Pride And Prejudice Essays (1188 words) - Romance Novels

Pride And Prejudice Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice is a lighthearted tale of love and marriage in eighteenth-century England. It centers on the elder sisters of the Bennet family, Jane and Elizabeth. Their personalities, misunderstandings and the roles of pride and prejudice play a large part in the development of their individual relationships. The spirited Elizabeth and softhearted Jane have to deal with not only their own feelings but also the status of their family, both of which affect the outcomes of their prospective marriages. Pride and Prejudice is an apt name for the book. These notions permeate the novel thoroughly, especially in the views of Elizabeth and Darcy. Jane's temperance does not allow for these qualities to exist in her personality. Our first introduction to pride and prejudice is at a ball Mr.Bingley throws. His sisters and a dear friend of his, Mr.Darcy, accompany him. Mr. Darcy is characterized as a proud, haughty, arrogant man and ends up almost immediately alienating himself from the townspeople. This opinion arises after he refuses to dance with the young ladies who have attended the ball and his obvious reluctance to talk to anyone. His pride was said to come from his extreme wealth. Eighteenth-century England was quite preoccupied with status, especially concerning wealth and reputation. Darcy's reluctance to speak with anyone stemmed from his lack of respect for anyone outside his close knit circle. His good breeding was obvious only to those whom he knew well. Elizabeth is prejudiced against Darcy for entirely different reasons. She received information that was one-sided and made unfair assumptions on Darcy's character. She prejudged him; combining the superficial view she had of him and some rumors. The roles of pride and prejudice can be summed up in the exchange between Darcy and Elizabeth, after he proposed. Darcy clearly defines the reasons for his prejudice: "Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections? To congratulate myself on the hope of relations whose condition in life is so decidedly beneath my own?" (Pg.164) Elizabeth's prejudice against him withstood even as her pride did not, under his assault on her family. Her opinion of him from the very beginning impressed her with " the fullest belief of (his) arrogance, (his) conceit, and (his) selfish disdain of the feelings of others". (Pg. 164) Elizabeth Bennet is a spirited character. She has a playful and lighthearted disposition. She is confident, loyal, clever and funny. She found delight " in anything ridiculous", which included an insult to her beauty. (Pg. 12) Her loyalty and devotion to her sister was shown in her three-mile trek to Bingley's house " so early in the day" and "in such dirty weather", to visit her while she was ill. (Pg. 30) Elizabeth is also more a skeptic. This particular quality in evident in the surprise she expresses in her sister's tendency to look at people through rose colored glasses. She is quite frank and very honest even though she occasionally professed "opinions which in fact are not (her) own". (Pg.149) She expresses her feeling regardless of the commotion that it may cause and more often than not, for the shock it will cause. She has a clear understanding of who she is and what will make her happy. This is most obvious when she refuses to marry Mr.Collins. And when she refuses to marry Mr.Darcy when he initially proposes. Even her shock at the mercenary actions of her best friend proves Elizabeth's understanding of what is right and what the ingredients of happiness are. Later, her playfulness can be seen in the way she endeavors to find out the moment Darcy fell in love with her. She declares that he fell in love with her impertinence, mainly because he was tired of all the women who fawned over him. Elizabeth's pride and other failings were all ones she eventually overcame. At one point in the novel, the readers are taken aback by a comment that Elizabeth makes. She tells her sister, she fell in love with Darcy after seeing his estate at Pemberly. At first glance the comment makes her seem as mercenary as her friend, Mrs. Collins but the reader realizes the real meaning behind the comment. Her love began not with sight of the estate, per se, but rather the taste and refinement that is expressed in the beauty of the estate. The fine taste of the estate reflects the taste of the owner. Elizabeth also first as hears stories of Darcy's generosity when she visits Pemberly. Elizabeth's overall

The Charge Of The Light Brigade Essays

The Charge Of The Light Brigade Essays The Charge Of The Light Brigade Paper The Charge Of The Light Brigade Paper Essay Topic: Poetry Alfred Tennyson and Siegfried Sassoon approach the subject of war in different ways. While Tennyson gives the impression that the soldiers who are mentioned in his poem are heroes, Sassoon does not try to glorify war and shows us the bloody realism of conflict. An important point to note is the date when Tennyson wrote The Charge Of The Light Brigade. It was written on April 10 1864; almost ten years after the actual battle took place. Tennyson understood that if he were to write it soon after the battle, people would not like it, as the morale of the nation would have been low after such a defeat. He was a popular poet of the time and swayed to public opinion, and releasing the poem straight after the war could damage his reputation. Sassoon did not have such a reputation to uphold and since he had served in the military during the war, he was able to give a first hand account of the shocking brutality of war. While the purpose of Tennysons poem would have been to raise public spirits, Sassoons was to educate the people about war and how terrible it was. The attitude in Tennysons poem is varied. He praises the soldiers for their bravery (Cannon to the right of them, Cannon to the left of them, and condemns those who did not fight, most notably the captains, and calls into question the military hierarchy (Someone had blunderd: Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die:). He does this subtly and avoids naming the captain who had blundered, as doing this could cause public uproar and he could be held responsible. Toward the end of the poem, particularly the last stanza, the attitude is very upbeat, almost as if they had won the battle (When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! All the world wonderd. Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred! ). In this stanza, the word wonderd is ambiguous. It could mean wondered, as at first glance it may seem to, or it could also mean amazed, depending on which way it is interpreted. With those six lines, he turns defeat into heroism, and makes the soldiers out to be heroes. Sassoons attitude is very downbeat, and he does not try to glorify things like Tennyson does in his final stanza. He gives an honest, brutal account of war and its consequences. The attitude is the same throughout, unlike the varying attitude in Tennysons. Tennyson tries to help the public understand the poem with the inclusion of a bible passage. In the first stanza, he writes Into the valley of Death. This is a quote from Psalms 23, and as many people were highly religious and attended church in Victorian times, including a bible phrase in the poem would help them to understand. Sassoons contains very little biblical reference, apart from a single crude reference at the very end (O Jesus, make it stop! ). This is probably because Sassoon made his poem easy to understand and unlike Tennysons poem, there are no cryptic or ambiguous phrases. Sassoon draws the reader into the battle, but it seems fairly linear compared to Tennysons. He uses the phrase Rode the six hundred three times, and this gives an impression of the grand scale of the battle. Another word that he repeats many times is Death. He uses it to make it seem inevitable that the soldiers are about to die, despite them battling bravely and standing up to gunfire (Boldly they rode and well, Into the jaws of Death). In Sassoons poem, he does not use the word at all but strongly hints that the same fate awaits the soldiers. There are many metaphors in Sassoons poem. He starts it with the ljne At dawn the ridge emerges massed and dun, which gives an impression of an enormous, intimidating ridge emerging from the darkness. It is a good metaphor to use and helps build up atmosphere at the start of the poem, as does the next line (In the wild purple of the glowring sun). The line The menacing scarred slope; and, one by one, Tanks creep and topple forward to the wire suggests that this is not the first battle but that it has been the scene of many battles before. The second part gives visions of these enormous machines peering out from over the top of the slope, coming toward the soldier clumsily. These are both effective lines and add to the atmosphere before the actual battle begins. Lines of grey, muttering faces, masked with fear, They leave their trenches, going over the top is an important line in the poem. It tells us that the soldiers are frozen with fear, as if emotionless because they know that they are soon to die. Going over the top is a common war phrase and people would instantly recognise this and understand what it means. The soldiers realise that they will die anyway so they charge over the top to fight the enemy. This is an important line in the poem, as it envisages just how brutal and shocking war can be. The final line of the poem (Flounders in mud. O Jesus, make it stop! ) tells us how the soldiers fall and struggle on the muddy battlefield, and the second part of the line makes the first part seem even more effective in expressing the soldiers desperation and torment. People at the time would have been angry that Sassoon had used Jesus name so casually because they were very religious in Victorian times. His finishing line is very different to Tennysons, who praises the soldiers and ends on an upbeat attitude. Sassoon does not glorify war at all. Although Tennyson does not use many metaphors, he uses other effects such as alliteration, repetition and anaphora to great effect. His first line (Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward) is anaphoric. He uses is to good effect and makes it sound like horses hooves clattering rhythmically on the ground. One instance where he uses repetition to good effect is in the fourth stanza (Cannon to the right of them, Cannon to the left of them, Cannon behind them). This tells us that they were surrounded, with nowhere to go but they fought on bravely and is very atmospheric. Also in the fourth stanza, which seems to be the main stanza describing battle, he writes Reeld from the sabre-stroke, Shatterd and sunderd. This is a good example of alliteration. He makes the soldiers seem down and out, shaken by the battle and with no energy left, only for them to ride heroically back into the valley. While he does not glorify war in any way, he celebrates the soldiers who died during the battle and turns their defeat into heroism.

Compounds With Ionic and Covalent Bonds

Compounds With Ionic and Covalent Bonds An ionic bond is a chemical bond between two atoms in which one atom seems to donate its electron to another atom. Covalent bonds, on the other hand, appear to involve two atoms sharing electrons reach a more stable electron configuration. Some compounds contain both ​ionic and covalent bonds. These compounds contain polyatomic ions. Many of these compounds contain a metal, a nonmetal, and also hydrogen. However, other examples contain a metal joined via an ionic bond to covalently bonded nonmetals. Here are examples of compounds that exhibit both types of chemical bonding: NaNO3 - sodium nitrate(NH4)S - ammonium sulfideBa(CN)2 - barium cyanideCaCO3 - calcium carbonateKNO2 - potassium nitriteK2SO4 - potassium sulfate In ammonium sulfide, the ammonium cation and the sulfide anion are ionically bonded together, even though all of the atoms are nonmetals. The electronegativity difference between ammonium and the sulfur ion allows for an ionic bond. At the same time, the hydrogen atoms are covalently bonded to the nitrogen atom. Calcium carbonate is another example of a compound with both ionic and covalent bonds. Here calcium acts as the cation, with the carbonate species as the anion. These species share an ionic bond, while the carbon and oxygen atoms in carbonate are covalently bonded. How It Works The type of chemical bond formed between two atoms or between a metal and set of nonmetals depends on the electronegativity difference between them. Its important to remember the way bonds are classified is somewhat arbitrary. Unless two atoms entering a chemical bond have identical electronegativity values, the bond will always be somewhat polar. The only real difference between a polar covalent bond and an ionic bond is the degree of charge separation. Remember the electronegativity ranges, so youll be able to predict the types of bonds in a compound: nonpolar covalent bond - The electronegativity difference is less than 0.4.polar covalent bond - The electronegativity difference is between 0.4 and 1.7.ionic bond - The electronegativity difference between species forming a bond is greater than 1.7. The difference between ionic and covalent bonds is a bit ambiguous since the only truly nonpolar covalent bond occurs when two elements of the same atom bond with each other (e.g., H2, O3). Its probably better to think of chemical bonds as being more-covalent or more-polar, along a continuum. When both ionic and covalent bonding occurs in a compound, the ionic portion is almost always between the cation and anion of the compound. The covalent bonds could occur in a polyatomic ion in either the cation or the anion.

Early childhood. Fundemental movement skills and behaviour Assignment

Early childhood. Fundemental movement skills and behaviour - Assignment Example Observation Techniques The observation techniques that were selected for this opportunity were anecdotal record, checklist, and photo observation, which means antecedents, behaviours, and consequences. The 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children includes articles 12, 13, and 14 which pertain directly to the observation of children. Article 12 states that â€Å"children have the right to say what they think should happen adults are making decisions about them, and to have their opinions taken into account† (Hobert & Frankel, 2004, p. 2). Article 13 supports the right for children to have information as long as it is not harmful to them. Article 14 says that rights to privacy should be afforded to children (Hobert & Frankel, 2004, p. 2). Keeping this framework in mind, the observational techniques were used in non-invasive and inclusive methods. The advantages of using the anecdotal record is that it allows for an opportunity to use the humanistic approach in order to provide for values to be placed on the nature of what occurs. The disadvantage is that the anecdotal record can be subject to bias and might not reflect the true picture of what has been observed. The checklist provides for a series of milestones to be placed on a list and they can be checked off as they are observed has having been accomplished. The disadvantage is that a checklist does not provide for context to be placed into the checklist and it is a bit removed from the child. Antecedents, behaviours, and consequences is a comprehensive way to look at what is observed and puts the entire experience into context with the time that has passed. The Rogerian Approach provides for looking at what occurs objectively so that it can be objectively evaluated. The disadvantage is that it might be difficult to interpret progress if not enough changes before and after the event. Introduction of Child and Context The child that was chosen for this observational opportunity has been given the name ‘Alice’ for the purposes of this discussion and to protect her identity. Alice was four years and two months old at the time of observing her. She was included in a small group of four other children she played with frequently in the part. Their age range was 3 to 5. The children was included in the games and was intended to extend on the skill of balancing. Interpretation Alice was observed being able to balance using different strategies. The FMS was observed through three games in order to determine if the task was consistently possible for the child. Alice had been observed having some balance issues in the past, but it had not been decided whether or not they indicated a developmental delay, so the three gamers where developed to extend this skill. During the three games, the second game of her balancing on beam was successful as she was balancing alone however the other games disrupted by laughter and not concentrating due to her focus being on oth er children and not on the task. Recommendation for Planning Table The skill was broken down into a series of skills that were needed to accomplish the task. During the time period between the ages of 2 and 6 there are great strides in fundamental movement skill development and a child should be able to stand on one foot or balance by the age of three (Rathus, 2006). The skills for balancing as follows:

Law & Morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law & Morality - Essay Example Stephen argues that such exceptions make Mill’s principle empty (Koons, 2003) but Higton (n.d.) clarifies that Mill refers to societies so backward that they are incapable of understanding the harm principle, let alone be responsible enough to apply them. Such classes lack the level of education and understanding which would enable them to benefit from the Harm principle. The principle implies that if I do not wear crash helmet it does not cause harm to anyone so the state .. The definition of the word ‘harm’ has been considered vague and lacking in preciseness. Koons says that Mill allows the state to compel members of the society to aid others but it includes only direct harm and not the harm that I do others in harming myself. Trying to draw a line of distinction between offensive act and harmful one can lead to a dilemma. A person running naked on the street can be interpreted as an offensive act by some but a harmful act towards children by others. Homosexual act behind doors is more offensive behind doors than heterosexual act in public. Thus if an offensive act is done in privacy with full consciousness of the outcome, then it complies with the norms of the harm principle but this has again been a cause of controversy as people contend that there should be no distinction between public and private actions. An act in private can equally and adversely affect the society but Feinberg states that causing offense is less serious than harmin g someone so the penalty imposed for an offensive act should not be as heavy as that of harm (Mill, 2002).

Kuwait Oil Fields Reconstruction Projects Construction Essay

Kuwait Oil Fields Reconstruction Projects Construction Essay During the Gulf war, Kuwait was invaded by Iraq and by the end of it almost all of oil production facilities of Kuwait had suffered extensive damage and had become defunct. Even after their Liberation in Feb, 1991 a large number of oil wells were on fire. To rebuild the countrys major source of income of the country a project was taken to reconstruct these oil fields. This was the Kuwait oilfields reconstruction project. Bechtel International was the project management firm given the contract to manage this reconstruction project by the Kuwait Oil Company. Work of planning of the project had started in November 1990 within three months of the start of the Iraqi Invasion, in the offices of Bechtel in London. Planning and organizing activities were being done in the offices in London, Houston, San Francisco, Dubai and Riyadh even when the war was still on. Since the war was still on, there was little knowledge of the total extent of the damage to the oilfields and how much work was to be done. However those damages that were identified till then were taken into consideration and front-end planning and procurement for the same had been started. During the end of the war, the retreating Iraqi troops had set the oilfields on fire. Thus to continue with the project first it was necessary to bring these fires under control. The personnel of Bechtel arrived in Kuwait 4 days after a complete sweep of the City was done by the allied troops. The main objective then of these personnel was to organize and manage the firefighting efforts. This was names project Al- Awada (Arabic for return). The vivid scenes shown by the newspaper, magazine, and television reports came alive for Bechtel project personnel. The days were dark with smoke from the fires blocking the sun, oil droplets filled the air, clean water and sanitary systems were not working, power plants were down, transportation was minimal as tires were a precious commodity, and food was very scarce. Initial accommodation was in refurbished ship quarters and in some vandalized apartment complexes without water and electricity, no more than a foam mattress on the floor, and a long hike up a darkened staircase. In addition to these problems, booby traps, land and water mines, unexploded shells and rockets, and other ordnance had littered the country. The temperatures in summer consistently were above 50 à Ã‚ ¦ C in shade (seldom below 37 à Ã‚ ¦ C at night), exposing the people in the field to temperatures of 55-58 à Ã‚ ¦ C in many locations, and hotter nearer to the fires. Just providing drinking water was a ma jor undertaking. John Oakland, senior vice president of Bechtel Corporation, who served as the manager of projects in Kuwait, remarked, This campaign, which was well covered by the international news media, was one of the most complex engineering and construction efforts in history. However, the following assignment, which was the reconstruction of the Kuwait oil fields, was an even bigger and more challenging task. The project of the reconstruction of the oil fields, which was named Al-Tameer (Arabic for rebuild), will be discussed in this report. Status of the Facilities The state of the two million barrels per day oil export industry in Kuwait after the completion of the fire-fighting effort was as follows: 647 wells had burned in total, 751 wells were damaged. Twenty-six oil gathering, separation, and production centers were damaged or totally destroyed. One marine export facility and its related single point mooring was totally destroyed, and the second marine export facility was partially damaged and out of commission. The equivalent of ten million barrels of crude oil storage tankage had been destroyed. The Shuaiba refinery was totally destroyed. A crude unit in the Mina Al Ahrnadi Refinery was completely destroyed. The rest of the refinery was partially damaged and the refinery was out of commission. The Mina Abdullah Refinery was partially damaged and the units were not operable. All communication towers and networks were destroyed. Most of the working population had either fled or were in hiding. Project Al-Tameer After the successful completion of the fire-fighting effort, KOC invited Bechtel to present its plan for the reconstruction of the oil fields production and exporting facilities damaged during the war, starting work by November 1990. KOCs goal was to be able to produce 2 million bpd of oil by September 1992. Planning and Organizing Phase The planning and organizing effort for the Al-Tameer project started with the Bechtel team that was already on-site as part of the Al-Awada project fire-fighting effort. An organization totally different from the Al-Awada project was required to scope, estimate, plan, execute, and turn over operational facilities to KOC. This organization had to be self-sufficient and be able to fully support and service a massive work force of more than 16,000 people. The main organization was divided into five main functions. One was to support KOCs future five-year budget planning with identification, scoping, and planning future projects. This was named KOC Major Projects Group. The other four groups consisted of: manager Al-Tameer projects, responsible for all planning and project management, as well as engineering and procurement manager coordination, responsible for scheduling, cost control, estimating, project reporting, public and community relations, and other relevant functions manager services, responsible for providing all the required support services for the project team including explosive and ordnance demolition group manager operation, responsible for field execution of all the defined work. A damage assessment and scoping team consisting of engineers, planners, and estimators walked every foot of the oil fields production and exporting facilities preparing a scope of work, cost estimate, a plan and schedule of work for each facility. The planning was based on a back to front scheduling defining the dates and production goals first, working backward to see when the drilling effort and facilities reconstruction work had to start to meet this goal. This approach also determined the required manpower and helped with direct hire and subcontracting plans. The overall plan defined the sequence of the work and prioritized the resources to make sure facilities with least damage were first priority for completion. The master schedule was developed based on nine subproject organization work breakdown structures (WBS) Oil recovery Tankage south North Kuwait Pipelines/flow lines Power, buildings, cathodic protection Marine facilities De-salters South gathering centers West gathering centers. Figure : Al Tameer Organization Each subproject having its task force, budget, schedule, and its priority on resources identified was headed by a project manager. The Al-Tameer project organization chart is shown in Figure 1. The teams were integrated with available KOC personnel who performed some of the project functions. Each subproject team was supported by local functional managers to provide them with staff and resources to execute the work. The key driver behind the plan was meeting the schedule and the production capacity. Execution Phase The project execution consisted of three main functions: detail engineering, procurement, and construction management. Detail Engineering Engineering and construction teams worked very closely during the planning phase to determine the best and most expedient way of rebuilding some of the facilities. This close collaboration continued until construction was complete. More than 200 designers and engineers worked in the makeshift project offices at various sites, with strong central support from a base that was set up in an old war-damaged girls school. This was later transferred to a newly constructed KOC engineering building. Additionally, a team of more than 200 engineers from various Bechtel regional offices worldwide provided continuous support and specialized expertise. The main deliverables of the engineering teams were construction drawings, construction packages, and material requisitions and technical bid tabs. This effort was not limited to oil production and exporting facilities; it included some of the necessary infrastructure required for the day-to-day operation of KOC. Offices, warehouses, guest houses, employees housing, roads, power, water, etc., were all part of the scope of the work. Because most of the original drawings and specifications were destroyed during the war, field sketches and measurements had to be used. A total engineering effort of 450,000 hours resulted in 4,500 major drawings. One totally new and fully modularized gathering facility (GC-17) was designed and built in Houston, Texas, and shipped to the sites. Other facilities were designed for rebuild based on their original concept, but modernized wherever possible. Some of the units were very old and were upgraded with the more modern versions of the equipment available. A more extensive use of distributed control systems and automation was one of the key areas that were upgraded. Procurement The project procurement group was established in full force during the firefighting phase of the project to provide resources for that very important effort. In the Al-Tameer phase the team was further expanded to support the massive procurement and contracting effort that was required to meet the target schedule. In addition, inventory control and warehousing material were also part of the procurement teams area of responsibility. The procurement team was also responsible for incorporating all the material into KOC1s automated material and inventory control system. The procurement effort driving the execution phase was centralized, and it was divided into three main areas: Material management Contracts management Warehouse management. Material management included purchasing, inspection, expediting, and traffic and logistics. Contracting included formation and administration. Warehouse management included central warehouses and satellite warehouses. The procurement team had three main goals within the projects overall objective: ensure the right material and resources were available in time to meet the schedule maximize the use of available local resources to assist in rebuilding the local economy ensure sure final warehouse inventory met KOCs material coding and identification system. The size and the particular nature of the project required that the procurement team be divided between material management-reporting to the manager of projects-and contracts management-reporting to the manager of construction. This arrangement facilitated the communication and management of site contractors work with Bechtels direct hire construction work. Material Management Project managers were responsible for development and processing of the material requisitions for their areas of responsibility. Orders over $100,000 required further approval by KOCs manager of the Al-Tameer project. Almost everything required for the execution of the project had to be imported from outside the country. At the early phases of the project the port facilities, custom facilities, and other services required for the proper importation of goods and services were not functioning. Bechtel established a staging area in Jebel Ali port of Dubai (UAE) to receive, inspect, and accept material. Utilizing much smaller vessels and boats, Bechtel then transported goods from Dubai to various Kuwait ports depending on availability and cargo size. This plan also included most of the air freighted material. Because timely delivery of the material was critical to meeting the project schedule, a very detailed material requisitioning plan had to be developed identifying every required detail. This plan was then incorporated into Bechtels worldwide Procurement Tracking System (PTS) that enabled all Bechtel offices to monitor and follow through each order until it reached the site. At later stages of the project when Kuwait ports and custom facilities became functional the above arrangements were changed and everything was imported directly into Kuwait. During this period more than 26,000 purchase orders were issued, and more than 520,000 tons of material were imported utilizing 742 aircraft and sea-going vessels. Warehousing Management One of the key activities of the warehousing management team was to incorporate the variety of material that was left behind after the war and the fire-fighting phase with newly ordered and engineering-specified material. Also, by continuously adjusting and monitoring quantities and specifications they could respond very quickly to emergency and out-of-schedule circumstances. The engineering and warehouse both utilized a common software (PCMC) to identify, locate, and quantify most of the bulk material making sure that when the material was required it would be made available immediately. Contract Management Although due to scheduled requirement reconstruction of some of the flow line, all of the gathering centers and booster stations were performed by Bechtel direct hires, nevertheless more than 300 major construction contracts and 650 equipment rental agreements were issued by the contract management team during the Al-Tameer project phase. The contract formulation team worked as a central group serving all subprojects. The contract administration group managed the administration work more by function than by area. Project managers were ultimately the responsible parties for the contractor work in their areas, receiving the necessary support and services from these two centralized teams. Construction Management Al-Tameer was probably one of the most challenging construction projects ever managed by Bechtel. The work required provision of labor, equipment, and support facilities in fifty-five locations and in four different parts of the country-North fields, South (marine facilities and refineries), West fields, and Burgan fields. The work involved construction of drill pads; roads for heavy rig transportation; well heads; flow lines; gathering centers; gas booster stations; oil storage tanks; water supply, distribution and storage; and marine export terminal and loading facilities. In addition, KOCs own infrastructure (offices, housing, clubs and restaurants, warehouses and buildings, telecommunication, etc.) had to be reconstructed. Construction efforts were divided between direct hire construction and subcontracted work. The total scope of work was divided into nine construction areas, each managed by a field superintendent. Each superintendent was responsible for both direct hire execution as well as field administration of the subcontractors scope of work within his area. Construction superintendents were supported by the central construction group that was the functional group supporting a project matrix team. Prioritization of resources and construction equipment was one of the major functions of the central construction team. Field construction teams were comprised of multinational forces (from thirty-six countries) with totally different cultures, languages, and performance capabilities. Catering and other cultural requirements had to be addressed to ensure each group could perform its function satisfactorily. Each task had to be tailor made to suit the team available. It was important that planning of the manpower and resources take into consideration availability of the right foreman and support group to be able to communicate and perform work with each team. Summary Approximately 1,000,000 hours in the regional offices and 4,000,000 hours in Kuwait were spent for project management/engineering/construction management during the first two phases of this project. Field labor hours were 50,000,000. These project man-hours were spent within the following project schedule milestones: start of planning November 1990 start implementation in Kuwait March 199 1 project completion June 1993. The sources of the project personnel were various. A total of 16,000 workers from thirty-six countries on five continents were involved in this massive effort. The countries that participated in the supply of manpower to this reconstruction included Kuwait, the United States, Great Britain, Canada, France, Australia, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Bahrain, Yugoslavia, Colombia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Afghanistan, the Philippines, India, Djibouti, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Pakistan, Trinidad, and Sierra Leone. Key Milestones Some of the more notable milestones in the program were: The last fire was extinguished and the well was capped on November 6, 199 1, eight months after the arrival of the first Bechtel team on-site. The first postwar oil was pumped from two of the original gathering centers on May 26, 199 1. By December 1991, more than 400,000 barrels of oil per day were being produced from the rehabilitated facilities. By April 1993, more than 11,000,000 barrels of weathered crude had been reclaimed from oil pits and lakes, and processed through the field treatment centers and the refinery. By the end of June 1993, eighteen of the original centers were back in operation, with all the production goals achieved as scheduled. Operation Phase Accomplishments The work was conducted in fifty-five locations that included fields in the north of Kuwait on the border with Iraq, west and south of Kuwait on the borders with Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and in the refineries and loading facilities along the coast and offshore. Five hundred square miles of land were swept and cleared of unexploded ordnance. More than 23,000 pieces of explosive devices were destroyed by explosive ordnance disposal teams. Although all work areas were swept, the risk from undetectable ordnance was ever present and some fatalities did occur. More than 26,000 purchase orders and 300 major construction contracts and 650 equipment rental agreements were awarded during Phases I and I1 of the project. (A more normal project performed over the same time frame may have 4,000 to 6,000 purchase orders.) A complete communication system dedicated to the oil industry was installed that included twenty-three satellite telephone systems, 4,500 telephones, and 2,000 portable radios. A twenty-four-hour health care and safety program was established that included two helicopter medivac teams, a forty-bed hospital, a dental clinic, and a team of approximately 100 professional medical personnel on duty at seven medical stations. More than 5,800 pieces of field operating equipment ranging from the larger bulldozers, cranes, trucks, front-end loaders, and heavy industrial equipment to ambulances, pickup trucks, cars, buses, and other support vehicles were shipped to the job sites. These pieces of equipment were purchased from twelve different countries. A total of 742 aircraft and sea-going vessels were deployed to ship more than 520,000 tons of equipment and material to Kuwait in support of this project. Six full-service dining halls with catering support staff provided about 3,500,000 meals for the workers during the fire-fighting campaign and 10,000,000 meals during the reconstruction phase. Menus were established to cater to the different ethnic backgrounds. Provisions and housing for 12,000 manual and 2,000 non-manual Bechtel employees were provided. All of the members of project management and their support teams, over 200 design and engineering personnel and around 200 procurement, administration and subcontracts management teams, were resident in Kuwait. Construction of a number of permanent offices, workshops, warehouses, maintenance shops, and housing complexes for KOC was completed at the same time. Fire-fighting efforts originally involved the four major international teams of Boots Coots, Red Adair, Safety Boss, and Wild Well Control. They were later joined by an additional twenty-three teams from Kuwait, Iran, China, Hungary, Great Britain, France, Canada, Romania, and Russia. Four hundred kilometers of water and oil pipelines were installed during fire-fighting efforts. Water lines and pumping stations could deliver 25,000,000 gallons a day to fire sites. Each of 360 lagoons was excavated, lined, and filled with 1,000,000 gallons of water for use in fire-fighting. Drilling pads and access roads were constructed for 700 new and work over wells. Three-thousand kilometers of new flow lines were constructed. One-thousand kilometers of new and refurbished pipelines were installed. Fifteen crude gathering centers, including a totally new and modularized early production facility, were assessed, designed, and constructed. Three gas booster stations were constructed Restoration and reconstruction of the marine loading terminals, offshore terminals, and SPM were completed. Construction of more than 10,000,000 barrels of new crude oil storage tankage was managed. Restoration of overhead and underground electrical power transmission and distribution system and cathodic protection system within the oil fields was completed. Construction repair and operation of water systems (fresh, brackish, and salt water) were completed. Construction and operation of oil recovery systems and facilities that collected and treated more than 25,000,000 barrels of weathered crude were completed.

Religion and Ethnic Diversity Essay

Religion and Ethnic Diversity Buddhism was first found in India about 2,500 years ago. Buddhism is an increasing popular religion that continues to be the leading religion in the Far East. Buddhism has advanced over to a large amount of countries that have embraced a vast variety of customs, rituals, beliefs, and practices. Buddhist’s do not believe that a God created Earth. Buddha is the only Master, Buddhist’s believe in. Buddhist’s acknowledge that the ultimate purpose of life is to establish consideration for all living beings without inequity and to perform for their piece, good, and happiness. Buddhist’s have incorporated the Four Noble Truths in their lives, which are Dukkha, SamudÄ ya, Nirodha, and Magga. According to â€Å"The Four Noble Truths† (2013), † 1.The truth of suffering (Dukkha). 2. The truth of the origin of suffering (SamudÄ ya). 3. The truth of the cessation of suffering (Nirodha). 4.The truth of the path to the cessation of suffering (Magga),â₠¬  (The Four Noble Truths). Buddhism does not share common characteristics with other religion groups. Buddhism is, however, receptive to other religions and beliefs. This religious group acknowledges the way other religions teach those involved. These individuals do not believe in a God. It is a belief system like all other religious groups. There are individuals who do not accept Buddhist and believe that those who do are not going to heaven. Others who refuse to understand Buddhism and how it works dismiss it completely because it is not what they believe in. Even though Buddhism is not America’s most practiced religion, its beliefs and ideas have been passed into American culture. It has helped blend American culture. Today there is a large amount of Buddhist’s who contribute to promoting peace amongst one another, reaching out to those who are in prison and who are homeless, and some even do advocacy for the environment. Buddhist’s experience hate just like other people in other religions. In 2003, Chung Tai Buddhist Group applied to construct a meditation and worship center in the city of Walnut, California, but the application was later denied. Not only did the City Planning Commission deny the application, but also residents were against building the center. Residents disputed against the plan because they believed there would be an increase in traffic and noise. A few years later the City Planning Commission approved an application to build on some of the area Chung Tai had prepared to use. In 2010, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit stating the city of Walnut; California treated the group unreasonably while dealing with the permit to build the worship and meditation center for Chung Tai Buddhist Group. The Department of Justice came to the conclusion that it was religious discrimination. After learning what Buddhism is and where it originated from allows me to understand it more. I now know that it is not only about humming and repeating a few words in another language, but also learning how to live a happier, more pure life even with the struggles and unfortunate events that can occur. Not only that, but respecting every living thing as it is. The Chinese are quite different from other racial/ethnic groups. The two most common languages used in China are Mandarin or Cantonese. Mandarin is t he government, education, and media’s main language that is used in China. Known as the ‘common language,’ mandarin is the first language that is spoken. The Chinese are a combined society with the urge to associate themselves in groups, whether it is to their work group, family, country, or associates. The Chinese depend on non-verbal communication like tone of voice and facial expression, to reveal what other maybe thinking or feeling. The Chinese believe in an ethical system known as Confucianism. Confucianism is a set up of ethics and behaviors that signify responsibilities of people towards one another based on their relationship. The Chinese have and continue to contribute to American culture in many ways. Many Americans embrace Chinese religions. Converting to Buddhism and so many other Asian religions. In the 1800’s Chinese immigrants helped working with the gold miners. These men helped construct the intercontinental railway. The Chinese have brought their recipes to American cultures that have been passed down from generation to generation. The Chinese brought their customs, language, and social organization into Amer ican culture. On May 6, 1882 the Chinese Exclusion Act was signed into law. It was brought about in reply to economic concerns in the West Coast, where Americans imputed unemployment and withheld wages to Chinese workers. Americans at the time viewed the Chinese as racially indifferent. Even though the act was repealed during World War II it only allowed 105 Chinese immigrants per year into the United States,  which still showed prejudice against the Chinese. I believe the source of prejudice against the Chinese was economic benefit. A large amount of Chinese immigrants came to the states to seek employment opportunities, but were denied at times because of the direct need for employment. I do believe what I have learned about the Chinese helped me understand this group. I learned what a big contribution to our culture they provided. I also learned that because of their great impact on American culture some individuals take those same customs and values and incorporate them into their own lives. The Chinese and Buddhist experienced similar situations dealing with discrimination because they were both persecuted for being who they are as individuals. Neither one of these groups tried to be something they were not, so they were prejudged and treated unfairly. These groups experienced different situations dealing with discrimination because the Chinese were discriminated against based on real and observed racial dissimilarities. Buddhistâ₠¬â„¢s were discriminated against based on who or what they believed in. Buddhist’s were also discriminated against because of their feeling towards their religion and those belonging to other religious groups. Discrimination towards these two groups and the many others is wrong. It has restricted these groups from opportunities that should have always been available to not only one group, but also all groups of individuals regardless of their appearance or their beliefs. 1. The Four Noble Truths. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/beliefs/fournobletruths_1.shtml 2.