Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Akagi Aircraft Carrier in World War II and the Battle of Midway

Akagi Aircraft Carrier in World War II and the Battle of Midway Ordered in 1920, Akagi (Red Castle) initially was designed as an Amagi-class battlecruiser mounting ten 16-inch guns. Laid down at Kure Naval Arsenal on December 6, 1920, work progressed on the hull over the next two years. This came to an abrupt halt in 1922 when Japan signed the Washington Naval Treaty which limited warship construction and placed constraints on tonnage. Under the terms of the treaty, signatories were permitted to convert two battleship or battlecruiser hulls into aircraft carriers so long as the new ships did not exceed 34,000 tons. Assessing the ships then under construction, the Imperial Japanese Navy selected the incomplete hulls of Amagi and Akagi for conversion. Work resumed on Akagi on November 19, 1923. After a further two years of work, the carrier entered the water on April 22, 1925. In converting Akagi, designers finished the carrier with three superimposed flight decks. An unusual arrangement, it was intended to allow the ship to launch as many aircraft as possible in a short period of time. In actual operation, the middle flight deck proved too short for most aircraft. Capable of 32.5 knots, Akagi was powered by four sets of Gihon geared steam turbines. As carriers were still envisioned as support units within the fleet, Akagi was armed with ten 20 cm guns for fending off enemy cruisers and destroyers. Commissioned on March 25, 1927, the carrier conducted shakedown cruises and training before joining the Combined Fleet in August. Early Career Joining the First Carrier Division in April 1928, Akagi served as Rear Admiral Sankichi Takahashis flagship. Conducting training for most of the year, command of the carrier passed to Captain Isoroku Yamamoto in December. Withdrawn from frontline service in 1931, Akagi underwent several minor refits before returning to active duty two years later. Sailing with the Second Carrier Division, it took part in fleet maneuvers and helped pioneer Japanese naval aviation doctrine. This ultimately called for carriers to operate in front of the battle fleet with the goal of using massed air attacks to disable the enemy before ship-to-ship fighting commenced. After two years of operations, Akagi was again withdrawn and placed in reserve status prior to a major overhaul. Reconstruction Modernization As naval aircraft increased in size and weight, Akagis flight decks proved too short for their operation. Taken to Sasebo Naval Arsenal in 1935, work began on a massive modernization of the carrier. This saw the elimination of the lower two flight decks and their conversion into fully-enclosed hangar decks. The topmost flight deck was extended the length of the ship giving Akagi a more traditional carrier look. In addition to engineering upgrades, the carrier also received a new island superstructure. Counter to the standard design, this was placed on the port side of the flight deck in an effort to move it away from the ships exhaust outlets. Designers also enhanced Akagis anti-aircraft batteries which were placed amidships and low on the hull. This led to them having a limited arc of fire and being relatively ineffective against dive bombers. Return to Service Work on Akagi came to an end in August 1938 and the ship soon rejoined the First Carrier Division. Moving into southern Chinese waters, the carrier supported Japanese ground operations during the Second Sino-Japanese War. After striking targets around Guilin and Liuzhou, Akagi steamed back to Japan. The carrier returned to the Chinese coast the following spring and later underwent a brief overhaul in late 1940. In April 1941, the Combined Fleet concentrated its carriers into the First Air Fleet (Kido Butai). Serving in the First Carrier Division of this new formation with the carrier Kaga, Akagi spent the later part of the year preparing for the attack on Pearl Harbor. Departing northern Japan on November 26, the carrier served as flagship for Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumos Striking Force. Akagi During World War II Sailing in company with five other carriers, Akagi began launching two waves of aircraft early on the morning of December 7, 1941. Descending on Pearl Harbor, the carriers torpedo planes targeted the battleships USS Oklahoma, USS West Virginia, and USS California. The dive bombers of the second wave attacked USS Maryland and USS Pennsylvania. Withdrawing after the attack, Akagi, Kaga, and the carriers of the Fifth Carrier Division (Shokaku and Zuikaku) moved south and supported the Japanese invasion of New Britain and the Bismarck Islands. After this operation, Akagi and Kaga fruitlessly searched for American forces in the Marshall Islands before launching raids on Darwin, Australia on February 19. In March, Akagi helped cover the invasion of Java and the carriers aircraft proved successful in hunting Allied shipping. Ordered to Staring Bay, Celebes for a brief period of rest, the carrier sortied on March 26 with the rest of the First Air Fleet for a raid into the Indian Ocean. Attacking Colombo, Ceylon on April 5, Akagis aircraft assisted in sinking the heavy cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire. Four days later, it mounted a raid against Trincomalee, Ceylon and aided in the destruction of the carrier HMS Hermes. That afternoon, Akagi came under attack from British Bristol Blenheim bombers but did not sustain any damage. With the completion of the raid, Nagumo withdrew his carriers east and steamed for Japan. Battle of Midway On April 19, while passing Formosa (Taiwan), Akagi and the carriers Soryu and Hiryu were detached and ordered east to locate USS Hornet and USS Enterprise which had just launched the Doolittle Raid. Failing to locate the Americans, they broke off the pursuit and returned to Japan on April 22. A month and three days later, Akagi sailed in company with Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu to support the invasion of Midway. Arriving at a point approximately 290 miles from the island on June 4, the Japanese carriers opened the Battle of Midway by launching a 108-plane strike. As the morning progressed, the Japanese carriers evaded several attacked by Midway-based American bombers. Recovering the Midway strike force just before 9:00 AM, Akagi began spotting aircraft for an attack on the recently discovered American carrier forces. As this work progressed, American TBD Devastator torpedo bombers commenced an assault on the Japanese carriers. This was repulsed with heavy losses by the fleets combat air patrol. Though the American torpedo planes had been defeated, their attack pulled the Japanese fighters out of position. This allowed arriving American SBD Dauntless dive bombers to strike with minimal aerial resistance. At 10:26 AM, three SBDs from USS Enterprise dove on Akagi and scored a hit and two near misses. The 1,000 lb. bomb that struck penetrated to the hangar deck and exploded among several fully fueled and armed B5N Kate torpedo planes causing massive fires to erupt. Sinking Ship With his ship badly stricken, Captain Taijiro Aoki ordered the carriers magazines to be flooded. Though the forward magazine flooded on command, the aft did not due to damage sustained in the attack. Plagued by pump problems, damage control parties were not able to bring the fires under control. Akagis plight worsened at 10:40 AM when its rudder jammed during evasive maneuvers. With fires breaking through the flight deck, Nagumo transferred his flag to the cruiser Nagara. At 1:50 PM, Akagi came to a stop as it engines failed. Ordering the crew to evacuate, Aoki stayed aboard with the damage control teams in an effort to save the ship. These efforts continued through the night but to no avail. In the early morning hours of June 5, Aoki was forcibly evacuated and Japanese destroyers fired torpedoes to sink the burning hulk. At 5:20 AM, Akagi slipped bow first beneath the waves. The carrier was one four lost by the Japanese during the battle. Overview Nation:  JapanType:  Aircraft CarrierShipyard:  Kure Naval ArsenalLaid Down:  December 6, 1920Launched:  April 22, 1925Commissioned:  March 25, 1927Fate:  Sunk June 4, 1942 Specifications Displacement:  37,100 tonsLength:  855 ft., 3 in.Beam:  102 ft., 9 in.Draft:  28 ft., 7 in.Propulsion:  4 Kampon geared steam turbines, 19 Kampon water-tube boilers, 4 Ãâ€" shaftsSpeed:  31.5 knotsRange:  12,000 nautical miles at 16 knotsComplement:  1,630 men Armament 6 Ãâ€" 1 20 cm guns6 Ãâ€" 2 120 mm (4.7 in) AA guns14 Ãâ€" 2 25 mm (1 in) AA gun Selected Sources World War II Database: AkagiMidway 1942: Akagi

Friday, November 22, 2019

Timeline of Major US Public Land Laws and Acts

Timeline of Major US Public Land Laws and Acts Beginning with the Congressional Act of 16 September 1776 and the Land Ordinance of 1785, a wide variety of Congressional acts governed the distribution of federal land in the thirty public land states. Various acts opened up new territories, established the practice of offering land as compensation for military service, and extended preemption rights to squatters. These acts each resulted in the first transfer of land from the federal government to individuals. This list is not exhaustive, and does not include acts that temporarily extended the provisions of earlier acts, or private acts that were passed for the benefit of individuals. Timeline of U.S. Public Land Acts 16 September 1776: This Congressional Act established guidelines for granting lands of 100 to 500 acres, termed bounty land, for those who enlisted in the Continental Army to fight in the American Revolution. That Congress make provision for granting lands, in the following proportions: to the officers and soldiers who shall so engage in the service, and continue therein to the close of the war, or until discharged by Congress, and to the representatives of such officers and soldiers as shall be slain by the enemy: To a colonel, 500 acres; to a lieutenant colonel, 450; to a major, 400; to a captain, 300; to a lieutenant, 200; to an ensign, 150; each non-commissioned officer and soldier, 100... 20 May 1785: Congress enacted the first law to manage the Public Lands that resulted from the thirteen newly independent states agreeing to relinquish their western land claims and allow the land to become the joint property of all citizens of the new nation. The 1785 Ordinance for the public lands northwest of the Ohio provided for their survey and sale in tracts of no less than 640 acres. This began the cash-entry system for federal lands. Be it ordained by the United States in Congress assembled, that the territory ceded by individual States to the United States, which has been purchased of the Indian inhabitants, shall be disposed of in the following manner... 10 May 1800: The Land Act of 1800, also known as the Harrison Land Act for its author William Henry Harrison, reduced the minimum purchasable unit of land to 320 acres, and also introduced the option of credit sales to encourage land sales. Land purchased under the Harrison Land Act of 1820 could be payed for in four designated payments over a period of four years. The government ultimately ended up expelling thousands of individuals who could not make the repayment of their loans within the set time, and some of this land ended up being resold by the federal government several times before defaults were rescinded by the Land Act of 1820. An act providing for the sale of the land of the United States, in the territory north-west of the Ohio, and above the mouth of the Kentucky river. 3 March 1801: Passage of the 1801 Act was the first of many laws passed by Congress giving preemption or preference rights to settlers in the Northwest Territory who had purchased lands from John Cleves Symmes, a judge of the Territory whose own claims to the lands had been nullified. An Act giving a right of pre-emption to certain persons to certain persons who have contracted with John Cleves Symmes, or his associates, for lands lying between the Miami rivers, in the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio. 3 March 1807: Congress passed a law granting preemption rights to certain settlers in Michigan Territory, where a number of grants had been made under both prior French and British rule. ...to every person or persons in actual possession, occupancy, and improvement, of any tract or parcel of land in his, her, or their own right, at the time of the passing of this act, within that part of the Territory of Michigan, to which the Indian title has been extinguished, and which said tract or parcel of land was settled, occupied, and improved, by him, her, or them, prior to and on the first day of July, one thousand seven hundred and ninety six...the said tract or parcel of land thus possessed, occupied, and improved, shall be granted, and such occupant or occupants shall be confirmed in the title to the same, as an estate of inheritance, in fee simple... 3 March 1807: The Intrusion Act of 1807 attempted to discourage squatters, or settlements being made on lands ceded to the United States, until authorized by law. The act also authorized the government to forcibly remove squatters from privately-owned land if the owners petitioned the government. Existing squatters on unoccupied land were allowed to claim as tenants of will up to 320 acres if they registered with the local land office by the end of 1807. They also agreed to give quiet possession or abandon the land when the government disposed of it to others. That any person or persons who, before the passing of this act, had taken possession of, occupied, or made a settlement on any lands ceded or secured to the United States...and who at the time of passing this act does or do actually inhabit and reside on such lands, may, at any time prior to the first day of January next, apply to the proper register or recorder...such applicant or applicants to remin on such tract or tracts of land, not exceeding three hundred and twenty acres for each applicant, as tenants at will, on such terms and conditions as shall prevent any waste or damages on such lands... 5 February 1813: The Illinois Preemption Act of 5 February 1813 granted preemption rights to all actual settlers in Illinois. This was the first law enacted by Congress which conveyed blanket preemption rights to all squatters in a speciï ¬ ed region and not simply to certain categories of claimants, taking the unusual step of going against the recommendation of the House Committee on Public Lands, which strongly opposed granting blanket preemption rights on the grounds that doing so would encourage future squatting.1 That every person, or legal representative of every person, who has actually inhabited and cultivated a tract of land lying in either of the districts established for the sale of public lands, in the Illinois territory, which tract is not rightfully claimed by any other person and who shall not have removed from said territory; every such person and his legal representatives shall be entitled to a preference in becoming the purchaser from the United States of such tract of land at private sale... 24 April 1820: The Land Act of 1820, also referred to as the 1820 Sale Act, reduced the price of federal land (at the time this applied to land in the Northwest Territory and Missouri Territory) to $1.25 acre, with a minimum purchase of 80 acres and a down payment of only $100. Further, the act gave squatters the right to preempt these conditions and purchase the land even more cheaply if they had made improvements to the land such as the building of homes, fences, or mills. This act eliminated the practice of credit sales, or the purchase of public land in the United States on credit. That from and after the first day of July next [1820] , all the public lands of the United States, the sale of which is, or may be authorized by law, shall when offered at public sale, to the highest bidder, be offered in half quarter sections [80 acres] ; and when offered at private sale, may be purchased, at the option of the purchaser, either in entire sections [640 acres] , half sections [320 acres] , quarter sections [160 acres] , or half quarter sections [80 acres] ... 4 September 1841: Following several early preemption acts, a permanent preemption law went into effect with the passage of the Preemption Act of 1841. This legislation (see Sections 9–10) permitted an individual to settle and cultivate up to 160 acres of land and to then purchase that land within a specified time after either survey or settlement at $1.25 per acre. This preemption act was repealed in 1891. And be it further enacted, That from and after the passage of this act, every person being the head of a family, or widow, or single man, over the age of twenty-one years, and being a citizen of the United States, or having filed his declaration of intention to become a citizen as required by the naturalization laws, who since the first day of June A.D. eighteen hundred and forty, has made or shall hereafter make a settlement in person on the public lands...is hereby, authorized to enter with the register of the land office for the district in which such land may lie, by legal subdivisions, any number of acres not exceeding one hundred and sixty, or a quarter section of land, to include the residence of such claimant, upon paying to the United States the minimum price of such land... 27 September 1850: The Donation Land Claim Act of 1850, also called the Donation Land Act, provided free land to all white or mixed-blood Native American settlers who arrived in Oregon Territory (the present-day states of Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and part of Wyoming) before December 1, 1855, based on four years of residence and cultivation of the land. The law, which granted 320 acres to unmarried male citizens eighteen or older, and 640 acres to married couples, split equally between them, was one of the first that allowed married women in the United States to hold land under their own name. That there shall be, and hereby is, granted to every white settler or occupant of the public lands, American half-breed Indians included, above the age of eighteen years, being a citizen of the United States....the quantity of one half section, or three hundred and twenty acres of land, if a single man, and if a married man, or if he shall become married within one year from the first day of December, eighteen hundred and fifty, the quantity of one section, or six hundred and forty acres, one half to himself and the other half to his wife, to be held by her in her own right... 3 March 1855: – The Bounty Land Act of 1855 entitled U.S. military veterans or their survivors to receive a warrant or certificate which could then be redeemed in person at any federal land office for 160 acres of federally owned land. This act extended the benefits. The warrant could also be sold or transferred to another individual who could then obtain the land under the same conditions. This act extended the conditions of several smaller bounty land acts passed between 1847 and 1854 to cover more soldiers and sailors, and provide additional acreage. That each of the surviving commissioned and non-commissioned officers, musicians, and privates, whether of regulars, volunteers, rangers, or militia, who were regularly mustered into the service of the United States, and every officer, commissioned and non-commissioned seaman, ordinary seaman, flotilla-man, marine, clerk, and landsman in the navy, in any of the wars in which this country has been engaged since seventeen hundred and ninety, and each of the survivors of the militia, or volunteers, or State troops of any State or Territory, called into military service, and regularly mustered therein, and whose services have been paid by the United States, shall be entitled to receive a certificate or warrant from the Department of the Interior for one hundred and sixty acres of land... 20 May 1862: Probably the best recognized of all land acts in the United States, the Homestead Act was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on 20 May 1862. Taking effect on 1 January 1863, the Homestead Act made it possible for any adult male U.S. citizen, or intended citizen, who had never taken up arms against the United States, to gain title to 160 acres of undeveloped land by living on it five years and paying eighteen dollars in fees. Female heads of household were also eligible. African-Americans later become eligible when the 14th Amendment granted them citizenship in 1868. Specific requirements for ownership included building a home, making improvements, and farming the land before they could own it outright. Alternatively, the homesteader could purchase the land for $1.25 per acre after having lived on the land for at least six months. Several previous homestead acts introduced in 1852, 1853, and 1860, failed to be passed into law. That any person who is the head of a family, or who has arrived at the age of twenty-one years, and is a citizen of the United States, or who shall have filed his declaration of intention to become such, as required by the naturalization laws of the United States, and who has never borne arms against the United States Government or given aid or comfort to its enemies, shall, from and after the first January, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, be entitled to enter one quarter section [160 acres] or a less quantity of unappropriated public lands...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

America's Richest Men and Their Impact in the Country Research Paper

America's Richest Men and Their Impact in the Country - Research Paper Example Rockefeller soared to be the richest man in U.S due to the growing importance of kerosene and gasoline (Chernow, 1998, pp. 10) In 1853, his relatives shifted to Strongsville where he took a ten week course on book keeping and in 1856, he got his initial job as an assistant bookkeeper at the Hewitt & Tuttle firm. He worked long hours in that firm as he was delighted and was skillful in accounting and calculating the transport costs which later helped him in his career (Chernow, 1998, pp. 46-47). He earned $50 at the end of the month and donated 6% of these proceeds to charity. This donation later rose to 10% when he joined the Baptist church (Chernow, 1998, pp. 50) With his partner, Maurice B. Clark, in 1859, Rockefeller went into manufacturing commission trade where they raised a capital of $4000. From this, Rockefeller went into business gradually where he made money with each year (Segal, 2001, pp. 25). Together with his partner, they ventured into oil business where they first bui lt their company first in 1863 in â€Å"The flats† then moved it to the Cleveland’s growing Industrial area. The commercial oil trade by this time was in its young growing stage. Whale Oil was the only oil that was available and was very expensive and an alternative needed to be sought, a cheaper and all- purpose lighting fuel was needed (Chernow, 1998, pp. 73-74) Rockefeller later bought the Oil Company, which had started out as a partnership, in an auction. The company had started out as a partnership between him and the Clark brothers. He positioned his business and himself well to take advantage of the post –civil war successfulness and the large expansion of the territory westward which was nurtured by the constructions of the railway lines and a oil-fueled economy. He then sought for financing and reinvested the profits he gained and adjusted quickly to the changing markets (Segall, 2001, pp. 32, 35) In the 1890’s he flourished into iron ore and ore transportation. This then forced a conflict between him and his competitor steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Then he later went on a huge buying fling where he acquired leases for crude oil production in Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia (Segall, 2001, pp. 84) From his first salary, Rockefeller tithed 10%of his proceeds to the church and he increased his giving with increase in wealth. He gave to the benefit of learning and communal health causes, fundamental science and the arts too (Ordway, 2009, p 107). Together with his consultants he discovered the conditional funding, which necessitated the beneficiaries to establish the organization in the interest of many people and that thereafter the recipient may be relied on to achieve the people’s interests and their cooperation (Fosdick, 1989, pp. 88). He funded heavily a College in Atlanta for African-American women and also gave appreciable contributions to Denison University and other Baptist Colleges. This then shows that Rockef eller supported education in US. He even founded a General Education Board in 1903 to endorse learning in the country. This played an important role in improving the living conditions of society around him (Jones-Wilson, 1996, pp.184) Rockefeller then established the Rockefeller institute for Medical Research in New York City which would still make him one of the immense beneficiaries of

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Incorporation of America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Incorporation of America - Research Paper Example An increase in national self-consciousness came about during the age of industry. According to Miller and Smith, America is known with the notion of rugged individualism. To Trachtenberg, there are forces that contribute to America’s cultural synergy in that industrialization initiated a conflict between powerful corporations and the workers. The tensions between capitalists and laborers, corporations and individuals, produced a national nervousness, as presented by Trachtenberg (p.74). Divisions in classes became the centre of America as the elite derived riches while the majority lost hope for prosperity as they were thrust into labor. Trachtenberg presents various conceptual sites in which competing views of American distinctiveness played out. In real sense, the west represents the accomplishment of development and opportunity over the natural resources preservation; at the same time, the civilizing process of Native Americans was highly rationalized. To industrialists, me chanization meant efficiency in production and accumulation of wealth, as a tool to benefit human beings. To workers, mechanization represented the degradation of manpower and signified the future which meant that loss of human freedom at work and probably in society was overpowered by mechanical oppression. Trachtenberg illustrates that varied experiences divided small farmers, industrial workers, bankers, manufacturers, managers, clerical and sales workers, teachers, engineers, civil servants, and speedy growing stratum of lawyers. A major consensus was wrecked in the 1870 crisis. Labor movements were prevented by racial, ethnic, geographic dispersion, and sexual discrimination; exhausting and regularly impoverishing living and working conditions, and continuing violent opposition from the press, employees, and the regime (p 94). According to Smith in, politics, pluralism, and power, politics of cultural struggles and cultural nationalism characterize American studies. Trachtenber g shifts his focus on this concept by stating that the factory structure left permanent spots that defined American culture and society. The gilded age inspired the failure of populist movement that reflected a desire to go back to the classics of ideals in America represented in agrarian myths. Americans were equal politically, but America was not economically equal. Cities also represented the inequality and tension that defined America. Citizens were microcosms of class disputes, struggles and the consumer-oriented symbols populations that the country had turned into, with the gilded age, which was characterized by institutions such as periodicals, department stores, and mass spectator sports. During this age, America’s innocence was lost and it became relative. However, the industrialization and the age in question defined the citizens of America. According to Trachtenberg (p. 139), the tensions were determined by the elite class’s victory, meaning that their cultu re set up itself as an official doctrine as they controlled business, labor, and politics over the bickering, divided voices of the middle and lower classes. In real sense, America was not unified but rather constituted various sets of tensions which were finally dominated by the elites. The author presents a chapter on politics of culture where he exposes

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Translation & Antigone Essay Example for Free

Translation Antigone Essay Transmittance of Interpretation and Intention in Translation Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone, although written long ago in a linguistic form foreign to the modern English speaker, finds new and relatable life by the whims and wits of Robert Fagles and Anne Carson’s translations, Antigone and Antigo nick respectively. After reading either translation and recognizing the great variation between them, the expedient question to ask encroaches as â€Å"Which is the more accurate version of the Grecian tale, or which adheres more wholesomely to the intentions and meanings of the original author? † However, this becomes glaringly evident not to be the correct, nor even significantly relevant question one should ask when extricating meaning from the residual texts. Indeed no such judgment materializes as humanly possible. Rather, a question gives way to an investigation equipped with a determined process of translation, and in fact literature itself, to ultimately reach the deductible answer of how the apparent style and meaning influence the reader’s understanding of the text; a product of the translator as much, if not more so, than the original text. That this aim might be achieved requires identifying certain driving purposes attributed to the texts as being birthed by the particular intentions of the translators. Translation comprises a difficult task. In her book Why Translation Matters, Edith Grossman lists these difficulties on behalf of translators in general, â€Å"Our purpose is to re-create as far as possible, within the alien system of a second language, all the characteristics, vagaries, quirks, and stylistic peculiarities of the work we are translating† (Grossman 2010). Such an endeavor complicates given the intricacy of working merely in a single language, let alone taking it a step further to transform them for not only compatibility but functionality in another. Reading literature in but one language represents an entire process in and of itself. Essentially originating with the thoughts of one (probably in part inspired by those before it, though undoubtedly motivated by whatever it is about the human spirit that demands of itself to share aspects of itself ), these thoughts fall through the sieve of language further until wrought into the written word. However, after having passed into language and especially into literature, by comparison somewhat sterilized to its spoken originator, these thoughts takes on a form of potential meaning of their own. In this conveyed form, although partially isolated from the originator, the opportunity for its grand purpose of reaching another human being for interpretation and extracted importance realizes. Although the author had an intended meaning for and in the communicated, the realized significance of the reader cannot be identical to the original, as no individual can formulate and feel the exact same meaning as another in the exact same way. Translation adds further convolution to this process with addition of another interpretive entity and step, in essence altering the transfer of intention and meaning from the original to the end reader into two conjunctive, but nonetheless separate forms. Proof of this step is evident in â€Å"good translations† as Grossman describes, â€Å"We will perceive the text, emotionally and artistically, in a manner that parallels and corresponds to the esthetic experience of its first readers. This is the translator’s grand ambition. Good translations approach that purpose† (Grossman 2010). In order to achieve this, Grossman goes on to say, â€Å"We do this by analogy—that is, by finding comparable, not identical, characteristics in the second language† (Grossman, 2010). Joe Sachs, in the introduction to his translation of Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics, echoes Grossman, asserting â€Å"If one regards the virtue of a translation as smoothness, and its greatest fault as awkwardness, then all writing †¦ must be lost in translation, reduced to those ordinary choices of words that fit without a hitch into the thinking we have already done† (Sachs VIII). Sachs goes on to provide an excellent example of these necessary analogies, and possible irregularity associated with them, by linking the true definition of the Greek work â€Å"energia,† fundamental to Aristotle’s philosophy, not simply and smoothly with â€Å"activity† unless contextually â€Å"its special and emphatic meaning is established for the reader† (Sachs VIII). Rather the central idea of â€Å"being at work† approaches â€Å"energia,† both in the sense of a â€Å"being† as an entity and â€Å"being† as an action or inherent condition of that entity (Sachs VIII). In the face of such a daunting task, in fact one technically impossible in entirety, a translator invariably infuses personal interest into the resultant work. Admitting to the notion of personal infusion, Grossman states, â€Å"The undeniable reality is that the work becomes the translator’s (while simultaneously and mysteriously somehow remaining the work of the original author) as we transmute it into a second language† (Grossman, 2010). Rachel Galvin also attests to this notion in her essay â€Å"Looting† as she cites Horaldo De Campos utilizing the reminiscent verb regarding Carson’s text a â€Å"transcreation   a critical reading and transformation or re-creation of the original† ( Galvin, 2013). As it pertains to Anne Carson’s Antigo nick and Robert Fagles’ Antigone, differences in overall style and meaning are evident in almost every aspect aside from a few necessary commonalities that still unite them as English translations of Sophocles’ Antigone. Either story contains the necessary background and the ensuing problem and plot of Antigone’s rebellion against Creon for the sake of her disgraced dead brother, leading to her internment and suicide. To be sure, to translate they must, and do anyway, habitually, as Joe Sachs in his introduction to his translation of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, â€Å"bypass the accumulated baggage of a tradition that cannot accomplish that task† (Sachs VII). This accumulated baggage may be anything detracting from their determined necessary subject of transference. First and foremost among matching efforts directed toward this end entail both being direct Greek to English translations. To do so avoids any further diluting or complicating of the resultant text, and perhaps more importantly side steps historically influencing thought inherent in, for example, a Greek to Latin to English translation. Written in comparably straightforward dialogue, the translations also shake off â€Å"baggage† in their more direct and thereby relatable language. Though sometimes similar, the two seem to never actually match, such as when Antigone speaks to her sister about their mutual uncertainty to the future as to why she has summoned her to the gate, Fagles’ translation stating, â€Å"I thought so, that’s why I brought you out here† (60). And Carson’s translation similarly stating, â€Å"That’s what I thought that’s why I called you out here† (1). Yet outside ordinary necessities either translator’s take on the tragedy differs on most of the other major points. If they generate from the same story, how is it possible to have such essential variation between the translations? Plainly, Carson and Fagles, being two different human beings, inevitably interpreted the play differently. The translations principally diverge in the literal replication of his and her individual interpretations, and further how these interpretations perceptibly dominate the translations. These differing strengths produce different styles and highlight differing meanings of the texts as congruent with the intentions for the works. The overall style of each text takes the predominant role of establishing the standard of â€Å"displaying reverence for a beloved text,† but also â€Å"tak[ing] ownership of it† (Galvin, 2013). This desire most strongly permeates the reader’s attention by the very style in which either translation is written and presented on the page. Carson’s text is handwritten, in all capital letters, and of either black or red ink (red ink denoting extra emphasis). Furthermore, the writing itself emphasizes the artistic value as choppy yet punctually important. Fagles’ holds fast to what is normally expected of a book and simply appears as type of paper, separating characters’ dialogue in neat organization, all the while in iambic pentameter. This translation prefers a more verbally aesthetic approach, and by comparison to Antigo nick appreciates more of a prolonged beauty. The evidence of Fagles’ translation as adhering to a more traditional approach regarding translation, in addition to storytelling in general, attempting to deal accurately with the original text bleeds through with the simplicity and smoothness, yet elegance of his language; such as the dialogue of Haemon trying to convince his father to bend: You’ve seen trees by a raging winter torrent, how many sway with the flood and salvage every twig, but not the stubborn – they’re ripped out, roots and all. Bend or break. The same when a main is sailing: haul your sheets too taut, never give an inch, you’ll capsize †¦ Oh give way, relax your anger (96). Whereas Carson’s version instead attempts to break new ground in the field of translation. The very same instance in Carson’s version instead recounts riding a bicycle and condenses the assumed original into, â€Å"Trees bend ships loosen the rigging no single human being has perfect knowledge† (26). Both translators are attempting to â€Å"recast the language in a new age,† but Carson’s intention aligns more so than Fagles with the â€Å"goal of rendering these works in [her] own idioms† (Galvin, 2010). Take for example the first page of Antigo nick, as Antigone speaks to Ismene she says: We begin in the dark and birth is the death of us Ismene: Who said that Antigone: Hegel Ismene: sounds more like Beckett Antigone: He was paraphrasing Hegel (1). Fagles has no equivalent to this. Including these thoughts and thinkers, moreover, seems intuitively counteractive to good translating, considering Sophocles’ tragedy existed thousands of years before these thinkers. But preeminently establishing this precedent identifies the very purpose of Carson’s translation: to make something relatable to the individual human and historically meaningful human thought. The emphasis of death and darkness as timelessly uniting factors takes precedence over the development and presentation of the tragedy of specifically Antigone. Most notable, and indeed basic amongst the intentions of Carson blatantly occupies the front cover: simply the title Antigo Nick, beginning with Antigone but ending as Carson dictates it, with the name Nick (an added character and subject of fatalistic time in and of himself) not only portends another discrepancy, but lessens the weight of Antigone herself. Furthermore, Antigo nick more adequately presents itself as a vehicle characterized by and celebratory of these meaningful connections, exemplified by Carson’s handwritten text as it artistically dances amid illustrator Bianca Stone’s cryptic imagery. Though the images impart an account of their own, â€Å"the rhythm between text and images is often surprising and their relationship mysterious† (Galvin, 2013). These images often speak to the desired immensity of Carson’s translation, complementing the text rather than the story with enormous â€Å"dreamscapes. † Conversely, Fagles’ translation dwells on the specificity of this story; the utmost evidence being the long introduction of historical and cultural context. In doing so Fagles makes his translation able to understandably stand alone with inclusive significance. For example, with the provided historical and cultural lens, the meaning of Antigone’s rebellion amplifies by its subversion of these historical and cultural factors, namely her being a woman as well as the daughter of Oedipus, etc. Her rebellion in Antigo nick does not in specific mean anything, rather rebellion against authority in general means something. Moreover generalized, passionate rebellion once again proves more relatable to the universal human as well as holistic history. Carson intentionally requires both modern and prior knowledge to both know the story and understand its allusions, such as â€Å"here comes Kreon rowing his powerboat† (5). Or: Your Clumsy Its TrueClumsy as your FatherRemember how Brecht Had you do the whole play with a door strapped To your back (35). The reader is left at the mercy of this language and its allusions and inherent emphases, all of which are completely based in the interpretation of meaning by Carson as she, although creating new meanings, embraces an avant-garde tradition. The reader is dependent on former knowledge to understand the text, and is thereby led to different connections personal to Carson, though alien to Fagles’ translation. Originating from the same story, the reader acquaints with differing constructions of importance. The themes of Sophocles’ play are themselves altered by the translated language in alignment with Fagles and Carson’s intentions for their translations. The translators differing purposes for what their texts are attempting to accomplish cultivate a differing sense most notably of tragedy. When presented with the actual Greek, Fagles presumably understood it going in through the lens of a classical Grecian tragedy, and consistently depicted it as such. Therefore, characters carry themselves and are motivated heroically with artfulness; in other words not very relatable. Carson’s stressed theme strays away from the emphasized sense of tragedy, and instead, through the strong and often piecemeal dialogue emphasizes the less glorious reality of blunt death overlooked in usual tragedy. Characters therefore come across as impulsive and somewhat unaware: relatable. These differences are evident from the beginning of the play, as Carson’s Antigone relates to Ismene regarding their dead brother, â€Å"Dear sister my dead are mine and yours as well† (2). Fagles’ translation more nobly depicts the body as brother, saying instead â€Å"he is my brother – and deny it as you will – your brother too† (61). This notion goes on to be further reinforced as Ismene attempts to share in hers sister’s fate, as in the Fagles version, â€Å"I did it, yes – if only she consents – I share the guilt, the consequences too,† while Antigone responds, â€Å"No, Justice will never suffer that – not you, you were unwilling. I never brought you in† (87). Yet Ismene in the equivalent line of Antigo nick states, â€Å"I did the deed I share the blame Antigone: You did nothing you shared nothing leave my death alone† (18-19). Fagles’s smooth language and invocation of justice and guilt dignifies both parties, while Carson’s fast and choppy language: blame, nothing, and death diminish graciousness. Furthermore, this wanting of an inglorious death undermines the sense of tragedy in that portraying it in such a fashion weakens purposefulness, or the ‘beauty / art’ of it. The massive tragic  void in Antigo nick compared to Antigone illustrates most profoundly in the suicidal end, as Fagles’s messenger describes: And there we found her hanged by the neck in a fine linen noose, strangled in her veils – and the boy, his arms flung around her waist, clinging to her †¦ and then doomed and desperate with himself, suddenly leaning his full weight on the blade, he buried it in his body, haldway to the hilt. And still in his senses, pouring his arms around her, he embraced the girl, realeased a quick rush of blood bright red on her cheek glistening white. And there he lies body enfolding body (122-123). Antigo nick, true to form, forbears from such a tragically moving finale, with the messenger instead explaining the scene â€Å"The girl hanging the boy a bloody lung †¦ the sword sinking up to its own mouth† (34). A greater distinction cannot be made, concerning the language of tragedy, as recounting something as an enfolding crimson kiss vs. a â€Å"bloody lung. † Fagles’ melodrama and Carson’s understatement engineer discrepant intensities of admirability for their characters: in their beliefs, actions, and ends. The management and development of tragedy or considerable lack thereof, via these characters, aligns with the intentions of the translators to relate not only their interpretation of the initial text, but also their intentions in translating it true to their forms. Discrepancies among translations come from discrepancies among translators. The differing versions of style and tragedy ultimately adhere to the grand intention of either translator for either translation. Galvin quotes Osip Mandelstam, when speaking of Dante, though she believes the statement to be â€Å"equally rue of Sophocles,† as saying, â€Å"It is inconceivable to read [these texts] without directing them towards contemporaneity. They were created for that purpose. They are missiles for capturing the future. They demand commentary in the futurum. † (Galvin, 2013). Both Antigone and Antigo Nick achieve this end. Fagles’s succeeds in producing an understandable and straightforward look at the original play. Fagles importantly also succeeds in manufacturing a stand alone, most probably accurate version of Sophocles’ original Antigone, customarily emphasizing tragedy. Carson succeeds in bringing a new, futuristic, or rather modern spin to an old story. Her fabrication of a relatable piece, both in terms of relevance to the lay man as well as its self-proclaimed correspondence to historical thought and an avant-garde tradition, reserve it its place in this necessary ongoing â€Å"commentary. † Creative literature and translation by means of personal infusion enriches language with diverse meaning, because, â€Å"The more a language embraces infusions and transfusions of new elements and foreign turns of phrase, the larger, more forceful, and more flexible it becomes as an expressive medium† (Grossman). The preservation of art as well as the exemplification of translational truths unite both texts just as their mutual origins in the Greek of Sophocles do. The crucial conclusion regarding the derivation and understanding of meaning among these two translations, and translation as well as literature overall, depends upon the author’s (or translator’s) literal adaptation of his or her interpretations arousing an analogous notion in the reader. It constitutes a personal process reliant upon the ability to transmit specific significance through style and emphasized meanings. Or simply: the reader is never free from the author (perhaps gladly so). Works Cited  Aristotle. Nichomachean Ethics. Trans. Sachs, Joe. Newburyport, MA: Focus Publishing, 2002. Print. Galvin, Rachel. Looting. Boston Review. Boston Review, 1 Mar 2013. Web. 12 Nov 2013. . Grossman, Edith. From Why Translation Matters. Why Translation Matters Yale University Press. (2010): n. pag. Words Without Borders. Web. 12 Nov 2013. . Sophocles. Antigone. Trans. Carson, Anne. New York: New Directions, 2012. Print. Sophocles. Antigone. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Group, 1984. Print.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Hot Dogs :: essays research papers

How Hot Dogs Are Made: The Real Story There are many tall tales about the way in which hot dogs are made. I remember when I was a kid, my dad told us that hotdogs are pig fetuses and other bi-products picked up from the floor and thrown into the grinder. To tell you the truth I have thought that ever since I first heard it. It wasn’t until I decided to do a little research on this before gruesome and now pleasant process. First, specially selected meat trimmings of beef and/or pork (just like the meat you buy at the grocery store) is cut or ground into small pieces and placed in a mixer. Poultry hotdogs will obviously use poultry trimmings. High speed, stainless steel choppers blend the meat, spices, ice chips and curing ingredients into a creamy, meaty batter. The batter is constantly weighed to insure that the correct amount of each ingredient is being used. The mixture is then pumped into an automatic linking machine, where it flows into casings. The most popular brands of hot dogs such as, Oscar Meyer or Ball Park use cellulose casings, which are later removed. Some wieners use natural casings, which remain on the wiener when it is eaten. These wieners are considered more traditional, and are usually made by smaller manufacturers and tend to cost a little more. Once the casings are filled, they are linked into long strands of hot dogs and moved to the smokehouse; there they are fully cooked under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. They may be hardwood smoked for added color and flavor. After passing through the smoke and cook cycle, the hot dogs are placed in cool water. If the hot dogs were made with cellulose casings, they are sent to an automatic peeler, where the cellulose skin is stripped away. The individual links are then put through to the packaging equipment. When cellulose casings are used, the hot dogs are of exact size and weight. They are vacuum-sealed in plastic films to protect the freshness and f lavor of the hot dog. Because the casings on natural casings wieners are made from cleaned and processed animal intestines, they are of similar, but not exact, size. Each package of hot dogs contains an ingredient statement, which lists everything that goes into it. These days, it is less common to use variety meats such as hearts in hot dogs.

Monday, November 11, 2019

HR Practices of United Services Automobile Association Essay

The United Services Automobile Association (USAA) is a Fortune 100 company as of the year 2009 that primarily sells life and property insurance to its 7. 7 million members, which consists of active and retired military personnel and their family members (www. biz. yahoo. com). They also offer such services as banking and investment management, focused on helping military persons to manage their money wisely and offer them services at reasonable costs with low interest rates. As of 2009, the company employees 21,500 people and competes in the industry of property and casualty insurance against other companies such as MetLife, State Farm, and Government Employees Insurance Company (www. biz. yahoo. com). USAA is headquartered out of San Antonio, Texas, where twenty-five Army officers founded the company in 1922 and set out to insure each other’s cars while standing firm in the values of honesty, integrity, loyalty and great service (USAA. om). â€Å"USAA’s mission is to facilitate the financial security of its members, associates, and their families through provision of a full range of highly competitive financial products and services; in so doing, USAA seeks to be the provider of choice for the military community,† (usaa. com). This mission statement from USAA’s website shows that the company has established its target market, segmenting it into the realm of military personnel and their families. Their main business strategy in attracting customers and beating out the competition for those customers is not only offering a wide array of financial and insurance services, but also by doing so at reasonable costs, rates, and carrying operations out with superior customer service. As a USAA customer having dealt with their top competitors also, I know firsthand that they initially attract customers by internet and television advertising mostly, and achieve customer loyalty by offering a great product at a great price with superior customer satisfaction relationships; this gives the company a high sustainable advantage in their industry and creates a high customer value in the market. This major corporation can afford to be such a customer-focused one because they are not a publicly traded company; in other words, they answer not to stockholders, but rather to the members of the association to cater to their desires. This is how they are able to beat out the competition and gain the edge on acquiring and sustaining more customers than other companies in their industry. Human Resource Practices The USAA corporate website’s careers section pitches employment with the company to interested potential employees as not simply taking orders from customers, but rather truly making a difference in a military family’s life with each and every call. One thing they do that is effective is putting a section titled, â€Å"What’s in it for you? † under which they share that the company pays competitively against the competition within the labor market and offer benefits such as a great 401(k) plan, fitness programs, and other beneficial incentives (usaa. com). From an employee’s perspective, USAA is a great company to work for because the pay is competitive, the benefits increase the value of the job above the pay rate, and there is tremendous job stability once you become a part of their team. This website shows that the company’s human resource practices focus chiefly on pay and benefits to attract potential employees; furthermore the job qualifications insinuate that they are looking for people that have some sort of military service completed, with a moderate college education but skills that are focused on customer satisfaction and interacting well with other people. Often times, customer service positions have a high turnover rate due to the nature of the position in dealing with disgruntled customers, however, USAA does a great job of attracting and retaining the type of individuals they are seeking by offering great pay and benefits that make the job tough to quit. Ethical Philosophy The USAA company website states that their core values are, â€Å"service, loyalty, honesty, and integrity; the same as the military community we serve,† (usaa. om); this portrays the corporate philosophy and ethical positioning quite clearly. They believe in working hard and faithfully to deliver the best service possible while doing what is best for the â€Å"greater good† of the society in which they operate. When compared with the Kantian Rights discussed in chapter one of our textbook, Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (Noe, page 15), USAA’s company ethics parallel with them quite well. The four traits of service, loyalty, honesty, and integrity would completely support the Kantian Rights of free consent, privacy, freedom of conscience, speech, and due process because these are the very things the military fights to defend, and the military is the market which USAA seeks to serve. Foreign Operations The extent of USAA’s foreign operations is not too great considering they serve the people of the American military forces. However, they do handle customer accounts while they are in foreign lands serving in the military; for instance, USAA offers great financial management support for military personnel who are about to be deployed so that they can use their combat and active duty pay wisely to support themselves and their family. HR Practices and Business Strategy One trait that makes a large difference between successful corporations and lesser successful corporations is the company’s ability to implement its ideals into everyday business operations and sync its human resource practices with the overall business strategy. Seeing as USAA is rated in the top one hundred best companies to work for, they must be lucratively creating an environment in which their human resource practices are complimenting the overall business strategy. This creates loyal and satisfied employees that will, in turn, carry out their tasks with diligence and create the superior customer service that so greatly defines USAA. If the customer service employees at USAA were not satisfied, whether it be for compensation reasons or any reason for that matter, they would not be in a position or attitude to maintain the core values of the company, thus the HR practices would no longer be in harmony with the overall business strategy. It is in this situation that we see the utmost importance of the human resource department and its ability to compliment the company’s business strategy. Due to the company’s competitive pay and long list of great benefits that increase the value of having a career with USAA, it is fair to say that their employees should be satisfied and adequately motivated to carry out the overall business strategy.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

O great god-king Xerxes Essay

O great god-king Xerxes, I have heard that you are planning to launch a full-scale invasion of the Greek nations following on the steps of your father, Darius. I come here before you to attempt to dissuade you of your plans for Greece. As I am once a prominent citizen of one of the many city-states in the nation, it would do you well to listen to my advice as it contains extensive knowledge of what you are about to face if you push through with your plans. O King, barely ten years ago, your father Darius launched a similar invasion against the Greek city-states in retaliation to the Athenians’ aiding the Ionians in their revolt against his rule. Although it had been initially successful, the invasion was ultimately put to an end by his defeat during the Battle of Marathon. It could be worth noting that, despite the battle being a victory, it was a desperate attack by the Athenian army that caused the defeat of your father’s armed forces. Sparta, perhaps the state with the most powerful military in all of Greece, was absent from the battle and even then the Greeks scored a victory. Each city-state in Greece acts independently from each other. They are each governed by their respective rulers and are not influenced by the affairs of the other city-states. However, it is not impossible for each of them to call for aid to one another as evidenced by the Ionian call for aid during the previous war. Sartus was taken thanks to the aid provided by Athens, who had the major contribution in the allied army, and by Eretria. Sparta had chosen delay sending military aid as it had decided a full moon needed to pass before they do anything and were thus absent from the Battle of Marathon, where your father’s army was defeated utterly. Had Sparta’s forces been present, its superior military might compared to Athens would likely contribute to utter decimation of the Persian forces under your father’s command. However, even then, your father’s soldiers lost under the Greeks. If you attack now, O King, you risk provoking an even greater alliance that can now include Sparta, which is your most formidable enemy on the plains of Greece. The Spartans are a race that places utmost emphasis on military training and raising superior soldiers that have been tested in war. Furthermore, the Spartans will never participate and are not interested in any alliance that will not mean leadership to them. They can be a vain and arrogant nation but with the strength to back their vanity up. If you threaten the entire Greek country now, your Majesty, the major powers of the nation will definitely ally themselves with Sparta at the helm. With Spartan tactics and warriors at the vanguard, your army – no matter how great – will run into serious opposition which can result into an even greater demise than what has happened to your father’s forces in Marathon. As could be expected from any nation, the Greeks have devised battle tactics that are best suited to their terrain. They know their land; you can expect them to take advantage of that and lure your forces into a disadvantage in battle. With a possible alliance under Spartan leadership, the Greek can have a tactical and strategic advantage even if your army is greater in number. O Wise King, great wisdom it would be not to rely on the greater numbers of your armed host. The Greeks, especially the Spartans, will not be easily daunted. They have tactics that can be quite effective when employed in terrain which they know well. For example, your father Darius in Marathon faced a tactic called the phalanx. By definition, a Greek battle line deployed in a phalanx means there is equal strength in all sides of the battle formation. However, in Marathon, the Greek commander faced superior numbers but was able to modify the phalanx into an effective variant: he strengthened the wings of his battle formation while weakening the center. At first you would think that the Greeks were committing suicide and, indeed, the Greeks seemed to be at the point of desperation. However, stronger wings meant that the Greeks managed to hold off the wings of your father’s formations, holding them back and disabling them from reinforcing the center of King Darius’ battle lines. Thus, it was then that the Persian armies were surrounded and routed by the Greek army in Marathon. The results of the battle were horrific. Your father lost a sizable portion of his soldiers, sixty times more than what the Greeks lost in that same battle. A second Marathon is not the only thing that you should worry about in the conduct of battle in this planned invasion. A worse battle awaits your forces if you push through. In Greece, there is a place which we call the â€Å"Hot Gates† or Thermopylae. This place is a narrow pass bordered by a sheer cliff wall on one side, and the sea on the other side. This is a battleground ideal for the phalanx. In such a narrow pass, the phalanx will serve as a wedge that will drive through your attacking forces. The Greeks need only to strengthen their front lines with the rear guard merely pushing the front soldiers forward. In here, the superior numbers of your great army will definitely count for nothing. The Greeks, especially the Spartans and the Athenians, are aware of this pass; they will definitely use this to their advantage to hold off your army while a greater force amasses for retaliation. A Spartan-led phalanx could be as devastating as any phalanx, which had been proven by the Athenian tactics in Marathon. As you could see, Great King Xerxes, the sheer size of your army is both your strength and your liability. To support such a large host, you need a sizable navy to carry supplies back and forth. Your navy will be stretched thin supporting your great army; it will also have to endure against whatever naval counterattacks and offensives that the Greeks may launch against you. You could face a naval situation similar to Thermopylae in Salamis. It is a narrow channel, one which can reduce your navy into a bottleneck and reduce their effectiveness. The Greeks can pick your ships off one by one even if they may be smaller in size. Consider my wisdom in this matter, King Xerxes. I daresay that, even if you hold the greater number of forces, you would find it hard to manage them effectively at smaller levels. The Greeks, my former countrymen, are geniuses both in scholarship and in battle; your father Darius learnt that the hard way in the fields of Marathon under the Athenians alone. With a possible pan-Greek alliance – with the mighty Spartans leading – your forces face yet another humiliating defeat similar to Marathon, only this time you will be facing the combined might of all the city-states of Greece. Abandon this plan now, before this results to destruction of your mighty host. Sources: Wheeler, Kevin. (2001). â€Å"Ancient Greek Battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, Artemisium and Salamis. † Retrieved November 30, 2008, from Ancient World Battles website: http://www. geocities. com/caesarkevin/battles/Greekbattles1. html Lendering, Jona. (2005). â€Å"Phalanx and Hoplites. † Retrieved November 30, 2008 from Livius. org website: http://www. livius. org/pha-phd/phalanx/phalanx. html Lopez, Vincent. (2008) â€Å"Shock Tactics on the Ancient Battlefield. † Retrieved November 30, 2008 from Armchair General website: http://www. armchairgeneral. com/shock-tactics-on-the-ancient-battlefield. htm/5 Stewart, Michael. â€Å"People, Places & Things: Xerxes I†, Greek Mythology: From the Iliad to the Fall of the Last Tyrant. Retrieved November 30, 2008 from Messagenet website: http://messagenet. com/myths/ppt/Xerxes_I_1. html Freedom44. (2004). â€Å"The First Persian War – Greek Wars. † Retrieved from Free Republic website: http://freerepublic. com/focus/f-news/1196577/posts

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Prostitution.

Prostitution. Prostitution is an issue which has caused controversy cross-culturally and historically and which has many individuals reexamining the logistics of it. If prostitution is decriminalized it will become economically profitable and feasible for not only the prostitutes, but also western society as a whole. Without the 20th century western laws, which force prostitution underground, the profession of prostitution could become a clean and safe occupation. Prostitution laws are unconstitutional and deny the prostitutes what the American constitution allows them. Prostitution is an illegal act in Canada and large portions of the United States, which, if legalized, would protect and benefit 20th century western society. If sanctioned, prostitution will become economically lucrative for the governments involved. The colossal amount of money spent each year on prostitute prevention could be spent on more urgent issues, which is exactly what the San Francisco Task Force on Prostitution found.Th e total costs accounted for in this report amounts to $7,634,750.00.2009 March For Life in Washington, DC), photo by J...Given the many areas in which we found that information is not available, or there are hidden costs, the over all expense to the taxpayer exceeds $7.6 million annually.1 The San Francisco Task Force is a group of researchers, police officers, members of the San Francisco community, government officials and prostitutes, who frequently meet to discuss the issues of prostitution and to try to come to some solution. Although they may not always agree, two issues they are in agreement about are that the $7.6 million dollars would be better spent elsewhere and that prostitution should be legalized. Robert Noce of Manitoba city council wants reform of the Canadian Justice System and he would like to see prostitution become worthwhile to Canadian taxpayers. Instead of pretending these establishments don't exist, instead be logical about this and try to use the profits tha t we could...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

7 negotiation tips for Millennials

7 negotiation tips for Millennials When you’re just starting out, negotiating may seem like some far-off point in your career: something you’ll do in your life eventually, like buy a minivan or start watching CBS procedural dramas. After all, you don’t have years of experience to use as leverage yet, right? Wrong! I don’t know how you feel about sensible family car choices, but negotiating in your work life is definitely something you should do now. There’s no magic rule that you must have a certain amount of experience or a particular level of work gravitas. And in fact, the more familiar you become with the process now, early in the game, the more potent your negotiation skills will be as you advance in your career.Why you should negotiateWhen employers make a job offer, they usually expect a little haggling these days. The offer may be at the lower end of a range for them, and why not? They have nothing to lose here: they have a good candidate on the line. If that person accepts t he offer straight away, they got a solid deal at the low end of the range. If that person negotiates up, the company is still likely within the scope of what they expected to pay. But it’s important to remember that you aren’t likely to lose much here either: as long as you negotiate reasonably and civilly, they’re probably not going to yank the job offer just because you tried to negotiate in the first place. And you do have the potential to make this sweet job offer even sweeter, either with more money or more perks.Negotiation also establishes a couple of things up front, before you even start the job: 1) that you’re a confident person who knows your worth; and 2) that you want to maximize your salary and benefits. The higher your starting salary is, the more you’ll be able to get when it comes to percentage-based raises and bonuses. Think of it as a professional investment that you can make now.When you should negotiateIt may be tempting to tal k about salary in a job interview, in a show of confidence- or even just curiosity to see if this job is going to be worth your while. Resist that urge. (And if the interviewer tries to sneak in their own stealth salary questions, here’s how to get around them.) Get past the application, the interview, the second interview, all of it†¦wait until you have a job offer in hand, with a salary attached as a starting point.Alternatively, you can negotiate when you already have a job, but feel ready for a raise or a promotion. Whatever the circumstance, it’s the same basic process: prepare, ask for what you want, and be ready for the back-and-forth.Tips for negotiatingLet’s look at some tips to help you build your negotiation skills and get ready to bargain with your employer. The more prep work you do now, the more ready you’ll be when it comes time- you don’t want to waste any time once you have that offer letter.1. Be prepared with an elevator pit ch.This is your headline, basically. Based on my previous experience managing social media, I was hoping to see a salary of $X. Your elevator pitch in this case summarizes why you’re worth the extra salary. I want and I need aren’t going to get you very far here- the employer isn’t concerned with what your preferences are. They want to make sure that you bring value in exchange for the extra salary bump or incentives added to your offer package. The more you emphasize those qualities in the negotiation process, the higher your chances of success.And this is especially important if you’re negotiating a raise at your existing job. The question of why is going to be one of the first you’ll need to tackle. Wanting a raise is all well and good (who doesn’t want one), but you need to show that you deserve it too.2. Be specific and realistic.This is where you should have a sense of what you’re worth. And I don’t mean that in a â€Å" my mom thinks I’m priceless† kind of way. I mean it in a â€Å"this is what people at my level in this field can make† kind of way. Once you know what you can reasonably expect, you can come up with specific dollar amounts as a counteroffer. Unrealistic counteroffers, just for the sake of seeing what you can get, are not likely to be met with success. Do your research- a search of similar positions on Glassdoor or Salary.com can often give you a good sense of what the market-level salary is for your new or current job. Use that knowledge to come up with a realistic range for your salary. It’s okay to reach a little in your counteroffer, but make sure it’s within a realistic range.3. Think outside the salary box.You know you can negotiate for more than just salary, right? When you get a job offer, you may also receive information on company policies, benefits, etc. Core benefits like insurance coverage and retirement savings plans may be set in stone , depending on your new company’s policies. However, you might be able to negotiate additional vacation or personal days, or work-from-home flex time. If the company seems pretty intractable on a salary bump, think about other ways you might be able to negotiate a more appealing package. But again, the key is being realistic. A junior employee is not likely to score an extra week of vacation up front, but if you think there’s wiggle room on time off, work that into your negotiation.4. Know what your limits are.Part of being realistic about your negotiation means having a dealbreaker in mind as well. It’s not defeatist to think about what could make you walk away from the negotiating table. You should decide ahead of time what your minimum is for this job. Maybe it’s the same salary as you make now. Or maybe you truly don’t want the job unless you can get a 2% raise over what you’re making now. Whatever the case may be, have that â€Å"last chance† number in mind before you get started. That way, if the negotiating drags on and you don’t see the company offering more than the bottom of your range, consider walking away and turning down the offer.5. Don’t panic.Once you’ve started negotiating, you may feel a little jumpy, like you overstepped your bounds. That can lead to accepting a counteroffer too quickly, just to get the process over with. If you’ve done your due diligence and have your range in mind, you know what you can realistically get. If the company indicates that they’re standing firm, then it’s time to accept (or reject) and move on.6. Keep it civil.A little confident swagger can be good when you’re negotiating. You know what’s not good? Threatening to take your ball and go home. It may seem like a baller move, but this is not the place to make ultimatums or threats. When you’re negotiating salary or a raise, both you and the company are d oing it in good faith, with the goal of finding an employment package that works for both parties. If you blatantly threaten to walk away if they don’t meet particular demands, then you just may find the job offer rescinded anyway. Or if you’re negotiating a raise and threaten to quit if you don’t get your way, you risk doing irreparable damage to your relationship with your boss and company. Always keep the tone civil and friendly, even when you’re making bold requests.7. Keep an eye on the clock.This isn’t necessarily a speed event, but you don’t want this to drag out. You want the job, and the company wants someone in the job as soon as possible. Try not to sit on any offer for more than a day without checking in with the company, or letting them know your decision timeline. When you get an offer, it’s fine to say, â€Å"I’d like to take a day to consider this offer. Is it okay if I get back to you on Wednesday?† Or à ¢â‚¬Å"I’m traveling this weekend. Okay if I let you know on Monday?† That way, the company knows you haven’t disappeared, and that you’re considering the next move.Negotiating is a process that you want to be familiar with as early in your career as possible. If you’re realistic and do your research, there’s no reason why you can’t be an advocate for your financial interests as a junior employee. Again, there’s no magic line where you can start negotiating, so why not now?

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Critically discuss being drinking among women and particularly among Literature review

Critically discuss being drinking among women and particularly among asian women - Literature review Example This is because they are the largest group between the two that is experiencing rapid growth in binge drinking. This paper seeks to explore the theoretical implication of binge drinking while focusing on Asian women. As a modern phenomenon, binge drinking is more of a problematic form of drinking as opposed to pleasurable drinking. There has been numerous instances of debate on binge drinking in the media, especially in the TV and the newspaper with shameful representations captioned by examples such as â€Å"Binge Britain’s Night of Shame†, â€Å"Booze Britain† and â€Å"Ladette to Lady†. From these contexts, it is clear that the people being described in the TV and the newspaper are young people who engage in unacceptable behavior after alcohol intoxication. There are also alcohol policies put in place by the government to promote sensible behavior when drinking (Nicholls 2009). In academic studies, there are misconceptions about the phenomenon of binge drinking being a new manifestation of the 21st century. What is also questionable is its mere existence and how exactly it is presented in practice because most of the people who go out drinking on weekends are painted by the media and the government as being binge drinkers when they do not overtly comprehend the nature of their drinking themselves (Haydock 2009). Academic accounts also identify a problem with the fact that binge drinking is considered a new phenomenon, given that there are numerous aspects that influence the â€Å"newness† and they vary with race, culture, age, gender among others. For instance according to Measham and Brain’s (2005), the â€Å"culture of intoxication† is a representation of â€Å"determined drunkenness† which is a calculated and deliberate attempt made by a person to get drunk (Measham & Brain 2005). However, according to Hall and Winlow’ s (2006), binge drinking is considered a means by which people engage more in broader friendship