Why not sell the air, the great sea, as well as the earth? Did not the Great Spirit make them all for the use of his children? † The Red People wanted to take over they’re country and Shawnee’s brother seemed like he wanted to sell the country because he didn’t want to fight for his country. Then Shawnee brought up Jesus dying on The Cross for us.Then he told his brother â€Å"Everything I have told you is the truth. The Great Spirit has inspired me. † How the two are the same or compared†¦ They both had pride and sacrifice for the things they stood up for. They loved there country so much they would die for it. And in the two stories I found that they are very much alike because the. OLD WOMAN and Shawnee are a like they both fought for what the believed in and for there country. They both wanted freedom and they both inspired another person to fight in the war beside them.

Assessment Task-Cypop 14

Assessment task-CYPOP 14 Support children and young people to have possitive relationships. Part 1- The importance of positive relationships. Part2- How to support children and young people when they are in relationship difficulties. 1. identify the different relationships children and young people may have ? Parents, siblings and extended family ? Friends, enemies ? Doctors, dentist ? Social workers ? Teachers/tutors ? Carer’s Explain the importance of positive relationships for development and well-being (Learning outcome 1. 2) ? Children’s welfare can be properly monitored. Children are given consistent care. ? Children’s needs and interests are identified. ? Skills and ideas can be shared. ? Plans for children’s care and education are more effective |A sense of connection and belonging. Good relationships are really important for our wellbeing. Humans have evolved as social animals, so ability to develop good relationships is an extremely important ste p on the path to getting the best out of his or her life. we have a deep, natural need to connect with other people and to belong to a social group.This sense of connection and belonging comes from good relationships with the people around us – in our families, at work or school and with our friends. There is strong evidence that when we feel we belong, we will flourish. This section explains what makes a good relationship. It gives information on how you can build better relationships with children and how you can help children form good relationships with others. A child’s ability to develop good relationships is an extremely important step on the path to getting the best out of his or her life

Leisure and Pleasure Source Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leisure and Pleasure Source Analysis - Essay Example The main difference may be in the level of advancement of the medium; newspaper. In this discourse, an analysis of a sample newspaper excerpt published in 1971 is performed to illustrate some of the differences and similarities. Newspaper adverts in London in 1741 must have been a very important medium for channelling particularly commercial information to the customers. There was a strict control that the authorities in London used to prevent spread of dangerous information. One of the control measures, as seen on the left top corner, is the demand that legal endorsement of a circulating newspaper in form of an official stamp must have authenticated its publication and circulation (Hundt 2000, p332). According to the author, illegal newspapers production had to cleverly look for alternative distribution channels. A major way that assisted their penetration of the market was through backstreet sales through the help of hawkers. One characteristic of these illegal newspapers was an attractive and catchy design and presentation that included graphics and illustrations. Advancements to these market penetration wars attracted use of more catchy images and pictures on advertisements in order to keep in touch wit h the competition. It follows that there was an important group of people whose leisure activities must have been met thereby opening an opportunity for newspaper publishing to thrive. The first advert on Hay Market is particularly short and to the point, which illustrates the observation of strict regulation. In the advert, the title and emphasis words are on different font that creates the stress impact which catches the eye of the reader. The second advert on Drury-lane and Le Genereux Corsaire likewise avoid the use of bulk wording but captures the intended emphasis through case variation on various words. Short forms such as call’d, arriv’d, ‘tis and bop’d are applied in the adverts to

Prospectus Regulation is it a Misleading Tool for Investors Essay

Prospectus Regulation is it a Misleading Tool for Investors - Essay Example H) RECOMMENDATION BY ESME REPORT 2. I) FUTURE CHANGES 4. CONCLUSION 5. REFERENCES 1) INTRODUCTION 1) A. PROSPECTUS REGULATION -2005 Prospectus regulation1 came into effect from 1st July 2005 based on Section 2(2) of European Communities Act 1972 in relation to issuing of prospectus offering transferable securities to public through listing of securities / shares in the respective stock exchanges of the home country (Legislative.gov.uk, 2005). Only an approved prospectus can be offered to the public. The Prospectus Directive (PD) is required to be reviewed every 5 years by the European Commission (Lannoo, 2007). On 25th January 2011, the PD was reviewed and amendments were submitted which was approved. This is the first review that has taken place since the Prospectus Regulation came into effect since 2011. 1) B. EXEMPTIONS AND CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL Securities are exempted from offer to public if – The offer is made to Qualified Investors only The offer is made to less than 100 investors other that the qualified investors Minimum consideration per investor should be at least 50,000 Euros. The transferable securities are denominated in amounts of 50,000 Euros The total consideration should not exceed 100,000 Euros. The prospectus shall be approved only if the following criteria is strictly met by the companies which includes- UK will be the home state where the transferable securities are to be listed The prospectus contains all information related to assets and liabilities, financial statements, the rights of transferable securities. The prospectus needs to be submitted in comprehensible format, non-technical language and also includes a summary, and risk factors. 1) C. SUPPLEMENTORY PROSPECTUS Supplementary prospectus is one which includes significant new factors, corrections due to material mistakes or omissions relating to information included in the prospectus approved by the authority. 1) D. PASSPORTING A prospectus which is approved by another state outside UK where the company is going for issue of transferable securities after getting necessary approval from competent authority. Here the competent authority has to provide with the following documents for approval – certificate of approval, copy of prospectus and translation of summary of specified prospectus. 1. A prospectus can be published only with some types of securities that are either offered to the public or are requested for admission on a regulated market (Legislative.gov.uk, 2005) 1) E. SUSPENSION OF TRADING AND OFFER TO PUBLIC If the competent authority feels that a particular provision has been infringed then it has the power to suspend issue of securities / advertisement of offer for a period not exceeding 10 working days. The aforesaid authority also has the power to require the offeror to with draw the offer of issue to public in case of breach of regulations. Similarly, after listing of shares on respective bourses, if the competent authority finds in fringement of provision, then it can inform the market operator to suspend trading in the stock for 10 working days or even in that matter prohibit public from trading in the securities till further notice. 1) F. INVESTOR RIGHTS An investor who has agreed to subscribe for shares in circumstances where the final offer price is not mentioned in the prospectus, then the investor can withdraw his acceptance before the withdrawal period which begins at investors acceptance and ends the second day after the competent aut

Professional Music Reviews Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Professional Music Reviews - Essay Example Music is categorized on the basis of its musical compositions which tell the audience if it is a country music or pop, jazz or rock, classic or reggae. The second common element between all the music reviews is the â€Å"basic introduction† of the music album that is under review. Basic introduction gives the audiences an idea about the singer or the band, their popularity ratio and the number of hit tracks produced by them. Music reviews as published in Kansas City and Metacritic discuss the music albums track by track and according to the musical composition. Every single track in the album is reviewed by the critics in depth. From lyrics to musical composition of all the songs are discussed step by step. Comparison of under reviewed music with other contemporary singers or bands is another essential element of these music reviews. Strong content, information on music and poetic terms play an important role in writing a professional music review. It is important to understand the value of a professional music review which not only gives the audiences complete information on a specific piece of music but, also creates interest in their minds. Thriller is a masterpiece album composed and launched by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Thriller is another pop album produced by the King of Pop which will always be remembered for years. Michael Jackson proved his excellent command over pop music and beautiful compositions that helped him turned into a music legend. In short we can say that, Thriller is one of the best albums which gave a sudden boost to MJ’s musical career. As soon as Thriller was released, this magnificent album broke all the records of popularity and stayed on musical charts for about 80 weeks (Erlewine). Thriller has proved itself as one of the â€Å"most in-demand musical album† all round the world. Thriller holds different

The International Marketing Mix Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 4

The International Marketing Mix - Case Study Example In terms of product, PepsiCo utilizes a wide variety of different positioning strategies for each product brand. However, as each food and beverage product is being distributed to different multinational consumers and a high volume of competition exists in this market, PepsiCo must use its marketing focus to create a connection with consumers through various branding activities. For example, if the typical Aquafina (bottled water) drinker is the athletic and motivated consumer fitting the psychographic profile of social and recreational enthusiast, PepsiCo must position Aquafina as a brand which befits lifestyle and utilizes various marketing communications (as an integrated bundle of marketing messages) to appeal to this demographic. In some developing countries, Aquafina might be more of a staple drink in an environment where clean, city water systems are not common in foreign neighborhoods. This would provide PepsiCo with the opportunity to position Aquafina as a reliant brand suc h as emphasizing its quality or mineral content. For instance, PepsiCo, in an attempt to appeal to the international consumer with a dedication for environmental advocacy, created a partnered marketing strategy with Sam’s Club (a Wal-Mart company) entitled Return the Warmth to promote recycling and other environmental initiatives (Annual Report, 2007). This indicates how the company utilizes various social trends and a desire to make brands appeal to different demographic segments as a means to give PepsiCo brands competitive advantage and boost international profitability. Â   Â   Â   Â  The company also utilizes creative marketing practices, such as new logo design and product packaging visuals, to appeal to the diverse multinational consumer. With the recent decline in global demand for PepsiCo products, the company is attempting to reinvigorate the Pepsi brand by changing cans. In an attempt to appeal to the foreign, contemporary U.S. consumer, the Pepsi brand designed the cans to reflect various emotions which are used in countries where text messaging is popular (Birchall, 2008).

Business - Organizational Structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business - Organizational Structure - Essay Example 2). Based on their theory, there are factors that affect performance and how change occurs. There are two kinds of changes: transformational and transactional. Transformational change occurs by responding to the external environment. This affects mission and strategy, leadership, and culture in an organization. These factors affect transactional change, particularly organizational structure, systems, management practices, and climate. Together, transformational and transactional factors affect motivation, that which affects performance. (Burke, W.W., Litwin 1992, p. 1). These variables can be demonstrated in NutriSystem. NutriSystem’s mission is â€Å"to provide a weight loss program based on quality foods and a nutritionally balanced meal plan; individualized counseling is the core of our commitment that customers always have the privacy, support and knowledge needed to reach their goal weight† (Nutrisystem.com, 2011). ... The organization must excel in order to meet strategic goals. (Kates 2007, p. 3). There is a relationship between strategy and structure in an organizational design. As defined by Alfred Chandler (1962), strategy influences structure. Thus, structure follows strategy (Venohr 2007, p. 4). Otherwise, it will result in inefficiency. NutriSystem uses a marketing strategy that provides a balanced nutrition that is also low glycemic index (GI). (nutrisystemblog.com) GI is important to NutriSystem because meal plans with low GI improve hunger management, it produces better weight loss outcomes, and that it helps those who have diabetes. There are approximately 79 million adults in U.S. who are pre-diabetic and 24 million suffering from diabetes (nutrisystemblog.com). This is a good strategy for NutriSystem because millions of people are likely to respond to their diabetes control diet program. As a result of management decisions, Nutrisystem and the American Diabetes Association formed a st rategic alliance to promote the importance of weight loss for people with type 2 diabetes (Medicalnewstoday.com, 2009). Organizational Culture and Climate Culture is a fundamental part of organization although management cannot â€Å"directly† design culture. According to Kates (2007), it consists of values, mindsets, and norms of behavior that have emerged over time that most employees share. It is rather the outcome of the cumulative design decisions that have been made in the past and of the leadership and management behaviors that result from those decisions (p. 3). Thus, it can be inferred that management practices influence or shapes organizational culture. NutriSystem is devoted to educating

Can be on anything to do with microbiology (you can choose the topic) Article

Can be on anything to do with microbiology (you can choose the topic) - Article Example Basically, 3 are 3 laboratory tests useful for the diagnosis of dengue infection and they are viral isolation in culture, detection of viral RNA, and specific IgM/IgG antibodies in paired sera. The gold standard for diagnosis is a combination of these 3 tests. However, it is not practice to do all the 3 tests in a patient at a particular setting. Viral isolation is expensive, needs technology and results are obtained after 6 - 10 days, which ia very late for initiation of management and hence this test cannot be used regularly. PCR technique results are ofcourse fast, but are expensive and not available in all clinical settings. Immunochromatographic and ELISA tests for the detection of IgM/IgG antibodies which give results within minutes or few hours, but these antibodies can be detected only after 4-5 days of onset of the disease. Also, paired sera samples showing seroconversion or a fourfold titer increase are essential to confirm diagnosis.

Value of a university degree Essay Example for Free

Value of a university degree Essay ?Even after many years of deep recession, an economy is still recovering and job market is still narrow. Because of this, job seekers mainly teenagers and school leavers, are realizing the value and importance of a university degree. In addition, with large pool of job seekers, having the university degree plays an important role in job application since this is the first attribute that an employer looks for when shortlisting. Therefore, obtaining the university degree is vitally important and has several benefits. This essay will discuss some of these benefits including better employment opportunities, self-confidence and university experience. Employment opportunities are far better for students with university degree because it makes them marketable and give them access to greater social benefits. Firstly, majority of employers when hiring are looking for students with the university degree because this assures the employers that students are capable of learning new things required for job. Secondly, it is widely believed that people with university degree tend to obtain a high salary jobs which empowers them to manage their finances efficiently. In addition, people tend to have better future savings with high salary and therefore, they can sustain hard times whenever there will be a downturn in the economy. Finally, they can also have right to use better health and retirement benefits, for example, health insurance and superannuation respectively. Students are likely to gain self-confidence by involving themselves in various university activities. When studying at university, students learn with constant exposure to a wide range of different activities such as lectures, group discussion, research, presentation and other university activities. In addition, students increase their ability to analyse and solve problems, plan and complete academic projects. These activities encourage students to build their interest and explore new ideas, which also develop their interpersonal skills. Nevertheless, students have the opportunity to work together with different cultures and groups and improve their communication skills, for example, students travel and explore different countries in exchange programs which open their doors to wider community, language and culture and help them to appreciate their society. All these factors help students to develop their self-confidence and make them stronger when stepping into a job market, which also give students an advantage over those without university degree. University experience is  another essential benefit of university degree because with university lifestyle students gain exposure to multi-culture and social milieu. Further, students make new friends and personal connections by interacting with friends, class fellows and people from different countries. Students also become open-minded when spend time with people from different ethos and backgrounds, which help students to accept people for what they are and see the world in a realistic way. Moreover, students acquire guidance and mentoring from their lecturers which help them to make wise future decisions and choose right career path. Another advantage for students is to become independent. Most students need to manage their expenses while studying at university, for this they have to work part time to cover their university education and at the same time preparing for exams too. Therefore, university lifestyle helps students to learn how to balance their lives and become organised. These university experiences convert students from teenagers to grown-ups, help them to think liberally and prepare them to compete in the real world. To conclude, obtaining the university degree opens the door to wide range of opportunities for students and makes them marketable. With university degree students are most likely to have high earning and they are able to achieve their personal and professional goals. The university degree makes students stronger to compete with others in a job market and help them to make informed future decisions. Moreover, for most students it gives grounding in social life and making contacts. Since, the university degree is an essential aspect of education, there should be free seminars that provide information about importance of education and how it will help them in long run. Word count: 654.

Path Planning Strategy For Line Follower Computer Science Essay

Path Planning Strategy For Line Follower Computer Science Essay This paper presents the development of a line follower wheeled mobile robot. In this project, ARM cortex-3 based microcontroller is chosen as the main controller to react towards the data received from infrared line sensors to give fast, smooth, accurate and safe movement in partially structured environment. A dynamic PID control algorithm has been proposed to improve the navigation reliability of the wheeled mobile robot which uses differential drive locomotion system. The experimental results show that the dynamic PID algorithm can be performed under the system real-time requirements. Keywords embedded system, wheeled mobile robot, PID control algorithm. Introduction Embedded system includes many areas of knowledge, microcontroller hardware and software, interfacing technologies, automatic control theory, and sensor technologies etc. To speed up the learning process and motivate students to learn actively, the project-based learning approach may be applied in the embedded system design laboratory [1-4]. The low-cost wheeled mobile robot building, which is proposed in this paper, serves as a good example on which students can learn embedded system design skills. It covers not only common embedded system peripherals, but also energy control and real-time control firmware implementation. The process of the construction of wheeled mobile robot can give students the idea that hardware circuits and software algorithms are both mandatory for a successful embedded system design. The competition between student groups in the racing contest can also encourage them to explore in depth the skills acquired in this laboratory as well as give them lots of fun [ 5-7]. The remainder of this paper is organized as follows: The line follower robot structure and architecture issues and challenges along with their technical issues and problems are discussed in section 2. Programming details will be explained in section 3. Section 4 describes the integration of the complete system. LÄ ±ne follower wheeled MobÄ ±le Robot structure Generally, the line follower robot is one of the self-acting wheeled mobile mechanisms that follow a line drawn on the floor. The route can be a visible black line on a white surface or vice versa. The simple operations of the wheeled mobile line follower robot are shown below. Taking the line position data with optical sensors attached at the front end of the mobile robot. Most are using more than a few numbers of IR photo-reflectors. Therefore, the line sensing procedure needs high resolution and high robustness. Steering the wheeled mobile robot to track the line with any direction-finding mechanism. This is just a servo maneuver; actually, any phase recompense will be required to become stable following motion by applying digital PID filter or any similar servo algorithm. Monitoring the speed according to the path complaint. The speed is restricted during passing a turn due to the friction of the tire with the floor. From actually building the robot platform, to setting up, programming, and hardware or software fine tuning, everything needs to be taken into account when building a differential wheeled mobile robot. A mobile robot can be considered fundamentally as a combination of five main portions and subsystems. Chassis and body. Sensors and signal processing circuits. Microcontroller and interface circuits. Motor drivers Actuators (Motors and wheels) The Chassis and Body The Chassis would be the first part of a robots body. It is designed to handle all of the other components, transmission mechanisms, electronics and battery. It needs to be sufficiently large and provide adequate fixtures to furnish all necessary parts, as well as sturdy enough to cope with the weight of the parts along with additional loads which can appear in dynamic conditions such as vibrations, shocks or chassis torsion and actuators torque. There are some good materials for designing robots such as plastic, aluminum and carbon-composites. We must pay attention to the resistance, weight and mechanical ability for choosing one of them. In the designed robot, printed circuit board (PCB) has been used for chassis because of its lightweight and being strong enough for robot project. All components can be installed on the PCB to minimize the weight. It is noted that the performance is much more valuable than other issues. Sensors and Signal Processing Circuit Line follower robot uses Infrared Ray (IR) sensors to find the path and direction. IR sensors include an infrared transmitter and infrared receiver pair. IR sensors are often used to identify white and black surfaces. White surfaces effectively reflect well, but black surfaces reflect poorly. Hence, the distance between sensors and ground surface is important, and it is more valuable that how we put sensors near to each other. The distance between sensors and ground surface must be 2 to 10 mm, and the distance between each sensor is dependent on the line width. In the designed robot, we have used eight sensors, and they have a suitable distance between each other. If the line width is narrow, the distance between sensors must be reduced; otherwise, while curving the line, the robot will not be turned on time. Generally, the received signals from the sensors are analog and must be converted to the digital form. Therefore, the designed signal processing circuit can send the sensors signals to the microcontroller directly. Microcontroller We have used the TI Stellaris microcontroller LM3S811 in robot project. The LM3S811 microcontroller has a Reduced Instruction Set Coding (RISC) core. Internal oscillators, timers, UART, USB, SPI, pull-up resistors, pulse width modulation, ADC, analog comparator and watch-dog timers are some of the features [8]. With on-chip in-system programmable Flash and SRAM, the LM3S811 is a perfect choice in order to optimize cost. Motor Drivers A well-known and suitable motor driver is IC L298 which can be used to control two motors. It is a high voltage, high-current dual full-bridge driver designed to accept standard TTL logic levels and drive inductive loads such as DC and stepping motors [9]. Two enable inputs are provided to enable or disable the device independently of the input signals. L298 has 2 amperes per channel current capacity and it can support up to 45 volts for outputting. Moreover, L298 works well up to 16 volts without any heat sink. The Actuators (Motors and Wheels) There are many kinds of motors and wheels. Our choice depends on the robot function, power, speed, and precision. Actually, it is better to use gearbox motors instead of common DC motors because it has gears and an axle and its speed does not change towards the top of a hill or downhill. Motors are rated to operate at 1700 rpm at 7 volt nominal voltage. It is better to use wheels for line follower robots, instead of a tank system. We can use three wheels. Two of them are joined to the motors and installed at the rear of the robot and the other wheel is free and installed in front of the robot as a passive caster. To get better maneuver, robot uses two motors and two wheels on the rear and a free wheel on the front. The power supply is 7.6 V with a regulator. The designed robot has eight infrared sensors on the front bottom for detecting the line. Arm based microcontroller Stellaris and driver L298 were used to control direction and speed of motors. General view of the line follower robot that we built is shown in Fig. 1. The robot is controlled by the microcontroller. It performs the change in the motor direction by sending an appropriate signal to the driver IC according to the received signals from the sensors. Real Time Task Scheduling We built a light-weighted and high-speed robot because points are awarded based upon the distance covered and the speed of the overall robot. Therefore, we used two high speed motors and a highly sensitive signal conditioning circuit. The body weight and wheels radius have effects on the speed, too. The weight of the designed robot is around 300 gr. and it could be lighter. The photograph of the top and bottom views of the designed robot is shown in Fig. 1. The microcontroller sends instructions to the driver after processing the data received from sensors. The driver powers the motors according to the inputs. Actually the driver supplies positive voltage to one of the motor pins and negative voltage to the other. There are five states of movement: To move forward; both of the motors are turned on and rotate forward simultaneously. To move left; the right motor is turned on and the left motor is turned off. To move right; the left motor is turned on and the right motor is turned off. To move left fast; the right motor rotates forward and the left motor rotates backward. To move right fast; the left motor rotates forward and the right motor rotates backward. Most embedded system applications need to react to the inputs or environment changes in real time, which means that the accuracy of computations is as important as their timelines. Furthermore, digital control algorithms need a fixed sampling time interval for measuring inputs and delivering output commands. Therefore, the idea of applying interrupts for task scheduling is introduced in this work. IMAG0388 (a) IMAG0392 (b) Figure 1 Images show (a) top, (b) bottom views of the built line follower robot. The Quadratic Line-Detection Algorithm A better way of detecting the line position, compared to the other simple line-following robots, by using a quadratic interpolation technique is introduced. Eight reflective optical sensors were used, and the coordinate of the leftmost sensor was 0. To find out the correct position of the black line, we had to locate three consecutive sensors with higher output readings than the other five sensors as shown in Fig. 2. Assume that the coordinates of these 3 sensors are x1, x1+1, and x1+2, and the true shape of the sensor output values are in the range of [x1, x1+2] which can be approximated by a quadratic curve. One can then find the following relationships between the coordinates of the sensors and the output values: (1) (2) (3) The coordinate value, at which the output value of the quadratic curve is the maximum, is considered as the true position of the line. By using the basic calculus, one would know that the coordinate value is: (4) (5) (6) It is assumed that the coordinate for the center position of the line-following robot is 0. Therefore, the error e between the line position and the center position of the robot is e â‚ ¬Ã‚ ½Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  0â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  x â‚ ¬Ã‚ ½Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­x (7) Figure 2 The line detection algorithm via quadratic interpolation. PID Tracking Control Algorithm The popular proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller was introduced in this project to make the robot follow the racing track. The error between the center of the sensors and the track to be followed was then processed by the PID controller to generate velocity commands for the right and left wheels. First, the controller calculates the current position and then calculates the error established on the current situation. It will then send commands the motors to give a rigid turn, if the error is extraordinary or a minor turn, if the error is small. Basically, the amount of the turn given will be proportional to the error. Of course this is a consequence of the proportional control. Even after this, if the error does not decline approximately to zero, the controller will then growth the degree of the turn further and further over time till the robot centers over the line. This is the result of the integral control. In the process of centering over the line, the robot may overshoot the target position and move to the other side of the line where the above process is followed again. Thus, the robot may keep oscillating about the line in order to center over the line. To reduce the oscillating effect over time, the derivative control is used. The proportional term is only a gain ampli fier, and the derivative term is applied in order to improve the response to disturbance, and also to compensate for phase lag at the controlled object. Pseudo Code for the PID Controller; Kp = 10 Ki = 1 Kd = 100 offset = 45 ! Initialize the variables Tp = 50 integral = 0 ! the place where integral value will be stored lastError = 0 ! place where last error value will be stored derivative = 0 ! place where derivative value will be stored Loop forever LightValue = read sensors ! read sensors. error = -x ! calculate the error using equation (7). integral = integral + error ! calculate the integral derivative = error lastError ! calculate the derivative Turn = Kp*error + Ki*integral + Kd*derivative powerA = Tp + Turn ! power level for motor A powerB = Tp Turn ! power level for motor B MOTOR A direction=forward power=PowerA MOTOR B direction=forward power=PowerB lastError = error ! save the current error end loop forever ! do it again. PID controller requires the Kp, Ki and Kd factors to be set to match wheeled line follower robots characteristics and these values depends on robot structures, actuators, sensors and other electronic components characteristics. There is no equation given in the literature to calculate Kp, Ki and Kd factors. It requires experimental trial and error technique until you get the favorite behavior. We defined these factors according to following guidelines; Start with low speed and setting values of Kp, Ki and Kd to 0. Then, try setting Kp to a value of 1 and observe the robot. The goal is to get the robot to follow the line even if it is extremely wobbly. If the robot overshoots and misses the line, decrease the value of Kp. If the robot cannot navigate a turn or seems listless, increment the Kp value with small steps. Once the mobile robot is able to follow the path, set Kd value to 1 and then try growing this value until you see less shake. Once the robot is fairly stable at following the line, assign a value of .5 to 1.0 to Ki. If the Ki value is extraordinary, the robot will shake left and right rapidly. If it is too low, you wont see any perceivable alteration. Since integral is increasing, the Ki value has a substantial impact. You may continue to retuning process with adjusting Ki by .01 increments. Once the mobile robot is tracking the line with reasonable accuracy, you can increase the speed and see if it is still able to track the line. Speed disturbs the PID controller and will require rearranging as the speed fluctuations. Results And Discusion A line following robot is programed with simple (on/off) control as a comparison purpose in evaluating the performance of the dynamic algorithm controlled robot. The results of the experiment are summarized in Table-1. From the data in the table, it can be observed that dynamic PID algorithm controlled robot has better performance in every criteria listed in the table compared to simple (on/off) control robot. The dynamic algorithm controlled robot has higher velocity, consumes less time to complete one whole circuit, tracks the line smoother and has lower tendency to astray from line compared to uncontrolled robot. Therefore this system can be used in training undergraduate students on dynamic PID algorithm control system, its application and implementation in the real world and the advantages that it offers. Fig. 3 shows the designed robot during race pits test. Figure 3 The designed robot on the race pits. Table 1- Experimental result for Line Following Robot. Criteria Dynamic PID algorithm Simple (on/off) Time to complete one whole circuit 47.6s 71.4s Line tracking Smooth Not so smooth Velocity 0.2m/s 0.14m/s Tendency to astray from line Low High Conclusion The designed wheeled line follower mobile robot has eight infrared sensors on the bottom for detecting the line. The controller board includes Stellaris LM3S811 micro-controller and the motor driver L298 which were used to control the direction and the speed of motors. The proposed dynamic PID algorithm derives the line follower locomotion by adequately combining the information from sensor module. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can successfully achieve target following in various scenarios, including straight line and circular motion, sharp-turn motion and S-shape line tracking. We are working currently to develop a more sophisticated algorithm which can perform faster line tracking with less energy consumption.

Casey at the Bat in depth :: essays research papers

Strike Three   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America, and the world love sport; there are hundreds of types, but the one thing that links them all together is the emotion. For players and fans alike, the emotional involvement with the game is what draws them to it; and for Americans, there is one sport in particular that ignites their passion – baseball. Baseball has been called â€Å"America’s pastime† for a reason; the suspense, drama, and pride wrapped up in this game have captivated generations. The poem, â€Å"Casey at the Bat† effectively captures the emotion tied into the sport of baseball. â€Å"Casey at the Bat† is a poem about the last inning of a Mudville baseball game. The team is down two points, and the first two of their batters had already been sent back to the dugout. However, luck seemed to be on their side, the next two batters reached base, and the best hitter on the team was up to bat; Casey. The confident-cocky Casey let the first two balls go by; both were strikes. Then the last pitch came, the crowed held their breath as Casey took a swing; and to quote the poem, â€Å"but there is no joy in Mudville -- mighty Casey has struck out.† There are two distinct psychological personalities present in this poem; these emotional beings are the audience and Casey. The actions and words of both shed light on each others personality and mental state during that final, historical inning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First and foremost, nowadays attendance rates amongst professional baseball games can be in the thousands. When that many people are grouped together, the Murakami 2 emotion of the game can have an effect on the group’s mentality. The audience in â€Å"Casey at the Bat† is no different. When people are in large groups, they begin to think and act as the same as the people around them. When more and more people begin to conform, the group itself actually becomes a separate entity; an entity with its own opinions and emotions that can act as a separate character in itself. The audience in the poem begins the inning with a sense of optimism. As with any new inning, the crowd will always be hopeful; this can be inferred within the first and second stanzas. In the second stanza, it states that, â€Å"A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game;† now in order for a let-down to occur, there must be some prior excitement, hence the optimism in the beginning of the inning.

Political And Economic Changes In Bulgaria :: essays research papers

Political and Economic Changes In Bulgaria Over the course of the past two months, January and February 1997, Bulgaria has undergone some sweeping political changes and its economy has deteriorated into further collapse. The following is an attempt to describe the events which took place in Bulgaria in January and February of 1997. This is somewhat of a difficult task given the current rate of political, economical and social changes which are occurring in Bulgaria. What follows is an account of the events which have taken place in Bulgaria over the last two months i.e. January and February of 1997, subject to the news material which was available to me and to the time constraints of this project. Bulgaria's economic crisis exploded into popular outrage at the beginning of January 1997, when previously quiescent Bulgarians poured into the streets to demand that the governing BSP, leave power now rather than when their four-year term expires at the end of 1998. After a month of mostly peaceful daily protests that paralysed Sofia and brought much of the country's business to a halt, the Socialists, who lack the kind of fiercely loyal police and media that have sustained President Slobodan Milosevic in neighbouring Serbia, submitted to the protesters demands on Wednesday, February 5th 1997. They agreed to hand over power to a caretaker government until new elections in mid-April, which they are unlikely to win, when recent polls conclude that only 10% of the population currently support the BSP. "We'd better celebrate now, because we have very hard days ahead," said Ivan Kostov, leader of the opposition United Democratic Forces. ( Source : OMRI Daily Digest, 18th February 1997. ). The newly elected Bulgarian President Petar Stoyanov named an interim cabinet headed by Sofia Mayor Stefan Sofianski to oversee the country and its collapsing economy until a new parliament is chosen in general elections scheduled for April 19. The appointment means that the mass protests forced the leaders of the Socialist majority in parliament to agree to a new ballot 20 months before the end of their elective term. Sofianski's caretaker cabinet includes strong critics of the BSP and has announced it will abolish the economic development portfolio created by them. This new caretaker government has already begun to dismantle the large number of government Ministries which were set up by the former Communists, the BSP. Literally thousands of Civil Servants are being made redundant, as the caretaker government attempts to pave the way for Administrative Reform in both the Central and Local Governments of Bulgaria. Just before this project went to press, on Thursday, the 27th of

The Forests Symbolisim in The Scarlet Letter Essay -- essays research

A Refuge from Prosecution: The Forest in The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter is a tale of constant trial and punishment. For Hester Prynne, there is no escape from the shame and belittlement she has been forced to endure within puritan society. However, like the puritans who had escaped prosecution by migrating from England to the New World, characters in The Scarlet Letter can escape the prosecution of puritan society by visiting the forest. It is a symbolic realm that embodies freedom and privacy, and the only sanctuary for those who seek liberty to express their true nature, whether it be through acts of love, or heresy. The forest as a symbol of escape from puritan society is persistent throughout the novel through its use by the witches and the Black Man, Dimmesdale and Hester?s interactions there, and Pearl?s union with nature there. From its earliest significant mention in the novel, the forest is portrayed as a place of lawlessness and mystery, as demonstrated by its most frequent visitors, the witches, and the Black Man that inhabits it. Early in the book, after Hester and Pearl visit Governor Bellingham?s estate, they are accosted by Mistress Hibbins, who is referred to as a witch, and is in good company with the Black Man of the forest. Mistress Hibbins invites Hester to some sort of meeting that would take place that night in the forest, which one can only assume is of some Satanic or heretical nature. ?Wilt thou go with us tonight (120) she asks, but Hester refuses. The Black Man and his book are themselves symbols of heresy and dissent from puritan law. The Black Man never shows himself to anyone in the novel or enters the village, instead, he lurks in the forest?s cover until those who choose to deviate f... ... showing a less hostile nature. She adorns herself with flowers, and is in ?closest sympathy with the antique wood.? (214) Through this description of Pearl, the forest takes on a sympathetic nature, and is portrayed as an environment where one can find peace with one?s surroundings and be in an environment where they feel amicability instead of antagonism. Of all the symbols in The Scarlet Letter, the forest is one of the most important. By providing an escape from the overbearing nature of puritan life, the forest allows characters to be presented in a different backdrop, it can serve as a place of both light and darkness, but above all, liberty. For every character that visits it, the forest is freedom, protection, and peace. Without it, there would be no contrast with the village as well as puritan society, and Hawthorne?s message would not be as convincing.

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Five

The sun was way too bright. Bonnie shielded her eyes with one hand and glanced anxiously around as she walked across the quad toward the bookstore. It had taken her a long time to fal asleep after getting back to their room the night before. What if some crazy person was stalking the campus? It's broad daylight, she told herself. There are people everywhere. I have nothing to be afraid of. But bad things could happen during the day, too. Girls got lured into cars by horrible men, or hit over the head and taken to dark places. Monsters didn't just lurk in the night. After al , she knew several vampires who strol ed around during the day al the time. Damon and Stefan didn't scare her, not anymore, but there were other daytime monsters. I just want to feel safe for once, she thought wistful y. She was coming up on the area the police had been searching the night before, stil blocked off with yel ow tape. Students were standing nearby in groups of two or three, talking in low voices. Bonnie spied a reddish-brown stain across the path that she thought might be blood, and she walked faster as she passed it. There was a rustling in the bushes. Bonnie sped up even more, picturing a wild-eyed attacker hiding in the undergrowth, and glanced around nervously. No one was looking in her direction. Would they help her if she screamed? She risked another look back at the bush – should she just take off running? – and stopped, embarrassed by the furious thumping of her heart. A cute little squirrel hopped hesitantly from under the branches. It sniffed the air, then dashed across the path and up a tree behind the police tape. â€Å"Honestly, Bonnie McCul ough, you're a moron,† Bonnie muttered to herself. A guy passing her in the other direction overheard her and snickered, making Bonnie blush furiously. By the time she got to the bookstore, she'd gotten her blushing under control. Having the typical redhead's complexion was a pain – everything she felt was broadcast by the flush or paleness of her skin. With any luck, though, she'd be able to handle a simple trip to buy books without humiliating herself. Bonnie had started getting acquainted with the bookstore when she'd had her shopping spree yesterday, but she hadn't real y investigated the book side of the store. Today, though, she had the book list for the classes she'd registered for, and she needed to stock up for some serious studying. She'd never been a huge fan of school, but maybe col ege would be different. With a resolute squaring of her shoulders, she turned determinedly away from the shiny stuff and toward the textbooks. The book lists were awful y long, though. She found the fat Intro to Psychology textbook with a sense of satisfaction: this would definitely give her the terminology to diagnose her friends. The freshman English seminar she was assigned to covered a slew of novels, so she wandered through the fiction section, pul ing The Red and the Black, Oliver Twist, and The Age of Innocence off the shelves as she passed. She rounded a corner in search of the rest of the Ws, intent on adding To the Lighthouse to her growing stack of books, and froze. Zander. Beautiful, beautiful Zander was draped graceful y next to a bookshelf, his white-blond head bent over a book. He hadn't seen her yet, so Bonnie immediately ducked back into the previous aisle. She leaned against the wal , breathing hard. She could feel her cheeks heating up again, that awful tel tale blush. Careful y, she peeked back around the corner. He hadn't noticed her; he was stil reading intently. He was wearing a gray T-shirt today, and his soft-looking hair curled a bit at the nape of his neck. His face looked sort of sad with those gorgeous blue eyes hidden beneath his long lashes and no sign of that fabulous smile. There were dark shadows under his eyes. Bonnie's first instinct was to sneak away. She could wait and find the Virginia Woolf book tomorrow; it wasn't like she was going to read it today. She real y didn't want Zander to think she was stalking him. It would be better if he saw her somewhere, when she wasn't paying attention. If he approached her, she'd know he was interested. After al , maybe he wasn't interested in Bonnie. He'd been kind of flirtatious when he'd run into her, but he'd nearly knocked her down. What if he was just being friendly? What if he didn't even remember Bonnie? Nope, better to take off this time and wait til she was better prepared. She wasn't even wearing eyeliner, for heaven's sake. Making up her mind, Bonnie turned firmly away. But, on the other hand†¦ Bonnie hesitated. There'd been a connection between them, hadn't there? She'd felt something when her eyes met his. And he'd smiled at her like he was real y seeing her, past the fluff and fluster. And what about the resolution she'd made the day before, walking to her dorm from this very same bookstore? If she was going to become a terrific, confident, stepping-out-of-the-shadows kind of person, she couldn't run away every time she saw a boy she liked. Bonnie had always admired the way that Elena managed to get what she wanted. Elena just went after it and nothing got in her way. When Stefan had first come to Fel ‘s Church, he hadn't wanted anything to do with Elena, certainly not to fal into her arms and start some kind of amazing eternal romance. But Elena hadn't cared. She was going to have Stefan, even if it kil ed her. And, Well, it had kil ed her, hadn't it? Bonnie shivered. Bonnie shook her head a little. The point was, if you wanted to find love, you couldn't be afraid of trying, could you? She stuck her chin determinedly into the air. At least she wasn't blushing anymore. Her cheeks were so cold, she was probably as white as a snowwoman, but she definitely wasn't blushing. So that was something. Before she could change her mind again, she walked quickly around the corner back into the aisle where Zander stood reading. â€Å"Hi!† she said, her voice squeaking a tiny bit. â€Å"Zander!† He looked up, and that amazing, beautiful smile spread across his face. â€Å"Bonnie!† he said enthusiastical y. â€Å"Hey, I'm real y glad to see you. I was thinking about you earlier.† â€Å"You were?† Bonnie asked, and immediately wanted to kick herself at how overly enthusiastic she sounded. â€Å"Yeah,† he said softly. â€Å"I was.† His sky-blue eyes held hers. â€Å"I was wishing I'd gotten your phone number.† â€Å"You were?† Bonnie asked again, and this time didn't even worry about how she sounded. â€Å"Sure,† he said. He scuffed his feet against the carpet, like he was a little nervous, and a warmth blossomed inside Bonnie. He was nervous talking to her! â€Å"I was thinking,† Zander went on, â€Å"maybe we could do something sometime. I mean, if you wanted to.† â€Å"Oh,† Bonnie said. â€Å"I mean, yes! I would want to. If you did.† Zander smiled again, and it was as if their little corner of the fiction section was lit up with a glowing light. Bonnie had to keep herself from staggering backward, he was so gorgeous. â€Å"How about this weekend?† Zander asked, and Bonnie, feeling suddenly as light and buoyant as though she could float up into the air, smiled back. Meredith stepped her left foot behind her and raised her right heel, moving into a back stance as she brought her hands up sharply, fists together, in a blocking move. Then she slid her foot sideways into a front stance and punched forward with the fist of her left hand. She loved running through a taekwondo form. Each movement was choreographed, and the only thing to do was to practice over and over until the whole form flowed in a model of precision, grace, and control. Taekwondo forms were perfectible, and Meredith enjoyed perfection. The most glorious thing about them was that once she knew her forms so Wellthat they were as natural as breathing, she could be ready for anything. In a fight, she would be able to sense what her opponent's next move would be and counter with a block or a kick or a punch without even thinking. She turned swiftly, blocked high with her right hand and low with her left. It was the preparation, Meredith knew. If she was so prepared that her body could sense what move she needed to make without her brain having to get involved, then she would be able to truly protect herself and everyone else around her. A few weeks ago, when she and her friends had been under attack from the phantom and she'd sprained her ankle, only Stefan had been left with Power enough to defend Fel ‘s Church. Stefan, a vampire. Meredith's lips tightened as she automatical y kicked forward with her right foot, slid into a tiger stance, and blocked with her left hand. She liked Stefan, and she trusted him, she real y did, but stil †¦ She could picture generation upon generation of Sulezes rol ing over in their graves, cursing her, if they knew that she had left herself and her friends so vulnerable, with only a vampire between themselves and danger. Vampires were the enemy. Not Stefan, of course. She knew, despite al her training, that she could put her faith in Stefan. Damon, on the other hand†¦ However useful Damon had been in a couple of battles, however reasonably pleasant and, frankly, out-of-character he had behaved for the last few weeks, Meredith couldn't bring herself to trust him. But if she trained hard, if she perfected herself as a warrior, Meredith wouldn't have to. She moved into a right front stance and, sharp and clean, punched forward with her right hand. â€Å"Nice punch,† said a voice behind her. Meredith turned to see a short-haired African American girl leaning against the door of the practice room, watching her. â€Å"Thanks,† said Meredith, surprised. The girl strol ed into the room. â€Å"What are you,† she asked, â€Å"a black belt?† â€Å"Yes,† Meredith said, and couldn't help adding proudly, â€Å"in taekwondo and karate.† â€Å"Hmm,† the girl said, her eyes sparkling. â€Å"I do taekwondo and aikido myself. My name's Samantha. I've been looking for a sparring partner. Interested?† Despite the casualness of her tone, Samantha was bouncing eagerly on the bal s of her feet, a mischievous smile flickering at the corners of her mouth, and Meredith's eyes narrowed. â€Å"Sure,† she said, her attitude light. â€Å"Show me what you've got.† Samantha's smile broadened. She kicked off her shoes and stepped onto the practice mat next to Meredith. They faced off, assessing each other. She was a head shorter than Meredith, thin, but wiry and sleekly muscled, and she moved as graceful y as a cat. The anticipation in the girl's eyes betrayed Samantha's belief that Meredith would be easy to beat. She was thinking that Meredith was one of those trainees who was al form and technique with no real fighting instinct. Meredith knew that kind of fighter Well, had met them often enough in competitions. If that was what Samantha thought of Meredith, she was in for a surprise. â€Å"Ready?† Samantha asked. At Meredith's nod, she immediately launched a punch while bringing the opposite-side foot around in an attempt to sweep Meredith off her feet. Meredith reacted instinctively, blocking the blow, dodging the foot, then sweeping a kick of her own, which Samantha avoided, grinning with simple pleasure. They exchanged a few more blows and kicks, and, against her wil , Meredith was impressed. This girl was fast, faster than most of the fighters Meredith had faced before, even at the black-belt level, and much stronger than she looked. She was too cocky, though, an aggressive fighter instead of a defensive one; the way she'd hurried to strike the first blow showed that. Meredith could use that cockiness against her. Samantha shifted her weight, and Meredith slid in below her defenses, giving a fast spin heel kick that hit Samantha firmly on the upper thigh. She staggered a bit, and Meredith moved out of range quickly. Samantha's face changed immediately. She was getting angry now, Meredith could tel , and that, too, was a weakness. She was frowning, her lips tight, while Meredith kept her own face purposeful y blank. Samantha's fists and feet were moving quickly, but she lost some accuracy as she sped up. Meredith pretended to fal back under the assault, feinting to keep her opponent off-balance, al owing herself to be backed toward a corner while stil blocking Samantha's blows. When she was almost cornered, she jammed her arm against Samantha's fist, stopping her before she could ful y extend her blow, and swept a foot under hers. Samantha tripped, caught by Meredith's low kick, and fel heavily to the mat. She lay there and just stared up at Meredith for a moment, face stunned, while Meredith hovered over her, suddenly uncertain. Had she hurt Samantha? Was the girl going to be angry and storm off? Then Samantha's face blossomed into a wide, glowing smile. â€Å"That was awesome!† she said. â€Å"Can you show me that move?†

3 Levels of Society Essay

Society consists of three levels: the upper, middle, and lower class. This was established by philosophers Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx. Marx stated his views, known as the Marxist Theory. The Marxist view of scientific socialism was based on the short writings and views from two social scientists. The theory conceived by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels provided theoretical basis for the struggle of the working class to gain a higher class in society. â€Å"They viewed crime as function of social demoralization, caused by the Capitalist society. While Karl Marx himself did not write much on the topic of crime, his views on the relationship between the concept of social conflict, this concept was first applied to criminology by three distinguished scholars: Willem Bonger, Ralf Dahrendorf, and George Vold.† (Pg. 269 Seigel Larry J.). Willem Bonger had the belief that society was divided into two groups, the â€Å"have’s† or â€Å"the ruling class† and the â€Å"have not’s† or â€Å"the inferior class†. The law is supposed to protect all classes of society, but in reality the law serves the will of the ruling class. Unless a situation is in a potentially harmful way of the ruling class, no actions are taken. But when actions such as crime affect the people of power and something has to be done, the legal system discriminates against the poor because of the capitalist society. Being the lower class, people are deprived of materials and are still monopolized by the upper class, they now are more likely to commit crime. Ralf Dahrendorf argued that society of today was organized into imperatively coordinated associations. There are two associations who make up society, the people who have authority and us it for social domination and then there’s those who lack authority and are dominated. He says that society needs to step away from the ruling of classes and adhere to the idea of authority. Ralf states that society is made up of competing interest groups and formed his own theory on human behavior called the â€Å"conflict theory†. This theory is based off of a few ideas, such as, social change is everywhere, social conflict is everywhere, and every element in society iis a contribution to its own change. George Vold argued that the laws are made to help politically orienteered groups, who seek aid by the government. They need help protecting their rights and interests so they need someone with forceful power to help. He feels that a law can be created be enough people who share the same view and interests. In the end every case and criminal situation involves conflict of some sort. Crime is viewed as a social demoralization, as stated earlier. All three of these distinguished scholars had their own theories, overlapping in belief or not, on how society and crime worked. Willem Bonger believed society was divided into two groups, the â€Å"haves† and the â€Å"Have nots†. Ralf Dahrendorf argued that society was organized into imperatively coordinated associations. And George Vold said that the laws were/are made to help politically orienteered groups, who seek aid by the government.

Introduction to Psychological Testing Paper Essay

The field of psychology is one of those broad and exciting fields. Though various psychologists tend to work in a diverse array of fields one of the common aspects that they all share is that they all study behavior and associate its results to some specific measurements. Psychological tests are some of the common tests that are carried out in this field of psychology. The tests are carried and analyzed then the results are interpreted in such a way so as to attain different attributes for various individuals. One of the interesting things is that these results may vary in accordance with various factors which may either have a positive or negative impact on the tests. These tests have found their way into a number of applications with individuals being tested to determine whether they are up to task to ascertain their levels of performance in a diverse array of fields. The term test in psychology testing is one that has to be defined first in order to determine the workability of the process and the results that should be expected. According to a renowned psychologist Anatasi (1997) the term test as used in the field of psychology, is defined as â€Å"an objective and standardized measure of a sample of behavior†. This very definition tends to bring three core elements of psychology testing. The term objective tends to generally give the idea on how the test score is interpreted meaning that it is as a result of an objective criterion instead of subjective judgment by the examiner. The term standardized in the definition means that the results will be uniform independent of any qualified examiner. The term sample in the definition shows us that the test is drawn from previous collected inferences and results. Most of the psychological tests are categorized into a variety of groups depending on the results and the individuals involved. These tests may be administered to an individual that is one person at a time and they are known as â€Å"individual tests† as compared to â€Å"group tests† which are administered to more that an individual. See more: how to start an essay From time in memorial various psychologists have used three main criteria’s to distinguish various abilities that individuals possess. The tests may differ in that they may be grouped as either â€Å"ability or personality tests†. A personality test is described as one that is related â€Å"to the overt and covert dispositions of the individual† (Kaplan and Saccuzzo, 2008). This means that these types of tests will generally measure an individual’s typical behavior. These types of tests will then be divided into two distinctive groups of either structured or objective personality tests. The structured type of tests require the individual to choose from a variety of two options such as â€Å"true† and â€Å"false† or â€Å"yes† and â€Å"no†. Objective personality tests on the other hand are more complicated in that an individual is required to provide spontaneous responses. This type of testing generally assumes that the individual will tend to produce unique characteristics. The main concept behind these tests is actually to evaluate differences or variations that various individuals may exhibit. One of the assumptions that these tests tend to be pegged upon is that the resultants are actually the real differences among individuals. With this it can then be said that the most important aspect of testing is to generally differentiate among those individuals taking the tests (Domino and Domino, 2006). The three, aptitude, achievement and intelligence are used to determine the types of tests to be performed so as to determine their degree in an individual. Achievement in contrast to aptitude refers to previous learning while aptitude refers to the potential that an individual inhibits to do more. Intelligence on the other hand is distinguished from both achievement and aptitude in the sense that it refers to the general potential an individual has to â€Å"solve problems, adapt to environments and profit from experience†. The three however are believed to be interrelated in one way or another and a term that has been coined up to describe this situation is the term â€Å"human ability† (Kaufman and Kaufman, 2004). Two of these tests; achievement and aptitude tests have found their way in educational and most of the times employment institutions where they are used to deduce an individual’s ability. These tests are used to determine how much an individual knows about a certain aspects such as calculations, spellings or masterly of certain material objects such as practices and the like. Intelligence tests on the other hand try to measure an individual’s ability to basically understand the world and its environment analyze its functionality and use the acquired knowledge to improve the quality of the individual’s life. A renowned psychologist by the name Alfred Whitehead (1929) describes intelligence as having the potential to â€Å"enables the individual to profit by error without being slaughtered by it†. However the measurement of this ability has come under close scrutiny with critics arguing that most tests do not provide clear cut results or fail out rightly. The field of psychological testing is mainly governed by two major principles that is; validity and reliability. The term validity as it used in this field means that the tests and results are useful in whatever the reason they are carried on. On more technical terms the term can be said to represent the degree in which â€Å"certain inferences or interpretations† can be considered to be appropriate (Kaplan and Saccuzzo, 2008). Reliability on the other hand refers to the degree in which the tests and results obtained are free from errors. It refers to the accuracy, consistency, dependability of the test results. Although the concept of psychological testing is becoming an important phenomenon in today’s modern world, controversies have in some cases dogged the otherwise noble idea. One of the aspects that come into play is that most of the tests are usually administered by counselors and if the training is not adequate then the validity and reliability of the tests may be somehow substandard. The issue of ethics also comes into play and when monetary aspects are considered then the issue of ethics may just be thrown out of the window. This is especially true considering the number of individuals especially in the internet who purport to be offering an array of tests which their authenticity does not weigh the balance. Some social and theoretical issues have arisen with the fragile issue of race finding its path to those who vehemently criticize this process. However since nothing will ever be perfect, a compromise is often reached whereby the positives of this process outweigh the disadvantages and thus the process is preferred and applied in many institutions.

A study on Key Leadership Qualities of a Project Manager

Origin of the Report This report idea was initiated by the honorable course instructor of ‘Project Management' as a part of course completion of MBA program at the Institute of Business Administration, Gangrening University. Specific guidelines were provided by the instructor to conduct the study for academic purpose. 1. Objectives of the Report The primary objective of the study was to fulfill the requirement of the course module as per the guideline by the instructor that leads to attaining the following specific objectives. Identify and evaluate the project performance in terms of time, cost and performance. Identify different key aspects of the project manager's characteristics that influence the project success. 1. 3 Methodology This report has been developed in context of exploratory research.To prepare this report, both qualitative and quantitative methods have been used. Personal interview with the project manager with the help of a semi structured questionnaire was key instrument. Therefore the sample size was comprised of one single individual, the project manager. Personal observation has been one of the key methods that applied o analyze the data accumulated. 1. 4 Source of Data Both primary and secondary data have been used for analysis in this report. The data sources are described as follows. 1. 4. Primary Data Semi structured questionnaire interview with the project manager was conducted where different aspects of the project were mentioned and asked about to evaluate the specific aspects of project accomplishment in terms of meeting the quality standards required. Moreover a structured questionnaires based on five point scale was used to evaluate the project manager's leadership role in accomplishing the project successfully. 1. . 2 Secondary Data The secondary data was collected from the website of related entities.Some previous publications and Journals in the related field have been used as a guideline to develop the context. 1. 5 Scop e of the Report This report was an outcome of extensive group work that will provide guidelines for future related works. As the work was unique in nature and the aspect is specific, it is expected to provide a guideline for the evaluation of performance of a project and the project manager in future. 1. 6 Limitations Different limitations were tackled during the report preparation and the collection of ATA.Some of them include, Limited time to prepare the whole report Facing difficulties to manage the appointment with the project manager As the project was accomplished earlier team members were spitted and not available together Getting the financial was another challenge as per the restrictions by the policy of the parent organization Chapter 2: The Project Details 2. 1 The Project Detail 2. 1. 1 Construction of the MACH Building Dacha Shania Mission as part of the total project took the initiative in 2001 to open a Cancer detection & Treatment Center at Murmur, Dacha.In course of its progress it is owe a 42 bed Cancer Hospital with required operation facilities, Chemotherapy, X-Ray and Imaging facilities. A team of experienced and dedicated cancer specialists and general physicians are working there to provide health service at a reasonably low cost. Here free services are offered to poor and ultra – poor patients. In the year 2008 the hospital continues to provide health care services, specially to cancer patients, with some additional facilities. Ultimately the dream materialized into reality and a plan was made to construct a 500 bed Cancer Hospital at a staggering cost of 2. 56 billion take (SIS$ 36. 7 million). The thirteen story hospital designed by a US based architectural firm â€Å"Design Alliance f Baltimore†, got started its construction with foundation laid by the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Begum Chalked Aziza, on 10th July 2004 on a 3 acre land at the bank of the river Tutor in Attar Model Town in the Capital. The location is about 5 Km from Aziza International Airport and the construction in full gear started on 16th July 2005. This 450,000 square feet 13 storied hospital is expected to open in late 2009 with about 200 inpatient beds, Outpatient department with about 40 Examination/consultation Rooms, Medical Imaging,Pathology, Surgical Suite, Radiotherapy Department, non-international Cardiac and Neuron Diagnostics, Day Care and the requisite support services. By 2010 all 500 beds are expected to be operational. At that time, based on beneficial utilization, Shania Mission Cancer & General Hospital is projected to provide over 160,000 days of inpatients care and cater to over 180,000 outpatients annually saving approximately SIS$ 13 million annually. 30% services of the hospital will be available free for the poor patients. DAM is raising funds from general public as well as from the corporate sector.There are special provisions for potential donors to sponsor sundry components of the hospital. One can donate to have in his/her own name or dear one's name to name a bed/beds, a ward/wards, a cabin/cabins, operation theatres. There are specified rates for each type of dedicated areas of inscription which will be inscribed distinctly as per wish of the donor. Keeping in line with Dacha Shania Mission's dedication to Divine and Humanitarian services Shania Mission Cancer and General Hospital will be a big leap forward to provide service to humanity by redressing the suffering of the ailing patients, especially cancer patients.International Hospital Group (GIG), a I-J based consulting firm with vast experience in medical equipment consultancy has been entrusted with the Job to furnish the equipment schedule IEEE equipments and furniture plan floor and room wise of AMIGA to cater to the need and suitability of the patients and users. Considering the huge cost of modern quality treatment for cancer and our commitment to provide with poor and needy patients 30% treatment facilities f ree of cost, deep thought has been given to make Shania Mission Cancer and General Hospital a viable and cost- effective project with the motto of ‘No-profit-No-Loss'.Due consideration has also been given to the point that some cancer patients will come with other diseases which will need to be treated at the same hospital for practical reason. Also considering the reality to keep specialist doctors including ambitious and career conscious young doctors there is possibly no other alternative other than opting for building a Medical College in future. In consideration of this vital factors, provision for general treatment facilities have been kept at AMIGA. Moreover, there is a plan to establish a Nursing Institute in future. Building on the ideas of the founder SuffixSaint Hazard Khan Buddha Channels (Ramshackle Awhile), Dacha Shania Mission embarked on establishing a modern cancer hospital where world-class treatment will be available. Shania Mission Cancer and General Hospit al is one of major projects to fight cancer in Bangladesh. So far, super-structures of thirteen storey plus two basements of this fifteen-storey hospital building have been completed. The construction of Radiotherapy Vault and other essential works are now going on for inaugurating the first phase of the hospital with 160 beds by the end of 2013.However, the POD, Radiation Therapy Unit, Day Care Centre and Diagnostic Facilities have been scheduled to start functioning at the end of 2012. Location Plot#3, Sector # 10, Embankment Driveway Attar Model Town, Dacha-1230, Bangladesh. Land Area 3 Acres Project Cost US$. 47. 29. O Gob. Approval Obtained Architect Design Alliance, 1921 York Road, Baltimore, MD 21093 USA Email:[email  protected] Com Cons. Period 2005- 201 5 Started July, 2005 Expected Completion Phase I with 175 beds by end 2013 and complete with 500 beds in 2015.The POD, Radiation Therapy Unit, Day Care Centre and Diagnostic Facilities have been scheduled to start function ing at the end of 2012. A modern cancer care hospital building is under construction at present. The building has been designed by Architect Mr. Tare Lam, a professional hospital architect registered in the USA . 2. 2 Overview of the Construction Company The project was accomplished by Associated Builders Corporation (BBC) Limited, a private limited company established in 1972, which designs and constructs industrial projects, bridges, Jetties, harbor, roads and buildings of all types.The company has gained considerable reputation in tackling Civil Engineering Projects which require peccadillo experience and up-to-date technical knowledge in the respective field since its incorporation. 2. 2 The Project Budget and Actual Cost Chapter 3: Evaluation of the Overall Project Performance 3. 1 Analysis of Background and Scheduling Ultimately the dream materialized into reality and a plan was made to construct a 500 bed Cancer Hospital at a staggering cost of 2. 56 billion take (SIS$ 36. 97 million). The thirteen story hospital designed by a US based architectural firm â€Å"Design Alliance f Baltimore†.The location is about 5 Km from Aziza International Airport and he construction in full gear started on 16th July 2005. This 450,000 square feet 13 storied hospital To construct such a large project Shania Mission needed an expert constructor who has experience in such large public project. In 2009 Shania Mission asked for open tender for the project where most of the country's largest Civil Constructors Joined. By evaluating the proposal the project goes to Associated Builders Corporation Ltd (BBC) for the Civil Contract. The Contract was awarded in two phase. First, one was the construction of basement and first 4 stories.And the est. of the 13 stories of the building were constructed in the second phase. The electrical and wiring was also included in the project. 3. 2 Evaluation the Project in terms of Cost This section should provide a comparison of the actu al costs of the external consultancy with the agreed contract value. Where there is a variation (upwards or downwards) between agreed contract value and actual costs DIP must be informed. In cases where the actual cost exceeds the cost approved by DIP an explanation must also be provided. Initial Approval Cost BIT. 650000000 Contract Award Cost BIT. 800000000 Actual Cost BIT. 00000000 Percentage Variation between Contract Award Cost & Actual Cost 38% Explanation of variation in costs The reason behind the over running the initial planned cost was due to change of the price of material most notably Steel, Rod, Cement and other raw material for the construction project. The reason behind increased steel price was due to global over demand of steel because of Beijing Olympic. The cost over running created a hamper in project progress. The cost proposal had to be overwritten and renegotiated. This also created budget deficit for Shania Mission as well profit minimization of BBCCorporati on Limited. 3. 3 Evaluation the Project in terms of Performance 3. 3. 1 Assessment of Deliverables This section should provide detail on what was delivered by the consultants. The extent to which projected deliverables, as outlined in the Terms of Reference, were met by the consultants, and the quality should be assessed. On behalf of Shania Mission a project in-charge was appointed whose Job was to monitor and supervise the construction project as a overall basis. His Job actually was limited to Consultancy and supervision On behalf of BBC a project Engineer is appointed.He has the executive duties of overall project. Apart from technical aspects, he had to oversee costing human resource management inside the project. The assessment of project used to take place week wise. Upon the approval of Shania Mission engineer Bill is paid monthly basis. 3. 3. 2 Assessment of Benefits The original date of completing the project was revised several times mainly because of the funding issues o n behalf of Shania Mission. Reasons of delays usually occurred due to payment issues. Apart from that some tactical delays at engineering works were not uncommon.Both cases the responsible party has to adjust the agitation The purpose originally intended the consultancy assignment were to do the Job efficiently and effectively. Because of the BBC Construction Limiter's effective role the contract was extended for second phase. Chapter 4: Analysis of the Project Manager's Leadership Role 4. 1 The Role of Project Manager in Contemporary Organizations In brief we need to understood project monitoring role of the PM. Actually, the role & responsibilities of a Project Manager is little complex and needs to be explained elaborately in clear terms for each project.Let us list down few important roles & responsibilities of a Project Manager. * The Project Manager is the person responsible for managing the project. *The Project Manager is the person responsible for accomplishing the project objectives within the constraints of the project. He is responsible for the outcome (success or failure) of the project. *The Project Manager is involved with the planning, controlling and monitoring, and also managing and directing the assigned project resources to best meet project objectives. The Project Manager controls and monitors â€Å"triple scope, time and cost(quality also)-?in managing competing project requirements. The Project Manager examines the organizational culture and determines whether project management is recognized as a valid role with accountability and authority for managing the project. *The Project Manager collects metrics data(such as baseline, actual values for costs, schedule, work in progress, and work completed) & reports on project progress and other project specific information to stakeholders. *The Project Manager is responsible for identifying, monitoring, and responding to risk. The Project Manager is responsible to the project stakeholders for delivering a project's objectives within scope, schedule, cost, and quality. *The reporting structure of a Project Manager depends on organizational structure. He may reports to a Functional Manager or to a Program Manager. In a bit exaggerating terms, Project Manager is the ‘God' of his project and he is the one who decides the success of the project. 4. 2 Criteria of a Successful Project Manager 4. 2. 1 Leadership Leadership is identified separately from management, as leadership is more of a personality trait whereas management is a learned skill.I recognize this is not a common view as many people and companies espouse courses in teaching adhering. Here, I am identifying people who can motivate others as projects are long endeavors, which invariably have points where the success of the project falls to the project manager who can keep the team motivated and get them past the sticky problems observed on nearly every project. MS also have to instill confidence in both their teams and the manager(s) to whom they report. As stated before, projects are long and difficult endeavors, which have plenty of challenges.When these challenges arise, MS who are able to maintain the confidence of all interested parties have more success. When the confidence in the PM is shaken, executives tend to provide additional assistance to the teams that is a sure sign of lost confidence and adds additional effort to the project. The group of engineers will operate independently producing a fragmented solution. People in general bring a set of implicit assumptions. These assumptions are not typically in the forefront of their minds but exist due to their life experiences both personally and professionally.These assumptions then drive the set of solutions they are able to envision. When a PM is able to identify these implicit assumptions, validate their relevancy to the unique project, then challenge them if need be, better solutions to problems are identified. These better so lutions may be quicker and less risky to implement, require fewer resources or less highly skilled resources, or have a better impact on the business. Leading refers to carrying out the project plan in order to achieve the project objectives. Leading the project is one of the more challenging aspects for new project managers because it involves a lot of â€Å"soft skills. Skills such as communicating clearly, team motivation, and conflict resolution. Some key duties for eating projects include, Setting team direction Coordinating activities across different organizational functions Motivating team members Assigning work personality trait whereas management is a learned skill. I recognize this is not a the business. 4. 2. 2 Management Skills On all projects, there is a finite amount of administration that occurs and this to me is the management of the project. The management component of project or program management requires multiple skills as well as traits.The traits include the ability to organize. Projects inherently have lots of moving parts from end users and pompons with thoughts, to technicians who have commercial applications to configure or code to write, to test teams and configuration managers who have plans and backbend support systems to bring on line. All of these disparate groups must be brought together and coordinated so the project can move forward and eventually complete. The ability to organize the multiple teams is a personality trait inherent is successful program and project managers.We also have to organize at a deeper level when dealing with the technology. The task of building a Work Breakdown Structure WEBS) is a feat in organization when done well. Not only do business and technical executives have to understand both the strategy and tasking but also the technicians who will perform the work. Laying out a structure that is understood by both disparate sets of people is difficult at best. Now include the capability to track progres s in a meaningful way for both groups and the need for deep organizing trait is paramount.Closely related is the ability to plan, to foresee how a project will come together. Planning also includes what deliverables are needed, how and when to evolve test plans, how many test plans are needed, what metrics are needed, and which resources execute which tasks in conjunction with each other. All of these are unique to each situation as the Statement of Work (SOW) or Project Charter is unique as well as the scope undertaken and the resources assigned to the project. The ability to manage both your own time and the time of those working for you is critical.Projects have so many distractions making it very easy to head down a rabbit hole that derails the project. These typically happen during the development phases but can also occur at any phase. Contrary to popular belief, the highest risk time off project is the beginning and not the end. Many times I use an analogy of catching a wave for a surfer. This is analogous to setting the scope and planning phases off project. Once you catch the wave, the time to the beach is out of your hands as the wave is going at its own speed.You can make some moves that will have some impact on the timing but the base timing is already defined. Successful project managers take their time in planning and resist the temptation to get starting developing because time is short. Each project has numerous options on how to approach the work. It is this approach which is analogous to catching the right wave, that has the most dramatic impact on project timing and success. Setting the priorities for individuals and managing to those priorities becomes a main activity during the majority of the project. This requires the PM to handle multiple tasks at the same time.The moment the first task is delegated, the PM is multi-tasking. If an individual tries to handle all tasks themselves, a project of any size is at risk. On a typical commercial software implementation, I will have the following threads open: ) software configuration, 2) interface development, 3) conversion or data migration development, 4) custom software development, 5) communication with sponsors, 6) communications with consulting company management and sales, 7) project tracking and monitoring, and 8) potentially open core product issues or enhancement.The ability to manage your time, multi-task, and manage the team's time is a critical skill. All projects include the use of teams. These teams include resources for which the PM has direct responsibility and other resources for which the PM does not have responsibility. All of these teams must come together and work toward the common goal of completing the project. The team will consist of not only these individuals but also the managers of the matrixes resources as they potentially have competing goals. The ability to create and motivate teams becomes a determining factor in the success of Ms. . 2. 3 Co mmunication Skills The ability to communicate in both written and verbal form both up and down the management chain is a widely known required skill. In the previous paragraphs and going forward the implication of communication skills Jumps off the page. Let me delve into a couple of areas that are not as widely held. The first is with whom MS communicate. I have mentioned the need to discuss topics with business and technical leaders as well as the technicians but what is also needed is the ability to define or clarify technical or business problems to the opposite group.Many times on a project I will come across a particularly difficult technical issue that either impacts the dates or is a risk to those dates. Naturally, both the technical and business leaders want to understand the problem. Given it is a technical issue in his case, discussing technical issues with technical people is easier than helping a business leader understand why the web application crashes because of Java Virtual Machine OVUM) Heap is exhausted and why this is a problem given the SCOFF Just spend dollars increasing the memory on the application server.These are important topics for them to understand as well as the opposite. Helping the technicians understand why a good technical solution has dire consequences for the business side of the house. MS are also knowledge conduits. They should ensure that information from one team gets to all the other teams that need it. As project schedules get tight and the tension begins to increase, many people naturally focus on their tasks at hand to become more efficient and get their work done. A great thing for that individual task but what happens when the other teams need information from this one group and cannot get it.The other tasks naturally fall behind so the project falls behind. The PM that stays in touch with what all groups are going and moves the information between groups can more effectively keep all tasks moving and avoids disco nnects when the â€Å"right† hand is not talking to the â€Å"left† hand. 4. 2. Foresight and Vision Some people have the innate ability to see the future. I am not talking about crystal balls or palm readers but a sense for the direction the project is headed and the ability to see risks and envision how all the elements of a project will come together in the end.I alluded to this concept in the planning section and it applies here as well. In conjunction with planning is the skill of defining goals for individuals that are in sync with the plan. In my post, â€Å"Staying on Schedule†, I spoke about intermediate milestones and mint-crisis as a mechanism for maintaining a schedule. The ability to foresee, define, and articulate these goals goes a long way toward staying on schedule and being successful. Risk management is a key aspect of successful projects and is in many instances not well received as an integral part off project.In many organizations and as an attempt to manage time, organizations only deal with issues and not risks. Many times, I have highlighted risks to be told we will deal with it when it becomes a problem. The personality trait to envision a risk and the capability to address the risk are key elements to success. 4. 2. 5 Pragmatic As MS we are constantly in the situation of making choices. Usually all day is spent making trade off choices between competing forces. There are times when we have to make a choice a deliverable is good enough, not perfect but good enough as it meets the business objectives.The prime example comes when dealing with the speed at which application pages are rendered. I routinely hear from end users and sponsors that I want the page to be as fast as possible. From a conceptual standpoint, this makes sense as speed of page rendering translates into efficiency of workers and eventually money. Fast as possible does not mean get 6 Cray super computers for my solution or that I want sub second re sponse time on a page that is making two web service calls and returning a three table Join query.Clearly, neither is going to happen. What was meant was to increase the speed until it reaches a good balance between cost, time and speed. This is not a straightforward decision. The technician would ask for the performance requirements so they know the solution to build; the businessperson wants a reasonable cost so the PM is in the position to determine what is good enough. The balance point falls to the PM and ragtime is key. Conflict is also a common occurrence on projects.It can be between two technicians, the test team, developers, the business people, etc. The ability to work through issues and even decide on what issues to engage is something critical to success. People can be passionate about what they believe in so getting past these points of contention whether it be negotiating a resolution, facilitating the discussion or deciding which battles to fight becomes important to success. 4. 2. 6 Can do attitude In our world, there are people whose glass is half full and those whose glass is half empty.The perspective on adversity, challenges, and dealing with people GAO long way toward success in a work environment that typically includes strict deadlines, changing requirements, heavy budget pressure and big business impacts when the project does not go well. A can do and positive attitude is a personality trait that serves MS well dealing with adversity, the high-pressure situations, team building, and leadership. Finding this personality trait in a person serves them well in the profession of Program and Project Management.In addition to the above list of skills ND traits, I would add a personality trait of cool and thoughtful under pressure. Projects are intense, long, and difficult activities that have periods of time when the PM is under significant pressure due to impending deadlines, difficult issues, etc. People are also very passionate and so the PM is typically under a lot of pressure and must be able to think on their feet and remain thoughtful during the intense times. It is these times when PM can easily lose the confidence of management or their teams, lose control of scope, or any number of other occurrences that negatively impact the project. . 2. 7 Disqualifications There are three inputs above that would not agree with: 1. Being completely obsessed with the Client. Client focus to a degree is a very good thing. In situations where the project manager is also managing a team and a contract then a proper balance between these many times competing agendas enables the project manager to not only meet the client goals but also individual and company goals. In these situations, the project manager has multiple people and organizations to which they report and must meet he goals of each individual and organization simultaneously to be successful. . Being an extrovert Due to the need for extensive interaction with people, e xtroverts typically have these skills inherently. Individuals who straddle the introvert/extrovert category can also be successful as they can communicate and operate in the people centric situations. Strict introverts who prefer to work alone and on individual tasks will struggle in the PM role. 3. Displaying personal courage (lead from the front) In my previous post, we discuss the relative timing of leading from the front and jack.Different situations dictate assuming each style so both are needed and not just leading from the front. The personality traits and skills needed for project managers to be successful are varied. When interviewing PM candidates and identifying internal candidates for a PM role, these people centric traits and skills seems far more influential factors in the success of PM. What may be interesting to many people is the lack of technical expertise as a main contributor to success. Certainly, technical and business expertise is needed for a project to be su ccessful