Hunger an Assessment of Jayant Mahapatras Use of Symbolism free essay sample

A Critical Appreciation of the Symbols â€Å"Hunger’, according to Jayanta Mahapatra was an expression of his solitude. He writes in this regard: Hunger was written twenty-five years ago. I grew up in Cuttack, close to a temple. There were two rivers close by. The ways of life there were different. I was into religion. My poems today dont have those old images. Ive taken the temple out of my system. I had an unhappy childhood. I had an abnormal relationship with my mother. I owe a lot to my father, though. He put me in a missionary school. The school had a British headmaster I was trampled upon in my childhood. That still remains with me. Im not deliberately holding on to tensions. I ran away from home thrice. Im shaped by factors beyond my control. Now Im at peace with myself, but this wasnt the case ten years ago. We will write a custom essay sample on Hunger : an Assessment of Jayant Mahapatras Use of Symbolism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Perhaps as a result of that childhood I always feel alone, alone when Im with my family or part of a crowd. Theres a chasm inside which can never be bridged. In Hunger I was writing from experience. †The title of the poem ‘Hunger’ may therefore reflect the poet’s need for company, and spiritual intimacy. He asserts that he had an abnormal relationship with his mother. Therefore, he primarily desires the maternal love that he was deprived of; he searches for a substitute owing to attention-deficit. The Fisherman :The speaker at the outset of the poem asserts that â€Å"the flesh was heavy on my back†. He experienced an incredible urge for sexual gratification. He finds himself before a fisherman, who is willing to ‘compromise’ on his daughter. The fishermen puts forward the question ‘carelessly’. The word ‘carelessly’ might point to ‘callously’, and to the fact that he did not put the question across with a sense of propriety. Will you have her? † was the question as though the girl in question was an item or commodity. Her individuality was relegated, and what she wanted was not of significance. Even a prostitute has a command over her own sexuality, and who her customers ought to be. The fisherman was â€Å"trailing h is nets†. The symbolism was apparent; he was laying out a net for customers. His insensitivity in his words were set out to erase the guilt from his purpose, that to sacrifice his daughter. He affected ‘ignorance’, as if the quality of ignorance seemed to sanctify the purpose itself. The white bone seemed to thrash his eyes, as though his very inner being wanted to thrash out against his vision. The Body vs. the Mind :The poet followed him across the extensive stretches of sand. He heart was throbbing rapidly. His skin is said to perform the function of a sling. That is, as a sling supports a fractured arm; likewise the instinctive feelings of the skin helped fight back the apprehensions of the mind. Redemption from his sins perhaps lay in burning the house that he lived. Silence seems to consume his self, as though they tugged at his sleeves. The fisherman’s net had froth from the sea. Perhaps it may be symbolic of the fact that wrongdoings may leave apparent traces behind. His lean body in the flickering dark appeared like a wound. The inevitable wound that poverty had gifted him with. At the current moment, the poet felt he was at will, as free as the wind. The palm leaves scratched his skin, leaving marks of guilt. Hours in the shack are portrayed as stacks bunched up to those walls splayed by the burning oil lamp. It signifies that all the hours were similar confined to the small shack. The space in his blank mind was filled with soot from the lamp. : â€Å"I heard him say: My daughter, shes just turned fifteen Feel her. Ill be back soon, your bus leaves at nine. † He could comprehend the tricks that the father employed to allure customers. He viewed this stock of tricks as exhausted because perhaps most of them were already used numerously to suit his needs. ’Fifteen’ was supposed to be an age where the girl was fully grown and fresh in her beauty. Nevertheless the years felt like cold rubber owing to impoverished malnutrition. He uses the term ‘wormy’ for her legs as she opened then wide. The word reflects the speaker’s perception of the girl as abject as a worm, thin and slimy perhaps, something that was revolting to him at the moment. â€Å"I felt the hunger there, the other one, the fish slithering, turning inside. † For the first time, the poet understood the real meaning of the word ‘hunger’. Not owing to sexual displeasure but that driven by dismal poverty. The feeling of the empty stomach, as though the fish turned inside. Images in the poem This poem impressed Bernard Young, the American poet, so much that he ‘quoted’ the whole poem in  The Hudson Review. The poem presents two kinds of hunger – one (physical) leading to the fulfillment of other (sexual). The theme is quite obvious, so let me focus on what I like about this poem. The poem primarily has two structures of images: flesh related and poverty related; hunger emanating from the flesh and that from poverty. What makes the poem impressive is the way these images entangle one another, some abstract, all building the irony of the two urges. The vividity of the images build a word portrait of the place, graphically relating the manners of the three characters. The fisherman, the father who pimps his daughter, is careless in his offer of the girl: â€Å"as though his words sanctified the purpose with which he faced himself†. I think the poet craftily pushes the reader to question the very ideas of sanctity here. The utter hopelessness in the life of the fisherman and his daughter is such that it words like sanctity would be meaningless there. The values have no ‘purchase’ in so utterly degraded a human plight. The image of wound is prepared to by such images as ‘the bone thrashing in his eyes’, ‘mind thumping in the flesh’s sling’, ‘burning the house’ ‘body clawing’. The actions indicated in these image portray the human effort that is rather desperate, fruitless and hurting. The wound image gathers them all together in a place where the combined force of all these previous images together hits the reader hard and jump him/her out of complacency. It must be borne in mind that the tourist searching for sexual gratification implicitly holds the place of the audience as the reader is a voyeur like the tourist. The soot image, a customary suggestion of sin, alerts us to how the blackness of the predicament of the father pimping his daughter is a condemnation not of the father but of the society where such a tragedy comes to pass. The soot covers the shack of the fisherman, but it is the tourist’s mind on which the poem sees the soot. Thus, like Blake who said the presence of a whore in society is a curse of the marriage system, this poem questions the justness in society from which sanctity has disappeared. It is the reader who has to bear the force of irony of this poem. It may be noticed how the reader in this poem is not allowed to be outside of it. Like the tourist in the poem, the reader is an outsider and a sort of voyeur. So the shame of the plight of the pimping father falls on the reader – not on the individual reader.

Article Review Neil Postmans Virtual Students, Digital Classroom

Article Review Neil Postmans Virtual Students, Digital Classroom Neil Postman begins his article by highlighting the god status that people have given new technology and in particular computers. The article shows how this new technology gives access to so much information. For this reason, some proponents of technology suggest that in a few decades, classrooms may be rendered redundant. A world where children are motivated to learn by virtue of technology making information accessible to them is envisioned. Postman goes on to decry this vision as being overly confident and unrealistic since it envisions model students who are inherently motivated to learn at all times and just need new technology to enable them satisfy this quest. The article also addresses the role that new technology plays and the changes that it will bring about. Postman notes that instead of focusing on how to use new technology, we should focus on how computers use us and the effects (adverse and positive) that it will bring to society. The question of technology being seen as the solution to every problem that exists in school is also addressed with Postman illustrating that problems that cannot be solved without computers can neither be solved with them. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Article Review: Neil Postmans Virtual Students, Digital Classroom specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The article shows that Problems such as inequality, poverty and alienation which some claim will be addressed through technology can only be responded to through traditional classrooms and not new technology which may in fact only lead to their prevalence. The article concludes by stating that educational institutes will only be rendered irrelevant when technology that can make civilized people is come up with. Until then, the traditional classroom with all its shortcomings remains the best place to teach students how to be civilized individuals who will be integrated into the society. Postman makes a strong case for the role of community-building and social reform that schools play in our community. According to him, this are attributes that computers which lay emphasis on the individuals role cannot fulfill since machines lead to the creation of people who lack a sense of civility or community since this two attributes can only be learnt in the traditional class setting. Postmans critique of technology is mainly directed at its implementation to younger children. According to him, these children attend school for more than just the information on algebra and science that schools provide. Children get to learn how to function in harmony with the society through the education process. This is something that cannot be learnt through any technological implementation as enthusiasts of technology seem to suggest. An interesting proposition by Postman is that the role of schools is to help students learn how to ignore and discard information. This is a concept that I find particula rly contentious since schools are essentially institutes for gaining knowledge and information. Postmans statement assumes that people go to school with an information overflow and the major role of the school is therefore to help them shape this information. Advertising Looking for essay on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More I find this proposition by Postman at best contentious since most people go to school with limited information and it is only through the education process that they gain immense information and knowledge. While Postman does not negate the important role that technology will play in our education systems, he emphasizes that technology will not solve problems such as boredom in students or even psychological issues as some proponents of technology suggest.

Franz Kafkas A Hunger Artist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Franz Kafkas A Hunger Artist - Essay Example Insofar as his purpose is not understood and his act of starvation is viewed suspiciously, the hunger artist emerges as an absurd figure. The absurdity of the hunger artist, however, is the absurdity of the human condition and of life itself. To this extent, and despite the unrealistic nature of the story, "A Hunger Artist" can be interpreted as a metaphor for life, a realistic exposition of the human condition, and a parable. The Hunger Artist's inability to communicate the intent of his act of starvation to the people and his commitment to his art does not simply imply the absurdity of his life's work but highlights the meaninglessness of life itself. Kafka's protagonist, a painfully thin man, is locked in a cage by his manager, his impresario, with whom he signed a contract giving him the authority to lock up and starve the artist for a period of forty days. Day after day, for forty days, he just sits in his cage, fasting, watching others watch him, and admire his ability to starve. Meanwhile, three butchers supposedly watch over him to ensure that he does not cheat and break his fast but, instead of keeping an eye on him, they deliberately let him alone. Although they do this out of kindness and to give him an opportunity to eat from the food they believe he has hidden somewhere in his cage. However, the hunger artist views this as an insulting lack of appreciation for, and belief in, his art. When th e forty days are over, he is let out of his cage and led into the town with a marching band. After a few days of rest and food, he begins his fast again. In other words, he is trapped in a continuous cycle of forty days fasting, brief break, forty days fasting and so on. His work/art, insofar as it is not understood as an art, is absurd; his unique ability for self-starvation is absurd as there are many who do not believe he is truly fasting; and, ultimately, his life is reduced to an absurd and meaningless cycle of starvation. As incredible as "A Hunger Artist" and its protagonist are, it is a realistic, although metaphorical, representation of life and the human condition. The story is about the concept of achievement, of doing something incredible and, accordingly, attracting recognition and respect. The protagonist's unique ability, however, is not viewed as an accomplishment worthy of respect but as something fascinating which, at best, will only attract disbelieving stares. The point here is that we, as the readers, should not just see this incredible accomplishment as simply referring to starvation and fasting but as referring to many things, whether they are ideas, inventions or even services that one person has done for men. In other words, this story can be read as focusing on the fact that most people no longer give others, or great things, the appreciation that they deserve. In that case, doing something great or extending an important service to the world becomes absurd and meaningless. For one , people will search for the weak points in that great accomplishment or service, such as when the butchers assumed and believed that the Hunger Artist was cheating and eating. That is, some people will search for the flaws and bring that great thing down, making it loose some of its value. Others will exploit it, as the impresario did with the Hunger Artist. This is exactly what Kafka is saying and important to quote

Container and Shipping Industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Container and Shipping Industry - Research Paper Example All these services are specialised services and the industry will have to depend a lot on these suppliers. Therefore, the power of suppliers is quite substantial. Threat of New Entrants: Container and shipping industry is capital intensive business and requires huge amount of investment to start the business. Safety and environmental concerns result in high levels of regulations for the industry. Therefore, it may be not as easy for any company to enter into this business, as in a retail business. The threat of new entrants is not substantial. Bargaining Powers of Buyers/ customers: Customers of the services for the shipping and container industry include big corporate houses and manufacturers. In today's competitive environment what these companies require is timely delivery of goods. This would make these companies quite demanding at times, and the container industry would be on their toes to provide efficient services. Threat of Substitutes: Substitutes for the container and shipping industry are mainly the road, rail and air routes. ... ompetitive Rivalry: Though there are not many companies in the container and shipping industry, on account of the nature of the business, but there is intense competition amongst the established ones' like Braemar Shipping Services Plc from UK, Malaysia International Shipping Corporation Berhad, The Shipping Corporation of India Ltd., The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia etc. The factors like low level of product differentiation, high fixed costs and high exit barriers also give rise to good levels of competition. SWOT Analysis of the Industry Strengths: i. Long term agreements with clients, resulting in a committed client base ii. Specialised type of services, with an ability to carry huge quantities iii. High entry barriers in the form of higher investments and skills Weaknesses: i. Huge capital investments coupled with high depreciation costs results in lesser profit levels for the companies, which in turn results in delayed breakeven point ii. High exit barriers, imply that the company once in the business is compelled to remain in it for many more years irrespective of profit or loss being incurred Opportunities: iii. More movement of goods and services due to the trend amongst the MNCs to manufacture products in countries like China and then transport it back to the western world or Europe iv. Coordinated approach being adopted by leading players in the container and shipping industry v. With technological advancements it has become easier for the companies to track the movement of their consignments with techniques like GPS, RFIDs etc, which promises to make the industry much more efficient in the coming years. Threats: vi. Increasing threat of sea-pirates, particularly through the sea route via the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, where Somali pirates

The Bill of Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Bill of Rights - Essay Example With this, these aspects are discussed and backed with evidence to strongly prove the existence of this document, as well as refute its use in some basis. The bill of rights traces its roots to the United States long before they were united with all the current member states, beginning with the state of Virginia. The first step towards the attainment of the bill of rights began with the gain of independence from Great Britain by American states, followed by seeking of an alliance between America and other foreign powers. This was followed by a third step, which involved the formation of a confederation between thirteen states, which set the base for the birth of the United States of America. As a result of this, there was need to give power to the governments formed in order for citizens to pay taxes in a bid to provide superior services to them as compared to the run down situation on the ground at that moment. This way, the states came up with Articles of Confederation with the goa l to improve services to their citizens, and at the same time cut down on the powers of the government (â€Å"History of the bill of rights†). ... These were the federalists called for ratification of Articles of confederation, while the Anti-federalists believed the inclusion of a bill of rights was the way to go in bringing power to the people and avoiding abuse of power by the government. This way, different states that came together ran their own ratification committees, which were passed in different states at different times. However, it later became known that some states were likely to bring about unjust laws thus there was a need for a bill of rights, which was passed by congress as the 14th amendment to the constitution, and was later adopted by the rest of the world (â€Å"History of the bill of rights†). The bill of rights is crucial on multiple levels, where it serves as a guideline for how citizens should behave towards one another and how their rights can and should be governed as well as how they can be denied. Consequently, it is important in that it allows for the citizens to feel free to engage in what ever religious activities they please, but with certain restrictions (Wood and James). The restrictions in this case apply to not infringing on other people’s rights in anyway if at all the religious rights are to be upheld for the citizens. This creates a fair ground for all to engage in worship without discrimination from other individuals or even the state and state governments. In addition it shows the presence of democracy in any given country as it shows the divisions of power and its distribution to the citizens as seen in the USA, and this serves as a moral high ground for the USA in pushing other countries to adopt the bill of rights to signify the presence of democracy and proper

The Pestel Analysis Of Construction Industry Economics Essay

The Pestel Analysis Of Construction Industry Economics Essay General Objective: To come up with an eco-friendly construction material using shredded PET bottles as an aggregate (replacing the gravel component of CHB) in the production of an alternative construction material, ecological hollow block (EHB), which could result to a better cost effective product. Specific Objectives: To prepare an industry study of all the construction materials currently being used in housing and commercial developments. To review the waste management system in the Philippines and look for areas that are sustainable sources of PET materials. To identify the current drivers and trends of the real estate and construction industry, as well as the Non-government Organizations (NGOs) in order to explore the viability of introducing the EHB products for their construction needs. To prepare a business model for each market segment, namely: (1) Non-government Organizations (NGOs) and (2) Real Estate Developers and Contractors. Scope and Limitations This MRR is focused on the following market segments: real estate developers, construction companies and NGOs. The study is limited to the Philippines specifically the National Capital Region (NCR) and provinces within a 130 km radius. Other construction materials that have the potential to be used with PET flakes aside from the concrete hollow block are excluded from this study. Central Hypothesis This MRR focuses on the Ecoblock venture into the Philippine market through the NGOs specifically on housing and development programs; and eventually cater to the local real-estate developers and contractors. Hence the desired outcome of this MRR would be a venture strategy considering the economic conditions, market outlook, competitive analysis, risks analysis and capital sourcing. II.PESTEL Analysis of Construction Industry Political Factors President Aquinos State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 2010 highlighted the importance of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).  [1]  The PPP was seen as an important strategy for infrastructure development. It has also been estimated that the pipeline of PPP projects (infrastructure projects for transportation, water, power, health, and agriculture) for the year 2012 will amount to USD 5.49B. Another factor that can have an effect on these projects is the upcoming election in the year 2013 that can increase government spending on infrastructure developments. Lastly, the issue of corruption (specifically in government infrastructure projects) is seen as an important political factor in the construction industry of the Philippines. The corruption issues of the Philippines regarding infrastructure was discussed during Finance Secretary Cesar Purisimas meeting with Ernie Bower, the senior adviser and director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC.  [2]  In this meeting, it was cited that the PPPs program of the Philippines will be able to address the current issues on corruption. According to Purisima, the right infrastructures should be accompanied by forward-looking policies for the Philippines to be competitive through highly-viable and promising ventures. It was also made clear that corruption is a major factor that will hinder the gov ernment to increase spending for infrastructure projects. Economic Factors Figure 1. GDP year-on-year Growth Rates, 2006-2011. Source: National Statistic Coordination Board As shown in Figure 1, the Philippines gross domestic product (GDP) decreased from 7.6% in 2010 to 3.7% in 2011. This is due to the negative export growth rates in 2011 that was influenced by the global economic conditions particularly the economic and financial crises in US and Euro countries  [3]  . The domestic factors on the other hand include the decreasing demand and negative growth rate in agricultural production and the under spending of the government in infrastructure projects. Based on the GDP projections of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank, the Philippine economy will slightly improve in 2012 due to the support of growth in private consumption (higher OFW remittances), investment, and government spending  [4]  . However, if the debt woes in Europe will worsen and the recovery of the US economy will not be sustained, the Philippines will experience lower exports and foreign investment that may lead to lower GDP growt h. Considering these factors the Philippine government must be able to increase government spending on infrastructure projects to prevent the economy to slow down further. Figure 2. Peso-dollar rate, Inflation Rate, and 91-day T-bill in the Philippines, 2006 to 1Q 2012. Source: Bangko Sentral ngPilipinas As shown in Figure 2, even if demand in the economy is lower in 2011 due to the lower GDP growth rate, overall prices still increased which was brought about by the increase in prices of petroleum in the global market.  [5]  Looking at the disposable income of Filipinos, if the overall prices increase, the purchasing power will tend to decrease. This might affect the amount of disposable income that might be allocated for house purchase. Based on Figure 2, inflation is lower in the 1st quarter of year 2012. Meanwhile, the 91-day Treasury bill interest rate decreased when the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) attempted to stimulate economic growth. The peso-dollar rate remained stable due to the increase in inflow of remittances. The stability of the peso-dollar rate is very important in the construction industry due to the fact that some of the materials being used in construction are imported. The instability of the peso-dollar rate will affect the price of these materials. Figure 3. Construction Output (in million Php and share to total GDP) Source: National Statistic Coordination Board As shown in Figure 3, construction output in 2011 went down. This is due to the under spending of the government in infrastructure projects.  [6]  The construction-to-GDP ratio decreased from 5.7% to 5.2%. The increase in government spending can increase the GDP for the coming years. Table 1. Growth in the Tourism Industry, Business Process Outsourcing, and Mining Industry that may Affect the Construction Industry. Year Tourism Industry (Foreign Tourist Arrivals) Business Process Outsourcing (Projected Growth) Mining Industry (Expected Investment) 2010 3.52 M 2011 3.921 M (exceeded 3.74M target) 18% $3.4B 2012 1Q: 2.14M 20% $3.9B Source: Philippine Constructors Association Country Report, 2011. Department of Tourism Growth of other industries will also open opportunities for the construction industry. As shown in Table 1, the tourism industry, the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and the mining industry are continuously experiencing growth which may lead to more construction projects. For the tourism industry alone, 47 hotels with 14,000 rooms will be constructed by the year 2013.  [7]   Due to the Philippines stronger financial position, the Standard and Poor raised the Philippines international debt rating to one notch below investment grade (BB+).  [8]  According to the DBS Group, the Philippines can achieve investment-grade credit rating with a year or two. Once this is achieved, more investments will flow to the country. Social Factors The social factors that we will be considering in this study will give emphasis on the population growth rate, age profile, and housing backlog in the Philippines and try to correlate them with the construction industry in the country. Population Growth Rate As of July 2011 the Philippines has an estimated total population of 103.775 million and out of this, 11.86 million reside in the National Capital Region (NCR). The Philippines has an average population growth rate of 1.9% and the NCR has an average population growth rate of 1.78%. Age Profile The majority of the population in the Philippines belongs to the working class (15-64 years: 61.1% or 62,201,170 as of 2010). This is the portion of society who are about to start their own families until those who are about to retire from their respective careers. People in this segment are also the ones who have the capacity to invest in residential developments. Housing Backlog As of 28 December 2011 Philippines housing backlog is currently 3.6 million.  [9]  The government will tap shelter agencies like the Housing and Urban Development Coordination Council (HUDCC), the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), the Pag-ibig Fund, the Social Housing Finance Corporation, the National Housing Authority, the Home Guaranty Corporation, and the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation to reduce the housing backlog by 50% with an annual target of 350,000 housing units. To achieve this, the Aquino administration highlighted the need for more PPP programs to use the underutilized government lands. The insufficiency of available funding resulted to this housing backlog. The government needs Php 1.7 trillion to address the Philippines housing needs. In 2011, several typhoons and flash floods occurred in the Philippines between May and September. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will develop recovery and rehabilitation projects for victims of flash floods in NCR and other provinces with a total of 187,008 families. Also, projects will be developed for the victims of typhoons that entered the country, which affected 1.4 million families  [10]  . Technological Factors Last June 28, 2012, the general membership meeting of the Philippine Constructors Association (PCA) was held to discuss the current issues that the industry currently faces. In this meeting, innovation was considered as a driver of productivity. According to Executive Director Cosette V. Canilao, the players of the industry must be able to re-evaluate their resources and processes to make it more efficient, responsive and relevant to the present stringent requirements of the industry.  [11]  Regarding PPP for infrastructure projects, the government must demand from its private partners new technologies that will accelerate delivery time while ensuring public safety. However, Canilao also recognized the fear of being the first to try something different. With this, he emphasized that those players who will not invest in technological innovation might be left behind at bidding time. According to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Philippines may adopt new construction trends in Japan, particularly on the latest technology on roads and bridge construction.  [12]  The construction and engineering technologies from Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will help the Philippines build disaster-resilient infrastructures that would mitigate the effects of climate change. Technological innovation in the Philippines doesnt only happen with government projects, private manufacturers of construction materials also try to innovate the products and processes to improve the product offering. Cement manufacturers like the Holcim Group created a green sustainable solution for cement.  [13]  The company is trying to minimize the impact of cement manufacturing in the environment. The company focuses on bringing down carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by reducing the clinker factor by using mineral components as alternative materials.  [14]  Innovation on the use of raw materials was accompanied by improvement in the process namely: (1) use of alternative fuels; (2) co-processing; and (3) quarry habilitation policy. Co-processing is considered as a globally accepted technology that helps the company process water streams in the cement kilns to properly dispose hazardous industrial wastes.  [15]  The quarry habilitation policy would ensure that the quarry sites can be used productively by the community before they are completely mined out. Holcim Philippines was the first company to submit a Final Mine Decommissioning and Rehabilitation Plan to the Department of Natural Resources (DENR), which will serve as a blueprint in restoring quarry sites. Environmental Factors Land development and construction have a direct impact on the environment wherein land conversion from agricultural to urban and residential greatly reduces bio-capacity (ability of the land to produce food and other resources for the society).  [16]  Because of this, sustainable land development is becoming more important in the construction industry. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) developed an ALI Sustainability Framework to chart, monitor, and report the companys progress in sustainable land development. The increasing awareness about environmental impact of construction activities will eventually affect the way residential and commercial developments are built. In 2006, the Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC) was formed as a national non-profit organization through the alliance of building and construction industry leaders from the private and public sector.  [17]  This organization was formed to ensure an ecologically and economically sustainable industry. This resulted to a local green building rating system that is now called Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE). The BERDE scheme will serve as a benchmark for all property developers in the country. Last August 17-19, 2011, the first Philippine International Total Green Movement Exhibition and Conference was held at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex in Manila. The joint venture of the Philippine Constructors Association, Inc. (PCA), Global-Link Exhibitions Specialist, Inc. (GESI), Philippine Society of Ventilating, Air-conditioning, Refrigerating Engineers, Inc. (PSVARE), Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI), and Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Manila, created the Green Philippines 2011.  [18]  This event featured four exhibit segments on construction (Green Construct), manufacturing (Green Manufacturing), lifestyle (Green lifestyle), and energy (Green Energy). Also, last August 16-17, 2011, the 2nd Sustainable Building Technology Conference was held that invited international sustainability experts to discuss the best practices for a green industry. These events would show that the players in the c onstruction industry are already leaning towards environment friendly development projects. Legal Factors The construction industry is one of the most hazardous and risky occupations in the country. With this, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWG), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) signed a Memorandum of Agreement last May 4, 2011 to strengthen the campaign to minimize accidents in construction activities. This MOA aims to promote the welfare of construction workers and prevent the recurrence of construction-related incidents, notably the ones that recently killed or severely injured workers early 2012.  [19]  Also, this MOA is an off-shoot of DOLE Department Order No. 13 (which provides the Guidelines Governing Occupational Safety and Health in the Construction Industry) and aims to intensify the holistic and extensive execution of the policies and programs set forth in D.O. No. 13 in construction sites. III. Construction Materials Industry Existing Eco-friendly Construction Materials The construction industry in the Philippines is currently leaning toward ecological friendly materials due to the global campaign to save the environment. The materials that are available range from pre fabricated walls and blocks to bricks that is considered to be the oldest building material used. The pre-fabricated walls and blocks use polystyrene as an aggregate that is added to the concrete mixture to produce a lighter and insulating product. Reinforced fire bricks are also one of the common construction materials that are used in construction of homes. Reinforced bricks are made of industrial wastes such as rice hull, coal ash, silt, mud and clay. Existing Market and Availability The existing market for pre-fabricated walls and blocks are the contractors for commercial buildings and high-rise residential buildings. There are also some contractors that use pre-fabricated materials for home construction but the homeowners still prefer to use concrete hollow blocks (CHB) because of the high cost of the pre-fabricated material. The walls are pre-ordered by the contractor and are sometimes manufactured on site to avoid delivery expenses. On the other hand, the reinforced firebricks are used in home construction. This material is usually specified by the people who belong to the higher class of society mainly because of the price of this construction material. Advantages disadvantages of using existing eco-friendly construction material Pre-fabricated walls are used in exterior and interior applications in building construction. The lighter wall means that the foundations of a building project could be smaller due to the reduction in weight that the foundation needs to support. Installation time for the pre-fabricated wall is shorter compared to using conventional materials in wall construction. The product is smoother and does not need additional plastering (only the joints require additional concrete) because of the smooth finish that these walls generally have. The pre-fabricated walls also serve as good insulators that result to less energy consumption. A notable disadvantage of using this product, aside from the cost, is that the sizes that are available are only limited and could not be cut to size. The advantages of using reinforced fire brick in construction is that it uses less cement and is stronger than concrete. Bricks are also weather resistant and are considered to be ideal in tropical countries like t he Philippines because it slowly absorbs heat to keep the inside of the house cooler. Bricks do not need cement plastering and the walls do not need to be painted. The disadvantage of using this material is the high cost. Even if it requires less cement and no paint the cost of the material is still higher compared to common construction materials used. Concrete Hollow Blocks (CHBs) CHB as a backyard industry In the Philippines, CHB remains as a backyard industry because it is easy to produce, especially the non-load bearing CHB. The CHB can be produced manually by using an improvised mold. In producing a non-load bearing CHB, a mixture of sand, gravel, cement, and water can be manually compressed using the improvised mold. Reasons why CHB is still being used in construction There are three reasons why CHB is still being used in construction, namely: (1) cost; (2) availability; and (3) ease of installation and handling. CHB still remains as the a cheaper choice in construction of a concrete house. As a backyard industry, CHB is available nationwide with similar product specifications. Lastly, CHB is a traditional product. With this, majority of the laborers or construction workers are familiar with CHB in construction. The familiarity of the laborers with a product is the main reason why CHB is still being used. Innovations from CHB The demand for quality, economy, and completion time are the major considerations for all construction projects that usually dictate the choice of technology  [20]  . The traditional construction material currently being used for construction projects is the CHB. Based on the interview with key players in the real estate industry, another alternative is the pre-fabricated walls. For fabricated walls, the entire wall is built off- site or on-site before installation as compared to CHB that are stacked one on top of another. In the Philippines, only 5% are using prefabricated building material in housing construction  [21]  . Over the years, different types of construction materials have been offered containing recycled plastic, such as PVC pipes. Recycling is especially important for thermoset polymers since this form of plastic cannot be reheated and melted back to liquid form. In the Philippines and in other countries, shredded plastic has been used as aggregates for bricks and construction blocks. Most of these, however, are not widely offered commercially and are not load bearing. Porters Five Forces and Key Success Factor Figure 4. Porters Five Forces for the Construction Materials Industry Industry Rivalry Among Existing Players- Medium The demand for this product is readily accessible in most areas and the market is sensitive only to the price relative to the quality of the product they receive. At present the 4-6inchconcrete hollow blocks prices are standard for all and vary only between the volume suppliers and the backyard suppliers because of their respective approach to the business. The buyers of the product favor the suppliers who are nearer to them (because of transportation costs) and if satisfied with the quality they retain their suppliers. However there are instances where the buyer changes suppliers in lieu of quality issues for this reason, industry rivalry will be considered medium. Threat of New Entrants Medium The technical skill and labor required isnt advanced nor does it require highly specialized machines to deliver the product, the only obstacle is the cash required to: 1) purchase the hollow block maker and; 2) to secure working capital requirements. The cost of a concrete block mixer is between Php30,000-P40,000, and a mold container would be approximately Php5,000 per piece. Normally a block maker can start a small-time business with 6 molds which is equivalent to Php30,000 therefore a backyard business can start at a Php60,000 investment excluding working capital. The disadvantage of this practice is it sacrifices the quality/durability of the blocks due to the lack of compression of the block being formed thereby resulting in a lower PSI rating. The difficulty in securing funding for this particular business is high because the business is not unique while the returns in this type of business do not instantly translate to high growth profits. The local venture capitalists who provide seed capital to startups look to sunrise industries such as the BPO sector and IT services delivery, or the next big website investment. The prospects of a potential participant to capture market share will primarily be on their ability to reduce the cost of their concrete hollow block while maintaining a reasonable quality and service. In order to achieve this, the potential participant must have a large base of clients in order to achieve economies of scale in their production of quality products and a person who will provide assistance to the client to ensure proper delivery and satisfaction, a backyard hollow block maker will not be able to be competitive and for this reason the threat of new entrants is rated as medium taking into consideration these factors. Bargaining Power of Buyers Medium Some projects outsource their hollow block while others make it onsite. While it is preferred to buy the product in order to avoid the cost of investment and taking into consideration that there is abundant supply for this product (but at varying prices depending on which type of supplier: backyard supplier, volume supplier or a wholesaler, and depending on the volume purchase of the buyer the bargaining power of buyer is medium given the availability of a quality product in the market. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Low / Medium The demand for reasonably priced hollow blocks are assumed to be growing at 10.5% and construction materials 5.4% which supports the argument that demand is good. Another consideration is that the real-estate residential development is in the form of condominiums and they make use other products such as pre-fabricated walls instead of hollow blocks. The construction boom doesnt directly translate to increased hollow block use and the prices of hollow block are generally stable therefore for these reasons the suppliers bargaining power is low. The bargaining power of cement and sand suppliers remain low since there are abundant sources for these suppliers. The PET flakes suppliers have a medium bargaining power since they are less abundant than the cement and sand suppliers. Moreover, the local PET suppliers have different methods in shredding and cutting the plastic such that those suppliers that have the ability to shred PET flakes at a certain size have a stronger bargaining power than others. Threat of Substitute Products Low For the low cost housing sector and other housing projects hollow blocks are still preferred. The emerging sector of high-rise residential projects make use of pre-fabricated products and gypsum boards however the market share of these products is only 5% for construction materials, therefore the threat of substitutes are rated medium. Key Success Factors (Industry) The success in this industry will be in the costing of the product and the quality. In order to reduce the overall cost of the product there is a need to meet operation efficiency and effective marketing in order to achieve economies of scale that will bring down overall costs for our firm while producing a good quality product. Opportunities and Threats Opportunities Emphasis on PPP programs for government infrastructure projects Good forecast for the tourism, BPO, and mining industry Movement towards sustainable community development The use of plastic as an aggregate is not yet widely introduced in the Philippines The high amount of investment on PPP programs is seen as a good opportunity for the construction materials industry. For year 2012, several PPP projects are in the pipeline, namely: (1)14 projects on transportation; (2) 2 projects on utilities-water (3) 2 projects on power; 1 project on health; and (4) 2 projects on agriculture that amounted to USD 5.49B will increase the demand for construction materials. These PPP programs will also serve as an opportunity for private companies to increase their annual construction projects. The growth of three industries, namely: (1) tourism industry; (2) BPO; and (3) mining industry will also contribute to the growth of the construction materials industry. The increasing annual foreign tourist arrivals and domestic travelers opted for the increased in resorts, hotels, and condominiums. The increase in number of accommodation facilities was accompanied by the Republic Act of 9593 or Tourism Act of 2009 wherein the roads that are not initially classified as national but lead to tourism sites, airports, and seaports will be improved which will be included in the DPWH budget for 2012.  [22]  For the BPO, construction of commercial buildings is also expected to increase to meet the demand of the industry. The investment of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) would show that the mining still remains as a promising industry (Table 1). Investment on mining would result to more office sites and barracks for mining companies. The movement towards building more sustainable developments is seen as an improvement for the construction industry. New technologies for products and processes will help improve the viability of construction projects in the Philippines. By focusing on the impact of construction of the environment, the need for environment-friendly products may increase as the industry try to include the societys welfare in planning construction projects. The use of plastic as an aggregate is currently being used in Germany. However, this new aggregate is not yet widely introduced in the Philippines. This is seen as an opportunity for the company to introduce a product with more benefits than the existing products in the market. Threats Competition (large companies) Emergence of new products Competition especially against large competitors is seen as a major threat because these companies are already established in the industry. New companies that may introduce new products in the market may face difficulties especially if these products are not patented. Large companies can simply launch the same product at a larger scale. The availability of funding for these large companies will give them an advantage to produce more products. The more products a company manufactures, the opportunity to capture a larger market is bigger. Also, large companies can be seen as good suppliers for developers and contractors who want a steady supply of materials. Even if CHB currently remains as the primary choice for wall construction, emergence of new products as a substitute may pose as a threat for the CHB market. Even if only 5% in Philippines uses prefabricated bu

The Assassination Of John F. Kennedy Essay examples -- essays research

In January of 1960, a young man by the name of John F. Kennedy was sworn in to uphold the office of President of the United States of America. He was assassinated on November 22, 1963, when he was only 46 years old. There is lots of speculation about the way he died. Here are just a few questions concerning his death. Who or how many people were involved in President John F. Kennedy’s assassination? This is a question that has baffled many people for 33 years. Some of the main questions are: Was Lee Harvey Oswald the lone assassin? This question may never be answered. Is there a possibility that there could have been another rifleman? What is the minimum time to get three shots off with the Mannlicher Carcano bolt action rifle? Why did Jack Ruby shoot Oswald? Was he trying to protect himself or show loyalty to his President? Did Fidel Castro have President Kennedy assassinated? Were the CIA and FBI involved? What about the â€Å"mob†; did they have any logical reason to kill the President? What is the story on the â€Å"superbullet†? How can one assassin shoot three shots at a man in a limousine going 11.2 mph under five seconds? Among the most crucial questions to be considered in determining the identity of the President’s assassin are the number of shots fired in the course of the assassination, the time elapsed between shots, and the location of the site or sites where the shots were fired. A great deal of evidence rides on these questions: the number of wounds, the path of the bullets causing each wound, the position of the rifle believed to have fired the recovered bullet and its fragments, the position and number of empty cartridge cases believed to have been fired, and visual observations by bystanders. In addition, a mass of evidence has been collected from the people that witnessed the shooting. I will try to explain or figure out what went on during the 22 of November in 1963.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many theories on the assassination of JFK. The first theory is that Robert Kennedy, the brother of John and also the attorney general at this time dated a known mobsters’ girlfriend, and Robert also tried to get one of the biggest court cases in the history of the U.S. put upon the mob. In order to get back at him, they killed his brother. Later, they killed him when he was going to run for President. There is some more evidence that the mob ... ...mes. I think that the CIA was mad at President Kennedy for not helping them out at the Bay of Pigs, so they managed to convince Oswald that they would give him lots of money to kill the President. When they hired Oswald, they had one of their own men on the grassy knoll to shoot Oswald after he shot President Kennedy, then the CIA’s man would kill Kennedy. This supports the theory of why the people heard a shot over the fence at the grassy knoll. Another things that supports my theory is that they never found the third bullet. When the man behind the fence did not do his job, they sent Jack Ruby to finish what they started. They had to quiet Oswald or he was going to talk and tell who was really behind it. Who was really behind it? This is a question that the world will never know the real answer to. This concludes my theory on how President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Works Cited Accessories After the Fact. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1964. North, Mark. Act of Treason. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 1991. Posner, Gary. Case Closed. New York: Random House, 1993. Scott, Peter Dale. Deep Politics and the Death of JFK. University of California Press, 1993.