Project Planning and Project Success Relation

Human services Reform - Essay Example Some the advantages incorporate permitting kids to buy protection, toward the beginning of 2014 ladies will never again be charged more than men. Protection firms will likewise be managed with the goal that they can't climb protection rates when an individual becomes sick will be helpful for all the residents. This manage of the protection will enormously help in guaranteeing that the strength of any individual isn't imperil a direct result of their societal position and age The capacity of state-based trades will likewise permit people who are jobless to buy protection. Endowments will likewise be given to those families that are underneath the government neediness level. These changes will be an incredible lift to the vast majority of the residents who don't procure an average salary (Jill, 2012). Social insurance in the United States is a central piece of living. This is because of the numerous medical problems that Americans face in a regular routine. Be that as it may, the human services structure in the America is looked by a major issue of costly administrations, which isn't moderate to the greater part of the individuals. A major level of American populace isn't medicinally guaranteed and this prompts the doctor visits being unreasonably costly for a conventional resident. Roughly 44million Americans are not protected and an extra 38 million have lacking medical coverages. This populace experience every day not certain what might occur in the event that they fell wiped out or needed clinical consideration. The nonattendance of a clinical protection subsequently implies that they can't visit the doctor for normal check ups and will consistently defer ailments or excursions to the specialist since they essentially can't bear the cost of it. Postponed clinical consideration inspired by a paranoid fear of costs is a fiasco considering the quantity of individuals in the nation and the sicknesses that could be dealt with early turning lethal. Individuals without health care coverage are at the most serious danger of not getting diseases sufficiently early and not securing clinical

Evaluate the Influence of Two Major Theories of Ageing on Health and Social Care Service Provision Essay Example

Assess the Influence of Two Major Theories of Aging on Health and Social Care Service Provision Paper Word related Therapy is impacted by The Activity Theory since it assists with advancing autonomy. An OT’s commonplace day would be that they show their patient a self-care task I. e. dressing, prepping or individual cleanliness. They could likewise show their patients restorative exercises, for example, equalization, coordination or an arriving at assignment, or help them with a remedial exercise which assists with improving their adaptability, quality and development. These assignments will help the patient in their regular day to day existence, making it simpler for them to do the things they need this could be to brush their own teeth, utilize the bathroom without anyone else and even dress themselves with no assistance. An OT truly assists with doing this since they tailor their medicines to every patient they have. This encourages the patient to benefit from the treatment and instead of simply get back their developments they had before they by and large improve it with the medications. An OT likewise advances exercises since it gets individuals retreat after they’ve had a stroke, sickness or a fall doing the things that they cherished and the things that they need to do. This additionally gets individuals mingling again on the grounds that they are getting making the rounds and not staying cooped up inside their home, so in this way OT advances social cooperation just as advancing exercises. Word related Therapy and the Disengagement Theory We will compose a custom paper test on Evaluate the Influence of Two Major Theories of Aging on Health and Social Care Service Provision explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom article test on Evaluate the Influence of Two Major Theories of Aging on Health and Social Care Service Provision explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom article test on Evaluate the Influence of Two Major Theories of Aging on Health and Social Care Service Provision explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer Word related Therapy is impacted by The Disengagement Theory since individuals with may pull back from society since they feel that they don’t need the treatment as well as they don’t need it. By them feeling like this they may not go to the medicines and accordingly, their condition may deteriorate making them remain inside their home. For instance, if a male occupant had a fall and broke his arm he might be hesitant to get any treatment for it since he feels that he hasn’t ever required a specialist previously so he will be fine and it will mend. This may bring about his arm getting solid and the developments in his arm might be split. This could cause him to feel moronic and humiliated in light of the fact that he now can’t do things as he did previously, making him need to remain inside and not member in exercises or get-togethers. Care homes and The Disengagement Theory Care homes are affected by The Disengagement Theory since they permit individuals to pull back from society, they are fundamentally care based and just a couple of exercises are put on in the consideration homes. A few instances of the exercises they may put on are bowls and loops. These exercises may not intrigue all the occupants which may make them remain inside as they can’t be tried to descend just to watch or the action may not suit for their necessities so they will most likely be unable to partake in the movement, this could cause the inhabitant to feel dumb, humiliated and desolate as they can’t engage with different inhabitants. This thus could make the occupant not have any desire to come out of their loft at all since they haven’t engaged with anything before, they may feel less certain on the grounds that they don’t know anybody quite well. This may make potential obstructions to social collaborations between the inhabitants inside the consideration home. Care homes don’t advance autonomy very well either. This is on the grounds that they are basically parental figures, anyway this isn’t all consideration homes only the larger part. They don’t advance autonomy since they would typically give all the consideration, for example, helping occupants get dressed, wash them, help them to go to the bathroom and even assistance them to eat. A few inhabitants may like this since it gives them a simple life yet a few occupants won’t have a lot of a decision on account of their wellbeing or sickness they may have. Care homes and The Activity Theory Care homes are affected by The Activity Theory since some consideration homes, for example, Norah Bellot Court elevate exercises to get the inhabitants in question and moving which permits the staff individuals to survey the wellbeing and prosperity of the occupants. Norah Bellot Court is to a greater degree a shielded lodging yet I’m going to utilize it for instance. They put on exercises, for example, pool or snooker, bowls, bands, the WII in addition to all the games they may have, book days and film days. You can advise that the occupants truly prefer to get included in any event, when their wellbeing or ailment disables them from participating in they despite everything come down to participate and impart the organization to different inhabitants.

Holiday Shopping for Aspiring Minimalists

Holiday Shopping for Aspiring Minimalists Christmas is fast approaching. So is Thanksgiving and Kwanza and Hanukkah and New Years and every other holiday we have commandeered and reappropriated as obligatory gift-giving days. Even Valentines Day, the most insipid example of our commodification of caring, is not far around the corner. So, what better time to revisit three of our favorite holiday-gift-giving essays: 40 Reasons to Avoid Shopping on Black Friday Five Steps Toward a More Meaningful Holiday Season Buying Back the Holiday (Newspaper Interview) Enjoy. Feel free to regift these essays if you find value in them. Tune in to our Twitter and Facebook feeds for more minimalist tips this holiday season. You can also check out Joshuas Minimalist on Christmas television interview: If you cant see the above video, you can watch it on YouTube.

International Trade Simulation and Report - 1965 Words

International Trade Simulation and Report ECO-212 Principles of Economics - Robert Coates University Of Phoenix Faithlyn Wright, Trina Drinka, David Barrett, Amber Kemper, Josue Garcia July 11, 2010. Advantage and Limitation of International Trade International Trade is important to many countries because it allows a country to import products or resources that may be difficult to produce locally. As a result, this enhances the country’s growth and economic wealth, and also allows the country to focus on increasing the production of resources or goods that the country can then export elsewhere. For example, in the simulation, Rodamia produces both corn and cheese, but they have a comparative advantage in†¦show more content†¦There are various factors that cause the fluctuation in the rates of exchange; International trade affects the value of a currency, particularly through how much export or imports a nation may have, countries selling so many goods and services to others, tend to appreciate their Forex standards and those importing highly normally have their currency fall in value since they are spending more to their trading partners than they gain from them. Political and psychological factors are believed to have an influence on exchange rates. Many currencies have a tradition of behaving in a particular way for e.g. Swiss franc as a refuge currency. The US Dollar is also considered a safer haven currency whenever there is a political crisis anywhere in the world. Speculation normally affects the currency value when there is belief that a particular economy is over heating and that soon there will be devaluation, then chances are high that, speculators will pull out their monies, causing there to be more supply than demand on the Forex for that particular currency, he nce its depreciation. World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (or â€Å"WTO†) is a multi-national cooperative organization that provides a forum in which to discuss international trade. Member-nations agree to abide by rules decided through the WTO, and in return are allowed to vote on changes to those rules,Show MoreRelatedInternational Trade Simulation and Report1417 Words   |  6 PagesInternational Trade Simulation and Report International trade is the exchange of goods, capital, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries this trade represents a significant share of their (GDP) gross domestic product. This type of trade has political, economic, and social importance to all nations involved. There are many factors surrounding international trade, such as, advantages, limitations, foreign exchange rates, and others. As we review these factors,Read MoreEssay on International Trade Simulation987 Words   |  4 Pagessummarize the International Trade Simulation, explain the basic concept of International Trade, emphasize the four key points from the reading assignments in the simulation, and apply these concepts to my workplace. Simulation Summary In the International Trade simulation, you are the Trade Representative of a small country called Rodamia. 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Each country usually has a particular combinationRead MoreBaby Back Report1425 Words   |  6 PagesClarkson University Professor: Susan Young FN 475 Portfolio Management Stock Simulation: Spring 2010 Visit the web page at http://v2.stocktrak.com/public/members/registrationstudents.aspx?p=ClarksonU-FN475-Sp10 to activate and pay for your account online with a credit card. The fee for the service is $28.95. [Or, you may mail the Registration Form attached to the trading rules form along with your check to STOCK-TRAK] Stocktrak.com Project Trading Rules: http://www.stocktrakRead MoreForecasting And Inventory Management For An Erp System848 Words   |  4 PagesShipment The BPG simulation also lends credence to that fact that an improved scheduling application is essential for managing and maximizing time spent working and making use of resources. Due to this factor our company can flexibly and reliably deliver goods without any delay. This is because accurate reports would be available in real-time. It could be financially dangerous for the company to continue to operate with an antiquated system while using outdated modules to receive reports and customerRead MoreIssues in Global Business1296 Words   |  6 Pages Module Level 6 Credit value 40      Total Number 400 of Learning Hours Key Words Implementation of Global strategy, strategy and the organisation, strategic development, globalisation, international business and the environment, internationalisation.      Module Description There has been a fundamental shift in the world’s economy where national economies were once self contained, now cross border business activities andRead MoreCesim Round 3 Report1125 Words   |  5 PagesCRITICAL APPRAISAL REPORT Round 3 LOGISTICS RD Ruitong Li ID: 3466663 8th Aug 2011 Team Alpha 1. INTRODUTION This report will cover logistics and RD section from the simulation, where I will be stating theories of logistics, and logistic transportation concepts, and analyzing my understanding for research and development. I will be stating out my decision for logistics and RD section in the simulation as well, and point out the reasons why I have made the decisions. 2. CONSIDERATIONRead MoreRiordan Enterprise Risk Management Plan1294 Words   |  6 PagesRiordan Manufacturing is a Fortune 1000 company that specializes in the plastic injection molding industry. They are an international company with facilities in California, Georgia, Michigan, and China. Their products include beverage containers, plastic fan parts, and custom plastic parts. Riordan prides themselves on their industry leading research and development (University of Phoenix, 2009). The following Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) plan was developed for Riordan Industries, Inc. andRead MoreDetailed Assessment of a Significant Potential Terrorist WMD Attack3312 Words   |  13 PagesMatusiak (2012) reports that one way that one might conceptualize terrorism is communication amplified by violence. Since the bombing of Japan in World War II, the killing power of a nuclear device has been widely understood and generally feared by people. Furthermore, since chemical weapons were introduced, such as chlorine gas, in World War I, the objective of possessing a WMD has been at the fore-front of government and now terror objectives. (p.1) Matusiak (2012) additionally reports that the ideaRead MoreFdi Essay1662 Words   |  7 Pagesand Ritchie(2002) argue that it may lead to human capital formation through upgrading the skills of human capital of host countries by provision of formal training, schooling and spill-over effects of layoffs and turn overs of labour force from international firm to domestic firms. FDI affects the local level of research and development by creating positive spillovers. Thus these may be considered supply side effects of FDI on human capital formation process of the host country. On the supply side

The Life Of Abortion And Adoption . When You Considered

The life of abortion and adoption When you considered the word abortion and adoption they can bring out different feelings based on people’s perspective. Some would think that abortion is an easier choice because the mother and father do not have the responsibility for a child or for the rest of their lives. From my personal perspective, this is a very bad idea because the mother is taking a life of a child and the procedure could can hurt the women’s body, which could lead to pregnancy challenges in the future. When you discuss the word adoption, some people would consider how long the process might take but would ultimately find gratifications in the process. In several medical cases, couples chose to go through the tough process of†¦show more content†¦In an article, it says â€Å"Doctors considered midwives, who attended births and performed abortions as part of their regular practice, a threat to their own economic and social power.† (Simon Schuster, Our bodies, ourselves for the n ew century: a book by and for women). This quote is showing how many of the women got persuaded in to abortion and how some of the doctors back in the day tried to stop this process, they told the midwives that this is a bad idea and they should not be encouraging abortions as part of their business. As well as some women have an abortion because they have the influence of their mother telling them that they should have the abortion because either they are young or can’t afford it so the easy route. The easy way out would be to hire someone who could perform an abortion for a low cost. Some midwife were willing to do it for free in a private location so that no one knows. Along with another quote that says â€Å"In the 1990s, antiabortionists increasingly turned to harassment of individual doctors and their families, picketing their homes, following them, and circulating ``Wanted posters.† (Simon Schuster, Our bodies, ourselves for the new century: a book by and for women). The quote indicated that back in the day it was still hard for people to understand the abortion laws. As well as some people took the issue to the extreme and truly wanted to get rid of the people who were willing to performShow MoreRelated Adoption, the Moral Alternative to Abortion Essay1264 Words   |  6 PagesAdoption, the Moral Alternative to Abortion It was only three days after being born that I was flown to my new family in Illinois. If I had not been for a one woman’s unselfish decision, I would not be writing the words on this page right now. Abortion is an ethically wrong decision and option for a parent. It is illegal to take the life of another human being; by choosing to have an abortion, legally a parent is not willingly killing a human life. However, this choice is stillRead MoreThe Wrongs Of Abortion : Abortion1298 Words   |  6 PagesSeptember 2014 The Wrongs of Abortion Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to have your right to live taken away? A baby fetus doesn’t even get a chance to decide whether or not they want to live or not when inside the mothers’ womb. A baby has no say because the mother has the power to just â€Å"get rid† of a child. Abortion would just be a gateway to get rid of a child by killing it. There are many other different ways to prevent or give away a child you do not want. Abortion isn’t the only answerRead MoreShould Abortion Be Illegal? Essay845 Words   |  4 Pages Did you know that right now in the United States some people think abortion should be illegal and the choice of women to choose what to do about their own bodies and pregnancies is being considered getting taken away from them? Abortion is a medical procedure that terminates pregnancy. It is usually done during the first twelve months of pregnancy, called the first trimester. Abortion has been legal ever since 1973 afte r the Roe v. Wade court case. This court case overturned all state laws in theRead MoreAbortion Persuasive Essay755 Words   |  4 PagesHow would you feel if someone took your ability to live? Unfortunately, this is harsh reality for close to a million babies in the United States alone. Millions of lives that have been taken, never knowing what it is like to laugh until you cry. Millions of babies that could have changed the world and maybe one of them could have cured cancer, instead these babies are torn limb by limb, burned, and many other tortuous methods to end the precious life. Abortion is murder and is not only very cruelRead MoreGive Your Child a Chance at Life667 Words   |  3 Pages Abortion is one of the many topics that everyone has an opinion about. Whether you are for or against it everyone has an opinion about it. In our society it is a huge controversial issue that everyone is dealing with on a religious, personal or political aspect. Even though it was declared that abortion is a fundamental right in 1973 there is still debate about it on many different levels. Countless religious affiliations are against it, saying that unborn babies are human beings at the momentRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Abortion1011 Words   |  5 Pages Abortion is the termination of a human pregnancy. â€Å"More than 60% of the world’s population lives in countries where induced abortion is permitted either for a wide range of reasons or without restriction as to the reason. In contrast, 26% of all people reside in countries where abortion is generally prohibited.† as stated by The World’s Abortion Laws Map. Abortion is appalling and should be outlawed. N ot only is it the excretion of a fetus, what a baby has developed from, from the uterus by naturalRead MoreAbortion is Never Justified Essay1028 Words   |  5 PagesAbortion is Never Justified I am examining the question ‘Abortion is never justified’ from a Christian perspective and will explain my view on abortion. The bible has many quotes directly relating to the foetus within the womb. The main argument is trying to discover at what point life begins when finding this out it is easier to decide whether abortion is right or wrong. Though the question on when life starts is hard to find out as people have their own point of viewRead MoreShould Abortion Be Banned?1847 Words   |  7 Pages An abortion is an induced and sudden termination of pregnancy. There are two types of abortions, Medical and Surgical. The medical method involves taking two pills within 24 hours of each other thus killing the fetus, but this method is usually done during 3-7 weeks of pregnancy. The surgical method, on the other hand involves a doctor removing the inner lining of the womb, either manual vacuum aspiration or dilatation suction curettage. Both of these methods use a suction processRead MoreThe Right to Live832 Words   |  3 PagesThe Right to Live Imagine that each day that you wake up, thousands of people have been arranged to be murdered. Well, that’s actually the case. According to the National Right to Life, nearly 4,000 abortions are performed daily. When you think about it, that’s a great deal of unborn children that are just â€Å"discarded† or erased, like a sheet of paper containing an awful mistake. An abortion, by definition, is the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followedRead MoreHorton Hears A Who by Dr.Seuss1157 Words   |  5 Pagesmothers womb was once the safest place for a baby to lie in but when abortion was legalized in Canada in 1969, I now think, its the most dangerous. To start off, Id like to remind everyone of the movie or book Horton Hears A Who written by Dr.Seuss. In the movie, we meet an elephant named Horton. One day while Hortons walking through the jungle of Nool, a clover flies past him, a clovers like a little flower. And when it flies by him, he hears noises coming from it, almost like little

The Subtle Knife Chapter Seven Free Essays

string(73) " their stillness expressing power and compassion and intellectual force\." Chapter Seven The Rolls-Royce Lyra woke early to find the morning quiet and warm, as if the city never had any other weather than this calm summer. She slipped out of bed and downstairs, and hearing some children’s voices out on the water, went to see what they were doing. Three boys and a girl were splashing across the sunlit harbor in a couple of pedal boats, racing toward the steps. We will write a custom essay sample on The Subtle Knife Chapter Seven or any similar topic only for you Order Now As they saw Lyra, they slowed for a moment, but then the race took hold of them again. The winners crashed into the steps so hard that one of them fell into the water, and then he tried to climb into the other craft and tipped that over, too, and then they all splashed about together as if the fear of the night before had never happened. They were younger than most of the children by the tower, Lyra thought, and she joined them in the water, with Pantalaimon as a little silver fish glittering beside her. She never found it hard to talk to other children, and soon they were gathered around her, sitting in pools of water on the warm stone, their shirts drying quickly in the sun. Poor Pantalaimon had to creep into her pocket again, frog-shaped in the cool damp cotton. â€Å"What you going to do with that cat?† â€Å"Can you really take the bad luck away?† â€Å"Where you come from?† â€Å"Your friend, he ain’ afraid of Specters?† â€Å"Will en’t afraid of anything,† Lyra said. â€Å"Nor’m I. What you scared of cats for?† â€Å"You don’t know about cats?† the oldest boy said incredulously. â€Å"Cats, they got the devil in them, all right. You got to kill every cat you see. They bite you and put the devil in you too. And what was you doing with that big pard?† She realized he meant Pantalaimon in his leopard shape, and shook her head innocently. â€Å"You must have been dreaming,† she said. â€Å"There’s all kinds of things look different in the moonlight. But me and Will, we don’t have Specters where we come from, so we don’t know much about ’em.† â€Å"If you can’t see ’em, you’re safe,† said a boy. â€Å"You see ’em, you know they can get you. That’s what my pa said, then they got him.† â€Å"And they’re here, all around us now?† â€Å"Yeah,† said the girl. She reached out a hand and grabbed a fistful of air, crowing, â€Å"I got one now!† â€Å"They can’t hurt you,† one of the boys said. â€Å"So we can’t hurt them, all right.† â€Å"And there’s always been Specters in this world?† said Lyra. â€Å"Yeah,† said one boy, but another said, â€Å"No, they came a long time ago. Hundreds of years.† â€Å"They came because of the Guild,† said the third. â€Å"The what?† said Lyra. â€Å"They never!† said the girl. â€Å"My granny said they came because people were bad, and God sent them to punish us.† â€Å"Your granny don’ know nothing,† said a boy. â€Å"She got a beard, your granny. She’s a goat, all right.† â€Å"What’s the Guild?† Lyra persisted. â€Å"You know the Torre degli Angeli,† said a boy. â€Å"The stone tower, right. Well it belongs to the Guild, and there’s a secret place in there. The Guild, they’re men who know all kind of things. Philosophy, alchemy, all kind of things they know. And they were the ones who let the Specters in.† â€Å"That ain’ true,† said another boy. ‘They came from the stars.† â€Å"It is! This is what happened, all right: this Guild man hundreds of years ago was taking some metal apart. Lead. He was going to make it into gold. And he cut it and cut it smaller and smaller till he came to the smallest piece he could get. There ain’ nothing smaller than that. So small you couldn’ see it, even. But he cut that, too, and inside the smallest little bit there was all the Specters packed in, twisted over and folded up so tight they took up no space at all. But once he cut it, bam! They whooshed out, and they been here ever since. That’s what my papa said.† â€Å"Is there any Guild men in the tower now?† said Lyra. â€Å"No! They run away like everyone else,† said the girl. â€Å"There ain’ no one in the tower. That’s haunted, that place,† said a boy. â€Å"That’s why the cat came from there. We ain’ gonna go in there, all right. Ain’ no kids gonna go in there. That’s scary.† â€Å"The Guild men ain’ afraid to go in there,† said another. â€Å"They got special magic, or something. They’re greedy, they live off the poor people,† said the girl. â€Å"The poor people do all the work, and the Guild men just live there for nothing.† â€Å"But there en’t anyone in the tower now?† Lyra said. â€Å"No grownups?† â€Å"No grownups in the city at all!† â€Å"They wouldn’ dare, all right.† But she had seen a young man up there. She was convinced of it. And there was something in the way these children spoke; as a practiced liar, she knew liars when she met them, and they were lying about something. And suddenly she remembered: little Paolo had mentioned that he and Angelica had an elder brother, Tullio, who was in the city too, and Angelica had hushed him†¦ Could the young man she’d seen have been their brother? She left them to rescue their boats and pedal back to the beach, and went inside to make some coffee and see if Will was awake. But he was still asleep, with the cat curled up at his feet, and Lyra was impatient to see her Scholar again. So she wrote a note and left it on the floor by his bedside, and took her rucksack and went off to look for the window. The way she took led her through the little square they’d come to the night before. But it was empty now, and the sunlight dusted the front of the ancient tower and showed up the blurred carvings beside the doorway: humanlike figures with folded wings, their features eroded by centuries of weather, but somehow in their stillness expressing power and compassion and intellectual force. You read "The Subtle Knife Chapter Seven" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"Angels,† said Pantalaimon, now a cricket on Lyra’s shoulder. â€Å"Maybe Specters,† Lyra said. â€Å"No! They said this was something angeli.† he insisted. â€Å"Bet that’s angels.† â€Å"Shall we go in?† They looked up at the great oak door on its ornate black hinges. The half-dozen steps up to it were deeply worn, and the door itself stood slightly open. There was nothing to stop Lyra from going in except her own fear. She tiptoed to the top of the steps and looked through the opening. A dark stone-flagged hall was all she could see, and not much of that; but Pantalaimon was fluttering anxiously on her shoulder, just as he had when they’d played the trick on the skulls in the crypt at Jordan College, and she was a little wiser now. This was a bad place. She ran down the steps and out of the square, making for the bright sunlight of the palm tree boulevard. And as soon as she was sure there was no one looking, she went straight across to the window and through into Will’s Oxford. Forty minutes later she was inside the physics building once more, arguing with the porter; but this time she had a trump card. â€Å"You just ask Dr. Malone,† she said sweetly. â€Å"That’s all you got to do, ask her. She’ll tell you.† The porter turned to his telephone, and Lyra watched pityingly as he pressed the buttons and spoke into it. They didn’t even give him a proper lodge to sit in, like a real Oxford college, just a big wooden counter, as if it was a shop. â€Å"All right,† said the porter, turning back. â€Å"She says go on up. Mind you don’t go anywhere else.† â€Å"No, I won’t,† she said demurely, a good little girl doing what she was told. At the top of the stairs, though, she had a surprise, because just as she passed a door with a symbol indicating woman on it, it opened and there was Dr. Malone silently beckoning her in. She entered, puzzled. This wasn’t the laboratory, it was a washroom, and Dr. Malone was agitated. She said, â€Å"Lyra, there’s someone else in the lab – police officers or something. They know you came to see me yesterday – I don’t know what they’re after, but I don’t like it. What’s going on?† â€Å"How do they know I came to see you?† â€Å"I don’t know! They didn’t know your name, but I knew who they meant – â€Å" â€Å"Oh. Well, I can lie to them. That’s easy.† â€Å"But what is going on?† A woman’s voice spoke from the corridor outside: â€Å"Dr. Malone? Have you seen the child?† â€Å"Yes,† Dr. Malone called. â€Å"I was just showing her where the washroom is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There was no need for her to be so anxious, thought Lyra, but perhaps she wasn’t used to danger. The woman in the corridor was young and dressed very smartly, and she tried to smile when Lyra came out, but her eyes remained hard and suspicious. â€Å"Hello,† she said. â€Å"You’re Lyra, are you?† â€Å"Yeah. What’s your name?† â€Å"I’m Sergeant Clifford. Come along in.† Lyra thought this young woman had a nerve, acting as if it were her own laboratory, but she nodded meekly. That was the moment when she first felt a twinge of regret. She knew she shouldn’t be here; she knew what the alethiometer wanted her to do, and it was not this. She stood doubtfully in the doorway. In the room already there was a tall powerful man with white eyebrows. Lyra knew what Scholars looked like, and neither of these two was a Scholar. â€Å"Come in, Lyra,† said Sergeant Clifford again. â€Å"It’s all right. This is Inspector Walters.† â€Å"Hello, Lyra,† said the man. â€Å"I’ve been hearing all about you from Dr. Malone here. I’d like to ask you a few questions, if that’s all right.† â€Å"What sort of questions?† she said. â€Å"Nothing difficult,† he said, smiling. â€Å"Come and sit down, Lyra.† He pushed a chair toward her. Lyra sat down carefully, and heard the door close itself. Dr. Malone was standing nearby. Pantalaimon, cricket-formed in Lyra’s breast pocket, was agitated; she could feel him against her breast, and hoped the tremor didn’t show. She thought to him to keep still. â€Å"Where d’you come from, Lyra?† said Inspector Walters. If she said Oxford, they’d easily be able to check. But she couldn’t say another world, either. These people were dangerous; they’d want to know more at once. She thought of the only other name she knew of in this world: the place Will had come from. â€Å"Winchester,† she said. â€Å"You’ve been in the wars, haven’t you, Lyra?† said the inspector. â€Å"How did you get those bruises? There’s a bruise on your cheek, and another on your leg – has someone been knocking you about?† â€Å"No,† said Lyra. â€Å"Do you go to school, Lyra?† â€Å"Yeah. Sometimes,† she added. â€Å"Shouldn’t you be at school today?† She said nothing. She was feeling more and more uneasy. She looked at Dr. Malone, whose face was tight and unhappy. â€Å"I just came here to see Dr. Malone,† Lyra said. â€Å"Are you staying in Oxford, Lyra? Where are you staying?† â€Å"With some people,† she said. â€Å"Just friends.† â€Å"What’s their address?† â€Å"I don’t know exactly what it’s called. I can find it easy, but I can’t remember the name of the street.† â€Å"Who are these people?† â€Å"Just friends of my father,† she said. â€Å"Oh, I see. How did you find Dr. Malone?† ‘†Cause my father’s a physicist, and he knows her.† It was going more easily now, she thought. She began to relax into it and lie more fluently. â€Å"And she showed you what she was working on, did she?† â€Å"Yeah. The engine with the screen†¦ Yes, all that.† â€Å"You’re interested in that sort of thing, are you? Science, and so on?† â€Å"Yeah. Physics, especially.† â€Å"You going to be a scientist when you grow up?† That sort of question deserved a blank stare, which it got. He wasn’t disconcerted. His pale eyes looked briefly at the young woman, and then back to Lyra. â€Å"And were you surprised at what Dr. Malone showed you?† â€Å"Well, sort of, but I knew what to expect† â€Å"Because of your father?† â€Å"Yeah. ‘Cause he’s doing the same kind of work.† â€Å"Yes, quite. Do you understand it?† â€Å"Some of it.† â€Å"Your father’s looking into dark matter, then?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Has he got as far as Dr. Malone?† â€Å"Not in the same way. He can do some things better, but that engine with the words on the screen – he hasn’t got one of those.† â€Å"Is Will staying with your friends as well?† â€Å"Yes, he – â€Å" And she stopped. She knew at once she’d made a horrible mistake. So did they, and they were on their feet in a moment to stop her from running out but somehow Dr. Malone was in the way, and the sergeant tripped and fell, blocking the way of the inspector. It gave Lyra time to dart out, slam the door shut behind her, and run full tilt for the stairs. Two men in white coats came out of a door, and she bumped into them. Suddenly Pantalaimon was a crow, shrieking and flapping, and he startled them so much they fell back and she pulled free of their hands and raced down the last flight of stairs into the lobby just as the porter put the phone down and lumbered along behind his counter calling out â€Å"Oy! Stop there! You!† But the flap he had to lift was at the other end, and she got to the revolving door before he could come out and catch her. And behind her, the lift doors were opening, and the pale-haired man was running out so fast, so strong – And the door wouldn’t turn! Pantalaimon shrieked at her: they were pushing the wrong side! She cried out in fear and turned herself around, hurling her little weight against the heavy glass, willing it to turn, and got it to move just in time to avoid the grasp of the porter, who then got in the way of the pale-haired man, so Lyra could dash out and away before they got through. Across the road, ignoring the cars, the brakes, the squeal of tires; into this gap between tall buildings, and then another road, with cars from both directions. But she was quick, dodging bicycles, always with the pale-haired man just behind her – oh, he was frightening! Into a garden, over a fence, through some bushes – Pantalaimon skimming overhead, a swift, calling to her which way to go; crouching down behind a coal bunker as the pale man’s footsteps came racing past, and she couldn’t hear him panting, he was so fast, and so fit; and Pantalaimon said, â€Å"Back now! Go back to the road – â€Å" So she crept out of her hiding place and ran back across the grass, out through the garden gate, into the open spaces of the Banbury Road again; and once again she dodged across, and once again tires squealed on the road; and then she was running up Norham Gardens, a quiet tree-lined road of tall Victorian houses near the park. She stopped to gain her breath. There was a tall hedge in front of one of the gardens, with a low wall at its foot, and she sat there tucked closely in under the privet. â€Å"She helped us!† Pantalaimon said. â€Å"Dr. Malone got in their way. She’s on our side, not theirs.† â€Å"Oh, Pan,† she said, â€Å"I shouldn’t have said that about Will. I should’ve been more careful – â€Å" â€Å"Shouldn’t have come,† he said severely. â€Å"I know. That too†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But she hadn’t got time to berate herself, because Pantalaimon fluttered to her shoulder, and then said, â€Å"Look out – behind – † and immediately changed to a cricket again and dived into her pocket. She stood, ready to run, and saw a large, dark blue car gliding silently to the pavement beside her. She was braced to dart in either direction, but the car’s rear window rolled down, and there looking out was a face she recognized. â€Å"Lizzie,† said the old man from the museum. â€Å"How nice to see you again. Can I give you a lift anywhere?† And he opened the door and moved up to make room beside him. Pantalaimon nipped her breast through the thin cotton, but she got in at once, clutching the rucksack, and the man leaned across her and pulled the door shut. â€Å"You look as if you’re in a hurry,† he said. â€Å"Where d’you want to go?† â€Å"Up Summertown,† she said, â€Å"please.† The driver was wearing a peaked cap. Everything about the car was smooth and soft and powerful, and the smell of the old man’s cologne was strong in the enclosed space. The car pulled out from the pavement and moved away with no noise at all. â€Å"So what have you been up to, Lizzie?† the old man said. â€Å"Did you find out more about those skulls?† â€Å"Yeah,† she said, twisting to see out of the rear window. There was no sign of the pale-haired man. She’d gotten away! And he’d never find her now that she was safe in a powerful car with a rich man like this. She felt a little hiccup of triumph. â€Å"I made some inquiries too,† he said. â€Å"An anthropologist friend of mine tells me that they’ve got several others in the collection, as well as the ones on display. Some of them are very old indeed. Neanderthal, you know.† â€Å"Yeah, that’s what I heard too,† Lyra said, with no idea what he was talking about. â€Å"And how’s your friend?† â€Å"What friend?† said Lyra, alarmed. Had she told him about Will too? â€Å"The friend you’re staying with.† â€Å"Oh. Yes. She’s very well, thank you.† â€Å"What does she do? Is she an archaeologist?† â€Å"Oh†¦ she’s a physicist. She studies dark matter,† said Lyra, still not quite in control. In this world it was harder to tell lies than she’d thought. And something else was nagging at her. This old man was familiar in some long-lost way, and she just couldn’t place it. â€Å"Dark matter?† he was saying. â€Å"How fascinating! I saw something about that in The Timesthis morning. The universe is full of this mysterious stuff, and nobody knows what it is! And your friend is on the track of it, is she?† â€Å"Yes. She knows a lot about it.† â€Å"And what are you going to do later on, Lizzie? Are you going in for physics too?† â€Å"I might,† said Lyra. â€Å"It depends.† The chauffeur coughed gently and slowed the car down. â€Å"Well, here we are in Summertown,† said the old man. â€Å"Where would you like to be dropped?† â€Å"Oh, just up past these shops. I can walk from there,† said Lyra. â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"Turn left into South Parade, and pull up on the right, could you, Allan,† said the old man. â€Å"Very good, sir,† said the chauffeur. A minute later the car came to a silent halt outside a public library. The old man held open the door on his side, so that Lyra had to climb past his knees to get out. There was a lot of space, but somehow it was awkward, and she didn’t want to touch him, nice as he was. â€Å"Don’t forget your rucksack,† he said, handing it to her. â€Å"Thank you,† she said. â€Å"I’ll see you again, I hope, Lizzie,† he said. â€Å"Give my regards to your friend.† â€Å"Good-bye,† she said, and lingered on the pavement till the car had turned the corner and gone out of sight before she set off toward the hornbeam trees. She had a feeling about that pale-haired man, and she wanted to ask the alethiometer. Will was reading his father’s letters again. He sat on the terrace hearing the distant shouts of children diving off the harbor mouth, and read the clear handwriting on the flimsy airmail sheets, trying to picture the man who’d penned it, and looking again and again at the reference to the baby, to himself. He heard Lyra’s running footsteps from some way off. He put the letters in his pocket and stood up, and almost at once Lyra was there, wild-eyed, with Pantalaimon a snarling savage wildcat, too distraught to hide. She who seldom cried was sobbing with rage; her chest was heaving, her teeth were grinding, and she flung herself at him, clutching his arms, and cried, â€Å"Kill him! Kill him! I want him dead! I wish Iorek was here! Oh, Will, I done wrong, I’m so sorry – â€Å" â€Å"What? What’s the matter?† â€Å"That old man – he en’t nothing but a low thief. He stole it, Will! He stole my alethiometer! That stinky old man with his rich clothes and his servant driving the car. Oh, I done such wrong things this morning – oh, I – â€Å" And she sobbed so passionately he thought that hearts really did break, and hers was breaking now, for she fell to the ground wailing and shuddering, and Pantalaimon beside her became a wolf and howled with bitter grief. Far off across the water, children stopped what they were doing and shaded their eyes to see. Will sat down beside Lyra and shook her shoulder. â€Å"Stop! Stop crying!† he said. â€Å"Tell me from the beginning. What old man? What happened?† â€Å"You’re going to be so angry. I promised I wouldn’t give you away, I promised it, and then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she sobbed, and Pantalaimon became a young clumsy dog with lowered ears and wagging tail, squirming with self-abasement; and Will understood that Lyra had done something that she was too ashamed to tell him about, and he spoke to the daemon. â€Å"What happened? Just tell me,† he said. Pantalaimon said, â€Å"We went to the Scholar, and there was someone else there – a man and a woman – and they tricked us. They asked a lot of questions and then they asked about you, and before we could stop we gave it away that we knew you, and then we ran away – â€Å" Lyra was hiding her face in her hands, pressing her head down against the pavement. Pantalaimon was flickering from shape to shape in his agitation: dog, bird, cat, snow-white ermine. â€Å"What did the man look like?† said Will. â€Å"Big,† said Lyra’s muffled voice, â€Å"and ever so strong, and pale eyes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Did he see you come back through the window?† â€Å"No, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Well, he won’t know where we are, then.† â€Å"But the alethiometer!† she cried, and she sat up fiercely, her face rigid with emotion, like a Greek mask. â€Å"Yeah,† said Will. â€Å"Tell me about that.† Between sobs and teeth grindings she told him what had happened: how the old man had seen her using the alethiometer in the museum the day before, and how he’d stopped the car today and she’d gotten in to escape from the pale man, and how the car had pulled up on that side of the road so she’d had to climb past him to get out, and how he must have swiftly taken the alethiometer as he’d passed her the rucksack†¦ He could see how devastated she was, but not why she should feel guilty. And then she said: â€Å"And, Will, please, I done something very bad. Because the alethiometer told me I had to stop looking for Dust – at least I thought that’s what it said – and I had to help you. I had to help you find your father. And I could, I could take you to wherever he is, if I had it. But I wouldn’t listen. I just done what I wanted to do, and I shouldn’t†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He’d seen her use it, and he knew it could tell her the truth. He turned away. She seized his wrist, but he broke away from her and walked to the edge of the water. The children were playing again across the harbor. Lyra ran up to him and said, â€Å"Will, I’m so sorry – â€Å" â€Å"What’s the use of that? I don’t care if you’re sorry or not. You did it.† â€Å"But, Will, we got to help each other, you and me, because there en’t anyone else!† â€Å"I can’t see how.† â€Å"Nor can I, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped in mid-sentence, and a light came into her eyes. She turned and raced back to her rucksack, abandoned on the pavement, and rummaged through it feverishly. â€Å"I know who he is! And where he lives! Look!† she said, and held up a little white card. â€Å"He gave this to me in the museum! We can go and get the alethiometer back!† Will took the card and read: SIR CHARLES LATROM, CBE LIMEFIELD HOUSE OLD HEADINGTON OXFORD â€Å"He’s a sir,† he said. â€Å"A knight. That means people will automatically believe him and not us. What did you want me to do, anyway? Go to the police? The police are after me! Or if they weren’t yesterday, they will be by now. And if you go, they know who you are now, and they know you know me, so that wouldn’t work either.† â€Å"We could steal it. We could go to his house and steal it. I know where Headington is, there’s a Headington in my Oxford too. It en’t far. We could walk there in an hour, easy.† â€Å"You’re stupid.† â€Å"Iorek Byrnison would go there straightaway and rip his head off. I wish he was here. He’d – â€Å" But she fell silent. Will was just looking at her, and she quailed. She would have quailed in the same way if the armored bear had looked at her like that, because there was something not unlike Iorek in Will’s eyes, young as they were. â€Å"I never heard anything so stupid in my life,† he said. â€Å"You think we can just go to his house and creep in and steal it? You need to think. You need to use your bloody brain. He’s going to have all kinds of burglar alarms and stuff, if he’s a rich man. There’ll be bells that go off and special locks and lights with infrared switches that come on automatically – â€Å" â€Å"I never heard of those things,† Lyra said. â€Å"We en’t got ’em in my world. I couldn’t know that, Will.† â€Å"All right, then think of this: He’s got a whole house to hide it in, and how long would any burglar have to look through every cupboard and drawer and hiding place in a whole house? Those men who came to my house had hours to look around, and they never found what they were looking for, and I bet he’s got a whole lot bigger house than we have. And probably a safe, too. So even if we did get into his house, we’d never find it in time before the police came.† She hung her head. It was all true. â€Å"What we going to do then?† she said. He didn’t answer. But it was we, for certain. He was bound to her now, whether he liked it or not. He walked to the water’s edge, and back to the terrace, and back to the water again. He beat his hands together, looking for an answer, but no answer came, and he shook his head angrily. â€Å"Just†¦ go there,† he said. â€Å"Just go there and see him. It’s no good asking your scholar to help us, either, not if the police have been to her. She’s bound to believe them rather than us. At least if we get into his house, we’ll see where the main rooms are. That’ll be a start.† Without another word he went inside and put the letters under the pillow in the room he’d slept in. Then, if he were caught, they’d never have them. Lyra was waiting on the terrace, with Pantalaimon perched on her shoulder as a sparrow. She was looking more cheerful. â€Å"We’re going to get it back all right,† she said. â€Å"I can feel it.† He said nothing. They set off for the window. It took an hour and a half to walk to Headington. Lyra led the way, avoiding the city center, and Will kept watch all around, saying nothing. It was much harder for Lyra now than it had been even in the Arctic, on the way to Bolvangar, for then she’d had the gyptians and Iorek Byrnison with her, and even if the tundra was full of danger, you knew the danger when you saw it. Here, in the city that was both hers and not hers, danger could look friendly, and treachery smiled and smelled sweet; and even if they weren’t going to kill her or part her from Pantalaimon, they had robbed her of her only guide. Without the alethiometer, she was†¦ just a little girl, lost. Limefield House was the color of warm honey, and half of its front was covered in Virginia creeper. It stood in a large, well-tended garden, with shrubbery at one side and a gravel drive sweeping up to the front door. The Rolls-Royce was parked in front of a double garage to the left. Everything Will could see spoke of wealth and power, the sort of informal settled superiority that some upper-class English people still took for granted. There was something about it that made him grit his teeth, and he didn’t know why, until suddenly he remembered an occasion when he was very young. His mother had taken him to a house not unlike this; they’d dressed in their best clothes and he’d had to be on his best behavior, and an old man and woman had made his mother cry, and they’d left the house and she was still crying†¦ Lyra saw him breathing fast and clenching his fists, and was sensible enough not to ask why; it was something to do with him, not with her. Presently he took a deep breath. â€Å"Well,† he said, â€Å"might as well try.† He walked up the drive, and Lyra followed close behind. They felt very exposed. The door had an old-fashioned bell pull, like those in Lyra’s world, and Will didn’t know where to find it till Lyra showed him. When they pulled it, the bell jangled a long way off inside the house. The man who opened the door was the servant who’d been driving the car, only now he didn’t have his cap on. He looked at Will first, and then at Lyra, and his expression changed a little. â€Å"We want to see Sir Charles Latrom,† Will said. His jaw was jutting as it had done last night facing the stone-throwing children by the tower. The servant nodded. â€Å"Wait here,† he said. â€Å"I’ll tell Sir Charles.† He closed the door. It was solid oak, with two heavy locks, and bolts top and bottom, though Will thought that no sensible burglar would try the front door anyway. And there was a burglar alarm prominently fixed to the front of the house, and a large spotlight at each corner; they’d never be able to get near it, let alone break in. Steady footsteps came to the door, and then it opened again. Will looked up at the face of this man who had so much that he wanted even more, and found him disconcertingly smooth and calm and powerful, not in the least guilty or ashamed. Sensing Lyra beside him impatient and angry, Will said quickly, â€Å"Excuse me, but Lyra thinks that when she had a lift in your car earlier on, she left something in it by mistake.† â€Å"Lyra? I don’t know a Lyra. What an unusual name. I know a child called Lizzie. And who are you?† Cursing himself for forgetting, Will said, â€Å"I’m her brother. Mark.† â€Å"I see. Hello, Lizzie, or Lyra. You’d better come in.† He stood aside. Neither Will nor Lyra was quite expecting this, and they stepped inside uncertainly. The hall was dim and smelled of beeswax and flowers. Every surface was polished and clean, and a mahogany cabinet against the wall contained dainty porcelain figures. Will saw the servant standing in the background, as if he were waiting to be called. â€Å"Come into my study,† said Sir Charles, and held open another door off the hall. He was being courteous, even welcoming, but there was an edge to his manner that put Will on guard. The study was large and comfortable in a cigar-smoke-and-leather-armchair sort of way, and seemed to be full of bookshelves, pictures, hunting trophies. There were three or four glass-fronted cabinets containing antique scientific instruments – brass microscopes, telescopes covered in green leather, sextants, compasses; it was clear why he wanted the alethiometer. â€Å"Sit down,† said Sir Charles, and indicated a leather sofa. He sat at the chair behind his desk, and went on. â€Å"Well? What have you got to say?† â€Å"You stole – † began Lyra hotly, but Will looked at her, and she stopped. â€Å"Lyra thinks she left something in your car,† he said again. â€Å"We’ve come to get it back.† â€Å"Is this the object you mean?† he said, and took a velvet cloth from a drawer in the desk. Lyra stood up. He ignored her and unfolded the cloth, disclosing the golden splendor of the alethiometer resting in his palm. â€Å"Yes!† Lyra burst out, and reached for it. But he closed his hand. The desk was wide, and she couldn’t reach; and before she could do anything else, he swung around and placed the alethiometer in a glass-fronted cabinet before locking it and dropping the key in his waistcoat pocket. â€Å"But it isn’t yours, Lizzie,† he said. â€Å"Or Lyra, if that’s your name.† â€Å"It is mine! It’s my alethiometer!† He shook his head, sadly and heavily, as if he were reproaching her and it was a sorrow to him, but he was doing it for her own good. â€Å"I think at the very least there’s considerable doubt about the matter,† he said. â€Å"But it is hers!† said Will. â€Å"Honestly! She’s shown it to me! I know it’s hers!† â€Å"You see, I think you’d have to prove that,† he said. â€Å"I don’t have to prove anything, because it’s in my possession. It’s assumed to be mine. Like all the other items in my collection. I must say, Lyra, I’m surprised to find you so dishonest – â€Å" â€Å"I en’t dishonest!† Lyra cried. â€Å"Oh, but you are. You told me your name was Lizzie. Now I learn it’s something else. Frankly, you haven’t got a hope of convincing anyone that a precious piece like this belongs to you. I tell you what. Let’s call the police.† He turned his head to call for the servant. â€Å"No, wait – † said Will, before Sir Charles could speak, but Lyra ran around the desk, and from nowhere Pantalaimon was in her arms, a snarling wildcat baring his teeth and hissing at the old man. Sir Charles blinked at the sudden appearance of the daemon, but hardly flinched. â€Å"You don’t even know what it is you stole,† Lyra stormed. â€Å"You seen me using it and you thought you’d steal it, and you did. But you – you – you’re worse than my mother. At least she knows it’s important! You’re just going to put it in a case and do nothing with it! You ought to die! If I can, I’ll make someone kill you. You’re not worth leaving alive. You’re – â€Å" She couldn’t speak. All she could do was spit full in his face, so she did, with all her might. Will sat still, watching, looking around, memorizing where everything was. Sir Charles calmly shook out a silk handkerchief and mopped himself. â€Å"Have you any control over yourself?† he said. â€Å"Go and sit down, you filthy brat.† Lyra felt tears shaken out of her eyes by the trembling of her body, and threw herself onto the sofa. Pantalaimon, his thick cat’s tail erect, stood on her lap with his blazing eyes fixed on the old man. Will sat silent and puzzled. Sir Charles could have thrown them out long before this. What was he playing at? And then he saw something so bizarre he thought he had imagined it. Out of the sleeve of Sir Charles’s linen jacket, past the snowy white shirt cuff, came the emerald head of a snake. Its black tongue flicked this way, that way, and its mailed head with its gold-rimmed black eyes moved from Lyra to Will and back again. She was too angry to see it at all, and Will saw it only for a moment before it retreated again up the old man’s sleeve, but it made his eyes widen with shock. Sir Charles moved to the window seat and calmly sat down, arranging the crease in his trousers. â€Å"I think you’d better listen to me instead of behaving in this uncontrolled way,† he said. â€Å"You really haven’t any choice. The instrument is in my possession and will stay there. I want it. I’m a collector. You can spit and stamp and scream all you like, but by the time you’ve persuaded anyone else to listen to you, I shall have plenty of documents to prove that I bought it. I can do that very easily. And then you’ll never get it back.† They were both silent now. He hadn’t finished. A great puzzlement was slowing Lyra’s heartbeat and making the room very still. â€Å"However,† he went on, â€Å"there’s something I want even more. And I can’t get it myself, so I’m prepared to make a deal with you. You fetch the object I want, and I’ll give you back the – what did you call it?† â€Å"Alethiometer,† said Lyra hoarsely. â€Å"Alethiometer. How interesting. Alethia, truth – those emblems – yes, I see.† â€Å"What’s this thing you want?† said Will. â€Å"And where is it?† â€Å"It’s somewhere I can’t go, but you can. I’m perfectly well aware that you’ve found a doorway somewhere. I guess it’s not too far from Summertown, where I dropped Lizzie, or Lyra, this morning. And that through the doorway is another world, one with no grownups in it. Right so far? Well, you see, the man who made that doorway has got a knife. He’s hiding in that other world right now, and he’s extremely afraid. He has reason to be. If he’s where I think he is, he’s in an old stone tower with angels carved around the doorway. The Torre degli Angeli.† â€Å"So that’s where you have to go, and I don’t care how you do it, but I want that knife. Bring it to me, and you can have the alethiometer. I shall be sorry to lose it, but I’m a man of my word. That’s what you have to do: bring me the knife.† How to cite The Subtle Knife Chapter Seven, Essay examples

The 300 Spartans Was It A Reliable free essay sample

The 300 Spartans. Be It A Reliable Source Of Historical Information? Essay, Research Paper The movie The 300 Spartans is the narrative of the Battle of Thermopylai, where the 300 strong personal guard of King Leonidas defended a mountain base on balls at Thermopylai so that Xerxes of Persia couldn T conquer Greece. Equally far as detailing how the events at Thermopylai went, The 300 Spartans was an accurate movie. In existent life, Leonidas and his work forces held the Persians back for two yearss, after which, they were sold out by a local Greek named Ephialtes. In the film, Ephialtes is rejected by a Spartan adult females, which gives him the motive to take the Immortals through the abandoned caprine animal path. Whether this was really his ground for assisting Xerxes is irrelevant, as it likely isn T mentioned in any history books. It besides adds a little more involvement to the movie for those who saw it for grounds other than watching work forces hack into each other with blades. We will write a custom essay sample on The 300 Spartans Was It A Reliable or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When intelligence of the Immortal s back door onslaught became evident, the Athenians were ordered to withdraw. Merely the Boiotians aided Leonidas and his work forces ( the existent Spartan ground forces were sent merely every bit far as the Isthmus of Corinth ) . This was included in the movie non merely because it was historically right, but besides because it made the out numbered side seem more heroic. The Boiotians were defeated foremost, so the King was killed in conflict. His now unemployed personal guard formed a protective circle around his cadaver, where they are eventually finished off with pointers. As a beginning of historical information, The 300 Spartans isn T every bit accurate as you might trust. The Spartans, in existent life, fought their conflicts i n the nude ( with the exclusion of a little sum of armour ) . In the movie, nevertheless, the soldiers are to the full clothed, as are the adult females back place ( they excessively wore few garments ) . This error is apprehensible, as no production company, now or so, would finance and let go of a mainstream film where half of the supernumeraries, every bit good as cardinal characters, are running about naked ( good fortune happening the histrions, excessively ) . Besides absent was the fact that the Spartan work forces were bi-sexual. Such a movie could be made presents, but at that place would still be an tremendous recoil against it from conservative groups. They could ve at least used Grecian histrions. The difference in disposition between the two rival leaders was excessively large to be realistic. Xerxes was shown to hold been the most black hearted adult male around, and even though he was a average individual, he likely wasn t every bit evil as he was made out to be. Leonidas had the opposite job of being excessively screaky clean, but that mistake was common in all of the films made in the 1960ss. Spartan outlook was exhibited magnificently. The discredited soldier would instead hold thrown himself from a drop than go forth his male monarch. At the terminal, Xerxes promised that if the staying warriors surrendered Leonidas organic structure, they would be spared. Of class, they declined, taking to decease by his side instead than return place defeated. In my sentiment, the Spartans would ve tested to take out every bit many Persians as possible before being killed, and non hold juste stood there to be shot at. In decision, The 300 Spartans portrayed the major events at the Battle of Thermopylai really good. Unfortunately, it wasn t a really dependable beginning of historic information.

Unit 12 Health and Social Care Essay Example

Unit 12 Health and Social Care Paper What is Public Health? Key Aspects of Public Health Practice Strategy How is this done? Examples (at least 2) Monitoring the health status of the population Following changes in the health of the population and notifying people to possible problems. The rising levels of obesity within the population. Identifying the health needs of the population Once trends and patterns are recognised, the likelihood of implications for services can be identified. In relation to obesity, this can mean measuring the likelihood of higher needs for diabetes support services. Developing programmes to reduce risk and screen for disease  Trying to lower the levels of ill health by presenting new programmes that recognise people as being ‘at risk’ of a condition and engaging them in preventative programmes. For example, a doctor recognising that an individual is at risk of getting diabetes because of their obesity and referring them to weight management programme for support in losing weight. Controlling Lowering the impact of infectious While there are clear examples such as communicable disease diseases through immunisation and other control measures. measles, mumps and rubella, this may also include food hygiene measures in restaurants  and take-aways to control the spread of food poisoning. Promoting the health of the population Health-promoting activities to lower ill health in the population. We will write a custom essay sample on Unit 12 Health and Social Care specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Unit 12 Health and Social Care specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Unit 12 Health and Social Care specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer For obesity, this may include campaigns inspiring people to be more active or eat more fruit and vegetables. Planning and evaluating the provision of health and social care Measuring the provision of relevant health services and whether or not they are having sufficient impact on the problem. In the case of obesity it may include measuring whether or not: ?local services can meet the request for weight management support ?there is sufficient ‘capacity’ (i.e. service provision) to meet the increase demand for obesity-related services? the existing model of services in managing to support people to lower their weight and sustain that change. Target setting Important targets for a locality, region or country that may to disease result in reduction, improved vaccination rates, etc. A national government target is to halt the rising rates of obesity in children under the age of 11 by 2010. A relevant local target might be based on weighting and assessing reception and Years 6 children. This data could be used to track progress against the national target.

Gen. Henry Hap Arnold - World War II History

Gen. Henry Hap Arnold - World War II History Henry Harley Arnold (born at Gladwyne, PA on June 25, 1886) had a military career peppered with many successes and few failures. He was the only officer to ever hold the rank of General of the Air Force. He died January 15,  1950  and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Early Life The son of a doctor, Henry Harley Arnold was born at Gladwyne, PA on June 25, 1886. Attending Lower Merion High School, he graduated in 1903 and applied to West Point. Entering the academy, he proved a renowned prankster but only a pedestrian student. Graduating in 1907, he ranked 66th out of a class of 111. Though he desired to enter the cavalry, his grades and disciplinary record prevented this and he was assigned to the 29th Infantry as a second lieutenant. Arnold initially protested this assignment but ultimately relented and joined his unit in the Philippines. Learning to Fly While there, he befriended Captain Arthur Cowan of the US Army Signal Corps. Working with Cowan, Arnold aided in creating maps of Luzon. Two years later, Cowan was ordered to take command of the Signal Corps newly-formed Aeronautical Division. As part of this new assignment, Cowan was directed to recruit two lieutenants for pilot training. Contacting Arnold, Cowan learned of the young lieutenants interest in obtaining a transfer. After some delays, Arnold was transferred to the Signal Corps in 1911 and began flight training at the Wright Brothers flying school in Dayton, OH. Taking his first solo flight on May 13, 1911, Arnold earned his pilot license later that summer. Sent to College Park, MD with his training partner, Lieutenant Thomas Millings, he set several altitude records as well as became the first pilot to carry US Mail. Over the next year, Arnold began to develop a fear of flying after witnessing and being a part of several crashes. Despite this, he won the prestigious Mackay Trophy in 1912 for the most meritorious flight of the year. On November 5, Arnold survived a near-fatal crash at Fort Riley, KS and removed himself from flight status. Returning to the Air Returning to the infantry, he was again posted to the Philippines. While there he met 1st Lieutenant George C. Marshall and the two became life-long friends. In January 1916, Major Billy Mitchell offered Arnold a promotion to captain if he returned to aviation. Accepting, he traveled back to College Park for duty as the supply officer for the Aviation Section, US Signal Corps. That fall, aided by his friends in the flying community, Arnold overcame his fear of flying. Sent to Panama in early 1917 to find a location for an airfield, he was en route back to Washington when he learned of the US entry into World War I. World War I Though he desired to go to France, Arnolds aviation experience led to him being retained in Washington at the Aviation Sections headquarters. Promoted to the temporary ranks of major and colonel, Arnold oversaw the Information Division and lobbied for the passage of a large aviation appropriations bill. Though mostly unsuccessful, he gained valuable insight into negotiating the politics of Washington as well as the development and procurement of aircraft. In the summer of 1918, Arnold was dispatched to France to brief General John J. Pershing on new aviation developments. Interwar Years Following the war, Mitchell was transferred to the new US Army Air Service and was posted to Rockwell Field, CA. While there, he developed relationships with future subordinates such as Carl Spaatz and Ira Eaker. After attending the Army Industrial College, he returned to Washington to the Office of the Chief of Air Service, Information Division, where he became a devout follower of the now-Brigadier General Billy Mitchell. When the outspoken Mitchell was court-martialed in 1925, Arnold risked his career by testifying on behalf of the air power advocate. For this and for leaking pro-airpower information to the press, he was professionally exiled to Fort Riley in 1926 and given command of the 16th Observation Squadron. While there, he befriended Major General James Fechet, the new head of the US Army Air Corps. Intervening on Arnolds behalf, Fechet had him sent to the Command and General Staff School. Graduating in 1929, his career began to progress again and he held a variety of peacetime commands. After winning a second Mackay Trophy in 1934 for a flight to Alaska, Arnold was given command of the Air Corps First Wing in March 1935 and promoted to brigadier general. That December, against his wishes, Arnold returned to Washington and was made Assistant Chief of the Air Corps with responsibility for procurement and supply. In September 1938, his superior, Major General Oscar Westover, was killed in a crash. Shortly thereafter, Arnold was promoted to major general and made Chief of the Air Corps. In this role, he began plans for expanding the Air Corps to place it on par with Army Ground Forces. He also began pushing a large, long-term research and development agenda with the goal improving the Air Corps equipment. World War II With the growing threat from Nazi Germany and Japan, Arnold directed research efforts to exploit existing technologies and drove the development of aircraft such as the Boeing B-17 and Consolidated B-24. In addition, he began pushing for research into the development of jet engines. With the creation of the US Army Air Forces in June 1941, Arnold was made Chief of the Army Air Forces and acting Deputy Chief of Staff for Air. Given a degree of autonomy, Arnold and his staff began planning in anticipation of the US entry into World War II. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Arnold was promoted to lieutenant general and began enacting his war plans which called for the defense of the Western Hemisphere as well as aerial offensives against Germany and Japan. Under his aegis, the USAAF created numerous air forces for deployment in the various theaters of combat. As the strategic bombing campaign commenced in Europe, Arnold continued to press for the development of new aircraft, such as the B-29 Superfortress, and support equipment. Beginning in early 1942, Arnold was named Commanding General, USAAF and made a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combined Chiefs of Staff. In addition to advocating for and supporting strategic bombing, Arnold backed other initiatives such as the Doolittle Raid, the formation of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), as well as communicated directly with his top commanders to ascertain their needs firsthand. Promoted to general in March 1943, he soon had the first of several wartime heart attacks. Recovering, he accompanied President Franklin Roosevelt to the Tehran Conference later that year. With his aircraft pounding the Germans in Europe, he began focusing his attention on making the B-29 operational. Deciding against using it Europe, he elected to deploy it to the Pacific. Organized into the Twentieth Air Force, the B-29 force remained under Arnolds personal command and flew first from bases in China and then the Marianas. Working with Major General Curtis LeMay, Arnold oversaw the campaign against the Japanese home islands. These attacks saw LeMay, with Arnolds approval, conduct massive firebombing attacks on Japanese cities. The war finally came to an end when Arnolds B-29s dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Later Life Following the war, Arnold established Project RAND (Research and Development) which was tasked with studying military matters. Traveling to South America in January 1946, he was forced to break off the trip due to declining health. As result, he retired from active service the following month and settled on a ranch in Sonoma, CA. Arnold spent his final years writing his memoirs and in 1949 had his final rank changed to General of the Air Force. The only officer to ever hold this rank, he died on January 15, 1950 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Selected Sources HistoryNet: General Henry Hap ArnoldHenry H. Arnold

Witchcraft and witch hunting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Witchcraft and witch hunting - Research Paper Example Witchcraft along with witch hunting created a social and intellectual tradition in early modern Europe and there are persistent arguments concerning the extents of the invention of this tradition . This historiography paper considers directions in the study of European witchcraft along with a review of the contributions of contemporary scholars. The final executions of individuals who were convicted as witches in Europe happened in the eighteenth century. In Great Britain, witchcraft stopped being an act punishable by law in 1735 after the Witchcraft Act, while in Germany, sorcery continued to be punished by the law well into the late eighteenth century. There have been reports of modern witch-hunts from sub-Saharan Africa, Papua New Guinea and India while official laws against witchcraft still exist in Saudi Arabia as well as Cameron . Since the thirties, the phrase witch-hunt has been utilized emblematically in the description of activities by governments in an effort to seek and e xpose perceived enemies in most cases as a means of directing the opinion of the public through creating some level of moral panic. The importance of this historical aspect will also reflect the early modern Europe, which took place against a backdrop of rapid social, economic, and religious transformation. In addition, the history of witchcraft and the witch craze is a topic that has fascinated the majority of people for centuries.

Human resorces Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human resorces - Case Study Example Considering myself in the place of Joan, as director of scientific computing, I need to take Fred into confidence that I won’t let him down in my next appraisal recommendation for yearly hike. The difference in the salary would be compensated by offering a better yearly appraisal in salary to Fred than it would be offered to Bob. It would certainly reduce the difference and from there onwards, both the employees would be advised not to share their salary details, as it would tantamount to breach of the contract with the company. The bank needs to provide the related documents of the white employee who has not been reporting for work the same duration of time as has been on leave Ruth Wittman. The bank would also have to provide details of the white worker who was permitted to go outside the bank compound to verify the causes offered by the white employee for taking a break from the working hours so that the bank could prove the genuineness on its part by not permitting Ruth for the same. The bank also needs to provide the record of the employee who was not given heavy packets of checks for processing to prove that white employee was attending the training program and the training period of that white employee was yet to finish. If I were the EEOC District Director, I would take a decision in support of Ruth Wittman. My explanation for such a decision would be based on the issues highlighted by Ruth, indicating the practice of racial discrimination by the manager. Ruth gave three arguments, wherein she has stated color as the cause of giving Ruth a rough and biased treatment by the bank. The concerned bank did not present the specific records before the EEOC District Director to prove its argument; in stead the bank preferred to give reference of the policy and procedure and ignored the need to present some hard evidence against the blame of Ruth. Jack Otto should bring it to the notice of Bob Hill by calling him in his cabin and

Project Time Management Of Burj Khalifa Economics Essay

Project Time Management Of Burj Khalifa Economics Essay Burj Khalifa, a single place where tourism, hospitality, professionalism and leisure come together. Home to more than 1000 residences, Burj Khalifa accommodates a hotel, an observation deck, a restaurant, fitness and recreation club and also 37 floors of corporate offices. It brings in a concept of a vertical city with all the luxurious amenities made available on the top of the world. For the tourists and visitors coming to see this marvel, it is a long and a memorable journey of a lifetime (www.burjkhalifa.ae). Burj in Arabic means Tower and Khalifa stands for the name of the President of the UAE and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, his highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al- Nahyan. The initial name given to this tower was Burj Dubai but was changed to Burj Khalifa in the honour of the President for bailing out $10 billion during Dubais financial crisis. The completion of this tower has broken numerous world records. At over 828 meters (2716.5 feet) and more than 160 stories, Burj Khalifa ho lds the following records: Tallest Building in the world Tallest free standing structure in the world Highest number of stories in the world Highest occupied floor in the world Highest outdoor observation deck in the world Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world Tallest service elevator in the world (www.burjkhalifa.ae) Fig 4.2 and 4.3 showing Burj Khalifa from different angles and shades of natural day light. Emaar Properties have developed this project of Burj Khalifa. Skidmore, Owings and Merril (SOM) have designed this beautiful structure and Samsung Engineering and Construction along with BeSix and Arabtec gave out the final product by constructing this tower. Turner Construction of the United States of America was responsible for the project management of this whole undertaking. This project estimated a cost of $1.5 billion for completion. At the staggering height of 2717 feet (easily more than two Empire State Buildings), this shimmering, spiralling mixed- use tower inevitably raises the question: When is big too big? (Kamin, 2010 p.78). The design of this building has been adapted from the Islamic architecture and has been inspired from a regional desert flower, the Hymenocallis. Adrian Smith was the sculptor for this design heading this project on behalf of SOM. Constructing the Burj Khalifa required more than 22 million man hours from about 12,000 professionals and skilled workers, and more than 60 consultants and contracting companies from around the world (Skidmore, Owings Merrill, 2011 p.23). In a true sense this project was a global venture to showcase the feat of ultimate engineering and the technological advancement which the human beings have achieved through dedication and hard work all these years. Burj Khalifa was truly an international collaboration between more than 30 on- site- contracting companies from nations around the world. At the peak of construction, over 12,000 workers and contractors were on site every day, representing more than 100 nationalities (www.burjkhalifa.ae). Project time Management of Burj Khalifa: There is no doubt that the time management of this project might have been one of the most challenging tasks that the team must have faced during its construction. The size and scope of this project was on such a large scale that some problems were inevitable, irrespective of any measures taken. First we shall have a look at the construction timeline which will be analysed further. Also we will discuss the problems that the project management team had to go through and how well they were able to deal with it controlling the schedule of this project with minimum delays. Fig 4.3 Burj Khalifa Construction Timeline: January 2004 Excavation started February 2004 Piling started March 2005 Superstructure started June 2006 Level 50 reached January 2007 Level 100 reached March 2007 Level 110 reached April 2007 Level 120 reached May 2007 Level 130 reached July 2007 Level 141 reached worlds tallest building September 2007 Level 150 reached worlds tallest free standing structure April 2008 Level 160 reached worlds tallest man-made structure January 2009 Completion of Spire Burj Khalifa tops out September 2009 Exterior cladding completed January 2010 Official launch ceremony Source: www.burjkhalifa.ae The total time taken for the construction of this building was 2,192 days with the average height built per day was 37 centimetres or 1 feet and 2.88 inches (www.theatlanticcities.com). If we carefully interpret the construction timeline as shown in figure 4.3, we can understand that the work was speeding up when the project started. There was a steady growth during 2005-06 till level 50 was reached. Since then it took a long time to construct another 50 levels as the building was rising higher and the crew might be dealing with challenges arising due to it. From January 07 to July 07 the construction again picked up some speed as they were nearly building 10 floors every month. This was remarkable as the construction was reaching the heights where any construction worker might not have gotten. The construction was again slowed down in September 07 when level 150 was reached. After that it took 7 months to complete the top most floor of the building. The average height built per day might look small but considering the construction at 838 meters above ground is an achievement. Let us now move on to the actual problems faced by the project management while erecting the worlds highest structure. Issues affecting the Project Time Management of Burj Khalifa: Listed below are some of the complications that had an adverse effect on the Project Time Management of Burj Khalifa. Emaar properties had plans to throw open this building in December 2008. Chairman of the Emaar Group Mohammed Alabbar announced the delay of about nine months scheduling the opening ceremony in August or September 2009 (www.arabianbusiness.com, 2008). However the opening was further delayed and this mega structure was finally released on 4th of January 2010. The project took 5 years and 4 months for completion. There were several problems during the course of construction of this building which lead to a delay of more than a year in delivering the project. Some of them were Pumping the concrete: According to the officials pumping the concrete to the record height of 828 meters was the toughest part of constructing this tower. Two of the worlds largest pumps manufactured by Putzmeister, were used to supply concrete for the construction of this building. These pumps unified with 150 mm pipeline could supply a massive 350 bars of concrete pressure. Above level 127 of the tower, a modified mix of concrete was used to account for changing pressure requirements due to height (Skidmore, Owings Merrill, 2011). In addition to that the climatic condition of Dubai was also a factor that delayed the construction process. Work at Burj Dubai is carried out in three shifts. Due to high day time temperatures up to 50 ° Celsius the concrete works are usually carried out during the slightly cooler night time hours(www.pmw.co.in, 2007). The effects of Dubais fluctuating seasonal temperatures made it a challenge to properly pump, pour and set concrete (Skidmore, Owings Merrill, 2011). This could cause considerable delays as no concrete work was carried out during the day time. Fig. 4.4 showing the massive pipelines of the concrete pump and Fig 4.5 showing the councrete pouring process. Fig 4.4 Fig 4.5 Source: www.pmw.co.in Labour Strikes: Workers constructing the Burj Khalifa went twice on strike during the whole span of its construction. In March 2006, 2500 workers rioted at the Burj Khalifa site, demanding a raise in their pay (www.migrant-rights.org, 2010). The labourers complained of being paid as low as $4 per day and were asked to work 12 hours a day and for 6 days a week. Riots broke out and the workers vandalized various offices, cars, construction several machineries and equipment. Construction of what is expected to be the worlds tallest building was halted after 2500 workers in Dubai rioted over pay and conditions, causing damage estimated to  £ 500,000 (www.guardian.co.uk, 2006). The protest was also sympathised by the workers at the construction site of Dubais New International Airport laying aside their tools. The second protest was held in November of 2007. This protest was for their demands of pay rise as well as to provide better living conditions for the workers. The latrines are so filthy we canno t use them, we are so disgusted. The roads are full of garbage and waterlogged. Living and moving around is a great problem, an occupant reported (www.migrant-rights.org, 2010). At both the instances the government threatened the workers to return back to work or face the consequences of mass deportations. This lead to unrest and the labourers were not satisfied which directly or indirectly have affected the construction. Yet the sources claimed that this protest had no effect on the construction of Burj Khalifa. This can be considered as one of the biggest issue which might have contributed to the delays in the construction. Fig 4.6 showing the riots in 2006 and Fig 4.7 where labourers are on strike in 2007 Source: www.bbc.co.uk Dubai Economic Crisis: In the year 2009, Dubai saw a downturn in its ever booming economy. People lost massive amounts of money as they saw the economy and the glittering real estate market go down. No doubt it was a tough situation for everyone. But it was even tougher for the building projects going on at that time. One of them was the all famous and glamorous dream project of Burj Khalifa. Half of the UAEs construction projects, totalling $582bn ( £400bn), either have been put on hold or cancelled, leaving a trail of half-built towers on the outskirts of the city stretching into the desert(www.guardian.co.uk, 2009). Not just in the case of investors and developers, the credit crunch had affected the construction workers lives too. As the projects were postponed or delayed, the workers were sacked leaving them no choice but to return back to their countries. Many of these workers were from South Asia belonging to countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc. Burj Khalifa was one of the mo st expensive projects in the history of the UAE. Undoubtedly it had a lot to do with this financial crisis. The worlds tallest building, the Burj Dubai, officially opens its doors, leaving a colossal reminder of the hubris that brought the emirate crashing in November (www.guardian.co.uk, 2010). Analysis: The project of constructing Burj Khalifa was awarded to a team of experienced construction companies. The principal developer of this project Emaar Properties is a very popular Joint Stock Company developing projects all across the world in countries like United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon, China, Canada, etc. and also some joint ventures in North America, Europe, Pan-Asia, North Africa and the Middle East (www.emaar.com). Giving shape to many projects in UAE, Emaar has a major contribution in Dubais Infrastructure development. It has developed much of downtown Dubai. Construction of the world biggest mall (Dubai Mall) and the worlds tallest tower (Burj Khalifa) is associated with this company. The company is led by its president Mohamed Ali Alabbar who was also in-charge of the decision making process of the Burj Khalifa. The company follows a decentralised structure of its organisation resulting to which the decisions were made customer oriented a nd quicker. The authority was delegated to the managers of each department which made it easier to save time. This project was directly under the supervision of the ruler of Dubai, his highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Rashid Al Makhtoum and had a lot of expectations of the people across the world. Turner Constructions was responsible for the project management of the Burj Khalifa. This company is also a renowned name in the industry based in the United States of America. This organisation was constantly monitoring the progress of this project to ensure practice of good standards of project management to deliver efficient and satisfactory project outcome. Skidmore, Owing and Merrill were designing and Samsung Engineering and Construction and BeSix were constructing the project. Arabtec was involved in supplying man power to this project. The assignment was in the hands of well-known experienced professionals as they strived to achieve a dream to build the highest building in the world. In spite of having a team of best people at work, there were some problems which were hard to prevent. Some of the issues related to the delay in the construction of this project are discussed above. Unfortunately it was found that all these problems were unavoidable. The time consumption of pumping the concrete high above the ground was very much anticipated and accounted for. But in the end it took a bit more time than it was expected to finish. The fluctuating temperatures in Dubai made it much more difficult for the workers to finish the task. The problems of Labour Strikes and the Economy prices came as a surprise to the initial planning of this project. But indeed the matter was way much serious than what was just reported. There have been speculations of workers dying during the construction of this building but the whole issue was suppressed and there have been no confirmed reports for the same. In a country like UAE, which is a kingdom ruled by the kings, there is very much little of what is known as democracy. Human Rights Watch reported numerous exploitations that construction workers suffer in the UAE, including unpaid or very low wages, many years of monetary obligations to the recruitment agencies for fees, seizing of employees passport and dangerous working conditions that result in apparently high mortality rates and injuries (www.migrant-rights.org, 2010). As a result of these conditions, strikes and protests were obvious. Formation of Labour unions is also prohibited in UAE but the labour ministry promised to set a minimum wage rate on the basis of which the strikes were withdrawn and work resumed. Fig 4.8 Dangerous Work being done at the Burj Khalifa Source: www.gulfnews.com The construction was getting back to normal and shortly after couple of years of this incident, Dubai experienced major financial crisis. Once again the smooth going construction was affected and delayed the project in return. The consolidated efforts of the companies involved tried their level best to continue the work and not let the schedule be affected but it was not possible until the President of UAE and the ruler of Abu Dhabi helped them bail out the indebt city of Dubai. The whole process of constructing this tower was complex and painstaking. But Emaar properties and all other companies did a very good job in the end to complete this unique project in mere less than five and a half years time and setting many world records. Undoubtedly it was a great effort from each and every individual involved which made it possible to fulfil this dream and deliver a marvel of its kind. Fig 4.9 a picture of some of the team members involved in the construction of this project put up in the building as an appreciation for their contribution. Source: Self 4.2 Delhi Metro: Delhi, a capital city of a country ranked second in the worlds total population. Along with its population, the country is also going through a lot of economic, social, political and technological developments. Various plans and projects are been chalked out for the future to meet the needs of the ever growing population of this country and compete with other nations of the world to provide exquisite facilities. Work is in progress in few metropolitan cities which have been undergoing through a pressure of urbanisation. Delhi is one of them. According to the census of 2011, Delhi has a registered population of 16.7 million people and a growth rate of 20.96% as compared to the previous decade (www.cencus2011.co.in). With a remarkable growth in population and with limited space to accommodate, it is necessary to provide an equally capable infrastructure system which can ease the problems of its citizens. These infrastructure developments include convenient transportation facilities. Fig4.10 displaying phase I and II of Delhi Metro Project National Capital Territory of Delhi covers an area of 1486 square kilometres and is a Union Territory with all powers of State Government (www.delhimetrorail.com). The city limits are extending to fit in the size of population. It necessitates a robust transit system to transfer people from one place to another.The need to travel is a consequent need i.e. people do not travel just for the sake of it but do so only when the necessity to transfer exists. The necessity to move is dictated by peoples requirements like work, study, leisure, medical, etc. In the background of inadequate urban capacity, global warming, increasing salaries and resulting motorization, it is commonly agreed among urban planners and city building professionals that safe and efficient public transport is the best way for the future to make cities more sustainable. With these intentions in mind, the Delhi Metro was foreseen in the city of New Delhi and started its operations in 2002. Fig. 4.11 Representation of the Traffic Congestion in Delhi (Source: www.ndtv.com) Fig. 4.12 Funny but true, a crowded bus in Delhi (Source: www.ibnlive.com) The original planning for a rail based transport system in Delhi started in 1970s when the government projected that a similar system would be required for mass public transportation in the future. Since then government appointed various committees to study the scope of development of mass rapid transport system (MRTS). At that time Delhi was perhaps the only city in the world, with such a huge size of its population depended on the over-crowded and insufficient bus services as the only public transport alternative. This situation has led to the proliferation of personalised vehicles, so much so that Delhi has more registered vehicles than total number of vehicles in Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai put together (www.delhigovt.nic.in). Similar to the present situation in Mumbai, Delhi was also tackling with problems like traffic congestion, environmental pollution, rising number of road accidents, fuel wastage, etc. Kolkata introduced a Metro railway system in the 1980s but the project e xceeded its budget and completion schedule, seriously undermining the confidence of the Government and the people in Metro systems (Sreedharan, 2008 p.57). During that period when the countrys development was sluggish, it was a gamble to once again trust a system that had failed miserably in the last attempt. Calcutta (now renamed to Kolkata) was a 17 kilometre long metro line which took 22 years for completion and the budget was overrun 14 times than what was initially planned (Sreedharan, 2008 p.3). It was a tough decision to make especially when the available technology was inadequate and the time was running out. In such circumstances, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation was established in the year 1995 which was a joint venture of Government of India and Government of Delhi. Soon after its formation, the team began planning for one of the biggest projects in India. They had a tough task ahead. The DMRC received majority of its funding from Japan Bank for International Co-operation. Th e rest of the funds were raised by the State Government of Delhi and the Central Government of India. Fig 4.13 DMRCs Profile Picture (Source: www.dmrc.com) One name that is prominently associated with DMRC and Delhi Metro is Dr. Elattuvalapil Sreedharan. Famous for his contribution as a CMD of Konkan Railway project along the western coast of India, this 760 kilometre long railway line joins three states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka through criss-crossing rivers, plunging valleys and mountains that soar in to the clouds (www.konkanrailway.com). This challenging project marked the beginning of infrastructure development in India from 1990 onwards. Dr. E. Sreedharan took over as a Managing Director of DMRC in 1997. DMRC is responsible to develop and maintain Metros in Delhi. The Delhi Metro Project is designed to cover 400 kilometres across the city in four phases by the year 2021 (Sreedharan, 2008). The time plan of the project is as follows: Fig. 4.14 Table showing the project outline of Delhi Metro Phase Initiation Date Length covered (in kms) Expected End Date Actual End Date Status Phase I 1998 65 2008 2006 Fully Operational Phase II 2007 128 2012 2011 Fully Operational Phase III 2011 112 2015 On-going Phase IV 108 2021 Queued Source: adapted from DMRC website and Sreedharan, 2008 The table itself is enough to tell a tale of successful project management and an impeccable feat of construction carried out by the entire team of DMRC. Dr. Sreedharan shot to fame overnight, being the first Indian to carry out such a difficult task with ease. Various Management Institutes and professionals wanted to know the secrets of his flawless management techniques which enabled him to deliver the project proficiently. Certainly this journey would not have been easy, but Dr. Sreedharan has set up a model of an efficient mass rapid transit system and at the age of 72 years and is wanted by every transportation authority board. The Delhi Metro Project instigated similar metro railway projects in different metropolitan cities across the country. His time and cost management skills grab everyones attention. Further in the study we shall focus on time management aspects and try to analyse two main questions: What were the problems in getting this project done on time? What did he do that no one else could? Issues that could have affected Project Time Management of Delhi Metro: The Delhi Metro project was efficiently delivered on time. We look in to some of the problems which the project management team had to overcome to give out the best results. The below mentioned problems are commonly seen in Mumbai Metro Project too. There are not many differences in context of factors as both are government projects undertaken by the authorities to build an advanced commuting system. The only difference is that of the organisations building it and their management skills and structures. This single difference makes them stand apart. Following are some of the problems which the Project Management team at DMRC had to go through during the course of construction of Delhi Metro: Technology: During the early years of 1990s, India had just begun taking steps towards technological advancements. After its economic reforms in 1991, India adopted three main policies of Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation. In effect of these policies, trade regime and the regulatory framework was liberalised. Some of the industries were privatised and the country also hailed foreign investment in its economy (Sarvanakumar Kim, 2012). India has been an agro-based country and during these economic reforms there was not much technological advancement happening. India had to import all the technical know-how needed for the Metro Project. In such circumstances, building such a big project was a huge risk. All credit to Dr. Sreedharan and his team for acquiring quality engineers and building such a magnificent project. The engineering team brought in many new technologies to this project like better telecommunication, automatic fare collection, advanced signalling, etc. Initially the ma terials were imported from foreign countries as per requirement but are now assembled in the country itself and have encouraged many local vendors to absorb these new technologies. A showcase of the latest in railway technology, the Delhi Metro trains run on ballast less tracks on the elevated viaduct and the underground corridor, thus minimising the need of tract maintenance and also reducing the running dimensions on the structure (Sreedharan, 2008 p.59). Moreover, these tracks have proven to be safer and provide a smooth ride to its commuters. Tunnelling: This procedure was necessary to construct the underground passage of the Delhi Metro. Tunnelling below the historic old Delhi area posed a major challenge, as the buildings there have weak foundations. It was therefore, decided to construct a tunnel at a depth of more than 20 meters (Sreedharan, 2008 p.58). With the available technology it was a big challenge to build a tunnel this deep. Vehicle and Pedestrian traffic also posed as an obstacle in the tunnelling process. It was also a risk factor for the management team as mishaps could easily occur at a place with an extensive public access. There were also difficulties in tunnelling at some sections because of hard rock. For this purpose the project had obtained special cutter heads for their tunnel boring machines (Sreedharan, 2008). The team put in tremendous efforts to resolve the oncoming problems by finding and implementing solutions without any delays. Fig. 4.15 4.16 Pictures of Tunnelling for Delhi Metro Source: www.hindu.com Substandard quality of work/ materials: This is one of the most shocking revelations of the Delhi Metro Project. Poor quality of work, no regulations for standards of safety and substandard material used to build one of the finest projects which is going to be useful in the future for at least a century. What is more shocking is that these were not just one or two incidents which happened unfortunately. These are series of accidents which were taking place one after the other in recent past. Following table shows the accidents in detail: Fig. 4.17 List of Incidents occurred at the construction site of Delhi Metro Date Incident No. of people killed/ injured 28.08.2007 A crane driver died as a concrete block fell on him due to technical failure 1 killed 21.01.2008 A construction worker died while carrying out burrowing work 1 killed 18.07.2008 A malfunctioning crane dropped 4 tonne iron beam on a passing car 2 injured 19.10.2008 An under construction flyover collapsed due to mechanical failure 2 killed and 30 injured 12.07.2009 Portion of under construction bridge collapsed as its launching girder lost balance while being erected 6 killed and 15 injured 13.07.2009 Three cranes toppled while lifting the entangled launcher under the debris of the collapsed bridge 4 injured (Source: Mid-day, 2009 The Times of India, 2009) After all these mishaps which killed 10 people in all and injured around 50, the chief project manager and managing director of DMRC, Dr. Sreedharan sent his resignation from the post which shuddered all the concerned authorities related to this project. He said, I take full moral responsibility for the accident. As head of the organisation, I have to take the responsibility (www.ndtv.com, 2009). The investigation revealed that the accident occurred on 12th of July 2009 was a design flaw in the pillar holding the structure (www.indianexpress.com, 2009). The honourable chief minister of Delhi, Mrs. Sheila Dixit inspected the site after the accident and immediately rejected Dr. E. Sreedharans resignation. She said We respect his sentiments. But we also know that the Delhi Metro and the country need him. Not only has he done good work for Delhi but also for the country (www.ndtv.com, 2009). Following this incident there has not been any other such incidents which exhibit the influence a nd power Dr. Sreedharan has on his team of members involved in the project. Mumbai is nothing different in comparison with Delhi in context of quality of work carried out. In fact the organisation, MMRDA carrying out the work on Mumbai Metro was not wise enough to learn from the mistakes of Delhi Metro. Recently, a 50 feet long concrete slab collapsed from the Metro Railways under construction fly over. This incident killed 1 person and injured 16 more (The Times of India, 2012). This cannot be considered a mistake as it was a matter of sheer negligence by the authorities. Such incidents not only cost financial losses but also result in loss of valuable time. Considering the importance of time management factor it is necessary to deploy personnel to ensure that all the safety standards are maintained at the construction site so as to prevent mishaps happening and also save a lot of time. Moving ahead we analyse the decision making of Dr. Sreedharan and its impact it had on the construction of Delhi Metro. Fig. 4.18 4.19 showing the disaster of 12th of July. Source: www.indianexpress.com Fig 4.20 toppled cranes amongst the tangled debris was the scene on 13th of July Source: www.zeenews.india.com Analysis: Every major project has to through a series of difficulties. No one has a plan of how to deal with them. Because no one knows what kind of problem they might be dealing with. But an effective project manager has the capability of solving the problems with ease and importantly, he delivers the project within its scope. Delhi Metro too had to go through numerous obstacles in each phase of its construction. Some of them are mentioned above. But it was for the project management team who took up the initiative to keep the project within its planned time and cost. In the case of Delhi Metro, it was not just a single factor that led to a certain problem. There were events which summed up to become a bigger problem. For example tunnelling was not a big issue as many transport systems these days use this method. But adding to the outdated technology present in the country it became difficult to get the process done. Similarly the amount of population in Delhi is so much in excess that restri cting public access was not possible. Therefore it became even more difficult to excavate during tunnelling and also maintain safety which resulted into many unfortunate mishaps. Undoubtedly this was the first massive project of its kind in India. Therefore this can provide a lot of valuable learning both positive and negative, to the project managers of the future. Fig. 4.21 The Metro Man of India in action. Source: www.ibnlive.in.com By the end of Phase I of this project Dr. Sreedharan was an idol and inspirational leader to many management professionals and students. Everyone wanted to know what his secret behind his flawless management techniques was. He discusses the corporate values of Delhi Metro during one of his speeches at a management institute to the aspiring management professionals. Punctuality, Integrity, Transpar