Norman Fosters Mexico Airport

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HI STUDENTS! HERE ARE SOME KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS FOR AUTOCAD FOR YOUR REFERENCE

The importance of organized living

Being organized is the most important criteria for success. The price we have to pay for being disorganized is very heavy indeed. Unfortunately the price is not evident immediately but is felt when it strikes at a later date. Most of the times, it is not possible to undo the damage that has been caused due to disorganization. Organized behavior on the other hand pays rich dividends. These are also not apparent immediately but in the long term they have a multiplier effect. We see examples of both types of behaviors in daily life. The overweight person, the person who has misplaced important documents, a person perpetually late for his appointments, a person in financial trouble, a student who has failed the exams, a office with chaotic scenes, disturbed family relations, all have to more or less extent origins in disorganization. On the other hand when things run smoothly like a well oiled machine, there is evidence of organization.

Being organized is a good habit. Like all good habits it takes daily inputs of energy and attention. Disorganized behavior hurts the conscience and causes negative feelings. This leads to lack of positive energy and thus fuels further disorganized behavior. It is a self feeding loop spiraling downwards. On the other hand if organized behavior is nurtured, it leads to small successes which create a positive self feeding loop spiraling upwards. To cultivate any good habit or to get out of a bad habit it takes determination, energy and awareness. Though these words may look daunting they are not as difficult as they seem. It just takes a switch of attitude to bring about the change. It is true that ‘Attitudes are more important than facts’.

So how can one become more organized?

1.       The correct attitude: A positive attitude is most important. Positive attitude does not only mean being on the high all the time. It means a steady and persevering determination to achieve what we have set to achieve. There will be ups and downs during life. A positive attitude is one which can take the rough and the smooth with equality, with a calm and steady mind. Being flexible and changing plans where ever necessary yet keeping the bigger picture unchanged.

2.       Being ‘Aware’: Being aware means being aware of the situation, being in the ‘here and now’. This also is possible with practice. Our mind is constantly shifting into the future and into the past. This is important for planning and survival but is detrimental if the thinking of past and future is uncontrolled. Shifting the focus to the present, consciously, time and again is awareness. There is another meaning to awareness which is, looking at situations from outside. Literally thinking as if one is observing the situation from outside one’s body as a third person. This helps to bring the situation into perspective and gives a rational approach to solving problems because one does not associate the problems as one’s own but that of another.

3.       Planning: Planning involves prioritizing. Like with all resources, there are always fewer resources and more demands. Time is a scarce resource. In fact it is the scarcest resource in the world. The funny part of it is that we are not aware of its scarcity until the time has passed us by. It is important to use time like a precious resource. This means deciding what deserves the time given to it.  Planning should be done keeping in mind the bigger goals. It is good to have a ‘Whole to Part’ approach. This means setting major goals and then breaking them down into smaller parts which can be incorporated into a daily routine.

Changing from a disorganized life to an organized one is not easy and the effort might fail time and again. It is important to keep on trying to improve. There are several tools available today which range from diaries to computers and smart phones. Even a simple pocket diary can be a good organizing tool. What is important in staying organized is the doing. Like the Nike motto says ‘JUST DO IT’.

Aniruddha Kolhatkar

The power of Focus

Indeed the old adage slow and steady wins the race is useful in life. It is true that if you learn to remain focused on the task in front of you, and tackle it slow and steady you will achieve more accurate results in lesser time in the long run.
So my take is that go about your work in a slow and steady way. Focus on the task at hand. Pause for some time during the work and review the situation. 
A long distance runner does not sprint to his destination. In fact he goes slow and rhythmic towards his goal. By doing so he covers more distance and is less exhausted.
The other aspect I would like to touch is distraction. Like in the proverbial story of the hare and the tortoise, the hare was fast but he got distracted by the carrots and cabbages in the farms along the way. This distraction slowed him down and he ultimately lost the race. On the other hand the tortoise was fully on its task and moved faster in the long run to win the race. 
In today’s time we consider multi tasking to be a virtue. But to achieve anything important in life it is a stumbling block.
Consider the amount of time you spend on face book, tweeter, WhatsApp and such social media. No doubt they are fantastic tools to staying connected. But the same tools become our enemies when they interfere in our productive time. Consider remaining away from them during the time you are focused and working on a project. It does not really matter if you read the social message immediately or at a later time. But today we have become obsessed with our electronic toys. We feel that we have to constantly look out for messages from our friends and feel an urgency to respond. If you study the messages you will find that most of them do not warrant an immediate response. You will also observe that most of the messages or mails are trivia. They are not important for you and your development yet you allocate the prime time of your day for such trivial small talk. My suggestion is that you need not get rid of social media. Only use it in your less important time. Do not allow it to take away the prime time which is so important for your development and success.
If you want to win, remember slow and focused wins the race.

Ar. Aniruddha Kolhatkar

16 June, 2014

Word meanings:

Adage: a proverb or short statement expressing a general truth.

Trivia: details, considerations, or pieces of information of little importance or value

TIMBER:

1.    Timber used for construction should be well seasoned  it should not contain moisture more than 12%

2.   The seasoning should be done by either natural or artificial seasoning

3.    Timber should be from the heart of hard wood tree

4.    It should be free from knots, shakes, warp, white patches, crakes and holes

5.    It should not be affected by termites

6.    The cross section of the timber should show uniform colour and texture

7.    The grains of the timber should be seen when cut

                        8.   The timer should be hard and strong but should be easy to work with using                                      tools. The timber should not split or crack when making Tennon, Mortises                                      and   other  joints
                        9.   Different species of timber can be used in different purposes 
                               A. Central province teak (CP teak), Ghana teak, Burma Teak can be used for                                frames , wooden trusses and rafters, furniture etc
                               B. Species such as Sal, Silver etc. should be used for rough work, door                                                frames, concealed frame work for partition false ceiling etc
                               C. Burmah teak, High quality CP teak, sesam etc, can be used for decorative                                      work which is polished

BRICKS:

1.    Bricks should have uniform size and shape

2.    They shall be uniformly burnt

3.    They should have sharp edges. They should have a frog of 10 mm deep on one of the flat face

4.    They should not absorb water more than 20% of their weight  when measured in the dry and saturated state

5.    They should have uniform colour and texture

6.    They should not break when dropped on the ground from waist height on their flat face

7.    They should emit a ringing sound and not a dull sound when struck on each other

8.    They should have a minimum compressive strength of  15N/mm sq.

9.    They should be free from effloresance

10. The size of brick should be 230x110x65 to 70mm

SAND:

1.    Sand used for construction should be well graded

2.    It should be free from injurious amounts of silt (not exceeding 8%) If there is excessive silt the sand shall be washed before use

3.    It should be free from organic and chemical impurities and salt

4.    As far as possible river sand or pit sand shall be used

5.    Crushed sand may be used in combination with river sand if approved by the Structural designer

6.    Sea sand should not be used

7.    If the sand is moist it should be tested for bulking

If bulking is detected, additional sand shall be added to the mix to compensate for the increase in volume due to bulking. Also the water cement ratio for the mix should be adjusted for the moisture present in the sand.

8.    For plaster work the sand shall be sieved before use