The Growing Threat Of Computer Crime Essay Example For Students

The Growing Threat Of Computer Crime Essay Running head: THE GROWING THREAT OF COMPUTER CRIMEThe Growing Threat of Computer CrimeDiana RitterBaker College of CadillacMay 9, 2001Abstract Computers have been used for most kinds of crime, including fraud, theft, larceny, embezzlement, burglary, sabotage, espionage, murder, and forgery, since the first cases were reported in 1958. One study of 1,500 computer crimes established that most of them were committed by trusted computer users within businesses; persons with the requisite skills, knowledge, access, and resources. With the arrival of personal computers to manipulate information and access computers by telephone, increasing numbers of crimeselectronic trespassing, copyrighted-information piracy, vandalismhave been committed by computer hobbyists, known as hackers, who display a high level of technical expertise. For many years, the term hacker defined someone who was a wizard with computers and programming. It was a challenge to all hackers, and an honor to be considered a hacker. But when a few hackers began to use their skills to break into private computer systems and steal money, or interfere with the systems operations, the word acquired its current negative meaning. With the growing use of computers and the increase in computer crimes, early detection, deterring computer crimes, and new laws regulating and punishing these computer crimes are necessary. Without it, chaos will be the end result. The Growing Threat of Computer Crime Do you think your company’s computer systems are secure? Think again. Billions of dollars in losses have already been discovered due to computer crimes. Billions more have gone undetected. Trillions more will be stolen, most without detection, by the emerging master criminal of the twenty first century The computer crime offender. What’s worse yet is that anyone with a computer can become a computer criminal. Crimes such as embezzlement, fraud and money laundering are not new. However, each of these crimes now has a new partner in crime-the computer. Crimes that have become unique due to the availability and widespread use of computers include:a. unauthorized use, access, modification, copying, and destruction of software or data;b. theft of money by altering computer records of theft of computer time;c. theft or destruction of hardware;d. use or conspiracy to use computer resources to commit a felony;e. intent to obtain information or tangible property, illegally through use of the computer. (Fraud Survey Results, 1993)Although incidents in this second category of crimes do present a serious problem, embezzlement is by far the major threat to small businesses. This is evident by the frequency of reports in the local media. Cash is the most vulnerable asset as it is the easiest for the perpetrator to convert to personal use. Firms most vulnerable to theft of money are firms that must rely on one individual to perform the duties of office manager and bookkeeper. Having more than one e mployee in the office provides an opportunity to effect certain internal controls, particularly separation of duties. Small business owners should review their insurance coverage for employee dishonesty. While there are no standards to determine precisely the amount of coverage necessary, the marginal cost of adding an extra $1,000 of coverage decreases as the coverage increases. A business owner should consult with an insurance agent and err on the side of caution, just to be safe. Although theft of money is a major subject when speaking of computer crime, there are also many other areas to be concerned about. Some of the computer crimes for the 21st century will include:Communication crimes (cellular theft and telephone fraud). Low-tech thieves in airports and bus terminals use binoculars to steal calling card access numbers. Thieves will park their vans along busy interstate highways and use specialized equipment to steal cellular telephone access codes from the air. This is just the tip of the â€Å"iceberg†. We will write a custom essay on The Growing Threat Of Computer Crime specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Business. Most banking today is done by electronic impulse. Therefore, access to business computers equals access to money (and lots of it). Convicted computer hacker, John Lee, a founder of the infamous â€Å"Master’s of Deception† hacker group stated that he could change credit card records and bank balances, get free limousines, airplane tickets, and hotel rooms (without anyone being billed), change utility and rent rates, distribute computer software programs free to all over the internet, and easily obtain insider trading information. Imagine†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦this is just one person. Think of all the hundreds of â€Å"hackers† that are out there. Computer stalking. One type of computer criminal rapidly emerging is the â€Å"cyber stalker†. One such stalker, the pedophile, surfs the net looking to build relationships with young boys or girls and then sets out to meet them in person to pursue his/her sexual intensions. This type of activity also leads to sellers of child pornography over the internet. Virtual crimes. Stock and bond fraud is already appearing on the internet. Stocks and bonds that appear on the market are actively traded (for a short period of time) and then disappear. These stocks and bonds are nonexistent-only the electronic impulses are read. One must note, however, no matter how clever the hacker, the most serious security threat in most enterprises is password theft. Password stealing is the â€Å"holy grail† of hacking. Once a username/password combination has been found, the hacker has free rein to exploit that user account. Firewalls, intrusion detection systems, encryption, and other countermeasures are powerless. Here, hackers an get a hold of a valid user name and password, plus the right URL or dial up number, and can use these to steal your sensitive data. Hackers can also use programs such as â€Å"sniffers† to steal your sensitive data. These programs look for particular information such as passwords or credit card numbers in which the hackers turn around and use to their benefit. Last year, a so-called â€Å"sniffer† was used to steal more than 100,000 credit numbers which were stored on the server of an internet service provider. The top ten types of high tech criminal activity are reported as:1. Virus infection 83%;2. Abusive use of the internet 69%;3. Laptop theft 58%;4. Unauthorized insider use 40%;5. Telecommunication fraud 27%;6. Information theft 21%;7. Network break-in 20%;8. Sabotage 14%9. Financial fraud 12%10. Active wiretap 4%. (Computer Security Institute for the FBJ)As you can see, computer crime isn’t limited to any one area or business. And nothing boosts awareness of computer security better than a few widely publicized breaches. In 1998, a federal prosecutor charged a former employee of Forbe’s Inc with sabotaging Forbes computers. The accused sought revenge after his dismissal in 1997 by tying up one of Forbe’s computer lines, from his home telephone, for a total of 55 minutes. The company stated it was like putting Krazy Glue in the telephone line. Estimated damage $100,000. In 1999, despite Microsoft’s claims that it took â€Å"advanced† skills to create a hack in its free, web-based Hotmail service, which exposed millions of user’s accounts. Security experts said the hack was actually very â€Å"user friendly† and easily shared. In August, 2000, Supermarket great â€Å"Safeway† had failed to get its web site up and running two weeks after a suspected hacker attach led to its closure. The sight was shut down after numerous shoppers received an email hoax telling them to shop elsewhere. In 1994-95, an organized crime group headquartered in St. Petersburg, Russia, transferred 10.4 million dollars from Citibank into accounts all over the world. Russian hacker, Vladimiv Levin, was charged with fraud and convicted by a federal grand jury in New York. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison and ordered to pay $240,0 00 restitution to Citibank. In February 2000 it was reported that hacker attacks on sites such as Yahoo and Ebay resulted in losses of 1.2 billion dollars. The attacks were initiated by hackers who penetrated insecure servers hosted by large organizations like universities and research institutions. These sites were plagued by â€Å"denial of service† attacks. (routers connecting the site to the rest of the Internet have been flooded with so much fake traffic that the router becomes unable to cope. Once this is achieved, genuine users find themselves unable to get connected). Other sites affected by â€Å"denial of service† include CNN, Zdnet, Buy.com, and ETRADE group. These sites experienced slowdowns in service of 45 minutes up to 5 hours. With the never-ending threat to computer security, there are several different programs available to help guard your valuable information. The following is an overview of some of these programs:SilentRunnerTM. SilentRunnerTM is an internal network security tool and is designed to detect and report network threats that originate from inside your network. SilentRunnerTM is a passive, multi-functional software tool that monitors network activity in real time, producing a virtual picture of network usage and vulnerabilities. Because SilentRunnerTM is passive and does not introduce additional traffic on a network, it remains undetected by network users, without violating a company’s privacy codes. It works as a complement to external devices, such as firewalls and intrusion detection, and provides the highest level of internal security available in the industry. Omniguard/ITA (Intruder Alert). Omniguard/ITA is a real time, security event monitor that enables security manages to detect suspicious activities and prevent security breaches before they occur. Omniguard/ITA monitors multiple streams of security audit trail information across the network, analyzes this data in real-time based on site-specified ru les and responds automatically to critical events. If Omniguard/ITA system detects a significant threat, it can notify the security administrator by flashing a message on the management console, sending an email or beeping a pager. Cisco Secure IDS (formerly NetRanger). Cisco Secure IDS is an enterprise-scale, real-time intrusion detection system designed to detect, report, and terminate unauthorized activity throughout a network. Cisco Secure IDS is an ideal solution for companies who need to know if their network us under attack from internal or external sources. Real Secure Manager is an intrusion detection system with capabilities within a familiar network and systems management environment. All RealSource management options include real-time views of suspicious activity, such as external and internal attacks or internal misuse, real-time alarm management through propagated display of network security activity, Realsecure online help for incident response and detailed informatio n abut events, secured communications between the Realsecure manager and all Realsecure engines and agents, and control functions are authenticated, verified, and encrypted using RSA, Certicom Elliptical Curve, or user-selected algorithms. NFR security offers several different options in security products. The NFR Intrusion Detection System (NFR IDS) comprises several products that operate independently or together as an integrated suite with a common administration, architecture, interface, data formats, management, and analysis and reporting tools. Each product can operate as a stand-alone system, and as part of a distributed configuration serving large or geographically dispersed organizations. NFR IDS includes NFR Network Intrusion Detection (NID), NFR Secure Log Repository (SLR) and NFR Host Intrusion Detection (HID). NID monitors networks and subnets and raises alerts when known attacks and anomalous activity are detected. NFR SLR is NFR’s secure log storage and managem ent systems, NFR HID monitors servers and workstations and raises alerts when known attacks and anomalous activity are detected. There are also programs available that will protect your home computer from security breaches caused by hackers. One such program is called Freedom Internet Privacy Suite 2.0. Standard features include a personal firewall (especially for those with DSL and cable modems), form filler (to speed up and secure online registrations and transactions), cookie manager (to prevent websites from tracking your activities), ad manager (controls ads and speed up browsing), keyword alert (to prevent personal information from leaving your computer), as well as offering untraceable encrypted email (to secure and privatize your email) and anonymous browsing and chat (to go online undetected). Unfortunately, most computer crimes are discovered by chance, particularly in small businesses. .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad , .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad .postImageUrl , .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad , .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad:hover , .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad:visited , .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad:active { border:0!important; } .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad:active , .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u12d0f4927317c1047a389b506acbd0ad:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Salem witch trials EssaySome means of detection include suspicious employees, physical inventory shortages detected by an audit, an error made by a greedy associate, an employee living a lifestyle obviously beyond what could be supported by his income and other resources, and disgruntled employees. Hiring and firing practices, effective employee training, and managing disgruntled employees properly can help make crime less likely to occur. Most people imagine a â€Å"hacker† as an anonymous cyber-intruder writing endless lines of code to penetrate a system from outside. But half of the unauthorized system intrusions involve insiders who have, or had legitimate acces s to the system. In addition, hacking has entered the mainstream, spurred by downloadable â€Å"hacking tools† that can enable even computer novices to launch devastating cyber-assaults. A hacker must also find an vulnerability human or technical that he then exploits to circumvent security measures. â€Å"Social Engineering†, tricking staff into providing information that can help establish access, often entails posing as a member of the computer or MIS department to obtain passwords from unsuspecting employees. As previously stated, hackers also employ â€Å"sniffers† and other software prog5rams to gain access to victim systems. Nobody can predict which companies will be attacked and businesses want to know, how serious is the threat? In truth, know one knows. A system isn’t immune to attack just because the information inside has little value. And, any attack brings obvious costs: lost computer time, employee hours spent on investigation or repairs, l ost revenues for e-commerce firms. One key point in fighting computer crime is to design an effective compliance program. An effective compliance program addresses both human and technical vulnerabilities, and protects against both outside and inside attacks. Background and security checks should be performed on key computer network personnel, including outside contractors who build or service the network. All personnel, from the CEO to the stock clerk must understand the risks of social engineering and learn what to do in the event of attack—whom to notify, and how to preserve evidence that may prove useful to company counsel or law enforcement. There are six strategies to follow in deterring computer crime:a. making the crime less likely to occur;b. increasing the difficulty of successfully committing the fraud;c. improve detection methods;d. prosecuting and incarcerating perpetrators;e. using forensics accountants; andf. reducing the losses. (Allen 1977)When all else fails †¦..call in the law. Hackers, or those committing crimes via the computer can be charged with fraud, invasion of privacy, embezzlement, and many other charges through your local law enforcement office. However , there are at least 26 states that have laws specific to computer crime (Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan and Vermont are among some of the states that do not have specific laws regarding computer crime). In fact, let’s take a look at a few of these laws. In Texas, s. 33.03 â€Å"Harmful Access† states:(a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly andwithout authorization from the owner of the COMPUTER or a person authorized tolicense access to the COMPUTER:(1) damages, alters, or destroys a COMPUTER, COMPUTER program or software,COMPUTER system, data, or COMPUTER network;(2) causes a COMPUTER to interrupt or impair a government operation, publiccommunication, public transportation, or public service providing water orgas;(3) uses a C OMPUTER to:(a) tamper with government, medical, or educational records; or(b) receive or use records that were not intended for public disseminationto gain an advantage over business competitors;(4) obtains information from or introduces false information into a COMPUTERsystem to damage or enhance the data or credit records of a person;(5) causes a COMPUTER to remove, alter, erase, or copy a negotiableinstrument; or(6) inserts or introduces a COMPUTER virus into a COMPUTER program, COMPUTER network, or COMPUTER system. .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7 , .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7 .postImageUrl , .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7 , .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7:hover , .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7:visited , .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7:active { border:0!important; } .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7:active , .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7 .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf397a74d8548e86ff1d721752210d4f7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Drop The Bomb? (Better Version) EssayAn offense under this section is a:(1) felony of the second degree if the value of the loss or damage caused bythe conduct is $20,000 or more;(2) felony of the third degree if the value of the loss or damage caused bythe conduct is $750 or more but less than $20,000; or(3) Class A misdemeanor if the value of the loss or damage caused by theconduct is $200 or more but less than $750. In Iowa, one of the laws â€Å"on the books† is noted as:716A.2 Unauthorized access. A person who knowingly and without authorization accesses a computer, computer system, or computer network commits a simplemisdemeanor. In the Hawaiian state Legislature, house bill 524, House Draft 1, was passed, to update the laws relating to prohibited computer activity, nearly a decade after the laws were created. One of the provisions includes unauthorized computer access in the first degree: when a person knowingly access a computer or system without authorization in order to obtain information for commercial or private gain, to advance any other crime, to take information valued at more than $5,000 or if the information is already protected against unauthorized disclosure. The violation is a Class B felony punishable by up to ten years in prison. Unauthorized computer access in the second degree is classified as a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison, and a third-degree violation is a misdemeanor. In conclusion, computer crime needs to be prevented and halted through increased computer network security measures as well as tougher laws and enforcement of those laws in cyberspace. If new laws and enforcement of those laws are not soon established, along with heightened security measures, the world will have a major catastrophe as a result of computer activity. The world is becoming increasingly dependant on computers, and the crimes committed will have greater and greater impact as the need for computers (or use of) rises. The possible end of the world was narrowly averted, but was caused by a computer crime. The United States defense computer system was broken into, and the opportunity existed for the hacker to declare intercontinental nuclear war; thus leading to death of the human race. Another event like this is likely to occur if laws, enforcement of the laws and security of computers are not beefed up. The greatest creation of all time, the computer, should not lead to the destruction of the race that created it. ReferencesAbreu, E.M. (1999, September). Experts find Microsoft Hotmail hack easier than claimed. Company Business and Marketing. Bernardo, R. (May 4, 2001). State law moves to address technology crime. Honolulu Star-BulletinCisco Secure IDS (2001). . Available: http://www.cisco.comEaton, J.W. (1986). Card-carrying Americans. Privacy;, Security, and the national i.d card debate. United States of America: Rowman Littlefield. Farrow, R. Power, R. (2001). Five vendors some no-nonsense questions on IDS. CSI Intrusion System Resource Goodwin, B. (2000, August ). Safeway site is still down after hack attack.. Company Business and Marketing. Network ICE Corporation (1998-2000). Password theft . Available: http://www.netice.comNiccolai, J. (02/11/2000). Analyst puts recent hacker damage at $1.2 billion and rising . Available: http://www.nwfusion.comn/newsReal Secure (2001). . Available: http://www.securehq.comSchindler, D.J. (2000, March). E-Crime and what to do about it. Los Angeles Business Journal. SilentRunnerTM. SilentRunnerTM . Available: http://www.silentrunner.com/about/index.html. Teach, E. (1998, February). Look whos hacking now. CFO, The Magazine for Senior Financial Executives. Computers and Internet

Hope Is the Thing with Feathers Analysis Essays

Hope Is the Thing with Feathers Analysis Essays Hope Is the Thing with Feathers Analysis Paper Hope Is the Thing with Feathers Analysis Paper Essay Topic: Thomas Gray Poems Emily Dickinson might be called an artisan, since most of her poems have fewer than thirty lines, yet she deals with the most deep topics in poetry: death, love, and humanity’s relations to God and nature. Her poetry not only impresses by its on going freshness but also the animation. Her use of language and approachness of her subjects in unique ways, might attribute to why â€Å"Hope is the thing with feathers† is one of her most famous works. Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on December 10, 1830. Born to Edward Dickinson and Emily Norcross Dickinson, she was the second of three children. Her brother was named Austin, and her sister was named Lavina. Her father, Edward, was a Whig lawyer, who served as treasurer of Amherst College. He was also elected to one term in Congress. Up until Dickinson was ten, she lived in a mansion, built by her grandfather. She often was seen as frail by her parents; therefore, kept home from school. The religious faith that resided in the Dickinson household was one called evangelical Calvinism. Evangelical Calvinism is a belief that humans are born totally depraved and can be saved only if they undergo a life-altering conversion, in which they accept the vicarious sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Habegger n. p. ). Neither Emily nor Lavina married; however, when Austin married, him and his wife lived next door to his parents. Emily Dickinson excelled in subjects such as Latin and the sciences. After determining that Mount Holyoke Female Seminary (the college she was going to at the time and is now Mount Holyoke College) was uncongenial, she left the college. Her writing mostly consisted of letters until she was in her mid-20s. The poetry of Ralph Waldo Emerson was the first poetry Emily Dickinson had the pleasure to be introduced to by one of her father’s law students, Benjamin F. Newton. The works of Elizabeth Barret Browning played a formative role for Emily, confirming the idea of female greatness and stimulating her ambition. Restricting social activity, she cultivated epistolary relationships with a few people. In 1855, Edward, Lavina, and Emily left the house and headed to Washington D. C. On return the sisters made a trip to Philadelphia, where the poet heard the preachings of Charles Wadsworth. Seventy years later, Emily’s niece, Martha Dickinson Bianchi, claimed that Emily had fallen in love with Wadsworth, who was married. Later Bianchi believes that Dickinson grandly renounced him. This story is not credited because there is no evidence that the minister returned the poet’s love (Habegger, n. p. ) After Wadsworth’s death in 1882, Emily remembered him as â€Å"My Philadelphia,† â€Å"My dearest earthly friend,† and â€Å"My shepherd from ‘Little Girlhood’ (Habegger n. p. ). Events such as: a bitter Norcross family lawsuit, financial collapse of local railroad that had been promoted by her father, and a religious revival that renewed the pressure to â€Å"convert†- made the years 1857 and 1858 deeply troubling for Dickinson and promoted her withdrawal. In 1862, Dickinson wrote to Thomas Wentworth Higginson. She sent him four of her poems asking ‘Are you too deeply occupied to say if my verse is alive? ’ (Pearson Education). Although he didn’t encourage her to publish her work, she still continued to write poetry in her own style. Emily Dickinson’s was probably one of the most private literary careers. One poem, A Valentine, was in the Amherst College Indicator in February 1850. Another Valentine was published in the Springfield Republican newspaper in February 1852. Various times throughout the 1860s, Republican would print four or more of her poems, out of the nearly forty poems she sent to Samuel Bowles, one of the papers editors. Among the four were three of her most famous works: I taste a liquor never brewed, Safe in their Alabaster Chambers, and A narrow Fellow in the Grass. Another poem was published in 1866 in a New York journal called The Round Table. Success is counted Sweetest was the last poem published which was in 1978. Over her entire lifetime, Emily Dickinson only published eight of the 1,775 poems she is known to have written. Emily Dickinson died May 15, 1886. After her death, Lavina found manuscripts of her sisters poems and looked to Mabel Loomis Todd for help in the publication. Much poetry still unpublished, a quarrel over real estate led to an estrangement, both in possession of a portion of the manuscripts. The love affair between Mabel Loomis Todd and Austin, Dickinson’s brother, not only affected the families of both but also the posthumous editing and publishing of Emily’s poetry (Pearson Education). Dickinson used imagery and metaphor to help describe why hope is the thing with feathers. In the first stanza, the metaphorical image of a bird is given as an abstract idea of hope. By giving hope feathers, Dickinson created an image of hope in our minds. The last three lines of the fifth stanza she metaphorically describes what a person who destroys hope feels like. â€Å"And sore must be the storm. † â€Å"That could abash the little bird. † â€Å"That kept so many warm. †(Essortment). Someone who destroys hope with a storm of anger and negativity feels the pain they cause in others. Dickinson uses a powerful image of a person abashing the bird of hope that gives comfort and warmth to most. In the second stanza, â€Å"That perches in the soul,† is an example of imagery that is used to desribe hope. That particular line is used to imply that hope perches or roots in our soul. The soul is the shelter for hope. The imagery of a bird’s continuous song is used in the third and fourth stanzas, â€Å"And sings the tune without words,† â€Å"And never stops at all,† to represent eternal hope. Also Dickinson uses a line from the fifth stanza,†And sweetest in the gale is heard,† to describe that a gale’s song of hope is the sweetest in the wind. Emily Dickinson’s poem form and use of voice is one that is very unique. Her dramatic monologues, always with herself as personas, portray rich complexities of human emotion- elation and depression, faith and doubt, hope and despair. Although her unusual word usages and oblique approaches to a subject call for multiple readings and multiple interpretations, her direct, first-person voice makes a lot of her poetry easily accessible. Although Emily Dickinson did not use an exact rhyme (see, tree), she still used forms of rhyme, yet they weren’t regularly used by modern poets. Her poetry shows what fine effects can be accomplished with these rhymes. Dickinson worked with identical rhyme (sane, insane) often. She also worked with eye rhyme (though, through), and vowel rhyme (see, buy) (Dickinson Oerview). The word trick most people believe Dickinson used is very effective because it expands contexual possibilities, increases the reader’s awareness, and deepens the emotional experience poems recreate. The content and ideas being discussed in the poem are really understandable. The idea of hope in â€Å"extremity† and hope in the â€Å"chillest land/And on the strangest sea,† is a quite abstract way of distinguishing the world. There is a definite comparison within the poem between hope on one side expressed with words like â€Å"warm,† â€Å"soul,† â€Å"sweetest,† and pain of life expressed in words like â€Å"storm,† â€Å"gales,† â€Å"chillest. † (Gray, n. p. ) Although there is a clear struggle between these two elements, it is clear which one comes out above as the voice of hope can still be heard through the gales and storms. Throughout the poem, it is clear that whatever the battles we may confront, hope conquers through in the end.

Steps to a Successful Family Reunion

Steps to a Successful Family Reunion With some creativity and advance planning, you can organize and plan a memorable family reunion that everyone will talk about for years. Who Is Family? It may seem obvious, but the first step for any family reunion is to decide who is family. Which side of the family are you inviting? Do you want to include only close relatives or all descendants of Great Grandpa Jones (or another common ancestor)? Are you inviting only direct-line relatives (parents, grandparents, grandkids) or do you plan to include cousins, second cousins, or third cousins, twice removed? Just remember, every step back on the ancestral tree adds a ton of new potential attendees. Know your limits. Create a Guest List Start by assembling a list of family members, including spouses, partners, and children. Get in touch with at least one person from each branch of the family to help you track down contact information for each person on your list. Make sure to collect email addresses for those that have them - it really helps with updates and last-minute correspondence. Survey Attendees If youre planning to include a lot of people in your family reunion, consider sending out a survey (by postal mail and/or email) to let people know that a reunion is in the works. This will help you gauge interest and preferences, and ask for help with the planning. Include possible dates, proposed reunion type, and a general location (discussing possible costs early on can discourage a positive response), and politely ask for a timely response to your questions. Add the names of interested relatives who return the survey to your reunion list for future mailings, and/or keep them up-to-date on reunion plans via a family reunion Web site. Form a Reunion Committee. Unless this is a get-together of five sisters at Aunt Maggies house, a reunion committee is almost essential to planning a smooth, successful family reunion. Put someone in charge of each major aspect of the reunion - location, social events, budget, mailings, record-keeping, etc. Why do all the work yourself if you dont have to? Select the Date(s) Its not much of a reunion if no one can attend. Whether you plan your family reunion to coincide with a family milestone or special day, summer vacation, or a holiday, it helps to poll family members to avoid time and date conflicts. Since family reunions can encompass everything from an afternoon barbecue to a large affair lasting three or more days, youll also need to determine how long you plan to get together. A good rule of thumb - the farther people have to travel to reach the reunion location, the longer the reunion should last. Most importantly, remember that you wont be able to accommodate everyone. Choose your final date(s) based on whats best for the majority of attendees. Pick a Location Aim for a family reunion location that is most accessible and affordable to the majority of people you want to attend. If family members are clustered in one area, then select a reunion location thats nearby. If everyones scattered, then choose a central location to help cut down on travel expenses for far-flung relatives. Develop a Budget This will determine the scale of the food, decorations, accommodations, and activities for your family reunion. You can choose to have families pay for their own overnight accommodations, bring a covered dish, etc., but unless you have another source of income, youll also need to set a per-family registration fee to help with decoration, activity, and location costs. Reserve a Reunion Site Once youve chosen a location and set a date, its time to select a site for the reunion. Going home is a big draw for family reunions, so you may want to consider the old family homestead or other historic site connected to your familys past. Depending on the size of the reunion, you may be able to find a family member who will volunteer to have it at their home. For larger reunions, parks, hotels, restaurants and community halls are a good place to start. If youre planning a multi-day reunion, then consider a resort location where people can combine reunion activities with a family vacation. Choose a Theme Creating a theme for a family reunion is a great way to interest people and make them more likely to attend. It also makes things more fun when it comes to being imaginative with food, games, activities, invitations, and just about every other aspect of the reunion. Family history themes are especially popular, as are reunions which celebrate a very special family members birthday or anniversary, or the familys cultural heritage (i.e. Hawaiian luau). Determine the Menu Feeding a large group of people with different tastes is perhaps one of the trickiest parts of planning a reunion. Make it easy on yourself by selecting a menu that relates to your theme, or perhaps one that celebrates your familys heritage. Organize a group of family members to prepare the food for the family reunion or, if you have a large group and your budget allows, find a caterer or restaurant to do at least part of the work for you. A tasty menu makes for an unforgettable family reunion. Plan Social Activities You dont need to occupy everyone all the time, but planned activities and ice-breakers at your family reunion will provide an easy way for people who do not know each other well to comfortably spend time together. Include activities that will appeal to all ages and further family knowledge of shared heritage. You may also want to award prizes for special distinctions such as oldest family member or longest distance traveled to attend. Set the Stage Youve got a bunch of people, now what do you plan to do with them? Its time now to make arrangements for tents (if an outside reunion), chairs, parking decorations, programs, signs, t-shirts, goodie bags, and other reunion-day requirements. This is the time to consult a family reunion checklist! Say Cheese! While many family members will no doubt bring their own cameras, it helps to also make plans to record the overall event. Whether you designate a specific relative as the official reunion photographer or hire a professional photographer to take photos or videos, you should prepare a list of the people and events that you want to be recorded. For spontaneous moments, purchase a dozen disposable cameras and hand them out to volunteer guests. Dont forget to collect them at the end of the day! Invite the Guests Once you have most of your plans in place, its time to invite the guests by mail, email and/or phone. Youll want to do this way in advance to make sure and give everyone time to get it on their calendar. If youre charging admission fees, mention this in the invitation and set an advance deadline by which at least a percentage of the ticket price is required (unless youre wealthy enough to cover all of the costs yourself and can wait until the actual reunion for reimbursement). Tickets purchased in advance also means people will be less likely to cancel at the last moment! This is also a good opportunity to ask people, even if they cant attend the reunion, to provide family trees, photos, collectibles and stories to share with other family members. Fund the Extras If you dont want to charge admission fees for your reunion, then youll need to plan for a little fundraising. Even if you do collect admissions, fundraising can provide money for some fancy extras. Creative ways for raising money include holding an auction or raffle at the reunion or making and selling family hats, t-shirts, books, or reunion videos. Print up a Program Create a program that outlines the lineup of scheduled reunion events to provide to family members as they arrive for the reunion. You may also want to send this out via email or your reunion Web site in advance of the reunion as well. This will help serve as a reminder to people of activities which may require they bring something with them, such as a photo wall or family tree chart. Decorate for the Big Day The big day is almost here and now its time to make sure it goes smoothly. Create catchy, easy-to-ready signs to point arriving guests to registration, parking, and important locations such as bathrooms. Purchase or make a guest book to collect signatures, addresses, and other important information, as well as serve as a permanent record of the reunion. Purchase pre-made name badges, or print your own, to facilitate mixing and mingling between unacquainted family members. Family tree wall charts are always a big hit as reunion attendees always want to know where they fit into the family. Framed photos or printed posters of common ancestors or past family reunions are also popular. And, if you want to know what everyone thought of all your reunion planning, print up some evaluation forms for people to fill out as they leave. Keep the Fun Going Designate a volunteer or volunteers to create and send out a post-reunion newsletter with stories, photos, and news items from the reunion. If you collected family information, send along an updated genealogy chart as well. This is a great way to get people excited about the next reunion, as well as include less fortunate family members who were not able to attend.

ADD and ADHD Behavior Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

ADD and ADHD Behavior - Research Paper Example (Hermann et al, 2007).The completely unproven and highly questionable diagnosis known as Attention Deficit Disorder forms the basis of administering dangerous stimulant drugs to millions of children around the world each year. The stimulant drugs are known to modify behavior by compromising human health.Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a popular sub type of Attention Deficit Disorder and they are nothing more than inventions which are a result of politics and conflicting world economics.The absurdity of the invented disease is reflected by its absurdity of the diagnostic criteria listed in DSM-IV. Moreover, the proof of the nonexistence of ADD and ADHD is provided by the fact that there are absolutely no physiological or organic findings to substantiate the existence of this invented disease.The symptoms of ADD and ADHD are childhood behaviors, ranging from normal to non-complaint, and these symptoms themselves reflect the non existence of the disease.Despite the fact that the validity of ADD and ADHD is spurious, the number of children and young adults being diagnosed with the invented diseases are skyrocketing.Unfortunately, the number of diseased individuals is rising with the passage of each year.Apart from the rising number cases, another depressing aspect of the disease is that a considerably large number of diagnosed children and young adults are treated by administering dangerous stimulant drugs.... Unfortunately, the absence of intervention in the use of diagnosis and stimulant drugs, the popular and seductive concept of ADD will continue to flourish which will inevitably continue to throw innocent children and young adults into a deep floundering sea of fear and isolation. (Jacobs, 2004). Popularity of ADD & ADHD A staggering number of children and young adults are diagnosed with ADD or ADHD each year. The increased popularity of the invented disease amongst health professionals has resulted in more and more children receiving dangerous stimulant drugs. The paradoxical effect of stimulants on children has been revealed by strenuous clinical studies conducted by clinicians around the world. Unfortunately, the commencement of treatment strategies involving stimulant drugs has not been wavered by the surfacing of paradoxical effect of these drugs on children and young adults. According to health professionals, ADD and ADHD continues into adulthood and is responsible for criminal behaviors. However, such claims have no reality in my opinion because the disease simply has no organic or physiological findings. There is no proof of the existence of the disease therefore; health personnel are unable to justify their claims that adulthood criminal behavior is a consequence of ADD and ADHD in childhood. (Jacobs, 2004). Dangers of Stimulant Drugs Ritalin (methylphenidate) and dexamphetamine are pharmacologically similar to cocaine and are two of the most popular drugs for administration in ADHD. The drugs have significant effects which are similar to the ones mediated by cocaine. The chief effects of stimulant drugs used in the treatment of ADHD and ADD are that they cause the patients undergoing therapy to

Martin and Malcom & America A Dream or A Nightmare Essay

Martin and Malcom & America A Dream or A Nightmare - Essay Example Martin and Malcolm both had similar philosophical thinking. They were both religious leaders who took a political position in campaigning for black civil liberties groups. It is uncommon for religious leaders to assume political role, and Individuals still find it strange that Malcolm and Martin engaged themselves in America’s politics. Secondly, Martin and Malcolm base their ideology on a supernatural being. They have common theoretical thinking as they both believe in the existence of a super natural being. Martin believes that God is an all complete God that finished work of creation alone, while Malcolm believes that his God is a reachable God who invites mankind to help in completing his creation work. Martin and Malcolm both advocated for civil rights using their religious principles that human beings were religious creatures, and thus should be awarded the freedom and the dignity they deserve. 1They both considered that God is the only being who rob human beings of thei r rights. They believe that he is the divine force that is behind all deeds on the planet. Martin and Malcolm had different political approaches in their civil right pressure groups and fight for the African American freedom. They both had their individual ways of fighting and supporting the civil rights pressure groups. They were communitarians who selflessly advocated for the rights of the African American and additional minority groups in America. Martin used his religious philosophies in fighting for freedom, while Malcolm was not anything close to that, and attained his philosophies through surrender. Martin achieved his philosophies through agape. 2Martin believed in a diplomatic society as he derived his teachings from Gandhi. He believed the only approach to attain equality in America was through peaceful negations and manifestations. He did not believe in the race factor and was strong

Economics and Environmental Hazards Essay Example for Free

Economics and Environmental Hazards Essay In the 21st century, global warming, littering, waste, and temperature rises have been the subject of focus for many scientists. While examining the many causes of global warming, scientists found fossil fuel emissions and CO2 emissions to be a major cause. Although Earth is known as the Blue Planet for its vast water sources, much of that water is saltwater. Only 3% of the Earth is fresh water, and 70% of that is in glacial ice, unreachable by most. Thus, only 0. 5% of the Earth is made of usable freshwater. This limited amount of water is unsuitable for the world’s expanding population. Much of this water, however, can be easily conserved by switching from bottled water to tap water. Through using tap water and conserving plastic, we can save 27 times the amount of water we currently are saving, and use water sources wisely so as to not run out. Literature Review In the 1930s, the subjects of global warming, water, and lack of resources for fossil fuels became concern for Americans. The New York Times ran their first global warming article in 1929, when it first was considered a myth. Now that global warming has become a major concern for people, we realize how much we have wasted nature’s resources- especially water. Although 75% percent of the Earth is made up of water, less than 1% is drinkable and accessible by people. Countless blogs, websites, newspapers, and academic journals, such as the Journal of Dental Association (2003) and BioMed Central (2009), describe how our thoughtless actions have led to water depletion. Through processing, we waste 26 liters of water to get 1 liter of bottled water. The bottles are made in China using crude oil and transported thousands of miles on oil-eating machines, causing the ozone layer to melt. There are now seldom disputes to the existence of ozone depletion, and media uses print and internet to support the cutting down on bottled water. Bottled Water: Economics and Environmental Hazards. Thousands of years ago, water was a gift from the gods, to be saved and cherished. It allowed ancient civilizations to grow into structured societies, and gave people the ability to survive on domesticating animals and growing plants. Today, in the modern world, water is often taken for granted, and has become a daily thing of our lives. We see water fountains everywhere, and bottled water can be purchased in bulk. However, at the current rate we are using water, freshwater amounts are likely to decimate. This gift from the gods has brought environmental harm to the world and wasted the money of thousands of people. Thus, in order to protect the environment and save our own money, we must make good choices and switch from excessively using bottled water to using tap water. One of the top reasons people often buy bottled water is because of the convenience it provides (Ferrier, 2001, pp. 118-119). Easy life is what the entire economy runs on, as we have seen from the declining economy. As income lessens, people are reverting back to an older lifestyle of doing things themselves instead of purchasing services and goods. While bottled water may taste better because of chemicals that companies add in, it also costs significantly more. A New York Times reporter calculated that eight glasses of New York City tap water were about 49 cents a year, but 8 glasses of bottled water would be 2,900 times more expensive- as much as $1,400 per year. Because water is something that every household needs, it is reasonable to conclude that by switching to bottled water, families could cut their water expenses in half (Helm, 2008) and America as a whole could save. The high costs of purchasing bottled water are often due to the processing that bottled water must go through and the costs of shipping and plastic. Instead of drinking water from a local river or other water source, people choose to drink water shipped from Fiji, where extra charge is added for shipping. The plastic that is used to make the bottle also adds charge. A replacement for this kind of convenience is drinking from the bottles and then continuously refilling them to save your money and the environment. According to the Container Recycling Institute, 85% of water bottles in the United States end up in landfills (cited in Aslam, 2006). Unfortunately, plastic takes up to 1,000 years to decompose and the fuel emissions that delivery trucks emanate destroy the ozone layer. Even more smog and smoke is given off by the manufacturing plant, contributing to global warming, evaporation of our current freshwater supply, and melting/mixing of glacial freshwater and ocean water. About 70% of freshwater is in glacial ice, and as a result of temperatures rising, the freshwater melts, mixing in with saltwater and becoming undrinkable until further chemical processing. Another common myth about bottled water is that it is healthier. A study conducted by University of Birmingham researchers found that â€Å"†¦The majority of participants believed that bottled water has some health benefits but that they were not necessarily significant or superior to the benefits provided by tap water† (BioMed Central, 2009). The participants, users of the university’s sports center, stated that the health benefits of bottled water were negligible, and it was taste and convenience that truly motivated them to buy bottled water. Some research even suggests the opposite- that bottled water is less beneficial to health than tap water. While communities actively add in fluoride – a cavity fighter- to the water supply, the majority of bottled water contains little to no fluoride (Rugg-Gunn, 2003). Many large water companies currently undergo processes such as distillation and/or osmosis – both remove all fluoride from the water (American Dental Association, 2003). Since we now know that bottled water is not healthier than other water sources, we must reflect again on the numerous drawbacks of bottled water. Landfills continue to grow and grow, leading to larger emissions of ozone-depleting gases (Sarma, 2002). Birds and other small animals choke on plastic, mistaking it for food, and also die as a result. The ecosystem is dying as a result. The world works as a whole, a cycle, a circle. The consequences of our actions will always come back to bite us, or in the case of water, our posterity when they have low water supply. Conserving water today will benefit people later. In addition, as we become closer and closer to high UV radiation exposure and losing our ozone layer, scientists are frantically trying to build labs, gather money, and conduct extensive research about how to conserve the environment and water. By not procrastinating, and saving plastic and water resources now, we will save great amounts of money. The exotic island of Fiji is known for its pure, fresh, crisp water, even to Americans who live thousands of miles away. A 16 ounce bottle of Fiji water currently costs from $1. 50 to $2. 50. At a rate like that, when we are at the edge of the Great Lakes and other vast water sources, but purchase water from the other side of the world, our money is being sold away to foreign countries. Most of 2. 7 million tons of plastic used for bottling and packaging come from China (Aslam, 2006). The result is a national economic breakdown, not only in the water industry, but in all industries, since people cannot cut down on the amount of water they need to drink. It takes 63 million gallons of oil per year to manufacture water bottles (Niman, 2007). That is not only more water than Fijians themselves drink that we are buying, but also 63 million extra gallons of oil and plastic that we toss away. Ironically, one third of Fijians are in destitution and lack the amount of water they need. Because one liter of bottled water uses 26 liters of water, one kilogram of fossil fuel, and one pound of CO2 (Thangham, 2007), little is left for the Fijians in destitute. This is true for not only Fiji waters, but all waters in the world. In 2007, Fiji, one of the world’s most popular drinking water sources, became the first bottled water company to release its carbon footprint -85,396 metric tons of CO2eq (Corporate Social Responsibility, 2008). Imagine the carbon footprint total for the world, or even the United States. Perhaps American water companies have not released their carbon footprints because of how overwhelmingly large they are. If we could cut down on how much bottled and imported water we drank, we could preserve a large amount of water for the future.

Essay on Death and Sorrow in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein :: Frankenstein essays

Death and Sorrow in Frankenstein Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is filled with death and sorrow. They occur in almost every aspect of the book. The four "squares" of the book, Walter, Victor, the monster, and the cottagers, all suffer from them at one time or another. Some perceive Frankenstein as a horror story; however, in actuality it is a book of tragedy and despair. Every page reveals more misery than the page before. Thus, death and sorrow are inevitable in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Walter has an interesting turn of events towards the end of the book. He is forced to abandon his quest to the North Pole, he is faced with the monster and must hear the monster's plans for self-destruction, he has to watch idly as his new friend, Victor, passes from this world. He has such noble dreams and aspirations, but they are all brought to a halt because of his chance meeting with Frankenstein. Or, was his expedition doom from the start because of the nature of wanting to do what no other man had done? Was it his ambition that led him to untimely failure? The evidence from the text proves that possibly he was never meant to surpass his peers and obtain the glory that he pursued. Victor experiences very little joy at all after the creation of the monster. He suffers from numerous bouts of depression, he most tolerate the deaths of his brother, best friend, and wife, all of which were murdered at the hands of the monster. His friend Justine is executed because of the death of William, for which she is falsely accused and convicted. His father also dies after the murder of Elizabeth, Victor's ill-fated bride. With so much death surrounding his life, how is it possible that Victor could still be cognizant of his actions when he decides to pursue the monster and end its violent fury? He can't. Victor's mind is so clouded by the sorrow and pain of his past that he is blinded to the fact that he is attempting to destroy a creature with far greater physical strength and speed than any mortal. Much of his conflict appears to be created by the monster, when in fact the torment comes from Victor's own hands because he himself created and gave life to the monster. The monster lived in a world of eternal turmoil and strife.

Experimental Psychology Stroop Effect Essay

The research assessed in this article discusses the Stroop effect. The Stroop effect occurs when our selective attention fails and we are unable to attend to some information and ignore the rest. This study tests the Stroop effect by presenting the participant with a congruent or incongruent word and the participant is asked to type the color of the word or the actual word in a series of trials. In this research, it has been found that participants had faster reaction times for congruent items and slower reaction times for incongruent items. In addition, participants had faster reaction times when asked to type the word and slower reaction times when asked to type the color. Racing Horses and the Stroop Effect We have the ability to attend to the things we’re looking for; however, sometimes this ability of selective attention becomes compromised. Where’s Waldo is a game that tests one’s ability to selectively attend to a stimuli; you must find Waldo in an overly crowded picture that attempts to hide him. If one’s selective attention becomes compromised, one would either not be able to locate Waldo or would take a long amount of time to locate Waldo. We can study this phenomenon of selective attention via the Stroop effect. According to J. R Stroop, â€Å"it takes more time to name colors than to read color names (1935). † In addition, it is faster to name the color for congruent items than incongruent items. Congruent items include items such the word â€Å"red† in the color red; incongruent items include items such as the word â€Å"blue† in red ink. In a basic Stroop experiment, participants are provided with a list of congruent words and a list of incongruent words and are asked to name the color of the word or the actual word itself. Having a big Stroop effect indicates that one’s selective attention has failed. In Stroop’s original version of the experiment, results demonstrated that when participants were asked to name the color of the ink of an incongruent item, there was an increase in ink naming time. However, when the participants were asked to name the word, incongruence of the ink to the word did not have an effect on the amount of time it took to read it (Dunbar & MacLeod, 1984). In Kevin Dunbar & Colin M. MacLeod’s paper, they refer to what is known as the horse race model (1984). This horse race model attempts to explain the Stroop phenomenon as a race between two responses. The first response, which always seems to win the race, is the response to the word; the second response is the one to the color of the ink. The horse race model states that color naming is slower than word naming because words and colors have different processing times; when the faster process finishes, it’s result can interfere with the slower process. â€Å"The simplest hypothesis, consistent with all the evidence, is that the interference occurs after naming (Morton & Chambers, 1973). Words interfere strongly with color naming; in an incongruent trial, one identifies the word first, the identification of color of the word only comes later and there is a need to overcome the incorrect response, which causes a slight delay in response time. The purpose of this experiment is to further test the horse race model of the Stroop effect. In this experiment, the two independent variables are congruency, whether the items are congruent or incongruent, and task, participants will be asked to name the color of the item or the word. Results will be measured by how long it takes participants to respond in each condition. There are several predictions made about this replication of the Stroop experiment: firstly, we predict that there will be a main effect of congruency; we expect an overall Stroop effect. Secondly, we predict that there will be a main effect of task; we expect that participants should be faster to type words than colors. Finally, we predict an interaction between congruency and task; we expect that the Stroop effect will be larger for typing colors than for typing words. Method Participants Twenty-one undergraduate, male and female students were recruited from an experimental lab class at the City University of New York Brooklyn College. Materials and Design In this within subjects design, we used a 2 (Congruency: Congruent vs. Incongruent) x 2 (Task Type: Naming color vs. Naming word) factorial; the dependent variable measured was reaction time. The stimuli were presented on a seventeen inch computer monitor and participants were given a standard keyboard for their responses. The stimuli used were four words: red, green, blue, yellow; and four colors: red, green, blue, yellow. For the independent variable of congruency, there were four possible congruent items and twelve possible incongruent items. For the independent variable of task, there was one block of forty-eight trials asking the participant to type the word and one block of forty-eight trials asking the participant to type the color. The order of each block was randomly determined by the computer for each participant. Half of the participants did the word naming then color naming; the other half did color naming then word naming. Each trial begins with the presentation of a fixation cross in the center of the screen, visible for 500 milliseconds. The fixation cross is removed and immediately followed by the word and color stimulus; this stimulus remained on the screen until a response was typed and the participant pressed the spacebar key. There are four possible responses: red, green, blue, and yellow. Responses are given by having the participants type the word into the keyboard. Immediately after the response, the stimuli were removed from the screen and the next trial appeared 500 milliseconds after the participant pressed the spacebar. Procedure Participants were given instructions by the experimenter, separated into groups, and sent randomly to different rooms which held the computers they would be using for this experiment. Each participant was given a total of ninety-six trials; there was one block of forty-eight trials asking the participant to type the word and one block of forty-eight trials asking the participant to type the color. The order of each block was randomly determined by the computer for each participant. Half of the participants did the word naming then color naming; the other half did color naming then word naming. The participants were prompted to read the instructions on the screen and enter their initials prior to starting the experiment. Once the experiment begins, there is a fixation cross displayed for 500 milliseconds. Following the fixation cross, the task cue and stimuli were displayed at the same time until the participant responded. After the participant responded and pressed the spacebar key, they were prompted with another trial. After each participant completed the experiment they were instructed to return to the classroom where they were debriefed by the experimenter and allowed to leave. Results The results of this experiment are presented in Figure 1. The mean for the naming color/congruent condition is 1044. 57ms; the mean for the naming color/incongruent condition is 1210. 62 ms; the mean for the naming word/congruent condition is 838. 05 ms; and the mean for the naming word/incongruent condition is 862. 24 ms. The mean reaction times (RTs) from each condition were submitted to a 2 (Task type: name word vs. name color) x 2 (Congruency: congruent vs. incongruent) within-subjects ANOVA. The main effect for task was significant, F(1,20) = 62. 48, MSE = 1616576. 0, p < 0. 05; this shows that participants had a faster RT when asked to name the word (M = 850. 14 ms) as opposed to when asked to name the color (M = 1127. 60 ms). Mean RTs were faster for word than color naming. In addition to a main effect of task, there is a significant main effect of congruency, F(1,20) = 22. 65, MSE = 190000. 30, p < 0. 05; this illustrates that participants had a faster RT when the items were congruent (M = 941. 31 ms) than when the items were incongruent (M = 1036. 43 ms) Mean RTs were faster for congruent items than incongruent items. Finally, we found a ignificant interaction between congruency and task type, F(1,20) = 42. 43, MSE = 105648. 11, p < 0. 05; this interaction demonstrates that there is a greater difference between the means of congruent and incongruent items when asked to name color than there is between the means of congruent and incongruent items when asked to name the word. Discussion We predicted a main effect of congruency which is, in fact, what we see from our results. We see this main effect due to the Stroop effect, which states that it is faster to name the color for congruent items than incongruent items. In addition, we expected to see a main effect of task type and that the word task will produce faster RTs than the color task; which is precisely what we have found. We can explain this finding with the theories of the horse race model. It has been found, through earlier research, that reading words is a faster process than color naming because reading is an automatic process (Dunbar & MacLeod, 1984). We predicted to see that naming the color will intensify the Stroop effect whereas naming the word will minimize the Stroop effect; we have found exactly this in our results. These outcomes can be explained with the horse race model as well. The horse race model assumes two things: first, words and colors have different processing times; color naming is slower than word naming. Second, the Stroop effect is asymmetrical: when the faster process is finished, the result of that process can interfere with the slower process. Words interfere strongly with color naming; however, colors interfere weakly with word naming. MacLeod’s (1991) study explained: This speed difference is seen as particularly critical when two potential responses (e. g. , one from a word and one from an ink color) compete to be the response actually produced. The time cost of this competition is â€Å"interference. This general interpretation is referred to as response competition occurring at the end of a horse race, because the two codes are seen as racing to control final output. (p. 187) One of the flaws of this experiment is that it is possible that not all participants are proficient in the placement of keys on a computer keyboard; this would affect the reaction time for theses participants as they would need extra time to find the keys. Another flaw is that we didn’t take into account typing errors and the program used did not record error rate. This could mean that we have not successfully measured one of the items we attempted to measure. We attempted to see if there was a difference in processing time between the task of naming the word and the task of naming the color. Since we did not take into account typing errors and error rate, it is possible that a participant could have responded quickly with an incorrect response and therefore caused the RT time to be quicker. The greatest defect of this experiment is the sample size, 21 participants. In future studies it is recommended that this experiment be run with at least 30 participants who can comfortably recognize the keys on a standard computer keyboard. In addition to a larger sample size, perhaps changing the colors and the names of colors (from red, green, blue, and yellow to, for example, pink, purple, orange, grey) would yield a smaller or larger Stroop effect. Another change that can be experimented with is age. MacLeod (1991) references a study done by Lund (1927) which finds that â€Å"children younger than reading age were faster on color naming than word reading. † Perhaps there may be difference between children that are younger than reading age, children who have just recently learned the alphabet, and/or children who just recently learned to read. Also, could there be a difference between children, adolescents, middle-age, and/or old-age? MacLeod (1991) also references a study conducted by Ligon (1932) that tested the â€Å"differential-practice concept† in children between the ages of about 5-14. Ligon found that practice and training did improve RTs for both color naming and word naming tasks, however, â€Å"the difference between the skills remained unchanged. † A final suggestion for future research would pose this question: would we find similar results if ran such a study with adults?

Timber frame construction

IntroductionModern building comes in many signifiers, from traditional masonry, to precast concrete, to steel, and in recent times timber frame building. Timber frame and masonry building are really similar looking edifices. Over the last 30 old ages in Ireland the chief type used in domestic home was masonry building which consists of block inner foliage, pit, insularity and a block outer foliage, externally finished usually with a brick or plaster rendered block. Over the last 12 old ages timber frame building has grown to account for about 40 per centum of the market. Timber frame building consists of an off site engineered edifice which arrives to site and the pieces are assembled to finish the unit. The external coating is likewise to masonry with brick or plaster rendered block. The ground for chosen this subject is to happen why this alteration occurred. The intent of this thesis is to analyze the Irish lodging market over the last figure of old ages, besides to happen out the grounds for lumber frame building going more popular.PurposeTo happen out why the tendency of edifice domestic lodging in Ireland has changed from masonr y building to timber frame building.AimsTo look into the Irish lodging market and happen grounds for the tendency alteration from masonry building to timber frame building.To analyze the grounds why lumber frame building has grown to the degree it has over masonry building.To analyze the positions of householders and belongings developers towards lumber frame building.Literature ReviewThe primary informations will be sourced from RGU database, Internet sites, RGU books and diaries. Relevant Irish authorities studies and web sites will besides be looked at to derive an indifferent position. Besides the positions of the building bureaus in Ireland will be explored.Research and methodological analysisThe writer programs on making a comparing of the two building types in order to accomplish grounds for the displacement in tendency. The brief comparing instance surveies will include cost, clip, heat and energy of both types of building.QuestionnairesQuestionnaires provided the primary re search for this thesis. The writer shall make up one and give it out to relevant householders and belongings developers to derive an penetration into their positions. By making this the writer will happen out the market potency of lumber frame building.Structure of DissertationChapter OneThis chapter explains the rubric of the thesis, introduces the motives and gives a background for the grounds for taking this subject. The writer explains to the reader the purpose and aims of the thesis and how they are traveling to be achieved.Chapter TwoThe literature reappraisal will look into in tendency in Irish building. Current building bureaus studies will be looked to seek and derive an penetration to the alteration in tendency. The writer feels that this will accomplish the first expostulation of this thesis.Chapter ThreeThis chapter will look into the two edifice options with respect to be, clip, heat and energy. This will be done by a figure of interviews and instance surveies. Areas lo oked at will be building cost and life rhythm costs. Besides will include a instance survey of both types of building where U-Values and Building Energy Rating will be achieved and assessed to derive an penetration into why the tendency shifted. The writer feels that this will accomplish the 2nd expostulation of this thesis.Chapter FourThis chapter the sentiments and positions of householders and belongings developers towards lumber frame building and masonry building are explored by agencies of a questionnaire. The writer feels this will accomplish the 3rd expostulation of the thesis.Chapter FiveIn this eventually chapter the decision provides a brief sum-up of the determination of the predating chapters.Literature ReviewBackgroundOver 70 % of place in the developed universe are timber frame places. 60 % of Scots new home are timber frame and over all in the United Kingdom timber frame histories for 15 % of new places. Ireland is easy following our neighbors. Over the last 10 twelv emonth Ireland had been sing a building roar. Housing units been completed in 2000 being 49,812 units turning to 62,686 in 2003, top outing in 2006 with 82,980 unit completed. After 2006 the lodging market in Ireland started to fall, Numberss of units being built in 2007 being 71,356 go oning to fall in 2008 as 48,151 units and go oning to fall in 2009. ( Cardinal Statistics Office Ireland 2008 ) Many lodging estates and flat blocks had been starting up in every metropolis, town and small town chiefly around the computing machine belt around the capital metropolis of Ireland Dublin. Then easy the remainder of the state following. In 1992 lumber frame building history for merely 5 % of the new brooding market. Since so it has grown to tremendous degrees to account for 30 % of entire lodging building nationally ( Construction Industry Federation 2009 ) . Typical these edifice were constructed by masonry building, this consisted of a 300mm pit wall with block inner foliage, insularity, pit and a brick/block outer foliage finished with a plaster render. Over the last 17 old ages timber frame building has shown steady growing. Timber frame building consists of an off site engineered edifice which arrives to site and the pieces are assembled to finish the unit. The external coating is likewise to masonry with brick or plaster rendered block. Some industry experts predict that by 2012 it will account for 50 % of the new brooding market. â€Å" The lumber frame industry in Ireland has shown strength and resiliency, despite these hard economic times. When the upturn comes, timber frame building will be presented with legion chances. † ( Maurice Buckley, CEO, NSAI – National Standards Authority of Ireland. )Reasons for this occurrence?EnergyIn Ireland over the last figure of old ages at that place has been a bend in attitude sing the environment, which has in some portion resulted in alterations been implemented by the building industry with respect to energy preservation. The chief subject that has come to the bow on an Irish domestic degree is the preservation of fuel and energy ingestion. The building industry has been identified as a considerable portion of the national energy measure. Attitudes of developers and householder are altering to environmentally friendly edifices. Due to this lumber frame building has seen a steady growing. Timber frame is renewable constructing option, for every tree cut d own two more are planted. The cost of turning the natural merchandise into a edifice stuff is conceivably less than traditional methods. â€Å" Timber is the lone sustainable renewable commercially feasible constructing stuff. The production of concrete green goodss huge sums of Carbon Dioxide ( C02 ) , which has a negative impact on the environment and contributes significantly to planetary heating. † ( Irish Timber Frame Manufacturing Association 2009 )SpeedAs the building roar grow so did the demand for lodging and more significantly fast lodging. One of the chief factors for this bend towards timber frame is speed of building. The frame of the edifice can be erected in a figure of yearss which compared to typical masonry edifice is improbably faster. This is due to the lumber frame been constructed off site in a mill and delivered to site as a planned procedure of assembly. Masonry on the other manus takes a figure of hebdomads to make roof degree where as lumber frame is erected in a figure of yearss. Even in moisture conditions work can still go on as a staging system is in topographic point around the fo undation, where as blocks for masonry building can merely be laid in dry conditions. Besides with lumber frame building the edifice is weather proof much faster so internal plants can get down much quicker. Besides a batch of the slower work for pipe fitters and linemans such as first repair is much easy done in a lumber frame house. â€Å" Timber frame has 30 % shorter, more predictable building clip than brick and block † ( UK Timber Frame Association 2009 ) . In masonry building the usage of moisture trades in the physique causes excess clip needed for drying out. Because lumber frame is a dry signifier of building there is no drying out clip which is a economy of a figure of hebdomads. Besides because of this there is less lightly a hazard of checking looking on walls and ceilings for shriveling which can happen in masonry often.CostThe cost of a lumber frame house is similar to masonry built. Unlike masonry, costs of a lumber frame physique can be fixed long before the foundations are poured. This is due to most timber frame providers besides fix the construction. So a fix monetary value for a fixed solution. No rain yearss for wet trades or no extra costs. â€Å" This ensures that the extra disbursals that spiral as a edifice advancement can be eliminated. † ( Irish Timber Frame Manufacturing Association 2009 ) . The figure of individuals need to repair the construction is lower than a masonry physique, besides with respect to clip, clip is money so the faster the physique the cheaper for the developer and home-builder. Besides the manus over clip for a complete home is must faster so this will profit developer ‘s hard currency flow and profitableness. Due to the velocity of building on site security cost or greatly reduced.Flexibility of LayoutBecause timber frames internal walls being building out of light weigh divider walls the internal infinite of a lumber frame physique is really flexible. Any errors in layout of internal walls is easy rectified, where as masonry internal wall would be peculiarly more hard to rectify.Case StudiesIntroductionTo acquire existent grounds for the tendency mover towards timber frame building and to acquire a true indicant of the cost difference in both timber frame and traditional masonry domestic building the writer looked at two cardinal countries, b uilding costs and life rhythm costs. In relation to building costs the countries of preliminary costs ; works and equipment costs and site labor costs are looked at in greater item.Construction CostssPreliminary CostssEvery building undertaking incurs preliminary costs. Preliminary costs are defined as, â€Å" Costss which are straight involved with the overall completion of a building undertaking † ( Roy Chudley 2002 ) These costs include points such as site direction, insurance for the undertaking, drivers and secret agents. On larger sites where site cabins, offices, storage rooms, lavatories and canteens are required the costs incurred are besides referred to as preliminary costs. For each undertaking there is an allowance set aside for preliminary costs. However in relation to timber frame building these costs are included in the overall lumber frame bundle. This is a consequence of the bulk of the work required for lumber frame building being carried out off site, which in bend makes the budget costs a batch cheaper than traditional masonry. Derek Moore a manager with Timberline edifice contractors Ltd Dublin provinces, â€Å" by pre-manufacturing the lumber frame off-site, houses are constructed more cost efficaciously † . ( Pick a Pro 2009 ) To endorse up this point the Irish Timber frame manufactures association provinces â€Å" this method of building is non cheaper peculiarly if the builder has n't thought his patterns through but because mill fiction means much greater predictability, better controls and of class, a faster gait † ( Irish Timber Frame Manufacturing Association 2009 ) . This is non the instance for its traditional masonry opposite number as preliminary costs are required as a separate budget, this is due to the fact that all of the work required for traditional masonry is carried out on site. A bulk of the preliminary budget for the traditional masonry method includes hire of works and proviso for skips and concrete silos on site etc. Another factor to be taken into consideration is the clip period taken to build a lumber frame house, which is significantly lower than that of traditional masonry opposite number. Costss such as site supervising and the demand for applied scientists and the similar on site are greatly reduced.Plant and Equipment CostssPlant and equipment costs should be taken in to consideration when covering with building costs. Every undertaking requires certain types of equipment and works to transport out work to a decision. Harmonizing to Colm Kilroy a measure surveyor with Michael Higgins and associates in Galway, â€Å" works and equipment costs are a major portion of all building undertakings, the use of such equipment is critical as a batch of money can be wasted due to bad direction and planning on site † . He continued to state â€Å" if works is required on site for a certain occupation it is critical that the site is ready for that equipment as once it arrives on site it has to be paid for. † ( Colm Kilroy 2009 ) The conditions can besides plays a portion in works and equipment costs, inauspicious conditions conditions can take to a batch of equipment being left idle while the cost for holding it on the site is still being charged. Obviously the conditions conditions can non be controlled by the undertaking squad but in periods of forecasted inclement weather the ordination of works and stuffs should be avoided if possible.Site Labour CostssThis country of site labor costs greatly differs with both methods of building. A batch of the factors in relation to be for the lumber frame method of building are all inclusive of the over lumber frame bundle, the bulk of the work to be carried out by specialized labor is completed in the mill and one time the lumber frame unit leaves for the site their work is finished. This in bend reduces any call back costs, to complement this, the Irish lumber frame manufactures association provinces that, â€Å" There are lower call back costs ; any jobs encountered can be eliminated instantly by the lumber frame specializers before go forthing the mill. † ( Irish Timber Frame Manufacturing Association 2009 ) The cost for the labor to rectify these jobs is still inclusive of the lumber frame bundle. Traditional masonry building is in comparing carried out otherwise with all the building work associated with traditional masonry been carried out on site and with each single trade necessitating labors to transport out the work.Cost Case StudyThe writer compiled a cost comparing from a building contractor ‘s point of position for the development of a lumber frame and masonry domestic home. The house programs used to transport out this comparing were based on a individual house within a development of five similar houses, merely the major elements of the constructions were included in the pricing. for the comparing were obtained from Barry Doyle a measure surveyor with a Co Carlow company and John O Connell a building contractor in Co Galway. The lumber frame house is more expensive to build than its masonry opposite number. There is a cost difference of about a‚ ¬9,000 between both methods to build a individual house taking the chief structural elements in to consideration. For the development consisting of five houses where this house is located the entire monetary value difference in the building of the five houses utilizing both methods of building can be up to a‚ ¬45,000 to a‚ ¬50,000. The undermentioned information shows the logical thinking behind the monetary value differences for the of import elements of the building.Timber frame kitThis component looks to be really expensive but the bulk of stuffs needed to finish the lumber frame house including the labor needed for the building are included.Concrete raft foundationThe monetary value of the raft foundation differs as there is less steel required in the raft for the lumber frame house in comparing to the masonry built house, this leads t o nest eggs for both the labor and stuffs.Block workThe difference in the monetary value of the block work is due to the interior foliage and the internal walls of the lumber frame house been constructed of lumber.RoofThe lumber frame kit incorporates a bulk of the roof in the over all bundle which leads is a monolithic monetary value difference from the standard roof for the masonry home.InsulationDue to the demand for more insularity in the lumber frame house there is a difference in monetary value over its masonry opposite number.SlabbingAs with the insularity due to the sum of timber stud internal dividers and timber interior foliage walls the lumber frame brooding requires more plaster board than the masonry method which increases both the sum of stuff and labor.PlasteringThe daubing component differs entirely because of the decreased measure of abrasion coat required in the lumber frame house.CarpentryThe monetary value difference in relation to woodworking is a consequence of a batch of the lumber work coming pre fabricated as portion of the lumber frame kit, an illustration being the doors coming pre hung with ironmongery fitted and architrave already attached.Main contractors ProfitThe chief contractors net income has been calculated on the standard per centum being 5 % .Life Cycle CostssIntroductionLife rhythm costs are normally interpreted as, † The operating costs of edifices over the prognosis utile life attributed to them † ( Bruceshaw 2009 ) These costs include initial capital costs, business costs and operating costs. In relation to the edifice industry and in peculiar to the traditional masonry and lumber frame methods of building, life rhythm costs are indispensable in make up one's minding which is the overall cost effectual method of building is. In this chapter the writer discusses countries such as the running costs and other costs that are involved with both signifiers of building.Design Differences and ChangesFrom an aesthetic point of position lumber frame and traditional masonry constructed homes when constructed look really similar, nevertheless lumber frame houses, â€Å" Let for more versatile designs than block built houses † ( Pick a Pro 2009 ) The inquiry is one time the house is constructed how easy is it to transport out alterations to the design. In relation to these changes Kingspan Century province, â€Å" Due to the fact the interior foliage of your lumber frame house is constructed of solid wood and gypsum board, and non concrete blocks and plaster, extensions and changes by and large have significantly reduced impact on the bing edifice † . ( Kingspan Century 2007 ) To further this statement MBS Timber frame Ltd province, â€Å" Because the inside of a lumber frame house is made of wooden panels and gypsum board, changes and extensions will non affect the muss and terrible break of strike harding down solid block walls, and all the other tests and trials that accompany this type of work † . ( MBC Timber Frame 2009 ) Alternatively the block work internal foliage of a masonry house has distinguishable advantages over is timber frame opposite number. Undertakings such as repairing a shelf or drape rail can be a slippery with the lumber frame method, â€Å" There is no job making this in a masonry physique place as all the walls are capable of keeping shelves, drape tracks etc. it would be a simple affair of boring the holes in the right topographic point and sleep togethering your shelf into topographic point † ( Irish Concrete Federation 2009 ) . In comparing, with a lumber frame house, harmonizing to John Meehan a carpenter with a Co Galway Company, â€Å" If you are put ining a new kitchen or telecasting unit, you may happen that there are no evidences in the wall where you need a repair. If in this state of affairs if your repair is put in topographic point without happening a he-man, the unit is certain to fall down under force per unit area † . ( David Treacy 2009 )Property Market and Selling ValueInfluencing factors in relation to domestic building include resale value and easiness of sale. The traditional masonry constructed procedure has built up a repute of been a good marketer and a front-runner with the Irish populace, Galway auctioneer John Gilmore provinces, â€Å" Block built houses are easier to sell as people by and large go for the sure method, a batch of people asking about lumber frame houses are wary and are non easy convinced as to its benefits † ( Liam Gordon 2009 ) .The position of an Irish lumber frame company is that,â€Å" Auctioneers and estate agents are by and large of the sentiment that non merely is timber frame non an obstruction in selling a place, but on the contrary, is going more and more a major merchandising point. The energy efficiency of lumber frame houses is going an progressively valued characteristic † . ( Kingspan Century 2008 ) To repeat this, â€Å" For mortgage intents and insurance, most loaners and insurance companies rank lumber frame every bit with block work. Equally far as resale value is concerned, there appears to be no difference at all between the two systems. However some persons have their ain penchants, built up from their ain experience or things they have heard about either system † . ( Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine 2005 )Runing CostssThe lumber frame method of domestic building brushs big nest eggs over its traditional masonry opposite number. These nest eggs result from the lumber frame house holding an allowance for insularity on both the external and internal walls ; this differs well from the traditional masonry method where in most instances merely the external walls contain insularity. â€Å" Because lumber frame constructions are highly good insulated and have less mass than more traditional signifiers of building, important nest eggs can be made in warming costs † . ( Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine 2005 ) A taking Irish lumber frame company states, â€Å" Savingss of between 30 % and 40 % on warming measures are reasonably typical † . ( Devsan Timber Frame Homes 2009 ) In relation to farther nest eggs in the hereafter with lumber frame, â€Å" It is estimated that the warming cost of a lumber frame place can be 30 % lower than that of a masonry home, and the rapid rise in energy costs these costs look set to increase † . Sunday Business Post Newspaper 2007 ) In decision the nest eggs to be made with the lumber frame method of domestic building in relation to warming and energy usage are extended over its masonry opposite number.Time of ConstructionIntroductionFrom a clip to build perspective the length of clip it takes to construct and complete both signifiers of building differs. The building of a traditional masonry home has a longer clip programme than its lumber frame opposite number. The chief factors lending to the difference in building times include.Programme of plantsThe programme of plants for both methods has a clip difference of about seven hebdomads from foundation phase to decorating and traveling in phase. Derek Moore of Timberline edifice contractors provinces, â€Å" In footings of physique velocity, timber frame can present a important 30 % decrease on traditional building times, which affect hard currency flow and reduces local perturbation † . ( Pick a Pro 2009 ) The position of another Irish lumber frame provider is the building clip of both methods of building is even larger depending on the edifice, â€Å" Construction clip is cut by about 40 % as your lumber frame construction is erected on site within yearss depending on size and complexness of edifice † . ( Clark Group 2008 )Building CoatingsDuring the phase whereby the lumber frame unit is erected the internal first repairing work can get down. This work can continue inside the house as the masonry tegument is being built, in comparing no internal work can get down on the masonry house while the block work component is being constructed. The long drying out period associated with traditional masonry building is besides a disadvantage in comparing to the lumber frame method. â€Å" Apart from the obvious labor economy, lumber frame does n't necessitate any drying-out clip, unlike a standard masonry building, which needs up to 1,500 gallons of H2O to vaporize before it is dry † . ( Sunday Tribune 2001 ) To repeat this a prima Irish lumber frame provider provinces, â€Å" Timber frame AIDSs internal coatings, all walls are consecutive and plumb, corners are square and true. With lumber frame there are less of the â€Å" wet † trades, gypsum board needs merely to be skimmed and pigment, cosmetic stuffs and floor coverings can be applied sooner to dried surfaces † .( Castle Timber Frame Homes 2009 )Heat Loss in BuildingsIntroductionFor the intent of this thesis the writer compared the U Value of the external walls of both a lumber frame and masonry constructed home, the writer besides decided to obtain the Building Energy Rating ( BER ) for both methods of building so as to do an accurate comparing. Both the U Value computation and the Building Energy Rating are based on the house programs. With the expertness of Michael Sweeney of Sweeney Energy the U Value and BER computations were compiled and the consequences are as follows.U-Value CalculationA U-value is the term given to the step of heat loss through subdivisions of a edifice. It measures the rate that heat transmits through a constituent or construction when there is a difference in air temperature at both sides. â€Å" Uracil Valuess are expressed in Watts per meter Kelvin which is the rate of heat transportation in Watts through 1m2 of the construction for one unit of temperature difference between the air on the two sides of the construction † .( Roy Chudley 2002 )U-Value FootingsThe following are footings associated with the computation of the U-Value.Thermal Conductivityâ€Å" It is the step of a stuffs ability to convey heat and is expressed as the energy flow in watts per square meter of surface country †. ( Roy Chudley 2002 )Thermal Resistanceâ€Å" This is symbolized by the missive R, as representative of a stuffs thermic opposition achieved by spliting its thickness in meters by its thermic conduction †. ( Roy Chudley 2002 )Timber Frame U-Value CalculationThe above computations show that a traditional masonry external pit wall has a U-Value of 0.35 W/m2K in comparing to the lumber frame outer wall, which has a U-Value of 0.25 W/m2K. The findings for this peculia r computation show that the lumber frame domestic building has a better U-Value than its masonry constructed opposite number.Building Energy Rating ( BER ) CalculationThe writer decided to compare the Building Energy Rating of both methods of building. To accomplish this the writer availed of the expertness of a qualified BAR assessor who calculated both BER values utilizing the same house programs as used for the U Value Calculations. For the intent of the reader the writer explains some of the footings associated in the Building energy evaluation process.Building Energy Rating FootingsThe process is based on ciphering the energy balance for a home, â€Å" this is the energy required by the brooding plus any losingss, so less the energy additions this is equal to the energy delivered in to the home †( Cheveron Training 2009 ) Delivered Energy, expressed as kWh/year. This corresponds to the energy ingestion that would usually look on the energy measures of the home for the false standardization tenancy and terminal users considered.( Cheveron Training 2009 ) Primary Energy, expressed as kWh/year. This includes delivered energy, plus an allowance for energy â€Å" overhead † incurred in pull outing, processing and transporting a fuel or other energy bearer to the home. For illustration, in the instance of electricity it takes history of coevals efficiency at power Stationss.( Cheveron Training 2009 ) The consequences show that both timber frame and traditional masonry domestic building have an energy evaluation of B2 for this house. The B2 evaluation is acceptable for a edifice, which incorporates a natural airing design. The primary energy value for the lumber frame method of building is lower than it ‘s masonry opposite number and indicates that the operating expense incurred in pull outing, processing and transporting of energy to the home is lower for lumber frame method. The comparing of the Co2 emanations consequences in the lumber frame method holding lower emanations end product and as antecedently discussed the lower the Co2 emanation the better it is for the environment. Finally the lumber frame method had a lower delivered energy evaluation. This shows that the energy ingestion on the energy measures of the home are once more lower than its masonry opposite number. Developers positions sing the alteration from masonry to timber frame: To accomplish a true indicant on the positions of the building industry in respect to both methods of building and why the tendency has moved towards timber frame it was necessary to obtain the positions of developers who really carry out the edifice works. As portion of the writer research, many building bureaus were contacted. Philip Mahoney of timber frame industries association was contacted and helped with the writer ‘s inquiries. Philip Mahoney of the Timber Frame Manufacturing Association said when asked why the tendency has moved from masonry to timber frame. â€Å" From a developers point of position velocity of building was really of import, because a lumber frame house can be up and roofed in a affair of yearss and ready for the follow on trades to travel in. for the developer this was a great advantage as they were in and out much quicker and hence turn hard currency over. Timber frame would hold besides have got popular with the ego physique sector because of the fact that a ) rather an instruction procedure was carried out by the association and its members, B ) the green card besides began to come into drama every bit good as lumber frame is seen as environmentally friendly which the industry has been advancing. † Tom McHugh, Director of Kilcloghans Ltd Galway who have been outstanding traditional masonry builders for a figure of old ages said in respects to ease of build â€Å" we are masonry builders and we build timber frame, we find that it is particularly simple to construct the lumber frame method † he went on to state in relation to building costs â€Å" timber frame is every bit economical to construct as traditional masonry † sing building costs in relation to the downswing in the building industry he stated â€Å" yes the building cost for both methods had dropped but both methods still work out in and around the same monetary value † . He besides stated that they found the chief advantages of lumber frame to be â€Å" a dry signifier of building every bit good as the obvious advantages of velocity to construct and economical to run † . From a merchandising point of position he found lumber frame, â€Å" easier for the ground that they are more economical in footings of energy usage † . Francis Geraghty Director of Frame to complete edifice contractors Co Galway stated in footings of easiness of building,â€Å" the lumber frame method depends mostly on the type of house the client wants to construct every bit good as the quality of site readying before the lumber frame edifice reaches the site †. He sees the chief advantages of the lumber frame method for him areâ€Å" the U-Values that can be achieved †and besidesâ€Å" the whole lumber frame construction is up and ready for internal work in a affair of yearss †. Colm Kilroy a Quantity Surveyor with Michael Higgins and Associates Galway saidâ€Å" from a cost of stuffs point of position certain stuffs have dropped in monetary value, but the existent bead in monetary value has come from the shopkeepers themselves more so for traditional masonry instead than the lumber frame method. With such competition for work cost of labor has decreased quickly † . He went on to state, â€Å" this bead in labor costs could be a key to the pick of the populace in the coming old ages with traditional masonry acquiring so inexpensive to construct †. John O ‘ Connell, a builder, based in Co. Galway stated that he sees the chief disadvantages of Timber Frame building asâ€Å" the inclement conditions conditions in this state, have people concerned that lumber may decompose over clip. Peoples besides feel more unafraid with bricks and howitzer †. Sean O Donnell a chief with a edifice contractor in Co Galway who specialises with both signifiers of building sees the chief advantages of lumber frame over traditional masonry in relation to be to beâ€Å" less labour intensifier, less wastage of stuffs on site, and when lived in less cost in running † . In relation to clip to build he said, â€Å" less clip lost due to adverse conditions, you get to see the finished merchandise quicker and easier and timber frame leads to quicker installing of electrical wiring † . Sing insularity he states, â€Å" with a lumber frame house you are closer to the life country and so non heating the outside wall before making insularity value, it takes really small to heat up house and the quality of insularity is cardinal to better acoustic public presentation †.Questionnaire ConsequencesIntroductionTo acquire a true and realistic position on both methods of domestic building the writer decided to obtain the positions of the oc cupants who live in lumber frame places. To accomplish this, a questionnaire was compiled and distributed around the Galway country. A transcript of the questionnaire is included in the appendix at the terminal of the thesis and the consequences are as follows. As can be seen from the pie chart decidedly shows that 100 % of the surveyed occupants notice the lumber frame method of building to be cheaper to heat than its traditional masonry opposite number. The remarks received included, â€Å" Traditional block was more expensive ; I used solid fuel scope with a back boiler and oil cardinal warming. It was necessary to hold heat invariably from back boiler toped up by oil, in comparing the oil warming in the lumber frame runs for 4 hours per twenty-four hours from November until March to the downstairs radiators merely. We have 2 unfastened fires that we ne'er use as it would be excessively hot. Our oil measure is reduced by 2/3 and we do n't necessitate solid fuel †. A farther remark stated, â€Å" Timber frame is cheaper every bit non as cold during the twenty-four hours so no demand for much heat during the winter months † clearly shows that the occupants find their lumber frame homes to be warmer than the traditional masonry opposite number with 84 % happening it a batch heater and 14 % of occupants saying it to be somewhat warmer shows how good people rate the acoustic public presentation of their lumber frame house in relation to external noises. 55 % of the occupants find there to be no noise while 45 % of the occupants find there to be a small noise. One of the occupants stated, â€Å" The lone noise to be heard is that of the rain H2O running to the gully † . A farther occupant stated, â€Å" External noises are non an issue, but my house is located on a spot of an elevated site and on a really blowy twenty-four hours the air current can be an issue † . Other illustrations of external noises to be heard included traffic from a nearby chief route and Canis familiariss barking, but no extra noises than would besides be heard in a traditional masonry home. shows what the occupant ‘s ideas are on the acoustic public presentation of their homes in relation to upstairs noise. 22 % of the occupants province that there is a batch of noise to be heard from floor to floor, a bulk of the noise is a consequence of hapless sound insularity being used. One occupant stated, â€Å" Floor sound proofing between floors is a job, we did non take this in to account during building † . 44 % of the occupant ‘s province there is a small noise to be heard from upstairs with motion on floors and doors shuting being the chief subscribers. Finally 34 % of the occupants province there is no noise to be heard, a figure of them said that during building phase they had the builders put in excess sound proofing between floors, which acted most beneficially in cutting down the noise. Other occupants who found there to be no upstairs noise lived entirely and in a consequence had no upstairs motion while in the house.