What are your personal and educational goals free essay sample

People are always talking about their goals but they never achieve them. I think that in order to be successful in life you need to have good goals to try and achieve. After you achieve these goals you should set higher goals and so on. I have both personal and educational goals about 11 I would say. Educational goals are important in my life because to succeed in life you need a good education to later support you and family. My first goal would have to be to graduate from high school. To get good grades and get some scholarships to get into collage. I would like to go to collage for architecture or some other kind of build construction field. If that is not what I want to do and I change my mind I would like to go into translating and other parts of the speech field. I would also like to play soccer in collage for a couple years if they have it in the university. We will write a custom essay sample on What are your personal and educational goals? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My main personal goal is to be happy with my wife and one day be a grandfather. To meet this goal of being a grandpa and be exultant I first have to reach the goal of finding that special some one and ask them to marry me. If she says yes my next goal would be to have a big wedding with all our friend and family and go Hawaii for the honey moon. Being a grandpa would be great because I see my grandparents have so much fun seeing me and my cousins grow up. I want to day have that same joy. I would also be passing the family name to my kids and them to theirs. If I don’t find that girl right away I would like to travel and go to events. I would like to go to Europe and visit all the historic places like the Eiffel tower in Paris and Stone Hinge in England. I would like to go to these places and others because I enjoy history. After years of reading about these places I want to go visit them and imagine how thing happened there. Another is to go to a World Cup and watch a game of Brazil, Mexico, and the final no matter where in the world the World Cup is being held. I want to watch of Brazil because they are always really good and have big name players. Mexico is my favorite team because that’s where I’m from and I want to see them play. Those are my goals that qualify me for this scholarship. Also the goals that I hope to succeed in life.

Tender Pricing Process for Accommodation Building The WritePass Journal

Tender Pricing Process for Accommodation Building Task 05 Tender Pricing Process for Accommodation Building INTRODUCTIONTask 055.1 Draft inquiry letter to5.2 Explain different forms of discounts given by the suppliers and how would   you incorporate those discounts into your tender.Related INTRODUCTION This assignment has been concise five main tasks through different topics related to cost estimation. The focuses of estimating for selected areas in a proposed accommodation building, tender pricing techniques, build up unit rates for selected descriptions from BOQ are discussed through the sub tasks. Especially the parties participating of involved in pricing for a particular project and factor to be consider when pricing for a tender sum also identified and clearly discussed further, such as site over heads, head office over heads, subcontractor, suppliers, and the discounts for the performance of suppliers, subcontractors and the client. At the time of build up rates for given descriptions the cost information and the current market price for components of the description take place as a challenge, so those are collected from site people and dealer of the material and the summery of the items which are related to the tasks also attached for further clarifications. TASK 1 1   Describe the tender pricing process of above tender. This is the tender pricing process given below Receipt of invitation to tenders Decision to tender Collection of tender documents Examine tender documents Collection of necessary document Preparing necessary documents Tender adjudication submission of tender Receipt of invitation to tenders Ministry of   health advertise this invitation to tender   for batticalo government hospital two story patients building in   srilankan public news paper. Our company got this information â€Å"veeracasari† daily news paper. They are published in news paper because this is open tender. If anyone   have the enough qualification they can participate the tender. Decision to tender On receipt of tender documents a tender information form should be completed by the estimator acknowledgement on receipt of the enquiry should send to the client or his consultant. This form will provide management with the summary of the project the tender documentation it will be a significant document contributing the decision of the submission of the tender Collection of tender documents We get the tender documents form ministry of health .these are some tender documents Tender notice / Invitation to tender , condition of tender /   Instruction to bidders , Form of agreement, Conditions of contract and appendix to condition of contract, Form of tender , Drawings, Bonds Bills of Quantities / Specifications / Schedule of rates , Schedules. Examine tender documents The estimator must inspect the tender document before the preparation of the net estimate and the check list must be establish of the documents receipt. Inspection of the tender document must seek to achieve the following objective The documents received are those in the enquiry Sufficient time is variable for production for tender The documents and information are adequate for assessing costs Collection of necessary document We must collect the price list of   the materials, plats haring rate , labour rate. We should get the cortation   form the material suppliers. We must calculate the total cost of this two story hospital building . Preparing necessary documents We must prepare financial statement   of our company, work programmed, method of statement , site origination chart , bid bond and   pricing of bill of quantity. Tender adjudication First we must estimate the cost and decide the markup percentage. After that adding that markup percentage to estimated cost. Then used that final cost in to the tendering purpose Submission of tender Tenderers must lodge their tender with full identification and documentation at the nominated location by the advertised date and time. The estimator must ensure that the procedure set out in the tender documents for the submission of the tender is followed particularly. The form of tender and any other declarations, must be completed as required and sign by an authorized person from the contractor’s organization. The codes of procedure for selective tendering, whether for main contractors, state that a tenderer who submits a qualified tender should be given reasonable opportunity to withdraw his qualifications without amendment of his tender price. 1.2   explain the factors that need to be considered in pricing the proposed project .describe related factors only to the given project Special conditions or instructions given by client In the batticalo hospital client’s ministry of health. This is a hospital building because this is not complicated design. But in the apartment   construction, designing is very complicated.   Comparing the hospital   construction and   apartment construction take more   working hours. It’s very easy to construct hospital   constructions than the other   building constructions .    Availability of material, labour, plant, technology Availability of resource one of the main consideration factor during the pricing time. Because in the construction field, it is totally depends on the material, labour, plant and technology. In hospital construction   materials availability is lower than the other construction materials. So we have to find the suitable suppliers find the competitive quotation and select one from them and price the tender for competitive price. In our hospital construction is two story building because   no need for higher plant we need the normal plant only We can get the plant for the construction cheaply. Any how the estimator duty is according to the contract chose the correct price and pricing tender. And also more than these availabilities. Location Location is one of the important consideration factors in the pricing of tender. Because in the location we consider the many things like the transport facilities, availability of material, labour and plants, storage, weather conditions, etc. Our location is situated in thebatticalo. So we can easily find material labour force there. We can’t   find huge plant facilities from that area. So this cost will be affect in the pricing of the tender. In the storage site facilities is the other important factor in here. We can easily find the storage facilities in the near area. The storage facility cost will low than the city so it’s an advantage for us in the storage cost.             Construction period and maintenance period    At the pricing time, estimator should consider the construction period and maintenance period of the building. Because the working process depending on the time and cost. In the hospital construction may the construction period is lower   but the same kind of the work is here. In pricing time normally put more unit rate in short period contracts. Because the normal working process should be change and take some arrangement for this. In our case we cant used noise making instruction this is in the hospital because we always keep silence. After the construction we gave one year for the maintenance of the building. This is a hospital building because most people use this building because we must maintenance correct fully .because we need allocate more amount for that .    Competition in the market While considering the market situation in these days the hospital   construction is very rare in the market. All the construction companies cannot do this kind of hospital construction works. reason is client is ministry of health this is one of the government. Normally government they didn’t pay the money on time.   So when the pricing time of the tender we can go some advantageous price. So we have to collect some money for   this new works. And finally we have to request the management to put the high percentage of profit margin. By doing this we can earn a huge profit. This is government project because we don’t care about market competitions the reason is if we participate the tender we must rejecter in ICTAD. In batticalo most of the contractors they didn’t rejecter in ICTAD . Payment of structure We must considerate the payment   structure. How much rupees they paid for advanced then when they make the second and other payment. We must conformed and   fixed to the payment dates .          Fluctuation We must conformed fluctuation allow or not . Now   materials of the market price is suddenly going up and down. Market price going up this will be effect   to the contractor. Market price going down this is good for contractor but effect to the client ( In our scenario client is ministry of health department ). Before tendering we must conformed these thinks. Type of contract In our scenario this is a lump sum type contract. Normally lump sum type contracted base on drawing and specification. In these type of contracted most important document is drawing and specification. Quantity surveyor must care fully read the   drawing and specification do the calculation work care fully. Quantity surveyor make any mistake in the calculation part this will be effect to the contractors profit.  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   1.3) Explain what type of cost information you would use in pricing this tender and name the sources of such cost information Pricing this tender is the major part of preparation of BOQ. This procedure will be done by using different cost information. Do to this type of project we can get the cost details from an experienced person like a sub contractor who is specialized in this kind of hospital   constructions. we can get the cost information by having a conversation with some suppliers or sub contractor too. There are some sources from that the information about the materials, labour and plant can be taken, Quotation  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to get the sub contractor or supplier. If previous same project   Ã‚   if the contractor can be used the previous project experience, he wants consider the type of project; the previous project will be good experience for this current project to reduce tender pricing. Daily report. Price index this is issues ICTAD in Sri Lanka. So to price this particular tender we can take the pricing information through quotation for suppliers and sub contractors. Because, this is a government   project which is going to be with high quality   and also we are specialized in any type   construction we can go for quotations. The contractor’s success in obtaining contract depends upon  ­quality of the quotations received for materials, plant and items to be subcontracted. It is essential to obtain realistically competitive prices at the time of preparing the estimate. Standard procedures must be established setting to responsibilities of the person who is to carry out the enquiry function and any subsequent negotiations that arise. Lists of items for which quotations are required are established following the detailed exanimation of the contract documents. Details of past performance, previous performance in returning complete quotation on time, extent of geographical operation, size and type of contract on which previously used, information concerning contacts are considered when selecting sub contractors and this will be necessary if deal with unknown suppliers and sub contractors. Pre selection must confirm that quotations will be submitted and establish that the particular suppliers or sub contractors has the necessary resources and desire to tender for the project. The professional manner in which enquiries are sent to suppliers and sub contractors can have considerable effect on the qualityof quotations submitted. Objective of sending out enquires for supplier and subcontractor to labour, materials, and plant is to ensure that technically accurate quotations are received with the main contract conditions. This must clearly setout terms conditions on which quotations are being invited. All needed materials for this project shall be supplied from the selected suppliers. Enquiries to suppliers of materials must state these important factors: Title and location of the work, and site address Specification, class and quality of the material ,Quantity of the material Delivery programmed , Special deliver Date by which the quotation is required, Period for the quotation is to remain open. Conclusion In above task I am clearly indicate the tender pricing process of   batticalo two story hospital building and clearly indicate some factors considering   in pricing process of above construction   project. Finally I am explaining how we can get the cost information using our tender and name of source such cost information.       Task 2 2.1)What are the factors affecting pricing   labour, material and plant items in day work Schedule? Labour The calculation for the prime cost of labour differs somewhat from that of the all-in-rate, various incidental costs, over heads and profit are deemed to be included in the percentage added to the prime cost rate by the contractor. The percentage added must include all other items that the contractor considers are necessary to cover the true cost incurred but not allowed under the definition of prime cost of day work. At the time of calculation following factors to be consider for pricing Wages :- wages depend on his talent (eg-special skilled ,skilled or un skilled) we must pay the wages   his skill   type only. Wage is different for every type. Transportation time :- The labour come to other site we must allow a percentage for his transporting cost. If   this cost higher than the accommodation cost we can arrange the accommodation for labours we can reduce the anonymous cost. Overtime :- A labour   normally working eight   hours per day but our requirement he some time he working ten hours or eleven hours per day if he work eleven hourse per day over time three hours. These   three hours per day we must paid 1.25 X   one our wage. Subsistence allowances   Social benefits (EPF, ETF) :- this benefits only for permanent labours only. Not for daily wage labours. Company will pay some percentage of his/ her   salary and some percentage of his salary. These percentage is decided by labour department (Srilanka) Overhead :- we must add a percentage for over head. This is operating cost of the contractor head office. This is indirect expenditure. Superintendence Liabilities, Insurance and allowances for labours       Material The contractor shall be entitle to payment in respect of materials used for day work at the rates in the contract documents, in the schedule of day work rates and such rates shall be deem to includes overhead charges, profit, cost and other expenses. Factors to be consider when the pricing are; Material cost: material cost also effect the pricing of day work schedule. Wastages: we must include some percentage for wastage. This wastage mostly affects the timber. Form work time timber wastage is very high. Our structural design is very difficult that time we make some molding for get required shape. That time timber wastage is very high. For example sand we un loading sand in our site we can’t use the total cube of material. When the storing time sand will mixed with bottom part of the land that sand mixed with other sand we can’t use that sand for construction works Insurances:-   some materials we must take a insurance otherwise we may face huge problem. Here a am indicate a problem for example my home town is Jaffna. I am studied at Hartley College. The tsunami time (2004) our school built a auditorium for 1500 student. End of the year tsunami attacked Srilanka that time Jaffna also effect hugely. That time our school store they keep 500 bags cement. But they didn’t get the insurance. Those 500 cement bag fully destroyed. That project contractor face huge lost that time and he left that project. Some time he get a insurance he don’t care about this problem this a natural disaster because that insurance company they paid the full money. I hope This Is a good example for this insurance. Because we must   get a insurance for required materials Handling expenses (loading, unloading, storing) :- whatever   the material we are using at site those material has the loading and unloading process. If we are doing the estimation we must add a percentage for loading and unloading purpose. Some material we stored any wear but some material we must keep carefully for examples steel, tiles, cement, some expensive materials Losses:- if there theft happen we must parches that lost material because we must spent more money for that material for examples electrical fittings, other costly items Head office overhead:- we must add some percentage for head office over head. This percentage will decide by contractor. Profit:- this is a amount for contractor. This amount will be decide by contractor and add the amount in material cost. Plant The charge for plant is normally applied under ‘Schedule of basic plant charges’. The rates in the schedule are basic and may subject to an overall adjustment to be quoted by the contractor prior to placing of the contract. The rates apply to plant and machinery already on site, whether hired or owned by the contractor. If we are hiring a plant first we pay some amount for advance and guaranteed .our using time any troubles may occurred. If that trouble is minor work we must repair that problem. Otherwise they deduct some amount for that repair work. The rates unless otherwise stated , include the cost of fuel of every description; lubricating oils, grease, maintenance, sharpening of tools,   replacement of spare parts, all consumable stores, and for license and insurance applicable to items of plant. They do not include the costs of drivers and attendants. The rates should be applied to the time during which the plant is actually engaged in day work. Whether or not plant is chargeable on day works depends on the day work agreement in use. Conclusion Before calculating the labour , plant, material we must know about what are the factors affect the pricing those item after that we can   successfully done the pricing of labour, plant , material. Above task I am   indicate some factors and clearly describe how   to effect those calculations. I hope I am done my level best explain in above task.    Task-03 Explain the reason for using particular method of pricing In my calculation part I am using norms. If we are using the norms no need to do the extra works for examples No need to calculating the wastage separately No need to calculate the shrinkage   separately Our description is a standard because I am using norms directly. Task -04 4.1) Describe the preliminary items that could be required in implementing permanent works of this project. List out the items considered for calculation of head office over head and how you would calculate the over head percentage The pricing preliminaries of the bill of quantities are the estimator’s part in the preparation of a tender process. Preliminary means the items which are not included in the measured works section. The contractor’s general cost items, temporary woks, contractual matters; specific requirements of the employer will be included under the preliminaries. Preliminary section can be divided as fixed charges and time related charges. The description of the work as a whole and the circumstances in which it is to be constructed is intended to convey to the estimator an initial impression of the types of work involved, including any particular or usual features or conditions that are relevant. Bearing in mind, which accompanies the tender documents, the description required under this rule can be relatively succinct. I have identified the following preliminaries items that could be required for     permanent works of this proposed project. Management and staff , site accommodation ,insurance, engineers facility, performance bond, Advance guarantee bond, Services and facilities (Power, lighting, fuels, water, telephone facility, safety, health and welfare, security, storage facility ) ,Mechanical plant (Personnel transport, transport) ,Temporary works (Access scaffolding, Support scaffolding and propping   ) Duration   Project duration is important factor which is affect a project cost directly. Availability of material  Ã‚   This project is in batticalo. If we get the most material in batticalo, we may be in a position to complete this work in a quick process. Also we may get the materials with acceptable price. That also will affect the pricing of preliminaries.    Services and facilities Project time we must arrange the accommodation for Labours. If we arrange the accommodation we gave some belongs facilities toilets, electricity. This cost also affects the pricing of preliminaries. Staff accommodation   While providing the staff accommodation, we are providing the all the staff for entire project period. But the reality sometimes staffs may be not needed for the entire duration of this project. That will affect the pricing the preliminary. Access of the site During the excavation period we have to bring large machineries. Therefore we need large access of the site to bring the large machineries. If we don’t have the large access we have to do other methods. That’s also affecting the pricing the preliminary. Staff vehicles   Ã‚   Staff members travel head office to site office, site office to head office and other purpose we must arrange for a vehicle. If we hiring the vehicles for professional staff. we must paid for more money because we bought a new vehicle for our company that cost will affect the pricing of preliminary. This total price is increase that particular project cost will increase. Guarantees and bonds This is common for most of the projects, that client will requires some amount of money as a bond which to keep a good relationship between the two parties. A contractor normally pays a single insurance premium for this and it can be a very expensive item depending on the financial status and experience of the contractor. Testing material Throughout a contract the testing of materials may be ordered by the architect. That test costs can be taken laboratories. These requirements executed by the consultant which helps to maintain quality, standard workmanship of the works. It will also affecting the pricing the preliminary. In our project will be commencing at  Ã‚   Batticalo . We can’t find a testing center Form Batticalo because we must brink required samples to Colombo that time traveling charge, Who brink that samples to Colombo that person welfare cost. These cost are including in the testing material. This cost also affects the cost of preliminaries. Pricing for maintenance of public and private roads Some contracts need provision for the repair of damage to existing roads by the builder’s plant and heavy vehicles continually passing over them. They must also be constantly kept clean and free of mud, building materials, debris and the like. Head office overheads The construction of the project must contribute towards the cost of running company’s head office and other general overheads of the organization. This consist of the cost of administrating a company and providing off site services the apportionment of head office over heads to project and to the company as a whole is decided by management as part of the management policy. Items considered for calculation of head office over head Head office salaries Director’s fees Office rent/depreciation of furniture Incidental insurance Heat, light, power, fuel Stationary Postage Books and telephone   charges Auditor’s fees Staff vehicles Interest on working capital and retention money Head office over head percentage X 100 H/O % =   total h/o expenses during previous year   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Total turn over during previous year Total turnover mean how much money come to the head office. These are some basic examples for turnover, interim payment resived from various client, advanced payment of previous project.    4.2) build up the management and supervision cost of this project. Clearly state the factors to be considered in pricing    Establishment Running cost Disposal cost Total Assumption             Site engineer-1    12X40000       Clerk-1    12X14000       Store keeper-1    12X12000       Supervisor-1    12X20000       Quantity surveyor-1    12X35000       Accountant-1    12X15000    Total -1632000    These are some factors directly link with the pricing of management and supervision cost. If we select the b.sc holder site engineer we must pay more money because we select next lower level best site engineer with more experience (   for example 5 years) we can reduce our monthly salary cost. We are selecting the professional people like this we can save lot of money. Conclusion In above task I am clearly indicted what are the preliminaries items required in permanent work of this our project and I gave some factors to calculate the head office over head and head office over head percentage.    Task 05 5.1 Draft inquiry letter to A) M/s mascons ltd requesting prices of asbestos roofing sheets The Managers, M/s Mascons (PVT) Ltd, No 39, Inner fairline Rd, Dehiwala . 01.10.2010 Dear Sir, Quotation for Asbestos roofing sheets    We are Raj engineering (PVT) Ltd, which is located in No 12A, Boswell place, Wellawattae. We have decided to tender for a project which is a two story hospital building in batticalo. According to our estimation we need 200 Asbestos roofing sheets 10’X4’ size. This project is going to construct in Batticalo area. As we know that your company has a branch in batticalo. As we are having a good relationship with your company for past 4 years, we decided to request the quotation from your company for this tender too. The materials we require on 1st of November 2010. We want the quotation within 14 days from the day you receive this letter. Also we kindly request you to include about your credit facilities, discount details, storage facilities and your best price for our requirement. Thank you. Yours faithfully, T.subaraj   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (Junior Q.S) B) M/s ABC tiles requesting rates for fixing tiles Dear Sir, Quotation   for   fixing tiles rate    We are Raj engineering (PVT) Ltd, which is located in No 12A, Boswell place, Wellawattae. We have decided to tender for a project which is a two story hospital building in batticalo. According to our estimation we want fixed 10000 (300X300) tiles for 100000m2 area. Because we need a quotation for fixing tiles. This project is going to construct in Batticalo area. As we know that your company has a branch in batticalo. We have a good relationship with you; we decided to request the quotation from your company for this tender. We require on 1st of November 2010. We want the quotation within 14 days from the day you receive this letter. Also we kindly request you to include about your credit facilities, discount details, your best price for our requirement. Thank you.       Yours Faithfully, T.Subaraj 5.2 Explain different forms of discounts given by the suppliers and how would   you incorporate those discounts into your tender. Discounts Discounts are quoted or stated cost of which will deduct from the payment of the suppliers and sub-contractors. It is depend on the fulfillment of the conditions which asked specified in the contract for acquiring discounts. The purposes of the discounts are increase the short terms sales, move out of date stocks, reword valuable customers. Mainly there are two types of discounts, those are as follows; Cash discounts Trade discounts Cash discounts Cash discount is often given by the suppliers and sub-contractors to encourage early settlement of accounts. A statement is sent to the contractor at the beginning of each month listing the invoices for materials or services supplied during the previous month. If payment is made by end of the month, a settlement (cash) discount may be taken. These discounts are allowed off invoices if the contractor pay’s within a certain period. In the case of sub-contractors, the period is 17 days after issue of the architect’s certificate which includes the value of the invoice work or services. In the case of suppliers, the period is 30 days from end of the month during which delivery of materials or goods is made. If payment is not paid within the specified period, the contractor is not entitled to deduct the discount. For an example; the client pay his monthly payment earlier the contractor will be given some amount of discount for client, same think happening between main contrac tors and supplier, sub-contractors. Trade discounts Trade discounts are customarily allowed off the prices on standard price list of materials and goods in particular trades. This is often done to avoid frequent revision of such lists, the discounts being varied to allow for fluctuations in prices. In addition some suppliers will allow larger discounts to regular customers or those who buy large quantities. So the more the contractor buys he will get more amounts of discounts to a maximum amount provided by the supplier. Explanation of how to incorporate them into the tender Company name Sanan trade company Raj construction company Suban trade company Cost of material 1700 1200 2000 Discount 5% 20% 10% Payment structure 5% advanced No advanced 10% advanced Warranty 5 years 20 years 10 years Trade name of material Known Un known Known Above table clearly indicate three different types of company’s details. In this case we can select sanan Trade Company for supply materials. If we are select that company we can get the 5% of discount because our tendering amount will be reduce. We can easy to win the tender reasonable cost. The main contractor is always expecting about the discount to use it in pricing the tender. If the main contractor knows the amount of the discounts from the subcontractors or suppliers, he can reduce the rate of the work in that tender. So the tender price may be reduced. This might be increased the chance to win the tender. That is why the estimator or being consultancy Quantity Surveyors should have a thorough knowledge about the discounts and should apply the discounts while he is pricing the tender.       Conclusion I gained lot of knowledge about cost estimation through this assignment got idea about the tender pricing process, the factors that need to be considered in pricing a tender, the sources and nature of information for cost estimating, the factors affecting labour , material and plant rates, all-in-labour, material plant rates, unit rates that reflect the current local market prices for measured work items in a BOQ, preliminary, overhead costs in a bills of Quantities, the cost of site facilities to be provided by the contractors, prepare letters of enquires for supply of materials and subcontract services and different forms of discount .those are I gained through this assignment. I referred lot of books to do this assignment .I got idea through our batch mates to do this assignment. And also review was useful for me. in review time our lecture corrected my fall in the assignment so review was very useful. REFERENCE Ivor H.Seely, Quantity Surveying Practices, 2nd Edition Published by Palgrave Macmillan, 1997. RD Buchan, F.W. Fleming and J.R. Kelly ,Estimating for Builders and Quantity Surveyors ,1st Edition ,British library cataloguing in publication data,1991. The procurement committee of the charted Institute of building, Code of estimating practice, 6th Edition, Published by The charted Institute of building through Englemere services limited, 1997. Wills, Practice and procedures for the quantity surveyors, 12th Edition, Blackwell publishing. Jack Ramus, Arics and Simon Birchall, Contract Practices for Surveyors, 3rd Edition, Published by British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data, 1996.

An Analysis of Martin Fishbeins Theory of Reasoned Action

Later on behavior appeared not to be 100% voluntary and under control, this resulted in the addition of perceived behavioral control. † Gordon Allport formulated a definition that â€Å"attitudes are learned predispositions to respond to an object or class of objects in a consistently favorable or unfavorable way. † In other words, an attitude is a person’s overall evaluation of a concept. The theory of reasoned action, stated by Ajzen and Fishbein, suggests that if a person intends to carry out a behavior, it is likely that they will do so. Attitudes are always weighted by evaluations of a person’s beliefs. Another example, which highlights peoples beliefs, relates to sports; Sports may be good for one’s health, Sports may be time consuming, Sports may be a strain and uncomfortable. All of these beliefs are weighted. Henry Assael (1983) agreed with the theories and stated how these ‘attitudes’ can be used to predict consumer behavior. The marketing strategy looks at predicting consumer behavior, and attitudes are key in order for a firm to help predict consumer’s behavior. This therefore gives the firm a competitive advantage over their rivals. Thus, Ajzen and Fishbein’s theory is very feasible and can be applied to everyday life. The idea however, was rejected by Sheppard et al. (1988), who made several limiting conditions that proved the idea was false. The distinction was made between a goal intention and a behavioral intention. Goal intentions would look into the long term, for example, getting into the rugby team. A behavior would be attending training. Sheppard also looked at the availability of alternatives and opportunity cost. Choice had an impact on the TRA theory, as it may alter the performance of a certain behavior. Finally he stated that there are times when there is a significant different between what a person intends to do, and what he/she is expected to do. Subjective norm does not account for individual differences. Some people may choose not to consult parents or friends about their decision to carry out a behavior. There are numerous individuals who will feel more comfortable making decisions without their family or peer group, and there are also people who may find it impossible to make a decision about ‘giving up alcohol’ without discussing it with others. Subjective norm therefore may not be as feasible as evaluation of outcome. This process requires the individual to make his/her own assumptions and attitudes about the behavior, and this process is nearly almost carried about by everyone. Not all parts of the theory are essential in the process one makes to carry out a behavior. The ‘Belief in strength of outcome’ and ‘evaluation of outcome’ are the two most important aspects. In the conscious mind, these are the two significant processes that usually occur. People, who are considering drinking alcohol on a night out, will only usually consider the pros and cons of that decision. It is rare for individuals to take matters even further and consult friends or parents about the matter. Subjective norm therefore is usually canceled out in low involving decisions like drinking alcohol. ‘Intention’ may also play a limiting role in the decision to drink alcohol. Behavioral upbringing may have a contributing effect, however the decision usually relates to the situation in which that person is, for example, on a night out, or having dinner at home. The person may be more inclined to drink alcohol on a night out, and may choose to have a soft drink with dinner. Individuals usually take into consideration the time and place, and don’t depend as much on the norms of their upbringing. Hale et al. (2003), backs up this idea, that the TRA excludes a wide range of behaviors such as spontaneity, cravings and habits, and states that â€Å"engaging in these behaviors might not involve a conscious decision on the part of the actor. † To conclude, the theory lacks external reliability, as some behaviors are not used to produce an outcome. However Fishbein and Ajzen created a theory, which can be applied to purchasing behavior of consumers, and thus can be applied to everyday life. 2. Do you think that consumers approach the purchase of products in the seemingly reasoned way outlined above? Give examples to illustrate your thoughts. Many consumers will use the processes outline by Fishbein and Ajzen when purchasing a high involvement product that takes careful thought. However consumers will sometimes use impulse buying for the purchase of products. â€Å"Impulse buying: Spur of the moment, unplanned decision to buy, made just before a purchase. Research findings suggest that emotions and feelings play a decisive role in purchasing, triggered by seeing the product or upon exposure to a well-crafted promotional message. † Impulse buying therefore cancels out behaviors such as evaluation of outcome and subjective norm. A second reason why this theory does not account for all consumer purchases, relates to operant conditioning. This method of learning occurs through rewards and punishments for a certain behavior. Through this process, an association is created between the behavior and a consequence of it. For example; if a chocolate bar goes on offer and has a discount of 50%, a consumer is more than likely to purchase this item. Once a positive association is created with the chocolate, the consumer will more than likely purchase it again. Skinner used the term operant to refer to any active behavior that operates upon the environment to generate consequences (1953). Classical conditioning, which was discovered by Ivan Pavlov, suggested that it’s a learning process, which occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. The unconditioned stimulus, is something, which triggers a response. In Pavlov’s experiments, his dogs smelt food and the result was salivation. This then produced an unconditioned response, which is an unlearnt response to the unconditioned stimulus. The smell of food would either produce salivation or the feeling of being hungry.

The United Nations and international order Essay

The United Nations and international order - Essay Example From the research it can be comprehended that when the Great powers came together in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, the prevailing issues that obviated the need to form the United Nation were limited to those factors that characterized oppressive powers in Germany, Japan and Italy. Thus international order was perceived in an entirely different way than it is perceived today. Moreover, the founding fathers were embattled having just endured a major war and wanted to take advantage of the failures attributed to the League of Nations in that it had not been able to prevent a Second World War. The resolution was perceived as cooperation among the international community. However, the veto powers and the virtual autonomy of the five permanent members to the United Nation illustrate that the United Nation has been far from cooperative in coping with the prevention, management and cessation of breaches of the peace. Be that as it may, since the establishing of the United Nation the world has not suffered through a world war. It can therefore be argued that maintaining the world peace may not require international cooperation as called for by the United Nation. However, having regard to the proxy wars in the Middle East, the Gulf Wars and many other conflicts and humanitarian crimes, the effectiveness of the United Nation in maintaining international order, peace and security is seriously in doubt... Similarly, the UN decided on promoting peace and security via a framework that consisted of an â€Å"international organization† as opposed to the League of Nation’s framework of a global government.4 Thus the UN set out to consciously distance itself from the failed League of Nations. Setting the general tone of equality among the international community, Article 2(1) of the UN Charter 1945 specifically states that the UN was â€Å"based on sovereign equality of all of its Members†.5 The UK and the USSR were opposed to the UN becoming involved in anything outside of political and security issues. Even so, it was determined that the UN could not be effective without the authority to delve into the underlying root causes of armed conflict such as the economic, social and ideological factors the create tensions among and within states.6 In this regard, the UN’s mandate in maintaining international order would be somewhat expansive. It would not merely limit the scope of its authority to actual conflict, but would take on a much broader role in the international order. Early Challenges to the UN’s International Order Agenda The Allies of the Second World War were for all intents and purposes the founding fathers of the UN. Collectively, the Allies were the world’s Great Powers, having successfully defeated fascism and the Nazi powers. Thus the Great Powers assumed a pivotal role in the UN’s peacekeeping mandate that was designed to maintain and regulate international order. At the time, the main powers with the authority to negotiate peace and order were vested in the US and the USSR. The prevailing belief was that world peace and security was not possible unless the Great Powers cooperated and coordinated efforts to prevent and punish â€Å"aggression†. 7

The Role of the United Nations in a Collective Security Essay

The Role of the United Nations in a Collective Security - Essay Example Recent international developments, however, have proven that collective security as envisaged by the UN Charter of 1945 is inadequate to meet the exigencies of the times. In the past, the collective security function of the United Nations had often failed because it had become a battleground of the two superpowers which emerged after the 2nd World War. The UN, especially its, however, security functions, was held hostage to the power play of these two countries. Even before the dust of the war had settled, the intense competition for global supremacy between the United States (US) and the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) began to take root into what has been called the Cold War, so termed because despite the intense fighting between the two sides on all fronts it did not entail the use of weapons. This intense conflict between the two superpowers affected the UN and its collective security functions because of its inherent structural defect. It would seem that the name United Nations is not the same as ‘equal nations’ because five of its members are not only given permanent standing but a commanding veto vote. When the organization was established in 1945, the countries which fought together with the Axis powers namely, the US, USSR, the United Kingdom (UK), China, and France were accorded permanent seats in the Security Council (SC) (Krasno 2004). As members of the P5, both the US and the USSR, together with the other three countries, have the sole veto power over any draft resolution of the UN (Zhu & Hearn 1999).

Translation and Half-caste Essay Example for Free

Translation and Half-caste Essay Half-Caste is a poem written by John Agard. It presents another culture through dialect and uses complicated terminology. The poem is quite emotional and John Agard uses many techniques to present his ideas and views on Half-Caste. The poem is all about the different definitions of Half-Caste, it is undefined. Agard compares the word half-caste to Tchaikovsky’s piano, Picasso’s canvas and English weather. Firstly, John Agard uses rhetorical questions throughout the poem; ‘what yu mean?’ this shows that nobody knows what Half-Caste means it is down to the reader’s own opinion. This is repeated a lot throughout the poem. Rhetorical questions were very effective in this poem as it made the reader think imagine what the phrase half-caste means. Another technique that Agard uses is repetition; ‘what yu mean when yu say half-caste’. This demonstrates that John wants to emphasise this phrase. Repetition helps the reader to think about what half-caste actually means because it shows that there is no real definition and that it is the reader’s own interpretation of the word. The poet tells the poem in a confronting way because he uses the word ‘Half-Caste’. The poem is confrontational because the poem is coming across in an argumentative way especially against those who are half-caste. This could offend some people so the reader may think that, Half-Caste could be quite offensive. Half-Caste has many emotional thoughts. For example; is there anything wrong with the term ‘Half-Caste’, is it insulting, is he proud. A mixture of emotions are used here, including tension and anxiety, anger and also happiness. John Agard presents his ideas in a confusing way. The reader would think this because he does not actually know what half-caste means but yet writes a poem about different views of the term half-caste. He also writes the poem as a past experience as if he was a victim of racism. Agard uses things associated with half-caste so maybe he has been affected; ‘one leg’, ‘half of mih ear’, ‘half of mih eye’, ‘half-a-hand’. This shows that Agard must understand what half-caste is all about but he signals that half-caste is undefined without saying it in the poem. John Agard is very open-minded during the poem; ‘an I will tell yu de other half of my story’. This could show that there is another half to his story and that there may be a more cheerful side of his story. These words show that you should not judge people if you do not know them and don’t be judgemental. It does not matter what race or culture you are, be mindful. Agard uses insults to present his views on the term Half-Caste; ‘ah rass’. This could be offensive and cause anger towards the reader. The poem suggests that the reader only knows the definition of half-caste if you are half-caste. It is outsmarting all of the racist people because racist people may find the poem an insult. In the poem, the reader thinks it suggests that everything is a bit mixed up but it does not matter because everyone is unique and different. In conclusion, John Agard uses a variety of effective techniques to present the ideas and views to the reader. The reader thinks that the poem is quite confusing in the way it is written because it compares lots of things that the reader is not entirely sure define the term Half-Caste. The reader likes the way that Agard writes the poem as a past experience. Agard uses many techniques such as rhetorical questions and repetition which makes the reader think but also makes the poem flow well. Overall, the reader thinks that Half-Caste is a good poem that explains the different meanings of Half-Caste.

Dale :: essays research papers

Earnhardt dies following Daytona 500 accident DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, 49, was fatally injured Sunday in a multi-car accident on the final lap of the 43rd Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. "NASCAR has lost its greatest driver," said NASCAR Chairman of the Board Bill France, who himself is recovering from life threatening illnesses, "and I personally have lost a great friend." His wife Teresa was at his side at the time of death. Dr. Steve Bohannon, emergency trauma surgeon who was on one of the ambulances that responded, said, "My speculation would be head injuries, basically to the base of the skull." Earnhardt, who won the 1998 Daytona 500, was unconscious when he was cut from his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet after the accident between Turns 3 and 4 of the 2.5-mile speedway as a tangled pack of cars raced to the checkered flag. He was immediately transported to Halifax, less than one-mile from the speedway. "I don’t know what to say. This is incredible, just incredible. I think everybody is just in shock right now. "I didn’t see much of what happened up there (in the fourth turn). After the race was over, I heard things didn’t look very good but, man, Earnhardt. You figure he’ll bounce right back," said Jeremy Mayfield, driver of the No. 12 Penske Ford. Your first thought is, hey, he’ll probably come back next week at Rockingham and beat us all. "My heart goes out to Theresa and Dale, Jr., Kerry and Kelly, and to Taylor Nicole." Earnhardt was pronounced dead while his driver, Michael Waltrip, was being interviewed in the Daytona press box after his first career victory in 463 starts. In the accident, Ken Schrader's No. 36 Pontiac was pinned against the outside wall by Earnhardt's out-of-control No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, which came from a lower lane on the 31-degree banked turn. "I don't know what happened -- all of a sudden we were all crashing," said Schrader, who was unhurt in the accident. "I guess someone got into Dale because Dale got into me and then we went up. We hit pretty hard and Dale hit harder." Schrader tried to visit Earnhardt's car after the accident ended, but quickly left the area. I didn't get to talk to Dale," Schrader said of his escape. "I went over there and then they (safety workers) got there real quick, so I got the hell out of the way.

Critically discuss different possible meanings of justice

As Lord Wright commented there is not satisfactory definition of justice. What is considered just in a particular case is what appears just by a just man. Similarly, the thing that appears reasonable to a reasonable man would be considered as reasonable. However, some people may see justice as applying the same rules in the same manner to all people. In other words, treating like cases alike. But then again, this could also lead injustice. Because people have varied definitions of justice, the issues of fairness and equality help support the concept. This shows the link between law and justice. However, it helps identify miscarriages of justice where people are wrongly convicted of criminal offences. Aristotle who was an ancient Greek philosopher, was one of the first to put forward his view. His theory was that a just law is one that would enable people to fulfil themselves in society. Meaning the law should promote justice. This made him differentiate the concept into two types; distributive and corrective justice. Distributive justice is the allocation of assets with the ideal of achieving proportion according to each individuals claim. You can read also:  Justice System Position Paper In other words, all benefits and burdens should be distributed fairly. On the other hand, corrective justice is when someone disappoints distributive justice, they should then be corrected. One could oppose distributive justice by some wrongdoing. This could then be corrected by courts, prisons, injunctions etc. The main aim of this is to redistribute the assets, which then leads to a fair system. However, there are more varied theories on the relationship between law and justice. For instance, the theory of natural law and utilitarianism. The theory of natural law is an idea that all law is ultimately derived from a divine source which is higher than a man made law. Aristotle believed that this higher law was derived from nature. However, St. Thomas Aquinas believed that this higher law was derived from God. Therefore any law that is against the human good or even against Gods will is not true law and should not be adhered to. But then this means that natural law theorist would not abide by the legal rules of the country as these are not Gods rules. But, in actual fact they should be obeyed, as not doing so would result in social disorders taking place. The theory of utilitarianism takes a look at society as a whole nation, not an individual. The main proponents of this theory are; John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. They believe that a law is just if it benefits the majority of the people even if it results with injustice for the minority. Proponents do not only have a look at the law, but also take into consideration the consequence of the law to see if the outcome is just towards society for the greater number. If a law benefits more people within society than what it harms, then this would be known as just in the eyes of utilitarianism proponents. The criticism of the utilitarianism approach is that it focuses on justice for the society as a whole, but what is to happen with the one who doesn't attain justice due to the majority. Doesn't that individual have a right to justice and a fair trial? For example, in the case of R V Brown (how? ) Furthermore, there are more theories on the economic view of law and justice; like economic analysis, Rawls theory, Nozick and the minimal state, Karl Marx and lastly Hans Kelsen. Economic analysis is a theory that works on the basis that everything has a financial value. Regardless if you are buying something, or if you are selling it, it still has a financial value. The main conflict is the balance between the needs of the society and the needs of the individual. This is a very similar theory to that of the utilitarianism. For example, if a general practitioner would have to pay i500,000 for the surgical services in order to operate on an individual, who would he operate on; the one who has a life threatening condition which would use most of the budget up, or one whose condition is not life threatening and wouldn't use most of the budget up? For this scenario to be fair, I feel that regardless of the financial value, if the practitioner is able to provide the service he should do so. This is because it provides more of a just manner as someone who was of an upper class would still require the surgery and change the outcome of a life threatening to a non-life threatening. Ones financial status should not intervene of the law acting fair and just to an individual. Jhon Rawls theory was that the society should decide and design a set of principles which is just for the greater good of society. This way, the government as well as society know that these laws will be adhered to, and looked up to. This is because they are the laws which society produce and are more imaginary for the majority than having legal laws by the government. By designing a set of principles, the society would have to disregard their position within society. For example, the rich, poor, disabled, young, old etc. However, this could be a disadvantage as the rich would design principles that favour them and vice versa for the poor. Those who are not disabled would design laws to suit their needs, not taking into consideration the needs of the disabled. But then it was argued that the ‘original position' one is meant to be in at the time of setting the principles, they should be free from personal bias and take the needs of the society into consideration, without being selfish and looking at only their needs. However, this could be a limitation as some of society may feel that they were the least advantaged of the group. This would then lead to a disagreement of a set of basic rights and principles, which each member would find acceptable for their own requirements. He argues that there are two basic principles; first one being that a set of liberties would be available to all, like freedom of thought, speech and conscience. But then it would be compromised to meet the needs of the greater good. For example, because of having the public's interest to consider, you would disregard a dangerous criminal their right to liberty. The second principle being that each individual should have equal opportunity as well as equal distribution. Rawls considers equality as in the distribution of wealth. Inequality is only allowed to help the mast disadvantaged. These principles could then be argued as it does not state what is meant by fair, as this could mean†¦ it also does not describe or give a description as to what the basic rights and principles are of a human being. Could the basic right and principles be to have food and shelter on their plate, or would it be to have the freedom of speech etc. Nozick and the minimal state, is about how the state should have a minimum interference in people's lives, following a just society. The state should restrict to provide society with the basic needs like protecting one from theft or force. He felt that if ones property or wealth is legitimately and fairly obtained, then it is yours to keep. Property can be legitimately and fairly obtained in 3 ways; just acquisition like inheriting something legally, just transfer like purchasing something from another legally, and lastly just rectification following an unjust acquisition like returning stolen property to its rightful owner. Nozick does not look at how wealth should be redistributed to gain equality but in fact if you have attained something legally and fairly, it is yours to keep. He does not believe in the fact that property can be owned by the State, but it is owned by the individual. The main criticism for this theory is that it states that people, who don't have wealth, should not be helped from the state. If this was to become the reality, how do individuals be trained for a good job, if capital deprivation is there to prevent them? Karl Marx' theory is that the law and legal system should intervene in the life of society to redistribute the wealth amongst all. He thought that wealth and property should all be distributed in accordance with ones capacity and needs. This is because Marx rejected capitalism and felt that it was unjust to the society by having it implemented within the law. He feels that within a capitalist society all law is unjust. This is because it represents the means by which one class oppresses the class or classes below it. Therefore, their view is to redistribute the wealth equally within society regardless of one's financial status. As illustrated by the Soviet Union of the problems of communism. Formal justices are the mechanisms put in place to try and support a just society. It would be satisfied by the consistent and impartial application of rules and procedures without questioning the fairness and rightness of the outcome. These mechanisms within the legal status make sure that everyone is given equal treatment; no one is at a disadvantage than the other. The manner of interpreting and applying rules of law and enforcing decisions can be seen as formal justice. Therefore, equality in treatment is preserved. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 state the police powers and instructions for how a public authority should carry out their duties creating fairness and consistent acts. For example, when a defendant is being interviewed within a police interview room, whatever activities are carried out within the room are stated to the tape. So, if someone came in showing evidence, it will be stated who came in and what evidence was found. This will occur with all people who are being interviewed. Similarly, if someone had been stopped and searched, the police would have to ensure that they meet the requirements to stop and search. By having these procedures for the public authority to meet, it ensures the fairness within society will be created and maintained. In other words, people would abide by them which will create fairness within society making the outcome correct or right for society. By allowing individuals access to legal advice and representation, prevents bribery from occurring. In other words, by having someone present at the time of being questioned, the defendant could bribe public authority to acquit them. This then leads to an unfair trial which is not consistent and adherent to the rules. However, if a solicitor was present at the time, and there were recordings of the activities which took place during the room, it would be explicit as to whether bribery was taking place, if so, defendant can be prosecuted. By allowing the same rules applying to all individuals. The case of R V Thames Magistrates' Court Ex parte Polemis, illustrates that the defendant was not given enough time to prepare for his defence. This is because he was told the day before that he was due in court the following day. He also did not understand the language, therefore could not turn up in court. This could seem as unfair if the judges were to prosecute him for this. Lastly, by having the judicial review, the judges are able to review the decisions of politicians and the public officials. They decide whether the politician was within their rights to state or make that decision. However, the disadvantage is that they do not examine the merits of the decision as to what he impact will be on the society. By having a judicial review, it prevents politicians from making their own decisions for their own purposes without taking the interest of society into consideration. On the other hand substantive justice is the mechanisms that the legal system has in place to provide a just outcome. For example, the judicial precedent. This is when judges treat like cases alike. This moves away from binding precedent like overruling, distinguishing etc. Here, the doctrine of stare decisis is implemented. This is a policy of the courts to abide by the principles set out in previous cases like the Cunningham case for subjectively recklessness. It is also when the decision or answer to a question is answered by the judge from a lower court; it followed through to the rest of the courts. Another mechanism for substantive justice would be the sentencing. There are various aims of sentencing, but are they used correctly within society and allocated for the correct offences. For example within the summer riots, a women was sent to jail for 5 months for handling stolen goods, when she received then, having slept through the riots in which they were taken. Would this be considered as fair and just if she did not in actual fact steal the goods, or have any relation to it, except for the fact that she was handed over them the following day. Another example of sentencing within the summer riots is when a man was sent for imprisonment for 4 years for posting messages on Facebook encouraging the riots. Would this be considered as fair for the defendant, in other words would he gain anything from being sent to prison? The answer to this would be no, this is because if he had a community sentence, he would know a lot more about his community and therefore able to make a difference. As illustrated by Gilbert, the seriousness of the criminality must be matched with the seriousness of the penalty. Meaning, the type of crime they committed, the sentence should be equivalents and a penalty from which they can learn from their mistakes. To conclude this, as stated from the above, there are various definitions to justice; hence there is a problem of defining it. To gain perfect justice with any legal system is impossible. However, every legal system tries their utmost best to achieve justice for each individual. Aiming to treat them and achieve a ‘fair' and ‘just' solution. This showing that there is a relationship between the two; historically and theoretically.

Difference Between Monopoly Pricing and Competitive Pricing Essay

Congress is discussing the possibility of removing patent protection for life saving drugs in order to reduce the cost of the Medicare and Medicaid systems. Discuss both the short-run and long-run implications for the economic situation of the drug industry. Include in your answer the impact on prices, new development, etc. of drugs. Include appropriate graphs showing the difference between monopoly pricing and competitive pricing. The drug industry currently takes on both monopolistic and competitive market structures. When a drug company develops a new drug, there are patent laws that allow the company to have a monopoly on selling the drug. In the short-run, the company is able to charge the monopoly price (above marginal cost) and maximize profit by producing the quantity where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. Once the patent runs out, other drug companies have an incentive to enter the market causing it to become more competitive. These new companies produce generic versions of the drug and charge a price below the monopolist’s price. As more and more competitors enter the price is driven down to marginal cost. If congress were to remove patent protection on life-savings drugs, drug company’s profits for life saving drugs would decrease. More companies would be able to begin producing the drugs without waiting for the patent period to end therefore, the original drug maker would not be able to charge the monopoly price for very long because competitors could quickly engineer generic versions. The original producer would no longer be a price maker and instead need to follow profit maximization rules of a competitive market by producing the quantity where marginal revenue equals marginal cost and charge a price equal to marginal marginal revenue. Since the original drug maker will not be able to benefit from monopoly pricing during the patent period, there will be less incentive for them to create lifesaving drugs. A part of the benefit of higher profits during the monopoly period is the ability to recoup some of the research, develop, and testing costs of producing these drugs that the generic makers do not incur. Consumers on the other hand would benefit from competition in the market which prevents a single drug maker from dictating the market price of these newly developed lifesaving drugs.

ESL Beginner Reading Comprehension Cooking Dialogue

ESL Beginner Reading Comprehension Cooking Dialogue In this dialogue, you will practice speaking about daily routines by focusing on cooking. Notice that the present simple is used to speak about daily routines. Adverbs of frequency tell us how often we do something and include usually, sometimes, never, etc.. Practice the dialogue with your partner and then interview each other about how you do certain tasks you enjoy. Cooking (At a friends house) Carol: This is a lovely house!Martha: Thank you. Carol, we call it home. Carol: Its very close to work, isnt it?Martha: Yes, it is. I always walk to work - even when it rains! Carol: I usually take the bus. It takes so long!Martha: How long does it take? Carol: Oh, it takes about 20 minutes.Martha: That is a long time. Well, have some cake. Carol: (taking a bite of some cake) this is delicious! Do you bake all of your own cakes?Martha: Yes, I usually bake something at the weekend. I like having sweets in the house. Carol: Youre a wonderful cook!Martha: Thank you, its nothing really. Carol: I never cook. Im just hopeless. My husband, David, usually does all the cooking.Martha: Do you often go out to eat? Carol: Yes, when he doesnt have time to cook, we go out to eat somewhere.Martha: There are some wonderful restaurants in the city. Carol: Too many! You can eat at a different restaurant every day. Monday - Chinese, Tuesday - Italian, Wednesday - Mexican, on and on ... Check your understanding with this multiple choice comprehension quiz. More Dialogue Practice - Includes level and target structures/language functions for each dialogue.

Rioting in American Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rioting in American Society - Essay Example Hysteria on this level was a mass-ecstasy of panic, through which later psychologists interpreted that individuals shed their exhibitions and released repressed thought energy through violent activity in a type of trance – many mob participants were allegedly â€Å"seized† by some force they identify as coming from outside of themselves and overtaking them, causing the person to commit acts of violence or lust that would not ordinarily be even within the threshold of their annual conscious awareness. This is similar in experience and description as possessions reported by ethnographers and anthropologists with ritualistic religions. The psychology of crowds and mass persuasion has steadily advanced since the time of Mackay, yet there are still no explanations for these aspects of human experience from psychology that really explain with any certainty what is occurring in the dynamics of the group mind, or if a group mind even exists. If it does exist, the concept should shatter our commonly held assumptions about individuality and the autonomy of being. Yet if it is not something we can consciously experience, or that happens on cue, it cannot be replicated or tested. Even wildfires, tornados, and hurricanes have a set of evolving principals describing their behavior that are accepted as scientifically valid. Crowd dynamics, as a science, and group psychology can combine to collect evidence on riot situations when they occur in modern times and research historical records of riots to see if they can find patterns and rules of behavior in chaos. Thus a question arises as to whether or not a riot can be organized, for if it is organized in advance it would simply be an attack on a location and not an eruption of primal chaos and the group mind. We need then to discover if there is a valid method of judging the difference between these two situations. From this we can posit the first distinguishing characteristic of

Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Culture - Research Paper Example nly by their fellow Irishman but by Irish institutions, the result of which has been the perpetuation of the perception of the group as a negative influence on the culture. Evidence of this is clear in the way the group identifies itself as opposed to how others identify them. While Travellers call themselves pavees, they are often referred to by their fellow Irishman as pikeys, knackers and gypos—all highly derogatory terms essentially shorthand for pickpockets and thieves. A visitor to Ireland might hear them called â€Å"tinkers,† a seemingly benign term but also derogatory in that according to Irish legend tinkers, or tinsmiths were on some level involved in the making the cross of Christ. The actual designation, however, may have more to do with the fact that Travellers to present move from town to town selling and repairing pots among other occupations. Hedican (2000) in his review of Heilleiner writes, â€Å"The origins of the Irish Travellers ...are... obscure† (p.1). Using history as a guide, Hedican (2000), as do other scholars, suggests, â€Å"One origin myth sees them as the remnants of Irish nobles thrown off their es tates by the Cromwellian purge of Irish landed aristocracy...Another account traces their origins to the Great Famine of the late 1840s† (p. 1). Countering the latter theory, legend and history traces the potential origins of the group as far back as pre-Celtic minstrels. Since Travellers have no written history, it is impossible to say, and the debate continues. Though much of what is said and known is peripheral, scholarly studies present clear evidence regarding how and why these nomadic people have come to be singled out in their country, and also the part which racism, in all its forms, plays in that exclusion. In 2005 the United Nations, concerned about Irish institutional and government policies regarding Travellers, demanded an accounting from the government to the International Covenant for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial