Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun Essay -- Lorraine Hansberry

A Raisin in the Sun A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, illustrates the timeless struggle for the furtherance of family values and morals with extreme clarity. The play follows the life of a small black family’s struggle to keep their dreams from tenants to owners alive. These dreams, and the struggles necessary to reach them, as well as coming to terms with the dreams that are out of reach, are the focus and driving force behind this story of every persons struggle to achieve goals that are not always in tune with societies thoughts or ideas on a persons place in life. The internal difficulties of the family, and the detrimental effects of these problems, are major themes in the play. In the opening scene; a husband, Walter, and wife, Ruth, are seen having a fight over Walter’s dream to become a â€Å"mover and shaker† in the business world by using an incoming insurance check for his mother as a down payment on a potential liquor business. Walter tells his wife, â€Å"I’m trying to talk to you ‘bout myself and all you can say is eat them eggs and go to work.† This is the first sign of Walter’s recurring feelings, that if someone in the family would just listen to him and put forth their trust, his dreams wou ld come to life. Following this argument, Walter goes off to his job as a chauffeur which is the job he so longs to be done away with. As Walter dreams bigger and bigger he seems to leave the smaller things such as his family behind. This movement away from the famil...

Measuring the Cost of Living - The Impact of Technology on our Standard

Measuring the Cost of Living - The Impact of Technology on our Standard of Living Measures of the cost of living, like the retail price index (RPI), are inadequate, failing to reflect fully the impact of technological advances on our standard of living. This leads to a substantial upward bias in our estimates of inflation, perhaps as much as 1.6% a year. That is the contention of Professor William Nordhaus of Yale University. If he is right, then we may have to rewrite history: l Increases in the price of lighting services since 1830 may have been overestimated by as much as a thousandfold! l US real wage growth between 1959-95, currently measured at a very modest 10%, should be revised to a healthier 70%. l And estimated average annual rates of US productivity growth of 0.6% between 1973-95 should nearly be tripled. Nordhaus notes that consumer price indices like the RPI are some of the most important measurements generated by economists and statisticians. Ideally, they are designed to measure the cost of attaining a given level of economic well-being. In practice, statisticians take a ‘basket of goods’, which represents the consumption patterns of the ‘average consumer’, and measure how the cost of this fixed basket changes over time. This statistic is used to define ‘inflation’, and hence determines changes in a wide range of inflation-indexed state payments and benefits, as well as setting the background for pay settlements. It is also crucial for measuring the real growth of the economy, a key statistic in assessing the economic and political performance of the economy and government policies. Nordhaus argues that the current methods for measuring the cost of living are inadequate and fail to refl... ...s and output. Over the period 1959-95, the increase in real wages is currently measured at a very modest 10%: it should be revised to a healthier 70%. Estimates of productivity growth over the period 1973-95 indicate an average annual rate of 0.6%: this should nearly be tripled. ‘The fact that we may be getting such an important statistic as the RPI wrong by so much indicates that we really need to look again at the way it is calculated in the UK’, claims Professor Huw Dixon of the University of York and CEPR. ‘Since so much depends on the inflation rate measure, we need to make sure we are getting it right’. Note: ‘‘Traditional Productivity Estimates are Asleep at the Technological Switch’ by William B. Nordhaus is published in the Controversy section of the Autumn 1997 issue of the Economic Journal. Nordhaus is Professor of Economics at Yale University.

Glorifying the Tudor Dynasty: Shakespeares Richard III and the Perfect

Arts in England flourished and prospered during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Furthermore, â€Å"The Golden Age† was characterized by the Queen’s patronizing of theatre, which lead it to gain popularity among England. The sixteenth and early seventeenth century witnessed a period of English nationalism, evidently shown through diffused texts in the English language, rather than in Latin. Additionally, the Queen supported playwrights such as William Shakespeare, which lead to depictions of Elizabethan society in his plays. Consequently, influences from London and the royal family influenced plays such as Richard III. Specifically, the play affected the glorification of the Tudors, leading to the villanization of former king Richard III. This paper discusses and argues the effects of Elizabethan England on the plot, villain, and gender roles- all leading to the glorification of the Tudor dynasty. Firstly, Niccollo Machiavelli’s influences on England during the Elizabethan Era transmit in the plot of the play. Machiavelli, an Italian politician, published Il Principe, which established guidelines on how a prince could get and secure his power. Machiavellian ideas diffused among the political elite of England during Elizabeth’s reign (â€Å"The Influence of Machiavelli on Shakespeare†). Consequently, Shakespeare adapted these influences to produce the character of King Richard III. The principal influence of Machiavelli on Shakespeare’s version of Richard is the Machiavellian concept of â€Å"the ends justify the means† (â€Å"The Influence of Machiavelli on Shakespeare†). When Richard outlines his plans that will lead him to the throne of the kingdom, Shakespeare shows the influence of this concept because he shows willingness to do anything in ord... ... plot, the characters, and the overall conflicts. Culturally London is present in the events and characters of the play, since Shakespeare manages to take influences from historians and his patron to target a historical figure. Finally, while embedding historical events in his plot, Shakespeare manages to legitimize the rule of the reining dynasty. Works Cited Mclean, Ralph. â€Å"The Influence of Machiavelli On Shakespeare.† Britain In Print, n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2014 Preis, Dorothea. â€Å"Richard III Society of NSW.† Richard III Society of NSW RSS. HSC History Extension, 7 Nov. 2012. Web. 6 Apr. 2014 Shakespeare, William. Richard III. Cambridge: U, 1954. Print. Shapiro, Susan. â€Å"Feminism in Elizabethan England.† History Today. History Today, n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2014 â€Å"The Richard III Society.† Richard III Society of NSW RSS. HRH. The Duke of Clougester, n.d Web. 07 Apr. 2014

Change: Discovering the Leader

Introduction:This paper seeks to prepare a book report for Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within by Robert E. Quinn. The paper will discuss the perceived purpose of the author in writing the books and how he tried to support his claims. The paper hopes to either confirm or deny what the author tries to impart on the basis of the relevance of the author’s claims to reality and the personal experience of writer of this paper.The purpose of the authorThe purpose of the author (Quinn) in writing the book is to challenge the reader to recognize that everyone is a potential change agent. The author believes that people are capable of deep changes if they willing to take the difficult but essential steps to experience the same.   He built his thesis on a strong foundation by first contrasting   between deep change and incremental change. He argues that in general, most change that takes place in the life of an individual is incremental due to the fact that people are uncomfo rtable with major changes.   Incremental changes just involved movement in small steps that most people would like to take.The authors provided possible exception to the choice of incremental change and that this occurs when a person is faced with a major crisis.   To explain the author’s position, the case of a person who experienced a heart attack may be used as an example of major crises. It is common knowledge that people would like to survive and would do everything to prevent another attack after the first one. Under this scenario the person who suffered attack would be motivated to make deep lifestyle changes in habits.These changes could include changes such as stopping smoking and become choosy about dietary requirements.   The same major crises may also be observed when a family marriage is on the brink of divorce. Under said situation, marriage partners will be forced to make comprehensive changes in these communicate or handle conflict. But, when there are n o major crises in the life of during periodic times many people will agree that people typically make changes in a slow and incremental manner instead of making needed deep change.The observable fact that was illustrated above on a personal level can also be could also be observed in the life of organizations. The tendency towards small incremental change rather deep change happens because people are normally resistant of change of big changes in their personal lives.   It could be argued that such is observation is a natural phenomenon since people in their individual capacities are still the same people when they find themselves in organizations.   It could also be argued that leadership needs to be mindful of bringing people along in the midst of change, but in the life of organizations there are really times that organizations need to experience deep change to survive.This could be observed in the case of joint ventures and mergers.   These business combinations are someti me reactions to economic changes in the environment.  Ã‚   Managers need to have better returns and they find the expected synergy that would be created from mergers and joint ventures. If companies would stay as they are, there are possibilities that the they have reached their points of stagnancy. This could be observed in the case of cell phone companies.Sony are Ericsson are separate companies until they see the need to compete with other mobile companies there companies that dominate the market. Seeing the profitability of the industry, Sony and Ericsson combined in a joint venture (Steinbock, 2002) to product to produce Sony Ericsson cell phones. If one analyses however what happened, one could see that the cause was external to the organizations.   Without the mergers, the separate companies might be just earning much to sustain operations and before they know it, they would have forgone the great opportunities that they are now enjoying after the merger.   In this cont ext, author Quinn is correct in stating that without deep change, habitual patterns may just make organizations to move continuously toward decay and stagnation (Quinn, 1996).While it may be argued that organizations must react to changes in the  environment, there seems to be more wisdom in the belief that organizations must anticipate changes by doing strategies that would help the company make use of is internal strengths to taking advantage of its opportunities.   In other words organizations must have its plans for the future implemented by considering what it has internally and not just reacting to external events. The latter makes the company responsible and control of its purposes while in the first the companies by analogy just get swayed by waves of external changes.The logic of task pursuitWhat could be keeping organization to seek their chances for deep changes for growth without the external factors?   In answer to this question, Quinn has discussion of the logic of task pursuit.   A good number of people, when under pressure for task completion, simply manifest lack of chance to consider routine maintenance. This could be illustrated by the fact that if a person does not take time to experience physical regeneration by resting and exercising, his or her body will experience exhaustion.This is applicable with the spiritual life of such person. People need to spend some time to detach themselves from the pursuit of tasks to spend time alone. Solitude could generate strength in character. If applied to an organization, it would appear that each person in management needs to set aside time to revisit its company’s mission and to ensure that the work of the company is in alignment with that mission. The failure to set aside the logic of pursuit to visit the company’s mission and vision provided the grounds for Quinn's observation that organizational change doesn't take place. He posits that that the leading coalition in an organi zation is rarely interested in considering deep changes of this logic of task pursuit.   He supported his theory by the fact of pressures within most organizations to conform to the prevailing structure (Quinn, 1996).Based on this, the author could be credited for a wonderful job of identifying the barriers of bureaucratic culture, ingrained conflict, and personal time restrictions. The author is therefore very much meaningful to suggest to management of companies to give time for managers to develop deeper relationships within themselves to prepare to be ready and willing to that deep change.   Ã‚  In opting for the need to reflect, it could be argued that in most cases people do not need new skills and competencies.   What these people really need is a new perspective that permits them to act as empowered leaders in a changing organization. This new perspective must come from within the personal reflections of the organizational leaders who have renewed their commitment to t he company.There is therefore basis to agree with the author that that personal deep change must come before deep change within a system or organization. He argues while normally if not most of the time organizational change must come from the top as it flows down below, he strongly the author believes that it can also happen to start from the bottom towards the top.   In subscribing to the fact that deep change requires a personal evaluation of the ideologies that under bind the organizational culture, the author saw that in the final analysis it is still the people who will make the decision. Thus Quinn believed that as people desire to see change in the lives of others, from many areas like in parenting, marriage or work relationships, these same people must examine first what changes need to happen in themselves.   He observed that it is true that people do not easily recognize the part that they play in the problem; this it is really very hard to realize that one is part of the problem (Quinn, 1996). It is easier for people to blame others that to accept the responsibility for the error. If is easier to judge people by looking at the speck in one’s eye than to not one plank in is his or her own eye.ConclusionThe author believes in deep changes that people experience when under major crisis in their lives. His observation that people normally choose incremental change   over deep is very much validated in the lives of people The   fact that he also has observed deep changes in cases of   major crises among people has helped him to discover that deep changes do happen the same way in organizations in case of external events. Such external events are normally challenges for survival for these organizations.In explaining the reason why changes could not happen with out the external changes to organizations, the author found the logic of task pursuit with out routine maintenance.   In arguing therefore that the organizations need to go back to its mission and vision to redirect its efforts toward the proper direction, the author appears convincing in his position that personal deep change must precede deep change within a system or organization. Based on authors claims and supporting examples this paper humbly confirms the validity of the claims made as discussed in the text.Reference:Quinn, R. (1996) Deep Change: Discovering the leader within, Jossey-BassSteinbock, Dan (2002) Wireless Horizon: Strategy and Competition in the Worldwide Mobile Marketplace, AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn

Childhood Obesity Essay Introduction Essay

Introduction Obesity is a serious and major health complication contributing to 112,000 deaths annually most of which are preventable. Obesity is to a condition where excess fat has collected in the body has to the level of adversely affecting one’s health. There is no general agreement on the lowest explanations of obesity in adolescents and children. Therefore, most professionals accept the guidelines published on body mass index (BMI) to measure cases of overweight in children and adolescents. The increase of obesity among children in 2008 increased from 5 percent to 17 percent in the same year. This paper will focus to explore the causes of obesity in children and give methods on how it can be prevented. One is considered as obese or overweight when his or her body mass index BMI exceeds 30 kg/m2) (Flegal, 2000). Body mass index is obtained by measuring an individual’s weight in kilograms relative to his or her height in meters. Presently obesity is the widest spread medical problem affecting children and teenagers in developed countries like the United States. Other measure of obesity include: a) Weight-to-height tables- These tables define being overweight and give ranges for a healthy weight based on the height of a teenager or child. b) Body fat percentage- Fat a percentage of body weight, is a strong indicator of obesity. Boys are regarded obese when their body fat is above 25 percent and girls over 32 percent. Obesity has profound effects on the life of a patient by increasing the possibility of contracting variety of diseases. The following are health consequences of obesity according to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cancers (breast, endometrial and colon) Coronary heart disease Hypertension Stroke Type 2 diabetes Dyslipidemia Osteoarthritis Gallbladder and liver and disease Gynecological problems (infertility, abnormal menses) In addition to the health consequences above, obesity can also create social, as well as, emotional problems to an individual or patient due to the stigma associated with one being overweight. Causes of obesity Physical exercise and dieting are among the best ways for treating obesity. One can improve his or her diet quality by reducing the intake foods rich in energy, e.g. those high in sugars and fat and increasing the consumption of dietary fiber. Drugs such as anti- obesity medication drugs may be taken to lower appetite or inhibit the absorption of fat. A gastric balloon may enable one lose weight if exercise, medication and diet are not effective. Surgery may also be performed to lower stomach volume and or bowel length. This leads to earlier satiation and reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food. Below are some of the major causes of obesity (Ferry, 2011). Physical inactivity- The increased use of computers, video games and televisions have largely contributed to an inactive lifestyle for many teenagers and children in developed countries like the U.S. On average, teenagers and children in the United States of America spend three hours daily watching television. This form of recreation not only uses little energy but also encourages eating of snacks. Only one-third of children in the United States have daily physical exercise education in school. Dietary habits- The eating habits of teenagers and children have shifted away from healthy foods such as vegetables and whole grains to enormous reliance on fast foods, sugary drinks and eating processed snacks. These foods tend to contain high levels of fat or calories but low in essential nutrients. Unhealthy eating habits include eating when not hungry, watching television while eating or eating while doing homework e.t.c. Genetic factors- Some families tend to have obesity. Parents who are obese tend to have obese children. It is very  crucial to note that obesity does not occur through genetics alone, but when one eats more calories than he or she uses. Socioeconomic status-Non working parents or families with low incomes are more likely to consume excess calories for a given level of activity. Specific medical conditions can cause obesity but are rare. This includes inherited disorders of metabolism, hormone or chemical imbalances. Certain medications can alter how the body stores fat or processes food, thus resulting to weight gain. There is limited evidence to support the fact that some people who are overweight eat little yet gain weight due to a slow metabolism. Obese people require more energy expenditure than people who are thin due to the energy required to maintain their massive body mass. Conclusion Obesity is considered a major cause of deaths worldwide with increasing prevalence in children, teenagers and adults. The American Heart Association has guidelines for healthy children and families. It recommends that one should eat adequate calories and eat a wide variety of foods to obtain adequate nutrition. It also recommends that the total cholesterol taken per day should be less than 300mg. These guidelines are only applicable to children above two years of age. It is necessary for everyone in the family to apply these guidelines and not just those who are obese. Schools should introduce anti bullying campaign to assist overweight children. The biggest responsibility falls on parents to ensure their children observe healthy eating tips. References American Heart Association. â€Å"Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Children.† Apr. 19, 2012. . Ferry Jr., R.J., ed. Nutrition and Health: Management of Pediatric Obesity and Diabetes. New York: Springer Science+Business Media, 2011: 416. United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. â€Å"Childhood Overweight and Obesity.† Apr. 27, 2012. .

Brand and Proper Branding

Branding Meaning of Branding: The word â€Å"brand† is derived from the Old Norse â€Å"brandr† meaning â€Å"to burn. † It refers to the practice of producers burning their mark (or brand) onto their products. Branding is the practice of giving a specified name to a product or group of product of one seller. Branding is the process of finding and fixing the means of identification. In other word, naming product, like a naming a baby, is known as branding. Parents have children and manufactures also are eager to know the character and the capacity of their names. Thus branding is management process by which product is name; i. . branding. Proper branding can result in higher sales of not only one product, but on other products associated with that brand. For example, if a customer loves Wai Wai Noodles and trusts the brand, he or she is more likely to try other products offered by the company such as Kwiks Cheese Balls or Kwiks Potato Chips. Definition of Brandin g According to the American marketing Association, â€Å"A brand is name, term, sign, symbol or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition. According to William j Stanton, â€Å"All trademarks are brands and thus include the word, letter or numbers which may be pronounced; they may also include pictorial designs. † Threes of Cs of Branding 1. Clarity: Strong bonds are clear about what they are & what they are not. They understand their unique promise of value. And this promise of value sets them apart from their competitors. It differentiates them and allows them to attract and built loyalty among a desirable set of consumers. 2.Consistency: In addition to being clear about who they are, strong brands are also consistence. They are always what they say they are. 3. Constancy: It is not enough to be clear and consistent if you are not always visible to your target aud ition. Strong brands are constant, they are always there for their customers and prospects. A brand can convey up to six level of meaning 1. Attributes: Mercedes brings to mind expensive, well built, well engineered, durable, high prestige automobiles. 2.Benefits: The attributes â€Å"Durable† could translate into the functional benefits and the attributes â€Å"Expensive† translates into the emotional benefits. 3. Values: Mercedes stands for high performance, safety and prestige. 4. Culture: Mercedes represents German culture; organized, efficient and high quality. 5. Personality: Mercedes may suggest a no nonsense boss â€Å"person†, reigning lion â€Å"animal† or an austere palace (object). 6. User: Suggest the kind of consumer who buys or uses the product. A top executive behind the wheel of a Mercedes and not a young secretary.Purpose of Branding 1. Brand is a massive asset. 2. Brand is a promotional tool. 3. Brand is a weapon to protect market. 4. B rand is antidote for middle man survival. 5. Brand is a means of identification for customers. Significance/advantage of branding 1. Advantage to producers a. Easy to advertise. b. Easy to identify the products. c. Creation of separate market. d. To get more price. e. Easy to expand the product mix. f. Personal contacts with consumers. 2. Advantage to middle man g. Easy to understand needs and wants of consumers. . Less risks. i. No need of advertisement and sales promotion. j. Increase in sales. k. Increase in profit. 3. Advantage to consumers l. Easy to recognize. m. Availability of quality product. n. Minimum fluctuation in price. o. Mental satisfaction. p. Improve packing. Branding decision Branding of products are mainly done under following criteria: 1. Founder’s names. 2. Blanket family names. 3. Separate family name for all products. 4. Corporate names combined with individual product name.

Traditional Sports in Assam

Traditional sports in N-E Games soon| A STAFF REPORTER| | A traditional sport in progress during the recent Bihu festivities. A Telegraph picture | Guwahati, May 22: The newly-formed Assam Traditional Sports and Dragon Boat Association claimed that efforts were being made to include some traditional sports of Assam in the North-East Games in near future.Addressing the media, regarding the proposed traditional sports carnival — Amar Khel, Amar Utsav — on Saturday, one of the founder office- bearers of the association, Subhash Basumatary, said he was making efforts to get a few disciplines included in the North-East Games, organised annually by SAI. Basumatary is also the director-in-charge of the SAI regional sub-centre, Guwahati. Boat racing, one of the most popular traditional sports, is all set to be the first from among a dozen traditional deciplines which could make it to the North-East Games.The Dragon Boat carnival, to be held here on Saturday, will include 10 oth er disciplines apart from boat racing at Dighalipukhuri. The field events at the carnival at Latasil ground include dhop khel, koni juj, ghila khel, malla juddha, rashi tana, tel khuta, tangon tona, kelah loi dour, tekeli bhonga and dighal thengia dour. â€Å"The idea is to conserve the traditional sports and bring them out of the remote villages to the urban areas. We hope to get co-operation from the government too in organising the event.So far, the tourism department, the State Sports Council of Assam, the Kamrup (Metro) district administration and few others have already come forward to help us in the noble venture,† the association’s president Taher Ahmed said. | Dhopkhel The most popular indigenous game in the state of Assam is Dhopkhel. An ancient game, it is closely related with the development of the state as such. The game requires absolute physical fitness – speed, stamina and acrobatic skills. Dhop is a seasonal game, played during the state's Sprin g Festival, known as Rangoli Bihu.The game really flowered under the royal patronage of the Ahoms. There are two types of Dhop, one played by men and the other by women. The game, which uses a rubber ball, is played by two teams comprising 11 players each, in an open field, 125 m in length and 80 m in breadth, with a central point in the right middle of the arena. Two lines called kai are drawn at a distance of 12 ft on each side of the point at the centre. At the four points where the kai meets the 125 m lines, four flags are planted. Similarly, four flags are planted in the four corners, known as chukor nishan.Parallel to the central point in each half of the field, is one point each, at a distance of 13'6†³ from the centre, and circles surrounding them known as gher. The game begins with the dhop i. e the ball being thrown in the air, by a player. If the ball does not fall in the opponent's court, it is to be thrown again. The dhop has to be caught by the opposing team, and if they fail, then the other team takes the throw. If caught, the player who takes the catch proceeds to the gher of the court, and throws it to the katoni, who stands on the other gher.If the thrower fails on either count, his team forfeits the chance of a throw at the katoni, and the guilty player is requested to deliver a high lob to the opposing team, like the lob which started the game. The opposing team thus gets a chance once more for a catch and throw, at the opponents' katoni. If the katoni is hit below the waist, it is considered a kota, and the katoni becomes a hoia or a bondha, and automatically loses his status of a ghai – a name initially used for all the players. The bondha goes over to the opposing side and tries to prevent the players of the team from catching the dhop. This move is known as aulia.If a bondha succeeds in catching the dhop in the opponents' court and can recross over to his original side without being touched by any of the opponents, he become s a ghai, and this move is known as hora. However, he has to cross both kais and he cannot leave the court in the process of crossing over, or catching the dhop in the zone between two kais. If a team loses ten ghais as hoia or bondha, then the last ghai will be named ghai katoni, and if a kota can be done to him, then it is known as piriutha, which signifies victory for the side. If at the end of the game, there are equal number of ghais, the game is pronounced a draw. Rang GharLocation: Joysagar, 4 km to the west of Sibsagar town Built By: Ahom King Pramutta Singha Built In: 1746 AD Highlights: Oldest amphitheatre in Asia Rang Ghar is one of the major attractions of the state of Assam. It is said to be the oldest amphitheatre in the whole of Asia and has often been referred to as the ‘Colosseum of the East'. Situated to the northeast of the Tolatol Ghar, in the Joysagar area of the Sibsagar district; is the two storied Rang Ghar, which was the royal venue for witnessing a nu mber of games, like buffalo fight, bull fight etc. This ancient amphitheatre was constructed by the Ahom ruler Swargadeo Pramutta Singha.Rang Ghar dates back to 1746 AD, when it was basically built for the purpose of amusement and fun. The theatre is a double storied building and on the roof, there is a design of an Ahom royal long boat. It is overall oval in shape, unlike the multi-storied Tolatol Ghar situated just adjacent to it. Every year, during the occasion of Rongali Bihu, Rang Ghar used to be the royal sports pavilion, from which the Ahom kings and nobles witnessed games in the Rupahi Pathar below. The Rupahi Pathar is a vast field, where various activities like bull fighting and other such traditional games used to be organized for the entertainment of the royalty.The Rang Ghar was even the symbol of the recently concluded 33rd National Games, which was held in February (9th to 18th) 2007, in Guwahati, Assam. In case you are planning to visit Sibsagar district of Assam in the near future, do make sure to pay a visit to the Rang Ghar as well. Rang Ghar (Assamese: , rong ghor) (meaning â€Å"Amusement House†) is a two-storied building, which was the royal sports-pavilion from which the Ahom kings and nobles witnessed games like buffalo fights and other sports at the Rupahi Pathar (pathar meaning field in Assamese) specially during Rangali Bihu festival in the Ahom capital, Rangpur.On the roof of the Rang Ghar is a design of an Ahom royal long boat. The building was constructed during the reign of Swargadeo Pramatta Singha in 1746. It is located north east to the Talatal Ghar a multi-storied royal complex in Joysagar west of Sivasagar town, on the other side of the Assam Trunk (AT) Road in Sibsagar district in Assam, India . The Rang Ghar is said to be the oldest amphitheater in Asia[citation needed]. The base of the monument has a series of arched entrances and atop the roof is a decorative pair of carved stone crocodiles.In many of these, only the brick framework exists with vestiges of sculptural adornments here and there. The Ahoms, who used special thin baked bricks, did not have the use of cement and, therefore, used a paste of rice and eggs as mortar for their construction. They also made use of powdered mixed lime and bricks to cover the surface of the inner walls. It is said that this layer of powder used to keep the inside of Ranghar cool. The entrance to Sankardev Kalakshetra at Guwahati is made in the style of the Rang Ghar.The Rang Ghar was the logo of the recently concluded 33rd National Games that was held from 9 to 18 February, 2007 in Guwahati, Assam. About a kilometer towards the north east of Rangh Ghar is the Jaysagar Pukhuri. It is a manmade tank, encompassing an area of about 120 Bighas of land. It was dug in memory of Rani Joymati, the mother of Rudra Singha, the most illustrious of the Ahom kings. Guwahati, Apr 6 (PTI) Seisimic survey work by the ONGC is posing a threat to Assam's 18th century amphi theatre, ‘Rang Ghar† at Gargaon in Sibsagar district, perhaps the largest stadium in Asia, which has proudly stood the ravages of time.Lesser known than the internationally famous `Colosseum' in Italy, the ‘Rang Ghar' bears mute testimony to the state's chequered history. The most potent symbol of the glorious 600 year rule of the Tai-Ahom kings hailing from Thailand, the monument constructed in 1746 AD, has been in the news after a report carried by PTI on cracks appearing on its facade. The report prompted the Assam government to constitute a seven-member expert committee to examine the damages on the walls of the heritage site.The damages to the protected monument have prompted the Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) which maintains it, to threaten legal action against the public sector Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) The ASI move comes after eight 10 metre cracks have appeared on the Rang Ghar walls following blastings in the seismic survey work at nearby Rupohipathar, an open oil field. The ONGC officials when contacted refused to comment on the matter and only maintained â€Å"that precaution had been taken not to harm the heritage sites and historic monuments during survey works†.The damages have created a public outcry with a local students body, All Assam Tai Ahom Students Union (AATASU), calling an ‘indefinited ONGC bandh' from March 5 and the proscribed ULFA issuing a warning to the ONGC to stop all seismic work or face dire consequences. The Rang Ghar, stated to be the oldest outdoor stadium in Asia, bears mute testimony to Assam's history. The medieval Tai-Ahom kingdom (1228-1826) was founded by Sukapha in the 13th century establishing its suzerainity over the Brahmaputra valley and putting paid to Mughal expansionism in the North-East seventeen times sucessfully.The monument also saw the annexation of Assam by the British Empire through the historic Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826 paving the way for the advent of t he Britishers into the state and the end of the 600 year old Ahom rule. The monument at Gargaon was the crucible of the proscribed ULFA movement with its leaders congregating under Rang Ghar's portals on April 7 nearly 30 years ago to script one of the most violent chapters in the annals of the state in its fight for an independent homeland.The original ampitheatre was constructed with wood and bamboo by King Rudrasingha, also known as Siukapha who ruled between 1696-1714, but was rebuilt into a permanent structure by King Pramatasinha (1744-1751). With no knowledge of modern day cement, the Ahoms used a paste of rice and eggs as mortar and special thin bricks for construction of the Rang Ghar, that has withstood decades of neglect till Independence. As its name suggests, ‘Rang Ghar' was a `merriment house or a place of joy'. It was in this sports pavilion that elephant, buffalo, bullock and hawk fights, wrestling, besides Bihu (Assamese cultural festival), etc. were held. The Mongolian style oval-shaped two-storyed pavilion is 10 metres high, 11 metres across and 27 metres long with a steep flight of steps leading to the higher elevation from where the royal patrons and nobles are presumed to have watched the contests on the Rupohi Pathar (field) below surrounded by a huge meadow meant for the royal subjects. The monument's base has a series of archways with vestiges of sculptural adornments, and its roof is designed like a royal long boat with a pair of carved stone crocodiles on either ends.The ampitheatre is located north east to the royal palace `Kareng Ghar' in modern day Sibsagar town in Upper Assam. The Ahom kingdom with a successful multi-ethnic polity made major advances under king Susengpha Pratap Singha who revamped the administration and established the first military and diplomatic contact with the Mughals. Under King Gadadhar Singha, Mughal influence was, however, completely removed from the Brahmaputra valley and the Ahom Kingdom achieved its golden period under his son Rudra Singha.The Ahom rule declined with the rise of the Moamoria rebellion and subsequently fell to a succession of Burmese invasions. The defeat of the Burmese after the Anglo-Burmese War and the treaty of Yandaboo on Fewbruary 24, 1826, control of the once glorious Ahom kingdom passed into the British hands. Though during the colonial and subsequent times the Tai- Ahom rule was called the `Ahom Kingdom', the Ahoms called their kingdom `Mong Dun Shun Kham (casket of gold), while others called it Assam. The Rang Ghar was the logo of the 33rd National Games held in Guwahati from February 9 to 18 last year.