February 2009
Maandelijks archief.
Maandelijks archief.
Gepost door admin op 28/02/2009
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For most of my adult life I had thought about someday building my Dream Home. Several years ago I finally got the chance. I had purchased a lake front lot with a small cottage on it. My initial intention was to use the property “as is”, and someday raze the old cottage and build a new home in its place. After a couple of weekends in the musty old camp I came to the conclusion that I needed to speed up my timetable.
Part of the dream in building my own home was to act as the General Contractor and to personally supply a great deal of sweat equity. I accomplished both of these goals, however it was not easy. There were many roadblocks and bends in the road along the way. In the subsequent parts of this chronology, I will review my experiences in hopes that others may gain from my experiences.
Determining the Home Style and Size
After making the decision to raze the cottage and build a new home, I had to first determine what type and size of home to build. My lot was limited in size and required careful planning to ensure that I would meet all of the setbacks governed by the town I lived in. Although I had these concerns, I decided to forgo the Architect route. I deemed it too expensive and probably not necessary for the style of home I wanted to build. Instead I picked up a handful of Home Plan magazines and surfed the internet for home designs. I also picked up an inexpensive software package for designing homes and floorplans. After a week of reviewing home plans, I found one that met most of my requirements in terms of a floorplan. The footprint was smaller than I wanted, but I concluded that I could redraw the floor plan accordingly using my newly purchased Home Design Software Package.
The Home Design Software package was not as simple to use as the instruction manual implied, however after a couple of weeks I had a floorplan with all the dimensional information.
Assuming the role as the General Contractor
As I had indicated earlier, one of my goals was to assume the role as General Contractor on this project. I quickly learned that banks frown upon lending construction mortgages to everyday homeowners and to folks who have little professional building experience. I got around this issue by deciding not to use the banks for financing. However, from what I learned later, it may have been possible for me to assume a construction mortgage if I had quit my day job and applied for the loan as a “full time General Contractor”. Indeed, I would have needed to complete a full proposal to the bank with all costs and subcontractors identified, but this is necessary anyways.
As the General Contractor I developed a build schedule and task list. Some of the top items included: Identifying subcontractors, pulling permits, and having a septic design approved.
Carefully Pick your Sub-Contractors
Identifying the right subcontractors is the most important task a General Contractor performs. Poor selection of subcontractors can lead to delays in schedules, cost overruns, poor workmanship and strife between the various subcontractors on the job. Prior to hiring subcontractors, it is important to visit their current jobsites. Review their work on existing jobsites and mingle with the other subs to judge the working relationship. In addition get two or three reference checks on the subcontractors. If there are poor workmanship, personality issues, or references move on. Do not settle for second rate subs, even if it means slipping your schedule or costs goals, as you will more than likely suffer even larger schedule slips or higher costs by hiring the wrong people.
Pulling Permits
Once you have selected and hired your excavator, chief framer, and foundation company, review with them your plans. Make sure you walk the site with them, and carefully stake out the house footprint, paying careful attention to lot setbacks, septic tanks, leach fields and well location. Once all are agreed upon with the house plans and the location of the home, contact the building inspector and review with him/her your plans. You will need to submit a very thorough package to the building inspector prior to getting approval. There are frequently town and state forms that need to be filled out regarding wetlands, and home thermal analysis. In addition, detailed engineering drawings of the proposed home may be required. In my case the Framer was able to assist in developing additional sketches of the house plan to ensure structural compliance to local, state and federal building codes. If I had used the initial home plans I had obtained, those would have been sufficient. I also could have contacted an architect with my selected plans to provide additional details, however it was not necessary in my case.
After about a week and several hundred dollars later I had the permit to build a new home.
Septic Design
My home required its own septic system on site. As a result, I required a septic design and an associated permit for the new home. I recommend pursuing this as early as possible in any new home project as this can take up to 2-3 months to complete as both town and state approvals are required, not to mention site and engineering work.
Without knowing exactly where the septic system and tank will reside, it may be difficult to locate the exact position of the home and in many cases the building inspector may not approve the building permit until the septic design permit has been obtained. I was fortunate in that the property already had a small septic system on the lot, so the building inspector gave me approval. I was at financial risk, however, in the event the new septic design was not approved or needed to be repositioned from the proposed location. Fortunately that was not the case and I was able to move forward on razing the cottage and beginning site work.
To Be Continued ….
In Part 2 of “Building Your Dream House”, I will cover razing an existing building, performing site prep work, and pouring foundation walls. Stay tuned……………
About the Author
Me_Donovan@comcast.net
www.homeadditionplus.com
Over the past 20+ years Mr. Donovan has been involved with building homes and home additions. Mr. Donovan’s formal education & profession have been as an Electrical Engineer & Marketing Manager.
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Gepost door admin op 28/02/2009
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What’s a perennial garden plant that blooms in the winter? A hellebore! It is an outdoor plant that is shocking to see blooming sometimes in the snow. There are many varieties. They are perennial which means they come back year after year.These are best planted in shady areas, but where they will get sun in the winter, for instance under leafed trees or something of that nature. What is so unusual about hellebores is that they bloom somewhere between Dec. and March. There are very few plants that do that! One variety is called a Christmas Rose. These plants usually must be puchased at a nursery. Check out your local nursery for this wonderful family of plants.
Another plant you’ll surely want to try is called Sweet Annie. This is actually an annual herb, in the worm wood family. The seed is very fine and you sow it in direct sunlight in the spring after all danger of frost is gone. Sweet Annie can get up to 6 feet tall. It’s fragrance is wonderful! My favorite use for Sweet Annie is in the fall to cut it to the ground and dry it. It can be used as wonderful, fragrant filler for dried flower arrangements, and it can also be bound with fine wire to form a wreath base of its own. Simply tuck in other dried flowers here and there around it and you’ve got a beautiful dried floral wreath with a fragrance to die for!
Another unusual one is called Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate. Yes, this really is the name of a plant! It’s official name is Polygonum orientale. It’s an old-fashioned annual knotweed used for bold effect. It has large heart shaped leaves and pendulous clusters of small pink flowers. In rich, moist soil and full sun it can go to six feet tall. Best to sow the seed in fall or early spring where it is to grow.
Lastly another unusual plant to try is the Balloon Flower. These are perennial, meaning they will return year after year. The latin name for these are: platycodon grandiflorus. They are very hardy, durable plants and very beautiful. Balloon flowers are about the size of a ping pong ball and look like little “balloons”. Once they fully open up they split and you can see the center portion and the bloom then resembles a star. They usually come in shades of purple, pink and white. Very cute, the plants only get about 2 feet tall. Try one!
About The Author
By Valerie Garner-Visit Home Tips & More at http://www.angelfire.com/wa/hometips
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Gepost door admin op 27/02/2009
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Avoiding leaks when installing vinyl retrofit windows
These days a lot of homeowners are replacing their old windows with vinyl windows using the retrofit style of window frame. This is particularly true in the west, and specifically, in California. The number one arguement that I have heard against using the retrofit method, is that it is susceptible to water leaks. Well, that’s true if you don’t do it properly. But, if you do a complete tearout of your old window down to the studs, you’re going to have water leak issues there as well if you don’t install the new window properly. So I think that arguement is, well, all wet. So, let me tell you the best way to install your retrofit windows that will ensure that water cannot get in.
There is an old song that goes, “It never rains in California, but girl don’t they warn ya, it pours, man it pours”. For those of you in California, you know how true this is. While California doesn’t get a lot of annual rainfall, when it does rain, it can come down in buckets due to the close proximity to the ocean. So, you want to be sure that your windows are well sealed. If you are installing retrofit frames against a stucco house, you want to put a thick bead of sealant right on the outside face of the old window frame, all the way around. Latex caulk should work fine, but if you want to spend a little more to get the best sealant available, use 100% silicone. Depending on the number of windows you will be doing, this extra cost can add up. You pay approximately $1 for a tube of acrylic latex caulk, and $4 or more for a tube of 100% silicone. You are going to use 1-3 tubes per window, depending on the size. So you can see how it could add up. Here is a trick that I used to do to save a little money; The most vulnerable part of your installation is the top of the window, because gravity will have the water running down from the roof to the ground. It’s not likely that water is going to find it’s way through the sides or bottom. So, I used to carry two caulking guns, and load one with the silicone, and the other with the acrylic caulk. I would run the silicone accross the top of the old frame, and caulk the sides and bottom. Then, put your new window into the opening and have a helper hold it firmly in place while you plumb and level it, then screw it into place. After you have the window completely installed, your final step should be to caulk where the retrofit lip meets the stucco. Here again, I used to use white silicone on the top, and caulk on the sides and bottom. You now have a double barrier against water infiltration. After about a week, check the sealant around each window for signs of cracking. Because stucco is usually uneven, there could have been gaps that were larger in some areas than in others. If you don’t force the caulk into the gap to completely fill it, the caulk can sag before drying, causing a crack to form. Simply recaulk over any cracks that you see. You can check the silicone on top as well, but because silicone dries like a rubber substance, you shouldn’t see any cracks there.
OK, what if the replacement windows are going between wood trim surrounding the opening? If you are using the retrofit lip, and trimming it to fit between the wood, then you still apply the heavy bead to the old frame before installing the window. But, instead of sealing where the retrofit lip meets the stucco, you seal where it meets the wood. Then, you want to be sure to seal above the window, where the top piece of wood meets the stucco. Again, use silicone up there. Now, no water can run down the stucco wall and get under the top piece of wood. Sometimes, though, you might decide not to use a retrofit style frame between the wood, choosing a block replacement frame instead. If you choose to do it this way, you have to add trim to the outside. You still want to apply the sealant to the old frame, then apply your trim so it contacts the new window as well as the sealant on the old frame.
If you follow these procedures, you won’t have to worry about any water penetrating into your home, I don’t care how hard it pours!
About the Author
John Rocco has been installing
replacement windows since 1978.
To learn more, visit How To Install Windows
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Gepost door admin op 27/02/2009
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Using a room divider or folding screen can be a great way to create interest in an otherwise dull area. Contrary to what many believe, a room divider need not actually be used to divider a space. You can use a decorative divider flat against a wall or in a corner to add some punch to your décor. Of course, if you have a large space and want to give the illusion of 2 cozier areas, a room divider is perfect for just that!
These days, there are plenty of styles to chose from. Virtually any décor can be enhanced with either a folding screen type room divider with decorative panels or a divider that stands by itself.
For a contemporary or retro style, you might want to try a one panel standalone divider with acrylic panels. They come in bright modern colors with geometric designs and are just perfect for a divider between living room and dining room in your contemporary home.
For Asian style décor, folding screens are a perfect compliment! If you want one with visual appeal, you can buy screens with Japanese style scenes painted on them or go with the standard black lacquer with mother of pearl Asian women, trees and birds. If you prefer something more plain but with a bit of punch, you can try a bright red lacquer room divider. Not subtle enough for your style? Then make use of one of the many bamboo or rattan style dividers.
Even the feminine shabby chic styles can benefit from a room divider. You can buy dividers with floral designs or beautiful scenes or even buy a fabric covered divider to enhance the softness of the style. If you prefer more of a french style, then there are many folding panel screens that have an openwork metal design perfect for the french look.
Here’s some tips on how you can use a room divider to jazz up your décor:
For larger spaces a room divider can create two cozy rooms from one big space.
Add a dressing area to your bedroom by sectioning it off with a room divider.
Add a room divider screen in between a large living room and dining room combo.
Display your folding screen divider flush against a wall and it won’t take up any extra room.
If you have a large room that needs to be made more cozy, divvy it up with a folding screen divider.
A room divider that is used kitty corner can double as storage space between the screen and the wall.
For a tropical or Bahamas type look, try one of the natural wood room dividers.
The Shoji room divider is great for a Japanese style room.
Modern style room dividers come in retro prints, leathers and metals.
For the library, you can get a folding screen that looks like book shelves!
Leather room dividers add elegance and softness to a room.
A painted scenic room divider can be like a huge painting in the corner of your room.
Room dividers come in widths from 50″ to over 90″.
Need to hide the kids toys? Put a folding screen divider in the corner and just shove the toys behind it!
A unique use of a room divider is to use it as a headboard.
A room divider makes a perfect backdrop for plants.
Buying room dividers online is a great way to get a huge variety of styles.
When you choose your room divider be sure to get one that matches your overall decorating theme in style and color. The right room divider should blend into the décor, but a mismatched divider will stand out like a sore thumb. Before going out to purchase your divider, measure the area and make sure you get one that will fit properly.
About the author:
Lee Dobbins writes for many decorating sites including http://www.room-divider-decor.comVisit them to find out more about how you can enhance your décor with room dividers at http://www.room-divider-decor.com/eng-articles/articleindex.html
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Gepost door admin op 26/02/2009
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One of the surprise films of 2005, The Family Stone successfully navigates the often tempestuous waters of big screen family dramas. Quite often these types of family relationship films get lost in a deluge of dialogue, conflict, and argument. And although The Family Stone has plenty of the aforementioned, it hits the audience in manageable doses with well-placed comic relief and an unforgettable cast of eccentric characters. Written and directed by up-and-coming Hollywood talent Thomas Bezucha, the film is a mosaic of fun, laughter, sadness, and family relationships most people will find charming and endearing…
The Family Stone examines the vibrant relationships of the Stone family, a close-knit traditional nuclear family gathering for the holidays. Sybil Stone (Diane Keaton) and her husband Kelly (Craig T. Nelson) host their children for the holidays, but as with most families, conflict is abundant. Sarcasm, backstabbing, blame, and jealousy are evident in almost every encounter, but ironically, so are love and respect. When eldest son Everett (Dermot Mulroney) brings home his current girlfriend Meredith Morton (Sarah Jessica Parker) to meet the family, her business-like demeanor and uptight mannerisms clash with the rest of the family, particularly Everett’s vindictive sister Amy (Rachel McAdams). Despite Meredith’s best efforts, the only family member she can impress is Everett’s laidback brother Ben (Luke Wilson).
Meredith’s discomfort is compounded when she inadvertently makes a bigoted remark about Everett’s homosexual brother Thad (Tyrone Giordano), garnering the wrath of the entire family. Pushed to her breaking point, Meredith moves from the house to a nearby bed and breakfast, while Everett struggles with the idea of proposing to a woman his family obviously dislikes. Meanwhile, Ben helps Meredith to come out of her shell, and Meredith enlists the support of her younger sister Julie (Claire Danes) to smooth things over with the Stones. But the holidays take an interesting twist when unexpected relationships blossom and an unforeseen event takes its toll on the entire family…
The Family Stone certainly succeeds in creating a number of dynamic multidimensional characters, but it fails in a couple respects. The most obvious is the relationship switch that eventually takes place and is quite evidently in the making from the opening scenes of the film. One brother stealing another’s girlfriend is not in-and-of itself unbelievable, but the continuation of a normal relationship between the two brothers is. No awkwardness there? No jealousy? Plot twists are great, but keep them realistic…
The other aspect of The Family Stone that stands out is a bit more peripheral and makes the film teeter on the precipice of Hollywood cliché. Meredith is portrayed as an uptight homophobic bigot in need of a cure, while the Stone family is free-spirited and in touch with their feelings. In the end, Meredith grows because of her proximity to the Stones, but the Stones don’t learn anything from Meredith. It’s probably not a coincidence that Meredith’s views might be construed as conservative, while the Stones’ views are considered liberal (i.e. conservative evil, liberal good). This same theme was prevalent in Meet The Fockers when Robert De Niro’s character learns the error of his uptight ways and engages in the hippie lifestyle of his daughter’s new in-laws. But, of course, the Fockers never learn anything from De Niro… Not necessarily a movie killer, but a cliché nonetheless. Despite the flaws, The Family Stone is still a decent film. Above par dialogue and outstanding performances by a strong cast make it time well spent. Many moments will make you laugh; others will remind you of your own family…
About the Author
Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of The Family Stone (DVD).
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Gepost door admin op 22/02/2009
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The film “Titanic” is riddled with moral dilemmas. In one of the scenes, the owner of Star Line, the shipping company that owned the now-sinking Unsinkable, leaps into a lowered life-boat. The tortured expression on his face demonstrates that even he experiences more than unease at his own conduct: prior to the disaster, he instructed the captain to break the trans-Atlantic speed record. His hubris proves fatal to the vessel. Moreover, only women and children were allowed by the officers in charge into the lifeboats.
But the ship’s owner was not the only one to breach common decency and ethics.
The boats could accommodate only to half the number of those on board and the First Class, High Society passengers were preferred to low-life immigrants under deck and other Third Class passengers.
Why do we all feel that the owner should have remained aboard and faced his inevitable death? Because we judge him responsible for the demise of the ship. His disastrous interference - motivated by greed and the pursuit of celebrity - was a crucial contributing factor. The owner should be punished for what he had done, we feel. This closure intuitively appeals to our sense of natural justice.
Would we have rendered the same judgment had the Titanic’s fate been the outcome of accident alone? If the owner of the ship had had no contribution to the circumstances of its horrible end - would we have still condemned him for saving his life? Less severely, perhaps. So, the fact that a moral entity had acted (or omitted, or refrained from acting) is essential in determining its future rewards or punishments and in dispensing them.
The “product liability” approach also fits here. The owner (and his “long arms”: manufacturer, engineers, builders, etc.) of the Titanic were deemed responsible because they implicitly contracted with their passengers. They made a representation (which was explicit in their case but is implicit in most others): “This ship was constructed with knowledge and forethought. The best design was employed to avoid danger. The best materials to increase pleasure.”
That the Titanic sank was an irreversible breach of this contract. In a way, it was an abrogation of duties and obligations. The owner/manufacturer of a product must compensate those consumers whose product harms in any manner that they were not explicitly, clearly, visibly and repeatedly warned against. Moreover, he should even make amends if the product fails to meet the reasonable and justified expectations of consumers, based on such warrants and representations.
Compensation can be either in kind (as in more ancient justice systems) or in cash (as in modern Western civilization). The product called the “Titanic” took away the lives of its end-users. Our “gut instinct” tells us that the owner should have paid in kind. Faulty engineering, insufficient number of lifeboats, over-capacity, hubris, passengers and crew not drilled to face emergencies, extravagant claims regarding the ship’s resilience, contravening the captain’s professional judgment - all these seem to be sufficient grounds to sentence the owner to death on his own sinking product.
But shouldn’t the hapless owner have availed his precious place to women and children? Should not he have obeyed the captain’s orders (the marine law)? Should he willingly have succumbed to rules of conduct that put his life at risk?
The reason that the lives of women and children are preferred to men in salvage situations is because they represent the future. They are either capable of bringing life to the world (women) - or of living longer (children). Societal etiquette reflects the arithmetic of the species, in this (and in many another) case.
But if this were entirely and exclusively so, then young girls and female infants would have been preferred to all other groups of passengers. Old women would have been left with the men to die. That the actual (and declared) selection processes on the Titanic differed from our theoretical considerations says a lot about the vigorousness and applicability of our theories - and even more about the real world.
The owner’s behavior may have been deplorable - but it, definitely, was natural. He put his interests (his survival) above the concerns of his society and his species. Most of us would have done the same under the same circumstances.
The owner of the ship - though “Newly Rich” - undoubtedly belonged to the First Class, Upper Crust, Cream of Society passengers. These were treated to the lifeboats before the passengers of the lower classes and decks. Was this a morally right decision?
For sure, it was not politically correct, in today’s terms. Class and money distinctions were formally abolished three decades ago in the enlightened West. Discrimination in now allowed only on the basis of merit (on the basis of one’s natural endowments).
But, why should we think one basis for discrimination (merit) preferable to another (money or property)? Can we eliminate discrimination completely and if it were possible, would it have been desirable?
The answer, in my view, is that no basis for discrimination can hold the moral high ground. They are all morally problematic because they are deterministic and assign independent, objective, exogenous values to human lives. On the other hand, we are not born equal, nor do we proceed to develop equally, or live under the same circumstances and conditions. It is impossible to equate the unequal.
Discrimination is not imposed by humans on an otherwise egalitarian world. It is introduced by the world into human society. And the elimination of discrimination would constitute a grave error. Inequalities among humans and the ensuing conflicts are the fuel that feeds the engines of human development. Hopes, desires, aspirations and inspiration are all the derivatives of discrimination or the wish to be favored, or preferred to others.
Disparities of means create markets, labour, property, planning, wealth and capital. Mental inequalities lead to innovation and theory. Knowledge differentials are at the heart of educational institutions, professionalism, government and so on. Osmotic and diffusive forces in human society are all the results of incongruence, asymmetries, disparities, differences, inequalities and the negative and positive emotions attached to them.
The Titanic’s First Class passengers were preferred because they paid more for their tickets. Inevitably, a tacit portion of the price went to amortize the costs of “class insurance”: should anything bad happen to this boat, persons who paid a higher price will be entitled to receive superior treatment. There is nothing morally wrong about this. Some people get to sit in the front rows of a theatre, or to travel in luxury, or to receive better medical treatment (or any medical treatment) precisely because they can afford it.
There is no practical or philosophical difference between an expensive liver transplant and a place in a life boat. Both are lifesavers. A natural disaster is no Great Equalizer. Nothing is. Even the argument that money is “external” or “accidental” to the rich individual is weak. With the exception of pampered heirs and scions of old families - a minority - most rich people work hard for their wealth.
Often, people who marry money are judged to be insincere or worse (cunning, conspiring, evil). “He married her for her money”, we say, as though the owner and her money were two separate things. The equivalent sentences: “He married her for her youth or for her beauty or for her intelligence or for her erudition” sounds “wrong” by comparison. These are legitimate reasons to get married. Money isn’t.
But youth and beauty are more transient than money. As opposed to hard cash, these qualities are really accidental because the beneficiary is not responsible for “generating” them and can do nothing to preserve them.
Money, on the other hand, is generated or preserved (or both) owing to the personality of its owner. Owning, increasing, and preserving one’s wealth reflects more profoundly on one’s personality than youth, beauty and many other (transient or situation-dependent) “character” traits. Money is an integral part of its owner and a reliable indicator of his mental disposition. It is, therefore, a valid criterion for discrimination and for choice.
The other argument in favor of favoring the first class passengers is their contribution to society. A rich person contributes more to his society in the short and medium term than a poor person. Vincent Van Gogh may have been a million times more valuable to humanity, as a whole, than his brother Theo - in the long run. But in the intermediate term, Theo made it possible for Vincent and many others (family, employees, suppliers, their dependants, and his country) to survive by virtue of his wealth. Rich people feed and clothe poor people directly (through employment or charity) and indirectly (through taxation). The opposite, alas, is not the case.
Admittedly, this argument is somewhat flawed because it does not take time into account. We have no way to predict the future with any certainty. Each person carries the Marshall’s baton in his bag, the painter’s brush, the author’s fables. It is one’s potential that should count - not one’s standing in life. A selection process, which preferred Theo to Vincent would be flawed. In the long run, Vincent proved more beneficial to human society and in more ways - including financially - than Theo could have ever been.
But, in the absence of omniscience and precognition, all we can do is to prefer those who have proven themselves (the rich) to those who haven’t (the poor) - and those who can create life or live it (women and children) to those who can’t or have (men and the elderly).
Appendix - On Causation and Causality
And yet, the real question is this : why should anyone pay for his actions?
First, we must confront some thorny issues, such as determinism. If there is no free will, there can be no personal responsibility. Another problem is the preservation of personal identity: are the person who committed the act and the person who is made to pay for it - one and the same? If the answer is in the affirmative, in which sense are they the same, the physical, or the mental? Is the “overlap” between the two only limited and probabilistic?
We can assume, for this discussion’s sake, that personal identity is undeniably and absolutely preserved and that there is free will and, therefore, that people can predict the outcomes of their actions, to a reasonable degree of accuracy and that they elect to accept these outcomes prior to the commission of their acts or to their omission.
This does not answer the question, though. Even if there were a contract signed between the agent (acting person) and the world, in which the person willingly, consciously and intelligently (without diminished responsibility or capacity) accepted the future outcomes of his actions, the question would still remain: why should it be so? Why cannot we conceive of a world in which acts and outcomes are divorced? It is because we cannot believe in a world devoid of causality.
Causality is a relationship between two things, or, rather, events, the cause and the effect, one generating or produces the other. The first is the latter’s efficient cause and it acts upon it (it acts to bring it about) through the mechanism of efficient causation.
A cause can be direct (mediated by a physical mechanism or process) or merely explanatory (historical cause in a narrative). Of Aristotle’s Four Causes (Formal, Material, Efficient and Final), only the efficient cause creates something distinct from itself.
The causal discourse, therefore, is problematic (how can a cause lead to an effect, indistinguishable from itself?). Singular Paradigmatic Causal Statements (Event A caused Event B) differ from General ones (Event A causes Event B). Both are inadequate in dealing with mundane, routine, causal statements because they do not reveal an overt relation between the two events discussed.
Moreover, in daily usage we treat facts (as well as events) as causes. Not all the philosophers are in agreement regarding factual causation. Davidson, for instance, admits that facts can be relevant to causal explanations but refuses to accept them as proper reasons. Acts may be distinct from facts, philosophically, but not in day-to-day regular usage. Laymen (the vast majority of humanity, that is) perceive them to be the same things.
Pairs of events that are each other’s cause and effect are accorded a special status. But, that one event follows the other (even if invariably) is insufficient grounds to label them “cause and effect”. This is the famous “Post hoc, ergo propter hoc” fallacy. Other possible relations between the two events must be weighed and the possibility of common causation must be seriously contemplated.
Such sequencing is, conceptually, not even necessary: simultaneous causation and backwards causation are part of modern physics, for instance. Time seems to be irrelevant to the status of events as cause or effect, though both time and causation share an asymmetric structure (A causes B but B does not cause A).
Still, the direction (the asymmetry) of the causal chain is not of the same type as the direction (asymmetry) of time. The former is formal, the latter, presumably, physical, or mental. A more serious problem, to my mind, is the converse: what sets apart causal (cause and effect) pairs of events from other pairs in which both member-events are the outcomes of a common cause?
Event B can invariably follow Event A and still not be its effect. Both events can be the effects a common cause. A cause either necessitates the effect, or is a sufficient condition for its occurrence. The sequence is either inevitable, or possible. In short, we know little that is certain about causality.
Here, philosophers diverge. Some say (following Hume’s reasoning and his constant conjunction relation between events) that a necessary causal relation exists between events when one is the inevitable outcome (inevitably follows) the other. Others propound a weaker version: the necessity of the effect is hypothetical or conditional, given the laws of nature.
Put differently: to say that A necessitates (causes) B is no more than to say that it is a result of the laws of nature that when A happens, so does B. Hempel generalized this approach. He said that a statement of fact (whether a private or a general fact) is explained only if deduced from other statements, at least one of which is a statement of a general scientific law. This is the “Covering Law Model” and it implies a symmetry between explaining and predicting (at least where private facts are concerned). If an event can be explained, it can be predicted and vice versa. Needless to say that Hempel’s approach did not get us nearer to solving the problems of causal priority and of indeterministic causation.
The Empiricists went a step further. They stipulated that the laws of nature are contingencies and not necessary truths. Other chains of events are possible where the laws of nature are different. This is the same tired regularity theory in a more exotic guise. The Empiricist treatment of causality is a descendant of Hume’s definition of causality: “An object followed by another and where all the objects that resemble the first are followed by objects that resemble the second.”
According to Hume, nothing in the world is a causal necessity, events are only constantly conjoined. Regularities in our experience condition us to form the idea of causal necessity and to deduce that causes must generate events. Kant called this latter deduction “A bastard of the imagination, impregnated by experience” with no legitimate application in the world.
This bastard also constituted a theological impediment. God is considered to be “Causa Sui”, His own cause. But any application of a causal chain or force, already assumes the existence of a cause. This existence cannot, therefore, be the outcome of the use made of it. God had to be recast as the uncaused cause of the existence of all things contingent and His existence necessitated no cause because He, himself, is necessary.
This is flimsy stuff and it gets even flimsier when the issue of causal deviance is debated. A causal deviance is an abnormal, though causal, relation between events or states of the world. It mainly arises when we introduce intentional action and perception into the theory of causation.
Let us revert to the much-maligned owner of the sinking Titanic. He intended to do one thing and another happened. Granted, if he intended to do something and his intention was the cause of his doing so - then we could have said that he intentionally committed an act. But what if he intended to do one thing and out came another? And what if he intended to do something, mistakenly did something else and, still, accidentally, achieved what he set out to do?
The popular example is if someone intends to do something and gets so nervous that it happens even without an act being committed (intends to refuse an invitation by his boss, gets so nervous that he falls asleep and misses the party). Are these actions and intentions in their classical senses? There is room for doubt.
Davidson narrows down the demands. To him, “thinking causes” (causally efficient propositional attitudes) are nothing but causal relations between events with the right application of mental predicates which ascribe propositional attitudes supervening the right application of physical predicates. This approach omits intention altogether, not to mention the ascription of desire and belief.
Sam Vaknin ( samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He served as a columnist for Global Politician, Central Europe Review, PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101.
Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia.
Visit Sam’s Web site at samvak.tripod.com
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Gepost door admin op 14/02/2009
Toegevoegd onder: Uncategorized
A floor lamp is a great addition to a home. These lamps are great for lighting a small area or a large area. They add a distinct look to a room. They come in many styles and designs. Many are able to be matched to your furniture, curtains, or other accessories. Floor lamps are a great design feature in a room as well as a necessary feature in providing light.
Floor lamps come in different styles and shapes. Most are tall, like 6 feet or taller and have an open faced feature at the top to allow light to filter towards the ceiling. This allows the light to spread out in a soft, but effective way and illuminate an area. These lamps can also be halogen floor lamps which are much more cost effective and energy saving.
The designs of floor lamps vary. You can find a multitude of styles, colors, and features available in these lamps. Floor lamps can have an added texture as well. A decorative lamp shade or glass globe with etched or stenciled designs can be a great touch to a room. You can find contemporary floor lamps and elegant floor lamps, You can find stylish and sleek or funky and wide looks in floor lamps. There is an unlimited amount of choice available to you. And, to find these floor lamps you don’t have to look far. Many discount department stores carry them. Or, to find a bigger selection try, your local home improvement store. You can also find lighting specialty stores with a huge supply there. Lastly, you can find many to choose from online.
Floor lamps are an easy, inexpensive way to add to your room. They create a area to work in, to read in, or light an entire room. Floor lamps are accessories in a room as well. They add to the room in light quantity and in the style and feel that they offer as well. Floor lamps are a great addition to a room
About the author:
Mike Yeager
Publisher
http://www.my-lamps-4me.com/
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Gepost door admin op 13/02/2009
Toegevoegd onder: Uncategorized
Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the “tent poles” that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of Deceiver (1997), as I see them.
Deceiver (1997)
Starring: Tim Roth, Christopher Penn, Michael Rooker, Renee Zellweger, Ellen Burstyn
Directed by: Jonas Pate, Josh Pate, Joshua Pate
Writers: Jonas Pate (Screenplay), Josh Pate (Screenplay), Joshua Pate (Screenwriter)
ESTABLISHING SHOT: The rookie Detective Phillip Braxton walks us to a police station in South Carolina and up the stairs into a police interrogation room.
INCITING INCIDENT: Textile company heir and Princeton-educated James Walter Wayland, IQ 151, does not hide his contempt for the intelligence of the two police detectives who are administering a polygraph on him to find out the killer of a prostitute named Elizabeth.
PLOT POINT 1: Wayland reveals that he knows everything about Braxton and his gambling debt.
MID POINT EVENT: Wayland reveals that he knows the truth about the lower-class Kennesaw and the affair of his beautiful wife. Wayland’s epilepsy attack is triggeredm followed by a fist fight in the interrogation room.
PLOT POINT 2: Wayland shows the video tape and irrefutable video proof of Kennesaw’s relationship with the victim, Elizabeth.
3rd ACT RESOLUTION: Wayland stages his own death. A year later, we see him approaching another hooker in a dark park.
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About the Author: Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation. He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 100 companies for the last 7 years. In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and a Member of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI). You can reach him at writer111@gmail.com for a FREE consultation on all your copywriting needs. You are most welcomed to visit his official web site http://www.writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials. While at it, you might also want to check the latest book he has edited =>http://www.lulu.com/content/263630 |
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Gepost door admin op 13/02/2009
Toegevoegd onder: Consumer Infos, Health + More, Life Of Lifestyle
Drug examine has become a public problem around the globe. Some parties execute drug tests on freshly hired people or active employees to reassure a drug-free surrounding at work.
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Gepost door admin op 12/02/2009
Toegevoegd onder: Health + More, Medical Management
The most familiar variety of baldness is a systematic hair thinning condition labelled androgenic alopecia or male pattern baldness that transpires in adult male human beings & other sorts of wild life.
Furthermore, pattern hair loss is also hereditary, and the genetic material is passed to a child from either parent, and not just the mother, as had been formally deemed. Pattern hair loss in males is the most common form of hair loss, and more often than not leads to a declining hairline & hair loss on the cap of the cranium. The origin of hair loss in men is dihydrotestosterone, or abbreviated to DHT, which is a derivative of the male hormone testosterone. An added source of hair loss in gentlemen is hairstyle.
Hair loss is not only a human being trait. Hair loss is a condition where there is no hair in the region where it forms, generally this is on the head and happens in both human beings and wildlife. Hair loss in gentlemen is common in view of the fact each man holds a baldness causing factor in his body.
Baldness is if truth behold an alarming condition to suffer, especially for guy, in which this is much more exacting. Guys who are very uncomfortable with their physical form may well select drugs that may stimulate the regrowth of hair & aid to decrease future hair loss.
What produces male-pattern hair loss is when the hair stem begins to get smaller owing to a buildup of the hormone testosterone and several of the natural chemicals in your body. What the majority of people often take in is that the result of baldness are linked to several things that often have little or anything to do with hair stimulation or hair loss. Male hair loss, male pattern baldness or androgenic alopecia, is an inherited condition which leads to male baldness or extensive male hair loss in a considerable 66% of all blokes. Advanced Hair Studio have a number of solutions for balding, more commonly known as “baldness”.
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